Maou no Ore ga Dorei Elf vol 6 ch2

Chapter II: My Cute Daughter Grew Bigger and I Shrunk. What Now?
“It has been a long time, young man.”

So he said as he looked down at the tiny old man standing beneath his eyes. No, the old man wasn’t really all that small. It was just that he was far too large. He was large enough to easily step over this old man, which clearly made him larger than any human being. This was a thought that passed his mind while his consciousness was in a haze. This was a dream. And in this dream, he had become someone else.

A faint smile could be spotted through the gap in the old man’s hood.

“I’m sure all humans look like children from your perspective, but it’s odd being called a young man at my age. You also dislike being called a giant lizard, right?”

And he raised a hearty laughter in response to the old man’s cynicism.

“Hahaha, you are the only one who dares to speak to me in such a frivolous manner... Come now, there’s no need to take offense over such a trivial jest.”

The old man let out a small sigh in response to his delighted attitude.

“And you’re about the only one who can still make me sigh... In any case, it’s been about a thousand years since then, huh?”

The old man’s words pricked at his heart. He felt lonely, and the only one who could possibly understand that feeling was this old man. However, he simply narrowed his eyes.

“Speaking of a thousand years, I found a girl who closely resembles ‘her’ the other day,” the old man said as if remembering something.

“Hm... Could she be... a high elf?”

“Yeah. Seems to be a case of atavism. Still, this girl has splendid white hair nonetheless. Over the past thousand years, ‘she’ was the only one who could compare to such a level of purity. Our young ones seem to want to know more about her, so I ended up sheltering her.”

Listening to the old man, he closed his eyes, reveling in nostalgia. What came to mind was the image of a human boy, a man, and a lone girl. It was an extremely old memory, so their faces and clothing were all a blur. It wasn’t clear exactly what they were to him, but they stayed in his heart to the point where simply thinking of them made him happy. That was why he didn’t laugh at the old man’s actions, but instead nodded pleasantly.

“I would like to meet her at least once. I did not get a chance to exchange words with that one a thousand years ago.”

“It’d be nice if you could. It seems that she needs saving. However, I’m unfortunately not very well suited to such a thing.”

“Such troublesome matters.”

“Is it not you dragons who guide mankind?”

He let out a groan upon hearing the old man’s reply. And then, after a short pause, he quietly raised his face.

“If I possessed such power, then this would never have happened.”

He and the old man looked off into the distance where the world began distorting. That which should not exist was trying to manifest in the world. And seeing that sight, the old man formed a faint smile once more.

“You can surely guide them. That’s why Solomon, ‘she,’ and I were all happy. That’s precisely why we despaired, and thus struggled against them,” the old man said, his voice laden with gratitude. Then, he asked, “Now that I think of it, you had a daughter yourself, right? Is she in good health?”

“She is but a chick who has just learned how to walk. However, she will one day be the last dragon in this world. It makes me think I may have done something cruel.”

“The last dragon...” the old man muttered before continuing in an affectionate tone, “I would also like to meet that child.”

“Then so shall it be. Meeting you would be a good opportunity for her to learn of the world,” the dragon said as he silently looked up and stared at the distortion before them. Then, he spoke glumly, stating “Azazel is broken, and we have not even half the Sacred Swords here. The only Sigil of the Archdemon we possess is the one on your hand. It shall not go like a thousand years ago.” And despite all that, he smiled as he said, “But, ‘tis a good day to die.”

The old man opened his mouth in surprise, then returned a laugh.

“Until we meet again, Wise Dragon Orobas.”

“I look forward to meeting that high elf who closely resembles her, Archdemon Marchosias.”

This was a scene from a little before Zagan and Nephy first met. It was a lost memory that none in the world knew of.

◇

“What is the meaning of this, I wonder?” Nephy asked. Her voice was usually a quiet one, and yet now it had a sharp ring to it like thunder. At a glance, there didn’t seem to be even a hint of anger on Nephy’s face. Compared to her usual expressionless self, one could even say she was smiling. And yet, Foll and Gremory, who were made to kneel before her, were both cowering.

“...Sorry.”

“Y-You’ve got it all wrong, Lady Nephy. I had nothing but the best inten... Yes, I’m very sorry...”

They were currently in the throne room. Nephy went out to look for Zagan and the others when they didn’t show up for breakfast, and after discovering Zagan in his child-like state, she began interrogating the two culprits, Gremory and Foll. She was currently seated atop Zagan’s throne in his stead, looking down on the two of them with a cold smile... However, the ground at her feet had suddenly become covered in moss. It seemed Nephy’s mysticism activated when she got all worked up. There was no need to even ask now, since it was clear she was in a bad mood.

I haven’t seen Nephy this angry in a long time... Right after Zagan and Nephy had just met, they were attacked by Angelic Knights and Zagan was wounded in the battle. That was the first time Nephy used mysticism in front of him. This wasn’t quite as severe as that time, but her anger was still palpable.

Honestly, I really didn’t want her to see me like this... Zagan’s worst nightmare had come true. There were things about his past that he didn’t want her to know because he loved her. He hadn’t exactly lived an honest life back then, so having such a vivid reminder of his past shoved in her face pained him.

Foll was no longer able to wear her usual native dress, so she was borrowing clothes from Gremory. Unfortunately, they were a bit too provocative, since they were the clothes Gremory wore when she returned to her prime. Looking at her, it was clear that Foll was an eighteen-year-old woman. Zagan, on the other hand, didn’t even look ten. It seemed their ages had been swapped. Or at least, their physical ages, anyway, since it was hard to compare a dragon’s lifespan to a human’s.

Incidentally, Gremory fully understood that she couldn’t try to trick Nephy by taking on the form of an old woman or a little girl and was seriously facing her in her prime form, but her face was drenched in sweat. Between Foll and Gremory, it seemed that Gremory would be the first to completely break down if this kept up, so Zagan cleared out his throat with a cough.

“Um, Nephy...? It’s not like Gremory was just fooling around, okay? This is also my fault, since I didn’t control the Sigil of the Archdemon properly, so don’t be too mad...” Zagan implored her for mercy on their behalf. Though, even he hesitated to cut into the conversation initially. And, as he tried to mediate in a weak-willed fashion, Nephy tightly embraced him.

“But for Master Zagan to become so adora... so small like this...”

“What were you about to say just now? Actually, can you let me down already?” Zagan asked. Even he was reduced to complaining in such a situation. That was because Nephy was hugging him like a stuffed doll and wouldn’t let go. Zagan had initially thought of hiding. However, when he was caught in this unsightly form by the person he most wanted to hide it from, he froze up on the spot. Eventually, he came to... and it ended up like this.

By the way, there were no children’s clothes whatsoever in the castle, so Zagan was still wearing his now baggy robes. Thanks to that, he was unable to move properly, and couldn’t even escape from Nephy’s lap. Looking upon that scene, Gremory pinned down her chest and gave him a big thumbs up.

“Hnnngh, nice love pow— Erk, n-no, it’s nothing.”

Why was this granny unable to learn her lesson? Gremory was reduced to a trembling mess as Nephy glared at her with a cold gaze that felt like a dagger of ice. The scariest part of all was that Nephy was still smiling the whole time, which made even Zagan break out into a cold sweat.

In any case, she knew the situation wouldn’t get resolved even if they continued bullying Gremory, so Nephy pinched at her brow as she cut to the chase.

“...Well, from what I’ve gathered, you’re unable to return Master Zagan to normal, correct?” Nephy inquired. The three of them had performed a ritual to help Foll grow older. The fact that Zagan also became younger was an unforeseen side effect. When mana that was separated from the control of circuits ran wild, it often transformed into a ‘curse’ that differed in nature from sorcery. In such a case, even Zagan’s ability to devour sorcery could not nullify it. Normally, anyone who possessed as much mana as an Archdemon wouldn’t get cursed, but...

“My liege’s and Lady Foll’s power both went berserk at the same time. That is already something outside the realm of sorcery. I can’t return him to normal with my power... If I say this is a situation where a dragon and an Archdemon collaborated to cast a curse, would you understand?” Gremory said with a humiliated expression on her face.

“A curse...” Nephy mumbled. Back in the hidden elven village, Nephy was ostracized as a cursed child, so that word made her body tremble.

Even Gremory looks depressed... Normally, she just screwed around without a care in the world, but there was still no mistaking the fact that she was a powerful sorcerer. Not only did her specialized sorcery run wild, but she was unable to put things back in order. It truly must have been humiliating for—

“Even though I brought about such an awesome display of love power, I can’t even reproduce it! How humiliating!”

“Miss Gremory,” Nephy said flatly.

“...Sorry. I’m joking. I shall devote my body and soul to finding a way to fix this,” Gremory replied. Nephy’s emotionless voice had reduced Gremory to prostrating herself on the ground, begging for forgiveness. Nephy, on the other hand, looked to be having a headache, and was pinching her brow once more.

“For the time being, explain this in a way that even an amateur like me would understand,” Nephy asked. It was only natural that Gremory was unable to do anything but make incoherent noises with Nephy on her case, so Foll spoke on her behalf.

“Zagan wouldn’t give me power because I’m small, which made me decide to get bigger. But we didn’t have enough power with just me and Gremory, so I asked Zagan to help out.”

Nephy looked troubled, seemingly not sure how to react to the fact that her daughter was now bigger than her.

“And then we failed, and this happened,” Foll said as she held up the back of her right hand. The Sigil of the Archdemon that Zagan possessed floated up on the back of Foll’s right hand. However, he looked down at his own hand, and spotted the sigil woven of mana was still there. The one on Foll’s hand was the same in that it was woven with mana, but it was more like a birthmark than anything.

“This is likely something known as a stigma. Since I opened a path to share mana with Foll, the sigil was transcribed on her hand,” Zagan stated.

“A stigma...?” Nephy said, tilting her head to the side.

“It’s a phenomenon where your scar shows up on somebody else as if it’s theirs. Seems they treat them as something sacred in the church, but it’s troublesome when these show up on sorcerers. If handled poorly, it’s entirely possible that once one of you dies, the other will have to tag along for the trip... Having said that, the path I opened with Foll is a one-way street. If there are any effects, it’ll likely only transfer from me to you.”

“Could it be... Is that what this nice, warm feeling on my back is?” Foll asked as she looked about in confusion.

“Ah, it probably is,” Zagan replied. Since Zagan was sitting on Nephy’s lap and couldn’t get away, an indescribably pleasant sensation ran up his back. The reason he was unable to calm down was because he noticed the things pressing into him.

“Anyway, my mana is currently flowing to Foll without any restrictions. That’s probably the cause of this ridiculous age swap. Makes sense, since all of this went wrong during Gremory’s ritual.”

The core problem was the stigma of the sigil that Foll showed them. Foll’s body had grown, but it wasn’t like there was any effect on her mind, so her explanation was a little lacking. And after Zagan supplemented her explanation, Nephy nodded in a convinced manner.

“We used the Sigil of the Archdemon to amplify sorcery that originally had no effect on a dragon. It was my carelessness that allowed it to run rampant like that. It’s meaningless to blame Gremory at this point.”

“...My liege. Aren’t you strangely fixated on that point? It isn’t like I’m the only one being blamed here,” Gremory asked. However, Zagan completely ignored her peculiarly discontent voice, and continued his explanation.

“I came to the throne room because I thought that if I recovered some of my powers, I’d be able to find a solution, but... well, it looks like that won’t work.”

There were countless barriers that strengthened Zagan’s powers surrounding his domain. And the place where his power was strengthened the most was his throne room, but it seemed the situation was far more troublesome than he initially thought, since returning here didn’t change anything.

Nephy was listening to his explanation intently, but she was unaware that she was stroking Zagan’s head the entire time. Moreover, he found it unexpectedly comforting and didn’t bluntly tell her to stop either.

I feel like I understand Foll a little more now... Being treated like a child should have proved vexing, but there was something so comfortable about it that he just couldn’t resist.

“Wait, does that mean your powers have weakened, Master Zagan?” Nephy remarked, completely taken aback.

“Shhh...” Zagan whispered as he put his index finger up to his lips, then said, “Well, I’m not quite as powerful as before, yeah. For example, if I had to rebuild the barrier around this castle, it would take several days instead of several minutes. And right now, I may not even be able to devour sorcery depending on my opponent’s abilities.”

As he was, even the Heaven’s Phosphor he intended to teach to Foll was out of reach. They couldn’t allow such a fact to be known by others, so Nephy covered her mouth in a panic. Fortunately, the only ones present here were Zagan, Nephy, their daughter Foll, and Gremory. Gremory was a trusted retainer of Zagan’s, so he could assert that she wouldn’t speak of this to others. Having said that, it didn’t change the fact that Zagan was in a rather perilous position.

“Master Zagan...” Nephy muttered in a grief-stricken voice, then cocked her head to the side as if a certain doubt just came to mind before saying, “If the source of this incident is the one-way street, why not change it to go both ways?”

Well, even if they didn’t kiss on the lips, they could get the same result if Foll kissed Zagan’s brow or cheek or something to open the other path. However, Gremory simply shook her head.

“Did I not say already? This is a curse, not just some simple malfunction. Actually, the fact that the flow of mana is only one-way may be precisely what’s keeping it from getting any worse. There’s a chance we’ll throw off the balance of the situation if we act too rashly.”

“What could happen if we do?”

“In the worst case, Zagan may die.”

Nephy gulped down, then squeezed Zagan tighter.

Well, can’t say I blame her. I would make the exact same face if someone told me that Nephy was in grave danger...

“In other words, it’s completely different from when I became smaller... right?” Nephy wrung out those words in a trembling voice.

“Though I regret to say it, you are correct.”

Back when Nephy was transformed into a child, every aspect of the sorcery was under the complete control of Archdemon Orias. In that sense, it was safe.

And as he mulled over such things, a thought came to mind.

Hm? Orias is Gremory’s teacher, right? In other words, Orias and Gremory used the same sorcery, and as an Archdemon, Orias’ power and experience was on an entirely different level. She was the one who turned Nephy into a child before, and her power encompassed both sorcery and mysticism. It may have been possible for her to do something about this troublesome curse. Gremory also seemed to have realized that possibility, and stared fixedly into Zagan’s eyes.

“Let’s see... Shall we rely on your teacher?”

“I’ll try to get in touch with her.”

“Master Zagan, are you acquainted with Miss Gremory’s teacher?” Nephy asked, looking astonished by their exchange.

“Huh? Ah...” Zagan was at a loss for words upon realizing that his statement was rather careless.

Crap. If I tell her I’m going to rely on Orias, Nephy will definitely tag along. Even now, she was hugging him so tightly that it was clear she never wanted to let him go. There was no way she would allow him to travel alone in his current state.

Orias was Nephy’s actual mother. However, Nephy’s memories of that fact were hazy, and she still didn’t know the truth. Zagan had met her by chance the other day, but because of the ongoing dispute with Archdemon Bifrons, they ended up parting ways there for the time being.

That was why Zagan didn’t want their reunion to be under such grim circumstances. And while he was racking his brain for a solution to the problem at hand, Gremory shook her head in a grave manner.

“My teacher is also an Archdemon, so my liege has met her in the past. However, it may be better for you not to meet her, Lady Nephy.”

“Why is that?”

“Did I not say so already? She is my teacher. The very same teacher who drilled the essentials of love power into me. A high elf like you, who is full of love power, may not get away from her safely.”

“Eeek...” Nephy screamed, seemingly left at a loss for words.

Hey! Stop that! It’ll just make things even more complicated when Nephy and Orias meet again! However, they now had a reason to keep Nephy at a distance. And though it pained him greatly to do so, Zagan gave a slight nod to affirm Gremory’s statement.

“...You’re quite correct. Even I can imagine what would happen if that Archdemon were to meet Nephy,” Zagan said, meaning he could imagine the heartwarming reunion between mother and daughter.

“Is it alright for that kind of person to meet Master Zagan when he’s in this adorable form?” Nephy added timidly.

“Huh? Uh, I wonder...? My teacher has no interest in mankind, so I think it should be fine.”

Hey! Don’t actually sound worried! And Nephy, don’t call me adorable! Zagan believed that Orias was a perfectly respectable person. He had no confidence that he could pay respect to that old woman if she started blurting out things that Gremory often said like love power. And though she had turned pale from all the talk, Nephy still mustered her willpower.

“Let’s talk through all our options. What are your thoughts on how to return Master Zagan to normal?”

“Like I said, relying on my teacher is our first option. My age manipulation sorcery is something my teacher developed, so she would be best suited to help,” Gremory said as she stuck up a finger to start counting the options. When she lifted her second one, she said, “Next is to somehow sever the path that was created earlier. However, this runs a similar risk to reconnecting the path, since it’s possible to cause a further outburst of mana that could endanger both their lives. We may think of it as an option, but it should be our last resort.”

Nephy held her breath as she nodded, and Gremory raised a her third finger in response.

“And finally, we can rely on techniques from another continent.”

“Another continent...?”

Gremory simply nodded as Nephy tilted her head to the side.

“All sorcery on this continent shares the same root. Nothing more can be done with it if my teacher is unable to return him to normal. However, power that differs from sorcery exists on the island nation of Liucaon. That’s why there’s some value in shifting our focus over to it.”

“In that case, can’t something be done with Nephteros’ mysticism or even celestial mysticism?” Nephy replied.

“Perhaps, but I think that may be hard. Mysticism is certainly powerful, but you and Nephteros don’t have full control of it. As for celestial mysticism...” Gremory hesitated to speak any further. However, Zagan, and even Foll, understood what it was she was trying to say. That was why his now-grown daughter hesitated as she opened her mouth to speak.

“I feel like... celestial mysticism is a power that only exists for battle...”

In a fight, it was an overwhelming force that could obliterate a castle in a single blow. Combine that with its healing power, and celestial mysticism was far too powerful. It was as if it was a weapon developed to fight something beyond human understanding.

Upon hearing that, the tips of Nephy’s ears quivered greatly.

“A power... that only exists for battle...?” Nephy repeated in a hesitant voice. Sorcery was originally a means for sorcerers to fulfill their desires. It wasn’t a power developed for the purpose of destruction or battle. However, because there was a direct connection between gaining knowledge and gaining power, all experienced sorcerers ended up becoming powerful. In a way, Zagan was a freak among the freaks, since he had only ever developed his sorcery to become more powerful.

Although Nephy was still a beginner, she understood that fact. And because of that, her eyes widened in shock.

Oh, I see. She must be thinking her power is only meant to hurt others... Zagan cleared out his throat with a cough in an attempt to grab her attention. And then, once he succeeded, he began to speak.

“Don’t misunderstand, Nephy. Most technology in the world is unlike sorcery in that they were developed during times of war. Conflict gave rise to skilled swordsmiths, and their efforts gave birth to techniques like forging and casting. Then, those techniques, in turn, gave rise to the development of farming tools, metal fittings, and all sorts of other things.”

“Is... that true?”

“It is. Essentially, Foll’s saying that celestial mysticism is currently in that preliminary stage. She just means it’s something that has yet to be applied in other fields. Isn’t that right?” Zagan asked as he looked over to Foll, who nodded her head with a bob.

“Yeah. That’s why even though celestial mysticism is strong, it isn’t suited for delicate matters,” Foll replied.

Nephy’s expression loosened up as she heard that. And then, for some reason, she began petting Zagan’s head.

“Fufufu, thank you for cheering me up, Master Zagan. You’re certainly smart.”

“N-Nephy? Why are you treating me like a child?” Zagan began whining.

“My apologies. It almost felt like I was dealing with Foll,” Nephy responded with an apology, though that still didn’t make her stop petting Zagan’s head.

This doesn’t feel bad, but... This wasn’t the first time Nephy had brushed his head, but before she did so in a far more reserved manner. Right now, she was acting rather bold, to the point where it felt like his entire body was being caressed. As a result, Zagan unintentionally let out a satisfied sigh.

“Huh!? No, now’s not the time for this!” Zagan yelled as he regained his bearings.

Forget the date, I won’t even be able to buy clothes for it like this! He only had a week left to prepare, so time was of the essence.

“We have no time to spare, Gremory! Get in contact with Orias immediately!”

“As you wish,” Gremory replied. Then, she stood up and gave him a deep bow before walking out of the throne room.

◇

Zagan looked up at Nephy after seeing off his trusted retainer.

“That’s the situation, Nephy. I’ve got a little business to attend to, so I’ll be leaving the castle. Take care of the place while I’m gone,” Zagan ordered as he sat atop her lap.

I need to make full preparations for when Nephy and Orias finally reunite!

“As you wish...” Nephy sounded somewhat taken aback as she responded. And she simply nodded as he jumped off her lap.

“What’s wrong?”

“Master Zagan, meeting another Archdemon in such clothing is a little...”

Zagan’s usual robes were far too large for him in his current form. Frankly, it looked less like clothing and more like a large blanket.

“Why not wear my clothes, then?” Foll inquired as she clapped her hands together.

“...Do you know what you’re saying, Foll?” Zagan replied, sounding completely exasperated. It was true that her clothes would fit his new size, but there was no way he could wear girl’s clothing. Even Nephy shook her head at the idea.

“I would enjoy seeing that, but he needs formal clothing.”

“Hold it, Nephy. What do you mean you’d enjoy it?” Zagan asked. She’d been acting rather strange since he reverted to his young form, which had him confused. However, no one present paid her behavior any mind.

“It’s my fault that Zagan shrunk, so I’ll head into town to look for clothes,” Foll gallantly volunteered to take action, but that just made Nephy’s ears quiver anxiously.

“Will you be alright on your own?”

“I’ll do my best.”

Even if her body was now bigger, Foll was still Zagan and Nephy’s young daughter on the inside, which was why both of them were nervous about the thought of her traveling alone.

“I’ll tag along. Maybe we can even meet Orias while we’re out there and save some time,” Zagan replied. There was no guarantee Orias would be able to treat him on the spot, but it was still worth a shot. Zagan had to try to resolve his size issue as soon as possible, since he had a date coming up that was now in jeopardy.

“Before that, Nephy,” Foll said.

“What’s the matter?” Nephy asked.

“My feet are all numb...” Foll replied, her amber eyes on the verge of tears after being forced to sit on her heels this entire time.

Well, her senses haven’t quite caught up with the new length of her limbs yet... She even needed Gremory’s help to get changed at the moment. Left with no other choice, Nephy rushed over to Foll.

“You may be bigger than me now, but you’re still a needy child,” Nephy said in an affectionate tone. She was the very picture of motherly love.

Nephy grabbed Foll’s extended arms and somehow managed to pull her up. And after she did, it was readily apparent that Foll was the taller of the two. She wasn’t a whole head taller, but Nephy still had to look up to meet her eyes.

“I’m the bigger one now, so does that make me the mommy?” Foll curiously cocked her head to the side as she asked that question.

“I don’t think our ages are all that different, though...”

“Hm, then how about I be the big sister?” Foll’s eyes were sparkling with excitement as she said that, which left Zagan confused.

I guess nothing aside from her size has really changed... Foll was also quite pleased when the little Nephy called her ‘big shis’ back at the hidden elven village. Normally, she was always the smallest one around, so she must have enjoyed the feeling.

Immediately following that, the sound of something ripping resounded through the air.

“Oh, my clothes tore again,” Foll muttered dryly. The moment she puffed out her chest, her clothes found themselves unable to contain her body and tore at the seams.

“What should I do? I got these from Gremory...” Foll drooped her shoulders dejectedly as she said that. And Zagan, in turn, simply tapped his tiny heel against the ground. Then, a magic circle spread out at Foll’s feet that made the torn fibers around her chest reassemble. It was elementary sorcery, but Foll went ‘oooh’ in a surprised voice.

“How did you do that?”

“...Huh? Is this the first time you’ve seen it? It’s basic sorcery, so I’ll teach you later.”

“Wow... Good boy!” Foll exclaimed as she started gently patting Zagan’s head.

Goddammit... I can’t believe my own daughter’s treating me like a child... Zagan puffed out his cheeks to pout right as Foll looked down at her own chest in a troubled manner.

“I don’t get it. Why did it tear? I’ve never had this problem before...” Foll mumbled in confusion. It seemed like she still didn’t know all the ways her body had grown.

It’s a little embarrassing for me to explain... Zagan thought as he went over what to say in his mind.

“Um, it’s a little hard to explain, but you’ve grown up. And maybe because you’re a dragon, you’ve swelled in certain areas more than Gremory has...”

That’s far too direct. What the hell am I saying!? Zagan was left at his wit’s end by the problem, but Foll simply opened her eyes in surprise.

“Your clothes can’t endure it when your powers swell? I didn’t know that.”

“Oh... Well, it’s something like that,” Zagan said as he gave up on explaining it. Then, Nephy put her hand to her mouth while her ears quivered about in delight.

“In that case, both of you need to go get some new clothes. Foll, please take care of Master Zagan,” Nephy requested. And with that, Foll looked at Zagan, her eyes filled with expectation.

“Zagan, I’ll do my best as a big sister!”

“Mm. I’m expecting much of you.”

A smile bloomed on Nephy’s face as she watched the two of them. And at that exact moment, a quiet knock rang out from the door to the throne room.

“Who is it?” Zagan asked.

“It is I, my liege,” Raphael replied.

“You didn’t show up for breakfast, so I came to call you... Is there some sort of problem?” Raphael questioned Zagan in a silent voice from the other side of the door.

Well, it’s probably fine to tell Raphael... They were on good enough terms for Raphael to give him tips for his date, so he knew he could rely on him.

“Are you alone?”

“Indeed.”

“Then come in.”

Raphael opened the door without making a sound, then stepped into the throne room as if slipping through the crack. He looked around, and after noticing Zagan and Foll’s current states, his eyes shot wide-open.

“You are... my liege? And Foll?”

“That’s right,” Zagan answered his question, then went on to give him a summary of what happened.

“Oh my... What a troublesome affair.”

“It’s not that we have no leads. I hate the idea of putting myself in debt to another Archdemon, but I’m sure Orias can help.”

“Is that so...” Raphael muttered as his expression gave away the fact that there was a problem on his mind beyond the situation itself.

“Did something happen on your end?”

“...No, it isn’t anything that serious. More importantly...” Raphael trailed off as he looked to Zagan, then Foll, then Nephy and continued with, “What will you do about breakfast?”

“...Oh!” they all exclaimed in unison. They’d forgotten that Nephy had originally come to call them for breakfast. A sorcerer could easily go a whole day without eating food, but the option of not eating the breakfast that Nephy and Raphael had prepared wasn’t even something any of them considered.

“Sir Raphael. Can you bring it over to the throne room for us?” Nephy asked in a resolute tone.

“Understood. I shall also order those damn servants not to approach the throne room.”

“Good idea,” Nephy replied. Zagan and the others were in awe at his ability to read a step ahead. Shortly thereafter, he returned with their breakfast in tow.

“I shall return later to take the dishes, so you may just leave them there,” Raphael stated before he left the throne room once more. The room was equipped with a small table used for tea time, which suited their current needs just fine. After taking her seat, Nephy scooped up Zagan and placed him on her lap.

“H-Hey, what’s the big idea?”

“It will be hard for you to eat with such baggy clothing. Allow me to assist you,” Nephy responded as she picked up a spoon with Zagan still on her lap.

“I can handle eating on my own!”

“You’re heading out after breakfast, so please at least rely on me at times like this.”

Zagan found himself unable to act strong when faced with Nephy’s desperate pleas. He desperately wished to resist, but he gave in to her whims instead.

“...Just this once, okay?”

“Yes!”

“I want that,” Zagan said as he pointed at a bowl of soup.

“Okay, here you go,” Nephy replied as she joyfully scooped up some soup with the spoon in her hand and carried it over to Zagan’s mouth.

Gaaah! I’m happy, but also embarrassed! He found his childish figure utterly miserable. Who knew that being treated like a child would cut so deep? However, since Nephy looked extremely happy about the turn of events, he couldn’t show his displeasure.

Foll’s breathing grew more rough and nasally as she heard their exchange.

“Zagan, have some bread.”

“Hey, why are you doing this too...?”

“You should listen to your big sister,” Foll obstinately emphasized the words ‘big sister,’ which left Zagan with little choice. He opened his mouth despite cringing on the inside, and his daughter took that chance to toss some soft bread into it.

“Is it tasty?”

“It’s food that Nephy and Raphael made. Do you even need to ask?”

“Wow... Good boy!” Foll exclaimed as a satisfied smile erupted onto her face.

Should I just act as their toy during meals...? It pained him to be treated like a child, but both his bride and daughter looked happy. Plus, it wasn’t like the two of them were making fun of Zagan. He could tell that they truly derived great joy from the situation, which left him with little to complain about. That was why he pointed at the next dish he wanted with minimal resistance.

“I want dessert next.”

“But there’s still some salad left, Master Zagan,” Nephy replied. He couldn’t tell whether she wanted to spoil him or be strict with him as Nephy broke out into a smile and scooped up some pudding into her spoon.

“Zagan, you can have my pudding too.”

He didn’t intend to be greedy, but Foll also stuck out her spoon like she couldn’t wait any longer.

Well, I guess this isn’t all that bad... A king had to keep acting like one despite any adverse circumstances.

However, from the outside, the scene just looked like a painting of a haughty child being spoiled by his big sisters.

◇

In the church’s office.

Chastille was chewing on some bread for breakfast while sitting at her desk.

“Huh? A gathering of elders?” Barbatos asked as he popped out of the shadows with a hunk of meat in his hands. He had an unhealthy looking face with large shadows around his eyes, which were really no different from usual even though Nephteros had cured them just the other day, and several amulets dangling down from his neck. Barbatos ruffled his unkempt hair as he looked up at Chastille suspiciously, who cleared her throat out with a cough.

“It’s an important conference where all the races of the continent gather. Please don’t cause any trouble, okay? Also, don’t speak while you’re eating. It’s rude.”

“Oh, come on! What kind of crap do you expect me to pull, exactly? I’ve been protecting you like a gentleman this whole time, so at least have a little faith!”

“I can tell that you’d try to capture any rare species you see, you know?”

“Huh? Well, yeah, I’m a sorcerer. Why wouldn’t I do that?”

Chastille let out a sigh as her headache set in. This man was Zagan’s undesirable friend, an ex-Archdemon candidate, and also the sorcerer who was assigned to be her escort. He couldn’t be trusted, but he was rather reliable as well.

“I’m telling you not to do that. Listen, I’m not just going on behalf of the church. They chose me to represent all humans.”

“Yeah yeah, don’t worry. Your babysitter will follow you anywhere.”

Barbatos was capable of traversing any distance in an instant. That was a fairly useful skill in practice, but it also meant she could never shake him.

He wasn’t a bad person at heart... No, he was a villain who was rotten to the core, but on rare occasions, he showed a soft side. However, that didn’t change the fact that he was normally an irredeemable individual. And just as Barbatos began cackling, a shortsword stabbed into the floor right in front of his eyes.

“The hell!?”

“Oh, sorry. My hand slipped. Next time I’ll make sure to bring it down on your neck.”

“Apologize properly, dammit!”

The one who taunted him without an ounce of timidness in her voice was Kuroka. She entered the room with a letter in hand, and was accompanied by Nephteros and an Angelic Knight. As always, Kuroka carried two shortswords. Though at this particular moment, one was in the ground in front of Barbatos and the other was at the ready to stab him in the face.

“You bitch... What the hell do you think you’re doing!?”

“Uh, I was just thinking of doing a little cleaning...?” Kuroka replied. Then, she turned her vacant eyes toward him with a cold gaze and cocked her head to the side before saying, “Please watch your mouth, Mister Sorcerer. If not for Lady Chastille, I would cut off your head here and now.”

“You got some grudge against sorcerers or what?”

“I’ll never forgive them for stealing my friends, family, and the light in my eyes...”

“Crap, this one’s serious...” Barbatos muttered as he shut his mouth. Kuroka was on friendly terms with Zagan, who settled things between her and Chastille, but that didn’t mean she had suddenly forgiven all sorcerers. In fact, she was more wary of them than ever because Chastille seemed to trust them so blindly.

“Kuroka, getting angry at him each and every time will only tire you out,” Nephteros said in exasperation.

“...You’ve narrowly escaped death, Mister Sorcerer. Still, don’t just assume you’ll make it out safely next time, okay?” Kuroka said in a dry tone as she stomped on the end of the scabbard at her feet and skillfully sheathed her swords in mid-air.

“Bring it on, bitch! Did you fucking forget I turned the tables on you last time!?”

“Geez... Cut it out, Barbatos. You said you were coming to the gathering of elders, right? You should at least go prepare for the journey,” Chastille plainly stated.

“Wait, you’re not gonna tell me to stay behind?” Barbatos asked as he stared at her in wonder.

“You’ll just follow me anyway, right? In that case, stand by my side.”

“...O-Okay,” Barbatos hesitantly responded as if he was unsure how to react. And just like that, he sank into the shadows and disappeared.

Kuroka let out a ‘hmph’ as she gazed at his shadow with her tails standing straight on end, but Barbatos had left, so there was no one left there to react to her. Chastille grew impatient as she watched her do that and decided to call out to her.

“He’s just teasing me, Kuroka. You don’t have to pay any serious attention to him.”

“Lady Chastille, I’m fully aware that it’s impolite of me to say this, but that man is a monster. He’s a villain who’s rotten down to his very core. I won’t claim that all sorcerers are evil, but he definitely is. An Archangel like you shouldn’t be associating yourself with him.”

What to do? I can’t deny any of that, but... Chastille was stumped by Kuroka’s sound argument. Luckily, Nephteros decided to throw her a lifeline.

“That’s what makes him the perfect bodyguard. Barbatos is a greedy, selfish sorcerer, so he’ll never betray you as long as you pay him well.”

“That’s certainly another way of looking at it, but...” Kuroka mumbled in discontent as Nephteros shook her head with her silver hair swaying in the air.

“Wouldn’t that guy probably protect Chastille for free?”

“Huh...? Why do you think he would do that?” Kuroka asked as both she and Chastille cocked their heads to the side. Then, Nephteros replied to her question in a matter-of-factly tone.

“I mean, isn’t he in love with you?”

Loaf...? Lobe? No, loan...? Maybe lode...? Chastille was unable to comprehend what she just heard. And after a while, vocabulary that made no sense at all in context went through her brain.

“I’m telling you he’s head over heels for you,” Nephteros piled on those words in an attempt to stem Chastille’s stalling.

“AWEGQWERGQQQ!?” Chastille blurted out some completely sounds, then said, “Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you saying!?”

“What indeed, Miss Nephteros! Love? Please. If he does feel that way, then he’s more like a disgusting stalker!”

“N-No, you don’t need to go that far...” Chastille remarked, still completely shocked.

“Am I wrong?” Nephteros said, knitting her brows.

“You’re completely wrong! I mean, it’s Barbatos!”

“What’s that supposed to mean...?” Nephteros replied in astonishment. Then, she stated, “That guy’s voice goes up half an octave whenever he’s talking to you. Plus, he even started calling you by your name recently. And above all else, he’s always in good humor when you two speak.”

“Um, uh, th-there’s no way...” Chastille muttered, looking shaken as the truth dawned on her.

Now that I think about it, he did jump in and sacrifice himself to save me back when Kuroka first attacked... A sorcerer who only cared about getting paid wouldn’t have put their life on the line. And yet, Barbatos jumped in to act as her shield and allowed himself to be cut and stabbed numerous times. Chastille knew full well that he wasn’t a man who would do such a thing, so...

“Besides, when you told him to stand by your side, his ears turned red. Doesn’t that mean he’s in love?” Nephteros delivered her finishing blow in a calm, steady manner.

“S-Stop! Please just leave it at that! I-If you say anymore, I won’t even know how to face him...” Chastilled mumbled in an embarrassed tone.

“Our best course of action is to finish him off, right? Don’t worry, thanks to my time with Azazel, I’m an expert.”

“Stop right there!” Nephteros yelled as she grabbed the nape of Kuroka’s neck, stopping her from leaving to carry out her heinous plot.

“You want definitive proof that he won’t betray us, right? Well, now you have it. Why would he ever betray the woman he loves?”

“Um, well, that’s a good point, but...”

That Barbatos... with me? Chastille thought the idea impossible, but for some reason it was also hard for her to completely deny it. And while she agonized over those feelings, the Angelic Knight next to Nephteros formed a strained smile.

“Please stop, Lady Nephteros. Most women don’t enjoy talking about their love lives in public.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Do you not have any experience with it yourself?”

“I don’t. After all, I’m nowhere near as old as I look,” Nephteros said as she shrugged her shoulders. In truth, it hadn’t even been a full year since she was created. She was terribly hurt by the fact that she was just Nephy’s clone, and was still worried about it, but oddly enough, Chastille couldn’t sense even a hint of agony in her voice.

It seems she’s at a point where she’s fine speaking about it now... Chastille was basically praying that was true, as nothing could have made her happier.

“I’m sure you’ll eventually meet a man who treasures you more than anything else in the world, Lady Nephteros,” the Angelic Knight said in a charmed manner.

“I wonder if there’s anyone out there with such bad taste...”

“There definitely is. In fact, I guarantee it.”

She may be observant, but she’s completely clueless when it comes to herself... This particular Angelic Knight, Richard, was part of the patrol that bumped into Nephteros when she was being attacked by the chimera. After recovering from his wounds, he kept trying to interact with her as much as possible, which made it clear he was in love with Nephteros.

“...Sir Richard, please hang in there,” Kuroka said as she let out a long sigh. Her ears practically flopped down in disappointment as she watched them interact. Richard, however, merely formed a strained smile in response.

Let’s just not think about Barbatos’ matter for now. I’m sure it’s just Nephteros’ imagination... Chastille thought as she finally got her mind and breathing in order.

Unfortunately, a new question suddenly popped into her to mind and threw her into disarray once more. What do I even think of Barbatos...?

It hadn’t even been a week since she realized she was in love with Zagan, so Chastille found herself unable to answer that question.

◇

“Stop right here, Foll!” Zagan yelled at Foll as she tugged him through Kianoides. Incidentally, because they could find no clothes that fit Zagan, he simply lopped off the pieces of his usual robes to make them fit, then tied the rest together.

“What’s wrong?” Foll asked as she looked back at him and curiously tilted her head.

“What’s wrong? Do you even need to ask? Why are we going to this shop of all places!?”

They were currently in front of their usual clothing shop. Zagan used it often, and the clerk there was someone he was on good terms with, but...

“You bought my clothes here. They have stuff for boys, too. It’s okay.”

“...You don’t get it. If Manuela sees me like this, I’m doomed.”

“Huh? But Nephy said she was a nice person. You shouldn’t be in any danger.”

That wasn’t a lie or anything, but Manuela also didn’t have much in the way of self-control. Unfortunately, the two of them caused quite a commotion right outside the shop, which obviously attracted attention.

“What’s with all this noise?”

The door opened with a clank, and out came the avian clerk with green wings, Manuela. This woman was one of Nephy’s best friends, which meant Zagan held her in high esteem, but... she often turned into quite the nuisance when it came to clothing people.

Wait, I’ve only ever seen her toy with girls. Maybe she doesn’t any interest in boys... Plus, there was also the chance that she didn’t dare fool around with him because he was an Archdemon. Still, Zagan raised his guard just in case as Foll stepped up to her.

“We’re here to buy clothes.”

“Huh? Hm...? Um, I don’t think it’s possible, but... are you Foll?” Manuela knit her brows as she asked that question.

“I am,” Foll responded. And at that point, she finally remembered what she looked like, so she spread out her arms and span on the spot.

“I got bigger,” Foll explained as the cloth around her chest burst open once more. Zagan had to fix her clothes in an instant to keep her from being fully exposed.

“I keep telling you not to make any sudden movements...” Zagan muttered, drawing Manuela’s attention to him.

“Um, sooo, who’s this kid?”

“Zagan.”

“Pffft,” Manuela snorted before bursting into laughter and saying, “How!? He’s so cute! How did you end up so amus... so deligh... joyful? Hmm... Well, whatever. You’re all amusicute now, Zagan!”

“Don’t just make up words!” Zagan roared as he wondered why she gave up on finding the proper word so easily.

“Geheheh, well, let me hear all the juicy details inside. We’ve got two paying customers here!” Manuela scooped Zagan into her arms and walked him into the shop as he was lost in thought.

Oh, I see. It had nothing to do with me being an Archdemon. Manuela’s just not interested in adults... As he was dragged inside, he spotted another familiar face.

“Welcome!”

The girl with fluffy white ears who welcomed them with a smile was a vulpin. Her “uniform” was a one-piece dress that looked similar to what Nephy wore. The main differences were the frilly lace all over the dress and the headband that fit snugly between her ears.

“Kuu? Why the hell are you here?” Zagan asked.

“Hm? Do you know me? Well, even if you do, you should respect your elders. Otherwise, this scary lady might just treat you like a toy!” Kuu’s fluffy ears quivered about in an annoyed manner as she said that. It seemed like she didn’t notice that the child in front of her was Zagan.

Maybe it’s better this way... Acting like an innocent child seemed preferable to having more people know about his situation. And so, he bit down on his lips and formed a faint smile.

“S-Sorry, Miss Kuu. I saw you at the church before, so I just blurted that out without thinking,” Zagan claimed. Then, a loud thud resounded from behind him, and when he turned around, he spotted Manuela rolling around the ground with her hands on her stomach.

Fuck! I’ll remember this... Even if she was Nephy’s friend, she really was going too far. The way she behaved reminded Zagan of Gremory, which made a shiver run down his spine. And having interpreted the expression on Zagan’s face as one of regret, Kuu pat his head to comfort him.

“Is that so? Heehee, it’s good that you apologized right away... Oh, but you should really work on that smile of yours. It looked just like Mister Zagan’s does when he’s picking a fight.”

Does she remember what happened when Bifrons took control of her body? Zagan’s face stiffened as soon as he heard her say that. Kuu went through a lot when Bifrons manipulated her, which was why Zagan asked Orias to wipe her memories. Though, looking back on it, he didn’t recall her actually accepting his request.

Hm, it seems like I also suck at smiling... Zagan thought of the way Nephy pulled at her own cheeks to practice. And as he did, he realized that he had to put in the same amount of effort since he was her groom. That was why he pulled at his own cheeks. He’d assumed his facial muscles were still stiff, but it seemed like turning into a child had made them all stretchy. He kept stretching them over and over, and eventually, someone hugged him from behind.

“What are you doing?” Zagan asked. He was confused about why Foll was hugging him so tightly.

“Cute.”

“Huh? Who’re you calling cute!?” Zagan protested. However, that didn’t deter Foll from rubbing her cheek against his. And when he tried to tear himself away, Kuu came over and pet his head once more.

“Oh, boys really hate it when you call them cute, don’t they? But you know, it’s really not that bad because it makes us want to hug you!”

“Grrr...” Zagan growled in annoyance. Though, thinking back, he did recall that Foll constantly hugged Nephy and called her cute when she was turned into a child. Perhaps that meant she just had a habit of hugging cute things.

“Hm... You know, you kind of look like Mister Zagan. You’re all dressed up like a sorcerer, too... Are you related to him?” Kuu asked as she cocked her head to the side.

“W-Well...” Zagan was rendered silent as he tried to think up an excuse.

“Huh? What do you mean? Zagan is Zaghamph,” Foll tried to expose his secret despite his hesitation, but luckily, Manuela came in and silenced her by covering up her mouth.

“This child is Zagan’s distant relative, Dagan. Oh, and this pretty lady here is his older sister, Farah. They’re Zagan’s guests, so mind your manners around them, alright Kuu?” Manuela said in an attempt to help Zagan hide his identity. Then, she silently whispered into Foll’s ear and said, “Play along, okay?”

In an unusual turn, Foll was quick on the uptake, so she simply bobbed her head up and down in response.

“By the way, who exactly is this ‘scary lady’ who treats children like toys?” Manuela asked Kuu as she turned to her.

“Huh? What are you talking about? You must be confused! I just said that bad kids should be punished!” Kuu exclaimed as she straightened her back with a snap.

Oh, I see. Manuela must already treat her like a toy... Zagan felt bad for her.

“So Dagan is Mister Zagan’s relative? I wonder if you’ll look like him when you grow up? Oh, in that case, you should learn to be nice to girls before it’s too late!”

She really does remember everything, doesn’t she? Zagan mercilessly thrust his arm right through her heart during their last meeting. Even if her memories were erased, that pain probably remained fresh in her mind. And upon realizing that, Zagan was overcome by a sense of guilt.

“Um, Zagan seemed worried about that as well, and he said he wouldn’t do such mean things again. So, um, please relax. You won’t have any more painful memories. He won’t allow it.”

Zagan was giving her his best attempt at an apology, but for some reason, Kuu’s face was turning red as she took in his words.

“Hnnngh... Oh, what’s this feeling? Th-This is bad, Kuu. He’s just a kid,” Kuu mumbled those words as she pinned down her chest, then walked away while fanning herself.

Well, I guess I should’ve known that comforting words weren’t going to be enough... In the end, he had probably just made her remember a painful memory instead of helping her get over it, and knowing that made Zagan droop his shoulders in disappointment.

“Zagan, you shouldn’t be too kind to people in your current form,” Manuela said as she reached her wit’s end.

“You think I was being kind? Please, I was just speaking my mind,” Zagan replied.

“Uh... I mean, that’d be fine if you were your normal self, but when you’re all tiny there’s something about it that seems oddly charming... Even I find it hard to resist you right now...”

“Ch-Charming...?” Zagan stuttered in a confused tone. Honestly, he kind of understood what she meant, but the concept also confused him, so he decided to save thinking about it for later.

Hold on, isn’t she really similar to that granny...? He prayed that Gremory and Manuela would never meet, lest his life be ruined.

“I’ll be careful...” Zagan obediently answered, which made Manuela face break out into a broad grin.

“Alright, time to get you changed!”

“No, I can pick out my own clothes... Hey, are you listening? Wait, what are you holding? Stop! Don’t get any closer!” Zagan desperately screamed for Manuela to stop as she walked over to him with a skirt and one-piece dress in her hands.

“Fufufu, you’re a lot cuter when you’re shy... Foll, hold him in place so we can get this over with.”

“Oh, okay,” Foll replied. Her body may have grown, but she was still the same innocent girl at heart, so she trusted Manuela wholeheartedly.

“Stop, let me go... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Several minutes later, Zagan was covered in frills and lace like some little princess.

How dare she do this to me... Usually, Zagan didn’t go anywhere near the changing room, so he was unaware that entering it was the same as falling into the pits of hell.

“Hnnngh! My eyes definitely weren’t wrong! You really do have potential! Be more confident in yourself!”

“What confidence...? Don’t screw with me...” Zagan meekly muttered that, seemingly having lost his will to fight her.

“Manuela, these are girl’s clothes. No more pranks,” Foll said as she tilted her head to the side in confusion. Then, she puffed out her cheeks, and contrary to Zagan’s expectations, Manuela’s eyes sparkled.

“Wow, I should’ve known. You may have grown, but you still look adorable... Look, see Zagan right now? Don’t those clothes look good on him?”

“They do, but I can tell he doesn’t like them, so stop,” Foll demanded. Zagan was shocked that his own daughter was sticking up for him.

“Hm, I guess you’re right. Wow, you’ve become a proper big sister, Foll. I’m proud of you,” Manuela said as she wiped her eyes, which seemed to be on the verge of leaking proud tears.

“Big sister...! Yeah, I’m... his big sister,” Foll said as she puffed out her chest with flushed cheeks.

That part of her is still childish, but whatever... Zagan decided not to say anything because he found her actions cute.

“Well, I guess that’s enough playing around. It was fun, but now it’s time to pick out some real clothes,” Manuela said as she squeezed down on Zagan’s shoulders. Then, she spun him around on the spot once. And just as he started to wonder what she was doing, his frilly outfit was replaced by a dashing suit that came complete with a puff tie. He was wearing rather tight clothes that made him look like an uppity noble, which would hold him back in a fight, but it did make him look good.

I actually wanted her to get me something like this for my date with Nephy... Zagan has planned to ask for her help with that earlier, but there was no point now. After all, he wasn’t even sure if he would return to his normal form anytime soon.

Foll stood and clapped with sparkles in her eyes as she watched Manuela change his clothes in an instant.

“You’re amazing.”

“Fufufu, aren’t I? Aren’t I? Go on, praise me more!” Manuela exclaimed. Her skills were rather impressive, but the fact that she was starting to act more impudent rubbed Zagan the wrong way.

“...Are you a sorcerer?” Zagan asked, his confusion evident due to the look on his face.

“I am simply the clerk of a clothing store. Nothing more, and nothing less. More importantly, what do you think of Foll’s clothes?”

He hadn’t even noticed that she had dressed her, so he turned to her to take in the new sight. Foll was wearing a one-piece dress that had an elegant piece of armor over it. Both parts matched and made her look beautiful, so Zagan thought it was a good choice.

“It’s a little tight, but also easy to move around in. Still, I don’t need armor. This thing’ll just get in the way,” Foll explained as she did a little twirl on the spot. Sure, Foll was young, but since she was a dragon, her body was still protected by her scales. They weren’t visible in her human form, but they still projected a sort of magical barrier that made all normal weapons and sorcery useless.

“That’s not it, Foll. Your breasts are really heavy now, right?” Manuela asked as she shook her head at Foll’s previous statement.

“How do you know?” Foll replied as she stared back at her in wonder.

“I can tell just by looking. You see, they start to hurt your shoulders when they’re that big, but wearing a breastplate will lighten the load. Just think of it as underwear you have on over your clothes,” Manuela said as she thoroughly explained her reasoning.

“I see. You’re amazing,” Foll responded, voicing her honest opinion.

However, for some reason, all that talk of underwear had Zagan blushing. Wait, why do I find that so embarrassing?

He could understand blushing if they were talking about Nephy’s underwear, but this was his daughter. No matter how big she got, he would never see her as anything else.

Is my mind being influenced by my new body? When Nephy turned into a child, her mind also started to degrade to match her age. Perhaps he was experiencing similar symptoms. It seemed he didn’t have much time, so Zagan resolved to take action immediately. And just then, the door to the shop swung open.

“Welcome! Oh, hi there, Miss Gremory!” Kuu, who had been watching them from from a far off corner, reacted to the intruder right away.

“Hello. Oh my, your face has quite the lovely look on it, doesn’t it?”

“I don’t really get what you mean, but thanks!”

And the one to show up, was Gremory.

Huh? Kuu knows Gremory?

Gremory casually raised her hand and greeted Kuu, then immediately looked over to Zagan. However, instead of walking up to him, she stopped right in front of Manuela.

“Welcome, Comrade Gremory.”

“Good work, Comrade Manuela.”

This town is doomed... Zagan was left speechless as he watched the two of them exchange salutes.

Judging from their use of the term comrade, these two were already well beyond the realm of just acquaintances. The two who should never have met were already conspiring together. And while Zagan turned pale at that reality, Gremory finally addressed him.

“I thought you’d come here. Looks like you finished changing without any problems. Well, I’m sure you’ll be happy to learn I managed to get in contact with my teacher.”

“Oh, uh, good job...” Zagan said that and nodded as his expression began to cloud over.

“Come now, it’s not like you to look depressed. Don’t worry, you have both me and my teacher on your side, so I’m certain you’ll return to normal in no time,” Gremory claimed as she puffed out her chest proudly.

After that, Zagan and Foll followed Gremory out of the shop. And sure enough, what awaited them was—

◇

“I am truly sorry for all the trouble my foolish disciple has caused you,” Orias said that, bowed deeply, and apologized to Zagan as soon as they met. Like usual, she was wearing a hood that covered most of her face and a baggy robe to hide her high elf nature. In fact, her, Nephy, and Nephteros were likely the only living high elves in existence. And she also happened to be Gremory’s teacher, which meant she could easily manipulate her own physical age. However, the features of her face that could be discerned were those of an old woman, and her voice was also hoarse. Incidentally, Gremory had a large lump on her head and was weeping. The moment they met, Orias had brought her fist down upon her.

“Um, no. This is due to my own carelessness, so I wouldn’t hold her entirely responsible...”

“Do not spoil her. There’s the matter of what happened at the hidden village, too. Back then, she was using sorcery to watch you run around like a headless chicken.”

“Alright. Rake her over the coals all you want,” Zagan said as his feelings of sympathy for her completely vanished.

“My liege, I think it would be fine to treat me just a little more kindly...”

“Ask for that after you reflect on your actions.”

“Are you telling me that she did other things as well?” Orias chimed in.

Being glared at by two Archdemons was more than enough to make Gremory kneel in silence.

“I feel like I’ve been kneeling since this morning...” Gremory mumbled, clearly unhappy.

“It seems you’ve heard the gist of things from Gremory, but I ended up like this after we failed in casting some sorcery. I’m looking for a way to reverse this transformation, so do you have any ideas? I intend to pay you back in a suitable manner, of course,” Zagan said as he turned to face Orias. Then, he bowed down respectfully to her, and Orias simply shrugged her shoulders.

“There’s no need for you to act so distant. I already owe you a great debt. You brought my daughter happiness, which is something I can never hope to repay,” Orias stated before turning to Foll and saying, “And this one is the dragon girl, right? I’ve heard she’s your adopted daughter?”

“Valefor. You can call me Foll.”

“Well, in that case, you may call me Granny.”

“Got it. Granny,” Foll replied with a completely serious expression on her face, which made Orias scratch the tip of her nose in a troubled manner.

“...Sorry. I meant that in jest.”

This person is always apologizing, isn’t she? Zagan formed a bitter smile as he mulled over her joke. It may have been Orias’ attempt to liven up the mood, but she seemed to have failed.

“You’re Nephy’s mommy, so it’s not strange for you to be my granny,” Foll claimed as she cocked her head to the side in confusion. Orias gaped in surprise upon hearing that, then smiled pleasantly.

“Nephy has quite the straightforward daughter, I see,” Orias said that, then cast her gaze over to Zagan and continued, “Now then, let me have a look. Show me your right hands,” Orias demanded. Then, Zagan and Foll held them out, and the Sigil of the Archdemon appeared on both of them.

“Hm... It seems to be the same sigil.”

“What does that mean?” Zagan inquired. Orias, however, simply touched the sigil without answering, and observed it for a while before letting out a groan.

“This looks to be quite a troublesome situation. This is my first time seeing such a complicated curse.”

“Is it hard for even you to dispel it?”

“...You’re correct. Sorry,” Orias apologized, bowing her head deeply all the while.

“Please raise your head. This is nothing for you to apologize about,” Zagan barked back, seemingly flustered.

“For the time being, I’ll let you in on everything I can discern. First off, Zagan, your sigil has lost most of its power. At this point, even if I were to suppress its power with mine, it would likely only have an effect on you,” Orias claimed as she looked back up at Zagan apologetically. Foll also had a sigil now, but the main part of it was still Zagan’s, which meant the outward flow of power had no effect on Foll.

“Next up, Foll. I’m sure you’re a child of an exceptional bloodline even among dragons. The power within you is from the age of myths. In other words, it is quite literally godlike. It’s so vast that I’m certain you could easily challenge most of the current Archdemons.”

“I see...” Zagan muttered, then said, “Foll is the daughter of Wise Dragon Orobas, who was said to have lived through the age of myths, so that makes sense.”

In an unusual turn, Orias’ eyes shot wide open in shock upon hearing that.

“That’s... quite the hapless fate. It almost makes me want to believe in destiny.”

“What do you mean?” Zagan inquired.

“Marchosias was Wise Dragon Orobas’ sworn friend,” Orias stated as she turned to Foll with a gentle look in her eyes. Foll, on the other hand, audibly gulped upon hearing that.

“Somehow, it feels nostalgic.”

That was what Foll had said when Zagan first brought her to Archdemon Palace. That, plus the fact that Archdemon Palace was filled with mechanisms that utilized dragon spells, made Zagan wonder if Archdemon Marchosias’ power was something granted to him by Orobas.

“Is this all a coincidence...?” Zagan mumbled.

“I wonder... Marchosias’ successor somehow ended up adopting Orobas’ daughter... Makes you wonder if this is all a part of someone’s master plan, doesn’t it?” Orias asked, then once more turned toward Foll and said, “Going back to what we were talking about before. Foll, your power is something that should have unraveled slowly over a long period of time. The current situation was brought about by trying to artificially remove that limit. It’s almost like if all the water within an infinite well burst out at once and flooded its surroundings.”

“It’s... all my fault...” Foll cast her gaze downward, blaming herself for all of Zagan’s misfortune.

“No. That’s simply hindsight. If your power truly ran wild, then Zagan and my foolish disciple would be dead already. That’s why you should consider yourself lucky and learn from it,” Orias claimed. Her words were both kind and strict, which made Foll return a firm nod in response.

That’s essentially what I should have told her... He could have used his change in form as an excuse, but Zagan knew that would be the same as lying to himself. Frankly, the whole matter just made him realize how inexperienced he still was.

“Now then, as I explained, you’re currently like the flowing current from a broken dam. The key to it is the Sigil of the Archdemon, but that was washed away as well. To stop the flow, you need to either rebuild the dam or find the key. Both are extremely difficult tasks, but they are your only options,” Orias spoke of their path forward in a gentle tone. Her answer was quite vague, but Zagan felt like he grasped the full picture of the curse thanks to it.

In that case, if we forcefully cut off the path we created, Foll would be in more danger than me... If they took away the source of water behind the broken dam, the lake would dry up.

“Hm, perhaps this situation was brought about by your sigil, Zagan.”

“What do you mean?” Zagan asked. However, instead of answering immediately, Orias held out her right hand.

“This is my sigil. Can you tell that its shape is a little different from yours?” Orias inquired.

“Yeah,” Zagan responded. It was something Zagan vaguely realized when he saw Bifrons’ sigil. At a glance, they looked identical, but Zagan and Orias’ sigils differed slightly in their minute details.

“I’ve discovered something similar to these. Namely, the Sacred Swords of the church. Whatever’s carved on them appears to also be in Celestian.”

“That’s correct. You could say that these Sigils of the Archdemon are a type of circuit created with Celestian. Though, it may be more accurate to call it a cipher. Unfortunately, reproducing anything similar would prove difficult even for me,” Orias replied. Zagan opened his eyes wide upon hearing that it was such an advanced technique that even an Archdemon would find it hard to reproduce.

“Nevertheless, I killed some time unraveling this cipher. After all, time was the one thing I had in abundance.”

“And what does it say...?”

“It’s nothing all that impressive. Seal, power, connect, god, evil. Something along those lines. Well, those are about the only words with meaning, anyway. The others are all things I can’t even understand. However...” Orias paused for a moment there, and stared right into Zagan’s eyes before saying, “Within this sigil, there is a word that signifies the right hand.”

“Right hand...?” Zagan mumbled, seemingly confused. As far as he knew, all the Sigils of the Archdemon were located on the right hands of those who possessed them. Did that have some kind of meaning to it?

“Hm... I’ve already considered that it may be because the sigils always appear on a person’s right hand. However, that seems unrelated,” Orias said that, then pointed to Zagan’s sigil and continued, “The part of my sigil that signifies the right hand has been replaced by something that means heart on yours.”

Zagan’s eyes shot open, and Orias gave him a silent nod.

“To sorcerers, the heart is not merely the cornerstone of life, but also the furnace that gives birth to an enormous amount of mana. In other words, there is a high probability that your sigil produces the most mana among the thirteen. At any rate, it was Eldest’s sigil.”

That was a rather shocking revelation, but one other point was on Zagan’s mind.

The heart, the right hand... Each is a piece of a body. In that case, Bifrons’ sigil likely symbolized some other part of the body. And that made Zagan realize...

“In other words, the Sigils of the Archdemon really do seal away the body of the Demon Lord...” Zagan muttered in a grave tone. That meant Zagan’s sigil contained the Demon Lord’s heart, which was like an infinite furnace of mana. It meant that Bifrons’ conjecture was correct. However, Orias let out a dubious voice.

“Demon Lord...? Oh, is that how you refer to it? I see. It’s easy enough to understand.”

Now that I think about it, only Bifrons called it the Demon Lord...

“Well, what do you call it?”

“Me? Hm, I’ve never actually given it a name. There was never any need. Oh, but let’s see...” Orias trailed off, then spoke in a somewhat nostalgic tone, “Marchosias called it... the Primordial Archdemon.”

Zagan couldn’t tell what that signified. However, it matched the sigil’s name at least. After all, it was the Sigil of the Archdemon, not the Sigil of the Demon Lord.

Still, I feel like all our assumptions are way off base... Unfortunately, Zagan was far too inexperienced to figure out how. An Archdemon of Bifrons’ level spent hundreds of years studying it just to create celestial mysticism, so a newcomer like Zagan had a long way to go before he could get to the heart of the matter. And as those talks came to an end, Orias finally relaxed.

“Well then, I’ll try to search for a way to undo this curse, but don’t expect too much. A mere high elf can’t hope to compare to the power of legends.”

“No, you’ve been a huge help already. Allow me to offer you my thanks.”

After Zagan humbly offered his gratitude, Orias continued on quietly.

“Also, Zagan, do you know about Liucaon? The island nation, I mean.”

“Yeah. In fact, I got to know someone from there recently.”

“I see. How fortuitous. This is the last piece of advice I can give you. Try relying on Liucaon. There are several secrets that remain there that have been lost to us for quite some time. The tools they use for rituals, which are called Holy Treasures, resemble Sacred Swords. Perhaps an ancient power resides there that can do something to combat this curse.”

Zagan had heard that powers different from sorcery existed in Liucaon, and Gremory had even listed that as one of their possible choices, so that seemed like a good lead.

It’s better than just sitting on my thumbs, anyway...

“Do you know of the Continental Interracial Elders Conference?”

“Of course. I am one of the last remaining elves, so I’ve at least heard the name.”

“Would people from Liucaon attend?” Zagan asked.

“Definitely. They’re one of the most important participants,” Orias replied.

“Actually, I was invited too. I’m not sure who exactly will attend, but I’m thinking of making an appearance.”

“What!? Why didn’t you tell me!? Just thinking of all the love power from all the races gathering makes me drool...” Gremory had a visceral reaction upon hearing that.

“You must help me search for a way to undo the curse, you thoughtless fool,” Orias cut Gremory’s excitation off in a cold tone.

“P-Please let me off for now! I promise to help once I get back from the conference, so just give me one free night!”

“Have you been sincere enough with me that I would allow such a thing?”

“You demoooooon!”

Zagan and Foll returned to the castle, leaving the screaming Gremory behind with her mentor.

◇

“Pheeew, really, thank goodness. Mister Archdemon didn’t seem to, like, care about that conference at all,” Selphy said, seemingly in high spirits as she was stirring a pot of soup in the kitchen. She was in such a good mood that she even began humming. And as she did, her boss, who was preparing the main dish behind her, let out a groan.

“Fool. My liege is unable to participate in that trifle because he is far too busy, but do you think you can use that as a reason to exempt yourself?”

“Um, you mean, like, a representative or someone might have to go, so don’t start celebrating? It’s totally fine. Like I said, Mister Archdemon really didn’t seem to care. Plus, if he went, everyone would be all scared, so, like, this works out better!”

Selphy spoke to the rather frightening man in a casual manner. Raphael’s face and conduct were terrifying, but a simple conversation was enough to realize he was a good man at heart. In fact, it could be said that he was the kindest person Selphy had met. Well, aside from Nephy, anyway.

He spends a lot of time training me on the job, and praises me if I do well, too... He was always upright and honest, though not many people noticed due to his manner of speech. It was most unfortunate that his phrasing and choice of vocabulary was awkward and created misunderstandings.

That part of him is a little like my friend from back home, though... Even Selphy had at least one person she could call a friend. She hadn’t spoken to her since fleeing her hometown, but her childhood friend was someone who spoke and acted much like Raphael. Also, she let Selphy sing all she wanted.

“Hmph... It seems you’ve also come to a damn understanding of the wideness of my liege’s bosom. He possesses genuine ambitions, so he has thorough knowledge of techniques that can both destroy and tame the ignorant masses,” Raphael said as a sneer rose to his face.

“Genuine ambitions... Oh, like, about Miss Nephy? Well, you’ve got a point there. Seeing them flirt, like, all day really makes him seem less scary.”

This butler was a perfect fit for that Archdemon, in that both of them acted in baffling ways. The Archdemon was relatively easy to read, though. Especially when it came to the woman he loved. The way he ran about in confusion when it came to speaking to Nephy didn’t suit the aura of terror and majesty that generally surrounded Archdemons. And in those times, he seemed like just an ordinary clumsy boy.

Still, he can, like, turn a whole boat into dust with a single punch... Basically, he could jokingly poke Selphy’s head and send her off to the afterlife. And in that respect, he truly was an Archdemon. Though, if all the other Archdemons were people like Zagan, the world probably would’ve been a far more peaceful place.

“Hey! Pay some damn attention!” Raphael roared at Selphy as she got lost in thought. And when she looked up, she saw that the butler was aiming a fierce glare at her.

“Eeek, did you find out I was thinking of having a little taste?”

“You’ll ruin it. Get the pot off the fire.”

“Oh, okaaay... Hm, how’s it taste? Wouldn’t it, like, be better if it was a lil’ sweeter?” Selphy said that, then immediately took a wet towel and brought the pot down from the fire. After pouring some of the soup into a small dish and tasting it, she cocked her head to the side. Raphael followed suit and tasted the soup as well, but shook his head instead.

“No, this is good. The seasoning on the main dish is rather strong, so it will pair well with the taste of this soup. You’ve performed admirably.”

“Yaaay! Mister Raphael praised me!” Selphy exclaimed as she threw her hands into the air in celebration. And at that exact moment, a tall therianthrope stalked into the kitchen.

“I’m sorry to disturb you. My hands are free right now, so is there anything I can help with?”

This therianthrope with a bushy mane and the face of a lion was Kimaris. Like Gremory, he was Zagan’s trusted retainer. In fact, the two of them were so powerful that they competed for the top spot among Zagan’s followers. However, despite that, he was so kind that he even dropped by to help in the kitchen when he had free time.

“Indeed. You’ve come at a good time. We’ve just about finished here. Grab enough plates for everyone,” Raphael wasted no time and immediately barked out his orders.

“Alright. Oh, Miss Selphy, those plates must be heavy, so allow me to handle them.”

“Thanks, Mister Kimaris. Mister Raphael even praised my soup today, so I’m, like, totally confident about the taste!”

“I’ll look forward to it, then,” Kimaris said, then tilted his head to the side and asked, “What shall we do about Sir Zagan and Foll’s portions? I believe they’re out at the moment.”

“I haven’t been informed of when they’ll return, but we should prepare for them anyway.”

Kimaris quietly accepted the butler’s orders, but then curiosity overcame him.

“...By the way, did something happen today? I haven’t seen Miss Gremory around either.”

“Hm... I’m certain my liege would have informed you directly himself, but a little problem occurred. Gremory is accompanying him on his hunt for a solution.”

“...What did Miss Gremory do this time?” Kimaris asked as he began scratching his head.

“Hey now, it’s not like the culprit is necessarily Miss Gremory!”

Other sorcerers treated Gremory like a troublesome granny, but Selphy thought she was a good person. She often gave Selphy candy, and would gaze at her with a broad grin. Yet, Kimaris, who was supposed to be her closest friend, made a stern expression as he shook his head.

“No, if it wasn’t her fault, Sir Zagan would have asked for my help as well. The fact that he didn’t must mean he doesn’t want me to feel guilty about Miss Gremory’s mistake. Though, I suppose it’s also possible that he simply did not have the time to tell me,” Kimaris said that, then paused and added, “Also, Lady Nephy scolded Miss Gremory yesterday. She seemed rather angry, so I’m certain it was her fault.”

“...Oh.” Selphy muttered. She couldn’t refute that last point at all. The very idea of Nephy getting angry seemed impossible, so there had to have been a good reason for it to happen.

“Now that I think of it, Sir Raphael, did you manage to ask Sir Zagan about the matter we discussed?” Kimaris asked as he suddenly turned to look at Raphael.

“Urgh... No, he’s been quite busy, so I haven’t had the time,” Raphael responded in an extremely vague way, which Selphy found quite strange.

“Huh? Did something happen?”

“It’s nothing important. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Aww, come on! Aren’t we kitchen pals!? Leaving me out is, like, really mean! Please tell me!” Selphy threw a tantrum, but for some reason it was Kimaris who looked apologetic.

“My apologies, Sir Raphael. I should have been more careful...”

“It’s fine. It’s not actually something that needs hiding,” Raphael said that, then turned to Selphy and explained, “I’ve been having some strange dreams lately. They are likely the memories of a certain dragon.”

“By dragon, you mean someone like Foll? Why would a human see those?”

“Due to certain special circumstances, I have dragon blood flowing through me... Anyway, since the visions are so frequent, I feel like that dragon is trying to tell me something.”

“I see. So that’s why the little lady is so attached to you, Mister Raphael!” Selphy nodded to herself, clearly pleased about whatever strange deduction she made.

“...” Raphael and Kimaris both looked at Selphy like they were facing a dumb brat.

“Well, they’re just dreams. It’s fine not to trouble my liege with such minor matters when he’s already in a bind.”

“No, wait. If it’s about dreams, then my friend Lilith is, like, kind of an expert,” Selphy spoke those words in a worried tone. She felt Raphael may collapse if he carried that burden all on his own.

“I know this may sound rude, but aren’t sirens more affiliated with an eternal slumber of sorts?”

“Lilith is a succubus. She can, like, go into people’s dreams and play pranks on them. Sometimes, when I took a nap, she made me see a dream where I was killed by some sorcerers. Luckily, when I woke up, my big sis would totally comfort me!”

“Are you certain you didn’t see those dreams after getting hit on the head...?” Raphael let out an astonished voice, but eventually gave in, made a strained smile, and said, “Well, if the opportunity arises, I’ll take you up on that offer.”

“Well, I don’t really get many chances to meet up with my friends from back home. It’d be, like, totally awkward to show my face after all this time!” Selphy explained her predicament, which was also the reason why she was glad Zagan was disregarding the conference.

“Raphael! Is that idiot Selphy around!?”

Selphy heard a somewhat familiar tone, but the voice was that of a child she didn’t know. When she turned toward the source, she saw a young boy practically kicking down the door as he made his way into the kitchen. He seemed like an heir from some noble household, as he was wearing a dashing shirt and a stylish jacket. She felt like he resembled someone she knew, but Selphy wasn’t acquainted with any children. It was entirely possible that he had been abducted by one of the sorcerers.

A kid? Did he get lost or something? Selphy stared at him in wonder, confused by the child’s sudden appearance.

“Huh...? Sir... Zagan...?” Kimaris croaked out those words in a shocked voice.

“Oh, you’re here too, Kimaris? Perfect. I was looking for you as well,” the child answered in a somewhat haughty tone.

Why had Zagan’s name popped out of Kimaris’ mouth? Selphy assumed he must have been tired after all his work. It was either that or she’d heard wrong. She didn’t know who brought this kid to the castle, but she pitied the fact that he was stuck here. And so, Selphy puffed out her chest as she stood before the boy.

“Hey now, you need to wash your hands when you enter the kitchen, you know? Mister Raphael will get angry if you don’t. And you won’t like his face when he’s angry!”

“Shut it. More importantly, guide me to that conference or whatever it is. Right now.”

“Man, you’re one arrogant brat. Listen, you can’t do that, okay? Only, like, Mister Raphael and Mister Zagan can be all haughty around here,” Selphy said as she knit her brows.

“I’m telling you I’m Zagan!”

“Oh, okay. I guess that makes me, like, Miss Nephy. Mister Zagan spends a good twenty seconds tripping over his words when he talks to Miss Nephy, so you should— Owowowowowowow!”

Selphy was an adult. She puffed her chest out proudly and decided to play house with the little kid, but her face was suddenly grasped by him like an eagle grabbing its prey.

“Why the hell do you know that!?”

“Owowowowowowowow!” Selphy screamed in agony. She didn’t know why this kid was angry, but his strength was abnormal. And seeing that she would lose consciousness at this rate, Raphael cut in to stop him.

“My liege. If you keep that up, she’ll die. Is that fine?”

“Oh... Sorry, I miscalculated my strength. Are you alright, Selphy?”

Luckily, the child let Selphy go before her head was actually crushed.

“Sir Zagan. What is with that form? Like I thought... did Miss Gremory do something again?” Kimaris inquired.

“No, she shares some of the blame, but it’s not really her fault... Hey, are you alright? Should I have Nephy treat you?”

Since Selphy didn’t seem to be recovering from the pain, the child peeked in at her face with worry.

He’s pretty violent, but maybe he’s not all that bad... Thinking that she couldn’t make a kid worry about her, Selphy put on a smile and stood back up... Well, she had tears in her eyes, but that much could surely be forgiven.

“I’m okay! Your big sis here is a real tough cookie!”

“Hey, I’m telling you...”

As the child let out a troubled voice, Kimaris cut in to interrupt their display.

“Miss Selphy, this child is Sir Zagan. Even Miss Gremory is capable of turning into a child and an old woman, right?”

“Huh? You sure he isn’t, like, Miss Gremory’s grandkid or something?”

“...”

The entire group was dumbfounded by her stupidity. And so, they spent the next hour explaining that age manipulation sorcery existed, and that the boy before her was indeed Zagan.

“No way! Sorcery’s, like, something that crazy!?”

“What did you even think it was before now?” Zagan stared straight at Selphy with an exasperated expression as he said that.

“I’m relying on you here, Selphy. Only you can help me return to my original form. Guide me to the conference,” Zagan requested.

“But, like, I still find it hard to believe you’re a small Zagan. Plus, it’d be totally awkward to show my face to my family, so I don’t wanna,” Selphy began grumbling and griping in response.

“You won’t help me...?” Zagan slumped his shoulders, looking defeated.

“But, like, you were the one who saved me from that ship, and you even gave me a place to work. This time it’s my time to save you. Okay! I’ll take you to that conference!” Selphy proclaimed as she proudly stuck out her chest.

“Really!? Thanks!” Zagan raised both his hands into the air to celebrate as he said that.

Now that I think about it, this is, like, the first time anyone’s relied on me... Selphy was still scared of sorcery, but life in the castle was mostly comfortable, so she wanted to do whatever she could to protect that place of warmth.

“Alright! Since that’s settled, let’s get ready. I have to bring Nephy along this time, so we need to thoroughly prepare for the journey!” Zagan spoke those words in an overeager tone.

“Oh! Wait, can you, like, hold on a bit!?” Selphy called out to stop Zagan as he began dashing out of the kitchen.

“Is something wrong?”

“You’re not gonna return to the castle for a while, right? In that case, I want you to listen to what Mister Raphael has to say.”

“Stop, Selphy,” Raphael raised his voice in a somewhat angry tone, but it was already too late.

“...What do you mean? Did something happen?” Zagan asked.

“No, it is not something that you need to worry about,” Raphael responded in an obstinate manner. He had intended to keep it to himself, but Selphy had gone and ruined everything.

“Mister Raphael’s been having some really weird dreams lately, so he wanted to, like, consult you about... Eeek!” Selphy babbled on about his issues, which made Raphael aim a death glare at her. Selphy curled into a ball in response, but Zagan turned about to face him anyway.

“Raphael. Speak.”

“Urgh...” Raphael grimaced, but still found himself unable to deny Zagan’s request. And so, he reluctantly told him all about his dreams.

“Orobas’ memories?”

“Yes. It’s likely about the last battle he fought by my side. However, what worries me is that he was fighting something that seemed different from a demon.”

“What does that mean? Wasn’t the demon you fought the one that’s now a chimera in Archdemon Palace?”

“The one I butchered was that demon. However, that wasn’t the only thing on that battlefield. It seems Orobas fought something far more powerful than a mere demon...”

“Impossible. The only one who could be that powerful is the Demon Lord. But...” Zagan held up his right hand, and a sigil of light glowed on surface as he continued, “The Demon Lord is sealed here. I’ve never heard of the thirteen sigils being broken.”

At the very least, when Zagan first inherited the Sigil of the Archdemon, all thirteen were gathered together.

“That’s why I also believe it to be impossible.”

“...Then does that mean another major threat exists? No, that can’t...” Zagan mumbled those words with his head hung low, then shook his head. If such powerful beings popped up that frequently, the world would have been destroyed long ago. However, it was also true that Wise Dragon Orobas, who lived through the age of myths, couldn’t keep up with that enemy, so it had to have been extremely strong.

“Got it. I don’t know the true nature of your dreams, but I’ll keep them in mind. Was that your only worry?”

“No, there’s something else you need to know,” Raphael claimed as he shifted his focus over to Zagan’s right hand before saying, “It seems Wise Dragon Orobas and Archdemon Marchosias were old friends. Also, it may have been a friendship that spanned a thousand years.”

“...I just so happened to hear about that from Orias. This is the first I’ve heard of it spanning a thousand years, though,” Zagan said as his eyes widened due to the sudden revelation. Thinking back on it, even though Zagan inherited Marchosias’ legacy, he knew nothing about his predecessor. Sure, he had suddenly died of old age, but Zagan wished he had left a bit more information behind in preparation for his passing.

No, wait... Old age? I can’t be... Zagan was taken aback.

“Raphael. When did you fight by Orobas’ side? This is important, so think carefully.”

“Hm... It’s been about half a year now, so two months before I met you, my liege.”

In other words, it would’ve been about one month before Zagan met Nephy. And from that, Kimaris definitely noticed what was on Zagan’s mind.

“Oh... Sir Zagan, could that mean...?”

“...Yeah,” Zagan replied as he clenched his teeth, seemingly astonished by his own ignorance.

“That’s the exact same period of time Archdemon Marchosias passed away.”

Am I an idiot? Why did I never suspect a thing?

“Then... are you saying Archdemon Marchosias also lost his life in that battle?” Raphael asked as his eyes widened due to the shock.

“It would be a reasonable assumption. Nephy only ended up at that auction where I bought her because he died so suddenly.”

Originally, Nephy was set to be sold to Marchosias. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities that he intended to use her to further extend his lifespan, but if that were the case, it was even more strange that she was still alive. If his remaining years were that short, it wouldn’t have mattered whether demons or a Demon Lord was coming, he would have prioritized extending his own life. After all, most people would care about their own life above all else.

“Now that I think of it, I heard a conversation in my dream. I don’t remember it very well, but I feel like Marchosias said something about sheltering someone,” Raphael remarked, taken aback by it all.

“Sheltering? Not abducting, but sheltering? An Archdemon said that?”

“I do find it rather odd, but isn’t it safe to assume he was talking about Lady Nephy?”

Why would an Archdemon want to shelter her? Sure, she’s a high elf, but that isn’t a good enough reason. Given her race, the idea that he planned on using her as a sacrifice seemed far more convincing...

Maybe I need to go over everything I know about Marchosias... They had likely learned all they could through discussing it between them, so it was time to move on. Plus, Zagan had to return his body to normal, which meant he had no time to waste.

“I understand. At any rate, I highly doubt those dreams are a mere coincidence. It may be some sort of warning. I’ll keep my guard up as I travel, so don’t let it cloud your judgment.”

“As you wish,” Raphael replied. Then, Zagan looked over to Selphy.

“As for you... Well, good work.”

“Huh? Did I do something?”

“...It’s nothing, really. I was just thinking it’s good that we have someone as insensitive as you around.”

“Ahahah, stop, you’ll make me blush with those compliments!”

“Was that really a compliment?” Raphael asked as he looked over to Selphy. However, she paid his words no mind.

“Oh, right. While I’m being, like, all insensitive, can I say one more thing?”

“Are you self-aware that you’re insensitive...? Well, fine. Owing to the occasion, speak your mind.”

“Um, Miss Selphy, it would be better if you showed a bit more restraint,” Kimaris said, completely on edge all the while, but Selphy simply puffed out her chest and ignored his warning.

“Mister Zagan, you should, like, rely on those around you more! That makes people, like, totally happy!”

“...Got it. I’ll keep that in mind,” Zagan blinked in surprise, then nodded with a strained smile as he said that.

“Ooooh... You know, when you’re acting all honest and cute in this tiny form, my heart flutters! You should try talking like that to Miss Nephy, too!”

“...Do you want me to crush your face again?”

Zagan may have been tiny, but he was still the exact same person at heart. And so, Selphy turned white as a sheet as she vigorously shook her head.