It was some time after that.
　After the resolution of the battle of the kings, Shin and Alisha lived together in the royal palace.
　Having been raised by demons up until then, Shin had to learn about the knowledge of the palace once again, and of course, he was a skilled learner, and I soon heard that he was making rapid progress not only in martial arts, but also in academics.
　However, he has had very few opportunities to interact with people before, and the trauma of his time in the palace still seems to have left a slight residue, and he often becomes extremely nervous when talking to people other than Ore and Alisha.
　Nevertheless, living with his sister is a happy time for Shin, and so is Alisha.

　I'm still growing demons in the desert.
　I have cultivated most of the demons that live in the desert region, and have also cultivated new demons through multiple cultivation.

　A few days later, one day, I went to a cave in the cliffs deep in the desert, far from the Arabian Kingdom.

Hey, good to see you.

"...... What do you want, human. Are you willing to risk your life to enter my realm?

　It's the cave where the manticore that raised Shin so far is located.
　I talk to the manticore while dropping the backpack on my back, with Lily, who came with me to escort me, back down.

"It's all coming back to you, isn't it, remembering who I am?

"............

　The manticore would not answer that question, but it was enough for me.
　Shin and Alisha's problem may be over.
　But still, I came here because I thought there should be a little help for the manticore that has raised Shin so far.

Mr. Manticore. Where did you bury your wife's body?

What ......?

　Manticore puzzled by my question.

"...... What are you going to do with it?

　Eventually, after a brief silence, I respond to the manticore's question with a clear answer.

"I can't keep you as is, but I'll bring your mate's manticore back to life. I will bring it back to life as a new life.

　It was a sure and confident answer, and the manticore was surprised to hear it.
　But after looking into my straight eyes, the manticore slowly straightens up and leads me to the back of the cave.

...... Here it is.

　It was a small space at the end of a passage from the former hall.
　A single grave existed there.

............

　I walked up to the grave and took out some demon seeds that I had in my bag.

What are you going to do with them?

　I answer the Manticore's question by planting the seeds I have in my hand in the ground under the grave.

This seed is a seed of a demon that bears fruit. If you spread these seeds over the carcasses of animal-type demons, you can create a plant-type demon egg that incorporates the genes of animal-type demons.

　My explanation was met with a look of confusion on the manticore's face, but, well, it's faster to see these things in person than to explain them.

"Well, in short,

　I plant the seeds and pour water from my canteen into the ground of the grave.

Your mate will be born from a tree that comes from here.


◇ ◇ ◇


　--A month later.

Well, I guess I'm done with my part in this, so I'll be on my way.

"Yes, Keogh. Thank you so much for everything.

　Now we were in front of the gates of the Arabian Kingdom on the Kobda provided by Shin and his friends.
　The wasteland near the castle is now a splendid field environment, where the jack-o'-watermelon, the cactus balls, desert jellyfish, killer plants, jack-o'-lanterns, and cockatrice trees grow wild, and the area is covered with various There was a crowd of monsters that were able to harvest enough.

Most of the demons are completely native there, so if you leave them alone, the next generation will naturally come into being, so it should be enough to manage them. Just make sure you water them regularly.

"Of course, I really appreciate it, Keogh.

　Alisha bowed her head repeatedly, but I made her look up and say, "I didn't do anything," she said.

Oh, and if you don't mind, you can follow up on the seeds of the World Tree, too.

I know.

　Alisha nodded in response to my confirmation.
　Yes, I planted one of my World Tree seeds in the Arabian.
　I heard from Moe that the best way to grow the World Tree was to plant it in the right place, so I decided to plant it in this country as I had planned.
　The World Tree is a large tree that germinates in sync with human growth.
　If I thought about it, I thought it was appropriate to plant it here in the Arabian.
　Valkyria with Amarnes and the Empire of Albrus with Rostam and his friends are themselves role models, encouraging people to grow.
　And this country now has two sisters and brothers, Alisha and Shin, who are trying to build a new way of being.
　If this country is led to a new direction by these two, it will definitely lead to the growth of the world.
　That is why I entrusted them with the seed of the world tree and planted it here.

I'll let you know as soon as it germinates. Well, it's not far off.

"Oh, I'm counting on you, Alicia.

　Alisha's attitude is a little uptight, just like the first time we met, but it's also a kind of embarrassment, and I take it as a matter of course.

You must be a good friend to your sister.

"Yes, Kyou-san.

　The frightened look he had when he met Shin was no longer there as he quietly whispered to her.
　You've challenged the king's battle to protect your sister, and Shin's heart has grown since he was a child, and there seemed to be a certain strength residing in that timid face.
　But at the same time, I noticed a slight shadow underneath his face.

　It's true that Shin could live with his real family, his sister Alisha.
　But still, for Shin, the family that had been with him all these years was separate.
　It's really a father figure to Shin.
　But the parting of the demon was so sudden and one-sided.
　Shin was naturally sad to say goodbye, but he was even more saddened by the fact that his remaining manticore was alone.
　You'll be able to find that kindness in this child, as I've learned over the past month of being with her.

...... Singh. I have one last thing to show you. Can you just ride the cobbler over there for a minute?



"?　Ha, ha, I see.

　Singh looks puzzled by my sudden invitation, but he nods in agreement with my invitation and rides off into the desert.
　After a short walk, I pointed toward a small hill.

"Look at that hill over there, Shin!

　The moment I saw Singh nod his head at my sudden words, I saw his expression change as he looked at me.

"...... Tou-san ......

　It was Shin's nurturing father, his real 'father' - the manticore.
　Now Shin has a father who accepts him as the king.
　But he is still his father to Shin.
　As soon as he saw his father safe and the little manticore child by his side, Shin knew instinctively that the child manticore was safe.
　The look and feel of the child's manticore, and the compassionate figure that came from it, made Shin mutter those words without knowing it.

'...... mom ......'

　It is said that for the past few years, Manticore had been raising Shin as her own mother.
　Her death even caused Shin to choose a debilitating death at one point.
　However, Shin realizes that his beloved mother has been reborn, and cries as he sees his father cuddling with his child, the manticore.
　Before long, the two manticores that had been looking down on Shin also howl to the heavens.
　It was as if to say a final goodbye.
　Like letting go of a grown child and watching him go, they wish their son, Shin, all the happiness in the future, and send him off.

　Eventually, as soon as the howling stopped, the two manticores slowly turned their backs and disappeared into the desert.
　They never looked back.
　And Shin didn't chase after them either.
　Just quietly, as if to get away from his parents, Shin accepted it, wiped away the tears in his eyes, and turned back to me.

Thank you very much, Kyou-san.

　After thanking him profusely, Shin looked up.
　The smile I saw there was the best smile I've ever seen on Shin's face.

"Yeah,

　It's all right now.
　Shin and the Manticores will be okay now.
　I'm reassured that we've found our way, and I take Shin's hand in mine.

　This is the end of the story I've been invited to tell in the kingdom of the Arabian Peninsula.
　But my own story is just beginning, and I didn't know that there are new adventures, encounters, and unexpected demons waiting for me in the future.