Chapter 30: To be a Demon King, part 1
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Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
「How are you feeling?」
Lyla, feeling under the weather, had been lying in bed for the past two days.
「Not so good」, she groaned from under the sheets.
I wondered if a human doctor would be able to diagnose her accurately.
「I left some food on the table. You can eat if you feel up to it.」
She didn’t respond, but as I got up to leave, she grabbed my wrist from under the duvet.
「Roland…」
「What? Do you need something?」
「No… it’s not that…」
「?」
So this is what they call a ‘cold’. I remember hearing that people who catch one tend to feel lonely.
「Are you feeling lonely?」
「No, not that either… okay, maybe a little bit…」
She stuck her head out so I could ruffle her crimson hair.
「Kiss me.」
「Okay.」
Lyla made a duck face, and we kissed multiple times.
「If you find out what it is, you can tell me after work.」
I then left the house, leaving her to rest.
After an uneventful day at work, Milia accompanied me home in the fading light.
「Even Warawa-san falls sick sometimes, huh? I’ll whip up something delicious — she’ll surely get better in no time!」
「That’s great, thank you. My dishes are passable normally, but I have no idea what to make for a sick person.」
「No need to thank me! I’m glad to help. I’m also kinda worried about Warawa-san…」
…?
As I held the door for my enthusiastic colleague, I felt that something was off.
「Warawa-san? I came to cook dinner!」, shouted Milia, opening the door to where Lyla had been sleeping.
Her bed was empty. I couldn’t sense her presence anywhere in the house either.
「Huh? Warawa-san isn’t here?」
She hadn’t adopted her cat form. Nor had she shown up at the guild. Even if she had gone for a walk, I would have spotted her when Milia and I bought groceries on the way home.
I put a hand on the unmade bed. It was still warm.
Whatever happened to Lyla hadn’t been that long ago.
「I’ll go look for her. I’m sorry for having you come all the way here for naught, Milia-san.」
「Oh, in that case, I’ll just prepare something simple — something that can be eaten upon reheating!」
「Thank you very much. I don’t know when she’ll return, so please don’t hesitate to leave as you see fit.」
「Okay, got it!」
I hurried out of the house, numerous thoughts racing through my head.
Could someone from her army have found out that she was still alive? Or had a human found her…? If it was the latter, she’d probably have been executed on the spot.
I couldn’t detect the aura of a ‘Demon King’ — this meant that her ring was still intact. I also knew that someone associated with the Demon King’s army probably wouldn’t bother with all that aura detection business.
After a while, I found little clusters of magicka that couldn’t have been left by a human. Following the trail, I headed further and further north. The Kingdom of Jorvenssen was situated in that direction, bordering the Kingdom of Vadenhaag where Meiri lived.
Both kingdoms had once been flattened by the Demon King’s army.
There were rumours that stragglers from that army were still lurking among the ruins of the former Kingdom of Jorvenssen. Naturally, I considered the possibility that Lyla’s location had been made known to one of them, and she had — willingly or otherwise — followed him.
As I entered a forest, the trail ended abruptly.
「…」
I doubted that whoever had spirited Lyla away could beat me in a game of hide-and-seek. Realising this, he’d most likely concealed himself somewhere.
Somewhere here, perhaps?
Mixed in with the dirt, growing among the grass, hiding in the trees or travelling with the wind — magicka can be found anywhere. Even humans have some, however miniscule. Since Lyla’s ring had completely imprisoned her magicka, that ‘negative space’ was all too easy to detect.
「Whoever kidnapped the Demon King — show yourself! I know you’re here.」
A female dark elf emerged from the thicket.
She had silver hair that glinted like the moonlight, white eyes like those of a serpent and a dark complexion. A minute amount of the magicka that had led me here was constantly radiated from her body.
「I knew something had been following me, but I kept my guard up for a human?」
「And a dark elf is behind all of this?」
Her eyes narrowed.
Dark elves are a subspecies stronger than the average elf. Because of that, they have faced persecution from other elves throughout history — although that’s not particularly relevant right now.
「I take it that Lyla… no, Lylael… is alive and well?」
「How dare a mere human like you refer to her Majesty by name!」
Many soldiers in the Demon King’s army tend to act on their own accord. I had been worried that some ill-intentioned subject of hers had spirited Lyla away to thwart her plans, but looking at her, I felt assured — she appeared highly loyal to her monarch, at least.
「I want you to return Lyla. Unless she intended for this to happen?」
「Who are you running your mouth to, human? Don’t think for a moment that I even want to talk to you.」
「I’ll say it again — return Lyla. That’s all I want. If she was the one who planned this, I want to know the reason why.」
「Did I stutter? What the hell do you want?」
A vassal of the Demon King’s army whose death had never been confirmed… in that case, this should be Supreme Commander of the 1st Magical Regiment, Imperial Guards Division, Rodje Sandsong. I briefly considered the possibility of just killing her and taking Lyla back, but I realised that Lyla could just vanish again if I didn’t find out the root cause.
Lyla had insisted that the fake corpse she left behind was indistinguishable from a real one. Could someone have seen through the ploy? And even if they had, would they really have come all the way here simply based on a half-baked rumour that a demon girl was in the area?
「I don’t have time for this. I’ll finish you off and bring her Majesty back where she belongs.」
The little orbs of magicka in the air sparkled, and the dark elf began to emanate huge waves of it, almost like steam. Unfazed, I simply looked upon her with my arms crossed.
「I suppose I should thank you for sheltering her Majesty all this time.」
「You are most welcome.」
Even though it was concealed by her dark skin tone, I could tell she was turning purple with rage. She probably couldn’t stand a mere human like me talking to her as an equal.
「You think too highly of yourself, human! Say your last words!」
Her magical ability was relatively high, as expected of a high-ranking officer.
Taking advantage of the shade, she cast ‘Shadow Edge’ — an offensive spell powered by dark magic.
I barely dodged it, numerous trees crashing to the ground behind me. She cast the spell again and again, but to no avail.
「Eat this –!」
She got closer to me with each attack that I had to avoid. Equally deadly as both a backliner and a frontliner, she was a formidable foe. The dark elf gripped her ‘Shadow Edge’ with both hands. While one end was short, the other was long, making it especially effective in situations with limited vision.
The blade blended in almost perfectly with the darkness.
「Your head is mine!」
「You might want to watch your back.」
「Hmph, that’s the oldest trick in the book! There’s nothing behind me. What a silly tactic, as expected of a human.」
As she sneered at me, two miniature shadows materialised behind her, shrieking.
「Kiiii!!」
They leaped into the air, each landing a flying kick onto the back of her head.
「Huh!? What in the… ‘Shadows’…!?」
「Cute, aren’t they? You should say hello to them.」
「Where… no, how did you, a human, learn a fourth-order summoning spell?」
「Lyla taught me.」
「How…!? Not even I can execute it well –」
「So you can’t even match me, a human.」
「How dare you…! I’ll kill you!」
I spawned a few more, making twelve in total.
「So many…! Isn’t six the limit?」
「Oh, really?」
Rodje whirled her ‘Shadow Edge’ at my shadow minions. Some ducked, some jumped and the others dodge rolled. None were even grazed by the blade.
「They’re so slippery and agile… almost like they’re alive –!?」
「As you know, ‘Shadows’ are inanimate. I’m controlling all of them.」
「Bullshit! Only her Majesty can control so many of them…」
The shadows that weren’t busy dodging her attack kicked her in the shin. I purposely restrained them so that she wouldn’t sustain too much damage.
「Shit!」
Cornered, she whirled her blade for another round.
「Kiii!!」
The minions scattered like spiderlings.
「God damnit…」
Her attention towards me had all but dissipated.
「Oi.」
Rodje tottered over to me, making a face that said oh boy. I poked her in the forehead. With the sound of a detonating explosive, she was thrown into the air.
「Ga-hack…」
She slammed into a large tree, then slid motionless onto the ground.
Despite sensing Lyla’s presence nearby, I could hear nothing. Perhaps she couldn’t talk, or she was asleep. Anyway, I had to ask her what happened.
But first, I had to silence this annoying elf.
「’Real Nightmare’… you are a dog, and I am your master.」
「…woof. Ruff, ruff ♡」
「Who’s a good girl?」
「Bow-wow!!」
When I patted her head, she happily shook her butt, just like a dog wagging its tail.
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