We live at the foot of Dragon Peak.
Special Edition: The Moon’s Guidepost
It was around the end of summer.
After we vanquished Kongo no Kirisame, we continued to stay secluded in the Forbidden Territory to distance ourselves from the world for a while.
However, when I thought about it, the ones who really needed some distance were the people of Dragon Peak and those to the east of it.
“And so, at Priscilla-chan’s request, we have arrived at the Dragon King’s Capital!”
Priscilla-chan clapped her hands contentedly.
I felt a little embarrassed saying the words “Dragon King’s Capital” myself.
When I smiled and looked at my wives, Mistral glared at me.
What’s wrong?!
“Elnea, sit!”
“Ehhhh?!”
Why was I made to kneel in front of Meduria, who manages the Dragon King’s Capital, the demons of the Ten Clans, and my wives?!
“Elnea-kun is being foolish.”
“Elnea-kun is being an airhead.”
Even Yufilia and Nina looked a bit perplexed.
What on earth did I do wrong?
“Elnea-kun.”
Ruiseine called out to me with a troubled expression, and I turned around.
No, first, I should probably do as I’m told and kneel!
If I didn’t, Mistral started reaching for her jet-black one-handed club!
After kneeling, I looked up at Ruiseine.
Then, instead of the dignified demeanor of a Miko, Ruiseine, with her hands on her hips like a parent looking down at a mischievous child, said:
“You see. To suddenly make plans to go out with Priscilla-chan early in the morning, without even asking about everyone else’s schedules, is frankly a bit much, don’t you think?”
“Huh!”
“Hahahaha. Elnea-sama, Lady Revalia will surely be angry when she returns to the Forbidden Territory.”
“That’s right!”
“Besides, Elnea, Meduria and the others have schedules too, so you should inform them in advance when you plan to come here, shouldn’t you? And Nimia, flying around full of energy, how do you feel about a morning departure and an afternoon arrival?”
“Nyah?!”
Mistral’s anger had also spread to Nimia.
“It’s Elnea Older Brother’s fault nyah.”
“No, I think the root of all evil is Priscilla-chan, who came up with the idea…”
All eyes turned to Priscilla-chan.
However, no one could bring themselves to blame her.
Because…
“Your Majesty, it was indeed the right decision to come here, wasn’t it?”
“Fufufu. To witness such a marital comedy is quite amusing. Come now, hurry up and show us more. If it’s not interesting, I’ll kill you.”
“That’s unreasonable!”
I shouted, still kneeling.
That’s right. Priscilla-chan was on the Giant Demon Lord’s lap.
That’s why, even Mistral, couldn’t lay a hand on the “Ogress Priscilla-chan”!
“Um, Elnea Older Brothers, are you having fun?”
“No, no, Priscilla-chan. I and Nimia are being scolded right now, you know?”
“Nyan was caught in the crossfire nyah.”
Nimia was also sitting upright on my head.
No, I shouldn’t even let the thought cross my mind that she might just be relaxing normally, should I?
“Nyaa.”
At any rate, while Nimia and I were being lectured by our wives, Priscilla-chan was being entertained by the Giant Demon Lord and Charlotte, completely unaware of her wrongdoing.
Priscilla-chan, you shouldn’t get friendly with or follow strangers, or be so easily influenced!
“It seems Priscilla is heavily influenced by you, is she not?”
“It’s just your imagination!”
Yes. It must be my imagination.
Even I wouldn’t sit on a Demon Lord’s lap and eat sweets, right?
“Here, don’t hold back. I’ll lend you one of my knees. Sit on my lap and relax.”
“No, no! If I do that, I don’t know what kind of major disturbance I’ll get caught up in later! I absolutely refuse!”
As I rejected the Demon Lord’s knee, Mistral sighed.
“You truly are something.”
With a weary sigh, my wives slumped their shoulders.
Meduria and the others, who had come out to greet us despite their busy schedules, had turned into stone statues due to the sudden appearance of the Demon Lord and the Chancellor.
How pitiful…
“Fufufu. Only you, the messengers of the Dragon God, can carry on with your daily lives in front of His Majesty and I.”
Hmm, I want to deny it, but it’s probably true.
When the Giant Demon Lord and Charlotte used the miasma of darkness to teleport to the Dragon King’s Capital, the Black Winged Demon Race came along as escorts. And Ruilala as well.
However, even they, the Demon Lord’s subordinates, were standing neatly in a corner, unlike the boisterous us or the relaxed Demon Lord and Charlotte.
Oh, right!
Ruilala, you’ve returned!
No, no, I haven’t forgotten!
It’s just that we were all so busy with various things, and I just put it off for a little while.
I properly told Kusharilla that we had driven the Imperial Honored Mansion away. So, you see. That’s why you also came to the Dragon King’s Capital?
I later heard that Kusharilla, who couldn’t enter the Forbidden Territory, was left waiting in this land, which was once her territory.
I wish Kusharilla could have used spatial transfer like the Giant Demon Lord!
Incidentally, after various events in the Forbidden Territory, the Giant Demon Lord transferred Kusharilla back to her country.
Charlotte and the Demon Lord laughed with amusement, saying that Kusharilla was frustrated at being indebted to the Giant Demon Lord.
Poor Kusharilla, too.
After all, it was the Giant Demon Lord’s fault that we were called to defeat Kongo no Kirisame in the first place!
“Its very existence was useful. Thank me.”
“Thank you very much!”
Indeed, thanks to Kusharilla’s existence, we were able to defeat Kongo no Kirisame.
Alright, this time we’ll all go to Kusharilla’s Demon Lord’s Castle as a family to express our gratitude!
“Nyaa. Elnea Older Brother is plotting something evil again nyah.”
“It’s not evil plotting!”
“Elnea?”
“N-no, Mistral. It’s a misunderstanding.”
Mistral’s right hand moved even closer to her jet-black one-handed club!
As I was desperately trying to explain myself to Mistral with a contorted face, Charlotte said something unsettling as she handed Priscilla-chan another helping of sweets.
“Your Majesty, lately the western region seems to be quite noisy, doesn’t it?”
“Ah, that matter.”
Hmm, hmm?
What matter could it be?
Speaking of the west, the first thing that comes to mind is the matter of the Imperial Honored Mansion of the Divine Race intensifying their interference with the Winged Tribe living in the mountainous region spreading south of Kusharilla’s domain.
But that matter should have been resolved without incident, right?
That’s precisely why Ruilala has returned.
Then, Charlotte, as if reading my thoughts, narrowed her eyes further and smiled.
I have a bad feeling about this!
“Elnea-kun. It’s a little further west. Beyond the Heavenly Mountain Range, the human nations are in a rather… entertaining situation.”
“Human nations?!”
West of the Heavenly Mountain Range is a region where human culture spreads, and I am aware of that.
And beyond the spreading human culture lies the Temple City, the sacred ground and headquarters of the Temple Religion, right?
“Yes. That area has become quite interesting.”
“When demons say ‘interesting,’ it means humans are definitely in trouble, right!”
What a terrible thing.
It seems a major problem has occurred in the Temple City, the headquarters of the Temple Religion.
At the mention of the Demon Lord and Charlotte’s conversation, Ruiseine and Madrine reacted sharply.
…Madrine.
It’s hard to say!
But it was decided at the family meeting.
We, Madrine, Sefina, and I, who overcame the Goddess’s trial, are to get married. Therefore, from now on, like my other wives, I should not address the two of them with honorifics like “-sama” or “-san.”
But I’m still not used to it!
Putting that aside.
“Hey, hey, what’s going on in the Temple City?”
When I asked in place of the Miko, Ruiseine and Madrine, the Demon Lord grinned.
Ah, so he is scheming something after all!
“No, it’s not my scheme. However, various individuals’ intentions are intertwined there, making for an interesting situation.”
“A Demon Lord’s ‘interesting’ means a major problem is currently occurring!”
What a predicament!
To think that a major problem has arisen in the Temple City, the spiritual cornerstone of humanity.
As fellow humans, can’t we help in some way?
Of course, this time I’ll discuss it with the whole family and proceed with a plan to cooperate.
However, it wasn’t Mistral who put a stop to my impulsive thought, but the Demon Lord.
“Stop it.”
The Demon Lord looked at me with a serious expression, his smile gone.
Charlotte also killed her smile, despite her narrowed eyes, and shook her head.
“Do not interfere there yet. Unless a request comes from them, you are not permitted to cross the Heavenly Mountain Range.”
“Why not?!”
We understand that we cannot meddle in everything so carelessly.
But as believers of the Temple Religion, it’s natural to want to help if there’s a problem in the Temple City, isn’t it?
However, the Demon Lord issued a prohibition in an unusually stern tone.
“You are indeed believers of the Temple Religion. Ruiseine and Madrine are also Miko. However, fundamentally, you have no connection to the Temple City. Refrain from excessive interference with those with whom you have no connection. If you still do not listen, I will add this: the ones paying attention to that place are the rulers of the demon race.”
“Ugh…!”
Not only I, but my entire family gasped.
It’s mainly the Giant Demon Lord and Charlotte who provoke and toy with us.
However, it is those rulers of the demon race who are paying attention to the commotion happening west of the Heavenly Mountain Range.
If, we were to carelessly interfere there…
The rulers of the demon race might enjoy it, finding it “interesting.” But what comes after that is terrifying.
If, after interfering in the west, we ourselves were to be truly noticed by the rulers of the demon race, they might toy with us even more than the Demon Lord.
They might use us without restraint, toy with us, consume us until we are tattered, and then discard us like dust.
The reason we can enjoy our daily lives even when being toyed with by the Demon Lord is precisely because the Demon Lord and Charlotte consider our well-being and show us consideration.
And that Demon Lord strictly told me not to interfere.
That means if we don’t listen and barge in, all the efforts we’ve made so far could be easily destroyed.
“If you understand, that’s good. Explain that reasoning to your family later.”
“Yes, I will. Thank you for the warning.”
I sincerely expressed my gratitude.
If the Demon Lord hadn’t warned me.
I thought I should just avoid going east of Dragon Peak, and easily went to Momo-chan’s place in the west, then casually extended my visit to the human cultural sphere, and got caught up in the commotion there. The thought sent a chill down my spine.
Thank goodness I received the Demon Lord’s warning.
Perhaps the Demon Lord specifically came to the Dragon King’s Capital, where we were visiting, just to give me this warning?
Hah!
That means everything we did from morning until noon was completely known to the Demon Lord?!
“Fool. You haven’t returned Kagura’s White Sword to the Slagsta boy yet, have you?”
“I knew it! Information was leaking from this jewel!”
Elder Sleigsta had returned to the Dragon Forest early after the commotion in the Forbidden Territory, saying he was curious about it.
At that time, Warren was still staying in the Forbidden Territory, so we were cautious and kept our weapons with us.
I need to go and return the weapons to Elder Sleigsta at an opportune moment.
While still kneeling, I continued talking with the Demon Lord and Charlotte without any sign of remorse. Mistral, giving up, moved her hand away from her jet-black one-handed club.
It seemed I was saved.
Or so I thought for a moment.
But it was the Ogress Priscilla-chan who would crumple up my peace and throw it away.
While stuffing her mouth with sweets, Priscilla-chan tugged insistently at the Demon Lord’s luxurious attire.
Then she said:
“Um, so does that mean Priscilla can’t go play with Alicia Older Sister? If Older Brother says no, can Rosa take me?”
“P-Priscilla-chan!?”
Didn’t you just call the Demon Lord’s name so casually?!
High-ranking demons detest having their names called casually by others above all else.
We turned pale.
However, the Demon Lord himself chuckled in amusement and offered Priscilla-chan more sweets.
“I don’t mind you calling my name or taking you to the Sage, but in return, shall I make you a Demon Lord?”
“If I become a Demon Lord, can I eat lots of sweets?”
“Priscilla-chan, I’ll give you lots of sweets, so don’t accept the demon’s offer!!”
My scream echoed through the Dragon King’s Capital.
