Chapter 1: Being Summoned to the Capital
The group moved to the Peace of Mind Inn - Hideout’s first floor. This hall was meant only for serving food to the guests and didn’t function as a restaurant, so it looked more like a noble’s dining hall. It was a wide room with an elongated table in the middle with several chairs around it. The walls were adorned with flowers and portraits, and there wasn’t anything resembling a menu in sight.
Sitting on the furthest chair was the governor, Galford. Boris and the other soldiers were waiting outside the room. Sylvie was also seated opposite Diablo’s group.
I didn’t do anything wrong...did I?
Not that he recalled, anyway... He felt the sort of pressure a student would feel when they were called to the student council office after being caught making out behind the gym.
Never thought I’d be in this situation when I can’t even talk to a girl properly!
His lack of confidence only made it harder to stay.
As he stood silently, Rem parted her lips to speak first, asking, “What business brings you here today, Sir Galford?”
“I sent a decree calling for your urgent presence the other day. Did you not receive it?”
Diablo barely recalled the inn’s poster girl, little Mei, delivering him some exaggerated letter to which he said he’d read later...and proceeded to throw it off the side of the bed. This tendency of his to leave things he didn’t quite care about for later was part of why he couldn’t blend in with normal society...
“...Diablo is not subordinate to you, and neither are any of the other adventurers. What authority do you have to summon his presence?”
“Royal authority. All citizens of Lyferia are obligated to abide by the king’s word and order.”
“...The king’s orders...?!” Rem yelped with a daunted expression.
“But of course.”
“...How odd... It’s natural for the king to become interested in Diablo after he defeated the Demon Overlord, but it’s only been three days since... Wouldn’t news of the victory only just arrive in the capital now?”
If the summons from the king had already arrived now, it meant that they’d known of the triumph for well over three days.
Galford shook his head. “This isn’t something a mere adventurer should know of, but...there is a special method of communication we employ when dealing with matters pertaining to the country’s survival. Let’s just say that all that happened during the battle with the Demon Overlord was reported in excruciating detail to the capital.”
“That sort of communication exists?!” Even the usually calm Rem was taken by surprise.
“It was made only recently, and was used for the first time during this battle.”
“...That’s a fascinating bit of news, but...let us return to the topic at hand. What did His Majesty want?”
“His Grace sent out a decree upon learning of the death of the Demon Overlord, demanding Diablo go to the royal capital... That was three days ago.”
It seemed they’d stalled until now, claiming he needed time to heal and rest, but that excuse was beginning to wear thin.
“Your accomplishments are just too big to hide this time, Diablo.” Sylvie shrugged. “When you defeated the army of a hundred Fallen, we covered it up by saying all the adventurers had done it.”
“Indeed...” Galford nodded. “Modinaram’s power was overwhelming. It was even capable of forcing through the barrier that has held other Demon Lords in check in the past. When we fought the Demon Lord of the Mind, Enkvaros, thirty years ago, I was able to put up a good fight, but this time, even I was powerless...”
“There wasn’t much you could do. We didn’t have a hero’s buff, either.”
“If we were to report that we pushed back such a formidable foe simply with the aid of Faltra’s garrisoned troops and adventurers, it would lead to the kingdom making misguided decisions regarding its internal defense system in the future. As such, we came to the realization that keeping your existence hidden would only harm Lyferia’s national interest.”
Galford had basically admitted to keeping Diablo’s existence hidden from the king until now, but Diablo decided that pointing that out would be more trouble than it was worth. Diablo hated politics; he didn’t think much about it and had no desire to get involved now.
“I am merely an official who’s been entrusted with governing this land,” Galford said. “A direct order from the king carries an entirely different weight.”
“...True. Ignoring the king’s orders would be considered treason against the crown. We wouldn’t be allowed to remain in Lyferia any longer if we did so...”
“Indeed. His Grace is a wise man, but can be overcome with emotion when things do not go as he orders. It would be safer to avoid unnecessary friction with him.”
That doesn’t sound like a wise king to me. If anything, that sounds more like a child throwing a tantrum...
“It’s not all bad, Diablo!” Sylvie said encouragingly. “Meeting the king is a great honor for a commoner, and you may even get a reward for defeating the Demon Overlord!”
“Is Diablo really a subject of the kingdom of Lyferia though?” Shera tilted her head. “Am I? Greenwood is part of the elven kingdom.”
Rem shrugged. “So long as you live in Lyferia’s territories, even if you belong to Greenwood, you must still abide by your duties as Lyferian subjects. It says as much on a placard outside Faltra’s city gates.”
“It does?”
“...You’re obligated to pay taxes, too,” Rem candidly advised Shera, who evidently hadn’t read the placard.
Incidentally, Diablo had never read it either, if only because he couldn’t read this world’s language yet.
“I understand what you’re trying to say,” Diablo scoffed. “That I must pay the king of Lyferia a visit.”
Galford nodded. “We can have a military carriage prepared for you if you need it. I will assign bodyguards for you as well.”
“I’ll come with you, too, Diablo.” Sylvie leaned forward.
It seemed they’d all assumed that Rem and Shera would naturally be joining him as well. Diablo, however, rose from his seat.
“Laughable! If he wishes an audience, let the king come to me!”
Everyone stared at him in surprise, stupefied.
I don’t doubt disobeying the king will cause trouble, but a Demon Lord obeying a king’s invitation would be so lame!
All things considered, Diablo couldn’t hold a conversation without his role play. He’d surely slip up and say something bad if he didn’t keep it up. Going to the king would land him in hot water, but not going would land him in an equally big mess. In which case, he may as well avoid doing anything bothersome. And so, abiding by his shut-in NEET way of thinking, Diablo put that decision into words worthy of a Demon Lord.
“If he wishes to have me submit to him, let him beat me into submission first! No matter how many soldiers he brings, they will not fell me!”
“...I thought as much.” Galford crossed his arms. It seemed he assumed Diablo wouldn’t obediently follow orders.
“Can’t you reconsider, Diablo?” Sylvie asked with a concerned expression. “You’d have to waste away your life in this town at this rate.”
He certainly didn’t want that. But if he did go, he could easily predict what he’d end up saying in the presence of the king...
“I am Diablo! A Demon Lord from another world!”
Even if he were to manage to somehow not fumble his self-introduction, he’d let slip some Demon Lord-ly line somewhere along the way. Then his life in Faltra wouldn’t be a problem, because his literal life would be on the chopping board. All this led Diablo to the simple conclusion that he was better off not going to the capital in the first place.
If he would’ve thought things through more, he may have come up with a better solution. But if he had that kind of forward thinking attitude, he would’ve surely lived a more fulfilling life in his original world. He wouldn’t have been so devoted to online gaming to the extent he’d gotten the moniker of “Demon Lord.”
If I knew how to entertain important people like that, I wouldn’t be stuck with this communication disorder, would I?!
“Rem Galleu, Shera L. Greenwood...do you agree? This is not a wise choice, if you were to ask for my opinion.”
“Ahaha...” Shera laughed. “If it’s what Diablo decides, I’m fine with it. I’m the queen of Greenwood, so if we can’t stay in Lyferia, we’ll just go back home.”
“What foolishness. The king will simply declare war on Greenwood if you do so.”
“Huh?! I-I don’t want that...”
Diablo clicked his tongue, now realizing that that was a possible outcome. But Shera was never one to think things through, for better or worse...
“Even so, if Diablo’s decided, then it’s fine, isn’t it? He’s the king of Greenwood, after all.”
Galford’s gaze warned that this was out of the question.
“And what is your take on this?”
“...The same as Shera’s, more or less. I’ll abide by whatever Diablo decides.” Rem’s cheeks then flushed. “I’m...Diablo’s wife, after all.”
“Huh?!” Sylvie widened her eyes and stood up, knocking her chair back. “Rem, is that for real?! You and Diablo got married?!”
They had, it seemed. Not that Diablo could really believe it. How did he get himself into this...? However, the fact remained that he’d given her a wedding ring. He was terribly embarrassed by it all, but denying it too much might end up slighting Rem’s feelings. Most of all, these things required he properly admit to them, and verbally at that. Not to mention that role playing required he prepare himself, days ahead if need be.
“Hmph...” Diablo puffed up his chest. “I am a Demon Lord. My belongings are free to call themselves as they wish!”
Nailed it!
...Or so he thought. It had taken him half a day just to come up with that one line.
“Are you really okay with this?” Sylvie asked Rem in an admonishing fashion.
What’s with that, “What the heck do you find in him?” tone? Do you have any idea how soft and brittle my Demon Lord nerves are? What are you gonna do if I cry, huh?!
Diablo flinched inwardly.
“...My feelings are already decided.” Rem nodded. “Still, not going to the capital would be disrespectful... I will go in his place. I am his wife, after all.”
That last remark was intentionally repeated.
“Oh, then I’ll go too!” Shera leaned forward. “I’m his wife too!”
“...Weren’t you going back to Greenwood?”
“If Diablo isn’t going back, I’m not going either!”
Diablo had no intention of going back to Greenwood at the moment. He didn’t dislike the elven kingdom, but this world was already lacking when it came to entertainment. By contrast, Faltra had a variety of cuisine, and one could enjoy street performances and plays. If he’d just go ahead and learn the language already, there were books to enjoy as well. The elven kingdom only had fruit and music. While those were wonderful and refined in their own ways, too much of any good thing would eventually make it tiresome.
“Hmph...” Galford began voicing his conclusion. “In that case, Rem Galleu and Shera L. Greenwood will both go to the capital as representatives. You are his ladies...and one of you is even royalty. His Majesty will save face if that’s the case. You have no objections, yes?”
Diablo was asked for confirmation, responding by turning around in disinterest.
“Hmph... Go if you must. I have no reason to stop you. Do as you wish.”
As he left the inn behind him, Diablo was cheering them on in his heart with a, “Good luck, and thanks, you two!”
†
The next morning—
Rem and Shera traveled aboard a military carriage, with thirty regional knights given to them as escorts. Quite the heavy guard.
“...I’m getting queasy...” Rem said anxiously, peeking her head out of the carriage’s window.
“It’s not even moving yet. This army carriage is larger and heavier than ours. I don’t see it shaking too much.”
“...I hope so.”
Rem was prone to motion sickness, the calm before the storm getting to her.
“We’ll buy you tons of souvenirs, Diablo!” Shera, on the other hand, seemed excited.
“Don’t. It’s unnecessary.”
“Oh, and we’ll get to see Alicia and Horn and Lumachina for the first time in forever. I’m looking forward to it!”
“Hmm.”
Phones didn’t exist in this world. There was a postal network, but it was time consuming and expensive to use, so it wasn’t commonly used. Because of this, none of them had a grasp on what Alicia was up to in the capital. Diablo hoped she was doing well.
Oh, right, didn’t Galford say something about a communication method between him and the capital? I wonder if it’s based on magic...
That same man, who was present, walked up to Diablo and whispered in his ear.
“I didn’t think you’d entrust these two to me... Do you not remember how we fought over Shera L. Greenwood when she was but a princess?”
“Hmph...”
It felt like it happened ages ago... Soon after Diablo had rescued Shera, who had been abducted by Prince Keera, Galford tried to take her away. Diablo had to fight him to save Shera once more.
“It’s ironic, isn’t it... If I’d have outwitted you back then, the Demon Overlord would’ve burned Faltra to the ground right about now.”
“This is merely a whim on my behalf. Do not expect more of me the next time.”
“But you are fine with entrusting them to me, yes? There is room for one more in the carriage.”
“Leave me, you stubborn fool.”
Being here almost seemed like he was about to accompany them and set off as well. Instead, Diablo raised a hand and made to leave. Shera waved back, while Rem looked at him anxiously.
“We’re off~”
“...I’ll send you a letter when we get there.”
He bid them farewell, for now. He was anxious himself without them by his side...but it’d be for the best if only the two of them met the king. If nothing else, there was no chance of them blurting out any Demon Lord role play lines in front of the king.
“This carriage carries the queens of Greenwood, setting out to hold an audience with His Majesty in the capital,” Galford told the soldiers. “In the name of Faltra’s honor, make sure they are delivered to their destination safely!”
“We will guard them with our lives!”
“We’ve only repelled a fraction of the army of Fallen. Do not let your guard down, even within the kingdom’s borders!”
“Yes, sir!”
After such a pretentious exchange, the carriage set out. Hearing a trumpet sound behind him to rouse the troops, Diablo went back to the inn.
†
Climbing up the staircase of the inn, Diablo found a maid standing in the hallway. It wasn’t one of the inn’s workers, but Rose, the magimatic maid. Looking at her from the front, his eyes were naturally drawn to her large chest... But looking at her from behind, the back of her dress was open and exposed. It was a very unique type of maid outfit.
There was a reason for her outfit’s peculiar design, though. A Dimensional Transcendence Device was loaded in her back, which was in charge of pulling a weapon called the Magimatic Sol from the interstice between worlds. She was quite powerful, but also extremely heavy. Her other flaw was that she couldn’t be healed. Her left arm still had a crack running through it—a wound she’d received in the battle earlier. It would’ve been a fatal wound for one of the races, but she was mechanical, so the harm wasn’t nearly as bad.
“Welcome back, Master.”
“Can your arm be fixed?”
“If Rose can remain at Master’s side, this sort of damage does not even register as a hindrance.”
While it seemed like she’d answered the question, the answer meant absolutely nothing.
“So you have to go back to the maintenance bed again...” Diablo sighed.
“...Yes.” Rose nodded sadly.
“Stay strong,” Diablo said, putting his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll have need of your strength in the future.”
A shiver ran through her body. “Aaah, how kind of Master! But Rose could only answer that kindness by...by being damaged by such a trifling foe! Rose is ashamed... Please, verbally abuse Rose to Master’s heart’s content!”
“N-No...”
The “trifling foe” was the Demon Overlord Modinaram. That night, the people of Faltra fought to defend the city from the Demon Overlord’s charge after it went berserk. Diablo wasn’t there to see that battle, but from what he’d heard, Rose’s contribution to the fight was enormous.
“Anyway, just take the time to rest.”
Rose bowed deeply, then, surprisingly enough, changed the topic of her own volition.
“Heheh... Master gave those two the wedding rings.”
“Huh?! Well, yes, I did...”
This magimatic maid held an eccentric level of devotion for Diablo, bordering on psychotic at times. Diablo was concerned as to what she might do if she found out he’d gotten “married,” but to his surprise, Rose took it rather well.
“What a joyous occasion! Rose must give the two Rose’s blessing.”
“R-Right...”
“Heheheh...”
Something felt off... Rose had sworn total obedience to Diablo and only ever cared about his happiness. This was all fine and well, except for the fact that her idea of what counted as “Diablo’s happiness” didn’t necessarily align with Diablo’s idea of the same.
“Answer me, Rose...” Diablo asked cautiously. “Do you truly bless the fact that I married both Rem and Shera?”
“Rose does not understand Master’s question.” The mechanical doll tilted her head, as expressionless as ever. “Is that pair of wedding rings not currently equipped on the Pantherian and the elf?”
“Huh?” Diablo called out with his true voice by mistake. He was that surprised.
“In that case, the ones who are married are those two. That is truly, truly joyous news.”
“Wh-Whadidyousay?!”
“Rose sees those two set out on a journey together. A honeymoon, yes? How envious. Now, Master, shut yourself within the Demon Lord’s Labyrinth with Rose!”
“Hey!” Diablo grabbed Rose tightly by her shoulder. “Don’t I have more wedding rings?!”
“...Master only had that one pair in the vault.”
“Ugh... Figures...”
In Cross Reverie, wedding rings were useless items that gave no effect when equipped. That was why only couples equipped them, as proof of them being normies. It was a gross, saccharine sort of item, but Diablo being a collector, he obtained a pair and threw them in his vault, never thinking to touch the wretched things again.
I never imagined I’d be summoned to another world and end up giving those rings away to two girls!
Back when he played the game, he of course never expected such a situation to happen.
“I thought I married them.”
“Master did marry them, to each other. Congratulations, Rose says.”
“Uuugh...” Diablo cradled his head in his hands.
Does this mean Greenwood doesn’t have a king again? Or is Rem the king now? Does having two queens work? Never mind that, what would Rem think when she finds out...?
After a long moment of introspection and pondering, Diablo came to a verdict.
I’m an idiot and a moron.
“Aaaaaah!”
As Diablo fell to his knees, Rose nestled against him. “Master has Rose, and Rose has no need for a wedding ring to swear Rose’s eternal loyalty to Master.”
For a moment, Diablo was almost moved to tears. But that wasn’t the problem here. Even a shut-in, socially inept NEET like him felt some tinge of responsibility for this world. He couldn’t neglect the kingdom of Greenwood, and he didn’t want to step over Rem’s feelings either.
“I must do something before they find out!”
And so he declared something rather pedantic again.
“Master is so lovely despite being so laughable!”
...I am?
Diablo never could get a handle on Rose’s sense of values...
For the time being, he’d decided to take the damaged magimatic maid in for repairs within the Demon Lord’s Labyrinth.
“Let’s go, Rose.”
“As Master wishes.”
Shera and Rem had only just departed for the royal capital, and would return in half a month at best. Before they did, Diablo would have to think of a way to fix this mess...
†
Using teleportation, Diablo escorted Rose to the Demon Lord’s Labyrinth. Resting on the maintenance bed would repair all the damage she’d sustained thus far. Diablo had no idea how it worked, though...
His teleportation magic allowed Diablo and his party members to travel to any town he’d visited before (in Rose’s case, she counted as one of his items). Now, this begged the question as to why he didn’t teleport Rem and Shera to the capital?
Simply put, the capital’s portal—the point they’d teleport to—was in the royal palace. Rather, that was how it worked in Cross Reverie. If they were to appear in the middle of the palace all of a sudden, they’d be treated as suspicious trespassers; the very image of criminal scum. In the game, where teleportation was common, the palace was open to everyone, but would it be the same in this world where teleportation was rare? Diablo didn’t know. In the end, it meant he couldn’t teleport to the capital without risk.
After dropping Rose off, Diablo teleported back to Faltra, its portal in the center of the town square. It was a place many people passed through, so his sudden appearance startled what unfortunate folk happened to be around there. Though they took it as some new kind of street performance, as they suddenly began applauding him, no one realizing he was the hero who’d defeated the Demon Overlord.
Having fled the square and returned to the Peace of Mind Inn - Hideout, the time was already past noon. When he opened the front door...
“Hm?”
“Ah...”
A girl carrying a sword was coming down the stairs. She was the dwarven swordmaster, Sasara. She was dressed in her usual Japanese attire, and had a katana with the symbol of the crescent moon etched into its pommel sheathed at her waist. At her back was a somewhat large rucksack.
“...Where are you going?”
“Oh, good.” She smiled at Diablo’s query. “I couldn’t find you, so I was going to ask Klem to deliver you the message.”
“What message?”
“We’ve defeated the Demon Overlord, and things are finally settling down around town. Since I’ve completed my duty, I’ll be going back to the mountain.”
The swordmaster lived near the frontier town of Sormas, in a retreat sitting atop Mount Tenzan. Since the most recent battle had the survival of the races hanging in the balance, she lent Faltra and Diablo her strength as an exception this one time.
Diablo nodded. “So, you’re going home.”
“Yes. I haven’t made a grave for Father yet.”
“Ah, right...”
Just before this battle, she dueled with her father, the former swordmaster, who’d become an oni. She hadn’t had the chance to mourn him yet after striking him down.
“I’m glad I helped defend this town. I also learned that there are some really powerful monsters out there. It seems I still have much to train for.”
“Hmm...”
“I slept through most of the fighting that night... I’m so sorry. On days where I go all out, I just get so exhausted...”
You were still a huge help.
The Demon Overlord Modinaram utilized martial arts that enabled it to always hit and made each hit an instant kill. A normal warrior wouldn’t even be able to buy time against him. Sasara, however, had the ability to cut through and offset her opponent’s attacks. If she weren’t around, the losses would’ve been far greater, and the fight would’ve been that much harder.
Still, a Demon Lord couldn’t offer such honest words of thanks.
“You worked well.” Diablo crossed his arms grandly. “I praise your efforts.”
He thought his words came off as a bit overbearing...but Sasara’s eyes widened in joy.
“Really?! That’s a relief...”
“...Do you want me to escort you back with my teleportation?”
“No, I’m finally out of town, so I’d rather walk back and enjoy the travel.”
“That’s certainly an option.”
A woman traveling alone was dangerous, but on second thought, he pitied any monster stupid enough to pick a fight with a level 200 warrior like Sasara. Bandits weren’t likely to get the drop on her either.
“Take care, Diablo.” Sasara bowed politely. “You are a magnificent sorcerer, but don’t neglect your swordsmanship training either.”
“Obviously.”
“And do come over to visit every now and then. I’ll serve you some great soba.”
“If it strikes my fancy, I will.”
“Heheh... I’ll be off then.”
Sasara opened the front door and left. As the door closed behind her, the room filled with a deafening silence.
“...”
Diablo looked up at the ceiling, then glared down at his feet. After taking a deep breath...
“Sasara!”
He’d turned his body around and pushed the inn’s door open quite vigorously. She’d already tottered down the street, but turned around in flustered surprise just as she was about to make a turn at the alley.
“Y-Yes?! I-Is something...the matter?”
After hesitating for a moment, Diablo steeled himself and called out:
“Thanks to you, I was able to defeat the Demon Overlord! You have my gratitude...Master!”
After standing still for a moment, Sasara’s expression turned to joy.
“Y-Yes!” Tears were streaming down her cheeks.
Not thinking he’d bring her to tears, Diablo was taken aback. “H-Hey, Sasara!”
“U-Uwaaah... I-I’m so happy...I could be...helpful!”
“Stop crying, you’re a swordmaster!”
“B-But... Aaah...”
“Argh, dammit, I’m taking it back! An embarrassing person who cries in public is no master of mine!”
“Nnnng, aaah... I-It’s too late already, you called me Master and I’ll remember it forever!”
“Tch...”
“I-If anything...I should be the grateful one here. Thank you for being my pupil...Diablo...” Even with such large tears rolling down her cheeks, Sasara grinned.
“Hmph...” Diablo averted his gaze awkwardly.
From the corner of his eyes, he could see Sasara bowing deeply again, with a bashful smile on her face. This time, she really did set out, Diablo watching her retreat.
†
“So, the swordmaster went back?”
After Diablo stood in front of the inn for a few moments, Klem came out.
The Demon Lord Krebskulm... Right now, they were in the form of a young girl. As always, she was dressed in a rather flashy outfit consisting of a large hat and skirt, meant to hide her horns and tail, and had makeup applied to her by Mei, the inn’s poster girl.
“Sasara has her duties as a swordmaster to consider,” Diablo replied.
“That one is cursed by God as well. Pitiful girl, she is.”
“Cursed by God?”
“Did you really believe she became that powerful due to inborn talent alone?”
Sasara’s strength really is exceptional, Diablo thought. It’s pretty hard leveling up in this world, and even if it’s just once a day, being able to cancel out all the damage from any attack is unusual. Just calling it a unique constitution doesn’t fully explain it.
“You think God is involved?”
“Certain of it. God’s stench is all over her. I don’t know what God’s intentions were in giving that girl such extraordinary abilities, though.”
“Suspicious.”
This being was probably different from the God Diablo knew about in his own world, but this one definitely had an existence the people called God. They had broken the original Demon Lord into fragments and sealed Krebskulm within Rem’s ancestors. They were the one who gave Lumachina her power to perform miracles, and likely the one who granted Sasara her talent. It was truly hard to believe.
“What is this ‘God’ thinking? If They can grant that much talent to someone on a whim and are strong enough to seal the toughest Demon Lord, saving the people when they’re in need of help should be easy.”
“Who’s to say? This Demon Lord has no idea.”
Even High Priest Lumachina had said that “God’s ways are unknowable.” Perhaps that was all there was to it. Maybe God had no purpose and was simply some sort of natural phenomenon. Maybe it merely seemed like They had a will of their own. These were all entirely possible conclusions.
“Well, so be it.” Klem waved her hand dismissively. “Let us leave this talk of God behind us. It makes this Demon Lord itchy in the tail.”
“True enough... Having two Demon Lords hypothesize about another deity is an odd thing.”
“Diablo! Let’s go have lunch!”
“Very well. What of Edelgard?”
“She’s working today.”
“Hmm...”
Come to think of it, Petre’s, the bakery in the southern district, was reopening for business that day. Everyday routines were gradually returning to Faltra.
With Klem at the helm, they headed to the northern district, when Diablo suddenly became acutely aware of the people’s stares all around them.
“Klem, should you really be walking around like this? People know you’re a Demon Lord now, don’t they?”
When she fought the Demon Overlord, many soldiers had witnessed her undisguised appearance. Despite camouflaging herself now, plenty of people knew who she was. Was it because that, despite knowing this “child” was a Demon Lord, many had witnessed her fighting to protect the city and chose not banish her out of gratitude...?
“No one has appeared to challenge this Demon Lord!”
Still, a surprisingly high number of people in this world seemed to operate on emotion rather than common sense...
“...I suppose there are all sorts of people among the races. Be careful though. Even if a blundering fool approaches you...”
“Don’t kill, don’t die, and obey your orders—correct? This Demon Lord remembers. You’ve got nothing to be concerned about.”
Diablo shrugged his shoulders. She was acting much more mature now. Children certainly had a way of growing up fast. Though Diablo wasn’t sure if calling her a child was quite apt...
They came once again to Appetissant, a restaurant in the northern district they’d visited once before with Rem and Shera.
“Welcome, Madam Klem!”
“Mmm!”
She’s already being treated as a regular...
While it was still a high quality, albeit fairly inexpensive, restaurant for the northern district’s price range, Diablo couldn’t hide his concern at Edelgard’s hard-earned cuisine expenses...
“Rest assured, Diablo!” Klem said. “This is lunch time after all!”
“R-Right...”
A dish that would cost 10,000 friths during evening hours would cost a mere 3,000 at lunch.
That’s still pretty expensive, though...
For the market price of this town, one could stay at an inn for 3,000 friths a night. For now, though, Klem took a seat while humming pleasantly.
“All right! This Demon Lord is in the mood for the ‘A’ lunch!”
As he looked at the cheerful, small Demon Lord, Diablo checked the money he had in his pocket as a waiter approached their table.
“May I take your orders?”
“Hmph... I already ate before coming here... I’ll just have some bread and water.” Diablo made the most frugal order possible in the grandest manner he could muster.
†
After finishing their lunches, Klem went to Petre’s, Edelgard’s workplace, to buy herself some more biscuits. She ordered Diablo to come along, but he had other things to do in the meantime.
And so, Diablo walked alone through town.
I have to do something about those rings!
He’d looked through the jewelry and magic items stores, but none seemed to sell them. Sighing heavily, Diablo prepared himself to check the umpteenth store.
“Howdy, Diablo!”
A floozy had passed him by, calling out to him in the process.
...Or rather, it was the scantily dressed guildmaster of the Adventurer’s Guild, Sylvie.
“Sigh...”
“What’s with the long face? Is it because Rem and Shera went to the capital?”
“No. It has nothing to do with...”
But as he spoke, a thought crossed his mind. Sylvie may look like a child, but she was a seasoned, knowledgeable adventurer with many connections.
Maybe she knows something about weddings rings? Asking her might be a good idea...
Diablo stared at her intently. Sylvie flinched back in concern.
“Wh-What’s wrong...?”
It was rather difficult to ask what was on his mind while maintaining his Demon Lord-ly dignity.
“Hmph...” Diablo scoffed. “I desire a wedding ring. Hand one over!”
“H-Huh?!” Sylvie’s face went red. “M-Me, give a w-w-w-wedding ring...t-to you...?!”
She’d gotten the wrong idea here!
“No! You misunderstand, Sylvie! I desire two!”
“Two rings?!”
Such a misunderstanding didn’t seem like it would be so easily resolved...
“B-But aren’t you...already married to Rem and Shera?” Sylvie asked, fidgeting nervously. “S-So, why are you asking me... I-It’s pretty problematic for me. And there’s a pretty big age gap between us... I mean, a man and a woman have to consider their positions in life, you know? B-But...well, i-if you insist...”
“Wait! Calm down already.” Somewhere along the path of this upside-down conversation, Diablo had ended up being the more flustered of the two.
Left with no choice, Diablo explained things from scratch.
“T-To begin with, I already had one pair of wedding rings, but...”
Talking while standing in the middle of the street made him very uncomfortable, so he took Sylvie to an open café where they could talk in peace.
There were chairs and parasols to block out the sun in front of this small store. Some coffee shops in the central district started this new style, which other stores were quick to imitate.
“So the wedding ring you gave to Rem forms a pair with Shera’s?” Sylvie asked, holding a wooden mug in one hand.
“Mm.”
“And without either of them knowing, Rem and Shera ended up getting married?”
“Apparently so.”
“Yikes, Diablo, you’re terrible!”
“U-Ugh...”
Her words stabbed directly into his heart.
“Ahaha,” Sylvie laughed. “Well, you didn’t know, so I guess it’s not entirely your fault.”
“Nnng...”
“Now you want to do something to fix this mess before they find out.”
Diablo nodded.
“Hmm.” Sylvie crossed her arms. “Then we’d need to prepare another ring, and swap it out when Rem gets back?”
“Right.”
“...Or maybe you could just tell the truth and have them understand.”
Uh, yeah, how about no?
His crippling social anxiety was especially bad when he considered the other person might think poorly of him. Knowing he was definitely going to disappoint someone in this situation frightened him.
“Don’t look down on me!” Diablo exclaimed haughtily. “Do you think a Demon Lord such as myself would have trouble obtaining an SR rarity ring? Are you trying to insult me?!”
“Do you have any leads about where to obtain a wedding ring?”
“Ugh...”
If he did, he wouldn’t be consulting Sylvie...
Cross Reverie had a unique quest in place for couples who wanted to obtain wedding rings. Diablo had checked the Adventurer’s Guild here, but couldn’t find any such quest. This world was realistic to the point that it was pretty annoying.
“Well, it’s a request from the hero who saved the town, so sure.” Sylvie smiled wryly. “I’ll help you out, why not.”
Oh?!
Diablo found himself leaning forward, but quickly leaned back into a more dignified pose.
“Endeavor in my name. I’ll allow it!”
“Let’s go on an adventure then—to the Viridian Cathedral!”
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