"A demon, growing up?

　Moe explained it to me before I could even ask.

"What do you think the difference between the demons you raised and ordinary demons is? What do you think the difference is between the demons you raised and ordinary demons?

　I don't know.
　I don't know.
　Is it quiet?　Not assaulting people?
　Hmmm, it's not quite the same.
　Whether it's Jack, Dora, Rock, or others, they're more like family.

Exactly!　That's it!

"Huh?

I mean. You know what the biggest factor in a person's development is?

　Hmmm.
　To sum up what we've been talking about so far, I know that growth in this world is not a simple physical story.
　Rather, I think it's more about mental growth.
　So the factors that make such mental growth possible, the part of it that is also connected to the physical, emotions ...... or, in a larger sense, the mind.

. the mind.

"Yes!　That's what I'm talking about, Kyou-kun!

　I whispered a quote I've heard somewhere, and it seems I was right.

"The demons you raised will all grow up with a heart like a human being. That's the big difference between them and ordinary demons. Ordinary demons are more like beasts, so it's like an instinct for them to attack people. But the demons you raised have a heart and think for themselves. That's why they have actions, thoughts, feelings and growth that other monsters don't have.

　That being said, there were a few things that came to mind.
　The hydra who came to me in my hour of need.
　Certainly no emotionless beast could have acted like that.

So in that regard, I'd say that Jack is the best thing that could have happened to you right now.

　Say and look at Jack, who is lying on the ground in the direction Moe pointed.
　That's right.
　Jack fought and beat the strongest of them all.
　If there's anyone among us who has made the biggest score, it's definitely Jack.

"Thanks, Jack.

"...... Hey, it's no surprise that my brother's buddy is .......

　I saw Jack, who had been lying on the ground, get up in response to my voice.

Jack!　You can't get up and be okay with this?　There are so many holes in your chest and other parts of your body, you shouldn't take it easy. ......!

Don't you remember, dude? I'm a jack-o'-lantern with a pumpkin head. Without the pumpkin head, it would have been instant death, but other than that, it's nowhere near fatal.

　Jack smiles his usual grin.
　I can't help but feel relieved to see that.

"So, Kyou-kun.

　Then Moe walks up to me and smiles at me.

I know that from now on, not only the growth of people, but also the growth of the world will be affected by the growth of the demons you have raised, or rather the growth of other demons. So, from now on, not only you, but all of you will be able to grow up, and this world will grow as long as you all grow up well. And that's not far off in the future.

"That's right, cultivation hero.

　I'm not going to be able to get it right.

"Is this ...... the seed of the World Tree?

　There were the seeds of the three World Trees that Rostam supposedly possessed.
　If you looked closely, you could see that each one of them emitted a small amount of light and something was sprouting inside the seeds.

"Thanks to your growth earlier, you've influenced me, and more importantly, the seed of the World Tree that Rostam and my brother got their hands on. They haven't germinated yet, but as the goddess said, in the near future the seeds of these three trees will also germinate. Then all six of the trees on earth, along with your seeds, will sprout.

　Then Rostam handed me three seeds of the World Tree in my hand.
　That's six in all.
　Finally, I had all the seeds of the World Tree that I wanted to buy.
　And then I had three of them.
　Three of the seeds I had had already germinated, and all I had left to do was plant them.

I think it's okay to plant those three seeds from Rostam now, too. They will germinate when the time comes, and this effectively fulfills your role.

"--Yeah, I'll do that.

　I nodded quietly at Goddess Mo's suggestion.
　Eventually, Rostam and Sacherk stand in front of me once again, seeing that the conversation has been settled.

"Growers. As I said before we fought, I'm now as good as I was to you. I'll do whatever you want. and of course I'm willing to give my life.

　And Rostam dutifully says the same thing over and over again.
　Well, I don't know what to do about this guy or his brother Zachary, since I've heard all this, I don't know what to do about him.
　As it turns out, he was just doing his job, and that's how we achieved our goal.
　But I'll tell you this to make up for it.

So next time you're in trouble, help me out. I mean, I may have to borrow you rather often, but that's how it goes.

　Not only did Rostam look at my suggestion, but even Sachaque, standing next to me, looked surprised.



"Are you sure about that ......?

"No, no, I'm pretty selfish, I ask for things. After all, aren't we the brothers of a kingdom?　You have a lot of power, and if you're going to ask for something selfish, you might as well rent out a corner of the castle, so you better be prepared.

　But both Rostam and Sachaque smile with some pleasure at my deliberate threats.

"As you wish. I have no hesitation in giving up my position as emperor if that's what you want.

No, no, no, I'll pass.

　I squeezed Rostam's hand back as he offered it to me.
　I'm hoping that I can build a good relationship with these guys as friends in the future.

　In the midst of our happy ending, I was unaware that a quiet, dark and disturbing conversation was about to take place next to me.






No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry you and your wife had to stay behind.

That's all right. I've made some preparations since I heard from your Semargul in the basement.

　With that said, the four remaining people on the spot.
　The Goddess Mokosi, her attendant Semargul, the current Demon King Favnir, and her husband, Himuro Keiji, have all shown serious expressions, though the cheerful atmosphere of the past is nowhere to be seen.

So, what the hell is going on here?

Haha, that's great. You haven't even said anything yet.

'Of course. I understand that you are trying to use the leopard to germinate the world tree and evolve the world, however, there is clearly a rush to grow, as is the case here.

　The Goddess Mokosi was silent in affirmation to the speculation of the Demon King Favrile.

...... she might wake up.

　Mokosi's statement made Demon King Favnir look more nervous than ever before.

"...... How long is the time?

I don't know. I don't know." "I don't know, maybe a few years at the earliest, maybe more. Either way, we need to awaken all the World Trees and evolve the world before she wakes up.

　At the goddess's statement, the demon king agrees with a slight exhale.

Are we in time?

When all six of your six World Trees are awakened, the remaining four fruits from my Tree of Life will fall to the ground. Those four will react to the other six and grow into a large tree right away. So, you can think of your three seeds as almost ready when they awaken.

　The goddess smiled at him, but the demon king had a somewhat complicated expression on his face.

...... Honestly, I didn't like you much after I got the position of the Demon King. That's true. The other SS ranks aside, it was hard for me to accept that I was a pawn prepared to be defeated by others. After all, because of the system you created, many subordinates and demons were being hunted in front of me. To be honest, in the beginning, I thought I could just throw away my role and go on living.

　That was the first true statement of the Demon King Favnir.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about the system of this world created by the goddess and her role in the demons.

But after meeting ...... this person and having a family, it changed a lot of things for me. Not only demons, but people have families too. So why don't we somehow come together in a way that doesn't hurt each other and help the world grow?

And now your son has done it. Nice!　Son!

　The demon king is somewhat dumbfounded by the mischievous attitude of the goddess, but he agrees.

Yes, you're right. Yes, you're right. Thank you for choosing her.

"You're welcome.

　Eventually, after a slight silence, the demon king finally asks the goddess the question to be asked.

...... are you sure you are good?　Continue to play the role of a goddess ......

　The goddess Mokosi was slightly silent at the question from the demon king, then nodded with her usual bright smile.

'Toten!　I'm the goddess Moe!　I'll do my part, right up to the end!　You guys, I'm not going to let all the SS ranks contribute to the world in a tasty role.

　The goddess struck a cute pose saying that, but the demon king did not make fun of her, but just took her feelings seriously.

　The growth of the world that will eventually come.
　What will be the outcome of this world when it is fulfilled?
　At this point in time, there was still no one, including God, who knew the definite answer to that question.