We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Everyday life is extraordinary.
Calming my heart and relying on the dragon veins, I expand my consciousness. Then, I sense the presence of Mimicho Race people hiding, holding their breath in various rooms.
The Mimicho Race are a race that originally lived alongside spirits and nature. However, the Mimicho Race people living in the forbidden territory have not been able to live such normal lives until now.
Nevertheless, their skill in harmonizing with nature and themselves, and melting into the world, is many times superior to that of the human race.
The Mimicho Race people, who had suppressed their presence and gone into hiding, are good at hiding.
I sense the presence of Lady Shooting Star passing by the room where the Mimicho Race people are hiding. However, Lady Shooting Star did not seem to notice the presence of the Mimicho Race inside the room.
The moment I thought that!
Inside that room, someone’s presence suddenly appeared!
“Kyaa!”
A scream echoed through the mansion.
The presence of Lady Shooting Star, who had passed by the room, trembled in surprise.
“What a shame…”
The Mimicho Race people who were hiding were inevitably caught by the child playing tag, Priscilla-chan.
Once Priscilla-chan catches a Mimicho Race person, she instantly teleports away again.
And then, one by one, she catches those who are hiding.
Being a master of escape also means being a master of capture. And the reason Priscilla-chan can so easily discover the Mimicho Race people who are hiding so well is…
“Um, Spirits. Can you all find them for me?”
It’s as if an innocent voice is coming from her.
Yes. That’s right. The spirits of the forbidden territory are Priscilla-chan’s eyes and ears!
Without being commanded, all the spirits will grant Priscilla-chan’s wishes.
Mimicho Race people. This is how the Mimicho Race and spirits, based on friendship, should be!
The Mimicho Race people should learn from Priscilla-chan. While thinking so, I turn my attention elsewhere.
“Hmm, hmm. Ruiseine has been found too, I see.”
In the outer garden of the mansion. Ruiseine, who had been hiding behind the curb, seems to have been found by a Lady Shooting Star.
I read the presence of the two facing each other.
Lady Shooting Star shows a posture of measuring the distance, inch by inch. Ruiseine, on the other hand, is calm. Her presence is not disturbed.
Lady Shooting Star moves suddenly. Ruiseine lightly dodges it.
Nevertheless, Lady Shooting Star closes in, trying to corner Ruiseine. Ruiseine gracefully evades Lady Shooting Star’s pursuit.
My consciousness accurately captures their movements.
Lady Shooting Star probably thinks she is on the offensive. But, too bad. I can tell by reading their presence. Lady Shooting Star wavers her presence to attack. She jumps into range, trying to capture Ruiseine. But, all of it is dodged.
That’s only natural.
Ruiseine had already entered into precise evasive action before Lady Shooting Star even moved.
Ruiseine’s magic eye was originally “Dragon Eye,” a ability to visually perceive dragon energy.
But now, it is evolving significantly. Ruiseine can see everything Lady Shooting Star does. Therefore, no matter how desperately she tries to attack, everything is read before the attack is even launched.
Lady Shooting Star’s presence flickers with confusion at Ruiseine’s formidable evasion ability. She is probably bewildered. Why do all her attacks miss?
Heh, heh, heh. My wives aren’t to be trifled with, you know?
At that moment, reinforcements arrive for Lady Shooting Star. Several Lady Shooting Stars rush to help and close in on Ruiseine in cooperation!
Now, what will happen to Ruiseine?!
“Hoh. To think you’ve become so skillful at reading presence.”
Then, the Demon Lord, as if observing me, speaks to me.
“Ugh. But if I don’t enter a true meditation state like this, I still can’t read everything? Also, the range is narrow.”
When I dissolve my consciousness into the world, riding the Storm Dragon Arts, I can understand everything around me as if it were in the palm of my hand. The range is also very wide.
However, if I try to read anomalies in the world without combining it with the Dragon Sword Dance, the effective range is still narrow, and it’s hard to even call it delicate. I can read Ruiseine’s presence in broad strokes, but I can’t discern the fine movements of her hands or feet. At best, I can read that Lady Shooting Star is on the offensive and Ruiseine has dodged skillfully.
“I haven’t trained enough to reach Grandpa’s level.”
“That’s a good intention. Once you become more proficient, I’ll entrust you with the security of the Demon Lord’s Castle.”
“Did you just say ‘entrust’ me just now!?”
No, no, my training isn’t for the security of the Demon Lord’s Castle! The Demon Lord and Charlotte laugh merrily. Conversely, I am apprehensive that I might be entrusted with a very troublesome role at the end of my training.
“It’s just your imagination. More importantly, continue to train diligently, and if possible, train the Lady Shooting Stars as well. I’m not asking you to be as proficient as yourselves. But enough to resist the Heavenly Race or the Divine Race.”
“Hmm. It’s rare for the Demon Lord to say something like that? And to specify concrete opponents like the Heavenly Race and the Divine Race.”
“It’s simple. If they possess the power to oppose the Demon Race, I will kill them all immediately.”
“Kyaa!”
Clergy are protected by both the Demon Race and the Divine Race. However, that is limited to the clergy of their own country. It does not extend to clergy from other regions, or to Lady Shooting Stars who do not belong to a certain temple in the first place.
Therefore, if the Demon Lord or Charlotte so desired, even the Lady Shooting Stars in the forbidden territory would be in danger. I am reminded of this anew. But, well, the Demon Lord wouldn’t do something so wicked, would he?
“Who knows. If their goal is to confront us, I will not let personal feelings interfere. You know that much, don’t you?”
“Yes. That is the Demon Lord’s position, isn’t it?”
The most demonic of all demons can take the position of Demon Lord. However, once one becomes Demon Lord, they must also pay attention to the country’s administration and the prosperity of their race. At that time, any obstacles perceived as such will be ruthlessly eliminated, just as a Demon Lord would. Even if it were something precious to someone.
“Lady Shooting Stars are incredibly strong to begin with, right? They’re probably so strong that even if all the Miko of the Armēdo Kingdom and the Yorttenitos Kingdom teamed up, they wouldn’t stand a chance. But, something is still missing… And we’re going to train them? But not to the point of becoming hostile to demons? Hmm, this is difficult!”
I’ve never had disciples, nor have I ever trained or guided anyone before. All my wives are strong, but that’s the result of them developing their individual strengths on their own, not because Mistral and I guided them. So, how can I find what’s lacking in the Lady Shooting Stars and compensate for it?
“It’s simple. Continue to live as you are now, in this lively state. If you spend your days together like this, they will naturally find their own way. After all, they are Lady Shooting Stars.”
“So, those who search for their own path are Lady Shooting Stars!”
“That’s right. Then you should also be natural. If you pay too much attention to the Lady Shooting Stars and disrupt your own lives, the Lady Shooting Stars will lose sight of the scenery of the sky they are flowing towards.”
“I see. We must be conscious of maintaining our usual lives!”
“It’s easier said than done, and it becomes difficult the moment you try to be conscious of it. Remember that this is what ‘usual’ is. Well, even that ‘usual’ is already outstanding compared to others.”
The Demon Lord smiles. And Charlotte. That’s right. Our usual lives are not ordinary. But because of that, I think this is the kind of life we have. And from now on, we just need to involve the Lady Shooting Stars in our usual lives and have fun!
Huh? Wait a minute. Does that mean…
“It’s quite a nuisance for the Lady Shooting Stars!”
“Elnea-kun, you noticed several days late?”
“Charlotte. What do you mean?”
“The moment we involved the Lady Shooting Stars in Priscilla-chan’s tag on the first day, the ‘usual life’ your Majesty was talking about had already begun.”
“Come to think of it, you’re right!?”
“It may be a game for you, but it’s harsh training for the Lady Shooting Stars and the Mimicho Race.”
“W-well, I was aware of that… But I never imagined the Lady Shooting Stars were already caught up with us. That’s a truth I wish I didn’t know!”
“See, the nuisance is already spreading.”
“Eh!?”
Following the Demon Lord’s gaze, I once again look at the melee of Sefina and the others. And then, I scream.
“Yufi and…”
“Nina’s too…”
“Hey, big sisters! The Lady Shooting Stars are here too!?”
“Ahaha, you’re fully intending to involve me, aren’t you?”
“Dragon Wing Storm Wind!”
On the shore of the lake in the courtyard, a fierce gale erupts. And it sweeps up people indiscriminately! Screams overlap, creating a scene of chaos.
“Yufi, Nina. I was wondering where you went, but you were waiting for this opportunity… That means Madrine is too…”
As I dissolve my consciousness into the world, I discover that a tragedy is unfolding in the distance! The battlefield where Ruiseine was engaged in a one-against-many battle. But now, it has turned into a world of stillness. Ruiseine. The Lady Shooting Stars. Even the Mimicho Race people who were waiting for their chance from behind cover. Everyone is completely immobilized!
“Madrine knows that her magic spells focused on Ruiseine will be seen through, so she’s cursed everyone around her at once!”
The former adventurers are terrifying! They will stop at nothing to achieve their goals, and in the end, they will run wild without even remembering those goals – a terrifying bunch that would make the Demon Race blush!
“Um… Is this kind of everyday life really okay?”
I am very, very anxious! But this level of scene is truly too ordinary for us. And this, too, is a part of everyday life.
The sky I suddenly look up at is torn open. And in the depths of the void’s darkness, eight bright crimson lights glow, and a colossal spider’s hand descends.
“A soul that looks like it’s about to disappear, one~”
“Eh!!”
The Lady Shooting Stars, who quickly sensed the anomaly in the sky and the presence of an immeasurable being, freeze in speechlessness. I look up at the sky the same way, but I tilt my head at the voice and hand that descended.
“A soul that looks like it’s about to disappear?”
What does that mean? My question is answered when I see a woman placed on the tip of the claw of the giant spider’s hand, that is, Teruru-chan’s hand, which descended from the sky. At the same time, I cry out.
“Meduria-san!!”
The woman gently placed on Teruru-chan’s claw was Meduria-san, a demon who manages the Dragon King’s Capital! And Meduria-san’s attire was dyed a deep crimson with a large amount of blood!
“Yufi, Nina, Sefina!”
Before I could even call them, the three were already rushing towards me. I used Spatial Jump to instantly get inside the mansion. Then, I grabbed a small pot containing a secret medicine and returned to the courtyard. The three had already arrived at the tip of Teruru-chan’s claw and were beginning to remove Meduria-san’s blood-soaked attire.
Seeing a naked woman. This is not the time to leisurely say such things. Meduria-san’s torso, which was barely breathing, had been cut diagonally. There were also countless deep wounds on her arms and legs.
“She’s had emergency treatment.”
“But she’ll die if this continues.”
“Hurry, the secret medicine of Sleigsta-sama!”
I cut open the seal of the small pot and, with the four of us working together, quickly applied the secret medicine to Meduria-san’s entire body. The deep wounds disappeared as soon as they were applied. Nevertheless, Meduria-san’s consciousness did not recover.
“She’s completely weakened.”
“Even if the wounds heal, she’ll die like this.”
Even the Lady Shooting Stars, as amazing as they are, are frozen in fear of Teruru-chan’s existence, who split the sky and brought down a giant hand, and cannot approach. They are so stiff that they cannot even move. But, if it continues like this…!
“Elnea-kun!”
“Muki, what is it!”
At that moment, Ruiseine and Madrine arrived with high-speed star-crossing.
