Maou no Hajimekata Volume 2 Interlude 4
[previous_page]
[next_page]
Translator: DarkHeartedAlchemist
Interlude, Let’s Borrow the Leader’s Knowledge
He poured the amber-colored contents of the cup into his throat and grinned unpleasantly when it burned it with its strong taste. Nevertheless, Aur made sure to enjoy its taste to the fullest.
「This drink is pretty rare.」
A sharp voice suddenly sounded behind his back.
Just a moment ago he was the only one in the room, but now there was another presence beside his own. However, he had no reason to be afraid of it and he kept drinking without glancing in its direction.
「I see you know your way around drinking too.」
It was a figure who was over six feet tall and sported a rich crimson beard.
「It was awfully nice of you to invite me for a drink.」
It was Wolfe, the Hero King. The former king Made Heroic Spirit sat beside Aur.
「It just so happened that I desired some company.」
He gave him a vague answer as Spina filled their cups with another serving of the amber liquid.
「Let’s just leave it at that then. So, what are we going to drink to?」
「There is no particular reason, and I don’t really think we need one to enjoy a good drink.」
「You’re such a killjoy, my son-in-law.」
Both of them drink in silence with tranquil expressions, not spoiling the taste of the good liquor with idle talk.
Aur is not as gung-ho on alcohol as your average man, but once in a while drinking like that was quite enjoyable, he just had to remember not to overdo it. Dealing with hangover the next day was the last thing on his to-do list.
「I see you’re quite good at holding your liquor.」
「To some extent, but I prefer my drink to go with something to eat. That way I can hold it for that much longer.」
Wolfe could understand where he was coming from. Now that he could turn into his dragon form, he discovered that maintaining it for an extended period of time used up a lot of his energy, so he used drinking to alleviate that drawback to some extent.
「Before I forget, thank you for helping Mari the other day.」
「Oh, you don’t have to thank me, it was quite a pleasant experience, if I were to be honest.」
Currently, there was not a shred of animosity or ill intentions from the time they were enemies in the old hero’s voice. Maybe that was the true face of Wolfedear, the 『Dragon Killer』. Aur didn’t saw it at first, but now that he got a closer look at him, he reminded him of Yunis. I guess it’s true what they say: like father like daughter.
「I assume that is not the only reason you summoned me here today?」
Before he spoke up, Aur emptied the contents of his cup. Then, Spina filled it again with professional, practiced movements.
「This here is not the real Spina, you know? This is a specially crafted golem equipped with the capacity to listen to orders while maintaining its own memories and will. This is a nice creation, if I do say so myself.」
「Hou….?」
Wolfe’s eyes narrowed slightly when Aur pointed at the golem that looked just like Spina to the point of being practically indistinguishable.
What he was trying to say was that the only people who were here right now were Aur and Wolfe. Whatever he wanted to talk about with him, it would undoubtedly be something important. Or strange. Or both.
「What do I have to do?」
「Beg your pardon?」
Aur asked his question, but Wolfe failed to properly grasp their meaning.
「I asked what do I have to do to make my daughter happy.」
For a moment, there was silence.
And after that, the room was filled with joyous laughter that was loud enough to shatter eardrums.
「Do not laugh. This is a serious matter.」
「No, of course… but I’m sorry, this is just too hilarious! Ahh, but that was to be expected, really. You might be a Demon Lord, but you are also a parent now.」
「Except that my daughter is not a real person per se.」
Aur said dejectedly.
「But the fact remains that she’s my daughter, and our relationship is going to be hurt if I don’t do something about my way of interacting with her.」
While some traces of laughter still remained on Wolfe’s face, he returned to his usual, serious self.
「You really sure I’m the right person to talk to about something like this? You know, my relationship with Yunis is not as picture-perfect as everyone might think.」
Aur nodded to Wolfe’s words, and they both took another sip of alcohol.
「That might be true, but you’re also a parent who managed to raise a daughter like Yunis well. So I ask again: what can I do as a father to make my daughter happy?」
「How to make your daughter happy, huh?」
He thought about it for a while as he flexed his muscles.
「This is such a load of bullcrap!」
Aur looked skeptically at Wolfe, who began to gesticulate with his hands in a lively manner.
「There is no foolproof method to achieve something like that!」
「What exactly are you playing at?」
Unable to make heads or tails out of that statement, Aur inquired further.
「We humans are complicated beasts. Each one of us is different, and we have our own quirks and ways of doing things. Pretty much everyone can make himself a kid, but in my opinion, the most important, but also the hardest thing to do is to give them the freedom to do whatever they want to do. My late wife thought so too.」
For a moment Wolfe gazed into the distance, and then looked at Aur again with fresh look.
「But as I said, I’m not the one to talk. I failed to give my little girl the freedom my wife wanted me to give her, allowed my duties as a hero and Heroic Spirit to come before my duties as a parent, and ended up killing her because of it. If that’s not a material for a father-of-the-year award, then I don’t know what is.」
The longer one lives, the longer shadow his life creates. That is what Wolfe learned from his long life as a hero. Maybe that was what made him order Zaitreed to kill his daughter.
「But you know what, Demon Lord? I believe that everything that’s happened up until now was not a mere coincidence.」
He looked Aur straight in the eyes and said:
「After all, you did made Yunis happy. You have succeeded where I have failed.」
Aur’s eyes opened widely. He never thought about it that way.
「And yet you’re the one asking me how to make your daughter happy. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?」
He took another sip of the amber liquor. A big one.
「I’m the one who needs to discover how to do it.」
And he bowed his head deeply.
This was initially a light conversation between two equals, but for the former king to bow his head to someone like him… it was a thing that was not to be treated lightly.
He had no choice but to accept his gesture.
The atmosphere began to grow awkward, so Aur had the golem pour them another cup, but then a nasty smile appeared on Wolfe’s face.
「But in most cases it’s not a parent’s job to make the daughter happy, but rather her partner.」
This remark made Aur spill the alcohol that was still in his mouth.
「What are you going on about?! Such nonsense!」
「Oh is it, really? But there will come a day when your daughters start bringing boys home and have them meet you. That is how it always was, and that is how it always will be.」
「Well not with Sofia! She’s too young for such things anyway!」
「Huehuehue, you know nothing, Demon Lord. She might be small now, but before you know it, she’s going to be all grown up and ready to leave the familial nest. Trust me, I speak from experience. I never even noticed when Yunis began to show interest in all that girly stuff until it was too late.」
Aur had no words to retaliate with. Up until today, he looked at Sofia like a baby. And while it was true that her growth rate was much faster when compared with that of normal humans, but even the he just couldn’t fathom her as an adult, even in his current, half-drunken state.
「Don’t try to deceive me, puny mortal! One more word and you’ll be on your way to hell!」
「Ahahahaha, and what did you expect after snatching my little precious girl from me? I will thoroughly enjoy seeing the same happen to you from the best seat possible! And then I’ll even laugh at it! Like that! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!」
There was one crucial detail that Aur forgot to program into the golem that served them alcohol. That was the command to stop pouring it. As a result, it was poured endlessly as their chaotic discussion became louder and more disjointed.
And the next day, both of them would suffer from the worst hangover of their lives.
[previous_page]
[next_page]
Comment (0)