I’ve finally started on my second project! But since I can"t be bothered to start this translation from scratch, I"m just going to pick off from where TLsyosetsu left it lol. Also, note that the use of "uncle" and "auntie" in this chapter is the informal way of saying it, so they aren"t actually blood related. Thanks for reading~

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I let uncle and auntie sleep on the bed.
They are sleeping well, and since they don"t seem to particularly have any injuries, I"m relieved.

"I cannot find the right words to say for this occasion. Truly, thank you." (Ruuga)
"I was saved thanks to you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart." (Ura)

Ruuga is calming down in the living room, and Ura was somehow restored to life.
For the time being, I"m relieved that there doesn"t seem to be a development like "you saved us, but we will kill you."

"Boy, what is your name?" (Ura)
"It"s Velt. Rather, you call me boy, but aren"t you about the same as well?" (Velt)
"Mu, nn, well, that is true, but…" (Ura)
"By the way, how old are you? You"re not actually ten thousand years old or something, right?" (Velt)
"Don"t be absurd. Only ten years have pa.s.sed since I was born. You don"t really believe in the superst.i.tion that demons have perpetual youth, right?." (Ura)
"Aah, so you"re the same age as me huh. I"m ten years old as well." (Velt)

Looking at Ura kinda reminds me of Forna.
It"s how she makes adults feel embarra.s.sed and acts so self-important, even though she"s just a brat.
However, the most similar thing is their aura, or rather, the dignity that drifts around them. Just, it feels as she"s from some kind of other world, not just because she"s a demon.
Probably because of her harsh journey until now, her flowing hair isn"t in order. Her damaged armour and clothes are all worn out as well.
However, even so, something I sense in Ura herself was not something to be harmed.

"Hahaha. I see, so Velt-dono is the same age as Ura-sama. With that age, having the courage to face a demon like me and be compa.s.sionate is admirable." (Ruuga)
"It kinda hurts my heart when you say it like that. I mean, from the start, I was planning to abandon you guys." (Velt)
"Even so, you saved us, did you not?" (Ruuga)
"In exchange for your arm, though." (Velt)
"Something like that is cheap." (Ruuga)

He really is n.o.ble. In the past, I thought these types of people were straight laced, or show offs, but now I just think he"s cool.
And then, Ura, who such a man would risk his life for.
I have become interested in these guys" ident.i.ties.

"So, in the end, who are you guys? Which national army of the demon king are you part of?" (Velt)
"Ah, that reminds me, I still hadn"t given you my name. My name is Ruuga. I am a soldier of the 『Vesparda Demon King National Army』that is lead by『Sharkryu』-sama, one of the『Seven Great Demon Kings』, and I am currently serving as the captain of princess Ura"s elite guards." (Ruuga)
"And, I am Ura. Ura Vesparda. The daughter of Sharkryu, one of the seven great demon kings, the princess of Vesparda demon king"s nation." (Ura)
"Like, I feel like I"ve heard about Vesparda somewhere, hm? Sharkryu?" (Velt)

I topple over with the chair.
Those are the words I heard quite recently from Farga.

"Wait, aren"t you guys the ones that destroyed the Bolbardie Kingdom!?" (Velt)
"Yeah." (Ruuga)
"Wai-, wait, you"re the daughter of one of the se se se, seven great demon kings? Yo-, you"re a demon king"s daughter?" (Velt)

Well, I strangely ended up understanding it. I certainly heard that the demon king"s army is approaching.
By taking into consideration that Ura"s ident.i.ty is the demon king"s daughter, it makes sense why I sensed something in Ura, and explains Ruuga"s loyalty.
But still, for the person I coincidentally saved to be the demon king"s daughter, haven"t I done quite an awful thing?

"Like, c.r.a.p, eh, what? You guys better not have come to destroy this country! Like, even though the army is lying in wait at the national border, how did you slip through them!" (Velt)

Although I saved them, depending on their objective, it"s a completely different matter.
By saving their lives because of my half hearted whim, they might destroy this country.
With that thought, hostility naturally came out from my innermost depths of my heart, but Ruuga and Ura calm me down in a panic.

"Wait, we certainly destroyed the Bolbardie Kingdom, and I admit that. However, we don"t intend on invading or attacking this country. On the contrary, we no longer have any power to do so!" (Ura)
"I apologize, Velt-dono. We will have to first talk about ourselves." (Ruuga)

No power? I don"t know what that means, but Ura"s expression after saying that became awfully dark.

"First of all, under demon king Sharkryu-sama"s orders, we fought Bolbardie and destroyed it. We also killed a countless number of humans, like you. Of course, we protected the ones that surrendered and the citizens that couldn"t fight, but… no, that is just an excuse." (Ruuga)

Destroyed. Even if they say that, it didn"t click for me.
Destroying one country is too big of an incident that I can"t even imagine it.
No, I don"t even want to imagine it. I become scared from just thinking about if the country Forna, sensei and everyone is in disappeared.
Ruuga seems to be trying to take me into consideration, but that consideration kinda hurt as well.

"Well, it"s fine. I don"t have any people I know in that country anyway." (Velt)
"Hmm? You are surprisingly optimistic. I was sure you were going to speak ill of murder." (Ura)
"Ahh? Even if I say something like that, you"re probably going to say some random stuff about what war is. I"m not interested in that. As long as there"s no danger to the people I know, though. Rather than something like that, let me hear the rest." (Velt)

Getting angry or fl.u.s.tered over each thing is kinda wrong, I think.
That"s why, I could only behave like I don"t mind it.

"I see. The continuation, umu, after destroying the Bolbadie Kingdom, we, the Vesparda demon king"s national army, advanced to the empire. However, we were defeated by『Humanity"s Great Allied Forces 』and the『Hero』, so we took to our heels." (Ruuga)
"What? Oh, I thought the hero defeated an amazing demi-human general, but he also defeated the demon king, huh? He really is a good kid~." (Velt)
"I won"t deny that we lost. The hero was strong. I didn"t think there would be a human that could exchange such a fight to the death with demon king-sama." (Ruuga)

While saying that, Ruuga and Ura both look frustrated. Well yeah, the man he serves, and the man whose her father was defeated. Their feelings of not being able to just recognise the opponent is understandable.

"So, did the demon king die?" (Velt)
"No, just before he was about to be killed, resolving ourselves for dishonour, we took Sharkryu-sama out of the one-to-one fight, and retreated straight after that. Their pursuit was intense as well, and many of our comrades were killed, but we somehow protected demon king-sama. However, we got separated mid way and I was the only one that remained of Ura-sama"s elite guards." (Ruuga)
"Fu~n, so you kept running away like that, and when you realized it, you were starving, all the way in this remote region. That must have been quite the trouble." (Velt)

I see, so that"s what happened.
When Farga said the demon king is heading to this country"s direction, he meant the demon king that took to his heels is escaping this way.

"I-, I wasn"t able to do anything!" (Ura)

As soon as I finished talking, Ura frustratedly strikes the floor.

"Although I forcefully made my father let me travel with him for the time when I can someday lead the soldiers, when my fellow countrymen and my elite guards were defeated in front of my eyes, when everyone lost their lives in pain, I couldn"t do anything!" (Ura)
"Ura-sama…" (Ruuga)
"What a princess! I followed him by saying such impertinent things like "I want to learn the atmosphere of the battlefield", and yet, I!" (Ura)

Vexation. Rather than from losing to a human, it looked like it was from her being frustrated at her own powerlessness.
For some reason, that appearance overlapped with mine when old man and mum died.

"I apologize, Velt-dono. It was Ura-sama"s first battle. She obviously didn"t fight, nor did she murder anyone. However, she was made to see the overwhelming air of death, despair, and many seas of blood that had red and blue mixed together. The ones that continued protecting princess since she was very young with me, and at times laughed together died in action as well." (Ruuga)

To be frank, it"s troubling if she cries. Even if a demon that came to kill humans lost to a human and cries, as a human, I can"t do anything, and I have no words to say to her.
I don"t know anything about war either.

"There"s nothing I can say." (Velt)
"Velt-dono?" (Ruuga)
"Anyways, the point is. My volunteering ends here. You guys should leave before uncle and auntie wake up. And, you better not come to Elfarshia Kingdom." (Velt)

Don"t be moved by them. Don"t have anything to do with them. Right now, there"s nothing I can do, and Ruuga and Ura understood that much.
They simply nodded silently.

"That certainly is true. Sorry. Nothing would happen if I just complain to you." (Ura)
"Sorry "bout that. I"m bad at lecturing people and giving kind words. I"m not that much of a good human either." (Velt)
"Fu-, you"re slightly interesting. In the end, although I saw the hero with these eyes, I did not actually talk to him. Therefore, this is my first time I have talked with a human of the same age as me." (Ura)
"Ooh, is that so. Well, I didn"t think the first demon woman I talk with since I was born would be the demon king"s daughter." (Velt)

There"s nothing more to talk about, and it"s better for both of us if we don"t do anything unnecessary.
No matter what we talk about here, or what impression we have of each other, it doesn"t change the fact that I"m human and these guys are demons.

"Lastly, as a thanks, have this ring." (Ura)

Ura takes off a ring that was put on her small finger.
A jewel that had a beautiful, emerald green shine was set in it.

"A ring made from a scale taken off one of the world"s three great jewel dragon, Emerald Dragon. If you sell it in the human"s world, you will never be troubled for money in your whole life." (Ura)
"Eh! Se-, seriously? Are you giving me such a stupidly expensive thing?" (Velt)
"Yeah." (Ura)

Ooh, I got an unexpected additional income. Rather, in the end, is she a billionaire?
Noticing that my thoughts that were serious until just earlier became worldly minded thoughts, I felt a bit pathetic.
Well, there shouldn"t be any problems to take it if she"s giving it to me.
But, taking this would also mean I"m indicating something.

"I see. So if you"re giving this to me, that basically means…………. we"re even, right?" (Velt)

The next time we meet, it will be as a human and a demon…………… that"s what it means.
Ura must have been thinking that too, but probably because she didn"t think I would ask that, she has a slightly complicated expression.
It might have been a mean question to ask a ten year old brat, but even so, it"s necessary for me to confirm it.
Then, as if to calm down the awkward atmosphere, Ruuga, who had been silent, forced his way through.

"Leaving that aside, you seem to be using an interesting weapon, Velt-dono. I think that was a demi-human"s teacher cane." (Ruuga)

It"s obvious that he"s purposely speaking with a cheerful voice, but it"s fine.

"Yeah, I"m a strange guy after all." (Velt)

Without having to ask Ura, I already know the answer. That"s why, I won"t ask any more than this.

"That"s right. I remember now from you saying strange. It was an emergency earlier, so I let it pa.s.s, but……………" (Ruuga)
"Ann?" (Velt)
"About that way of kicking when you kicked my head……………" (Ruuga)
"Aah? Are you talking about my axe kick when I kicked you while you were kneeling on the ground?" (Velt)

What is it? Did it actually hurt? However, from my words, Ruuga and Ura make surprised faces.

"Axe kick? That"s surprising. I thought your kicking style was the same by coincidence, but do you know about the axe kick?" (Ruuga)
"Haa? I know about it, but it"s not that much of a special kicking style." (Velt)

No, it might be unusual in this world where they fight with weapons and magic. When I was Asakura Ryuuma, it was even famous for people that didn"t do karate.

"No, it is a special kicking style. That was was our demon king"s, Sharkryu-sama"s special move." (Ruuga)
"Kuhahaha, you serious?  Something like a demon king doing an axe kick, is this a joke? It would be funny if he did karate as well." (Velt)

That"s kinda interesting.
I don"t know the demon king"s fighting style at all, but I thought he would have some kind of technique where he causes a natural disaster with some powerful magic, or have some demon king sword that has ridiculous destructive power, but for it to be an axe kick, this must be a joke.

"! Impossible! Why does Velt-dono know demon king-sama"s secret fist, karaate!" (Ruuga)

Eh?

"Father was famous for only using martial arts in the whole demon nation. Why do you, a human, know the name of the unique fist technique, karaate, which father invented, and can only be used by him?" (Ura)

The atmosphere changed. Ruuga, Ura, and I who heard those words right now.

"Demon king-sama only told the name of karaate to a very few amount of people. Velt-dono, excuse me, but where exactly did you hear that name?" (Ruuga)

My mind started spinning round and round.
The reason I know karate is simple.
It"s because karate is a martial art in Asakura Ryuuma"s world.
For this reason, I wanted to ask a question in return. Why the demon king knows about karate. If he can use it.
Right now, I made various hypotheses. But, would something like that really be possible?

"Ura, did your father invent karate? He didn"t learn it from someone else?" (Velt)
"No, he didn’t learn it from someone. Besides, only the very few people who had talent know of the karaate, and learnt those techniques from father. I am one of them though." (Ura)

The demon king can use karate? He knows about it? Why?
No, if the demon king really is the only one that can use karate, I can only think of one answer.
But, would such a unbelievable thing……………

"Oi, the demon king is alive right? Where is he, right now?" (Velt)
"That is…………… what will you do from knowing that? Are you going to tell the allied forces about it?" (Velt)
"I might be an old acquaintance of that demon king." (Velt)

I can"t just not check.
To be honest, I"m fully aware that it"s dangerous.
Sensei told me to not be so fixated with Asakura Ryuuma, but even so, I had to make sure of it no matter what.

"That reminds me, there was one person in Asakura Ryuuma"s cla.s.s that was in the karate club." (Velt)

I couldn"t help but remember the past.