Chapter 160: Life goes on, part 2
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Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
It was already rather lively when I got home.
Listening at the door, I could make out Rodje’s and Dee’s voices with a little bit of Lyla’s mixed in. What could they be bickering about this time, I thought. Lyla came to receive me at the corridor, looking worn out — a look I had gotten used to.
「Welcome back.」
Confirming that nobody could see her, she gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.
「Yeah, I’m home.」
I glanced at the living room.
「I think Dee knows where the collar came from. Rodje’s going at it with her again, for some reason.」
「She probably doesn’t like having the spotlight stolen right in front of you.」
That’s likely, chuckled Lyla.
Despite the loss of her collar, she was still the same old Lyla. Though I could feel her overwhelming magicka now, the malice it had come with when we first met had all but disappeared. Maybe living together with me had softened her, or this was the aura of Lylael Diakitep, the former Demon King.
The bickering voices grew louder as we approached the living room.
「Welcome home, Roland-sama!」, greeted Dee with a big smile.
「Oh, you’re back, human」, spat Rodje, barely casting a glance at me.
As different as day and night, those two.
The broken collar, originally owned by Seraphin of the Heroes’ Party, was on the dining table. I had been sceptical of its yet-to-be-proven abilities upon receiving it. Even now, I still don’t know how she had gotten hold of such a thing. I remember her telling me that she had retrieved it from some ancient ruins, but also remember her telling me that an unaware street vendor had been selling it at a discounted price just as clearly. Either way, I hadn’t thought too much about its origins.
I haven’t met her since the war. According to King Randolph, she was essentially living in his wine cellar. I thus knew where she lived, but had no intention to meet her unless absolutely necessary. Word that I was alive had probably reached her anyway.
「You know something about the collar, Dee?」
「Yeah. Well…」
Rodje snatched the collar away before she could begin her explanation.
「There’s no need to repair it. Lylael-sama is her old self again. Why would you want to fix the collar that was restraining her, hmm…?」
「I mean… she said she wanted it herself. She’s probably grown attached to it. Right, Lylael-sama?」
「Mm, mhm…」, muttered Lyla from the door.
Dee’s eyes sparkled with mischief.
「Even if she so wishes… I place her safety over all else! I urge you to reconsider, Lylael-sama…」
「What a diligent commander」, said Dee.
「Shut up!」
「Having Roland-sama by her side makes her safer than anyone else on this planet. And for Lylael-sama…」, sang Dee, glancing playfully at Lyla. 「I don’t want to sadden the otome-gokoro that pines after him.」
[T/N Note: otome-gokoro is the Japanese equivalent of a ‘maiden’s heart’.]
The Demon King went as red as her hair.
「!」
「You made Lylael-sama embarrassed again! How could you?」
「I spoke the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.」
「Really, Lyla?」, I asked.
「You too, human? The nerve of you to ask her directly! Have some tact for once!」
「No, it’s not like that… now that I’ve gotten used to it, being a cat can be convenient at times…」, replied Lyla at last, speaking barely above a whisper.
「Ara-ara, maa-maa. Lylael-sama can’t be honest with herself! That’s her otome-gokoro for you!」
「Guh… is there no end to my master’s suffering!?」
「Can’t you repair the collar the same way you cast the sealing magic on Aimée, — that is, by researching the relevant techniques?」
「Mhmm, that’s the thing. The mechanism that powers the collar isn’t of demon origin.」
「Is it human technology, then?」, I asked.
She shook her head.
「Nope. If it was human technology, then I’d have understood how it worked long ago. That’s why I had Dee take a look.」
「She looks like she knows something.」
「I couldn’t say anything conclusive back at the guild」, said Dee. 「But I took a closer look, and I think it’s powered by an ancient vampiric incantation.」
「Listen, Lylael-sama. Compared to those shady vampires, we elves are thousands of years ahead in technology –」
「Hold your tongue, Rodje」, snapped her master. 「Are you trying to prevent my collar from being repaired?」
「Uuuu…」
Met with her icy gaze, Rodje shrunk back.
「I can’t claim to know much about said incantation, though.」
「Are vampires treated like the demi-humans of the demon realm?」, I asked.
「That’s about right」, replied Lyla.
Elves, dwarves and the like were regarded as demi-humans here. In the same manner, demons could be classified into numerous subspecies. Dark elves — the species Rodje used to disguise herself as — was one of them. Others included vampires, fairies, birdmen and spirits.
「Is there a vampire that knows how to fix it, Dee?」
「Not that I know of. It’s an antique after all. But we won’t know until we try looking.」
I’ve heard that vampires made a very clear distinction between themselves and demons like Lyla.
「It’s probably best for me not to go」, said Lyla.
「That’s true」, said Dee.
「Why?」
「Vampires are a subspecies of demon」, explained Lyla. 「And I used to be the Demon King. Seeing me, the ruler of demons, in their territory might raise the alarm.」
I glanced at Rodje. The relationship between vampires and demons may be similar to that between elves and humans. While not outwardly hostile, everything isn’t exactly peachy either.
「The vampires who’ve been around since the days of yore may still harbor ill feelings towards demons, so we don’t want any unnecessary confrontations」, Dee explained further.
「Dee’s sadism is also because she’s a vampire — it runs in their blood. Who knows, the collar might have been designed for such purposes.」
「That’s what I was thinking」, agreed Dee. 「Relations between pure-blooded demons and mixed-blooded vampires have had a tumultuous history.」
Just how deep did demon interspecies relations go, I wondered. There’s so much that’s unknown to humans.
「A device for which its effect is inversely proportional to the target’s magicka is more likely to have been designed with demons in mind, rather than humans」, Lyla postulated.
Glancing at Rodje, who had been silent for quite some time now, I found her curled up into a ball, hugging her knees and mumbling to herself.
「Lylael-sama… oh, woe is me…」
「What to do. At this rate, radical Demon King supporters like Commander Rodje will start showing up to bring Lylael-sama back.」
It seemed like having the collar was essential for Lyla to continue living her present life.
「Can you really go alone, Dee?」
「I can, but I can’t use a ‘Gate’.」
Lyla following is out of the question. What about myself?
「Rodje」, said Lyla. 「You’re all we have.」
The elf’s long, pointy ears twitched in response.
「I can’t go, and Roland can’t miss out on work」, she continued. 「Even if he could, I don’t want to make him exert himself so soon after the fight of his life.」
Rodje lifted her head slightly.
「I know you don’t want to, but there’s nobody else who can go.」
That did it.
「As you wish, Lylael-sama! I, Rodje Sandsong, will join Candice and see this mission to completion!」
「That’s my Rodje.」
「Aye! You’ll hear from us soon!」
Time is of the essence, implied Rodje with her actions as she rushed out of the room.
「Where are you going, Commander Rodje～?」
「Where the vampires are! Hahahaha! Come on, Candice, don’t make me wait for you!」
「That’s my line!」, exclaimed Dee, jumping to her feet to give chase.
「Do you really want the collar back?」, I asked once we were alone.
「Mhm. Being the Demon King was too taxing. I’m much… happier now.」
Smiling, she put her knees together. Isn’t the endless housework more taxing, I wondered.
「As long as you’re happy.」
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