Book 4: Chapter 7

In Vermudol’s room in the Demon King Castle, a luxurious bed, desk, and chair were arranged.

These weren’t from Vermudol’s tastes, but furnishings that were installed by Ichika. They seemed to be prided works of the Norm craftsmen, but Vermudol didn’t really know.

Vermudol was seated on his bed, and was submerged in his sea of thoughts.

The Demon God.

That, was not the God of the Mazoku.

That is something Vermudol was able to understand.

The Demon God had certainly created Vermudol, the Demon King.

However, the true nature of that Demon God wasn’t there.

The moment he was kissed, there was something that flowed into Vermudol.

It was, an understanding towards his own power.

About his abilities as a Demon King which up until now were taught to him by Ichika, or was understood by fumbling about.

After understanding that, a new doubt came to Vermudol’s mind.

Just what was a Demon King? What kind of function did they exist to fulfill?

What was the reason for being for the Demon King who was the sole member of their race?

And then, the Demon God.

The room that Demon God was in, it was composed with something that even Vermudol didn’t know of.

No, to begin with, it was unclear if that was a room or not.

The darkness that enveloped the room wasn’t darkness, but dense magical power.

It also wasn’t Darkness Element magical power, but something that was a mix of various elements.

Both extracting a specific element and converting to a specific element from that magical power would surely be difficult.

It was an absurd airspace where one needed to abandon all existing magic theories.

That place was configured with something that absurd.

No, most likely, it was a deed of that Demon God. Maybe because she was bored, or maybe because it seemed interesting, she surely created that distorted airspace for that sort of reason.

It meant that she was an existence able to do that sort of thing.

And then, Vermudol most likely knew of something similar to the magical power that was in that place.

But, he couldn’t remember what that was.

「……Fuu.」

Having returned from his sea of thoughts, Vermudol suddenly raised his head and was startled.

At Vermudol’s front, Ichika was silently standing in front of the room’s door.

「S, so it was you, Ichika. Don’t surprise me like that.」

「I am terribly sorry. It was because there was no answer even after I knocked.」

「Ahー……Is that so.」

He was probably concentrating too much and hadn’t noticed.

Nino would also often slip into the room while Vermudol was thinking about things, crawl into his bed, and sleep there.

「Were you, thinking about something?」

「Yeah……It’s about the Demon God, see.」

「I have heard about that from Rokuna. It would seem that you have met with that Person.」

「Nn, yeah.」

Replying with a nod to Ichika, Vermudol fixedly stared at Ichika’s face.

Their atmospheres were completely different, but they were similar.

That is what Vermudol thought.

No longer having the vague image he had up until now, he could really tell now that he had actually met with her.

The Demon God and Ichika, were similar.

「……Are we similar?」

「Eh?」

Hearing Ichika’s words, Vermudol was startled.

He didn’t think that he would be told that from Ichika herself.

Ichika walked up to the bed while still being expressionless, knelt down in front of Vermudol, and looked up at his face.

「Am I, similar……to that Person as they are right now?」

「……Yeah, you’re similar. Things like your atmosphere, or your height……various parts are different though.」

「Is that, so.」

When Ichika said that, after a bit of silence……she muttered a few words.

「In other words……Demon King-sama, has a preference for my face……that must be what it means.」

「Haaa!?」

In response to Vermudol having reflexively raised his voice, Ichika answered while still kneeling down.

「That Person, is one who has abandoned their form as an individual. Therefore, they search for a preferred figure from the other party’s soul, and take up that form……that is what I was told.」

「Why, would she do something like that……」

「It seems to be consideration for the sake of making it hard for the other party to harbor wariness towards them.」

Even so, that’s wrong, is how Vermudol denied it. And even if that were the case, that was a preference of the Human that had become Vermudol’s base, and not Vermudol’s preference……or that should be the case.

「Demon King-sama?」

Hurriedly averting his face from Ichika who was looking up at him, Vermudol had his thoughts come to a halt.

For her to be to his own preferences, that couldn’t be……probably.

「So, Ichika. Ahー……It’s that. What business do you have with me?」

「Yes. But, shall we put that off for later?」

「You don’t need to.」

「Is that so.」

After Ichika replied sounding a bit disappointed, she sat down next to Vermudol.

「……Ichika?」

「Demon King-sama. I have a request for you.」

Ichika’s white fingers touched Vermudol’s face.

After gently turning Vermudol’s face towards her own, Ichika whispered.

「Please, look at me with Status Confirmation Magic.」

Status Confirmation Magic.

It was magic that only the Hero and the Demon King could use.

However, there was the possibility of resisting the magic and hiding one’s Status, and up until now, Ichika had perfectly concealed herself against Vermudol’s Status Confirmation Magic.

And yet now, she gave a reason to purposely have her Status confirmed.

In other words, it demonstrated that Ichika had removed her concealment.

「……What do you mean by that?」

「……」

Ichika didn’t answer to Vermudol’s question.

Even her usual expressionlessness was still unbroken.

Giving up on investigating about Ichika’s situation, Vermudol used Status Confirmation Magic.

Name: Ichika

Race: Majin

Rank: SSS

Occupation: Maid Knight

Equipment: Peerless Sword Endrou

Magic Shield Ribeljia

Maid Knight Armor

Technical Skill: Memory Inheritance S

Ability Inheritance F

Sacrifice’s Rebirth (Sealed)

Magic Eyes of Coercion SSS

Perfection SSS

Perfect Maid SSS

Sword Technique Creation SSS

Demon God’s Divine Protection A

The ranks of the displayed Status’s techinical skills were much higher than Vermudol had imagined.

But more important than that, Vermudol’s eyes became glued onto the items in the technical skill list.

「『Memory Inheritance』……『Ability Inheritance』……『Sacrifice’s Rebirth』……? What, are these technical skills……This one called 『Sacrifice’s Rebirth』 is sealed though……」

「『Memory Inheritance』 and 『Ability Inheritance』 are technical skills that are invoked at the time of my reincarnation.」

Reincarnation.

That word, discomposed something within Vermudol.

「……Re, incarnation……」

「……A lock has been placed on the concept. I thought that it might be possible if it were you but……I suppose the other side still has the upper hand.」

Saying “excuse me”, Ichika placed her own lips on top of Vermudol’s lips.

At that instant, the sound of something breaking within Vermudol was made, and the concept of 「reincarnation」 and knowledge of it came pouring out.

Why hadn’t he noticed something like this up until now?

Why couldn’t he remember something that he should have known about?

Ichika gave an indifferent explanation to the shocked Vermudol.

「Under the pretext of being for the sake of the world’s protection, locks were placed on several concepts. Right now, I have unlocked the concepts related to your reincarnation, Demon King-sama……Thank goodness the key that I possess was still effective.」

So someone, had placed that sort of lock.

It probably wasn’t the Demon God. She wasn’t the type to worry about that sort of thing.

「What kind of locks are placed on other things? What should I do to obtain the keys to them?」

「I do not know. If it was that Person, I am sure she could unlock them all……but I was told that she didn’t really have any plans on doing that.」

In other words, it meant that he couldn’t expect the Demon God’s cooperation on that point.

Confirming that fact, Vermudol once again looked at Ichika’s Status.

He was able to understand.

Ichika was a reincarnator.

But, it looked like she was different from the reincarnators that Vermudol was thinking of.

Above all, the sealed technical skill called 「Sacrifice’s Rebirth」──going by its name, he saw that it was something ominous, and it didn’t seem that it was a decent reincarnation.

「Ichika.」

Vermudol gazed at Ichika, who was still sitting next to him, with a serious expression.

Now that he had seen it, he had to ask about it.

Ichika too, she probably made her own Status open to see for the sake of that.

「You’ll, give me an explanation, right?」

「……Yes.」

Ichika nodded, and then started to speak.

About Ichika’s tale──about a cursed tale, colored with despair.