Intermission

▯King’s Beloved Slave, Berbere Witch Sisters, Captain of the Royal Guard, Humbaba Empire Calendar: Year 1506, Month 4, Day 15 Polles, Near the Vistula Forest

Sheesh, hey. Sheesh. Look at their violent temper.

As expected, even the auras of a high-rank Demon Lord’s royal bodyguards were on a different level.

Be it the sentries or the attendants, they were all glaring at me and whispering to each other. It can’t be helped. They’re the ones who want to badmouth me, so, by all means, I should allow them to eat tastily. It’s fine, everyone. Chew properly, okay? Eat well. Chew. They say that you shouldn’t even mess with a dog when they’re eating, and in spite of my appearance, I’m a well-mannered girl. Ahahah.

— ······To make a witch one’s captain of their Royal Guard······.

— How could such a n.o.ble personage appoint this kind of lowly peasant······.

— Harlots of souls with worn-out a.s.ses······.

Is it not amazing? Not only do people spew words from their mouths, but they spew words from their eyes as well. Yup. Strictly speaking, before putting an eyeball into those eye sockets, were those sockets not also holes?

Holes are holes. Something is either rammed into those holes or flows out from them, and that is what people believed in. Similar to how words come out of mouths and s.h.i.t comes out of a.s.ses, something flows out from the eyes as well.

Scorn.

Ridicule.

Contempt.

In any case, similar to how people require their daily bread in order to live, to them, those were things they required in order to live in their own way.

— Hey, look at that. They say that’s a witch who’s lived for several centuries.

— She looks completely like a child······.

— She’s looking this way. She really looks annoying.

No. These were all irrelevant words. Hey, you young attendants over there.

Clack······ clack······, it’s starting to get really annoying because they’ve been tossing pebbles at me since earlier. You could easily get a grasp of the beautiful color and charm of their personalities by the fact that they were throwing pebbles and not stones. If I were injured by a stone, then regardless of the fact that he’s at the tail end of the Demon Lord rankings, it would mean that they had a.s.saulted me, Master’s Captain of his Royal Guard. Thus, pebbles. Haah, these cheeky fellows.

······When’s Master coming back?

He’s late. A bit.

There’s nothing to do, so I might as well hum the song that I had written the lyrics of.

“The old man inquired— How impressive must it be for you all to praise it so—.”

Ah. I’m not saying this because I had created this, but this is a complete masterpiece. I’m serious. Be it the humans or the demons, in the end, monarchs compete in order to see who has the bigger p.e.n.i.s.

The likes of us had mused over this, but no matter how we looked at it, the one who has the biggest p.e.n.i.s in the world is our master, Dantalian.

“The person’s name is Dantalian with a sorrowful p.e.n.i.s—.”

Master was that.

Not only was his p.e.n.i.s big, but a peculiar lamentableness gloomed over it as well. It feels as if it should be called either sorrow or regret, but if you were to try and find an appropriate expression, then there was the shade of a person whose life was either f.u.c.ked or had been f.u.c.ked. Alas. Thus, as Master’s p.e.n.i.s is a large p.e.n.i.s, it was also the most sorrowful p.e.n.i.s······.

My G.o.d.

Even I get shivers if I think about it. How perfect is my gift?! If Apollo were to see me, then he would despair so much that he wouldn’t come to work that day and make the world dark for the rest of the day. In other words, my gift is so formidable that it is capable of inadvertently stopping the sun itself······. If the sun stops, then everything in the world would stop, and if everything in the world stopped, then there would only be the last breaths of all things there, so, in other words, my gift is so tremendous that it could destroy the universe······. If the universe is destroyed, then even if s.p.a.ce is infinite and time is eternal, there would be no point to them, so, in other words, my gift is so destructive that it could instantly make time and s.p.a.ce useless······.

Humbaba.

How sinful this woman is······.

I know. I am well aware of my deep sin. I was gifted with a fate that could threaten the sun and all things just by being born. Every wandering minstrel in the world envies me and every flower bud in the world begrudges me, so the world has no other choice but to struggle against me by forming an anti-witch alliance.

So even those young attendants over there had received the mission to repel me, as they were the so-called informants among informants of the alliance······. How could this be? Without even being aware of their situation, I······ you insane pieces of s.h.i.t throwing pebbles, it wouldn’t be enough to shove a stick up your a.s.ses, set those sticks on fire, and burn all of your internal organs, you’re f.u.c.kers who will only be able to fart for the rest of your lives······ had thought this, oh no······. Cry a little bit here, I went a bit too far, didn’t I······? I’m sorry. I apologize. From now on, I will try to understand everyone by considering each one of your situations a bit more······. Add some more tears here, I, Humbaba, will be born anew and pay everyone a visit as a better me······.

Now then, was that enough? Haah, these cheeky fellows.

— It’s true. She really isn’t reacting at all······.

— See? She’s just singing like a crazy person.

— ······They say they don’t have a soul. That’s why they stay as kids and stop growing······.

Yeah, It’s fine.

Go ahead and throw things at me. Everyone. Throw. If throwing that is what is needed in your lives, then it can’t be helped. In spite of my appearance, I’m a generous girl.

Tear me apart. While people live their lives, there are periods where they must bite into other people’s necks and have a taste of blood. It can’t be helped since all of your lives are broken. This generous girl will understand your desires to blame something which cannot be blamed.

Burn me. What can be done when burning people is something that’s needed in your lives? If you have to burn someone, then burn them. Chew properly. Have a nice meal. Eat. Despite my appearance, I’m a girl who doesn’t die easily. As it’s fine, it’s fine and also fine.

There’s no end to something being fine.

There are no bounds to something being fine.

That’s why the act of being fine is unlimited.

Hey, you attendants over there. If there’s a problem, then it’s you guys. The fact that there are ends and bounds to your lives. Ah, wouldn’t that be quite the problem? Did you know? Everyone, you’re going to die. You’ll all die.

That, throwing is all right, but you’re throwing away the days of your lives. You say that it’s fine to tear me apart, but you’re all tearing your own time apart while you tear me to pieces. You’ll die, you know? Are you going to keep burning me? Are you going to burn me again? What more do you intend to burn? Your own corpses?

Throw away a day.

Burn one by one.

Tear apart a day once more.

Burn one by one once more.

A day.

One.

And then.

Mm.

Gaya.

Let’s just smoke some gaya.

······.

Huaaaaah.

······.

Huuu, haaaaa······.

Yeah.

Well.

What?

What are you staring at, you attendants? Do you have a problem? I won’t sympathize with you people. I’m capable of doing so, but I won’t. I can’t. Do you know why? I don’t know what you guys hate the most in the world, but once you receive my sympathy, then in that moment, the thing which you guys hate the most in the world will automatically change into receiving a witch’s sympathy.

When’s Master coming back?

He’s late.

A bit.

······.

Ah. f.u.c.k.

Hey, you attendants over there? Just because I’m not responding to you guys doesn’t mean that you should throw actual stones, you f.u.c.ks. It hurts. Hey. Look here. It hurts. Hey! Ah, f.u.c.k, it hurts, you know?

Haah.

These cheeky fellows······.

While I was in the middle of pouring curses at those pieces of trash in my mind, from within the tent, a voice which I hadn’t heard in quite a long time flowed out.

“Send in Dantalian’s witch.”

Hoi?

I glanced around to see if I had misheard just now. The attendants and bodyguards were also looking around with the same looks on their faces. No one was able to respond, but a voice came from within the tent once more.

“Is no one there? I told you to send in the witch.

“······.”

Mmmm—.

I stood up from the ground and dusted my clothes. A bunch of pebbles poured down on the ground. The sentries glared at me with bloodthirst in their eyes. The attendants were panicking as they whispered among one another.

······This is strange.

I did become a witch after forming a contract with Marbas, but there was no doubt that Marbas had forgotten about me by now. An incredible amount of time had already pa.s.sed since then. He wasn’t a Demon Lord who concerned himself with witches in the first place.

It was efficient to set up a witch as a sacrifice whenever a large epidemic pa.s.sed by. He was quite the rational ruler who would occasionally use witches for that reason alone.

If you work well after having formed a contract, then he doesn’t concern himself with you aaat aaall. The one who managed me wasn’t Marbas either, it was one of his bureaucrats.

In good terms, he was an expedient person. In bad terms, he was a person who only concentrated on tasks that befitted Demon Lords after having pa.s.sed down every dirty task to his subordinates. No. Well. Compared to Euryale who was caught by a pervert like Glasyalabolas and was presented 200 years of torture by the Demon Lord personally, I’m incredibly fortunate.

Mmmm.

But why is he calling for me?

During the 150 years, I went around the town plaza whenever an epidemic or a year of famine occurred, but I don’t recall ever meeting Marbas during those times. At all. Not even once.

I’ve been incredibly successful lately, so I spend my days sleeping in the same tent as Master Dantalian, but normally, this is something that could never happen······.

In any case, I’m going because I was summoned. After dusting all the gravel off of me, putting my cone hat on properly, and obliquely holding up my broom, I hastily walked into the tent.

······.

“This lowly one has entered, as this one was ordered to do so by the Great Demon Lord.”

“Welcome.”

Master Dantalian welcomed me with a smooth smile the instant I entered.

“······.”

On the other hand, Demon Lord Marbas was looking this way while frowning. His royal countenance appeared to be firmly displeased with something. How overwhelming. I feel sorry for having to display a peasant like myself to such n.o.ble eyes.

Master spoke.

“Humbaba.”

“Yes, Master?”

“I had a deep conversation with His Excellency Marbas here. It was quite the deep conversation. It was a conversation that was so deep that it could have been dangerous if it were any deeper. As a result, we were able to share a type of friendship that transcends my and His Excellency’s ranks. It is a friendship which only men can understand.”

Oho oho.

There’s some leeway for this to be interpreted in quite the dangerous way.

Referentially, for people like me, when something could be interpreted either dangerously or safely, I’m a girl who always interprets it dangerously. What I mean is, a hole is a hole, isn’t it? Although something flows out from them at times, things are rammed into them as well. I’m not trying to say something in particular, I’m just saying.

“This one gives her congratulations.”

“······Hmm.”

Demon Lord Marbas let out a sigh as if he were dissatisfied. It must be due to his large frame, but even his sighs sound like the breathing of a brown bear.

“Dantalian, I suggest that you think once more.”

“This one’s decision will not change.”

“I had certainly said that I respected you. As one of the corps commanders responsible for the Crescent Alliance, the devotion which you had displayed naturally deserves to be rewarded. There are many things which I can bestow upon you as a reward.”

“Your Excellency is correct.”

Ara?

What are they talking about?

Even if I carefully examined Master’s expression, Master was simply smiling slightly. It’s hard to get a read on Master whenever he’s like this.

“I could give you commodities.”

“Yes.”

“I could promise you a new domain.”

“Yes.”

“I could also provide you with an appropriate amount of honor and reputation even if it may take some time.”

“Yes.”

“If you were to wish for wealth, then you would become wealthy, if you were to wish for strength, then you would become mighty, if you were to wish for honor, then you would become glorious. Do you truly wish to refuse all of this? Do you intend to reward your own devotion and sacrifice with something like this?”

“This is sufficient.”

Master gave a small grin.

“Compared to any royal gift this one could hope for from Your Excellency, this one believes that the thing which this one had mentioned earlier is the most valuable. It is not a lie. It is not an exaggeration either. Wealth is wealth regardless of whose hands it ends up in, a domain is a domain regardless of whose foot steps on it, and this one is not interested in honor or reputation. However, Your Excellency, no matter how vast the continent is, this alone is something which only Your Excellency can bestow.”

“······.”

“If it is not Your Excellency’s royal hands, then it would be meaningless. If it is not Your Excellency’s royal legs, then it would be useless. Your Excellency is benevolently offering to grant this one’s wish, but how could this one dare to raise a pet.i.tion?”

“······.”

Ara.

Really, what are they talking about?

Although I’m confident that I wouldn’t lose in regard to reading the atmosphere of one’s superiors, I have no idea what is being discussed right now.

Master Dantalian was simply gazing at me with a gentle smile on his face.

And Demon Lord Marbas.

“······.”

Was looking straight down at me.

Most likely for the first time.

Was it 300 years ago?

Was it 400 years ago?

Because I had thrown things away for a variety of reasons, was torn apart by a variety of things, and was burned by a variety of things, my memory of that time no longer remains as a whole. During that time, there was no spring, there was no summer, there was no autumn, and there was no winter. In that season, my time was chopped up into pieces and split up into small fragments. Whenever I dreamed, only the groans of imprecating and imprecating, I could only hear that season where tens of thousands of screams remained as an auditory hallucination.

“Witch Humbaba.”

“Yes?”

And then.

After calling my name for probably the first time ever, Demon Lord Marbas⎯⎯⎯.

············.

······Eh?

“⎯⎯⎯I am sorry, small witch.”

······.

······Huh?

“Humbaba, I do not remember in what way I had wronged you. I also do not remember making you into my witch. However, even if I did remember how I had wronged you, I would, by all means, not regret it.”

······Ara.

“I carry out things which I believe are necessary. Thus, if you had received pain, then I had most likely carried that out because I believed that was necessary as well. I am one of the lords who manages the demon continent. I am not sorry for the things which I had decided as a lord and the things I had carried out as a lord.”

······.

Yes······, but?

“The day I apologize to you while in the presence of my va.s.sals and subjects will never come. Eternally. Therefore, I have no other choice but to apologize right now not as a lord, but as a single person.”

······.

············.

“I am sorry.”

Why.

“To you who was nothing more than a child, it was a cruel act.”

For what reason.

Why, now?

“I apologize to you.”

“······.”

Even though you never responded.

When I was hurting that much.

When my flesh was lacerated for the first time and blood had flowed out, when my bones were crushed for the first time and I had screamed, when my healthy flesh was burned for the first time and I had struggled while calling out to you please, please, please, when animals gnawed on my neck, when animals that were more severe than beasts trampled over my entire body, no, my entire body and my internal organs, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time, at that time⎯⎯⎯.

Even though you never said that you were even slightly sorry.

“I am sorry.”

Why.

······.

Ah.

Ah⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

“I am sorry.”

······.

Before I knew it.

I was being embraced by someone.

And someone was stroking my back.

“I am sorry.”

······.

I can’t see in front of me that well.

Marbas, was no longer here. I couldn’t see him.

Only my master,

Master’s voice. Master’s touch.

Because, my eyes, couldn’t see.

“······I am sorry.”

“Why?”

For what reason.

For what reason are you apologizing?”

“I don’t want to, Master······. I can never, forgive him······ I will never, forgive him······. Even though it hurt that much······ even though, he made me hurt that much, so much······ I can’t, possibly forgive him······ this can’t, be forgiven······. Wronged······ because he wronged me, if he wronged me······ if he knew, that was wrong······ if he knew······ why, for what reason······ why, exactly······.”

No. I can’t forgive him.

I can’t even accept his apology.

Who, just who. That apology.

That sin.

That wrongdoing.

How.

“······I am sorry.”

Aah.

Aaah, aaaaah.

Aah······.

Master.

“You do not have to forgive him.”

Master.

“Do not forgive him for all eternity.”

Master.

“You do not have to forgive anyone. Simply make all the people who had wronged you kneel. Receive the apologies which you must receive. And⎯⎯⎯and simply, continue to live.”

My master.

TL note: Thanks for reading this chapter. It’s a rather nice way to wrap up the volume. With everyone’s favorite Humbaba! Or at least my favorite. In any case, I’ll leave this TL note shorter than usual since I’ll be posting an update post immediately after this. It’ll basically be about how long my short break will be and what series I’ll continue to translate next.

On a side note, I’m glad there are no more people complaining about the black pages. I think there’s only been a single person who complained about them this volume, compared to the dozens last volume. So yeah, that was a pleasant surprise.

In any case, see you guys in the future update!