Alma Rosenberg, the beautiful female demon. I regret that we weren’t of different races or met under different circumstances.
“Alma Rosenberg! Wake up!”
I held a knife to Alma’s neck and spoke quietly, careful not to shout.
“Mmmph, just a little longer…”
I’m not your mother. I’m your enemy. This human in front of you is waking you up with a knife to your neck.
“Alma! Wake up!”
“Ngh… just a little longer…”
“…”
How do you wake up someone who’s a bad sleeper? Saying we’ll be late for school won’t work. How about using the cold breakfast excuse? Or should I just slap her?!
“Alma! Shin-chan is here to pick you up. It’s Mikael. Do you remember me?”
“M-Mikael!?”
Don’t jump up like that, you idiot! You almost took off my head! Don’t get so close to someone holding a knife!
“Alma, you know what this is, don’t you?”
I pointed my glistening Orietta Knife at the sleepy Alma and said, suppressing my anger.
“Cake cutting ceremony?”
Wrong! It’s obvious from a glance that it’s not that small a knife. The thirty-centimeter blade of the Orietta Knife is sharp enough to butcher a tuna. It can easily chop off your head!
“No! I’m going to…”
“I get it! It’s rape, right! I’m happy Mikael is in the mood too.”
That’s wrong too! I don’t have the courage to infiltrate the enemy’s heartland for rape! I’m a timid person, you know.
“No, it’s not! I have something I need to ask you! Just follow me quietly. Otherwise…”
“Otherwise… you’re still going to rape me.”
I’m losing my strength… There’s no tension… Is this some kind of strategy to confuse me?
“Shut up! Just shut up. I have something to ask you.”
“…Pre-marital intercourse, right?”
I don’t want to talk about that. Things like how many children we should have, or alimony if we divorce, right? I took a step forward and moved the knife towards Alma… It would be a waste to cut her. If I cut her clothes, she’d be happy and say “It’s rape.” I pressed the Orietta Knife against Alma’s neck.
“I’m taking you. I need to talk to you about the Demon Lord.”
“And after that…”
I covered Alma’s mouth and pushed her onto the bed. This time, I pressed the knife in hard, showing I was serious about cutting her. Even then, she nodded silently, “Yes, yes.”
Finally, when Alma gave in, I released her mouth, and she started packing clothes into a trunk, saying, “It’s a trip, right?” and “I’ll buy you new clothes” until I stopped her.
For now, she seems to be coming along quietly, but I can’t let my guard down. I want to tie her up with rope, but if she moves slower, it’ll be difficult to escape.
I briefly considered knocking her out and carrying her, but I have no taste for hitting a woman who’s behaving herself. The thought of using a partner crossed my mind for a moment.
“Hey! What are you doing!?”
Taking advantage of a moment’s lapse in conversation with my partner, Alma started writing something at the desk. I quickly grabbed her hand to stop her, but…
“What do you mean, I’m writing that I’ll be away for a while to hold our upcoming wedding.”
Yes, you idiot. What awaits you is a blood-spitting torture. Who would want to get married! I want to savor my single life! I want to sing wildly!
“You even wrote my name… It’s confiscated, confiscated!”
I snatched the elegantly written paper and put it in my breast pocket. The word “marriage” felt inexplicably larger when written down.
I couldn’t tie up Alma, nor could I leave her free without worrying about my own chastity. Ideally, I would have tied her hands behind her back, but considering the travel, I tied her hands in front.
Through repeated use of foresight and wide-area mind’s eye, I reached the castle wall, exhausted.
“Let’s go down.”
“Impossible. It’s at least ten meters.”
Normally, I’d hesitate to jump from this height, but it’s different if I can run down the wall with Godspeed. It’s possible to carry Alma down, but I don’t want to bear the weight of two people.
“There’s a rope. We can lower her with this, right?”
“Mikael, carry me down.”
She’s heavy, and I don’t want to. Besides, if her hands are tied in front, she could still try something. Can I trust Alma, who’s been so quiet so far?
“We need to get down quickly before the sentries come. They’re already…”
I turned in the direction Alma was looking. Two Ogres. I got distracted by the foresight and neglected the wide-area mind’s eye. It would be easy to defeat them now, but causing a commotion would be bad.
“Come on, Alma!”
As I swept her up like a princess, Alma put her hands behind my neck. Just when I thought I was going to be killed, Alma hugged me even tighter.
I’m going to be killed… I’m going to suffocate in Alma’s chest like this! Her chest was that voluminous, that soft. I could hear songs of bliss!
“Do your job.”
Shut up, Snake! I want to enjoy this feeling a little longer. Ogres, war, it doesn’t matter!
To the very last moment… the last moment before being discovered by the Ogres, the last moment before I couldn’t breathe, I enjoyed the soft sensation and jumped from the castle wall using Godspeed.
“I’m staying like this for a while longer.”
We landed in low-lying bushes, and we both lay down so as not to be discovered by the Ogres. I shifted my face slightly and sought breath in the cleavage of her chest.
The pressure of her breasts on both sides of my face and the tension of not being discovered by the Ogres was addictive. I took about ten minutes to compose myself… and the air I inhaled was again… Composing myself, I picked up Alma and stood her up.
“It’s over now~”
“It’s over! Walk… no, run! Let’s go!”
I started running, dragging Alma by the rope binding her hands, but lo and behold, Alma ran ahead of me, her arm entwined with my right arm.
If she’s clinging to me like this, I can’t run.
If she’s clinging to me like this, her chest is…
If she’s clinging to me like this, my lower abdomen is…
We finally reached the tethered horses. I endured a lot. I should praise my self-control. I won’t praise you, partner…
However, my self-control ends here. We still need to quickly get away from Runelius Fine. But the secret weapon against Alma, which I had a blacksmith forge at great expense, made my heart pound.
We approached the horses, and I pressed Alma’s bound hands to the ground, forcing her to her knees. I took the secret weapon from the horse and cut the ropes binding her hands, then attached it to Alma using Godspeed Mode Six.
“Wh-What is this…?”
Can’t you see? Is this the first time you’re putting one on yourself? The time has come to return the humiliation I suffered when I was captured, tenfold.
“It’s a guillotine collar. It’s perfect for prisoners, don’t you think? I’m going to repay the humiliation I received at Klinshberbach.”
A guillotine collar. This is embarrassing. It’s obvious. I’m a prisoner. Being restrained doubles the misery and breaks the spirit.
Also, I can’t scratch an itch, which makes me irritable. And when I was captured, I was naked! As a minimal mercy, I’m letting you wear clothes. Be grateful!
“Th-This is…”
You’re speechless with shock? A proud demon has been fitted with a human-made guillotine collar. You must want to die of shame. I won’t kill you, not until I get the information I need.
“Alma…”
“It’s wonderful! Mikael has become capable of even this.”
Alma, the woman who wastes people’s efforts and money! It was a hassle to transport her! Even though it was made in a hurry, it took time, and they charged me double with an “express fee”!
…It’s disheartening. But you’ll find the guillotine collar even more constricting when you can’t scratch your nose! It’s infuriating!
I mounted my horse first and then pulled Alma up. Since she can’t use her hands, I have to help her… I touched her in various places, so one of my initial objectives has been achieved.
“Aren’t we riding together?”
Why should I ride the same horse as my prisoner? You are a prisoner! Don’t forget that your life is in my hands.
“I’ll lead the horse. Let’s go.”
I mounted my trusty steed and took hold of Alma’s horse’s reins, leading it. Goodbye, Runelius Fine. The next time I come, I’ll knock you off. After galloping for thirty paces, Alma fell off her horse.
That’s what happens, I guess… I wasn’t holding the reins, and she fell off as soon as I sped up, just gripping the saddle with her legs.
“Alma!”
“Ouch. Please go a little slower.”
Twenty gold pieces… Failure.
If I go slowly, there shouldn’t be a problem. However, I don’t have time to go slowly. Even though we’re far from Runelius Fine, it’s not an impossible distance to catch up.
Damn it! Twenty gold pieces! Damn it! The hope of torturing her from the front and back with the guillotine collar… I checked Alma for injuries and removed the guillotine collar.
“Is this okay?”
Okay or not, it’s a problem if you die. I can’t run with the guillotine collar on, and the hinges broke when I removed it. You darn old man, why did you make such a flimsy thing! Is there a warranty period?
“Be quiet. Shut up!”
My plans have gone significantly awry. I intended to rush back to Schreiaschwald from here, but it’s taking longer than expected. For now, I need to tie Alma’s hands again. Even though she’s cooperative, she’s still a demon. I don’t want to be caught off guard.
I tied her hands in front and thought. Front is dangerous, right… But tying them behind her back is the same as the guillotine collar…
I mounted the horse first and then pulled Alma up. Then, I released her bound hands and retied them behind her back.
This should be fine. She can handle the horse, and she won’t fall if I hold her. Plus, with her hands tied behind her back, she can’t go wild, and if she does, I’ll make her fall!
“Stay still.”
I attached the reins of the other horse to my saddle and rode off. I should have done this from the beginning. I shouldn’t have thought of revenge.
I am a hero. Living honestly and openly suits me. Because I am a hero.
“Alma… What are you doing!?”
“Because there’s nothing to hold onto. Mikael’s is easier to grab onto.”
I am a hero. But before that, I am a man. Because I am Mikael Sin…
