The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody - Volume 2 - Chapter 30

CHAPTER 30 

The Ex–Demon Lord and the Succubus Girl 

With one big event done, the other took its place.

At this rate, the threat from the demons seemed more and more like a fake or bluff. The festival was already on the fifth day. Including this day, there were only two more days of events.

We could only pray everything would pass without incident.

Day Five. Meaning everyone was turning their attention away from the class booths toward the Sword King Battle Tournament, which was apparent from the passionate cheers that ratcheted up a notch and filled the area.

We were reaching the end of the preliminaries on this day—the source of their fever pitch. Each bracket promised to be a high-level battle that decided the top participants for the main event.

Among those in my circle, Ireena, Sylphy, and Olivia had already been chosen to fight in the final battle. And even though I was just brimming with dismay, I chose to advance myself, too.

Which meant the only one left was Ginny.

But as we watched her match from the spectator stands, we could see her opponent was beating her up.

“Ngh…!” she grunted as her blade gritted against the double-edged sword of her opponent.

And her petite body was blasted back as though she was constructed out of paper. Her enemy in this battle possessed strength that was far from the norm as an expert swordfighter whose chances of winning rivaled even Olivia’s. Anyone could see the obvious difference in power… Ginny was already beginning to show her lowered spirits.

…This wasn’t good. At this rate, she’d lose. This mentality would squash every last potential for her to win. And I, for many reasons, wanted Ginny to win.

“Ginny! It’s too soon to give up! Fight until the very end and never give up hope! ” I called out with all my strength.

Did it reach her? Something in Ginny’s face changed: Her downtrodden expression switched to a red-hot fighting spirit.

“Graaaaaaah!” Ginny let out a war cry that seared the soul as she charged forward.

She was knocked down, thrown backward, over and over again, but each time, she got back on her feet.

And in the end, as if daunted by her tenacity, her opponent’s defense slipped and created an opening.

There was no way she would miss the perfect chance right before her.

“Hyah!” She released a mighty scream, and with the glint of her sword, its tip touched her opponent’s jugular.

And with that attack, her opponent lost consciousness.

“A-and score! A complete one-eighty! We have undiscovered talent moving on to the final battle! Ginny Fin de Salvaaaaaaaaaan!” 

Paired with the commentator’s excitement, the crowd broke into the most thunderous cheer of the day. Ginny was showered in their applause, gazing all around the stadium… As soon as she spotted us, those lovely, cherubic features flashed a captivating smile, and she bowed once.

The Sword King Battle Tournament and the play had been instrumental in advertising our class booth, and business continued to boom at the Erotic Maid Café.

Though initially there had been a huge variance in sales between us and Class A, we’d managed to make a comeback, thanks to our strategy. At this rate, our class was set to exceed Class A’s profits, though it would be by only a slight margin.

“Ginny, are you sure? You’re the face of our shop. If you step out, won’t it affect sales?” I asked as she walked beside me across the campus swarming with people.

“It’ll be fine. There are plenty of other cute girls. Besides…even if we lose to Class A, Miss Ireena will just have to leave the academy, which isn’t really a loss for me. To be honest, it’s a win either way.” Ginny gave a dark smile and a wicked giggle.

…I’ve been recently thinking that this girl might be seriously evil.

“Well, whatever! Let’s just enjoy our little date at the school festival!” With a bubbly smile, she linked arms with me, which meant I was trapped between her huge rack—daringly exposed in her usual school uniform. I could feel the heat creep up on my face at the sensual softness and sight of them.

With a beautiful girl serving at my side and envious gazes directed my way, I was basically living out a fantasy from my past life about the ideal way to spend time at a school festival. Rife with emotion, I circuited the events and booths with Ginny. All the while, guests and students pointed at her.

“Hey, look! It’s the girl who beat the experienced swordfighter.”

“Seriously? She doesn’t strike me as that good.”

“I can’t believe Ginny’s gonna be in the final tournament.”

“She’s been killing it lately—and seriously stronger than she used to be… Plus, I swear she’s gotten cuter, too…and girlier.”

At every turn, Ginny was greeted by comments in the same vein, looking all proud… Or that’s what you’d expect, but her reaction was the complete opposite.

Traces of girlhood lingered on her charming face, where her lips were pursed and her eyes shadowed by peach hair had clouded over.

“…Hey, Ard. Have I been able to change?” she asked in a tone that even made me worry.

I went to answer…but was interrupted.

“To all on campus! This is an announcement that a beauty contest will be held on a special stage on the western side of campus, sponsored by the third-year students in Class C. The call for participants is still open, and we welcome contestants and spectators alike to join us there!” 

The announcer’s message robbed me of my chance to reply.

“A beauty contest…,” murmured Ginny. She lifted her downcast face to look at me. “Hey, Ard. If I said I wanted to enter the contest, would you burn with jealousy?”

Her voice was a mix of jest and hope, and I had no idea how to reply.

I imagined Ginny at the center of attention with all admiring her figure… And I felt nothing short of joy. If I wanted her all to myself, I guess I would feel a twinge of jealousy, as Ginny had suggested, or that I was being forced to share what was mine.

But Ginny was just a good friend… And at times, we had a student-teacher relationship—and at others, father-daughter.

As I openly shared my feelings without sugarcoating anything, Ginny appeared both joyous and blue. “…I want to enter the beauty contest.”

“Oh, that’s great… I’m on patrol, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to watch you bravely take center stage…”

“N-no, wait! Um, there’s gonna be a bunch of guests at the contest! Which means the demons might target it! You have to guard it! It’s part of your duties!” Ginny frantically latched onto any attempt to persuade me. “…I want you to watch me, Ard. Is that so wrong?”

Who could refuse while she was on the verge of tears?

“…I get it. I’ll burn your performance into my memory, Ginny.”

Well, it wasn’t as if she hadn’t make a convincing point. I knew there would be a big crowd for the contest, and it wasn’t wrong to claim it was part of my duties.

Ginny smiled with glee. “Well, let’s hurry and get going! If we fail to sign up in time, it will all come to naught!”

Her expression was a mix of hope and anxiety, as though her heart was somewhere in between.

The beauty contest. As the name stated, it was an event where their looks would be scrutinized and ranked.

One by one, the participants filed onto the constructed stage on the western side of campus, flashing genial smiles at the audience and making seductive poses to put their looks on display.

“Entry number eight! Melly, age twelve, giving us her stretching doggy pose! How adorable! This is the height of youthful innocence!” The student holding the mic, who was probably a third-year, spoke with excitement.

The emcee was male, as were the judges—and the audience. The stage was caught in the middle of this fervor, as deep voices hooted and hollered at the girls, who were showered with the sexual gazes of lowlife scum. Each contestant had the slightest hint of a smug smile…except for the next one.

Well, it was more like she showed no emotion at all.

“Entry number eighteen! It’s Lilith! She may be wearing a sweet little maid outfit, but this is no cosplay! These are her work clothes! An esteemed live-in maid. Don’t even think about trying to lay a hand on her! It’ll seriously hurt. Seriously! ” shouted the emcee in a way that suggested a lengthier backstory.

Lilith twirled around the stage and struck strange poses. Her face held nothing, and she gave off a mysterious impression.

“Whoo-hoo! Lovely Lilly! The cutest in the world! Our lovely, lovely Lil-ith! The greatest beauty, Lil-ith! ” boomed a low-pitched voice that stuck out from the rest of the cheers.

…I felt like I’d heard it somewhere before. Accompanying their cheers, the person in question did a strange little dance… Their rotund body jiggled with each step, sending beads of sweat flying off their face. The face on that pasty manju … I was sure I knew it from somewhere.

…It couldn’t be.

A huge question mark sprouted within me. To dispel it, I approached the dancing dumpling.

“Could you possibly be…Elrado ?”

“Huh?! Whaddaya want?! Don’t talk to me! Can’t you see I’m busy cheering for Lilith right now—?” He shot me a look of irritation.

“P-pleeeegh?!” He let out a piglike squeal that matched his appearance perfectly.

This basically confirmed to me that he was Elrado.

…Geez. What a wild transformation. 

“After our messy duel, I heard you locked yourself away in your dorm… It appears you have let yourself go.”

If I was being blunt, Elrado had reptilian features. To put it nicely, he had a rugged kind of beauty. His entire body was now a bulging blob that held nothing of his original form.

Elrado was dripping with sweat. “I—I—I—I—I won’t do nothing bad! I swear! P-please don’t kill me!”

The incident had apparently traumatized him, as Elrado fearfully put distance between us. Even the way he spoke was different. Coupled with his new look, he was a new person altogether.

“Relax. I came to see my friend in her finest hour. Meeting you here was a complete coincidence.”

“G-gotcha…” He gave a relieved sigh. As he did, Lilith the maid’s turn came to an end, and she exited the stage. “Agh! It’s over?! Lilly! You’re the beeeeest! ” Elrado yelled with his hands to his mouth.

Lilith waved toward us…and gave a small smile. That shift in expression made Elrado break out happily into a grin of his own.

“…Pardon my rudeness, but this is a surprise. To think you would cheer others on… Plus, call out to your maid and actively enjoy her participation.”

“…Everything I showed you guys before was an act. This is my real face. I learned when I was a little brat that being the son of a count meant I could never let others look down on me… That’s why I was volatile… I realize that the old me was stupid,” Elrado mumbled in self-deprecation.

I wondered what circumstances and mental shifts he’d experienced since we’d last met. I’d never know for sure, but in any case, it was easy to see he wasn’t a villainous noble anymore. That was clear.

“Anyway. Your friend. Could that be…?” he trailed off. Her turn was up.

“Well, it’s time to continue with entry number nineteen! She’s a first-year in Class C! It’s Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinny!” he yelled as she stepped onstage.

Ginny looked incredibly sexy in a pink bikini that matched her hair. The sponsors must have provided it… The men in attendance all let out the loudest cheers yet as she lavished her smile on them from the stage and posed suggestively.

There was just something about her that seemed…desperate. Why are you giving this event your all? I cocked my head in uncertainty.

“…I see. She’s trying to change, too,” Elrado murmured quietly as he watched Ginny.

“Trying to change…you say. I’d assumed she already had.”

“…Yeah, that’s true. I know you’ve been looking after her. I know you’re the reason that she’s gotten stronger and gained experience. You can tell from just one look. But…she hasn’t overcome her inferiority complex. It’s ingrained in her heart…which is pathetic for me to say, as the one who created that problem.” Elrado flashed a deprecatingly wry smile, sighing, with obvious regret on his face.

“…Why did you torture Ginny? If this is your real self…you don’t seem the type to tyrannize others.”

“…You’re giving me too much credit. I was nothing more than a little shit. I knew that I was changing her personality by bullying her, but I succumbed to my vices. A hopeless, ugly piece of garbage.” With another heavy sigh, Elrado looked into the distance.

“Her family… Ginny’s family has served mine for generations. Part of their responsibilities include being our human shields, and for years, they’ve had the duty of guarding us… Ginny acted as mine since a young age, which is why we were constantly together.”

“So you were childhood friends.”

“Yeah. But I wouldn’t call our relationship friendly. From that age, it was drilled into me that as the eldest son of a count, I ought to act like one. Look down on everyone but the royal family. Never allow anyone to patronize you. See everyone else as ants… Honestly, it didn’t fit me at all. But my pops was scary. I never had any other choice but to obey him.”

“……Do you mean to say aristocrats have their own forms of anguish?”

“Yeah. Well, it wasn’t anything terrible. I was stupid and weak of heart and constantly reinventing myself for fear of my parents. That’s all there was to it… At the time, between my personality changes and the pressure from my parents, I was super-stressed. During all that, Ginny became my first underling. When we first met, nothing I made her do ever turned out right… She was trying to protect me, but her clumsiness pissed me off.”

Before he’d realized it, he was attacking her.

As if confessing his sins, Elrado went on. “When I insulted Ginny and tortured her mind and body…I was offered respite from my stress. I knew it was wrong…but I continued to succumb to temptation. To escape my own struggles, I bullied Ginny, drove her into a corner…and in my wake I created that cursed inferiority complex.”

Ginny was all smiles onstage, showing off her voluptuous body and youthful beauty. Her expression was dazzling, but…there was a sense of desperation.

“…As if she’s breaking out of her shell. I shouldn’t be the one to say this, but…I’m relieved.”

“Relieved?”

“Yeah… Day after day, I told myself I had to stop. But I couldn’t, which is why…I’m grateful to you. You beat the living shit out of me and gave me an out—an opportunity for both her and me to change… And it seems she took that in stride. That’s why I’m relieved. Her curse has been lifted—even just a little. At this rate, I’m sure someday…”

“…That’s the case with her. But what about the curse that haunts you? …Will your guilt and self-loathing ever dissolve?”

“Ha-ha. Not a chance. It’s something I’ll carry for the rest of my life.” With a pained smile, Elrado gazed directly at Ginny and narrowed his eyes—as if she were too bright, too painful to see.

“…I haven’t apologized to her yet. The one from last time doesn’t count. I’ll face her in all sincerity, gravely bow my head…and make up for everything I’ve done with something tangible. Only then will I make amends. Only then…will I finally be free from my curse…” Elrado shook his head, whispering, “It’s no good.

“I’m scared. I’m scared to face her. I wonder how I can at this point… I dunno. There’s an indescribable fear that controls my heart… But I guess you don’t really know much about that.”

“…That is not true at all. I carry burdens of my own.”

Elrado overlapped with my current self. It was terrifying to face your sins. It was scary to face those deserving of your apology.

…I was the very same way. That was why I still hadn’t discussed that thing with Sylphy.

“…I assumed you were an annoying guy who was nothing but blessed. I’m surprised to hear you’re suffering, too.” He must have felt a certain kinship because he now looked out with gentle eyes.

However, it lasted for only a moment. His eyes quickly regained their sharp self-loathing as he focused them on Ginny.

“Looks like she’s a shoo-in for the beauty contest. I had planned on being in the audience to send out blessings to Lilly as she held up that winner’s trophy…but I probably shouldn’t hang around,” Elrado mumbled, and then he left…as if trying to escape Ginny’s presence.

He was right. Ginny won the beauty contest, and she was presented with a magnificent trophy.

And now I was walking beside her as she carried it in her arms.

“Hey, it’s that girl. The winner of the beauty contest.”

“No kidding. She’s supercute. Nice rack.”

“Man, I’d love to get with her… That guy next to her can drop dead.”

I was getting mercilessly pierced by jealously, envy, murderous intent.

Ginny had a relaxed smile. “Oh, I never thought I’d actually win. I guess it means I have some womanly charm?”

“Not some , Ginny. You should hold your head high as the winner of the beauty contest. Of course, it’s not just that you possess a beautiful body, but your heart is pure, too. I assure you. Though I doubt that means anything,” I said, smiling jokingly.

Ginny did not return my smile and instead stared at me intently. “Do you truly think so? That I’m pretty, I mean. Do you really think so?”

…Oh. She was wearing this same expression onstage for the beauty content. 

The cursed sense of inferiority that gnawed at her heart was rising to the surface.

…Honestly, I didn’t think there was much I could do. In the end, this was something she had to solve for herself.

But even then, I hoped my words could save her. I gazed at Ginny earnestly.

“You are beautiful, Ginny. Have confidence in yourself.”

I’d intended it to be short and sweet.

I wondered if my sentiment had reached her. Her eyes were unfocused for a moment…

But her gentle smile eventually appeared. “Thank you. I think I’ve come to like myself just a little bit more.”

Was I supposed to take this optimism as a sign that her curse was starting to lift?

If that was the case, I was sure there would come a time when Elrado would be able to smile again, too.

I couldn’t help but hope for that day to arrive…

The fifth day of the school festival was drawing to a close. The sky darkened, and the guests were thinning out.

Nevertheless…the Erotic Maid Café was still buzzing with business. It was near closing time, but customers eagerly remained in their place in line.

A group of boys from Class A watched from afar.

“Hey, what do we do? We’ll lose if this keeps up,” one of the students said to the class head, who had been designated as their leader.

“I can’t believe their ads were this effective…!”

“If we lose, we’ll have to prostrate ourselves…! I’m already pissed we have to deal with the daughter of a baron, Ireena. But to bow our heads before commoners from who knows where…!”

While everyone else present was already feeling their defeat, their leader gave a grievous sigh. “We’ve still got a backup plan, right? One to guarantee our victory.”

“Wh-what is it?”

Can’t you guess? What an unimaginative group , he derided internally as he shared his thoughts.

“I—I see. Yeah, if we can do that…!”

“We’ll win, but…isn’t that unfair?”

“Ha. You’re saying that now? Might makes right. Yeah?”

None opposed him.

Using the cover of darkness to their advantage, they began to put this plan into place.