Book 5: Chapter 34

Ichika hurriedly ran over and caught Vermudol’s body as he collapsed.

Having completely lost consciousness, his body was heavy, however, while she was surprised that it was lighter than she imagined, Ichika easily supported it.

Just what in the world happened?

Vermudol should have connected to Ykslaas’s Life Seed.

Something had most likely happened there……but she didn’t know what it was specifically.

However, something had definitely happened there.

「……!」

Ichika reflexively glared at the collapsed Ykslaas, but Nino cut into her view of her.

「You can’t.」

「……What do you mean.」

「You had eyes that looked like you would kill her.」

Ichika instinctively averted her eyes from hearing Nino point that out.

It would be a lie if she were to say that she didn’t have even a fragment of such a thought, but the fact that she spread bloodlust enough that someone else could tell was a blunder.

「Nino doesn’t know what has happened. But in that case, the present state can’t change. Ichika, even you should know that.」

「……Of course.」

Naturally she did. However……she just couldn’t control her emotions very well. Even though something like that should be easy, something was strange.

Ichika concluded her own state to be being shaken up by the situation of Vermudol collapsing.

And then, at the same time, she also felt that it wasn’t appropriate for her to be concerned with Ykslaas in her current state.

「……Nino. I am sorry but could you carry her into a room somewhere?」

「That’s fine but. Will Nino be watching over her?」

「Let’s see……I think that a Magic Operated Armor will be enough for that.」

「Why?」

Hearing Nino’s reasonable question, Ichika thought about how she should explain it.

This was only a guess, but Ykslaas was a sacrificial pawn for the God of Life.

Thinking about her speech and conduct before she fainted, the possibility that she received some sort of mind control seemed to be high.

Mind control was a technique that did not exist, but if the God of Life was being taken into consideration, it wouldn’t be strange if she applied mind control on Ykslaas.

Going by Ykslaas’s speech and conduct before fainting, it was probably removed, and even if that wasn’t the case, it would have been the first thing to be removed the moment Vermudol connected to her Life Seed.

Thinking about it that way, the possibility that Ykslaas would act violently right after awakening was low.

「……It is because Vermudol-sama will, be thinking of giving her medical treatment.」

At the end of her thinking, Ichika explained it with only that.

That’s right, Ykslaas was most likely yet another victim.

She was able to understand that Vermudol collapsing was also due to something happening as he interfered with her.

……She, understood that. However, she had emotions that just couldn’t be convinced with that reasoning.

If Ykslaas hadn’t come──The moment Ichika tried to somehow suppress that emotion of hers, the sound of footsteps ascending the crumbled stairway could be heard.

「This is a terrible situation, isn’t it……」

The one that ascended was the Eastern General Fainell.

She probably received a report and came flying. Even in this situation, she showed no sign of being shaken up.

Fainell calmly surveyed the area, and sighed at the collapsed walls. And then, seeing Ichika holding Vermudol close to the throne, Fainell opened her eyes wide.

「D, Demon King-sama!? Oi, Ichika, what’s up with this situation! Is he injured somewhere!? Argh, dammit, Sancreed! You were here, weren’t you! What kind of situation is this!」

Seeing Fainell grab onto Sancreed’s lapel and start shaking him before listening to Ichika’s response, Ichika could tell that her own thoughts had quickly cooled down. She often heard that people could calm down from seeing others being shaken up, but after experiencing it herself like this, she was able to understand.

「……Calm down. Before Vermudol-sama lost consciousness, he announced that he would be back right away. In that case, there is no problem at all.」

Hearing Ichika say that with a dignified voice, Fainell unconsciously let got of Sancreed’s tightened lapel.

There was just that much persuasiveness in the words of the usually calm, cool, and collected Ichika.

And then, Ichika was also intentionally playing that role right now.

The perfect Ichika that could calmly and accurately grasp the situation at any moment.

It was because she understood that that was the role that she should be performing right now.

「Is, is that so……」

「Yes. More importantly, it is perfect that you came at this time. I had asked this of Nino just now, but please look after her.」

「Her? ……This is an unfamiliar face.」

Having gotten close to Ykslaas, Fainell got down to one knee in front of her and started to scrutinizingly stare at her.

「It looks like she doesn’t have an huge external wounds but……she’s consumed a remarkable amount of magical power……Oi, Ichika, who is this?」

「The leader of the enemy, Ykslaas. Right now, there is the possibility that she is no longer an enemy, but just in case, I would like to ask you to look after her.」

「Fumu……」

After nodding with a serious face, Fainell hung her head down as if in thought……and before long, she raised her head.

「Sorry, I don’t get it at all. Please say it so that even I can understand.」

「If she acts violently, please hit her and make her be obedient.」

「I see. I get it now.」

After seeing off Fainell as she carried Ykslaas away, Ichika breathed a small sigh.

It was there that she noticed that Nino and Sancreed were looking at her.

「What is it?」

「I was just thinking that even you have times where you lose your calm.」

「……Even I have times like that.」

When Ichika answered like that while clicking her tongue, Sancreed made a wry smile.

「Well, that’s true.」

「That sort of thing, doesn’t matter.」

Nino forcibly pushed Sancreed aside, and stood in front of Ichika. And then, grabbing the hem of Vermudol’s clothes as he was held in Ichika’s arms, she glared at Ichika.

「How long are you going to be like that? Nino will carry him, so hand him over.」

「No.」

「Hand him over.」

「No.」

After they glared at each other for a while, Nino grabbed Vermudol’s arm and forcefully pulled him.

Ichika strengthened the power she used to carry Vermudol, and pulled him closer to herself.

The two of them silently glared at each other as they continued their pulling match……And during that time, a dumbfounded Rokuna appeared.

「What the heck are you guys doing……Are you kids?」

After Rokuna made an easy to understand sigh, Ichika and Nino went *pui* and averted their eyes.

Rokuna shrugged her shoulders at the two of them, and then looked into Vermudol’s face.

「His magical power is close to running dry……but you can see that much. But, was it an opponent that could cause Ver-cchi to exhaust this much?」

「Ahh, now that you mention it, you were in the underground, weren’t you.」

「That’s right. I needed to protect the grand magic formation no matter what happened after all. I thought that you all would have protected Ver-cchi, see?」

While poking Vermudol’s cheek, Rokuna checked for a response.

Since his breathing was normal, it was sudden fatigue due to using too much magical power……that is what it looked like.

However, looking at Ichika’s state, Rokuna guessed that that wasn’t the case.

As for what had actually happened, Ichika was probably the only one that knew. Finding that to be somewhat vexing, although the secretive Ichika wouldn’t answer, Rokuna asked about it.

「So, what happened?」

「……Vermudol-sama connected with the enemy leader, Ykslaas’s Life Seed. This is just a guess, but I believe that something had happened there.」

「Heh?」

Rokuna’s eyes went round at how Ichika answered so easily, hurriedly shook her head, and checked her own sanity.

「To think Ichika would answer my question……Ahh, no no. Erm, as for what happened……Well, there’s only one thing it could be. I wonder if it has finally started.」

「That is unknown. In any case, Vermudol looked up and said he would be back right away.」

「I see……If Ver-cchi said that, then he’s probably fine. So, where is that Ykslaas?」

「I had her carried off by Fainell.」

Rokuna nodded, then went into thought.

If Vermudol said that he would be back, he would definitely be back. There was no mistaking that.

He wouldn’t say words that were based on wishful thinking. Rather, it was to the point that he had a tendency to see everything pessimistically.

In that case, they should deal with as many things as possible until he returns.

「……Ugh……」

Suddenly, a voice could be heard.

Ichika and Nino quickly responded to that, and even Rokuna returned from her sea of thoughts.

Vermudol, who was in Ichika’s arms, groaned.

「……Vemudol-sama.」

「Demon King-sama.」

「Ver-cchi.」

Ichika, Nino, and then Rokuna looked at Vermudol’s face.

After Vermudol made another small groan, he slowly opened his eyes……then made a startled-looking face.

His gaze went from Ichika to Nino, then to Rokuna, and then back to Ichika, and after noticing that he was being held in her arms, he flusteredly raised his body up.

「E, erm……I, I’m sorry!?」

The three were startled by those words uncharacteristic of Vermudol.

Even Sancreed, who seemed to have heard those words, had his eyes go round in a place away from them.

「Ah, no, um……erm. Huh? Where is this place, maid-san? Eh? Um, ahー……?」

「Wait, what’re you saying, Ver-cchi. Ah, could it be that your memories are in disorder……?」

「That would seem to be the case. Excuse me for a bit.」

At the same time she said that, Ichika once again held Vermudol in her arms and ran.

「Ah, again!」

「Wait, Ichika!?」

「Please take care of Gordy’s treatment.」

Ignoring Nino and Rokuna’s protests, Ichika immediately invoked Transfer Magic to a place she thought of.