Book 5: Chapter 13

Coming out of her office, the place that Fainell and her adjutant headed towards was the reception office.

Basically, guests for Fainell would go through to her office, but for other guests, the reception office would be used.

「So, what kind of person is she?」

「Let’s see……She is an extraordinarily intellectual woman. Her outward appearance is young, but I have seen that she is definitely equipped with knowledge on magic.」

「Hou……that’s, how should I put it, a rare pattern, isn’t it.」

Going by the nature of Mazoku, 「intellectual」 was a word that was extraordinarily disconnected from them. There were many among the Mazoku who believed in 「Fight first, think later」, so thinking about things came to be their weakness.

However, after things came under Demon King Vermudol’s system, those intellectuals and those who could think became very important.

For that reason, Mazoku that could think about things were extraordinarily helpful everywhere.

That is why Fainell started to harbor a somewhat favorable impression of that Mazoku called Arum.

「Fufu, I’m starting to look forward to meeting her a bit.」

「You will meet her very soon.」

After the adjutant smiled saying that, she knocked on the reception office door and opened it.

Within the room, there was the figure of a young girl that stood there fidgeting as if she couldn’t wait for something.

「……Un? She’s quite small, isn’t she?」

Those were the first words that came out from Fainell’s mouth.

She was a young girl that had her blue hair gathered up in twintails, and possessed eyes that were of the same color. Wearing the white clothes that were the Eastern Army’s uniform, the young girl……was small similar to Nino’s size. That was something extraordinarily rare in the Dark Continent.

「Yes. Actually, it seems that she had completed her regeneration only recently……and by doing so, she became smaller.」

「……Regeneration?」

Although the Dark Continent was vast, Mazoku that possessed the ability of regeneration were limited.

Namely, Amoeba. They were Mazoku that lived according to their instincts, and could regenerate as long as even a fragment of them remained.

This probably meant that the young girl in front of them was a Mazoku who was an Amoeba that transformed into a Majin.

However, if she had regenerated just like that, that should mean that she didn’t transform into a Majin just recently.

Fainell came to have an intensely bad premonition. The thought “could it be……” came to her mind.

「Oi, could it be that you’re……」

「Fuhoho……It has been quite a while, has it not, Fainell……no, Fainell-sama.」

What could be heard was a clear and beautiful yet cute voice.

However, she could not forget that peculiar way of speaking even if she wanted to.

Although she harbored something close to confidence in her idea, Fainell asked the question.

「You……Could it be, are you Arum the Explosive Flame!?」

「I have been called as such in the past, yes.」

Arum the Explosive Flame. That was the Mazoku that Fainell fought against to the end during the match to decide the top in the east in the Lulugal Forest. It was a Mazoku that was a Majin that transformed from an Amoeba whose trademarks were an Original Magic called Volcanon Orb and a red robe.

「You……Did you change your appearance again……」

Last time Fainell met Arum, she had the figure of a dignified elderly man that grew a white beard.

The time before that, she had the figure of an effeminate man, and the time before that should have been a muscular giant of a man.

However, since they shared the point of being the figure of a man, Fainell naturally perceived Arum as a man.

「This time, to change even your gender……No, wait a second, in that case, did you give up?」

Hearing Fainell’s words, her adjutant expressed a question mark.

She was surprised by the facts that the Mazoku before her was acquainted with Fainell, and that she was the famous 「Arum the Explosive Flame」, but she was also bothered by Fainell’s strange behavior.

She was bothered by how she was backing away for some reason, and what did she mean by 「give up」?

The answer to that was immediately spoken by Arum who had remained standing.

「Oya oya, there is no way that would be the case. I am wholehearted in this matter, see? I had appealed to you with all sorts of male figures, but they had shown no effect at all. In that case, I finally thought that you had swung that way, see?」

Seeing that Arum was slowly filling the distance, Fainell took one step back.

The adjutant stepped in between them, and lightly glared at Arum.

「Ahー……Arum-dono. Even if you are the famous Arum the Explosive Flame-dono, you are currently a fresh recruit of the Eastern Army. Could I first please have you explain the situation?」

「Mu? That is quite true as well -jya na. Well now, from where should I start my explanation.」

Arum said that, and cutely tilted her small head.

After groaning with things like “fuーmu” and “uーmu”, Arum suddenly raised her head.

「Umu, this is a bother -jya! In short, I am longing for Fainell-sama, can we not just leave it at that?」

「What do you mean longing for! Saying that after having totally tried to attack me in my sleep……I believe that I’ve told you several times to come at me fair and square, you know!?」

「And have I not come at you fair and square like this this time?」

Hearing this conversation that seemed to be meshing together yet also didn’t seem to be meshing together at all, the adjutant unconsciously pressed down on the temples of her head.

For Amoeba, they did not have gender to begin with. In reality, there existed many Mazoku that were like that, and that included the Magic Operated Armors and the Golems.

However, by transforming into a Majin, these Mazoku would be made to choose their own gender. An example of that was the female Majin who was also the Demon King Army’s Central General, Gordy.

Arum had decided on being a male Majin at first, but possessing the Regeneration ability that was a special characteristic of the Amoeba, Arum was able to redefine her own figure at the time of regeneration.

Arum had continued to show radical expressions of love to Fainell. There was a daily routine of peeking on her in the bath and attacking her in her sleep, going as far doing surprise attacks from behind, from underground, and from above, and as a result of exhausting any and all methods other than the proper ones, she was thoroughly hated by Fainell.

「……So something like that had happened, and the one who had blown me away at that time was Fainell-sama, see? Thereafter, in my yearning for her like this, I was blown away many a time……but. As one would expect, after having received your full powered Voltenix several times, my regeneration had become difficult. That is how my reemergence came to be tardy like this -jya.」

「In short, you’re just a stalker. I strangely feel like you would get along with Ryuuya.」

「Fuhoho! If he had not been the Hero, we might have become close friends!」

That’s right, Arum was also a surviving Majin that knew of the older era. In terms of age, he was most likely a bit below Raktor.

「Well, in any case, once I had resurrected, the world had largely changed. Good gracious, it seems to have turned into an era that is much more rich than Gramfia-sama’s time, has it not?」

「Nn, well……pretty much. It’s turned into a good era.」

Seeing Arum make eyes that seemed to be missing for something, Fainell said that and nodded.

Arum was technically a Mazoku of the real ability faction. The knowledge on magic that she had accumulated was not something to be made light of.

If he──right now it’s a she though──were to work for the sake of the Demon King, there was no reason to refuse it.

Thinking that, Fainell held out a hand to Arum.

「……Well, it’s fine. Why don’t we work hard together as comrades from now on.」

「Yes, but of course -jya. As I shall be working hard in a fair and square manner from now on, I shall be in your care, you know?」

「Hou, that’s quite the nice attitude you’ve got, isn’t it?」

「Of course. First, how does taking a bath together sound?」

After quickly pulling her held out hand back, Fainell silently made a kick at Arum.

Having received an intense kick to the body, Arum rolled over to the wall while saying “guhaah”.

Seeing the violent Fainell for the first time, the adjutant froze up in surprise, but the adjutant probably would have done the same thing if she were in Fainell’s position.

「Hold on. Why don’t you try telling me what you planned on working hard fair and square in.」

「O, of course it is in obtaining the seat of Fainell-sama’s lover, see?」

When Arum, who was pressing down on her stomach and trembling, then stepped on by Fainell, she ended up having a delighted-looking expression for some reason. If it had to be compared to something, it was like submerging into a bath with a tired body……she was making that sort of face.

「You don’t need to work hard at something like that. Work for Demon King-sama’s sake.」

「Well, of course I will do that. The new Demon King-sama looks to be much more excellent than Gramfia-sama. Rather, Fainell-sama, are you not the one who requires help?」

The adjutant almost reflexively nodded, but she held it back and stayed silent.

There was a shortage of personnel excellent in paperwork and government affairs everywhere, but the Eastern Army was the only one who was having a particular shortage in the General’s paperwork ability.

Even if Arum was an oddball, as long as she was excellent in her work, they shouldn’t want to let her go.

「……Fainell-sama, leave it at that.」

「Yeah, I know. This was just something like settling the debts of the deeds that were done up until now.」

For Fainell, she did not have a hobby of punishing those that would become comrades. This was something like a ritual for Fainell to settle her own feelings about it.

「Now then, stand up. Various things had happened between us in the past, but why don’t we treat it as water under the bridge with this.」

「……That is true.」

The collapsed Arum also accepted those words and slowly stood up.

On her face, she displayed a serene expression that looked like sage that attained enlightenment.

Seeing that face, both Fainell and the adjutant let out voices of admiration.

It was a face that they could expect things of.

「Fainell-sama, there is a truth that I have arrived at after having obtained a body as a Majin.」

Expressing a weak smile, Arum stepped forward. There wasn’t a speck of ill will in that movement.

Slowly spreading her arms, she made a smiling face that was like a blooming flower.

「Your attack is the best -jya……I, am truly happy that I became a Majin……」

Just like that, Arum clung onto Fainell as if collapsing onto her.

Unable to understand the meaning of Arum’s words, Fainell turned her face to her adjutant as if seeking help……but seeing what was at the end of her adjutant’s gaze, Fainell became speechless.

What was there was Fainell’s superior and master, the figure of Demon King Vermudol.

「……Well, how should I put this. You are free in your pursuit of love and hobbies after all, right? Merely, I personally find that a relationship connected through violence is a bit questionable but……Ah, no, sorry. It looks like it would be best for me to take my leave.」

「No, please wait. Please listen to my story first.」

「Ahh, it’s fine. I think of myself to be the understanding type. But, before I listen to your story, I would like a bit of time to sort my feelings.」

「You’ve got it wrong. Everything is a misunderstanding!」

After tearing off and throwing Arum to the side, Fainell dragged Vermudol, who was trying to leave, to her office.