Volume 8, Chapter 15: The Hero’s Secret Arts, Part 2

“P-Princess, this one shall guide you to the castle!”

A female dark elven knight saluted me, even though I should have looked like an ordinary human being and even bit her tongue in her eagerness to guide us.

It seems that she got scared, but not because of me. It’s all because of Geas. …… Maybe.

“bye bye, nee-chan”

“Yes, bye bye to you too.”

As the little girl hugged her elder brother and waved to me, I waved back at her with a smile on my face. Because she was sickly, I handed her brother a bunch of dried seaweed too.

The girl’s eyes and ears had been blocked, but since the boy had seen it all, his eyes were darting about like a mouse cornered by a cat.

Since I told Geas to stop eating people in cities, all he had done was strike them, but it seems that the b.l.o.o.d.y splatters were hard for the children to stomach.

But man, I got saved. I had seen the castle in the distance and tried to make a beeline for it, but I got totally lost.

I was unintentionally giving away my presence from how anxious I was, and thought that I was surprising the public, but about half of them were okay because they weren’t citizens anyway.

“T-then I shall guide you forth”

“Yes, thank you. But…… Why are you guiding me?”

“W-well, that bear is…… that magic tool was the one on her Highness’ knee……”

Ah, I see. So they thought I was related to Geas.

How diligent, this child……

It’s a diligent dark elf, and she’s a knight at that too, how cute…… Such a good child. I felt soothed since there had only been rough exchanges recently.

“!”

Suddenly, the female knight’s face cramped and stiffened magnificently.

“Oh…? What’s the matter?”

“N-nothing…… I’m sorry”

…… No, I know exactly what the cause is. Wasn’t it because you were surprised at the smiles of the other people?

Now she had the feeling of a small dog that’d accidentally met a hungry brown bear in the forest and panicked so hard that her heart rate rose to the point that she flushed, and now worried if she could work properly. How cute.

*

After guiding me to the castle, she left us to enter on our own, since she seemed unable to advance any further, and returned towards her post.

That knight’s cute, so I wanted to push her forward until she could meet with the Princess.

Even so, it’s like there’s some sort of …… Barrier? It’s not like a holy barrier, nor is it laid out in [Spirit Language], but it feels like an art I don’t know either.

It’s like…… the [Hero’s Secret Art]? But something is different.

[Gaugau]

“Yes, Geas, lead me on from here.”

It seems that everyone fears approaching, as Geas gets a clear walkway through.

I’d rather have had butler Geas guide me through, but since he’d expended his energy from his incomplete humanization, he’s still stuck as a stuffed toy.

*katsu…n*

As my heels clicked against the marble floor when I stopped, two small black shadows could be seen in the dark pa.s.sage ahead.

“Welcome.”

“Please, come in.”

““Our Queen.”“

Queen……!? I don’t want to go from Princess to Queen so fast.

Right now, there were two young girls that looked like they were about five years old. Glowing brown skin. Long ears with a slight droop.

Although their hair colors were silver and gold respectively, the impression they gave off and their features were surprisingly similar. …… Such it was for twins.

Oh my…… they’re so cute.

I’d like to have them hug Geas and Onzada-kun separately and sit on a gothic style sofa.

““Queen…?”“

Ah, excuse me…… my consciousness flew off for a bit.

“……What are your names, girls?”

“Hai, I am Nefi.”

“And I am Rimi.”

The golden one was Nefi and the silver was Rimi.

“I am Yurushia. …… by the way, what’s with the “Queen” ?”

““Yes, you must be the Queen, since you stand beside our Demon G.o.d.”“

“nonononononono, you can absolutely call me by name, you know?”

I tried to get them to meet my gaze.

I’ve had too many embarra.s.sing names up until now, but this one is an especially tough nut. …… The demon G.o.d is Rinne? What are you all saying?

“You don’t like it……?”

“If not so, then G.o.ddess…”

“Nonononononono……”

Oh my G.o.d, the rank went up.

Rinne, you terror, what did you whisper into these cute girls?!

“Well, I called you here, so let me do what you wish for, my Princess.”

“……………hah?”

Suddenly, someone called out from within the darkness.

Even if I wasn’t good at detecting things, to not notice until it got so close……

“……You…”

What I saw was a man that looked like he was in his thirties.

Short cropped black hair. A tall, slender body with wide shoulders.

Although the appearance was neat, the untidy knight’s dress ruined it, and so it looked strange.

…… so I say, but I’m not going to go that far.

“What are you doing, Onzada-kun……”

“Oh, so Princess knows, too. As expected, you are my master, after all.”

I turned you into such a cute rabbit, so why did you turn into this layabout again. I’m going to pluck you.

But [Princess]? [Master]? If you just called me [Yuzu]I’d be worried for your demonhood, but maybe……

“Onzada-kun, do you know who [I] am…… ?”

“Haa? Are you not our master? Geas called you Lady.”

“…… I see”

It seems that the memory of his days as a human haven’t returned yet.

Rinne, too, said that it was unusual for a Demon to reincarnate with their human memories. Geas wasn’t quite normal since Geas was already used to reincarnation.

“Did Geas return?”

[Gaugau]

“That’s the way, hahaha”

I’m relieved.

Well, this easygoing nature in this situation is definitely Onzada-kun after all.

“So, I found this cheap sake in the castle town, do you want some too, Geas?”

[Gau]

“There”

“Dowaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!?”

The two of them who left my side and suddenly started drinking were blown away by my forehead pokes. …… I think I scared the children by putting in the wrong amount of power.

“Didn’t you tell me before that I shouldn’t drink so much alcohol?”

Ah? Didn’t you say that while you were in elementary school?

Onzada-kun, who had been blown away, stood up and looked at me with a look of dissatisfaction even while he held his forehead, tears in his eyes.

“I also told you before that you should stop saying that because you were weak then.”

“………Fuuh~n”

…… Before, huh.

I wouldn’t have any scruples at all with Onzada-kun as my partner.

However, it’s been a long time, and I wanted to check for something rather than just “frolic about”.

“So, Onzada-kun, about Rinne”

“O-oi, don’t just change the topic suddenly. Your darling Rinne is on the throne. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep this up, so we’re going to walk and talk.”

“Understood.”

It seems there’s a limit for him as well after all.

When Nefi and Rimi were still little, I asked Geas to take care of them while we went on ahead to where the throne was.

“Our [Humanization] is derived from our a.n.a.lysis of the [Hero’s Secret Art] left behind by the [First Hero] who was part of the forces of darkness.”

“The first hero……? Why was he part of the forces of darkness?”

“I think Noa knows the details, because he a.n.a.lyzed it.”

That child…… Is he plotting something again?

“Geas and I have a little magic, so we’re somewhat stable, but milord seems to have more magic power than you, Princess? We tried to use the prince of the beastmen who was a.s.sa.s.sinated on the march here to stabilize him, but it’s not working.”

“Not working…… Is he alright? Are there any solutions?”

“According to Noa, we should be preparing a large number of sacrifices, and even that is just to manifest him normally.”

Was he plotting for the war to intensify……? I gathered souls, but it wasn’t a hobby. I guess I’ll have to punish him.

“Also, it seems that there was something else left behind by the first hero.”

“Is Noa examining it?”

“No, it was impossible for us. It was impossible for Noa, the pure demon, much less demons with less magic power like Geas or I.”

“Hmmm……”

Was I the one lacking common sense? …… It makes me sad to even say that.

“We’re here.”

“………”

*skreeek* …… As Onzada-kun pushed the door open with a creak, I saw a figure sitting on the throne in the back.

“……Onzada-kun.”

“What is it, Princess?”

I smiled and pulled on the ears of Onzada-kun.

“Why is he in the shape of a child, and furthermore, why does he have cat ears?”

Sitting down on the throne was Rinne…… and Rinne was probably…… a shota.

How did this happen? Why do you have cat ears?

“Owwwwwww, What…… But isn’t that what milord was originally?”

“It’s very manly.”

“It’s because he’s shrunk that he’s got that appearance, right? So will he become bigger if he stabilizes?”

But it was appropriate for this guy……

“………”

I slowly walked towards Rinne.

“Oi, hold up, Princess”

“!?”

As if I had been stung by static electricity, my hand shot back.

“Sorry, I forgot to mention. He’s in a sleep-like state until his consciousness stabilizes. That’s why milord and the rest of the children have put up a great barrier. It won’t be broken before he awakes, and it’ll be dangerous for even you, Princess, to go too near.”

“…… Didn’t he call for me?”

“It’s true that milord did call for Princess…”

“…………”

“O-oi!?”

I ignored Onzada-kun and strode forward.

“……Rinne”

I’m a little bit angry now. It’s dangerous to do things without permission.

Did you come here to protect the children under contract? Or to meet me……?

Every time I moved forward, the static force struck me like a bolt of electricity. It was so powerful that even an [Arch Demon] would be destroyed before they even got through half of it.

“Princess!”

At first, my hairclip vanished, and all of my hair electrified.

Then, my relic-cla.s.s dress could not bear it, and began to burn up.

Onzada-kun tried to approach me, but I repelled him with magic.

“…………”

Even while I endured the pain and burning of my body all over, I reached out to the throne and put my hands on Rinne’s cheek, and shut my eyes.

“Wait for me. I’ll wake you up soon.”

Since I told him that I was in the human world, Rinne had sought out a human appearance so we could meet each other. Even though it was very difficult for Rinne to ever manifest in a form that was humanoid……

[…………]

As I patted Rinne’s cheeks lightly even as I burned, I think he opened his eyes a little.

“I’ll be there soon.”

As I left the throne after speaking my final piece, the dress regenerated in the blink of an eye, sucking up my magic.

“Onzada, stay with Geas. I will be heading to the capital of the forces of darkness.”

Author’s Notes:

Onzada-kun is Onzada-kun.

Next time, the capital of the forces of darkness.