Revised on 12/28, H27.
Revised again on 3/26, H28.
Revised yet again on 4/14, H28.
I have reduced the number of kanji slightly.
Typo corrected on 8/31, R01.
The three Valkyries in unison blessed Swanilda and urged her to return to the divine realm.
In the end, I couldn’t believe that the Demon King’s daughter, whom I never met in my past life, was standing before me. However, she was someone I couldn’t afford to let go. As it stood, she was already a notorious bounty, worth a staggering 1,000 gold coins.
“You are the Demon King’s daughter, aren’t you?” I confirmed, trembling with excitement.
“Please, spare my life,” she pleaded. To my surprise, Princess Jumilande, completely naked, trembled and begged for her life. I had expected her to attack me with magic the moment her identity was revealed, so I was taken aback, but I quickly subdued her with a ‘Binding Magic.’
It was a surprisingly anticlimactic capture, and Elise and Mai, who had remained in an offensive stance, had nothing to do.
“Why didn’t you fight back?” I asked, facing the bound Princess Jumilande.
“Demon kin, as they ascend, their forms become more monstrous. However, above a certain level, specifically for demons belonging to the nobility, the stronger their magic, the closer they become to humans. And for the Demon King and his close retainers, they possess a beauty that rivals humans. Also, horns, which are a manifestation of their demonic power, are symbols of authority, and these traits are passed down through bloodlines, aren’t they?” I explained the information from my past life.
“That’s generally correct…” Jumilande replied, bowing her head.
“But in my case, I have magnificent horns, yet I can’t use offensive magic,” Jumilande answered with a pout.
“Actually, not long ago, a Hero appeared in the Western nations, didn’t they?” Jumilande abruptly brought up the Hero Party from my past life.
“And what does that have to do with anything?” I pressed her.
“I keep having dreams of being defeated by the Hero,” Jumilande began to tell her story. “In my dreams, the Hero who defeated my father came straight for me. After my abdomen was torn open, just as the blade approached to sever my head, I would wake up.” Tears welled up in Jumilande’s eyes. “I couldn’t bear to be in such a terrifying place, so I ran away alone.”
This revealed Jumilande’s reason for eloping, but her demeanor suggested there were other reasons. Considering my past life memories, her dreams were likely true or precognitive visions.
Initially, I intended to hand her over to the authorities once her identity was revealed. But after hearing her story, I felt a sense of pity…
When I discussed Jumilande’s fate with Elise and Mai, they also grew sympathetic after hearing her story and pleaded with me to somehow save her.
“Why is it that you, a top-tier demon with magnificent horns, can barely use magic? Speaking of which, nothing is known about the Demon King’s consort, is it?” I asked Jumilande about the unresolved questions.
“My mother was a maiden discovered by my father. Her origins are unknown to anyone. However, I heard she was incredibly beautiful but was always in poor health. After giving birth to me, she died from complications after childbirth,” she explained. A tear traced a path down Jumilande’s cheek. “I already had magnificent horns shortly after birth, so I was expected to be a great successor. But since I couldn’t use magic at all, I was treated as a mere doll to pass on the Demon King’s bloodline to the next generation.”
Hesitantly, I approached Jumilande and held my hand over her head to analyze the flow of magic. It appeared her magic was in a state like a calm sea, but upon deeper examination, I found that a balance was struck between the malevolent magic unique to demons and sacred magic.
“Jumilande, your magic is in a state where sacred and evil energies are clashing within your body. If you can cancel out either one, you should be able to establish your own position. If you choose the evil magic, I will defeat you here and now. If you choose the sacred magic, I will take you as my slave.” I forced Jumilande to make a fateful choice.
“Is that possible?” Jumilande looked surprised.
“There are already two individuals here who possess sacred magic, so most things are possible,” I confirmed.
“In that case, I want to be your slave, Master.” With that, Jumilande bowed her head.
“Mai, come here.” I had Mai stand opposite me, with Jumilande in between, and together we poured sacred magic into Jumilande to eradicate the demonic energy within her. After a while, Jumilande began to writhe in pain and was enveloped in ‘Holy Light.’ Within the ‘Holy Light,’ Jumilande’s horns vanished as if dissolving into space. Her hair transformed from its curly, dark green to flowing blond locks, and her irises changed from the demon-kin’s characteristic purple to a clear, sky-blue. It was as if she were metamorphosing from a pupa to a butterfly. And her body, previously naked, was now clad in sacred light armor.
Jumilande’s appearance now resembled a legendary Valkyrie, a Messenger of God. A sacred aura even emanated from her body. Judging from this dramatic transformation, it was highly likely that the consort of unknown origin was, in fact, one of the Valkyries. Perhaps Demon King Gandaro had not killed the Valkyrie he defeated but had brought her back as spoils of war and taken her as his wife. Now, Jumilande, the Demon King’s daughter, was gone, replaced by a newly descended Valkyrie.
“Dress like this and try saying ‘Manifest.'” To verify my prediction, I released the restraints I had placed on Jumilande and issued a new command.
“Manifest.”
Jumilande tilted her head but mimicked my posture and spoke the key phrase. Instantly, light gathered in her right hand, and a sword appeared. At that moment, her identity as a Valkyrie was confirmed.
“May I borrow your sword for a moment?” I respectfully received the sword and, checking its inscription, found the words ‘Swan Hilda’ etched in ‘divine script.’ This was Jumilande’s divine name as a member of the God Clan.
“Lady Swan Hilda, I am deeply honored to witness the advent of a new Valkyrie.” I returned the sword with the same respectful demeanor, knelt, and paid homage as a subject. This was the proper conduct for a priest towards a divine being, but the other three were dumbfounded by my sudden change.
“Um… what happens to me now? Will I become your slave?” Lady Swan Hilda seemed confused by the sudden turn of events.
Just then, three Valkyries descended from the void.
“Drawn by a familiar presence, we find you are our kin, connected to the lost ‘Hilda.'”
“I bless my youngest sister.”
“Won’t you return with us to the Garden of the Gods?”
The three Valkyries in unison blessed Swanilda and urged her to return to the divine realm.
“I can’t go to the divine realm,” said Swan Hilda.
“Why?” the elder Valkyrie asked when Swan Hilda responded.
“I have vowed to be the slave of the Master here.”
“What did you say?” Hearing Swan Hilda’s reason, I was glared at by the Valkyries.
“My Master is the one who saved my life. And don’t divine beings value contracts?”
“Understood. A human life is but a blink of an eye to us. When you are freed from your contract, we shall return to fetch you.” The elder Valkyrie seemed to accept the situation after Swan Hilda’s repeated statements.
“Child of man, even if bound by contract, beware of incurring divine punishment if you treat our youngest sister, who is of the lowest rank among the gods, with disrespect!” The three Valkyries left, casting a warning yoke upon us.
In the end, Swan Hilda and I’s contract was not a slave contract but one formed by ‘words imbued with divine power.’
Ultimately, Swan Hilda’s fate was settled by her becoming a member of my Adventurer Party, ‘Princess Harem.’ It was also the moment the reason I couldn’t defeat the Demon King’s daughter in my past life became clear. Honestly, an Adventurer Party with a Valkyrie from the God Clan as its frontliner was far too overpowered. I foresaw the invisible scales of the gods tipping towards the human連合.
《Notice》
The next installment is a compilation of episode 3, which was previously posted in parts.
There are no changes to the content, so those who read the segmented posts can skip this.
