96 Fly first.

It's a good thing I came to visit the Purple Demon Lord with Ecdysium, but I was told that the Purple Demon Lord is still sleeping.

He's been unconscious since yesterday afternoon, which means he's been asleep for a whole day.

I stayed there hoping to get some information from Duvraeori, but he suddenly disappeared, and when I thought he had returned, he told me that the Purple Demon King had woken up.

That's why I was sent to a room.

There was the Purple Demon Lord lying on the bed with only his upper body up.

He looked sickly and weak, perhaps because he was pale to begin with.

You've come all this way, haven't you?　I don't have a chair, so can you sit here for me?

He put his hand on the bed, right next to her.

"A chair, at once.

Why don't you go peel some fruit, I didn't give you permission to do anything else?

"As you wish.

I wanted a chair, but I had no choice.

Sitting on the bed, I'd have to turn my back to the Purple Demon King.

Maybe I don't want him to see me in a weakened state.

Just as I was thinking that, the fruit I brought as a souvenir was beautifully arranged on a large plate.

Before I knew it, a table had been set up beside my bed, and the fruit was placed on it.

No chair was provided.

"Guard, may I have a word with you alone?

What do you want, compatriot?

"What do you want to do, compatriot?" Exequik asks as a confirmation, though he doesn't seem too worried.

If you want to do something by force, Duvraeori is there, you don't need to be alone with him, there will be no problem.

I'll call you if I need you.

Okay.

You, too, Duvvlayo?

But...

If he had a blade in his pocket, do you think he could kill me?

...... if you need anything.

I'm not denying it.

I'm not denying it.

Duvraioli disappears into the shadows, and Ecdysium leaves the room with a light sigh.

Now, where to begin: .......

"Did you sleep well?

"Yes, I did, didn't I?

I'm sorry, that was a little mean.

It's kind of pathetic that you're upset about that, isn't it?

No, not really. How many nights have you been asleep?

I don't know. How long have you been asleep?

...... normal people can't stay awake for a week.

I took a nap, remember?

You haven't had a good night's sleep in two weeks, you'll collapse.

I don't mind that you're enjoying the game, but I don't like the idea of you collapsing.

Well, you and I are enemies now, aren't we?

You're treated very well for that.

Of course, I want you.

He puts his hand on my back. I'm shocked, but it doesn't seem to mean anything.

I don't feel any heat, just a slight chill.

"Do you want an Earthling so badly?

No, I don't care who you are. I want you personally. I want you to reach out to me, to reach out to me.

I remember when I first met you. For a purple demon lord who had never interacted with people, receiving kindness from people might have been something special.

But that was just a coincidence.

I'm sure that even if I hadn't walked by there, someone would have called out to me, and even if not that day, it would have happened if I had been in a place where people lived. There's nothing special about it. Most people can do it just as well.

Yes, it is.

We just haven't looked for it yet. It's a big world. There's a lot of alternatives out there, and I'm sure you'll find one that's more responsive to your needs.

Yes, I suppose you're right.

I'm sure Duvraeori loves and cares for the Purple Demon Lord more than you do.

He's loyal, strong, and he can make her feel special.

A man she met by mere chance is not worth that.

"You're just a man, you're not loyal to me, you're not good for me, you may not have anything special. But you've become special to me.

What a disaster.

Yeah, it's a disaster. But I'm grateful for the miracle of that disaster.

I don't remember saying anything else after that.

After a few moments of silence, he got up and left.

I knew that if I said anything more, I would never be able to come back.

I could have guessed even if he hadn't said that much, but I avoided it because I knew how serious the Purple Demon King's feelings were.

But now that he had said that much, I couldn't avoid him anymore.

I ran away, afraid to face her in earnest.

The game would resume once she was well again.

It would be a somewhat carefree game again for a while.

But even so, I wasn't sure if I could beat her in the end.

He returned to the castle and went to the office where Marito was.

Ecdysius, seeing what was happening, went away.

Marito was the only one in the office, and he decided not to think about the unseen Dark Lord.

I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this.

I just went to visit the Purple Demon Lord and give him some fruit.

Yes, that's all.

We had some conversations, but nothing has changed, nothing has changed.

What's going on?

Nothing, nothing has changed.

Then what's with the panic?　You look as if you're crossing a bridge on thin ice.

"......

You came all the way out here with nothing to report, and you want to talk about something?　Just talk to me.

I let Marito say those words first, trying to talk to him about it, but the words didn't come out first .

It made me feel better, but also made me feel even worse about myself.

I'm sure you're right. ...... I'll have to talk to him anyway to get started.

I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it.

And in the face of them, he was cowed and could not see a way to win.

"Hmm, it seems the Purple Demon Lord really wants you, not for fun or pleasure, but for real. And you've been overwhelmed by his spirit.

Yeah.

Well, I suppose it happens. Unlike men who can use their body as a weapon, women use their mind as a weapon, they have a strong spirit that can frighten even the most unbeatable. In your case, it's no wonder you've lost on both counts.

The fear of power is something I've experienced enough of since I came to this world.

Even on Earth, there were plenty of people who were stronger than me.

In order to resist them, I've learned how to exploit the gaps in my mind and defend myself.

But I can't do that this time.

So what are you going to do?

"If you can't win, you'll lose. It won't be good for the humans if the earthlings join the Demon Lord's army.

Yeah, that's why we're doing this.

If we fight, we may win, but the cost will be great. ...... Then why don't we take the option of hiding?

Hiding, huh?

Of course, the Purple Demon King will come after us, but that will also draw him away from Taze. It would also give us time to turn around and not reinforce the Mejis world so quickly.

"But you'll still have the fear of being hunted. You abandoned the game and ran away, and whether the Purple Demon King forgives you or not, he will make sure you can't escape.

That's when it happens. Whatever happens to me, I'm ready for it. But I'll buy you some time.

Marito stood up and put the book on the shelf beside us.

I'm sure you'll be able to figure out a way to make this work for you.

"...... Oh, yes. I can't betray the humans who have taken care of me.

I'm glad you feel that way, and I appreciate your dedication, both as King of the TARDIS and as a representative of the humans.

Marith turns to me, her expression soft.

But you're a terrible person with a heart.

Your body floats in the air, your vision wavers.

A few moments later, you feel yourself being slammed against the wall.

My head is shaking, my jaw hurts.

I can't move, maybe it's because my brain was shaken.

Yeah, I could see it in Marito's eyes.

Marito hit me.

What are you doing at ......?

"As a king and a man, I can accept your choices. But as a friend, I'm not so happy.

You sit up, but your body is still not fully mobile.

Something spills from my mouth, blood, which is to be expected with this much pain.

There is something strange in my mouth, I think I broke my jaw, no, this is ...... my back teeth are also broken.

He hit me without hesitation, that guy.

If you want to take that option, I won't stop you, I'll help you. But that's the end of it, I have no interest in associating with fools who don't know the meaning of the fist I shake.

In response to the sound of one of the adults being blown away, the soldiers from the guard show up.

"Your Majesty, what is this?

"Never mind, take the man to the infirmary. He can't seem to stand up on his own.

The soldiers obeyed his words and left the office, carrying our body.

Marito was tidying up the room without a glance at us.

In the infirmary, we were given recovery spells, but they were ineffective, and we had no choice but to be anesthetized and bandaged with ice packs.

By this time, I was able to walk unsteadily, so I returned to the room prepared for me.

I collapsed on the bed and slept for a while, but still could not sleep well.

Even though the anesthesia was working, the pain in my jaw and around my back teeth would not go away.

"What's the matter with you, Marito?

What did you mean by the fist you shook?　He said he was unhappy with me as a friend. ...... Well, of course he was.

I'm not sure what to make of that.

As the king of a traditional knightly nation, the existence of earthlings was a novelty to Marito.

He had come into contact with them in the hope that their unconventional ideas and actions would change the world around him.

I don't know how far I have lived up to your expectations, but at least until today, it hasn't been bad.

The way I acted today must have been unacceptable to him.

I did my best to take care of Taze and Mejis. ...... Or is that the reason?

The act of caring for one's own country and other countries while avoiding the feelings of one woman.

It's a natural thing for a nation to do, and even Marito said he appreciated it as a king.

But that is not the kind of behavior you want your friend to choose.

What is the appeal of a person who is trapped in a mold, who compromises and plays it safe?

What Marito was looking for was not a devoted subordinate, but a friend who would treat him as an equal.

I might have punched him, too.

But was that the only reason he shook his fist, or was it to insulate him?

No, that's not why Marito hits people.

If he's given up on you, he doesn't need to do anything, he can just let the soldiers take you.

Oh, yeah, that's it.

What are you, a wise king, a foolish king? 　

But he's a good king, really.

I know what Marito wants. There's no need for confirmation.

I got up and left the room to go to Exoik's room.

"My people. ...... What happened?

You'll be able to find a lot more information on this subject in the future.

It's a necessary expense. We're leaving the castle.　

Where are we going?

There was one place we had to go before the Purple Demon King's place.

Well, wherever it is, I'm going with you because you're my escort.

No, I don't need you to accompany me as my bodyguard.

What do you mean?

------------------------------------

How about we take him out of the Taze and put him in isolation?

When I heard Pope Eupharo's suggestion, I knew it was a good idea.

The game with the Purple Demon King has been a child's play so far, but as long as we're serious about getting him, there's a chance we'll lose.

The worst thing that could happen is that he would fall into the hands of the Purple Demon King and the Great Demons would be left outnumbered.

If you want him, you must get him out of the country. If you hide him, the Purple Demon Lord will search for him.

If we can lure him out of the country, we can fight him where we want to, and we can even aim to retake the entire Medisphere, which is in short supply.

That's the decision of Pope Eupharo, or Yugra.

I'm sure you're not the only one who has a problem with this.

"Well, how about we get him to play the part and get him to leave the country and be kidnapped by our people?

After that, he would be under the control of the Mejis, and the Yugoslavs would have sole ownership of him.

Taze can't make an enemy of Yugraism for the sake of a single human being, and if he's too stubborn to monopolize it, he'll be seen as an enemy by all the countries in the world where Yugraism is practiced, as he's trying to obtain a ban.

There are many followers of Yugraism in Japan as well, and the worst that could happen is a civil war.

--He must have thought this far ahead.

I don't see any reason to oppose it, unless it turns out that someone from Tarz was involved. I'll just have to leave it all up to Mejis, if you don't mind.

"Absolutely, and I promise you that he will be safe.

I'm sure Pope Euphro is telling the truth.

But he is also the head of a country, or even a religion, that has influence over the world.

If the relationship between the Demon Lord and Yugra comes to light, the world will be shaken and faith in Yugra will fall.

Any settlement with the Demon Lord will be done behind the scenes, and his existence will never come to light again.

"Your Holiness, I must report!

One of the soldiers rushes in, this soldier is a member of the Holy Knights from Mejis.

This soldier is a member of the Holy Order from Mejis. He is wearing tarnished armor and pretending to be a soldier of this country, but he is the one that Pope Eupharo had sent to check on him.

Pope Eupharo's request to keep an eye on him came up when he wasn't here, and it was a means to an end.

What is it?

It's just, the guy's disappeared!

What the hell?

I'm confident in my acting skills, as I can say that I was surprised before Pope Euparo.

It's not like he's always acting like a wise king.

Tell me more.

After entering the room of the guard who calls himself Ecdyke, we move to the garden. Then suddenly ...... the guard at the gates reported that he had not passed through the entrance. We searched the entire castle. ......

If they knew more about Exoik, they could have guessed that he had fled by air, but the soldiers who were conducting the secret reconnaissance could not have predicted this.

"......, my wise friend, he may have anticipated our move and fled.

"King Taze, is this not your plan?

"The last time I contacted him, he was trying to make a commitment to us. We agreed, and he never contacted us again.

...... Sounds like it.

I'm not lying, it's his idea of a Yugoslavian lie-breaker.

I told the soldiers to keep him away from this room just in case, but he seems to have acted without coming.

That's why it was worth the beating.

I would like to explain that it was very painful for me to hit him, but I'll let you hit him next time.

We'll have to search immediately.

The country will be our priority, and I hope Pope Euphro will make the first move to prevent him from leaving the Tarzan territory.

You think he'll leave this territory?

My friend prefers to remain neutral. He has no intention of going down to the Purple Demon Lord and making an enemy of us, and given his reasons for fleeing, it's likely he's doing so because he doesn't want to be under the control of Mejis. I'm sure he understands that staying in Tarz will strain our relationship.

"It's true, he's a coward and avoids becoming anyone's enemy. I will hurry and anticipate his escape route.

Pope Eupharo thinks he knows him because he's had direct contact with him.

He is indeed a coward, he doesn't like to make more enemies, he thinks it's okay if he can live in peace.

That much is true, as Pope Euphro is aware.

But that's not all.

If that were all, no one would find him attractive.

He played the role of a man resented by his village to save Wolfe from being oppressed by the Kuro Wolves.

To avenge a vagrant, he took the bait against the dark forces of Mejis.

These actions are at odds with his overt behavior.

He wants to live a safe life, but he needs to bring those around him up to that line.

He can move without thinking of his size, without thinking of his position.

He has heat. He may not have the strength to fight, but he can radiate heat that can be transmitted to others.

And that heat only emanates when he struggles not for himself, but for others.

Knowing this is the reason why there are those who continue to adore him.

The fist that struck him is slightly injured and aching.

It probably knocked out his teeth and cut his skin in the process.

It feels more like a fever than a pain.

My hand has set his heart on fire, oh this pain is so good.

It was an injury that could be healed in an instant with healing magic, but for now, he would gladly accept the pain.