—Demon Lord’s Castle Lowest Floor, Moon Mansion
“Mel, are you finished with the cleanup over there?”
“Please wait. I’m using the Sacred Spear right now— OK!”
“Ugh… Nn…”
“Are you alright? Are you really alright?! Is my beloved daughter safe?!”
My father-in-law’s voice boomed right next to my ear. I understood Bel’s concern, but I wished he’d consider my eardrums a little. They were seriously going to rupture.
“Please rest assured. Mel and I are working together on her treatment. We managed to save her life. She’ll likely need rest and some light rehabilitation.”
“I-I see…”
As if the tension had snapped, my father-in-law, whose giant physique surpassed even Gerard’s, plopped down on his behind. It was a sight I wouldn’t have seen when he was a Demon King. But now, he wasn’t a Demon King, just a father. He could be forgiven for showing such an ungraceful figure.
“You’re safe, Father!”
“Indeed… Safe, truly safe…”
“You were unexpectedly unharmed, Sera.”
Sera, who was also banging on her father-in-law’s large back as he sat, seemed to have been quite seriously injured too. Was this also due to the difference in recovery ability?
Mel and I were the first to arrive here, immediately after Sera and the others’ fight concluded. Sera, clutching Bel, showed no signs of moving, and the surrounding underground walls and ceilings were collapsing. Seeing this, I telepathically instructed Mel to freeze the entire area, and then I dashed with all my might to cast a barrier on Sera and Bel.
Sera and Bel had lost consciousness, but fortunately, they were breathing steadily. However, we couldn’t let our guard down. Their equipment was terribly damaged, and their bodies were covered in wounds. Looking at the floor, they seemed to have lost a considerable amount of blood. If we had arrived a little later… I didn’t want to think about it, but it was that dangerous of a situation. Still, it was to their credit that they had solidified Bel’s blood, preventing further bleeding.
“Bel’s not waking up. Poke poke.”
“You’re really energetic, aren’t you… Also, don’t poke the injured person’s cheek.”
“…Ya?”
“Ya?”
“Ya! …Soft! What is this, Rion-class!?”
Don’t go classifying my sister as Rion-class without permission. It’s true that Rion’s cheeks are soft, but I can’t concede that!
“Oh. It really is Rion-class, isn’t it?”
“See! I told you!”
“Hey, Mel too…”
However, Rion-class. That meant it was referring to supremely soft, mochi-like skin. Bel, whose cheeks were being poked freely by Sera and Mel, frowned in discomfort. Given Bel’s prickly personality, if she missed this chance, she wouldn’t get another opportunity to touch those cheeks. Rion-class, Rion-class—
“Well then, I’ll also just—”
“—My foolish son. Do you understand what you’re attempting to do? If my blessing is activated, I will deliver divine punishment in Bel’s stead.”
“Ah, yes. I’m sorry.”
Father-in-law, please don’t put so much force into that hand on my shoulder. It might get dislocated. Also, that killing intent is a bit too serious to be directed at your foolish son— IDADADADADADADA!
While my father-in-law and I were engaging in this father-son interaction, Sera and the others, getting carried away, had started stroking Bel’s hair and doting on her. Damn it, I want to assert gender equality.
“…What are you doing?”
“Ah.”
“Ah” is not an answer. Even though they were seriously injured, we had performed a thorough treatment. If she kept on moaning and then finally woke up, it was natural.
“Um, good morning, Bel! It’s a good morning!”
“Grellverelka is always night.”
“…May I pet you?”
“You should ask for permission before petting. You’re already petting her. Honestly, I had a strange dream because you petted me. …So stop petting me.”
Though her consciousness had awakened, her body hadn’t yet recovered enough to shrug off Mel and Sera’s pokes and prods. Bel simply put on a displeased face, going along with their complaints as they soothed her.
“Yo, I’m glad you seem to be doing well—”
“Bel—!”
“Gah…!”
As I stepped forward to greet her lightly, my father-in-law, overwhelmed with emotion, charged at me and sent me flying. I was recognized, but to be treated like this by my fool son made me want to cry.
“Does anything hurt? Are you alright?!”
“…Your beard hurts, Father.”
“Hmm, perhaps you’re not at your best. Call me Papa, like usual! You’re not even calling me Papa…”
“Eh, Papa?”
“…………”
Faced with Sera’s suspicious gaze, Bel turned her face away. I’m sure the face Bel turned away was blushing red. See, her ears are completely red. If she could move her hands, she’d probably hide it.
“Nngh, just as I thought, you have a fever! Here, Papa will carry you, this Papa will!”
“Please stop, I beg you…”
In a way, aren’t you the one subjecting her to the most terrible treatment, Papa? She’s on the verge of tears from shame, so it would be better to stop soon.
“Father, Bel is troubled. Stop it, or she’ll come to dislike you?”
“Th-that would be troubling for me too. I got carried away seeing Bel after so long… Alright, I’ll stop. I will refrain.”
“Excellent! Good for you, Bel, there seem to be no after-effects from your Demon King Transformation.”
“Demon King… Transformation… That’s right, why… I was supposed to become a Demon King, so why am I unharmed?”
“I shall explain that.”
“…Goddess, Melfina.”
Mel raised her Sacred Spear so Bel could see it. Her petting hand didn’t stop, but Bel seemed to have resigned herself to it.
“Eh, Goddess? Is that person a Goddess?”
“Father, be quiet.”
“Alright, I’ll be quiet.”
He really can’t stand up to his daughter, can he, this old man?
“This Sacred Spear Luminarite I possess has the power to destroy evil and convert negativity into positivity. Previously, when I used this power against Demon King Zel, it was ineffective because Zel Trisen had been a Demon King for too long. In contrast, Ms. Bel had only recently become a Demon King and hadn’t fully awakened. Furthermore, that Demon King Transformation wasn’t a legitimate one, to say it strangely, but it wasn’t something that could have occurred naturally, was it?”
“…Yes, that’s right.”
“I observed it through the subordinate network, but that black book was the catalyst for the Demon King Transformation. It was an artificial Demon King Transformation that disregarded the cycle. Because it was that way this time, Ms. Bel couldn’t become a complete Demon King. Fortunately, it was a simple matter with Luminarite ♪”
A Goddess who so easily wields a divine spear. Well, I won’t say anything this time.
“Sera, isn’t the Goddess actually a good god? Shouldn’t we revere and worship her instead?”
“Are you converting to the Rinne Church? The Saint is right over there.”
Hey, someone stop that old man. Colette is going to go berserk.
“Hmph, I see. Well, regardless of the form, I have fulfilled my final duty. From now on, do as you please, boil me or roast me.”
“Really? Then, Bel, let’s stop being Apostles from now on and get along well as sisters!”
“…Huh?”
“It’s not a ‘huh.’ Bel, didn’t I just say it? That you’ve fulfilled your final duty? That means Bel is free now, right? You can indulge yourself a lot from now on.”
“You can indulge me a lot too!”
“Father-in-law, let’s retreat for now. It will turn a good conversation into chaos… And you smell like Gerard…”
“Ngh! Hey, let go, let go!”
Mel and I forcibly dragged my father-in-law away.
“You’re truly too soft, Sera Baal.”
“It’s Sister Sera, isn’t it? Yes, once more.”
“…Sis-Sister Sera.”
Oh, this Bel is weak to persuasion.
“You were so confrontational with Sera when you first met, but you’ve changed.”
“My foolish son, you too are soft. You don’t understand Bel’s feelings at all.”
“Eh?”
“Bel was always a genius who could skillfully do anything, but her heart was clumsy. She couldn’t be honest easily. That’s part of her charm, but it’s also something that leads to misunderstandings.”
“Ah, I see. She just didn’t know how to interact with her sister.”
Bel didn’t hate Sera from the start. Actually, it was the opposite. She was interested in her sister but didn’t know how to approach her. And her position as an Apostle only complicated things further. In her confusion, she chose to use force, i.e., sisterly fights. While it suits my taste, it is indeed clumsy.
“She’s been given an opportunity. From now on, it’s up to me to support them so they can become good sisters.”
“I hate to interrupt while you’re trying to wrap things up, but wouldn’t things have gone more smoothly if you hadn’t made her such an overly protected daughter in the first place…”
“That’s the Vampire King’s fault. I’m not at fault.”
Even if he turns his face away, he doesn’t give off a cute impression like Bel. Rather, it’s irritating.
They’re saying “Yabe Yabe” with the character designer for Volume 4.
