CH 80

(Author’s note: This story has a warning tag attached to it)

The room that Dale and Latina were living in was styled like his hometown, and looked unusual to the nobles of Raband, Gregor and Rose.

Compared to when Dale was living alone, the room now felt much more pleasant, decorated with small accessories or fabric Latina likes.

Rose, who had come into this room countless times in order to teach Latina magic, settled down as if she was already used to this. Even though Gregor was slightly confused, he followed what Dale was doing.

After a short while, Latina brought up a tea set. She didn’t interrupt with any idle talk as she distributed the tea to all present before going back downstairs. Rose moistens her lips as she started to narrate what happened to her.

Ever since Rose took the position of belonging to her shrine, she hasn’t shown herself to the outside society very often. She might be in her own territory, or she might be going around giving condolences in various places, answering the shrine’s requests — The beautiful, unusual appearance of Rose, was like a symbol to the 『Indigo God (Nili’s)』 Shrine. To a shrine that acted as a medical center, the impression given to the townspeople brought forth by the miracle, the healing magic Rose uses, had great value.

Rose’s birth house, the Cornelius’ house was not that prosperous a household.

Due to that, the princess called Rose did not have that much significance as a political marriage partner. However, the value and talent she possessed was too valuable to be married off into families of the same level.

With that reason, knowing that she had no control over herself, Rose completely devoted herself to the shrine’s activities.

Whilst in that duty, the carriage was attacked.

Having her own attendants being taken as hostage, Rose obediently followed the bandits. She judged that there was something more here than a simple kidnapping, as they didn’t immediately begin threatening her life. – Seeing that she had the resolve to end her life if she was to be subjected to humiliation, the bandits were gentlemen.

Up to this point, she still didn’t know the bandit’s goal, but it was likely to be regarding the trade between Rose’s shield, the Duke of Eldishtett. After all, the Cornelius family was not profitable enough to insinuate such a large scale kidnapping.

The bandits took Rose and her maid to an old villa in the corner of a small countryside village, one that probably used to belong to a wealthy merchant.

Although on the surface, Rose obediently followed the bandits, she was looking, waiting for a chance to escape internally. Her magic support tool was confiscated from her, but she had no problem using magic even without such things.

It was a village in the countryside — Although, the moment you notice that it was way too quiet, the situation has probably changed.

What the group saw going inside the villa, was a young girl.

Inside the villa, she was sitting down on the handrails of the stairs, and from her skirt that went above her knees, her small feet wearing enamel shoes, were swinging back and forth.

She had quite the innocent looking face and, her long golden hair, as well as her big, wide azure eyes, gave the impression that she was a doll. Her small figure was wrapped inside a luxurious looking outfit that didn’t look like it was for practical use.

She was a young girl who looked like she was in her early teens, in human age. This had to be said because, there were chalk-like horns on the left and right side of her head. She had the clear characteristics of the Demon race.

The moment Rose caught sight of that young girl, she felt ominous beyond description.

There was a strangeness that far overpowered the unnaturalness of her being here.

Perhaps, it was precisely because she had felt 『that』, that formed a difference between Rose and the bandits, the 『difference』 that decisively changed what happened next.

The first victim of the young girl, was a man who approached her to ask who she was.

Regardless of it not being fitting of the pitiful figure of the young girl, 『that』 which had escaped their awareness due to it being so ridiculously obvious — the enormous knife the young girl was holding with both her hands — came swinging down.

A spray of blood went up into the air.

The young girl danced, with such elegance it was unreal.

By the time that someone understood what was happening, and let out a grieved scream, and roar, several people or corpses — there was no need to confirm, it was clear that those were destined to die — were gradually creating a pool of blood on the floor.

In the eyes of such an overpowering 『existence』, the 『weaklings』 in front of it were being trampled without even being able to resist.

Laughing like a young child picking off the wings of an insect they had caught, that smile, that looked as if it was the very definition of primitive cruelty itself, was plastered on that young girl’s beautiful face.

Rose was amongst the few that could handle this.

However, her maid was not like Rose. Perhaps, it was to be expected. No matter how much training one receives as a servant, the 『existence』 in front of it, would stir up the fear in the deepest parts of a person.

Shaking free from Rose who was trying to hold her down in place, her maid tried to run in terror. Unable to even stand up properly, the sight of her crawling on the floor looked humorous, precisely because she was so desperate.

“My my, so shameful.”

The young girl mutters with a pleasant voice, unfitting of the situation, as she casually swung her killing instrument down.

Rose could only watch as that scene unfolded.

Although she was an excellent magician, this didn’t mean that she has been in a battlefield. Also, it was precisely because she was excellent, that she came to the understanding that she was unable to resist against the 『existence』 in front of her with her own strength.

She couldn’t do anything. Her body froze from fear.

“….Leave it at that.”

A voice with a slight peculiarity came from behind her, and the stupefied Rose came to her senses.

From the corner of her vision, passed a vivid purple.

“You, aren’t fated to die as of 『right now』. Right now, you will quietly endure this.”

In spite of the current situation, Rose was relieved hearing that voice. She was the owner of a quiet voice that seemed to calm down those who heard it.

Slowly turning around, the one who stood there was a young woman who had the characteristics of the Demon race. With long, straight, vivid purple hair, and rolled up-like horns that had a brilliant gold-like colour. Her perfect, beautiful face, didn’t have a trace of emotion.

On her thin white neck, strange letters that seemed like a symbol, were distinctly carved.

“….Why, would you do such a….?”

With a hoarse voice, Rose muttered, and the woman as expected, replied with a quiet whisper.

“There is no such thing as reason to 『Our lord』 . If there was a meaning to this, then…”

Although she was talking about her 『master』, the woman’s voice and expression made the air feel cold.

“It would be the very desire to kill.”

“….The Second….Demon Lord….”

At the same time, as Rose correctly realized the real identity of the people she was facing, one of the bandits shouted out in plea. Just the very act of raising his voice, could possibly be perceived as his 『boldness』.

“Do…..don’t kill me.”

Hearing that, the Second Demon Lord smiles happily.

“My my. In that case, let’s not kill you.”

Furthermore, with clear delight.

Her killing weapon swings down.

“Don’t worry, This one know very well, how to not make you die.”

Time and time again. She would chop him up.

Even if she tried to hide herself from the man’s screams, what she could clearly hear, was the sound of the young girl chanting. When Rose realized what that was, she paled even more.

“Healing magic….”

And it was a fairly powerful one at that. The Second Demon Lord would use recovery magic as she was chopping up him up. While healing him, while trying not to kill him — While trying to not let him die.

That continued until the despair filled words of the man “Please kill me” were muttered.

If it weren’t for the woman who was standing behind her, supporting her, Rose might not have been able to maintain herself as well.

Although what happened only took no time at all, it no longer felt like that.

After everyone apart from Rose had become corpses, the cute young girl, covered in blood, looked at her. Having that gaze turned towards her, Rose trembled with shock. Nevertheless, she called forth the pride she was born with, and looked forward with conviction.

“My?”

Tilting her head, the Second Demon Lord looks at Rose and loudly says curiously, before approaching her casually.

“My~, what a beautiful colour. It’s like a lapis lazuli.”

The young girl pleasantly saying that, was the definition of innocence.

Despite being the perpetrator of the tragic scene in front of her. That in itself was terribly twisted, and disgusting.

“….My lord. This person’s Magic Materialisation affected their hair as well.”

“My! What colour? Let me see.”

The bandits, disliking how much Rose stands out, had prepared a chestnut-coloured wig. Even though she had been wearing that, the purple-haired Demon race woman, reported that with no hesitation, as if she had already known in advance.

Rose obediently allowed her original hair to reveal itself.

“My, it’s truly beautiful! Show me more!”

Not just plain rose pink, but Rose’s hair, which would show a complex shade in the right amount of light, was a rare and beautiful colour even amongst Magic Materialisations.

The Second Demon Lord extends a thin arm towards Rose as if wanting to touch it.

“My Lord.”

“What is it?”

“Would you not dislike it if it was dirtied by those lowly servants’ blood?”

At the words spoken out by the woman in that moment, it seemed that the young girl remembered both her hands were dirtied by sticky clots of blood, and that she was still holding onto the large blade.

“That’s true. It would be such a waste to dirty such a beautiful thing.”

Pulling her hand back suddenly, the Second Demon Lord turns around with a smile.

“This one will be going to take a bath.”

“Please enjoy your time, My Lord.”

As she saw the Second Demon Lord heading towards the inside of the villa, Rose drops down towards the floor, as if she was falling apart.