Book 6: Chapter 18

In the Grand Library that was in the Demon King Castle’s underground, Rokuna was reading books today as well.

On top of the large table that was placed at the center of that dim room, a countless number of books were stacked.

Books that Vermudol brought back from mankind’s territory.

Books that Nanalus sent through the Jiol Forest Kingdom.

Books that similarly came in from trade with the Jiol Forest Kingdom.

Whether they be the ones on top of the desk, or the ones stored on the bookshelves, the entire book collection was from mankind’s territory, and there were no works made by the Mazoku.

Rather, maybe due to nature that Mazoku had, there were few that even tried to read books in the first place, and there wasn’t anyone eccentric enough to try and write a book.

Rokuna herself, she liked reading books, but when it came to writing, her pen couldn’t quite get going.

Since paper was produced even in the Zadark Kingdom, she could write a book if she felt like it, but when it came to writing, Rokuna would end up writing things that were highly specialized such as grimoires or research reports.

As for Mazoku who would read those, from the ones that Rokuna could think of, she could only think of them being a small portion of hobbyists, or men who loved slightly difficult books such as Altejio, Sancreed, or Vermudol.

Since it was said that these three would occasionally gather and have an impressions meeting about a new book, they were hardcore.

She wouldn’t hesitate to write if it was for Vermudol’s sake, but if Altejio and Sancreed were to read her book with serious faces, she would also feel like sending them flying.

「……」

Reading the books that were disorderly placed on top of the desk as she usually did, Rokuna peeked over and sent her gaze forward.

Sitting in the chair that usually didn’t have anyone sitting in it, there was the figure of a man who was tapping on the desk with his finger while leaning on his elbow.

「……What’s wrong, Ver-cchi.」

Seeing that man that was making a tired face for some reason, Rokuna closed her book with a look that said that she couldn’t stand it anymore and talked to him.

After being asked that and peeking over and sending his gaze towards Rokuna, Vermudol breathed a small sigh.

「I’ve lost a bit of confidence, see.」

「Confidence?」

Hearing those words, Rokuna reacted with a twitch.

When speaking of what Vermudol was doing over these past few days, Rokuna could only think of one thing.

「……Could it be, did you create another one?」

「I thought that this would be the one though……」

Seeing Vermudol breath a sigh a second time, Rokuna knew that her prediction was correct.

Vermudol created another maid.

She had heard that it seemed that the maid called Marin, who he created after Krim, also had a problem with her personality……but going by his mood, could it mean that there was something wrong with the third one as well?

「Looks like it’s another troublesome one, huh. What kind of girl is she?」

In response to Rokuna’s question, Vermudol said nothing and pointed below the table.

Although she couldn’t infer the meaning of that action, Rokuna peeked underneath the table for some reason.

「U, uhyauu!?」

Surprised by what was there, Rokuna unconsciously kicked down her chair and jumped back.

Yellow full body armor was enshrined at the almost exact center underneath the table.

「Hey, Ver-cchi!? This girl, how long has she been here!?」

「Nn? Ahh. For about as long as I have. It seems that her fear of strangers is pretty extreme.」

「How do you make a maid with an extreme fear of strangers……」

「Nn, well. There are various reasons to that.」

The Krim failure had parts that were a bit too energetic.

And so, with Marin who was the second one, he lowered the energeticness, and tried adding coolness similar to Ichika’s.

When he did, the Magic Operated Armor’s original avid nature of having the urge to battle that he hadn’t discovered with Krim had showed up, and a calm yet warlike maid was created.

And so, with the third one……with Lemon, who was currently crouching underneath the table, he adjusted her so that she would be able to suppress her own emotions.

While he was at it, he granted her the prudence to think before performing her own actions, and furthermore made it so that a sociable personality was her base.

In short, he tried to create an Ichika that was friendly and always cheerful but……

After having that explanation, Rokuna ended up having a disgusted expression.

「……Ver-cchi. Don’t you find that considerably absurd after saying that yourself? Saying it honestly, I can’t imagine that at all. For Ichika to be amiable and smiling……Wouldn’t that her being three seconds away from coming to kill you? I’m amazed you could have that sort of image.」

「I’m reluctant to agree with you, but well, I do think that it was a bit too absurd.」

What was created as a result of that absurdity, was that thing underneath the table.

In other words, this was a result that went in a completely different direction from what Vermudol was hoping for.

She had a sociable personality, but her innate prudence was a catastrophe, making it so that it didn’t really come forward, and even her own emotion of finding that vexing was suppressed. As a result, that sociable personality made a reversal, and ended up having a personality where her original sociability would somewhat show only towards those that she had a close relationship with.

「Moreover, the warlike part of her didn’t change at all. At this point, the problem might be with the essence of Magic Operated Armor.」

「Well, she is armor after all. To exclude weapons and armor from fighting would be impossible.」

「That’s certainly true. I should have noticed much earlier……Nn?」

Feeling the hem of his trousers being tugged, Vermudol peeked underneath the table, and when he did, the figure of Lemon having changed into her Majin form at some point was there.

When Rokuna was enticed to peek underneath as well, there was a beautiful young girl that resembled yet didn’t resemble the armor from earlier.

Her clothes were maid clothes that had yellow as the basic tone.

Her golden hair that had gentle waves emitted a soft brilliance, and her moist golden eyes were also cute.

She certainly did have the feeling of being a traditional beautiful girl, but that was ruined due to her cowering underneath the table.

「Demon King-sama……Is Lemon, a girl that isn’t needed anymore?」

When Vermudol made a troubled looking face at how Lemon was looking up at him as if clinging onto him, he gently placed his own hand on top of Lemon’s hand.

「There’s no way that would be the case. There is no one in this Demon King Castle that would say that you aren’t needed.」

「……Ah, no, it wasn’t like Lemon was doubting that. Um……sorry……」

「……Yosh, I’ve got it. Wait for a bit.」

After Vermudol said that, he started to rub the corners of his eyes with this fingers.

After doing that for a bit, Vermudol covered his face with his palm……breathed a deep sigh, and then turned a smile that was more gentle than ever before towards underneath the table.

「It’s alright, Lemon. Come on, come here.」

A hand timidly extended out from underneath the table to Vermudol’s knee, who had spread out both of his hands……and before long, Lemon’s head popped out.

Climbing up Vermudol just like that, Lemon snugly settled down into Vermudol’s arms.

It was a scene that seemed like Nino would rampage over if she saw it, but fortunately, Nino’s figure wasn’t here.

Lemon expressed a relieved looking smile, and leaned her back onto Vermudol’s chest.

Vermudol gently patted her head, but he quickly ended up making a tired expression.

「Have you calmed down, Lemon?」

「Y, yes. Ehehe……」

Vermudol-otou-san.

Having those words come to her mind, Rokuna unconsciously averted her face when she was about to burst into laughter.

That’s no good. Laughing here would waste Vermudol’s efforts.

Rokuna somehow controlled herself, and muttered with a trembling voice.

「Y, you sure do get along, huh……」

「……Pretty much.」

After saying that with a bitter face, Vermudol expressed a sneering smile all of a sudden.

Rokuna felt a bad premonition from Vermudol’s evil face, but it was already too late.

「Lemon. Over there is one of my most trusted subordinates, Rokuna.」

「N, nice to meet you……!」

Hearing that she was a person that Vermudol trusted, Lemon hurriedly lowered her head to Rokuna.

「Lemon. Do you like books?」

「Y, yes. I do……!」

「Un, I see.」

Realizing what Vermudol was trying to do, Rokuna tried to raise a voice of protest.

「Hey, Ver-cchi……」

「In that case, Lemon, you should try living here together with Rokuna. Since Rokuna is a bit of a slob, you should help her and polish your skills as a maid. By doing that, you can gain confidence in various ways, right?」

「B, but. Is that alright? Krim-san and Marin-san are already……」

「Don’t mind them. Since those two having been assigned any jobs yet, they’re just doing whatever they please.」

Among them, she was the only one who was given a duty.

Feeling a bit of a sense of superiority and warmth from that, Lemon vigorously nodded.

「Y, yes! Lemon, will do her best!」

「Yosh, that’s the spirit. I’ll occasionally check in on you.」

「Please wait!」

Rokuna gazed at Vermudol, who was nodding looking satisfied, with resentful eyes.

However, noticing that Lemon was looking at her as she was like that, she then made a surprised expression.

「Ah, um. Could it be, is Lemon……a bother……?」

Seeing Lemon’s eyes start to tear up, Rokuna hurriedly waved her hands.

「Th, there’s no way that’s the caseー. A, ahaha. Onee-san is really happyー!」

「Haha, good for you, Lemon.」

「Y, yes!」

Averting her face from Lemon who was looking up at Vermudol with a smile, Rokuna breathed a small sigh.

She would definitely get back at him for this later.

While thinking that sort of thing, Rokuna tightly clenched her fists in a way so that Lemon couldn’t see it.