An Archdemon's Dilemma - How to Love Your Elf Bride Vol 3pro

Prologue
“Nephy, I wanna eat that.”

“It’s almost time for dinner, so you can’t, Foll.”

The trade town Kianoides. The day was coming to an end as Nephy joined hands with a young girl and walked along within the darkening town. After shopping and meeting with their friends Chastille and Manuela, they were on the way home.

Due to her long, white hair that covered as far as her waist, which was tied up with a crimson ribbon, pointy ears, and azure eyes, it was clear that she was an elf. Today, she was wearing her usual one piece dress, a white apron, boots which had fatigue-reducing sorcery cast on them, and a boorish collar that didn’t match her dainty body. It was a slave’s collar, but this one was proof of her precious connection to her lord.

The one holding hands with Nephy while pointing at the candies lined up on the street’s storefronts was Foll. From her looks, she appeared to be a young girl with vibrant green hair that was covered by a cat-eared hoodie. It was a native dress which had white and scarlet as basic tones, but under the hood, she had two horns sticking out. She took on the appearance of a human, but she was a dragon. Such was the case, but she was still childishly asking for candy just as her appearance would suggest.

It was true that the sweet scent wafting over also stimulated Nephy’s hunger, but she pulled on Foll’s hand and answered her resolutely. If they had sweets at this time, then it would spoil their appetite for dinner. Zagan, the head of their household, was kind, but he had an extreme hate for wasting food.

Nephy was holding a basket large enough to snugly fit a human child, the inside of which was already crammed with ingredients. Having her pleading denied, Foll puffed out her cheeks and gazed up at Nephy with a look filled with expectations.

“What’s for dinner?”

“Tonight is oven baked chicken and corn soup. Also... let’s see... Shall I make pudding for dessert?”

“Ah, then can we head back quickly?”

In return for not buying candy, Nephy decided to make dessert, which made Foll’s amber eyes sparkle. After that, her green braids swung about, and she happily pulled on Nephy’s hand to urge her on.

“Let’s see. I do believe that Master Zagan has gotten quite hungry now, too.”

“Flying?”

Foll was still young for a dragon, but in her original form, she was still large enough to carry several people at once, so sometimes Nephy would take a ride on her. Nephy’s expression itself didn’t change, but her pointy ears quivered, and then twitched happily about while she shook her head.

“Sir Raphael is also there, so even if we do not hurry, it will be alright.”

While saying that, she was reminded of the slightly delighted face that her lord would show during a meal, and Nephy also quickened her pace as a result.

A month had already passed since Foll came to Zagan’s castle. The sight of the two of them in town had already become familiar, and the people who passed by them, as well as the clerks from the shops, all pointed delighted gazes toward them.

And at that exact moment...

“Nephy, look out!” Suddenly, Foll pushed Nephy down.

And as Nephy toppled to the ground, she ended up letting go of her basket. The ingredients inside were thrown to the ground and scattered about. And right where they were, many arrows made of light came pouring down incessantly.

We were attacked... by sorcery?

By the time Nephy started getting back up, Foll had already quickly gotten to her feet and raised her guard. As it turned out, the young girl was staring down a shadowy figure whose body was wrapped in a robe.

Since their face was completely concealed, Nephy couldn’t tell what race they were, but they were surely a child, and if not that, a woman. Even through the slackly-worn robes, she could tell that it was a person with a small build. Eventually, the shadowy figure then stretched its arm from the opening of their robe... and pointed at Nephy.

“Are you... Nephelia?”

As she’d thought, it was likely a woman. After all, the voice Nephy’d heard was akin to a tumbling chime. However, hearing that voice made Nephy feel uneasy. And it seemed that was also the case for Foll. Her childish expression showed no small amount of unrest on the surface.

Nephy was left unable to reply, and the lips that could be seen from beneath the shadowy figure’s robe warped into the shape of a smile.

“There is no need to even make sure, huh...? Die.”

And then, those bright red lips muttered something.

“————————”

An indescribable chill ran down Nephy’s spine as she heard those words.

“I won’t let you,” Foll said as she stepped forward.

“Don’t, Foll!” Hugging Foll tightly, Nephy threw herself prone. Immediately following that, many spears made of crystal came pouring down from the sky. They were aimed not only at Nephy, but even on the surrounding shops and pedestrians. Debris and blood flew through the air, and shrieks filled the area.

“Ah, please stop it!” Nephy screamed. It wasn’t like she thought anything would change. It was just a scream. Or at least, that was supposed to be the case, but... Along with the sound of a clear clang, the crystal spears shattered to pieces.

This person... hurt the people of this town! Nephy could tell that the inside of her head was heating up. In her mind, the people of this town received Nephy kindly just like Zagan did, so it was just as unforgivable for someone to hurt them as Zagan himself. And, as if prostrating themselves before that violent emotion, the shattered fragments of crystal changed directions.

“What?”

The fragments of crystal took to the skies, raining down on the robed figure repeatedly. And, as the figure groaned and leaped to the side, the crystal rain took chase right after her.

Just by wishing for it to happen, miracles occurred. Even the elves, who possessed power far beyond human comprehension, feared its users as cursed children. This was Nephy’s power... Mysticism.

And right now, control of the crystals was entirely in Nephy’s hands, and they were cornering the one who created them.

“Amazing...” said Foll, in a dumbfounded voice.

The robed figure wove a magic circle in the air and took on several crystals with it. Condensing mana to create a shield was fundamental sorcery, but depending on the caster’s ability, it could become unbreakable.

Compared to Master Zagan’s shield, this is flimsy like a piece of paper.

The magic shield endured for a moment, but didn’t even last a single second. And along with a chilling wrath, Nephy pulverized said shield. However, within that moment that didn’t even amount to a second, it seemed the woman had played her next hand. Crystal spears crept out from under her feet once more, then collided with the rain of crystals that Nephy was manipulating. And this time, those two types of crystals were smashed apart without leaving even a fragment behind.

“...Even a good for nothing... is still a white-haired elf, huh?” The robed woman groaned as her hood fell down.

Nephy had her breath taken away as the woman’s face was revealed. Next to her, Foll was also in shock. That was because... what appeared under the hood was a girl’s face. And just like Nephy, she had pointed ears. An elf. Her age was likely also around Nephy’s. Her long hair, which went down to her waist, was also white. Her lack of expression, the mana one could sense on one’s skin, and above all else... That girl had the exact same face as Nephy.

“A dark... Nephy...?” Foll said in a trembling voice.

It was a girl who could only be described as ‘Dark Nephy.’ The only difference was the color of her skin and eyes. In contrast with Nephy’s snow-white skin and azure eyes, the girl before them had dark brown skin and golden eyes.

Thinking back on it, the reason Nephy was able to react to the first surprise attack may have been because that mana was so similar in nature to her own.

Dark Nephy stared fixedly back at Nephy for a moment, but then suddenly averted her gaze.

“The magic circle of the Archdemon, huh? What a dreadful power.”

“Huh...? What are you talking about?” Nephy gulped audibly as she followed that girl’s face.

Suddenly realizing what was going on, she looked around at her surroundings. The buildings that had been destroyed by the crystal spears had returned to their original state. Even the people who were pierced through just had blank looks as they sat on their butts. And then, as if wrapping up the town, a massive magic circle was drawn on the ground.

Is this... Master Zagan’s sorcery? While Nephy was learning sorcery, she understood that there was a sort of idiosyncrasy to the way the circuits in a magic circle were lined up by sorcerers. And the make of this magic circle fit Zagan’s.

Dark Nephy then put her hood back on and quietly spread out her robe.

“Please wait! Just who are—”

“I... am you... cursed Nephelia,” Dark Nephy replied. And while Nephy was shaken by those words, Dark Nephy’s figure distorted like a haze and vanished. With that, the fight had ended, and it seemed that Nephy could finally be at ease. After verifying that she and Foll were safe, Nephy ran over to the people of the town.

“So you’re okay, Nephy.”

“Nephy, were you the one who fixed all this?”

Even though an incident had occurred where the town was nearly destroyed, there were no voices there that blamed Nephy or Foll.

After that, Foll ran off as if she had found something.

“Look at this, Nephy,” Foll said as she picked up a single piece of stationery.

The addressee was Zagan, but the name of the sender made Nephy’s body stiff in shock.

—To Archdemon Zagan, From Archdemon Bifrons—