I like walking with my arms linked. Even if she has an unusual way of speaking, uses dangerous magic, or is a bloodsucker, Rufina is cute when she smiles.
“I’m last…”
When we finally returned to the landing point, that was the first thing she said. Honestly, I have absolutely no intention of making anything happen with Alma. I’d rather she’d die in an accident.
“You should just stick some sand in your mouth.”
Putting aside where she should put it, Alma could simply be tied up and left there. I don’t want anything to do with her.
“What about the Captain~?”
Orietta spoke up as if overtaking Alma. No matter how I looked at it, there weren’t enough horses at the landing point. Was she that fast? Or is she taking too long?
“It seems the horses aren’t here yet. We need to hurry the landing. I’ll leave Alma to you.”
With those words, Orietta’s skirt fluttered as she delivered a spinning back kick to Alma’s solar plexus. Alma crumpled into a C-shape, and Orietta followed up with a kiss.
I’m envious… of the kiss, that is. I’d rather not eat Orietta’s roundhouse kick. It’s fine because she’s a sturdy demon, but for me, my insides would come out of my mouth.
“Th-there was no need to kick her…”
Orietta smiled sweetly. If I can see your smile, Shin-chan will forgive anything. Of course not! Alma still has business with the Demon Lord to attend to! If you’re going to kill her, do it after that!
“Wh-what did you make her drink!”
Alma coughed as if spitting something out, clutching her stomach. Did it miss a little? If it hit her solar plexus, she wouldn’t be able to breathe.
“Captain~ Can I have her for a bit~”
By “have her,” she probably means Alma, but what is she planning to do? I’ll swap places for a kiss, but Priscilla is scary, so maybe it’s better to leave her to Orietta.
“You can, but… did you give her something to drink?”
“Yes~ It’s an aphrodisiac, enough to be lethal to a human~ I thought it would be fine for a demon~”
“There’s… still not enough…”
Earlier, I had an S&M session with Orietta. Of course, I was the S, but Orietta can be both S and M.
“Just a little~”
Orietta grabbed Alma by her hair and dragged her away, drawing a line in the sand on the beach. Poor Alma. Go through something traumatic.
“Be back by dinner.”
Orietta waved a hand in response. The super talented woman, who can do “S,” “M,” “standing,” “receiving,” and even alchemy, stirred my imagination as she quietly entered the forest.
“Be quiet!”
Hitting a thrashing horse on the side of its face is probably animal abuse and will get you sued, so please stop. I thought Priscilla had gone back alone, but she seemed to be working. She’s forcefully subduing the wild horses.
“Good work~”
I didn’t “raise” my voice. I just “spoke,” so please don’t attack me. Rufina is unusually clinging to my arm and won’t let go. It’s really unusual. Is my right arm okay?
Rufina, who had become one with Rossa, seemed to have synchronized her senses as well. When she reached her climax within Rossa, she had collapsed onto all fours.
Rossa disappeared with that, but I became curious about what sensory synchronization felt like. The sensation of being in it without actually being in it. Would the sensation differ from when one is truly inside?
For example, would the sensation be halved with two people? Or would it double with two people? I can’t stand it when I have questions and want to solve them. There is only one truth, and I tried to confirm it with Rufina.
The result, I believe, is proven by Rufina, who is now linking arms with me. I’m really looking forward to when complete synchronization will occur.
I caught Priscilla’s charging onslaught with one left hand and thought about Rufina. Still, there’s no way a horse could look this cool. Did I look like a horse? Am I horse-faced!?
“Don’t be lovey-dovey forever! The horses are wild and delaying us!”
So that’s why they were delayed. I thought I had returned early because I was too quick. Good… It seems I don’t need to rely on medicine or magic yet.
“There are three more. The horses here are being calmed by Christine and Sophia, and they’re shorthanded.”
Work, Priscilla! I’ll assign you to horse duty. I’ll be on meal duty. We can’t cook a fire, so it’ll be simple rations, but I’ll provide ale.
“Do your best.”
As I tried to leave quickly to prepare dinner with Rufina, my heart ached. Am I suited to horse duty because I’m horse-faced? I’ll leave dinner to Rufina, and I’ll calm the horses with Priscilla and the others.
The meals we eat together are good. Even if they’re just simple rations that aren’t very tasty. Especially having beauties on both my arms. Christine’s scent increases my appetite, Sophia feeds me… And Alma! Why are you hugging me from behind! Doesn’t anyone mention it!?
Alma was implicitly accepted as a member of the White Lily Corps. No one objected because she showed that much determination.
“Now I can be with Mikael forever.”
When Alma was taken into the forest by Orietta, she pleaded with her. “Please break my horns.”
For demons, horns are as important as life itself. Horns are seen as indicators of a demon’s way of life. To break them means to abandon being a demon, to refuse to live with demons.
Alma abandoned her previous way of life to live with me. The members of the White Lily Corps could not object to a woman who possessed such resolve.
“Stop being lovey-dovey forever!”
Some people can say that. And it’s the second time. Could she be jealous? It’s tough being a popular man. Flying knives are also tough.
“May-maybe the aphrodisiac hasn’t worn off yet… Ahaha…”
The soft feeling of chests against my back, Sophia’s chest pressing against me as if competing, today’s meal will be good with a fork and knife. Even a fun meal and beautiful white lilies fell silent when the conversation turned to tomorrow.
“What are we doing tomorrow?”
“Then, I will explain tomorrow’s plan again.”
Before I started explaining, I threw the knife back at Priscilla and spun Alma, who had come in front of me, to her back.
“Tomorrow, we wake up at six, depart at seven, and pass along the coastline to Nebel Bridge. There appears to be a fortress near the bridge on the Nordland side, but we will pulverize it entirely with annihilation magic and then cross the bridge.”
“That’s fast. Let me sleep a bit longer…”
“We will set up a chemical weapon dispersal device in the center of the bridge. According to Alma, the bridge is about five kilometers long. After activating the device, we will attack Lauenstein. The enemy numbers are unknown. Alma doesn’t know, and Iris couldn’t investigate this far.”
“Just put it somewhere appropriate.”
“Our objective is to set up and activate the chemical weapon dispersal device. Please consider the Demon Lord’s head to be acquired after assessing Lauenstein’s combat strength.”
“What if there are too many enemies?”
“Whether there are many or few, Sophia and Rufina’s magic will drive away the enemies in the front. In that case, Christine, you will escort the two of them. Secure a retreat route and stand by. During that diversion, I, Priscilla, Alana, Orietta, and Alma will infiltrate the castle.”
“And take the Demon Lord’s head…”
“If we can. At the very least, I’d like to confirm his face. The fear of an actual existence is psychologically less burdensome than the fear of an unconfirmed entity like the Demon Lord.”
“That’s true. Unseen enemies are scary.”
“The Demon Lord seems to wear a mask at all times, so judging his face will be difficult, but we’ll do our best. Also, it’s unclear if the Demon Lord possesses any special powers.”
“Since he’s called the Demon Lord, he must have something.”
“Alma has never seen him. But considering he commands so many demons and monsters, assume he has special powers.”
In my past life, I fought the Demon Lord. Perhaps because we fought to a mutual destruction, or perhaps because I exploited an opening, it ended before I could witness the Demon Lord’s power. I regret not having the composure to observe him then.
“What happens after that?”
“After that, we head to the Royal Capital Klinshberbach. We have to explain the details. If we cannot break through Lauenstein, we will return to Nordland. The captain and his crew are scheduled to pick us up at this landing point in five days. However, they have been instructed to return if there is even one monster on the coast, so please don’t expect anything.”
“Pri-sis, what is the Captain saying?”
“Don’t you understand, Alana? In short, he wants us to take the Demon Lord’s head!”
“Then you should just say so. The Captain talks too much.”
“He’s a troublesome guy.”
I’ll carve “Here lies an idiot” on your tombstones. Please listen properly. If there’s a Demon Lord, there must be many enemies. We need to decide on various methods now, or we won’t survive when we’re in a pinch.
“Priscilla, please tell me our primary objective.”
“The Demon Lord’s head, right?”
Incorrect answers will receive a one-way ticket to hell. Now, Alana, who was second to answer, please give your answer.
“That’s not it… It’s… annihilation, right?”
Again… Should I explain it about thirty more times? Should I write it down with diagrams? Or should I teach you hand-in-hand and breast-to-breast!
“Bo-both of you…”
“Captain~ It’s ready~”
My wooden sword, which Orietta had flown over and handed to me. I lent it to her when she asked, but now I have to explain things to these two idiots.
“I’ve coated the demon horns~ The sharpness hasn’t increased, but I think the durability has greatly improved~ With thrusts, it can pierce five knight shields~”
“Oh, uh, ah, thank you.”
She did that for me? She reinforced my wooden sword with Alma’s broken horns. Orietta truly is the core of the White Lily Corps.
“Thank you too, Alma. Was it okay to use them?”
“I don’t need them anymore. More importantly, if Mikael can use them, then we are always together.”
It’s a bit heavy, but I appreciate it. The wooden sword’s weight hasn’t changed, though. I swung it a little and slashed at a nearby stone, and the stone shattered beautifully without a scratch on the wooden sword.
“Thank you, both of you. This is a great sword.”
I gave them a thumbs-up and showed off the excellence of this sword. Then I looked at Alma’s head and saw that the spot where her horns were broken looked painful, and I thought I’d polish it with a file later.
“The talk is over. As Captain of the White Lily Corps, there is one last thing I must say!”
Priscilla stood up and puffed out her chest. I thought I was a fool for thinking, at this critical moment that might decide the outcome of this battle, that she was as dependable as ever.
“The first merit in this battle goes to Mikael as the ‘thing’!”
I was made a prize.
