The news was being played in a corner of the single room. …The guard took good care of him and would tell him about news from the outside world. …The Rating Game World Tournament was being held in the world outside. Diehauser suddenly recalled something that the detective had said when he was interrogated. [My son is going to turn nine this year. He’s a big fan of yours. …Most children are looking forward to the Sekiryuutei who is the Oppai Dragon, or Prince Sairaorg who is known as the Lion King. But my son isn’t interested in the Oppai Dragon or Lion King at all, he’s only fascinated by you.] The detective wore a complex expression on his face as he continued to speak proudly on the topic of his own son. [Although what I’m saying may sound a little exaggerated, my son is very clever. He also has good grades at school, and he never forgets to study at home. The teachers at school also praise that ‘he’s a model student’. …My son always watches your recordings whenever he has free time. He watches each match over and over several times and when I ask him ‘don’t you get tired of it?’, he tells me ‘I won’t get tired of it because the Champion is so cool’. His room is also filled with posters of you.] The detective looked straight at Diehauser as he said
[As a detective, my son says things to me like ‘Please forgive the Champion’, and ‘The Champion wouldn’t do bad things like that’. …I’m someone who stands in a public position. I have to prosecute you for breaking the law and committing a crime. But from the perspective of that child, I’m a completely bad person.] Diehauser then said
[…Please pass this on to your child. There are many other heroes out there who are better than I am. Most importantly, your father is one of them.] The detective quietly shook his head. […Champion, those words are completely useless to that child. —To a boy, there are many heroes that they have, but their number one will never change. …This is something that my friend who is a former human reincarnated Devil told me.] [……]
[It’s true to say that much. …I’m actually one of your fans as well. So though I’m quite disappointed, there’s nothing that can be done. I want to see more of your heroic figure in the upcoming World Tournament. I would like to see the most powerful player in the Underworld in an exciting game.] —The World Tournament. If he hadn’t committed a crime, then he would be able to participate as a normal player—. When that idea surfaced in Diehauser’s mind, he shook his head. …I can’t think about such things. As someone who has committed a crime, I can’t have any fantasies about such things. …I can no longer return to the Rating Games. After I’ve committed such crimes, how could anyone possibly look forward to my return…. In the single room, he was submersed in all kinds of thoughts. The Champion covered his own face. At that time, the guard appeared. “Diehauser-dono, someone wishes to see you.”
As he stepped into the visiting room, the person waiting there for him was — a man who was roughly fifty years old. He was a man who appeared to resemble himself. …The current head of the House of Belial — his father. After seeing the father whom he had not seen in such a long time — he seemed to have become somewhat slimmer. Through the glass in the visiting room, his father delivered a hearty smile. “Diehauser, I’m sorry for being so late in coming to visit you.”
“…Father.”
His father casually began the conversation. “Have you been watching the Games?”
“…I haven’t been watching television…but I’ve still heard the news.”
“…The professional Devil players have been continuously defeated. Even the much-anticipated newcomer, the Sekiryuutei was defeated by the Angel team a few days ago. As the makers of the Rating Games, we Devils have been defeated by various factions one after the other.”
“…After all, there are players who are god-class beings, and there are also highly ranked players who have gone to assist other factions, so I don’t consider Devils to be on the weaker side. …But…”
“…But?”
In response to his father’s question, Diehauser shook his head. “…Nothing, it’s nothing.”
Diehauser swallowed the phrase ‘if it was me’. These were words that he was not allowed to speak. As someone who had committed a crime, he didn’t have the right to speak such words—. He still longed for it, and this was something that he realised. Diehauser also realised that his father had also come to understand his yearning in just that brief exchange of words. “…Is mother well?”
The current head of the House of Belial nodded in response to Diehauser’s question. “Yeah, she’s doing just fine. I originally wanted to bring your mother along today…but only one person is allowed to visit. So I let her stay at home.”
“…To mother, I must be an unfilial son. Even at first she opposed my participation in the Rating Games.”
Diehauser’s mother didn’t feel pleased about his participation in the Rating Games. No matter what he did, his mother still refused to come watch his games. But that didn’t mean that his mother hated him. The current head said
“…I’ve already said this many times, you don’t have to mind about the Rating Games. Your mother simply does not wish to see you fighting. Your mother is afraid of her only son being in a fight. Even though it’s practically impossible for you to lose…. But even so, your mother doesn’t want to see you get hurt. But I watch your mother’s share as well, so it’s okay.”
Deiahauser apologised to his father
“…You’ve obviously put in such effort, but I…can no longer compete in a game again. Father, you’ve done so much for me to allow me to participate in the games…”
For his sake, his father did as much as possible to allow him to receive a high standard of education. His father allowed him to receive education that was equivalent to those of the same generation from Houses that had produces Maous. At the same time, finances were difficult, and to the poor aristocrats of the Belial House, this was not an ordinary expenditure, but his father did his best to support him without causing trouble for the family. Diehauser had always known this. In order to continue paying his tuition fees, his father reduced the number of social outfits he kept, and mother also sold her valuable jewellery. This was an immense amount for nobility, and even the young Diehauser understood that. And so, when he won his first Rating Game, he gifted the finest noble clothing to his parents. He never once thought that that would have been enough to repay all of the expectations that his parents had. Just the fact that his father was able to wear the finest noble clothing made Diehauser happy. Noticing this, the current head pulled on his sleeves and said
“Hahaha, these clothes…it’s a brand that even the Maou-samas often wear. Diehauser, the Belial House’s subjects, as well as all of the citizens are all thankful to you for allowing them to be seen by the outside world.