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Chapter 26
Chapter 26: Encounter with the Demon Lord
On a continent in the far northeast, where no light ever reached—a land of such harsh conditions that no human could possibly survive—stood the capital of the Trismaris Demon Kingdom.
A massive stone castle loomed, as if symbolizing overwhelming power. The vegetation around it had withered entirely. It was a castle of darkness, the very embodiment of negativity. Yet, inexplicably, the town below the castle resembled a human royal capital: illuminated by magic stone lamps, paved with cobblestones for easy travel, bustling with people conversing cheerfully.
The demons that most imagined were nowhere to be found here. In recent times, demons had grown increasingly disinclined toward battle. This, too, was the influence of the current Demon Lord.
Demon Lord Lucille Trismaris.
W̃еb̄ n̈о v̇е̄l Ёn̆ u m̊ ā
She was widely believed to be a massive, militant Demon Lord of immense power. But the truth was that this fearsome figure was a body double—the real Demon Lord was the young girl standing beside her. Though "young girl" described only her appearance; with her agile movements and overwhelming magical power, she truly served as the leader of the demons.
She was an adorable Demon Lord, utterly lacking in intimidation, yet all demons followed her. This was simply how demon society worked: strength was everything. With her supreme magical talent and immense mana, she had overcome every rival and become Demon Lord before she knew it.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Of course, Lucille had never wanted to be a ruler. She had been asked to participate in the tournament to decide the next Demon Lord—persuaded by the promise of waffles, a confection sold in the human towns she adored. She'd had no choice but to enter. And when told that the waffle reward would double with every victory, she'd had no choice but to get serious.
The result? Officers of the Demon Lord's army, the Four Heavenly Kings who governed the territories, and even—drawn by who knew what rumors—elite warriors of other races and even dragons had participated. But the unknown Lucille had swept through them all and won.
Even in a society where strength ruled, demanding loyalty to a nameless girl who'd appeared out of nowhere was no simple matter. The former advisors and the Four Heavenly Kings now acted independently. Even the rank-and-file demons in the army barely listened to Lucille. On the other hand, she was immensely popular among non-combatant demons, revered as a kindhearted Demon Lord who loved sweets above all else.
But even this Demon Lord had her troubles...
Ӗ ṅ ûmа́
"Your Majesty! Demon Lord! Where have you gone?!"
A middle-aged man in a butler's uniform frantically searched for Lucille. The maids working in the castle, having witnessed this scene countless times, exchanged wry smiles. "She's escaped again, hasn't she..."
◇ ◇ ◇
The Demon Lord's escape destinations were fairly predictable.
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She disguised herself by donning a white robe with ear-shaped hood. Surely no one would suspect that a girl in such adorable attire was the Demon Lord. Satisfied with her disguise, she strolled leisurely through the town. Of course, she hadn't changed her face, nor her voice. With her magical signature unchanged as well, it was rare for anyone not to recognize her. Rather, the townsfolk simply watched over her with warm smiles, thinking, "The Demon Lord really does love cute clothes, doesn't she."
"Little miss, these meat skewers are delicious. Have one on the house!"
We b̃n̄о̄v е l̂ Е ńum а
"We've got cookies over here!"
"How about a freshly baked waffle?"
Everywhere she went, she was offered food. Before she knew it, both hands were buried in an abundance of treats. Telling herself this was all part of an incognito investigation into the common people's lives, she bit into the waffle she was holding.
"MmmmmmmMMMMMM!!"
Her cheeks melted into a blissful smile. In a society where most demons had little interest in food, the fact that such delicious things could now be enjoyed filled her with profound satisfaction.
"This is why food tours— I mean, incognito investigations—are impossible to give up, ja."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"And what part of this qualifies as an incognito investigation, Your Majesty?!"
"I'm investigating whether there's delicious food around... wait—?!"
Startled that someone had addressed her despite her disguise, a surprised yelp escaped her. Turning, she found the middle-aged man—Sebas, the head butler, who had the audacity to tell her to study and other such impertinent things.
"Ah— S-Sebas...! N-No, you've got it wrong. I wasn't eating anything, ja."
"With crumbs on your mouth and food in both hands, that statement carries absolutely no conviction whatsoever."
"Ah—"
W е̂b̌ ñ o v̀е̊l̄ Ѐ n̊ū ṁа̌
Lucille hastily hid the food behind her back. Seeing this, Sebas couldn't help but sigh.
"Honestly, Your Majesty... Could you not direct a little more attention toward the Demon Kingdom's affairs?"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Despite appearances, I do pay attention, ja. I hear the regional sweets are delicious, too."
"*Sigh.* Please, just occasionally look beyond food."
Lucille paid Sebas's sigh no mind whatsoever.
"Recently, more and more demons have been colluding with foreign dignitaries and acting on their own whims. If we recklessly stir the hornet's nest, someone calling themselves a Hero may come to attack."
W̆ е b̈ ń оvе l E n̄u ṁа̌
"Ugh..."
The Hero—a villainous human who, long ago, had invaded demon territory and defeated the Demon Lord of that era. In a society where strength was everything, the Hero had cowardly formed a party to face the Demon Lord with numbers, relentlessly exploiting every weakness. Moreover, historical texts recorded that the Hero had formed a party alongside the Dragonslayer—a brute of pure muscle—a witch of a Saint, a deviant Sage, and a doormat of a Thief. The tale had become such a staple that it was now beloved as a children's picture book.
"B-But the rampages of rogue demons are nothing new, ja? Demons have always been difficult to control."
"Speaking of which, I recently heard that the title of Dragonslayer has been granted in the Kingdom of Inlark. That makes the third, following the Hero and the Saint."
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"Mmm... That is troubling, ja."
To Lucille, who had been read that very picture book until quite recently, the Hero's party was a mortal enemy to be crushed as soon as possible. The Demon Lord of old had apparently entertained the foolish notion of cultivating the Hero to be his servant. To Lucille, this was pure nonsense. Strike them down with overwhelming force while they're still weak. That was the bare minimum required to secure peace.
Ë ǹ û ma. і d
"Very well. Perhaps it's time I took action myself. I'll leave proper instructions for my double, ja."
"Then it's convenient timing—I have a report that the Hero, the Saint, and the Dragonslayer are currently gathered at Alf Village, near the border."
"Understood, ja. I shall set out at once."
"Indeed. Do take your time."
Expression unchanging, Sebas gave a slight bow. Having completed her preparations, Lucille departed the Trismaris Demon Kingdom with great enthusiasm.
◇ ◆ ◇
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A month had passed since I'd received the letter commissioning the Demon Lord's subjugation. I was, as always, building my own house in the territory.
All the residents' homes were being built from timber, which meant we were currently facing a wood shortage. So I was constructing my house from stone. The problem there, naturally, was mana consumption. Since I was creating from nothing with magic, it drained an enormous amount. That said, if I were only building the house, my mana had grown so much that I wouldn't run out—in fact, I'd have excess.
The real restriction was Fii. If I used too much magic, she'd put a stop to it, and the next day magic would be forbidden. So I'd been careful to always appear as though I had plenty of energy to spare, no matter how much magic I actually used.
And now, with one more push today, the house would finally be complete.
It stood two stories tall, directly north of the central fountain plaza. Rooms for Fii, Ellu, and Sasha, plus my own room and an office. A kitchen, and a dining hall—generously sized, of course. A large bath, and proper toilets. The rest were mostly empty rooms. I'd be in trouble if asked whether it really needed to be this big, but since there was nowhere else to stay besides the inn, I'd built extra rooms so anyone could be accommodated in an emergency.
"It's huge... desu."
Ẃ еb̌ǹ оv̀ е l̇ Еn uḿа̇
"It really is so big."
"Yeah. I didn't expect it to turn out this large myself."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Master Yuri is the leader, so this much is necessary. It could even be bigger."
"Like a castle, for instance?"
"That would be ideal."
I'd meant it as a joke, but for some reason Ellu nodded in agreement. She must have been playing along with her own jest to put me at ease.
Ѐ n̈ŭmа
"Lord Yuri, congratulations on completing your home."
"Fii-chan, you're welcome at my place anytime, you know. Ellu-chan, too."
Emilina and Ema had come to see the completed mansion. The territory wasn't so large that its completion could be kept secret for long. And if those two had heard, the news must have spread to all the other residents...
"Yuri, it's finally done! Party time, with freshly caught wolf meat!"
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"I've acquired celebratory waffles as well."
"All I've got is dwarf liquor. Want some?"
Е̂ n u m á
"M-Me... bring something too..."
"No, no. None of you needed to bring anything. And I'm still a child, so stop offering me alcohol."
Fritz, Alan, Dozle, and Rick arrived.
Alan had finally opened a shop in the territory and begun business in earnest. His main customers were still the mercenaries, but business seemed brisk. He'd told me that the so-called refrigerator was selling like hotcakes, especially among nobles, and since the magic within ran out after about a year, it guaranteed steady, recurring income. Incidentally, in Alan's mind, the term "refrigerator" now referred to the massive walk-in freezer I had built. I hadn't missed the look of awe on his face when he murmured, "So this... is a true refrigerator."
Still, I found it puzzling. New houses were being finished day and night across the territory. Why was mine the cause for a party?
"With this, I can build my church next."
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I ignored Emilina's smiling remark and reluctantly ushered everyone into the dining hall to prepare for the party. I set out ten plates and arranged them on the table.
"Huh? Are we short?"
I'd counted correctly, but for some reason my own plate was missing. Wondering at this, I went to fetch one more—and when I returned, everyone had brought out the food they'd prepared and were setting it out.
"Hmm. It looks delicious, ja. I'm positively famished, ja."
"Right. Shall we dig in, then... Wait."
Just as I was about to take out the food, I noticed—when had she gotten here?—a golden-haired young girl in a white robe with ear-shaped hood, sitting among us as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Е n̆ ūṁ а. і̆ d
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