An Archdemon's Dilemma - How to Love Your Elf Bride Vol 4ch2

Chapter II: Love the Girl Dear to You, and She Will Love You in Return!
“W-Wait just a moment. Falling... I’m falling!” Gremory screamed in a hoarse voice. Ever since this morning, she had taken on the form of an old woman.
Zagan and the others were currently riding on the back of a dragon, soaring through the sky. The scenery beneath them changed with the flow of the clouds. Right as they saw a forest spreading out below, in an instant, a desert would appear, and next, a magnificent canal.
“Are you alright, Miss Gremory?” Nephy called out to the old woman in a worried voice.
“Keeheehee, you elves are such kindhearted creatures! Mmm, how comforting. I’m alright... Ah, sorry, no, maybe I’m not.”
Zagan let out a sigh, resigning himself to his fate, as he grabbed the old woman who looked to be on the verge of fainting by the nape of her neck and pulled her back up.
The beautiful green dragon turned her head and pointed her amber eyes to those on her back.
“Should I... slow down a bit?” Foll’s voice rang out. This green dragon with feathers similar to those of a bird was Foll’s original form. She still had a petite figure for a dragon, but even so, her body was far larger than a carriage, and when she spread out her wings, she was about as large as a cabin.
A lion running through the sky drew near the tip of Foll’s nose. It was Kimaris.
“No, it’s alright. Miss Gremory is just bad with heights. Even if you change your speed, she’ll just say the same thing,” he said.
“That so?” Foll said, then faced forward as if having lost any concern for the old woman. After that, she picked up her pace.
“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!”
“If you were going to kick up a fuss, then you should have just obediently ridden on Kimaris’ back,” Zagan said, grimacing at the old woman screaming right next to his ear.
Zagan was at the center of Foll’s back, Nephy was to his left, and Gremory to his right. Though, since Gremory had given up on staying stable with her own strength, Zagan was holding her up by the nape of her neck. Add in Foll and Kimaris, and there were five of them on the trip.
Zagan had imagined this as a family trip with his bride and daughter, but Gremory had grumbled until he was forced to take her along. Thanks to her, Kimaris ended up joining them, as well.
“That’s unreasonable, Sir Zagan. Sure, I’m confident in my speed, but only when I’m on my own. Lady Foll’s ability to transport passengers far surpasses mine.”
Foll’s flight speed was astounding. What would normally take a horse-drawn carriage three days only took her an evening. It seemed the only race that could fly at such high speeds while carrying people were dragons.
“Well, I get that much, but wouldn’t it be better if she took on a younger form?” Zagan questioned.
It seemed she was shaking like a leaf in the wind in her old form. Even if sorcerers could manipulate physical abilities, an aging body still took its toll. It was obvious that a younger body contained more power.
“This form is the lightest, you hear!? An old woman has more power than a young girl, you hear!? If I’m heavier, then flying would just be harder!” Gremory glared at Zagan, seemingly on the verge of tears as she said that.
“I’ll fly... a little slower.”
Well, setting aside whether an old woman had more power than a young girl, Gremory seemed to be trying to lighten Foll’s load in her own little way. Once that became apparent, Foll consciously slowed herself down.
“Why are you so desperate to tag along with us...?” Zagan asked in a bewildered tone.
“Keehee, why do you think I’m following and serving you? Is it not obviously because as long as I’m in your service, I can observe dragons and elves all I want? If these two are going, then there’s no meaning in just waiting behin— Eeeeeek!?”
Gremory was a sorcerer who researched the simple yet difficult to understand nature of immortality, so it was only natural that she had her eyes on races like elves and dragons, who possessed perpetual youth. And it seemed she came along to observe Nephy and Foll.
Well, I’m the same, in a way. I need to live a long life.
A normal human’s lifespan was far too short. If Zagan wished to grow old with Nephy and Foll, he needed to lengthen it significantly. In that way, Gremory’s research was a huge boon for him. As such, Zagan had no intention of mistreating Gremory. However...
“Well, when it comes to loving them, I will admit that you’re quite skilled. Still, from my point of view, you have a long way to go. Contrary to the great power possessed by elves and dragons, humans are delicate beings, therefore—”
What does she mean by “skilled,” exactly...? Zagan pointed an exasperated gaze at her while she was talking, and perhaps having noticed that, Gremory glared back at him.
“What’s that? Looks like you have something to say, my dear Archdemon.”
“Who knows...” Zagan shrugged his shoulders in response, and contrary to expectations, Gremory returned a serious expression to him.
“Hear me, my liege, for these are the words of my mentor. If you desire immortality, then you will lose your ‘love power,’ you know?”
“L-Love... what?” Zagan had never heard the words put together like that, so he doubted his ears.
“I said love power. We sorcerers possess perpetual youth already. If we aim beyond that, and seek true immortality, then no matter how devoted to our research we become, we will eventually be tormented by boredom. And when that happens, the utopia that we sought will turn into an eternal prison.”
Zagan was unable to simply laugh off those words, as they seemed to ring true. And, after a short pause, Gremory continued her speech.
“The only thing that can cure a person’s loneliness when that comes to pass is being able to love something other than themselves. Look at the Archdemons we have now. It’s because they possess no love power that they rush into foolish acts like Bifrons. And due to that, his elf is helplessly pitiable.”
Despite how vague that sounded, Zagan was unable to deny what she was saying.
“...It seems most people won’t die from being alone, but they are also unable to live happily.”
Those were the words said to him back when he selfishly tried to keep Nephy at a distance. And as he repeated them to Gremory, Nephy’s ears quivered shyly.
“So you remember that, Master Zagan.”
“Of course. Do you think I would ever dare forget the words we exchange?”
Nephy said that she wanted to be by his side even after he abandoned her. And back then, he truly believed he had been saved from eternal solitude by her words. Thanks to that, even Zagan understood people were unable to live alone. Sure, a person could protect themselves, but they were unable to live a fulfilling life on their own.
“That’s embarrassing...” Nephy wanted to bury her face in her hands, but they were on the back of a dragon. So, since she had to hold Foll tight, she buried her face in Zagan’s mantle instead.
“Mmm, nice love power!” Gremory remarked, nodding as if praising Zagan as she did so.
...I really would have liked the three of us to just go as a family.
The old woman was noisy and annoying, but he still couldn’t bring himself to kick her off midair.
And just like that, the group traveled until night began to fall, at which point a snow-covered mountain range came into view.
“We’re almost there. Once we pass over those mountains, we’ll be in Norden.”
It was a place filled with miserable memories of Nephy’s childhood. And yet, they continued on their way to the place she was raised.
◇
A dark forest spread out before the group after they crossed over the snowy mountains. It wasn’t as eerie as the one surrounding Zagan’s castle, but the darkness was because the forest was made up of conifers with dark leaves that were tightly packed together. Perhaps because of the high elevation, the mountain was covered in snow, but the trees still had leaves.
It was said that the hidden elven village was concealed within this forest. It couldn’t be approached from the sky, so Zagan and the others were walking the rest of the way. Foll also returned to her form as a little girl... and was being given a piggyback ride by Zagan.
“...I’m tired.”
“You held on well. Just get some sleep.”
“Okay...” Foll was fast asleep within seconds.
It’s only natural that she’s this tired.
They had decided to travel to Nephy’s hometown at noon yesterday. And after getting their preparations in order, they left early in the morning today, and now it was evening.
They took a few breaks along the way, but it was almost an entire day of continuous flight.
“Foll tried her best today, didn’t she?” Nephy said as she snuggled up next to him.
“She did. It may be best to prepare a bed for her now. Finding your hometown can wait.”
“My apologies. If I knew of its location, then we wouldn’t have to spend all this time searching for it...” Nephy’s ears drooped apologetically as she said that.
Due to her status as a cursed child, Nephy wasn’t even permitted to leave the village, so she didn’t really know the surroundings of her village at all. That was why they had to carefully investigate the area from here on out.
“Nephy, you weren’t even able to leave the village, right? Then just think of this as sightseeing. I’m actually quite interested in the area, so a stroll seems good to me,” Zagan claimed as he shook his head like it was no big deal.
I really would like to take a look around...
Luckily, this time around, he managed to put it in a way that wasn’t misleading. Nephy stared at him in surprise, but the tips of her pointy ears were quivering with a twitch in a somewhat happy manner as she walked next to him.
And just then, a large shadow was suddenly cast over them. It was Kimaris. He had returned to his humanoid form.
“Sir Zagan, I believe I can figure out the location of Lady Nephy’s village.”
“What, really?”
“Yes. It seems there isn’t any sorcery in place to stall us, or perhaps it has already lost its function. Whatever the case, we should be able to get there by following Lady Nephy’s scent.”
Zagan nodded and sank into thought. The sky was already dyed red, so if even an hour were to pass, it would turn pitch black. If they spent too long moving about, Nephy would join Foll in the depths of slumber. Plus, Gremory was riding on Kimaris’ back already, too.
“...That seems to be the best course of action. Well, I’m counting on you, Kimaris.”
Zagan wanted to try wandering around, but getting to the hidden village earlier was the best option. Even if it was abandoned, having buildings to take shelter from the rain and wind would be a huge help.
“Please leave it to me,” Kimaris responded, a smile creeping onto his face. He returned a small nod and began walking ahead of them, exuding a sense of reliability that made Zagan think of Raphael.
Nephy tightly gripped the hems of Zagan’s robe as they walked. He took a fleeting glance back at her, and saw that the tips of her pointy ears were drooping.
“Are you anxious?”
“Yes. In truth, I’m just a little... scared. Of seeing the village as it is now, I mean,” Nephy replied, her body trembling all the while.
In her own way, Nephy had come to terms with her past. However, this was still a village where she left people to die.
If Zagan was in her shoes, he would have laughed upon seeing its dilapidated state, but he didn’t think Nephy would be able to imitate that... and honestly, he didn’t want her to.
After thinking about it a little, Zagan adjusted Foll’s position on his back so he was carrying her with one arm. Then, he took his now free hand, gripped one of Nephy’s, and gave it a tight squeeze.
“Ah...” Nephy’s expression didn’t change, but the tips of her pointy ears stood up stiffly.
Now I just need to say something to ease her mind... Unfortunately, that was the hardest possible task for him. Zagan had still not even said ‘I love you’ to Nephy, so there was no chance of him saying anything heartwarming in this situation.
Nevertheless, remaining silent was unacceptable in Zagan’s mind. Maybe he was being guided by ‘love power,’ as Gremory put it.
“You may rely on me to your heart’s content. I find it quite amusing,” Zagan proclaimed.
Wait, amusing? Doesn’t that make it sound like I’m delighted by Nephy’s suffering?
“I will!” Nephy answered, nodding as if she understood him completely. She may have just been putting up a strong front, but Nephy at least seemed a little more energetic as she spoke.
“...Sir Zagan, it seems we’ll be arriving at our destination shortly,” Kimaris declared in a voice rife with tension.
Upon looking forward, Zagan spotted the red light of sundown pouring in through a break in the dense forest. When they looked down from the skies, they didn’t spot anything like a gap in the trees, yet there was still somehow an open space in front of them.
In spite of their fortuitous discovery, Kimaris’ voice contained no relief or joy. Instead, it was filled to the brim with apprehension. After a moment of hesitation, Gremory climbed off Kimaris’ back and gripped her large scythe in hand.
“Is something there?” Nephy asked.
“Seems like it,” Zagan answered. He could tell Nephy poured all her strength into gripping his hand. The hidden village was once the target of Archdemon Marchosias, who held the second name Eldest, and it was also assaulted by Archdemon Bifrons in a bid to capture Nephy. In other words, Nephy’s hometown was already involved with two different Archdemons.
Worst of all, no one in Zagan’s group knew of what had actually transpired. They had no clue what cruel, repulsive things the two Archdemons had done. Now that they’d made it so far, though, they knew things wouldn’t go smoothly any longer. After all, the Archdemons’ influence could have lingered...
“Let’s go,” Zagan said in order to spur on his subordinates. Then, he walked forth into the light. And the sight he took in once his eyes adjusted was rather shocking...
“Oh, well if it ain’t Zagan. You’re late, man. We got tired of waiting and emptied out a bottle already, buddy.”
For some reason, his undesirable friend was brazenly drinking some liquor alongside two women.
◇
“What the hell are you doing here?” Zagan was stunned by the sight before him.
There were three people surrounding a bonfire in Nephy’s hometown. Zagan’s group couldn’t tell it was there because of the sunlight, but they even had some soup boiling over it.
However, the only one in good humor was Barbatos. The other two seemed to be on the verge of tears. It was a terrible atmosphere.
Zagan took a look around at the village. Unlike Kianoides, there were only a few dozen houses which seemed to be built into natural rock formations. The roofs were all woven out of straw. In the center of the village, there was an open plaza and a decrepit well.
Zagan had heard Bifrons had this place attacked, but contrary to expectations, the buildings were left in a clean state. There were a few that had been burned down, but the place looked otherwise untouched.
He assumed it would have more of a sacred atmosphere, but it actually felt just like a normal village.
I wonder where Nephy lived? Zagan knew that was probably something Nephy didn’t wish to recall, but he still looked about restlessly in anticipation.
“Well, you know, you just went and left me behind again, so I thought maybe I’d deliver a nice surprise. Heeheeheeheeheee!” Barbatos took a swig of his drink and laughed, clearly in good spirits.
“...How did you get here ahead of us?”
“Come on, did you forget my second name? Purgatory can reach anywhere, so all I had to do was dive in a teensy bit and look around. Gahahahaha!”
I really want to slug this damn drunk... Zagan had prepared himself to do battle with another Archdemon, but Barbatos was just fooling around without a care in the world.
Unable to resist the temptation, Zagan swung his fist at him. However, Nephy rushed over to stop him in a panic.
“Snap out of it, Master Zagan! If you don’t stop, Sir Barbatos will die!”
“...Ah, sorry, I started punching on reflex.”
The phrase ‘my body moved before I even knew it,’ surely referred to just such situations. Zagan grabbed Barbatos by his collar and drove his fist into his face unconsciously. From the wounds he could see, it appeared he had punched Barbatos a good ten times. Barbatos’ eyes were completely peeled back as his head swayed in circles.

Zagan threw aside his foolish friend like a sack of garbage when a girl came running over to them.
“Nephy, are you alright? I heard you were going through something terrible in your hometown, uh... Huh? Wait, did you... just get here now?”
The girl was wearing Anointed Armor. She had her beautiful red hair, which resembled polished copper, tied to the side, and her scarlet eyes were filled with tears. Her shapely, toned body was pleasing to the eye, and her appearance was well in order, but it was all ruined by how she quickly broke down into tears whenever they met.
She was the lone woman among the Archangels who wielded Sacred Swords, Crybaby Knight Chastille.
She’s not a bad person, but... At any rate, she was a girl whose disappointing features always stood out most.
“I-I’m alright, Chastille.”
“No way... Did I misunderstand the situation again!?” Chastille placed her hand on her chest in relief upon verifying Nephy’s safety, but then immediately formed an awkward expression on her face.
“That is not the case. Meeting you here has me feeling a little relieved.”
Makes sense. Seeing someone more shaken up than you is bound to make you feel better... Surely Nephy wasn’t looking at Chastille in the same way as Zagan, but there was something that oozed out of her that spurred on one’s sadistic tendencies.
“Mmm...?” Foll opened her eyes as she let out that noise. Her wandering gaze stopped on Nephy and Chastille holding hands, which made her speak in a dazed voice.
“I can see Horse Head... Did I... die?”
“Why would you be dead because I’m here!? Just so you know, I’m still alive and kicking!”
“What... so this is all a dream?” Foll fell asleep once more, seemingly relieved by her revelation.
Zagan tilted his head to the side upon seeing Chastille on the verge of tears due to her humiliation, then questioned her.
“Tell me, why’d you even come here?”
“That’s, um... That man was kicking up a fuss, saying Nephy was in distress, and that girl was with him, so I assumed it was something important...” Chastille mumbled in response.
The words ‘that girl’ made Zagan shift his attention to the girl who was hugging her knees as she warmed herself by the fire.
“Well, this is pretty standard behavior for Chastille, but—”
“Hold on, what’s that supposed to mean!? Ah, but it’s been a while since you’ve called me by my name...” Chastille’s teary face turned a little red as she said that, but Zagan pretended not to notice and continued questioning her.
“Look, I’m saying I get why you’re here, but what about Bifrons’ subordinate?”
“Please leave me alone. This time around, I really didn’t have any intent to mess with all of you,” Nephteros said in a voice filled with self-loathing.
Where had the high-handed attitude she had the last time they met gone? Right now, she was cradling her knees like a starving orphan and her eyes looked vacant. She didn’t appear to be scared, but Zagan could tell that she was feeling down.
“She’s been like that since they came over to my place. Seems she went through something painful... Well, at the very least, she doesn’t look to be hostile, so can you try to cheer her up?” Chastille whispered to Zagan and Nephy.
“What exactly do you expect me to do?” Zagan was terrible at speaking to people, and Nephy was much the same. There was no way either of them could cheer her up.
“Um, Miss Nephteros...” Nephy tried calling out to her first, but Gremory stopped her.
“Hold on a bit. I shall show you the essence of love power here and now,” Gremory proclaimed as she took a seat next to Nephteros.
“Keeheehee, have you had an unpleasant experience recently...? I suppose it’s fine if you don’t wish to speak of it. More importantly, how about you try some candy? If you eat something sweet, you’ll feel more at ease!” Gremory claimed as she pulled a bag of sweets out of nowhere. There were many chocolate balls packed together inside.
They were most likely leftovers from the sweets she made the previous day.
“Now that I think of it, wasn’t there a story about an old woman tricking a girl into eating a poisoned apple?” Zagan asked as a sense of apprehension overtook him.
“You’re thinking of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,’ I believe. Long ago, I saw it in a picture book someone left around. Though, I was mistaken for a thief soon after.”
“I see. We’ve finally made it back to your hometown, Nephy. It may be fun to resurrect the fools who dared to do such things and force them to atone, don’t you think?” Zagan nodded at his own idea.
“Calling somebody out of their grave over something so trivial is a bit much... Putting that aside, Master Zagan, I’m surprised you’re aware of such a story,” Nephy said, her ears quivering to emphasize her point.
“Sure, the apple was poisoned, but a tale of a girl filling her belly, then getting rich by sleeping was something I envied back then.”
“You have a point. Even if it was poisoned, it’s only natural to eat whatever food is given to you.”
“Quit being so noisy! All those sad stories are making my heart hurt!” Gremory yelled at them in a tone that was a mix of anger and sympathy.
Despite the rather odd conversation, Nephteros was their real focus, and they could clearly see the tips of her long ears jump as she gazed at the chocolate. She was still staring at the bonfire with a hollow gaze, but it was obvious she was interested in the sweets.
Do the ears of all elves move based on their emotions? If that really was the case, then Zagan was glad they were so easy to understand.
Gremory stuck out her bag of chocolate with a smile on her face. Nephteros had surely heard what Zagan and the others were talking about mere moments ago, yet her hand still stuck out to take a piece of chocolate. Perhaps her mental state was on the brink of collapse.
This looks exactly like a girl being tricked by a shady old woman... Gremory herself was most definitely a suspicious sorcerer, so there was no other way to interpret the situation.
“...Didn’t I say to just leave me alone?” Nephteros didn’t even look at the old woman as she muttered those words.
“Keeheehee, I can do no such thing when a young woman makes such a pained expression before me. How about it? There’s no poison in here, I swear!” Gremory made a show of throwing a chocolate into her mouth.
Seeing that the old woman wouldn’t budge an inch, Nephteros raised her face to speak.
“...After I eat this, you’ll leave me alone, right?” Nephteros said as she reluctantly put a chocolate ball in her mouth.
“It’s sweet...” Nephteros uttered, her golden eyes blinking in surprise.
“Of course it is! How about another?”
“Mmm...” Nephteros pushed the chocolate into her cheek with a completely dejected face.
...Is she really alright? Seeing her depressed state even spurred on Zagan’s protective instinct. Plus, both Nephy and Chastille donned tense expressions.
“H-Hold on! Didn’t I tell you to leave me alone!?” Nephteros screamed. Seemed she’d finally returned to her senses after gobbling down a bunch of Gremory’s chocolates.
“Sure looks like you’re full of energy now,” Gremory said, nodding with a satisfied look on her face as she handed Nephteros the entire bag of chocolates.
“Jeez...” Nephteros groaned in irritation, but she didn’t throw away the bundle.
Doesn’t that mean she’s recovered in her own little way?
The dark elf continued to grumble her complaints as she corrected her posture in front of the bonfire. The fact that she wanted to be left alone didn’t change, and she still wasn’t looking in the direction of Zagan’s group, but unlike before, she wasn’t huddled up with vacant eyes.
“Now then, what do you think?” Gremory inquired as she returned to Zagan’s side.
“How do you expect me to answer that question?” Yeah, she did succeed in cheering up Nephteros, but Zagan had no clue how love power factored in to her actions.
“Zagan also... baited me with food once. Nephy’s soup... was really delicious,” Foll murmured, then began squirming around on Zagan’s back.
Do you really have to bring that up? When Foll first entered his castle, Zagan gave her some soup, which tempted her into staying with him. Saying that she was baited with food was completely accurate, but he didn’t really want to admit it.
Zagan casually looked over at Nephteros in an attempt to distract himself, then noticed the girl’s ears start to tremble.
I guess she’s irritated that we think she was tempted by food. She can’t really get angry, though, since that’d be the same as admitting it... Zagan found that she had an unexpectedly charming side to her as he continued to gaze at her.
“Keeheehee, as I’d expect of the Archdemon I’ve placed my hopes in. Techniques of this caliber are simply natural to you, I see,” Gremory said with a satisfied laugh.
“What does baiting people with food have to do with loving them?”
Nephteros’ ears began twitching about again, but Zagan paid them no mind. He knew he could just treat her to some of Nephy’s soup later to make up for things.
“Did I not say that I would show you the essence of love power?” Gremory said, then pointed to Nephteros and continued, “If one eats their fill, then they’ll be able to put their heart at ease. That’s what I did, but even without love power, anybody could accomplish that.”
“Well, that’s true...” Zagan did the same thing for Foll, after all. Eventually, he returned a nod, which made Gremory thrust her finger at him repeatedly.
“Then answer this. When you saw such a crabby little girl gingerly taking candy from me, what did you feel?” Gremory asked, then slowly sidled up next to Zagan and whispered in his ear like a devil, “You felt charmed, correct?”
“Erk...” Zagan’s body stiffened up as he realized Gremory had seen right through him.
“What did you think when her eyes shot open due to the sweetness of the chocolate? How about when she bashfully muttered ‘It’s sweet...?’ And then, at the end, how about the way she tried to hide her embarrassment with a ‘ Jeez...?’”
She shot out each and every word as if trying to stab Zagan. And the stray fire from them slammed right into Nephteros, leading her to bite down on her lips and let out bitter groans. Seeing her react like that, Gremory’s lips curved into a grand smile.
“‘She has an unexpected cute side...’ I’m sure that thought came to mind.”
“Ugh, I didn’t really feel—”
“It’s fine,” Gremory claimed, cutting him off and continuing with, “That’s just it, my Archdemon. When you see something adorable, you feel relaxed, don’t you? Would anyone take offense to loving the look of a bunny scratching its head? Is it strange to be fascinated by the sight of a beautiful flower? However, wanting to love such things for your entire life is an entirely different matter.”
“Hear me, Archdemon, love all creation. If you do, the world itself shall become yours!” Gremory spread her arms wide and yelled.
There was something about her words that Zagan couldn’t just laugh off as nonsense.
“Hear me, Archdemon. If you feel love, a flower on the roadside will become a treasure that surpasses even a mountain of gold. The ability to accumulate such treasures... is love power!” Gremory proclaimed with a suspicious grin on her face.
Zagan couldn’t understand a single thing she was saying, but she was speaking with such fervor that it felt she was unraveling a fundamental truth of the world.
“Then, Miss Gremory, by some chance... is it the same as the throbbing I feel in my chest when I see Master Zagan worry so much about saying just a single phrase correctly?” Nephy asked, clearly taken aback by Gremory’s explanation.
That’s way too specific! How does she know me so well? Zagan covered his face, barely managing to keep from passing out.
On the other hand, Gremory stared at her in wonder before responding.
“Amazing! To think the Archdemon is loved... No, of course he is! You are fit to be by his side because you love him. So I dare to say... Nice love power!”
Next, while squirming on Zagan’s back, Foll raised her hand.
“Then, the soothing feeling I get when I see Zagan put Nephy on his lap and squeeze her tight is the same?”
“Indeed! And the way that butler refuses to show that to you and covers your face is also some splendid love power.”
Nephy covered her face and squatted down after being hit with an unexpected counterattack.
“You already get it, don’t you? The act of comforting a pitiful lass is not love power, but drawing out her charm and perceiving it as adorable is. You have both the talent and the power for it. One day, you will surely ascend to heights even beyond me,” Gremory whispered to Zagan with a satisfied look on her face.
Zagan could only groan as she praised him for something he didn’t want anything to do with.
If she became an Archdemon instead of me, wouldn’t the world have gotten totally messed up? He started regretting that such a sorcerer was under his command, but at the same time, he knew it would have been worse if she was left at large.
At that point, Nephteros finally seemed to have run out of patience as she stood up.
“You, the fomorian over there, I’ve been quietly listening for a while now, but you sure have some nerve. Cut it out alread— Eeek?” Nephteros was trying to pressure her to stop, but she suddenly let out a scream instead. Zagan looked up to see what was going on, and before he knew it, Gremory had transformed from an old woman to a young, beautiful one. Then, in that form, she started gently caressing Nephteros.
They two of them looked odd together. Nephteros seemed to have fallen backward, and Gremory embraced her from behind and ran her finger along Nephteros’ chin.
“Keehee, your angry face is also quite lovely, isn’t it? Do not pleasure me in such ways. I’ll lose my patience!”
“Eeek, wh-what are you...”
“Oh my, your skin is beautiful. Your golden eyes and white hair are also splendid. Keehee, come now, is this really enough to make you blush?”
“S-Stop... Let me... Oh...”
When it came to simple power as a sorcerer, Nephteros should have been far superior, but having such straightforward words of praise showered on her made her go limp. Her dark skin was tinted bright red, and the way her hand was trembling in anxiety atop her chest made her seem like a nervous little girl.
“L-Let me go... I’m... telling you... to let me... go...”
“Keeheehee, you truly are quite innocent, aren’t you? Well, if you’re set on teasing me, then I’ll guide you. Go on, call me ‘sister dearest.’”

In that moment, Zagan recalled that Gremory held the second name Enchantress.
Nephteros was grimacing at the humiliation of it all, but her disagreeable attitude eventually turned to quivers of defeat. And then, just as she was opening her mouth to signal that she’d succumbed...
“Ow!” Kimaris mercilessly smacked Gremory’s head.
“Miss Gremory, please restrain yourself.”
“You son of a... Don’t get in my way, Kimaris! Just a bit more and this girl would have been unable to live without me!”
Why did I bring someone like her with me again...? Oh, right, she just invited herself.
After watching such misleading conduct, Zagan was once more reminded just how loyal and capable Raphael was.
With Gremory’s attention drawn away, Nephteros was liberated from her arms. However, since she’d completely lost all strength in her legs, it didn’t seem like she could stand.
“I must apologize to you as well, Miss Nephteros. Once she becomes like this, it’s hard to control her...” Kimaris apologized to her on Gremory’s behalf as he caught her in his fluffy arm. After steadying her, Kimaris let Nephteros down, then grabbed Gremory by the back of her neck and lifted her up.
Nephteros used that opening to distance herself from Gremory and hide behind Zagan. She even scurried across the ground on all fours to get away as fast as possible. Frankly, the sight was quite pitiful. Feeling bad about it, Zagan opened his mouth to speak.
“Ah... Sorry that the old hag messed with you.”
“No... It seems like you’ve been through a lot as well, Archdemon Zagan.”
“It isn’t normally like this, I swear...” Nephy responded to Nephteros in a weary voice. In that moment, a strange sense of camaraderie was born between the three of them.
On the other hand, Gremory and Kimaris were still going at each other.
“Leeet meee gooo!”
“I will, so please help me make dinner. The sun has already set, and it’s pitch dark out here.”
The sun had set while Gremory was screwing around. At his words, everyone came to the conclusion that it was time to start pitching tents and cooking dinner, but Chastille raised her voice in a fluster to stop them.
“H-Hold on, Barbatos has stopped moving completely!”
Zagan thought the two of them were strangely quiet, so that made sense. Chastille was tending to Barbatos, who still hadn’t woken up. The sight made Zagan suddenly recall a certain doubt he had in mind.
“I don’t really care about Barbatos, but is it alright not to show some love to that one?” Zagan asked Gremory.
“Where’s the fun in showing love to a crybaby who’s favored by everyone with little effort? Besides, do you really think I’d ever love an Angelic Knight?”
Chastille was left speechless by those harsh words.
◇
Zagan’s group chose to sleep in a particularly large house that was still standing. The silver furnishings made it readily apparent that some sort of noble once lived there. Having said that, the construction of the house itself was the same as the other houses, and though the floor was composed of wooden boards, the walls were simply made of rocks piled atop one another. Moss was growing rampantly along them, making it feel like they were staying in a cave. Still, including the basement, there were enough rooms for over ten people, so that was good enough for them.
Zagan held his hand up to a silver candlestick on the wall, then gathered his mana and lit it. It was a fundamental power that couldn’t even really be called sorcery.
“So this... is the house of the chief of those elves... is it?” Zagan muttered as he gazed down the now-colorful corridor.
“Yes. This is the elder’s manor. Though... this is the first time I’ve been here...” Nephy nodded as she replied to Zagan’s question.
That makes this the best place to look for any clues on celestial mysticism or high elves. Unfortunately, they had wasted all their sunlight thanks to Gremory, so they had to wait to search outside. Left with no other choice, Zagan, Nephy, Chastille, and Nephteros wandered through the house slowly.
“Why am I even here...” Nephteros let out some dissatisfied words. She had gotten dragged into this and had no way to return home on her own. Because of that, she was reluctantly cooperating with Zagan.
“You can just wait in the kitchen with Foll if you’d prefer.”
To take responsibility for the earlier uproar, Gremory and Kimaris agreed to take care of dinner. Foll was taking a break in the kitchen, chowing down on some snacks while waiting. And since Barbatos wasn’t waking up, they just threw him in the first room they could find and left him to rot.
“No, it’s not like this is all bad. Besides, it would be boring to just sit around and do nothing,” Nephteros replied, trembling in response to Zagan’s question. It seemed the terror of Gremory messing around with her wasn’t so easily forgotten. Honestly, it felt like she was actually saying ‘for the love of god, anywhere but the kitchen.’
“Well, relax. Sure, Bifrons gets on my nerves, but I’m not going to hold that against you. I’ll look after you until we get back,” Zagan said, shrugging his shoulders.
Barbatos was at fault for her current predicament, but as an Archdemon, Zagan thought it best to at least be a little generous.
“About Master Bifrons... Um...” Nephteros’ dark ears quivered as she hung her head.
Zagan was unable to catch what she said beyond her initial words. He tilted his head to the side in confusion, intending to ask her to speak up, but Chastille spoke first.
“What a strange building. It feels like the aura of my Sacred Sword is sharpening from just being here...” Chastille said as she touched the walls around her.
“You sure about that?” Zagan’s eyes widened upon hearing something so unexpected.
“It seems like Norden really might be sacred land. Even the church’s cathedrals are nowhere near as spiritually clean...” Chastille claimed, sticking her chest out in pride. It seemed that the energy Sacred Swords possessed that was similar to mana was called ‘aura.’
“I’m sure I’ll be able to draw out the true power of my Sacred Sword in this place. And this time around, I’m wearing my Anointed Armor, so I won’t be scared by any enemy!” Chastille proclaimed, nodding repeatedly in admiration of the place the entire time.
“Wouldn’t the most likely enemies in this place be the ghosts of the elves whose beds we’re using?”
“Eeek, ghosts!?” Chastille shrieked, turning completely pale in a flash.
“I really hope this isn’t true... but... are you scared of ghosts?” Zagan asked in an exasperated voice.
“I-I mean, come on, they’re dead people who just pop up out of nowhere!”
“Isn’t dealing with ghosts and the undead a part of your job as an Angelic Knight?”
The church didn’t only do battle with sorcerers. It was also their job to respond to the concerns and grievances of their followers. And since sorcerers often enslaved ghosts and the undead, Angelic Knights had to go fight them.
For an Archangel of all people to be scared of ghosts... How pathetic. Chastille was unable to hide her trembling hands as she replied to his question.
“A job is a job, but scary things are scary. What’s wrong with that?”
Even Nephteros was let down by that response.
“...Do you not even possess a notion of self-respect or pride?” Zagan asked.
“I believe that being too proud is a recipe for disaster.”
Well, that sure fit her meek, crybaby persona. In truth, Zagan was genuinely curious how such a person ever even became an Angelic Knight.
Oh, right, she was chosen by her Sacred Sword. Her sense of responsibility was strong, so she was probably unable to free herself from her burden against better judgment. Perhaps Gremory had said there was ‘no need to show any love’ to her because of her strong convictions.
“I-Is that so...?” Nephteros faltered in her response. It seemed Chastille’s rather dignified response had stumped her. Her tone made it apparent that she was unsure whether to sympathize with her point of view or scorn her for it.
This girl... Looks like she’s bad at dealing with unexpected responses, huh? Thinking back on it, she was quite shaken when Zagan wasn’t tricked at all by her Nephy act. After taking that into consideration, Zagan was sure her arrogant attitude was all an act. And with that in mind, it was clear that Nephteros was quite loveable.
This is bad. I’ve started thinking of love far too much thanks to Gremory. She was truly terrifying. Gremory had even managed to infect the ever-apathetic Zagan...
“Now that I think of it, it seems like you can’t really handle Foll either, can you?” Zagan muttered to Chastille as he pulled himself together.
“I-It’s not like I hate her or anything, okay? It’s just, every time I meet her, she pulls some kind of prank on me...”
“But her second name is Apparition...”
“Eeek!”
When Foll went by Valefor, she wore armor fit for a giant. Due to her short stature, the interior was largely vacant, which helped her earn her second name.
“I see... That’s why she’s so good at targeting my weaknesses...” Chastille said as she turned pale and began trembling.
Maybe it would’ve been better not to mention it... For the time being, Zagan decided to watch Chastille carefully as he continued to check out the state of the house.
“It doesn’t seem like there are any traps made with sorcery here.”
Elves avoided conflict when possible, but each of them possessed an extraordinary amount of mana. That was why Zagan assumed they set up traps to protect themselves and their secrets. However, oddly enough, he failed to locate anything of the sort.
“I never once saw the people of my village use sorcery. Perhaps I’m wrong, and they were just hiding it from me, but I don’t think anyone knew how,” Nephy said with downcast eyes.
Aside from sorcery, there was also the power of mysticism, but only high elves like Nephy and Nephteros could wield it.
“Really? But how did they defend themselves? It’s not like they could’ve just avoided all monsters in this place.”
Monsters were living creatures who possessed mana and differed greatly in appearance from people and animals. Among them, there were some who could even understand human speech, and it was rumored that those ones were closely related to demons. However, all they possessed was an impulse for destruction and hunger, so there was no way to ever talk them down.
Their population had grown thin around Kianoides, but monsters naturally attacked everything around them, and elves were no exception. It was said that such beings populated even the parts of Norden humans couldn’t reach.
Instead of answering this, Nephy simply opened a nearby door. It seemed that it led to a parlor with a large table surrounded by rock seats. Unfortunately, all of the seats were now covered in moss. It was obviously not a storehouse, but it still stank of mud. And upon closer inspection, the smell wasn’t all that surprising, as the stone seats were sticking out of the ground. It seemed the stones had been buried straight into the ground.
This was a type of a barrier... Or well, it may have been a means of building up the spiritual aura Chastille had mentioned.
Lizards were creeping about the gaps in the floorboards. Even Zagan, whose castle was once filled with torture devices and skeletons, found it hard to believe people actually once lived there. And on a wall in that room... was a single bow.
“Everyone used a bow like this when it was time to hunt,” Nephy said as she picked up the bow.
Zagan let out a ‘Hm’ in admiration as he gave it a once-over. The bow’s main body was made of wood, but it had been elaborately decorated with silver ornaments. It appeared to be quite valuable, but...
“Those symbols are Celestian, aren’t they?” Zagan spotted crests similar to those on a Sacred Sword on the bow.
“Yes. I don’t quite understand what it means, but it says Exousiai...” Nephy replied with a nod.
“It means ‘Evil’s bane.’ It’s a charm that wards off evil spirits,” Nephteros chimed in on their discussion.
“...You’re going to help us?” Zagan inquired, clearly confused.
“Are you sure it’s fine for you to tell us?”
“...It’s not like Master Bifrons gave me an order to keep quiet. Also, you’re going to head back as soon as you finish investigating this place, right? In that case, I’ll get home faster if I assist you,” Nephteros claimed arrogantly. However, her twitching and swaying ears gave her true intentions away.
This girl’s awfully easy to understand...
“Is something the matter?” Nephteros glared back at Zagan in response to his observant gaze.
“Well, it just seems like I’m the only one you’re treating coldly. Don’t you get tired of that?”
“Huh? Is that really the case?” Nephteros seemed unaware of her own behavior.
“Sure seemed like you were acting a lot more casual with Nephy and Gremory...”
“Perhaps you’re right. I wasn’t really conscious of it, though. It’s just...”
“What?”
“You are... an Archdemon.”
Did that mean she had to pay respect to him? Or perhaps it meant she feared him? For whatever reason, the thought bothered him.
“I’m not your master. I’m not saying to correct your tone, but you’re a guest. There’s no need to strain yourself when dealing with me... for now,” Zagan remarked, shrugging his shoulders at her as he spoke. It was an entirely different matter when she was acting as Bifrons’ servant, but at the moment, she was merely a guest who got dragged into Zagan’s affairs. Given the circumstances, it was his responsibility to treat her well. And after he informed her of his thoughts on the matter, Nephteros relaxed a little.
“Underst... Got it. I’ll talk a bit more casually, then.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Nephy’s ears happily quivered as she heard their exchange. Seeing that, Nephteros glared back at her, barking out her next words.
“What? You got any complaints!?”
“Not at all! Thank you very much, Miss Nephteros. Having someone who understands Celestian is a big help. I’m relying on you.”
“Th-That doesn’t make me happy at all!” Nephteros denied feeling any sense of joy, but her twitching ears acted as a dead giveaway once more.
This kind of feels like a sibling rivalry or something... Nephteros had once tried to hurt Nephy, but Nephy had put that aside and was trying to accept her. Fighting and then making up afterward was textbook sibling rivalry. The sight made Zagan suddenly remember something.
“I want to save her. And then, I want to teach her as her senior...” When Nephteros was singing her celestial mysticism, her memories flowed into Zagan. That was why he knew that she didn’t detest Nephy at all. In fact, she had even wanted to save Nephy after seeing how the people of her village treated her. Her current reactions made him think those feelings still resided within her. No, perhaps it was better to say those feelings had been reignited after all the time they spent together.
“This is likely a weapon built on the same concepts as a Sacred Sword... Though in comparison, it works a lot more like a toy. Simply drawing the string will allow anyone to fire off an arrow made of mana. Well, if they can actually use mana, anyway.”
“I see. The bow itself must be an antique, then...” Zagan commented.
“I think you’re right. This probably wasn’t made by the residents of this village. I’d say it’s from an age where high elves like myself and... this girl here were still common.”
“Is it something valuable?” Nephy tilted her head to the side as she asked that question.
“I’d say the words ‘legendary weapon’ fit best. If the church got their hands on it, they’d probably enshrine it as a new sacred treasure or something.”
“Uh, wouldn’t that... put it on the same level as the Sacred Swords?” Chastille asked. Their discovery seemed to have stunned her.
“It’s not quite on that level, but it’s probably only a step below it. At the very least, it’s far more powerful than your Anointed Armor.”
Chastille’s shoulders drooped down.
“Ugh, I finally came fully equipped and this happens...”
It made sense that a hidden elven village had such powerful artifacts lying around. In any case, Nephteros appeared to be quite proud of unraveling the mystery. Even the hostility she usually pointed toward Nephy had eased up.
Maybe I’m worrying too much... It may have been unreasonable at present, but perhaps the day would come where the two of them could spend time together happily.
After fixedly gazing at the bow for a while, Chastille let out a nod in admiration and spoke up.
“If I remember right, legends say elves are masters of the bow. They’re a race who have a high amount of innate mana, so maybe this type of weapon suits them best.”
“...Thanks for the explanation. Think you can keep a little further away from me, though?” Nephteros asked. Before anyone knew it, Chastille had started clinging to the hem of her mantle.
“B-But the room over there is so dark! I keep thinking something’s going to pop out of there suddenly, so I just...”
“Are you really an Archangel? You’re saying the church actually puts you on the same level as that butler?” Nephteros looked to be truly astonished by that fact. However, she didn’t shake off Chastille’s hand despite her rather evident disdain. Instead, she simply returned the bow to Nephy, then walked away.
“Tell me, how long do you plan on just standing around? We need to finish looking through all the rooms before the others finish preparing dinner, remember?”
“W-W-W-Wait up!”
Nephteros walked ahead of the group with Chastille still clinging to her.
Zagan and Nephy exchanged befuddled glances before following them with slightly bitter smiles on their faces.
◇
“Even a run-down place like this has some nice liquor, huh?” Zagan let out a sigh of admiration as he knocked back some wine from a bottle he found in the cellar. It seemed to be quite well-aged wine, and its refined maturity danced about his tongue.
He was currently in one of the bedrooms in the village elder’s manor. It was fairly empty, sporting only a plain side table next to a wooden bedframe and a small bookshelf with several handwritten books lining each row. After skimming through them, he quickly realized they were journals written in the language of elves.
The bed was packed with straw instead of cotton. Zagan tried taking a seat on it, and he found it quite pleasant. Usually, he slept on his throne, so actually sleeping on his back was a good change of pace. Moreover, this was the first time Nephy’s room was completely separate from his, which allowed him to relax more. Back at the castle, Nephy’s room was directly above the throne room. That meant she had to walk through the throne room to get to any of the common areas, so he had to be ready to meet her at any moment.
Zagan recalled what went on during dinner as he sat there and indulged in the wine. In the end, there were no traps in the manor that used sorcery or mysticism. After going back to reconvene with the rest of their group, the search party found dinner laid out for them in one of the larger rooms of the manor. The cooking team had managed to make a decent dinner out of whatever ingredients were left in the kitchen. However, since Foll decided to “help” with preparations, there was barely enough food left to fill everyone’s bellies.
Gremory messed with Nephteros again as they ate. Zagan couldn’t help but think she did it on purpose to ease Nephy’s mind.
“Nephy... looked quite perplexed,” Zagan said with a sigh as he gazed at the bright red liquid in his glass.
Her face... or rather, her ears told him that she didn’t really know how to react, and that worried her far more than the state of her hometown. It appeared Gremory and Kimaris had caught on to her predicament as well. That was fairly surprising, as they’d only known her a short while.
Zagan was, of course, worried about her, but he knew asking someone if they were alright when they clearly weren’t was irritating. Due to all that, their meal ended without Zagan even getting in a word. And after that, they all split up and went to rest in their rooms. For better or worse, the place had more than eight bedrooms, so everyone got their own.
Chastille, surprisingly, ended up taking dinner over to Barbatos. That undesirable friend of Zagan’s had not woken up by the time dinner rolled around. Perhaps he had hit him a little too hard.
“That man may be utter trash, but he also has a good side that he shows once in a while. Sure, I’m stuck here because of his antics, but I got to meet you and Nephy and Zagan thanks to that,” Chastille had said. Barbatos had been protecting Chastille on Zagan’s command, so he had himself to blame, as well. Though, he was surprised that Chastille had stopped hating him.
Barbatos doesn’t seem that bothered by it anymore, either... Well, all things considered, that was probably a good sign.
“More importantly, is Nephy...” Zagan finally had his own private room, but all he wanted to do was talk to Nephy. Unfortunately, he didn’t know what to say when Nephy was so clearly upset. Plus, there was also the fact that she probably wanted to be left alone, though what was the point of inviting him, in that case?
“...How ridiculous. I’ve got no reason to worry, right?” Zagan shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind after worrying over such thoughts for over half an hour. Then, he took the wine bottle in hand and stood up.
If I can’t think of anything to say, I’ll just stay by her side! Both Zagan and Nephy were terrible at putting their feelings into words. That was why they usually nestled up to each other when they were troubled. Why had he been hesitating when the answer was so obvious?
Oh, someone’s here... He didn’t realize it because he was lost in thought, but there was someone pacing restlessly in front of his door. After taking several steps to the right, they spun around and walked to the left. Zagan could tell that they had been repeating this cycle for quite some time now.
Nephy... No, those aren’t her footsteps... Nephy always took great care to walk about silently, so Zagan would have known right away if that were her. Still, such light footsteps surely didn’t belong to Kimaris or Barbatos either, which meant it was likely a woman. Having said that, they weren’t light enough to be Foll’s or loud enough to be Chastille’s. Perhaps Gremory fit, as she could morph her body as she pleased, but she also wasn’t very meek. In that case, the only remaining suspect was...
“What are you doing here... Nephteros!?”
“Erk?!” Nephteros stiffened up completely, a surprised look on her face, as Zagan swung his door open.
Seeing that expression on someone with the same face as Nephy is pretty refreshing... No matter what happened, Nephy would never make that kind of face. Nephteros’ mouth was flapping open and shut for a while, as she was unable to say anything, but eventually, she brushed back her silver hair in an attempt to keep up appearances.
“I just happened to be passing by.”
“Oh, that’s nice...” Zagan decided to spare her dignity and let her lie slide. And though Nephteros averted her face from him in a huff, he could tell she had some business with him from the way she was casting him fleeting glances.
I want to head over to Nephy right away... Zagan wanted to be rid of Nephteros, but he had decided to treat her like a guest earlier, and a guest deserved some courtesy. Left with no other choice, Zagan tried to cut straight to the chase.
“Do you want something?”
“Um, well...” Nephteros winced and began to mumble. It seemed being questioned had gotten her all worked up.
What a troublesome girl... Since urging her had done nothing to help his situation, Zagan simply stared at Nephteros and waited for her to respond. Eventually, she seemed to realize he was waiting for her to act. And then, she stuck out what she was carrying in her arms, a conflicted look on her face.
“Here, I came to return your mantle.”
“My mantle?” Zagan remembered what she was talking about as the words left his mouth.
Now that I think about it, I gave this to her when she lost her clothes on the boat, didn’t I? Zagan had saved Nephteros when she was transformed into a monster by the residual thoughts of the Demon Lord. And at that time, he lent her the mantle in question.
“That’s odd. You came all the way here just to return it?”
“Weren’t you the one who said I had to return it myself!?”
“I did?” Zagan was focused on brewing up his ‘gift’ to Bifrons back then, so he didn’t really remember much of what he said. At any rate, she brought it over all the way to him. He had to accept it graciously.
“Hm? Was it always this... pretty?” Nephy had mended it a number of times, but the fabric was quite old. Moreover, he remembered it being damaged heavily during his battle with the Sludge Demon Lord. And, as Zagan tilted his head to the side in confusion, Nephteros averted her gaze from him. The tips of her ears had started to go red.
“Fixing up tattered clothing is the least I can do.”
“You mended it for me? Good job,” Zagan said as he tried on the mantle, a strained smile on his face.
“Wow, not bad. If you ever get fed up with Bifrons, come to my castle. There’s a whole mountain of work waiting for you.”
“...Do you take me for some sort of laundry lady?”
“No, you also happen to know a lot about celestial mysticism, so you’re far more than that.”
“Well, I’ll think about it,” Nephteros replied, scoffing back at him as if she didn’t hate the idea entirely. At the very least, Zagan couldn’t sense any enthusiasm or disdain in her words.
“I assume things are going well with Bifrons?”
“I wonder...” Nephteros pulled a piece of paper out from the mantle as she said that. On first glance, it appeared to be the invitation Bifrons sent Zagan, but there was a unique mechanism woven into it. One that made a mana-powered fist swoop down on Bifrons any time they angered Nephteros.
“Oh, yeah. Allow me to thank you for this little trinket. It’s taught Master Bifrons the importance of personal space.”
“Now that’s unexpected. You sure he learned his lesson? Doesn’t really seem like the learning type...”
“Master Bifrons’ head has been blown off several times already. It’s like they say: fear is a powerful motivator,” Nephteros claimed as she shook her head in exasperation.
“Hmmm...” Zagan hadn’t expected that response.
Bifrons still can’t defend against it? Bifrons was an Archdemon. Sure, Zagan set up a fairly intricate trap, but someone so powerful should have overcome it already. Plus, he could have just confiscated the letter if it really came down to it. The fact that Bifrons hadn’t done so already meant they wanted it in place. Perhaps Bifrons actually had learned ‘the importance of personal space,’ as Nephteros put it.
...Though, it was also possible Bifrons had a weird fetish.
“Well, that’s fortunate, isn’t it? Next time, I’ll take measures to keep you from being used as a guinea pig,” Zagan said, a fleeting smile gracing his face.
Nephteros stiffened up and stared at the sight in wonder. Then, she turned bright red and hid her face in embarrassment.
“Th-That’s none of your business. Really, I’m surprised you’re so ki... I mean, I’m surprised you’re so hospitable. I’m the one who tried to hurt Nephy, remember?”
“Nephy and I don’t have time to dwell on a brat throwing a temper tantrum,” Zagan said, looking about ready to burst into laughter.
“A brat? Look, I’m not sure how old you are, but I’m older than Nephelia, got it?”
“I see,” Zagan muttered with a nod, then continued, “Now that I think of it, how old are you?” Zagan knew it was rude to ask a lady for her age, but he wasn’t one to be bound by societal norms.
“I-I’m.... Huh? I... am...?” Nephteros was left daunted by his rather blunt question. She began cradling her head, clearly confused and unable to pin down an answer.
“What’s wrong?”
“No... It’s... nothing,” Nephteros claimed before glaring back at Zagan.
“More importantly, even if you are an Archdemon, you should know it’s rude to ask a lady for her age.”
“You’re the one who brought up the subject. I don’t have any interest in your age...” Zagan said as he raised both his hands to surrender.
“Hmph...” Nephteros’ silver hair swayed as she scoffed at him and walked down the corridor.
“It can’t be... Does she not know her age?” Zagan muttered to himself gravely. That was a bad sign.
Zagan was left frozen in place, fearing the worst, for a quite a while after that exchange.
◇
“...I can’t sleep,” Nephy mumbled in a puzzled tone for the millionth time that night. She had gotten her own room, but was unable to sleep due to all the thoughts running through her mind.
“...Master Zagan,” Nephy desperately called out to him. However, this was not his castle. He had his own bed for once, so he was probably fast asleep.
Is sleeping in the same bed as him out of the question? Would that bother him? He had allowed her to sit on his lap many times by that point, but they had only slept in each other’s arms twice. There was the evening Zagan purchased Nephy, and the night Zagan revealed his past to her.
From time to time, Nephy found that her bed got cold. And whenever that happened, she prayed to sleep under the same covers as him in order to press into his warm, comforting body. Unfortunately, Zagan always slept atop his throne, which kept them apart.
I’m acting far too spoiled... Nephy shook her head in a fluster as her thoughts began to run wild. She was rather worried about what Zagan would think of her if she acted on her desires. She chose to believe he felt the exact same way, but that didn’t mean he would reciprocate.
Of course, no matter what she did, Zagan would accept her. She knew that. However, it was still difficult to put herself out there.
Nephy’s ears turned completely red as she began writhing around in her bed. She could hardly contain her imagination.
“I really can’t sleep...” Nephy gave up after twisting and turning a few more times and got up off her bed. After stretching her hand out to the bedside table, she snapped her thin fingers, lighting the candle on it. That was basic sorcery Zagan taught her.
Next, Nephy tried opening the window. Though it was a window, it was made of simple wood planks, and there wasn’t anything like glass set in it. By using the pole attached to each plank, you could pull them to the side to open them.
Moonlight streamed into the room as Nephy stared fixedly at one of the houses in the ruined village. That one just happened to be the place she was raised.
“...Odd. I don’t particularly feel anything,” Nephy said as she held her hand to her chest. Her pulse was the same as always, her breathing was normal, and she didn’t feel the least bit nervous.
I thought it would hurt more... Even Zagan seemed fairly worried about her, which was why he tagged along. And yet, she was so calm that her return was anti-climactic. If elven corpses were strewn about, she may have at least felt pain in her heart, but there weren’t even any traces of blood, and the buildings were largely intact. It was as if the residents had just vanished.
The tranquility of it all made her doubt that she actually lived there only a few months ago. No, that was a little wrong. It felt more like she’d returned to how she used to be before she met Zagan.
“Oh, I see. I used to feel like this all the time.”
She was raised in an environment where great expectations resulted in great pain. Nobody would even look at her, and her mere presence was considered an evil influence.
That was why Nephy shut herself off from the world. If she stopped thinking, the pain eased a little. If she stopped moving, the pain became easier to handle. In exchange for not feeling pain, she was no longer able to feel joy. And so, all she did was sit still and pray her meaningless life would come to a swift end.
Her heart came to a standstill. She became an empty husk once more. However, that was no good. She had to come to terms with her past. Otherwise, traveling back to her hometown was pointless. If she continued to give in to her horrid memories, she would never again feel the warmth of love from Zagan and the rest of her family.
“I don’t want that...” Nephy no longer wanted to die. In fact, it was no exaggeration to say her life only began the moment she met Zagan. She wanted to live for his sake. She wanted to continue her life with Zagan, Foll, Chastille, Manuela, Raphael, Gremory, Kimaris, and even Barbatos. That was why she simply had to cast aside her past self.
And, as she continued to stare at the house she once lived in to affirm her resolve...
“Huh...?” Nephy spotted a faint light in her old house.
Is somebody... still there?The windows were the same as the one Nephy was looking through, so a small amount of light seeped through the gaps in the wood planks. Something was up.
For all she knew, it could have been a traveler or a bandit, but it definitely wasn’t a natural occurrence.
“I must notify Master Zagan immediately...” Nephy started heading toward Zagan’s room when her feet suddenly came to a stop.
Is that really alright, I wonder...? Did Zagan really need to know? If he listened to her and investigated her old house, wouldn’t he just do all the work as she sat back and relaxed? How exactly was she overcoming her old, weak self if she just let him protect her over and over?
“...My apologies, Master Zagan. Forgive me for acting of my own volition,” Nephy said as she shook her head.
And at that moment, for the very first time, Nephy walked forward on her own two feet with no one there to support her.
◇
Nephy slipped on her boots, then took a pen in hand and began scribbling down what had happened and what she was about to do. She was dead set on following through with her plan, but she was unsure how it would turn out in the end. Disappearing without a word would have been in poor taste, so she finished writing a memo before she jumped out the window.
It’s really cold... Nephy was wearing her usual maid outfit near snowcapped mountains, which obviously left her trembling.
“Half a year ago, I wouldn’t even have been able to feel the cold...”
Did that just mean she had gotten weaker? Well, I can accept that sort of weakness.
Honestly, she wanted Zagan to develop the same type of weaknesses that she had. That man was far too strong. He had learned to rely on others somewhat recently, but there were still parts of him that wished to take care of everything on his own. And Nephy believed that being able to do everything resulted in more worries. She wished that he was weaker so he’d be forced to accept help from all sorts of people. Otherwise, everyone’s gratitude would never get through to him.
“I want to grow strong enough to have Master Zagan rely on me...” Nephy muttered as she was taking the first steps toward achieving that goal. After crossing over the open space, she rushed to her old home. Though, it was never exactly home to her. In fact, she could only stay in one corner of the storehouse. The only time she was ever allowed into other rooms was to help out with cleaning or other chores.
She knew absolutely nothing about the other residents. Forget family, the people she’d lived with for the first sixteen years of her life weren’t even her acquaintances.
Nephy’s hand began trembling slightly as she moved to open the door, but this time, it wasn’t due to the cold. She was scared. However, oddly enough, she was relieved by the sight.
It’s alright. I’m not the same person anymore... Her emotions were functioning properly, which meant she was ready to face whatever was beyond that door. Clutching her chest with her left hand, Nephy took a deep breath and twisted the doorknob.
“...Huh?”
Warm air rushed out from the other side of the door. Upon taking a closer look, Nephy noticed the fireplace was lit. It seemed that was the source of light she spotted from her room.
Wish me luck, Master Zagan... Nephy thought as she stared back at the elder’s manor.
She knew Zagan would be furious when he found out, but this was a problem Nephy had to face on her own. And so, Nephy took a step into the house she once lived in.
The place looked largely the same as the elder’s manor. The floor was made of wood planks, but the walls were just moss-covered stones piled atop each other. Surprisingly, despite the simplistic windows, there wasn’t even so much as a draft. The room was quite warm, which probably served to push the cold air back, but Nephy knew that would quickly change if the fireplace was extinguished.
The interior of the room hadn’t changed at all. There were several paintings hung on each wall, and a small altar was installed near the entryway that they used to offer prayers to at mealtime. Other than that, there was a single dilapidated table with four wooden chairs around it. Seemed like the place belonged to a family of four.
She hadn’t walked around the house enough to be familiar with it, but nothing looked out of place. In fact, it looked exactly the same as when the humans attacked the village, which had Nephy questioning her memory.
The people of this house are likely all dead... Nephy found that unfortunate, even though she knew those people cursed her with their dying breath. She may not have known them enough to mourn them, but she did pity them.
After mulling over her thoughts for a while, Nephy surveyed the rest of the house. And despite the fact that the fireplace was lit, there wasn’t even any trace of footprints to be found.
She was looking around restlessly, doing her best to find a lead, when one of the paintings on the wall suddenly caught her attention. There was only a single artist in the entire village, and he always gifted families a painting to go along with each new baby. That was why there should have been as many paintings as children in this house, but...
“My painting... isn’t here?” Nephy never had a chance to take a close look at the place before, so that fact had escaped her. Perhaps they didn’t want to hang up a painting of a cursed child, or maybe the artist himself refused to make one. However...
“Where exactly was I born?”
This had to be her hometown, but she had failed to find any definitive proof that she was born and raised here. Thus far, she had believed the people of this house were her blood relatives, but was that really the case? Would her own family have hated her for no reason?
What am I thinking? Parental bonds are a myth... Even Zagan was left alone in the world, forced to fend for himself from a young age. Forget his parents’ faces, he didn’t even know their names. If they were somehow still alive, they would have no connection to speak of.
Surely, such fickle bonds were naught but illusion. Or at least, that was what Nephy believed.
Being with all these people who aren’t related to me by blood... is far better.
Zagan, who was a complete stranger, was the first one to truly ever make Nephy feel loved. And the first ones to call her a friend were Chastille and Manuela, who she had only just met recently. After that, Foll came along as a daughter of sorts, which made her feel like part of a family for the very first time.
Not a single one of them were related to her by blood. There were no such bonds tying them at all together, and that was no issue.
I must... figure out who I really am.... And just as she thought that, the painting that she was gazing at began to distort.
“Huh...?” Nephy watched on as four shadows slipped out of the painting in front of her. She could immediately tell they were the figures of the family who lived here.
An illusion? Nephy cast her gaze around her surroundings, but was unable to find the origin. Zagan probably would have been able to identify the location of the sorcerer at a glance, but Nephy was nowhere near as skilled as him. When it came to just sorcery, even the sorcerers working at the castle all surpassed her. Having said that, mysticism wasn’t a power that always manifested the desired result, which made it a completely unknown element. There was no guarantee she was their better even with it added into the mix.
Each of the illusions took a seat around the table, then began cheerfully laughing. They were the spitting image of a happy family.
I’ve never seen that look on their faces... Nephy had only ever had scorn or disgust directed at her. She couldn’t possibly have imagined them laughing merrily.
“They look so happy...” Nephy muttered. And then, that happy scene began melting away in response. The next illusion was one filled with dead bodies. Their once-smiling faces were tainted by the bright red blood flowing from their heads, and their mouths were belting out words of pain and resentment.
‘Why didn’t you save us?’ they asked. ‘I don’t want to die,’ they wailed. ‘Nephy should have died instead,’ they complained.
“You have the right to resent me...” Nephy knew that she may have been able to save them if she had fought against the invading humans. But instead, she had allowed them to be slaughtered, and that was something she would regret for the rest of her life.
Witnessing the agony that they went through pained Nephy. Surely, if they had met under different circumstances, they could have gotten along. Or perhaps, as she was now, she could have developed an actual relationship with them.
“However...” Nephy mumbled as the image of the corpses was burned into her mind, then continued, “If it was that painful, why didn’t you protect each other?”
I would put my life on the line to protect Zagan or Foll, so shouldn’t these people have done the same? Nephy would never have been willing to just cower and die like these elves. And as she spurned their memories with such thoughts, the illusion of the corpses shattered like glass, and darkness enveloped her once more. Except this time, even the light from the fireplace had vanished.
It’s cold... The once warm room had chilled immensely. The sudden change even had Nephy wondering if the fireplace had actually been lit at all. She looked over to it, but couldn’t sense any heat coming off it. Even if a fire were extinguished with water, the heat from the firewood should still have remained. And at that moment, everything clicked into place.
Was I... lured out here...? In the end, it may have been better to at least alert Zagan before coming here. However, Nephy did not regret her decision.
The culprit should be around here somewhere... Nephy braced herself as she took another look around the place, but she was only met by a mocking laugh.
“Kufufu, how brave...”
Nephy was horrified by that voice, which was accompanied by a shadow stretching out of the floor. On top of the room being dimly lit, the shadow was wearing a hood, so she couldn’t tell if it was a man or woman. However, based on their voice, she did know it was someone considerably older.
This person is far stronger than me...! Nephy raised her guard as she shifted her focus over to the exit. She had learned the basics of sorcery and could use mysticism quite freely in this specific location, which meant celestial mysticism wasn’t out of the question. If she fought without worrying about her own safety, she could defeat even a skilled sorcerer. Unfortunately, she could tell the person before her was a step above that.
I must survive and return to Master Zagan’s side... If she didn’t, he would feel responsible for her death and blame himself for not being by her side. Nephy wanted to be Zagan’s pillar of support, so she couldn’t possibly make him suffer that.
That was why Nephy’s number one priority was returning to his side. The true identity of the shadow, as well as why it lured her out alone, was irrelevant in the face of that desire.
Sadly, I have to stand and fight... There would have been no point in her heading out alone if she tried to run away just because her opponent was stronger than her.
She had to fight, survive, and return alive. That was the result Nephy desired. And having come to that conclusion, she opened her mouth to speak.
“Why... did you show me that?”
“Hmm... You’re not running away or anything, huh?” the shadow unexpectedly replied. After that, she could somehow tell its mouth warped into a smile before saying, “So, how was it? The figure of those who tormented you being punished, I mean.”
“...It was the worst possible feeling,” Nephy replied. It had felt like she killed the same people twice.
This is not a place for me to bend a knee and yield... Nephy was only permitted to collapse in the presence of Zagan. And since she came here without his permission, she was not allowed to break down and cry.
The shadow then stuck out a hand that resembled a dead branch and touched its own jaw with it.
“How interesting. You’re surprisingly straightforward for someone who’s been forced to lock away her emotions her whole life. I can also sense a strong will to live within you... You should have obtained a fragment of celestial mysticism, right? And yet, you’re not the least bit arrogant... Very interesting indeed.”
They’ve seen through everything... Nephy thought as she bit down on her lip. It seemed this shadow knew everything about her. Bifrons was clearly not the only one who was monitoring her and Zagan.
“Hm... You truly mourn the death of such riff-raff? Amazing. You believe in second chances for even the most heinous villains... and grieve over the loss of such possibilities. How noble.”
Nephy was taken aback by the ideas the shadow was expressing, which seemed almost ripped straight from her mind.
“Just... what are you?” Nephy forced that question out as she trembled in fear. However, the shadow simply replied in a carefree tone.
“Oh dear, my apologies. At my age, I don’t get the chance to meet new people often.”
The shadow removed their hood as they said that, revealing an old woman with white hair. She possessed a stern gaze that exceeded anything Gremory had ever shot at Nephy, which was accentuated by her all-too-familiar azure eyes.
It can’t be... Is she...? Nephy gulped as she took in those eyes and ears that seemed so similar to hers.
“I am the one who carries the fate of this village, the...”
Nephy cut her off and took action. This old woman was too dangerous. Bifrons was amicable compared to her.
Spirits of the forest, answer my call! The roots of the trees around the village reached far under the ground, so Nephy’s call reached them even though she was inside a building.
Roots shot through the floorboards one after the other due to Nephy’s mysticism. The only attack she could use with sorcery was a blade of flame, and celestial mysticism required her to sing, so that was her only option. Unfortunately, the roots failed to capture anything.
“She’s gone...?”
The old woman shook and vanished from sight.
That wasn’t her real body? Even now, the land obeyed Nephy’s will, but it couldn’t find any trace of her.
Does that mean the threat is gone? Nephy’s opponent had power that far outstripped hers, but she had left her alone.
“Have I become a stronger person now?”
It sure didn’t feel like it. Nephy had stood up to the old woman, but it seemed like she didn’t even spare her a second thought. Dumbfounded by the situation, she just stood around for a while before returning to her senses.
“That’s right. I have to report this to Master Zagan...” Nephy felt that Zagan needed to know about this mysterious old woman. And so, she turned toward the front door, but found herself interrupted by ominous laughter. It was a deep, gloomy, and creepy cackle that echoed through Nephy’s head and distorted her vision. However, there wasn’t anyone around who could be the source, which left her perplexed.
Did she set this up before she left...? Nephy was capable of crushing the entire house and dragging it underground, but she wasn’t sure that would do anything. Moreover, there was a possibility that the thing Zagan was looking for was here in this house, so she couldn’t take that risk.
Still, Nephy couldn’t think of any other options. And so, she slowly walked out of the house with her guard up. For whatever reason, the laughing stopped as soon as she stepped outside.
What’s happening? She had felt quite dizzy at first, but now she was fine. Pleasantly surprised by the turn of events, she started walking toward the elder’s manor, but...
“H-Huh?” Nephy’s feet buckled, leaving her unable to walk properly. Wait, am I even standing up right now? It looks a lot like I’m crawling instead... My body won’t move the way I want it to...
The night grew colder, but even so, Nephy somehow managed to struggle over to the elder’s manor.
“Mashter... Zagan...” Nephy was speaking with a lisp, presumably because of the cold weather, as she stretched out her hand out to the doorknob. However, she found herself unable reach it. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that her hands were completely hidden inside her sleeve, and her boots were suddenly oversized.
Something’s wrong with my body... Nephy didn’t understand what was going on, which made her knock on Zagan’s door sound all the more desperate.
“Mashter Zagan...”
Surprisingly, the door slammed open before even a second passed.
“Nephy!” Zagan roared. He stretched out his arms to embrace Nephy, but immediately stiffened, a shocked expression on his face.
“Are you really Nephy? What’s with that body?”
“Huh...?” Nephy looked down at her body again, at which point she realized that her clothes were far too big for her. Confused, she tried touching her own face, which was oddly squishy and stretchy. And as a final test, she moved her tongue around the inside of her mouth, which made it clear that not all her teeth had popped out yet. After confirming all that, the truth finally dawned on her.
Nephy had turned into a small child.