Flare-san’s revelation was that Illness-san had once been known throughout the Demon Realm as the Savior. In this context, "once" referred to the era before the Six Kings or the peerage system had taken root.
"Comrade, Duchess Lilia, you have likely heard stories of this, but the old Demon Realm... before the Six Kings brought order to the chaos, it was a time of pure survival of the fittest. It was an age where combat power was the only currency that mattered."
"I remember reading a bit about that in the history books back at the royal castle," Lilia-san noted.
"I don't know the specifics myself, but I've heard the rumors..." I added.
Lilliwood-san had previously described that era as a time of constant, petty skirmishes, where might made right until Alice finally imposed order. While I didn't know the fine details, I had always imagined it as a bleak, bloodthirsty time.
"I spent those days focused entirely on battle, so I wasn't especially well-informed," Flare-san continued. "Yet, there were certain demons so famous that their names reached even my ears. For instance, the current Underworld King, Kuromueina-sama. Among those who knew the Demon Realm back then, there wasn't a soul who didn't recognize her as the 'Strongest of the Demon Realm'."
If I recalled correctly, that was around the period when Kuro lived with the people who would eventually become the Six Kings—people like Isis-san and Megiddo-san.
"Her stance at the time was to simply watch over the world, accepting its state as just another facet of existence. However, everyone understood that if she ever desired it, she could seize total hegemony in an instant. Because of that, the center of the Demon Realm where she resided—the place now called the Forbidden Land—was treated as an inviolable sanctuary."
Kuro had apparently mediated conflicts or helped those who sought her out, but otherwise, she had mostly remained a passive observer. She once told me that her mindset back then had been closer to Shiro-san’s; she hadn't felt much motivation to step in and change the world herself. It was only after the war with the God Realm that she had truly broken out of her shell, founding her trading company and becoming more active. I thought it might be interesting to ask her for more details about those days when I had the chance.
"There were a few others whose names were whispered often, and Illness the Savior was among them," Flare-san said. "She would travel the realm saving the weak, never asking for a reward and never even identifying herself unless prompted. To those she saved, she was a true messiah."
"That sounds exactly like her," I remarked.
"Yes, it seems she hasn't changed at all," Lilia-san agreed with a smile.
The image Flare-san painted of the Savior aligned so perfectly with my own impression of Illness-san that Lilia-san and I could only share a wry, knowing smile.
"...As the Six Kings rose and order was established, those rumors eventually faded. Honestly, I was quite shocked to find her serving as a maid in the Human Realm," Flare-san finished.
I caught a flicker of something in her expression—a momentary look of hesitation as she glanced our way—but it vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by her usual gentle smile as she brought the conversation to a close.
It was strange. Everything she had said described the kind, helpful Illness-san I knew... and yet, I couldn't shake the feeling that something, even if it was just a tiny detail, was still nagging at me.
Seeing Kaito and Lilia’s reactions—and realizing just how much they cared for Illness—Needsveld chose to keep her further thoughts to herself.
Since her true intentions are hers alone, there is no point in stoking anxiety with my own reckless speculation, she decided.
Needsveld was recalling the darker side of the rumors from the old Demon Realm. While most called her the Savior, a few had used a different title: the Arrogant Void. She would save others without asking for compensation or even accepting words of thanks. She demanded nothing from anyone, yet she judged and rescued the weak based entirely on her own arbitrary standards.
Even back then, the rumors felt unsettling to me, Needsveld thought. There was never any information beyond the fact that she had saved someone. Nothing else ever surfaced. She felt less like a person and more like a soulless golem, an automaton programmed with a magic formula to "save the weak." A void with no discernible motive or goal...
In a way, such behavior was the height of arrogance—acting as if everyone else were mere trash and trusting nothing but one’s own internal code. To some demons, Illness had been a terrifying enigma. No one knew why she saved people or what she hoped to gain by wandering the realm. Needsveld herself had once shared that unease.
Most, however, simply saw a saint.
Reaching the end of her reflections, Needsveld allowed a small smile to touch her lips.
But I suppose those were just rumors after all... At the very least, the woman I saw today was nothing like a "void." And more than anything else... she looked truly happy.
"Please, I’m begging you... this is a matter of life and death," Serious-senpai pleaded. "Tell me, O Omniscient God..."
"Hmm?" Machina hummed.
"Is an Illness Route actually starting?"
"Not yet. Illness is the type of character where the relationship develops slowly and steadily, so her individual route is still a bit further off."
"I don't know if I should be relieved or if I should lament the fact that my suffering is going to be prolonged..." Serious-senpai sighed. "So, what’s next?"
"The return of my two children!" Machina chirped. "It looks like a story about your juniors aiming to become adventurers! I'm so excited to see my kids again!!"