We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
The desert.
How did it come to this?!
“I’ve been framed by the Demon Lord again!”
Lui Lara laughs at me as I despair and shout.
“Hahaha, I wonder about that? After all, the wives decided not to accompany us of their own free will, didn’t they?”
In truth, Yufilia, Nina, and Madrine were supposed to come with me.
But upon learning who the Demon Lord had chosen, they immediately decided not to go.
“When we were told to come to the Demon Lord’s Castle and we got there, this was the group! Of course, everyone refused!”
Who would accompany me? I know there was a fierce battle among the wives.
Even though the winner declined, none of the other Mistrals stepped forward to take their place.
“To be with the current Demon Lord, the Demon Lord’s son, and the child of the Ruler of the North Sea, even the Mistrals would avert their gaze in silence!”
Slain was also laughing cheerfully, saying, “That’s quite the way to put it.”
Slain himself had shrugged from the start, saying, “I can’t read the Giant Demon Lord’s intentions.”
“They said, ‘Come to the Demon Lord’s Castle to cooperate with our bothersome recent movements,’ so we traveled a long distance, only to be sent to the eastern part of the continent without question.”
After returning to the mansion in the forbidden territory from the Armēdo Kingdom. We too were summoned to the Demon Lord’s Castle by the Giant Demon Lord.
Or rather, Charlotte came to pick us up.
When we arrived at the Giant Demon Lord’s Demon Lord’s Castle using Charlotte’s spatial transfer magic, we were met with this selection of people and the wives’ refusal!
Charlotte, with her eyes narrowed further and a delighted smile, then transported us to the middle of a desert.
“Where are we?!”
Even when I shout, only the echo returns.
Only the sound of wind mixed with sand rustles emptily.
“Since His Majesty the Giant Demon Lord ordered us to go gain experience in the east of the continent, this must surely be the desert in question…”
Cadis, the natural child of the Verdant Demon Lord, is currently training as a soldier under the Giant Demon Lord.
Cadis, who possesses an ability comparable to a Demon Lord, seems to still lack experience and a proper way of existing as a demon.
Nevertheless, his abilities as a Great Demon have been recognized, and he is accompanying us.
Cadis has lost the arrogance he had when he rebelled to seize the Demon Lord Seat, and now acts deferentially as a single soldier towards Lui Lara, who holds a higher rank, and Srain, the Demon Lord of a neighboring country.
Of course, he also shows me respect without any lingering resentment.
After all, Cadis did not rebel to defeat his father, the Verdant Demon Lord, for selfish reasons.
He rose up to protect his country and his people in place of the declining current Demon Lord.
Therefore, having been given another chance to start over under the Giant Demon Lord, he is working hard earnestly.
It’s not like a demon to be earnest, is it?
Srain addressed Cadis, who was looking around vigilantly, asking, “What do you intend to do from now on?”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
Srain mercilessly punched Cadis, who bowed his head deferentially!
Cadis clutched his head in agony and crouched on the sandy ground, while Srain looked down at him with genuine displeasure.
“You were also someone who aimed to be a Demon Lord, weren’t you? You don’t need to serve me or others. I permit it.”
“B-but… Your Majesty…”
Still holding his head where he was hit, Cadis tried to maintain a deferential attitude towards Srain. Seeing this, Srain gave a wry smile.
He didn’t resort to violence this time!
“Besides, don’t we need to hide our identities and act here? If you were to call me ‘Your Majesty’ or act deferentially towards Eruru and Lui Lara in this situation, it would be completely out of place, wouldn’t it?”
“I’m Elnea?”
“You’re Eruru,” Srain said with a laugh, this time sounding amused.
“Demons dislike having their names spoken by those of lower status. We don’t even know if such customs remain in this land. If we are to act with our identities hidden, it would be more convenient for us to call each other by our names informally. Don’t you agree, Lui Lara?”
“If Srain is fine with it, I don’t mind,”
To call the Demon Lord by his name informally, Lui Lara certainly has a strong will.
Srain also doesn’t feel displeased when Lui Lara casually uses his name. Rather, he laughs happily, surprised by the informal address.
“I want to get along with you all too. Cadis, I am convinced that you will be the next to ascend to the Demon Lord Seat after His Majesty the Verdant Demon Lord. I want to become the kind of person who can call you by your name.”
He’s likely speaking from the heart.
Srain is seen by others as a mad Demon Lord whose thoughts are inscrutable. However, he is actually surprisingly thoughtful.
He probably wants to deepen his relationship with Cadis, who is closest to becoming Demon Lord, with an eye towards the future.
Cadis seemed to understand Srain’s intentions, and with that, he changed his deferential attitude.
“Elnea, Lui Lara, and Srain. I look forward to working with you all from now on.”
Finally, Cadis had returned to a demeanor I recognized.
As a Great Demon, Cadis exudes a resolute attitude and presence.
Simply standing there, he possesses an aura that overwhelms those around him.
The current Demon Lord, Srain, appears more subdued with his adventurer-like demeanor.
“It’s finally getting interesting. I look forward to working with you too. Alright, before our journey begins, let’s make a spirited promise for the future. Cadis, next time you decide to rebel, don’t hesitate to call me. I’ll cooperate as much as you need.”
“Cadis, don’t fall for Srain’s outrageous words, okay?! This Demon Lord isn’t a good person who’s satisfied with just cooperating. He’s a madman who needs to be deeply involved in the rebellions he cooperates with!”
“Hahaha, Elnea-kun, you’re becoming quite contaminated by demonic ways of thinking, aren’t you? Normally, good people don’t instigate rebellions?”
“Hah! Come to think of it!”
I never thought I’d live to see the day when Lui Lara would be lecturing me on human common sense…!
“On this journey, I will regain my pure heart!”
“I’m eager to see how Eruru will regain his pure heart while acting alongside demons.”
Srain was laughing in good spirits.
Lui Lara, as usual, was relaxed.
I, too, am starting to give up.
This journey lacks any glamour.
The Mistrals and everyone else who would comfort me are not here.
It’s a dreary journey, surrounded only by rough men, and all of them peculiar demons.
“I’ll settle this problem as soon as possible and return to everyone—!”
My resolve echoes across the desert.
In the east of the continent. We need to infiltrate the Holy Knight Academy, established in the vast desert, and obtain information related to forbidden techniques.
If necessary, we may have to eliminate anything connected to the forbidden techniques.
Does the trace left by Baltnowar truly exist in this land?
How does it connect to the great forbidden technique orchestrated by the divine race, the Berisalia Empire?
I’m also concerned about the movements of Amira and Alf.
However, we haven’t grasped any clues yet.
Still, I won’t give up.
I will devote myself to solving this problem with all my might!
“By the way, we don’t even know which part of the desert we’re in, do we?”
After being summoned to the Giant Demon Lord’s castle, the four of us were unceremoniously transported by Charlotte’s spatial transfer.
Therefore, it’s even questionable whether we are truly in the east of the continent.
After all, it’s the Giant Demon Lord and Charlotte we’re dealing with.
They’re the type to blithely do something as wicked as telling us to go to the east of the continent and then sending us to the west.
“Well, surely this time it’s not the worst-case scenario that Eruru is imagining. After all, we have limited time, right?”
Lui Lara nodded at Srain’s remark.
“That’s right. Our mission is to find information related to forbidden techniques in the east of the continent before the divine race makes any overt moves. If the divine race makes a move, time will run out, and we’ll be forcibly sent back.”
The Emperor of the Berisalia Empire has undoubtedly revived the great forbidden technique.
The Giant Demon Lord and the true ruler of the demons also judge so.
However, we still lack information.
How are they hiding the great forbidden technique?
Who is the caster of the great forbidden technique?
In the first place, how did they revive the great forbidden technique?
If Baltnowar brought information about nearby techniques from the east of the continent, his traces or information related to the great forbidden technique may be left in this land.
We have to unravel the piled-up problems within a limited timeframe.
“Well then, I’ll scout the surroundings first,”
Cadis, who had been guarding the perimeter, offered.
“But if you go alone in the middle of a desert with no landmarks, you might not be able to return. Besides, moving on this difficult sand looks like it will be tough.”
Wherever you look, there is only a sandy expanse.
There are wind-eroded rocks peeking out here and there, but the relentless wind whips up sand, obscuring the rocks you just saw, or conversely, new rocks emerge from the sand, making the terrain unstable.
If you move carelessly in such a desert, you’ll definitely get lost.
I would definitely get lost!
“Lost, lost.”
My wives didn’t come with me, but Ares-chan did.
“There’s also a gift from Spirit Tree, you know?”
That’s right.
Before going to the Giant Demon Lord’s castle, we reported our adventure to Spirit Tree in the forbidden territory.
At that time, I received a new gift.
Surely, this gift from Spirit Tree will be useful this time.
That’s for later.
To my worried expression, Cadis gave a defiant smile.
“No need to worry. Have you forgotten? I can move at high speed over a wide area. Moreover, I never lose sight of a presence once I’ve memorized it.”
“Speaking of which, you accurately tracked us in the Verdant Demon Lord’s country too. In that case, shall I entrust it to you?”
Cadis cannot use spatial transfer, but he can move at an incredible speed.
Moreover, he can accurately grasp presences over a wide area.
He truly is a Great Demon!
In contrast, Srain and Lui Lara…
“Then, we’ll rest under that rock overhang until Cadis returns with good news.”
“The desert is hotter than I thought. I feel like I’m going to dry up.”
They said, chatting amicably, and quickly moved to the shade of the rocks.
Cadis gave a rueful smile at the camaraderie between Srain and Lui Lara, who paid no mind to each other’s status or rank, and spoke to me again.
“Elnea, can you trust me? We’ve been through a lot in the past, but I’m grateful to you now. I would be honored if I could be of use to you. Besides, solving the problems of this land is related to the future of the demons, isn’t it?”
“Cadis, you’ve really changed. Of course, I trust you, Cadis. Work hard and achieve results, and become a good Demon Lord soon!”
“Hmph. What does ‘good’ mean for a demon? Well, never mind that. I’ll be going now.”
With those words, Cadis vanished from our sight in an instant.
