The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody - Volume 7 - Chapter 90

CHAPTER 90

The Ex–Demon Lord in Enemy Territory

“Where…am I…?”

A mysterious girl appeared as soon as we acquired the Armor of the Demon Lord. Like her, we had no idea what was going on, either.

“Might she be an assassin sent in by Mephisto…?” Olivia asked.

“…I don’t sense any hostility, though.” I nodded, focusing on the young girl in front of us.

…She was normal. Average in every way. Her chestnut hair fell to her shoulders. Freckles. Sweet face. A regular child, one who could be found anywhere.

That was my impression of her, but…

“Her clothes seem to be woven from a high-quality silk. I’m curious as to why her features and outfit are so out of proportion.”

It felt like…a child of the lower classes had been overdressed. The real question was who was responsible.

“Might you tell us your name, young lady?”

My intention was to put her at ease with my tone and expression, but unsurprisingly, she remained cautious. She was, however, able to answer my inquiry.

“M-Maria.”

“A fine name. Well then, Maria. Why have you come to us?”

“I—I don’t know.”

Based on this answer and the worry crossing her young face, I surmised she was not here by her own will. In other words, someone else had sent her. And the culprit was undoubtedly Mephisto Yuu Phegor.

“So she is an assassin?” Olivia asked.

“…I find it hard to believe that she’d have any connection with him. But maybe that’s exactly why she might.”

Hmph. We’d just be wasting time at this rate. In that case, we were going to have to act a little recklessly and shoulder the risk of getting involved.

“We can’t afford to have a staring contest forever with you. I shall reveal her true nature in a quick and precise manner.”

“…You plan on reading the memories in her spirit?”

“That’s risky. What are you gonna do if it’s a trap? Your heart could break if you’re not careful.”

“I cannot say that there’s no chance of that, but I don’t believe that trickster would do such a thing. It should be no problem.”

Mephisto was a moral failure, but there was regulation and consistency to his madness. He wouldn’t do anything unpredictable, which was why I didn’t think he’d attack us here.

That meant Maria played a significant role in this mess. Depending on what that entailed…she might become the key to preventing tragedy.

“Maria. Forgive me if I’m being rude, but I’d like you to tell me about yourself.”

I slowly stepped forward. I was doing my best to put her at ease, but she was as tense as ever. She did seem to read my intentions, though. She didn’t run away.

“Please excuse me.”

I stopped right in front of Maria and held my right hand over her head, casting spirit-reading magic. An instant later, all the information from her astral body flowed into my mind.

Death. Separation. Anxiety. Fear.

Orphanage. Friends. Family. Adult caretakers.

Lizer Bellphoenix.

Hope. Relief. Envy. Adoration. Happiness—love.

Lizer Bellphoenix.

Death. Agony. Fear. Separation.

Lizer Bellphoenix.

Reunion. Relief. Love.

Lizer Bellphoenix.

Confusion. Distress. Anxiety. Obscurity. Love.

Lizer Bellphoenix.

Lizer Bellphoenix.

Lizer Bellphoenix.

“……I see what’s going on.”

I understood everything. Maria’s true self. Mephisto’s schemes. And—the truth about the man known as Lizer.

Now that I fully understood it all, I knew what our next steps should be.

“Maria. Please allow us to protect you. We will ensure that you’re reunited with Sir Lizer.”

“Huh? R-really…?”

“Yes, I promise.”

Maria lowered her defenses, evidently relieved by this.

“I’m Ard Meteor, and my two companions are Olivia vel Vine and Sylphy Marheaven… I’ll be sure to introduce you to our other friends later.”

I cast teleportation magic, and we returned to Verda and Ginny. After immediately operating on Ginny and confirming her full recovery, I restored magic in everyone. With the Mirror Shield of Omniscient Reversal, we’d regained our lost power.

“Our preparations are complete. Now all we must do is head to Megatholium… However…”

This was Mephisto’s handiwork. He had cast a jamming technique over a wide range with Megatholium at the center. Because of that, we couldn’t teleport and had to go on foot.

It would be a long, long trek.

Our teleportation magic wasn’t the only thing that had been interrupted. We also couldn’t use any spells that would make the journey more pleasant, so we had to secure food, bedding, and whatever else all on our own. We made the most of our survival skills while dealing with these added inconveniences. We somehow pressed forward while working with nature.

We were currently sitting around a campfire under the night sky in the middle of an open field. The flickering flames illuminated the darkness.

“Guys! The stew is ready!”

We smiled at the sound of Maria’s cheerful voice.

“Took you long enough!”

“We were waiting.”

“…Indeed.”

Despite the limited access to ingredients, Maria’s stew was top-notch. Her days at the orphanage must have taught her a few things. She was an expert at creating exquisite flavors from even the humblest of ingredients.

“Ahhhh, that hit the spot!”

“Strange. To think random ingredients could taste so delicious,” Ginny agreed.

“…You can have my meat. Don’t worry about it. Kids should eat.”

They always say the way into someone’s heart is through their stomach. The distance between us had closed.

Verda and I were observing them from far away, enjoying our own discussion.

“Wowzer, Maria sure did warm up to us fast.”

“Yes. I mean, those three adore children; plus, they’ve been taking particularly good care of her. It’s no surprise that she opened up to them so quickly.”

“Good point… I gotta wonder if it’s all going to go down just how my teacher planned things,” Verda said with a weary shrug.

I nodded. Mephisto must have inconvenienced us with this jamming so we could get to know Maria better. Cohabitating would allow us to form close bonds with her…and feel greater tragedy in the future.

“…He’s twisted.”

“Well, that’s my teacher for ya.” Verda didn’t look especially spiteful. In fact, she seemed to be reminiscing about the past.

I asked her a question. “Do you still feel for him, even after parting ways?”

“Yeah, you could say that. Love is a tricky thing,” Verda replied, shrugging. “I mean, he did raise me in a way. Like a parent. I know I should wish death on him, but…it’s complicated.”

“Do you think these feelings will remain—no matter how heinous and despairing his actions?”

Verda nodded, and I returned the gesture before looking at Maria.

“Once it hits you, it never goes away,” I said. “Love is a curse in that way. That’s also why—”

“—It even casts off the devil’s chains, right?”

“Yes. We’ll fail otherwise. Mephisto Yuu Phegor said the theme of this trial is love. If the concept of affection bended to his will, we would have no chance of victory. However—”

I looked at Maria smiling with everyone. “I have faith. I believe her love can exceed even a monster’s expectations.”

“Me too. I’m sure this disaster will have a happy ending.”

We nodded before sipping our stew.

The night wore on—and everyone fell asleep on the naked earth. Full stomachs and fatigue knocked them right out. I served as night watch in front of the campfire, but…

“…Is something the matter, Maria?” I asked when she rose.

She looked up at the night sky and whispered, “I’m nervous about seeing Lizer again.”

When I saw her so forlorn, I patted the empty spot next to me. She approached me daintily and sat down.

“I only have boiled water, but would you like some?”

“Yes, please.” Maria brought the wooden cup to her lips and quietly continued. “…You’re a lot alike.”

“To whom?”

“You remind me of Lizer, Ard.”

“…Yeah?”

“Just being around you warms my heart… It makes me happy. Until now, only Lizer has made me feel this way.”

“…And you think we’re similar? Sir Lizer and me?”

“Yes.”

I wasn’t going to refute it. After reading into her memories and understanding who Lizer really was, I had to agree. Maria was right. Lizer and I were similar.

And…it was safe to say that our core natures were identical. Both Lizer and I were egotistical men at heart. We kept making mistakes because we failed to realize this. I came to understand this part of myself after suffering bitter experiences in the past. From that point on, I always looked at my actions from objective points of view…

But Lizer didn’t yet realize his true nature. Even now, he was being led astray. To help him understand himself and put him on the right path…this girl was crucial.

I stared straight into her eyes. “Maria. Your worries come from lack of mutual understanding.”

“Mutual…understanding?”

“Yes. There’s a side to Sir Lizer that you don’t know yet. And…I don’t think he fully understands you, either. This creates discord and anxiety. But…the current matter can solve this.”

The girl looked at me blankly; I doubted she got what I was saying at all.

“…At any rate, we’ll go see him. This will put to rest the worry in both your hearts, along with everything else.”

“Yeah. I hope you’re right,” Maria replied with a nod of hope.

I was almost certain that Maria was imagining a bright and certain future—even if it was only a vague idea. I wanted to do whatever I could to somehow make it a reality. I aspired to crush the devil’s plans and save both this poor girl and my former subordinate. No, I would save them. I wouldn’t permit another tragedy. And so—

My friends and I arrived at Megatholium, stepping onto its soil. The enormous gates were propped wide open, as if ushering us in.

“No matter what situation awaits us…I advise you all to remain calm. That was how he got us last time. But we will not be fooled twice.”

We’d been defeated when he’d ambushed us at the laboratory. However, now that our hearts and bodies were sound, we had a chance of taking on Mephisto Yuu Phegor. So long as we made use of the Armor of the Demon Lord, victory was not out of reach.

“Well then…let’s go.”

We stepped forward, expressions tight. Maria, on the other hand, didn’t seem to understand the reason for our nerves. She walked alongside us in bewilderment, and I gently patted her head.

“I promise we will bring back everyone and their smiles. Please try to trust us.”

“…Okay.”

Maria gave a perplexed nod. She was a weak, young child. The devil had placed far too harsh a fate on her tender shoulders. Simply because he wanted to see a first-rate tragedy.

I would ensure he received what was coming for him.

You’ll be the loser this time, Mephisto Yuu Phegor.

Determination, burned in my breast. My friends and I stepped onto the tragic stage that he had prepared for us—