It’s simple to enter, but you can never leave alive.
Fiendish subordinates wander around the castle and the bodies of the pitiful victims pile up all around.
The voices of the poor humans who got caught echo around the castle as they curse their fates.
The grieving of numerous weaklings.
The shrieks born from the fear of death.

The Lord of the castle is the one who enjoys this supreme symphony with an inhuman smile.

Demon Lord, an untouchable existence.
Demon Lord’s Castle, a domain where one should never set a foot.
No matter the circ.u.mstances, one should never approach.
Because even the sacred light doesn’t reach that place……

That is a story I heard from a monk during an emergency distribution of food at the church.
When I heard it,「Eh~ that’s scary~」is all I thought at that time.

And now, I’m currently at that very Demon Lord’s Castle.
Yeah, probably, surely……

The place the woman I have met a little while ago has guided me to a not so large room.
Inside, there is a large table and chairs.
Although it exceeds the size of a normal room, it seems slightly inconvenient.
I can see a side table and storage furniture too, they all have a feeling of being handmade.
Whether it’s because of the chair’s thin legs, it lets out rattling noises when I stir.
In addition, there’s an open s.p.a.ce where a carpet spreads with what seems to be children toys laying around.

Let alone pitiful prisoners or slaughtered corpses, there’s not even a single weapon in the room.
Just an unevenly handmade furniture.
Of course, I heard no screams, only the faint singing noises of insects from little far reach my ears.

As for that woman, she prepared a tea for me who is a sudden visitor.
She told me「Sit down and wait, okay~」with a friendly voice without showing a bit of unpleasantness.

I was convinced.
That this is a private house.

This is not anything like a Demon Lord’s Castle.
No matter how I look, this is a private home.
Have my expectations come off?
Is Demon Lord something from fairy tales after all?

Still, even in this situation, I have not forgotten about my little sister Mireia even for a moment.
I made up my mind and asked that which was my final hope.

「Umm, Oneesan, are you the…… Demon Lord?」

Asking something like this in such tranquil place in this ruined world might be rude.
Probably because of this impolite question, my voice was shaking.

The answer to my question didn’t come immediately.
Instead of the words, a rich fragrance of a warm black tea and sweets so expensive I could never get my hands on them were lined before me.
After finishing setting the table, she finally replied.

「Lord will soon return. Please wait a little until then. You can help yourself for more」

She didn’t deny it……
That means, this is really where the Demon Lord is?
She spoke about a Lord, so this woman must be a subordinate?
This person without a fragment of atrocity which would be definitely regarded as a great beauty in the town?

Sitting opposite of such Oneesan all alone, I’m unable to settle down for some reason.
I’m so confused I can’t taste the flavor of the tea.
Even so, I refreshed my dry throat while thinking of hydration.
The situation began progressed when I was about to finish the tea.

It became quite noisy at the entrance.
Metallic sounds, heavy footsteps, and quarreling voices.
A world of difference compared to the stillness of a little while ago.
First, a red-haired woman in silver armor entered followed by a brown-haired woman in a long robe who was quarreling with her and lastly, a brazen, displeased, young man entered.
Is the Demon Lord among these three, I wonder?

Speaking about the conclusion, my expectations proved right.
The man who resembled a lump of bad temper was the Lord of the house and also the one with the t.i.tle of Demon Lord.
The people who know him seem to call him like that.

The Demon Lord of the Fertile Forest, Alfred.