Episode 7: We Became Heartfelt Friends
The land of the Evil Race, where demons dwell, knows neither day nor night.
This is what soldiers and adventurers who managed to reach the demon kingdom and return alive have said.
Of course, it’s just a metaphor, but in the demon kingdom, the resentment of those brutally slain and their rotting flesh have turned into miasma, polluting not only the earth but also the sky, forming thick clouds that envelop the entire nation.
Many demons, having absorbed the blood of monsters, are nocturnal, and in this dimly lit demon kingdom, the distinction between day and night has naturally lost its meaning.
Now, in this demon kingdom, with the emergence of the Beast, those who could fight have joined the demon army, while others have fled and disappeared.
Only the “weak” remain—the sick, the young, the elderly, and the disabled.
They have managed to survive in this land of survival of the fittest, but even the meager food and supplies they relied on have been stripped away by their former comrades, leaving them to wait for death in the corners of the city.
Still, some demons refuse to give up.
They refuse to quietly accept their fate and instead desperately cling to life, preying on those even weaker than themselves to take everything they can.
[……………………]
Such demons hold their breath in fear, praying as they hide for “it” to pass by.
In the ruined and filth-covered town at the foot of the demon king’s castle, a “human girl” walks with light steps.
She wears a finely tailored black dress embroidered with silver threads.
Her pure white skin, untouched by grime, and her long hair, shimmering like golden threads, are so beautiful that even the demons, who would normally seize or defile any human they see, are mesmerized.
Even the demons, who do not believe in gods, look as if they’ve encountered an angel for the first time.
Even though the strong have vanished, if a human girl were to set foot in this terrifying demon town, she would likely lose her life within a few steps.
But… no one can stop her. They cannot even meet her gaze, and they can only continue to hide, utterly captivated by her presence.
The demons, witnessing the brutal atrocities she committed in the short time she appeared in the town, called her this with awe:
[──”The Black Devil” has come──]
The girl, unfazed by the town’s devastation, even wore a soft smile, as if she had “returned home.”
Such an expression only invited more pitiful victims……
“Hey, you! Human! Hand over the food you’re carrying!”
It was a group of young children. Even though they were demons, children were not yet sensitive to danger. The youngest was about five, the oldest around eight—not much different from human children.
The girl’s slight smile made her otherworldly, bewitching beauty seem slightly more “human,” which only added to the misfortune.
The children, mistaking the instinctive “fear” they felt for “surprise” at seeing a beautiful human for the first time, approached her.
“Hey, you hear me? Hand over the food!”
When the girl didn’t stop at the children’s voices, the oldest boy, holding a sharp animal bone, stepped in front of her to block her path.
Ah, stop…… the adults watching from the shadows screamed in their hearts.
Demons are cruel and lack proper ethics, but even they feel some minimal affection for children. That’s why these street children had managed to survive until now.
The girl’s golden eyes turned to the children for the first time……
” ” ” ──!? ” ” “
The “devilish” smile on her dazzlingly beautiful face made the children let out silent screams.
The adults watching from the shadows, pitying the tragedy about to unfold, covered their eyes.
Then the girl took a “black object” from her hand and slammed it into the boy’s face with terrifying speed.
“──Ngha!?”
What had happened? What had been done to him? The boy, of course, and the other children around him couldn’t understand.
All they could do was watch in fear as the oldest boy, their leader, was caught and had something black shoved into his mouth.
“St-stop, let go!”
The girl, ignoring the boy’s struggles and terrified expression, forced the dried, curled-up object into his mouth.
Even as he cried and screamed, the girl didn’t stop. She mixed in some dried, bizarre creatures for balance. She had torn them into small pieces to make them easier to swallow—a small kindness on her part.
If he didn’t swallow, he’d choke. Even if he didn’t swallow, it would be forced down into his stomach.
In just a few dozen seconds, the boy’s stomach was stuffed to the brim, and he covered his face with his hands, sobbing like a defiled maiden.
But the terror wasn’t over yet.
” ” ” ──!? ” ” “
The children, sensing danger, tried to run away, but the girl, with a brilliant smile, caught the young ones and forced the black objects into their mouths, one after another, just like the boy.
But even when it was all over, the terror didn’t end.
After eating and some time had passed, when the contents of their stomachs began to swell, the true horror would arrive.
After instilling fear in all the children, the girl, with a satisfied smile, headed toward the demon king’s castle. The adults, who had been hiding, cautiously emerged and rescued the children with swollen stomachs from the pile of dried seaweed.
The girl, who had cruelly forced the salty dried food on the demon children, who had hardly ever consumed salt, was truly merciless.
The demons, looking in the direction she had left, collected the remaining seafood and called her this in a voice trembling with fear:
[The Black (dried, salty grains) Devil (who mercilessly forced the dried food on us) has come]
“Ah, I’ve done a good deed.”
One good deed a day. Even a demon feels good when they do something kind, don’t they?
I acted on impulse without thinking, but I realized that sometimes it’s necessary to take a break and relax alone. ……Now that I think about it, since becoming Eurushia, I’ve never been alone outside my room in the mansion.
To act completely alone like this……
“……It’s been since before I met ‘him,’ hasn’t it?”
Thinking about it, I realize how spoiled I’ve been. ……When I get back, I’ll probably have to sit seiza and get scolded again.
I got a little lost, which took some time, but I arrived in the demon kingdom without any problems (?).
When I saw the demon king’s castle and entered the town at its foot, I walked inconspicuously. There weren’t any shops or anything, just a huge settlement.
The town lacked vitality. Though there were a few people, I offered the dried food I made with my attendants to the thin people who called out to me. I wonder if they enjoyed it?
Hehe…… I won’t let anyone go hungry under my watch.
The dried seaweed we made has a tendency to crawl into the stomachs of hungry people on its own! ……Is it really seaweed?
Anyway, forget the details! I’ve finally made it to the demon king’s castle!
Wow, it’s been a long journey! It took over half a year from the Holy Kingdom, though it would’ve only taken half a day if I flew. Looking back now, it’s quite moving.
“Finally, I’m here……”
I narrow my eyes at the familiar “anger” I feel at the base of the castle.
But still……
“There’s really no one here……”
There were a few people in the town, but as I approached the castle, the presence of others dwindled even more.
He’s suppressing his aura like I am, but I guess the pressure is still too much for sensitive people.
Still, it’s not admirable to have no one around. What if some insensitive thief breaks in? Some hero with a wooden stick might just waltz in and open the treasure chests, you know?
As I was thinking this, I noticed a “gatekeeper” in front of the castle gate.
……Is it just me, or is the perspective off?
I’m still quite a distance away, but isn’t he unusually large? No, he’s actually huge. Over three meters tall? And he’s built like some end-of-the-century warlord or something?
The large, armored figure looked down at me with sharp eyes as I approached and spoke in a low, calm voice.
“Uho, uhoho, uho (Welcome, foolish human. As long as I’m here, this gate will never open! Hohoho!)”
………………………………Huh?
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
I thought the “Divine Language” translation function had activated for the first time in a while, but it seems the automatic translation is messed up.
“Uhoho, uho, uhoho (Why are you silent? Upon closer inspection, you’re just a shabby human girl. How dare you ignore me, Françoise, the Iron Princess, leader of the Demon King’s Royal Guard!?)”
“A dwarf!?”
Finally, a Motipurun Dwarf has appeared!
And not just any dwarf—she’s a “princess” from another country!
“Uho, uhoho, uho (That’s right. Is this your first time meeting a dwarf? But for a human to understand Dwarven, I must commend you.)”
Salt Daifuku looked decent on the outside, but……
I can’t underestimate Motipurun. (Confused)
“Uhoho, uhoho, uho (Then, with that in mind, allow me to introduce myself again. I am Iron Princess Françoise. I am the woman who will one day become the wife of Demon King Evil Lord Hevrat!)”
“My! How wonderful!”
The Demon King is amazing! His strike zone must extend all the way to the outfield!
“I’m sorry…… I didn’t expect there to be a dwarf in the demon kingdom……”
As I said this, looking apologetically down, Françoise also lowered her eyes with a stern yet pitiful expression, looking lonely.
“Uho…… uho, uho (It can’t be helped. Seven years ago…… when I was just four years old, my two older sisters, jealous of my beauty, exiled me.)”
“We’re the same age……”
François was still an eleven-year-old girl, wasn’t she…?
“Uho, uho uho! (What a coincidence! But you, my dear, seem a bit too thin, don’t you? Men won’t like you if you’re like that! Ohohohoho!)”
“Yes, you’re right… It would be nice if I grew a bit more.”
Though, I certainly don’t need to be three meters tall. Still, I was surprised. I’d heard that dwarven women were generally around two meters tall, but she was even larger than that.
“My apologies for the late introduction. I am Eurushia von Versenia. Please call me Eurushia. So, François, as a candidate to be the Demon King’s bride, why are you standing guard in a place like this?”
“Uho uho, uhoho! (Well, you can just call me François too. Right now, there’s a terrifying demon beast in the depths of the Demon King’s castle, and Lord Hevrat is keeping it at bay.)”
François proudly explained, but then her expression darkened again.
“Uhoho, uho, uho… (Most people fled in fear of the demon beast. Lord Hevrat even told me to leave this place quickly. He said he didn’t want me to get hurt…)”
“How kind of him.”
Though, honestly, she looks like she’d be fine even if the castle collapsed on her.
“François…”
I gently placed my hand over hers, which was as delicate as a basketball.
“You’re a wonderful girl. I think the Demon King understands that better than anyone, which is why he didn’t want you in a dangerous place.”
“Uho… (Eurushia…)”
Thud…
François, with her 300-kilogram body, knelt down and met my gaze.
“Uho, uho uho, uho! (Thank you… I feel saved. Um… would you be my friend? I’ve never had a friend my own age…)”
“Of course, I’d be honored. Nice to meet you, François.”
“Uho! (Yes, I’m so happy. Eurushia.)”
We held hands and became friends of the heart.
“Uho uho, uhoho! (Um… Eurushia, your dress is so lovely. Was it made in the human kingdom?)”
Perhaps she had been curious from the start, but now that we were friends, François fidgeted nervously, her log-like delicate fingers playing with her black hair.
“Thank you. Your curls are lovely too. Are you interested in dresses, François?”
I had thought she’d be more into cast iron helmets or something.
“Uho, uhoho! (Yes… but it’s impossible for me. Human dresses are too tight around the chest, and they tear right away…)”
“This one was made by my attendant. We’re apart right now, but when we reunite, I’ll ask them to make one with plenty of room for you.”
“Uho, uhoho, uho uho! (Really!? I-I’m sorry, I’m being so shameless… but I’m really happy. It’s not just about the dress, you know? I’m so happy that my friend would say that to me…)”
“François…”
What an endearing girl!
“Uho uho, uho! (By the way, Eurushia, you had business at the Demon King’s castle, right? I’ll get scolded by Lord Hevrat if I take you inside, but for you, Eurushia, it’s fine… because you’re my friend, so it’s special.)”
“Wow, thank you, François.”
Just like that, I was able to enter the Demon King’s castle without any trouble.
Since there wasn’t much food in this town, I gave her a large amount of dried goods. François said she would feed them to the elephants kept as pets in the palace behind the castle, and then she ran off like a storm.
She really was a good girl.
Now… she’s safe from danger.
Click.
The sound of my heels echoed through the empty Demon King’s castle.
Ah, I can feel it… your heartbeat.
That nostalgic rage, capable of destroying everything…
Hey, you can feel it too, can’t you?
My intense longing for you.
Guided by my feelings for you, I headed straight for the underground.
With each step down the stairs, your scent grew stronger.
That sweet, intoxicating aroma that makes me crave you.
Almost there… beyond this large door.
Soon, I’ll be with you…
Soon, I’ll devour you.
TLNOTE:
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