Book 2: Chapter 37

「Haha, ha. That is quite the joke.」

Zekwell said that and expressed a tight smile.

To introduce one’s self as the Demon King, that was a joke that could be categorized as being one of the worst to make.

Having instinctively looked to Luuty seeking her follow up, Zekwell then noticed that Luuty was in a state where she had drawn her slender sword the whole time.

「……Zekwell. At the very least, Fainell is a Majin.」

「Wha……っ」

The Majin.

Having terrifyingly long lives and high abilities, their outward appearances are hardly any different from mankind. Due to that, there were often many cases where the distinction couldn’t be made.

「In that case……Is he really, the Demon King……?」

Just as Zekwell was about to place his hand on his sword as well, a cold voice resounded.

「……If you touch that sword, I will see it as a declaration of war.」

Hearing Vermudol’s words, Zekwell completely stopped that hand.

Even if everything this man said was a bluff or a magnificent joke, the words 「a declaration of war to the Demon King」 were too heavy.

While hardened up like that, Zekwell then noticed that he had truly become unable to move even a single finger at some point.

「……If you hadn’t heard my earlier words, then listen carefully.」

Vermudol’s red eyes suspiciously shined.

That was a phenomenon that occurs with the thing called Magic Eyes.

「Vermudol, the king of the Zadark Kingdom and the Demon King, has come to negotiate with the Jiol Forest Kingdom. Without doing anything unnecessary, go prepare a conference right away. Not directly marching into the royal castle is a sign of our sincerity and understanding. Got it? Do it right away.」

「Guh……ugh……G, got it……」

「I see.」

When the radiance in Vermudol’s eyes weakened, Zekwell breathed heavily.

「……Don’t lay a hand on Luuty.」

「That is an unnecessary worry.」

After making sure that Zekwell had left the room, Vermudol breathed a sigh.

「This isn’t good. I had thought that I would do things gentlemanly this time.」

「No, Demon King-sama’s profound mercy was fully shown.」

「……Is that so?」

「Yes, this Fainell……is in admiration.」

Hearing the praise that came from the bottom of Fainell’s heart, Vermudol made a face that said he didn’t find it all that bad.

Fainell’s words that had no hidden meaning to them at all were something that Vermudol could easily accept.

「Well, that’s how it is. I had thought of having you be the point of contact for this but……it looks like I’ve been saved the trouble.」

「……What do you intend on doing?」

Hearing Luuty’s question, Vermudol expressed a question mark and looked to Fainell seeking an answer, but Fainell also tilted her head.

「Negotiating with the Jiol Forest Kingdom……Could it be that you’re supporting the war with the St. Altlis Kingdom and trying to bury the Hero Summoning Ritual in darkness?」

「Honestly, I had also thought of that. But, it would be pointless, right?」

To begin with, the Hero Summoning Ritual was something granted to mankind by the God of Life Philia, and even if they were to bury that technique into darkness, things would be the same if it was granted to the Humans again by the God of Life.

「In that case, why……」

Hearing those words, Vermudol suddenly narrowed his eyes.

「It’s in order to resist.」

「……Just what, are you saying you’re resisting?」

「Everything. I am resisting everything that would force destruction onto us. I will resist, and destroy them. As the Demon King, I will obtain peace for the Mazoku.」

「And so, why the Jiol Forest Kingdom? If you say that you’re heading for peace, the country as it is now is……」

「That doesn’t matter.」

Vermudol interrupted Luuty’s words.

「Whether we can understand each other or not, this is the last and only possibility. That is why I came here.」

「The last……?」

Fainell twitched her brow at those words.

The vanished possibility was……it was most likely about the Cylus Empire.

Since the Metalio Borkio had betrayed Vermudol’s sincerity, the choice of negotiating with the Cylus Empire had vanished.

”And then, the reason that Vermudol had chosen the Jiol Forest Kingdom was most likely”……is what Fainell thought.

「We Majin, have long lives. You get what this means, right? At the very least, you yourself should.」

「……!」

Luuty immediately understood that Fainell’s words were pointing to her parting with Ryuuya and the others.

That’s right, no matter how well they got along.

No matter how much they crossed hearts.

No matter how much they wished to be together.

The flow of time left Luuty……left only the Sylphid behind and passed by them.

That is why the Sylphid had constructed their own community within the Jiol Forest Kingdom, and made firm connections in order to protect their hearts that feel like they would break when alone.

For the Sylphid, despite being amongst mankind, they were constantly tormented with loneliness, and due to their long lives and perennial youth, they were a race that easily received envy from those that did not understand their circumstances.

「……We, have the possibility to understand each other. We, won’t leave you all behind.」

Fainell’s words sweetly satisfied Luuty’s heart.

Certainly, if it was the Majin and their extremely long lives, they could live the same flow of time, and wouldn’t leave the Sylphid behind.

And then, Luuty knew about Fainell very well.

In the fight at the Dark Continent that she had headed to with a resolution that was prepared for death, Fainell was the cause for how her view towards the things known as Majin had changed.

She was an opponent that seemed like they weren’t any different from themselves.

Thinking that far, Luuty noticed.

「The Dark Continent……I see, so your Zadark Kingdom is……」

「That is exactly it. But it’s current development can’t even be compared with the time that you all had come, you know?」

Seeing Fainell puff up her chest as if boasting, Luuty was at a loss for words.

Honestly, she couldn’t believe her.

The Dark Continent that Luuty’s group had arrived at in the past was a place that was worthy of its name.

The law of survival of the fittest reigned, and the Mazoku only held interest in raising themselves up.

The Demon King Gramfia didn’t reign or govern over them, and instead did everything he could to strengthen himself without limit.

Destroying Gramfia, who had cast away even his Majin form and became a monster, was something that Luuty believed to have been unmistakably righteous.

However, to Luuty, the Vermudol before her eyes didn’t seem to be the same kind of Demon King as Gramfia.

Even when he had introduced himself as Shion, he would choose and accept difficult requests and requests that had little profit when compared to the level of danger, and was an Adventurer that was called an ally of the weak.

He was always intellectual and rational.

「……Could it be, Nino-san too……」

「Yes, Nino is also a Majin.」

Maybe because his emotions had settled down, Vermudol, who had returned to his polite words, said that and smiled.

Nino had the impression of being a free child, but certainly, she had a Majin-like part to her……is what Luuty re-thought of her.

That being said, just like Vermudol and Fainell, she didn’t feel like someone that couldn’t be reasoned with.

「……Luuty.」

Fainell spoke with a quiet tone.

「The wish to travel here this time, was out of my own will.」

「Yours……?」

「Yeah. At that time, due to you guys’ objective, we couldn’t become friends in the end. But, this time is different. If it’s now, we can become friends.」

Hearing Fainell’s words, Luuty wavered.

And then, she remembered about the days she spent with the Hero Ryuuya.

「……Please, let me ask one thing.」

「What is it?」

「If you guys say that you aren’t enemies, then why did you send in the Alva?」

As I thought, she went for that……is what Vermudol thought.

Ultimately, that would become a bottleneck.

But, if it was with this timing where Luuty was wavering, he might be able to hold a bit of hope.

「They, are not under my command. They seem to be moving by some kind of will, from somewhere else.」

He had reached a conjecture.

It was most likely the God of Life.

However, if he were to mention that, he would only lose her trust.

「Something else……?」

「Yes, to begin with, it’s even questionable if they are Mazoku……」

Hearing those words, Luuty pondered.

She thought that it wasn’t an impossible story.

To begin with, even the process on how Mazoku are generated into the world was unknown.

What if the Alva were generated in a phenomenon that resembled the Mazoku’s creation process.

Thinking that, Luuty nodded.

「……I understand. I will trust you for now.」

「Yes, you have my gratitude.」

On the surface, Vermudol expressed a gentle smile.

For the time being, the talks ended here.

Now, they just had to wait for someone to meet with them.

If a messenger came, that was fine.

If an army came……then at that time, there would be no choice but to blow them away.

After taking a peek at Vermudol who had sank into silence, Luuty turned her gaze to Fainell.

「……You haven’t changed at all since those days.」

「My appearance that is. The ones around me have changed quite a bit.」

「That goes for me too.」

「Yeah, I’ve heard. You were fired from your job, right? Getting someone that would put the Hero into a joint lock to act as an educator was a mistake in the first place.」

In response to Fainell who said that while smirking, Luuty’s face turned red.

「Th, that was educational guidance! Besides, the reason for that time was because you were in the river……!」

「Yeah, that was it. That thing with that guy, was it really a coincidence?」

「……Unfortunately.」

「What are you talking about?」

Having an interest in the flow of the two girls’ story, when Vermudol asked that to Fainell, Fainell made a wry smile.

「Ahh, it’s merely reminiscent talk. The Hero Ryuuya was……ahー……he was a bit of an awkward man. Putting it plainly, he could be called an enemy of women……No, but, there were a lot of women around him……」

「……」

When Fainell turned her gaze to Luuty, Luuty went *fui* and averted her gaze.

「……Oi」

「……」

Fainell made a retort, but Luuty hung her head down and didn’t reply with anything.

「I don’t want to believe this but, that man, did he do similar things in other places……?」

「……」

「……What an exasperating man. No, well, I guess that’s within expectations……」

Going “I see”, Vermudol thought about it.

In other words, it seemed that the Hero Ryuuya was a man that somehow easily had unexpected incidents with women.

And yet, it seemed that he wasn’t hated by women and instead had a trait that made him easy to like.

「……Fumu.」

As he tried to imagine the Hero Ryuuya who he had never met……he immediately stopped thinking.

「……」

「Is something wrong? Demon King-sama」

「No, it’s nothing……Don’t mind me.」

To Vermudol, all Mazoku were like children he needed to protect.

If the Hero Ryuuya were nearby, he would wallop him before something occurred, was the kind of thinking that was like that of a father or something that he had.

「……Hey, Fainell.」

「Yes, Demon King-sama.」

「I’m……how do I put this……correct, right?」

「Yes, of course.」

「I see……that’s, right.」

Seeing Vermudol be attacked by an unidentifiable emotion, Fainell tilted her head looking curious.