“Now. I won’t mull my words here. You did your job. You won. Your little scheme killed the first Sin Archdemon. Humanity might be saved now. You’ve achieved so much,” Alexa frowned and crossed her arms. “But how will you answer all of these?”

  “I make no excuses,” Wilhelm said, his face still planted on the ground. “I wanted to win when I knew humanity itself was losing. I planned, prepared, and executed this plan with the full knowledge that I’d be killing off at least ten thousand innocent people, and doom humanity should I fail.”

  “Yet you show no remorse.”

  “I win. What is there for me to regret? My mind tells me that I have made a great achievement. The views of anyone besides me don’t matter, and there’s no point for me to change it.”

  Phoebe curled her fist, her cheeks turning red.

  “Mr. von Eisen, I can’t believe I’m hearing you speak like this! I heard you even forcefully made me drink that demon’s hair. I-I would have done that, but why not ask me first?”

  “You would have refused,” Wilhelm said. “You know that for yourself. Ever since that priest released you from that dungeon, you’ve wanted to be a hero to the people around you, right? But you do not possess the guts to be that person.”

  Phoebe’s aggressiveness was quickly stamped out, and she retreated, sulking a bit.

  “For someone who had his jewels kicked, you certainly still possess a sharp tongue, huh?” Alexa asked, again, condescendingly.

  “I will most likely be executed by a military tribunal once it is called. There is no reason…” He struggled to say his next words due to the pain. “To be ashamed anymore. Nothing I say will help me, and I don’t want to help myself. I already fulfilled my purpose.”

  A smile grew on his pained face.

  “That’s…all I ever wanted anyway.”

  Alexa took a deep breath.

  No wonder this guy was barely a blip in the original story.

  “Have you not for a second ever thought about the people who died, Wilhelm?” Alexa asked. “You seem quite acutely aware of what ‘withering’ does. Is this a symptom of it?”

  “Perhaps. I want to feel bad about things, but…to be honest, I’ve felt nothing,” Wilhelm admitted. “I understand why you’ll think I’m reprehensible though, but from my perspective, I did my job and finished it masterfully. I’ve defended humanity, as was asked of me.”

  “You didn’t. The Imperial Capital and thousands of its inhabitants are dead. Your job was to defend them too.”

  “And in exchange, I’ve most likely prevented the deaths of the entire continent. Phoebe’s abilities would have never been activated without gaining the essence of the main skills of the Sin Archdemons. Even if someone somehow managed to do something about that, seven archdemons against her is a losing fight. I shaved off one. That’s enough to tip the scales for humanity’s favor.”

  “How so?”

  “Because each Sin Archdemon covers the weaknesses of its sisters. Now…their most powerful physical fighter is gone. The rest will still be difficult opponents to face, yes, but now, they have a hole in their capabilities.”

  “I…I don’t like this,” Phoebe said, shaky. “We’re asking him to feel an ounce of remorse, but instead, he’s just coldly analyzing what happened. It’s so awful. I guess this is what demons do to people.”

  Alexa turned to Phoebe.

  “Don’t tell me you pity him?”

  “Of course I do. Look at him. Do you think he’ll pull off something like this if his mind is in the right? He’s clearly lost what makes him human…” Phoebe looked down, holding her elbow. “I wish I could cure that. Maybe then he will realize what he really did.”

  “Now that you say that…you are the saintess after all, and your job is to counter the darkness brought by demons,” Alexa placed a hand on her chin, thinking, before an idea came to her mind. “I see then.”

  Wilhelm seemed to be regaining his composure, as he picked himself up and knelt normally. Suddenly however, Alexa pulled Wilhelm’s chin up, and the two stared eye-to-eye.

  “Wilhelm. You’re the finest tactician that probably walks this world right now. I certainly won’t be able to match your intellect, so I need you. Secondly, no matter which punishment I levy on you, you won’t feel anything. You will never atone for it.”

  “Just kill me off,” Wilhelm coldly said. “If you’re thinking of using me, know this. I can win you a thousand battles, but can you win a single battle against me? That brain of yours isn’t formulating any bright ideas, Lady Alexa.”

  “And that’s exactly why I’ll do this. Unlike you who only thinks way too rationally, I’m an emotional, unstable, and irrational young lady. Unfortunate, yes, but…” Alexa smiled. “I can turn you the same too. Phoebe here will find a way to fix you. Until then, you will serve directly under me as my military advisor. Once you’re cured, you’ll have to face your sins properly.”

  “W-what?!” Phoebe turned red behind Alexa. “Um…Lady Alexa, you probably shouldn’t get too ahead of yourself. I know how to heal people, but I'm not sure if I know how to reverse demonic corruption.”

  “Well, that’s going to be one of our duties to research. No matter how we cut this, we have millions of men like Wilhelm here who will be an absolute menace to society until we restore their humanity,” Alexa nodded to herself. “This isn’t just to help them, this is also how we’ll reintegrate many of them back to society once the demons are a finished business.”

  “You can’t reverse what’s lost, Alexa Theresa,” Wilhelm blankly stared at Alexa’s eyes. “The Empire threw us to hell. It cannot have its cake and eat it too. If you ask people to fight and die for you, you shouldn’t expect them to come back normal.”

  “Why not? I’m a spoiled, greedy girl. I want exactly that. I want all of you to come back normal.”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  After all, I can’t have Mr. Scary Face and boys like him come back here ready to slice my head off. What am I even saying? That’s exactly what will happen!

  “That, and you really need to atone for this,” Alexa turned serious. “I’m not letting you escape this with an easy death. Consider yourself an unofficial penal employee of mine.”

  “...”

  Wilhelm had no words, except a tired sigh.

  “I really do not understand noblewomen,” Wilhelm said. “But sure, Lady Alexa. Do what you wish.”

  +++

  “It can’t be…”

  “Will you shut up for once?”

  “It can’t be…I can’t work with that…thing…my sword is supposed to behead him, not his!”

  “Sir Alfred, I swear. Please show some grace at least…”

  Adele and Alfred watched from the sidelines alongside Phoebe while the humiliated Wilhelm knelt in front of Alexa. Wilhelm seemed a bit surprised when Alexa gave her decision, but, as always, he seemed like a master at simply ‘going with the flow’.

  Alexa placed Alfred’s sword on Wilhelm’s shoulder.

  “Major Wilhelm von Eisen. You’ve performed valiantly as a member of the Defense Forces to defend all of mankind from the demonic threat. Not only that, but you have ensured that the saintess’ ability is awakened, and as a result, the impossible—the death of a Sin Archdemon, came to fruition—”

  “Don’t make a speech that makes me sound like a hero. I’m not,” Wilhelm crudely interrupted, and Alexa turned red.

  “D-don’t ruin a formal ceremony, idiot! I want to knight you properly!”

  “Why are you even knighting me? Just hire me as a normal advisor or instructor. It’s simpler.”

  “But you won’t swear an oath that you’ll follow all of my commands and tie your very own life to mine if I do that!”

  “So is this what being a ‘penal employee’ under you means?”

  “You caught on. Yes, I’ll work you to death until you learn basic human decency!”

  Alexa cleared her throat, as she planted her sword again on his shoulder.

  “Now, knowing of your accomplishments, I have decided that you, an officer of great competence, are worthy of being a man sworn to defend my life, and enforce my interest,” Alexa paused, now excited at acquiring this powerful guy for herself. “So, will you make an oath of loyalty to me?”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” Wilhelm said, fully giving in as he looked up. “I’ll…defend—”

  “Make it sound like you actually mean it!”

  “I’ll defend your life and enforce your interests to the best of my ability, and should it be required, to my last breath!”

  Hah, I finally got some emotions from this guy!

  “Then stand, Sir Wilhelm von Eisen. From now on, you will be a part of House Wolgast’s knightly order,” Alexa smiled. “I hope we can work well together.”

  Wilhelm stood up, still seemingly discouraged by all of this formality, before receiving the sword.

  “I hate how this is my brother’s sword,” Wilhelm blankly commented as Alfred quickly took it off him.

  “I swear. You’re difficult to work with,” Alexa shook her head. “But, now, at least it’s clear. You’re formally under me. I take that as another victory!”

  “...Don’t you even dare try to pull off another one of these stunts,” Phoebe frowned beside Alexa, as if she was trying to threaten Wilhelm. “I’ll…I-I’ll use that light beam spell earlier on you too if you try.”

  “Sure. You totally will,” Wilhelm replied.

  “Of course I totally will! I’ll defend Lady Alexa’s life better than you!” Phoebe closed her eyes as she said that.

  “I need some whiskey,” Wilhelm fixed his ruined hair as he looked away. “That, and I need to finish this.”

  Kneeling back to Sloth’s corpse and his equipment, Wilhelm got to work again, as if that entire lecture and knighting ceremony didn’t happen.

  Alexa gave up. She’d deal with this guy later. For now, she checked her notifications.

  Alexa’s eyes widened.

  What?

  Oh! She almost forgot, she had a new quest activated earlier. She didn’t check it out because she was too busy, but now…

  I seem to have completed it.

  She checked her stats.

  Then, she first checked what that new title meant.

  Then, she looked at Civila Mandato.

  Both of these combined…that would mean that my reputation with my people, mostly to the peasantry and the Defense Forces, is going to be better!

  Alexa curled her fist and smiled silently. She was elated by all of these wins. Now that she thought about it…

  Hey, system—!

  Say, what now?

  Just then, a blue screen showing her the true opinions of the Empire’s people, broken down by demographics and affiliation, was shown to her. The numbers immediately scared her.

  W-wait, you mean all I did was make them hate me less?!