《I Didn't Expect to Wake Up as the Demon Lord》 1 - So I Guess Im the Demon Lord Now? The last thing I remember was curling up in bed after a long day of not wanting to be awake. Yep, reality is a harsh mistress ... with a whip. I mean, if that''s your thing, then more power to you, but I''m just not into the kind of abuse she''s willing to dish out on a daily basis. Like, seriously, whenever everything seems to be going just fine, here comes reality, kicking your door down, tying you up, and ... *caugh* ... Anyway, where was I? Ah, right, as I was saying, the last thing I remember was falling asleep in bed, so it makes sense that I find myself waking up in bed, right? Sure, sure, that definitely seems logical ... if this were my bed. You know, I''d even settle for this being somewhere in my own house, but last time I checked I didn''t live in a rickety old wooden shack like this. "Is there anyone here?" Wait, was that my voice just now? And what''s with all this weight holding me down? It''s as if gravity itself doesn''t want me to get out of bed. Hah! I''ll show you, gravity! *SLAM* "GEH!" Rolling out of bed was a bad idea. Gravity is indeed my enemy! Well, at least there was something to soften my ... WHAT. ARE. THESE!? "Milady! You''ve finally awoken!" a rough yet feminine voice speaks from behind me as I massage my newly developed speed bumps. "What are you doing?" "What do you mean, what am I doing? LOOK AT THESE THINGS! No wonder I had so much trouble sitting up ... they''re huge! Wait, did you just say lady? Obviously I''m a ..." Ah, right, men don''t usually grow ''em like this. Must be one of those weird dreams again. Hey! don''t judge me! Everyone''s had that fantasy once or twice in their life! Right? ... Right? No? Now that I think about it, who is this girl? She wasn''t just watching me sleep, was she? That''s kind of creepy. "You were asleep for so long, I was afraid you would never wake ..." a tear starts flowing down her cheek before she wipes it away with one of the clawed fingers on her scaled hands. "I did as you asked and kept you safe, but we no longer have a home to go back to." "Hold on, hold on, hold on. I only just woke up, you gotta give me some time to process things." "You''re right, I''m sorry, Milady." The girl averts her yellow eyes. You know, the way her horns jut out from the sides of her head and twist around once before coming to a point is kind of cute. "Yess ... I see now ..." (It seems the left is slightly larger than the right. Meh, there''s nothing wrong with a little asymmetry.) "Why are you still grabbing your chest? Are you in pain, Milady?" "Sure, we''ll go with that." Finishing my scientific research, I decide it''s finally time to get up from the floor and have a look around. "Hmm ... hmm ..." with a stroke of my chin, I analyze my surroundings. The whole building seems to be composed of the single room we''re standing in. There''s the bed I was sleeping in, if you can call it a bed, and a single pile of rags on the floor that I can only assume to be a second bed used by this lovely lady standing before me. Near the table is a firepit dug into the ground with a small pot dangling over it. Whatever''s inside doesn''t smell all too appealing though. Nope, not a clue. "So ... where are we?" "Just outside Aborel. Getting you through the Gamaya mountains without being found out was difficult. The Derival kingdom had search parties dedicated to tracking down any of us that had escaped the castle for months, but we were able to give them the slip." I can''t understand anything she''s telling me, but the way her bulky, reptilian tail is swaying back and forth, she seems rather pleased with herself. "You''re surviving followers have all been scattered, but now that you''ve reawakened, we should have no trouble bringing everyone back together again."If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Riiight. Well, I''m going to get some fresh air now." Damn, this is one hell of a dream. I should probably slow down on my anime binge nights before it''s too late and I''ve gone completely mad. "Of course! Give me just a moment and I''ll join you." Huh... carrying around a big sword like that makes me wonder if this girl is even normal. I mean, how does she even swing that thing around without her wings getting in the way? Oh! I just thought of something! You know that thing you can only do in dreams? This would definitely be a wasted opportunity if I didn''t do that! "Weeee! I''m flying!" "Wait, milady, don''t fly off so suddenly!" "BARREL ROLL!" After a few aerial acrobatics I spot a small village and descend upon it from the heavens. As if I were an angel, the villagers all rush out to greet me. Wait, why do they have torches? and what''s with the bo-OH NO! An arrow flies from a villagers bow and hits me in the knee, immediately ending my adventuring career as I crash down to the earth. Actually, the arrow was deflected from my knee, just barely causing a papercut-like scratch, but the following collision with the ground still hurt. "Wait ... pain ...? Wasn''t this supposed to be a dream?" "What are you doing, Milady? After all the effort I went through to keep us hidden, why would you barge right into a settlement like this?" "Hold on, isn''t that the demon lord''s messenger, Arileia? And didn''t she just say ''Milady''? Don''t tell me ..." "It''s the demon lord! This woman is the demon lord! Someone call Sir Arinth before she goes on a rampage!" "No need, Miak, I''m already here. I will defeat the demon lord right where she stands." "I''m kneeling, actually, it''s still incredibly difficult for me to stand up with these things on my chest." "It matters not. You will be defeated he and now by I, Sir Arinth, one of the thirty-two silver swords!" "Thirty-two!? Why the hell are there so many of you? Is it because you''re super inefficient?" "Silence!" A shockwave bursts out from the strange man''s sword as he cuts through the air in my direction, but it suddenly disperses when the girl following me strikes at it with a blade of her own. I think they called her air-uh-lay-uh(?) or something like that. Whatever, it doesn''t matter. All that matters is that it''s a fight between strange girl and strange man, and they make strange attacks, which gives me enough time to ponder. This guy¡¯s sword is jet black. That¡¯s like the opposite of silver. I wonder if he knows¡­ Maybe I should tell him? ¡°Excuse me--¡± ¡°Gyaauukhwwwp!¡± ¡°By the gods! She slew Arinth with a single attack!¡± ¡°We¡¯re all doomed! How is anyone meant to stand up to such power!?¡± ¡°As expected of you, Milady.¡± ¡°What? No, I was just ¡­ Huh?¡± When I raised my hand to get the knight dude¡¯s attention he suddenly released the most embarrassing death-shriek as fire shot from my fingers and engulfed him. ¡°I just wanted to let him know that his sword wasn¡¯t actually silver.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, that¡¯s the demon Ulrok¡¯s sword. To think it had fallen into the hands of one of the Thirty-Two Silver Swords after his death.¡± ¡°Oh, so it belongs to someone you know?¡± ¡°Milady, Ulrok was one of your most loyal generals before giving his life to allow us to escape the castle when we were backed into a corner. Surely you haven¡¯t forgotten him?¡± ¡°No, no, of course not. Elrik, right? Yeah. I really miss that guy. Oh, wow, this sword is pretty heavy. Did thisEdrik guy really swing around something like this?¡± ¡°Milady ¡­ You shouldn¡¯t play around with such a dangerous weapon.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean? ¡­ Oh ¡­¡± While fidgeting with the really cool black sword, which once belonged to the lost but not forgotten, Odwick, the twirly-twirls I made in the air seemed to have twirly-twirled all over the now completely destroyed village. The screaming villagers that hadn¡¯t been completely blasted to pieces already by my mad sword skillz flee as if they¡¯d seen some kind of monster. ¡°You know, Error-lay--¡± ¡°--It¡¯s Arileia.¡± ¡°You know, Arileia, I have a feeling we might not be normal.¡± ¡°Of course not. You are the demon lord after all, Milady.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I kinda feel like someone might have mentioned that at some point. Actually ... isn¡¯t this chick totally a dragon-girl? How did I not notice that before? 2 - If Im the Demon Lord, Then Why Are You Telling Me What to Do? "With this, we will no longer be able to go unnoticed by the Heroes of Derival, Milady." "How did you go unnoticed in the first place? There''s so much about you that already stands out!" "Maybe so, but destroying a village while we''re already on the run isn''t going to help us either." "I didn''t destroy anything. It was the sword''s fault. Blame the sword!" "Arileia, how cruel can you be to leave without telling me? I even did your shopping for you-- Master?! You''re awake!" Oh? Is this another follower of the demon lord? With a voice that sweet it''s not too difficult for me to imagine what kind of figure is hidden under her cloak either. Not that I have to imagine for very long, as the newcomer removes her hood and kneels before me as soon as she gets closer. "Forgive me, Master, I was not aware that you had awoken." "You are forgiven." Tanned skin? Long ears? Dark elf acquired. Yes! "Master, if you don''t mind me asking ... What exactly happened here? It must have been quite the army to have pushed the two of you to release so much of your power. I''m sad to have missed the party." "Ah ... haha ... ha ..." "Don''t jest, Enika, I know full well that you were already here watching in the shadows." "Oh, I guess nothing slips past you, does it, Arileia?" Was there really someone like this in the village when we arrived? I don''t remember seeing anyo-- wait! Isn''t she the cloaked figure that shouted out Arileia''s name when we first arrived?! Doesn''t that make this her fault? No, no, that''s unfair. They were firing arrows at me before I even landed in the village. Man, that crash landing hurt even more than the stumble out of bed, too. Gravity really has it in for me. Actually, now that I think about it ... "This is all a dream, right? I mean, I did feel some pain earlier, but that''s just a part of that lucid dreaming thingy that people talk about, right? I''m not actually ... right?" "What are you saying after finally waking up? We waited for your return for two years. If this really were a dream, I don''t think I could take it." "Like the lizard said, you''re not dreaming, but if you really need someone to prove it to you ..." "Umm, where are you taking me?" "Enika! Watch how you speak to the demon lord. Also, I''m not a lizard." "You''re right, lizards aren''t so quick to bark. Now then, if you''d follow me, Master." I''m not really sure what the elf was talking about, but being led around by a mysterious beauty ain''t too bad.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Hmm, yes, you really do share her face, but your eyes can''t lie to me," after leading me out of the dragon-girl''s sight, Enika quickly turns around and grabs my chin in order to see my face from various angles. "Eyes are a window to the soul, as they say, and yours lacks the same flair as my master''s had." "W-what are you saying? Didn''t you hear, uh, Lei-Lei? I''m the one and only demon lord!" "Haah ..." a slender finger presses against my lips, "If you want that story to hold up, then I suggest you keep your mouth shut for the time being. Understood?" The way she slips a few locks of hair behind one of her ears before flashing a coy smile just adds to her allure. Although, I feel like maybe she was trying to be intimidating. "Good girl. Now, to be honest, I already know the truth of who you really are. You''re predecessor revealed her plans to me before we were defeated by those damned heroes, so that I could guide you when you finally woke up. Until now, I was afraid our plans may have failed, but even after meeting you, I still can''t say that it was a complete success either. Our master left Arileia in the dark about our her plan for Arileia¡¯s own sake, so I would appreciate it if you could refrain from saying anything stupid after this. Understood?" "Actually, no, you lost me." "I''m the only one who knows that you''re not who everyone thinks you are, but it''s my job to help you become that person in more than just name. Simple, right?" "Nope, still not getting it." "Oh, Amodath save us. Just don''t talk so the lizard doesn''t kill you for being an imposter. For now, you''re the demon lord, so act the part." "Got it. Don''t talk, because I''m the demon lord, and the lizard is an imposter. ... What? Why are you looking at me like that?" "Just shut up. We need to return to Arileia before she has a panic attack. She''s been carrying you around for two years, after all." "Finally. The elf didn''t do anything to you, did she?" "I didn¡¯t do anything that you wouldn''t have done. Wait, why did you just avert your eyes? What did you do to the demon lord while she was sleeping? Haah, nevermind, forget I asked. More importantly, even though she woke up, the demon lord still hasn''t recovered completely." "Meaning?" "Meaning her memories are still a little foggy. It''s going to be a while before she''ll be able to become a leader of the same magnitude again." "Then what are we supposed to do in the meantime?" "Why don''t we just return home for now? Is it nearby? I can fly you know, so, yeah." The elf presses her hand against her face when she hears me speak. What? It''s a good, simple plan. Stop glaring at me like that. It''s scary. "Milady, our castle was siezed from us two years ago. Don''t you remember everything we went through and all the sacrifices that were made to get you out of there?" Oh yeah, I think I remember her saying something along those lines once before. "Yeah, sure, I knew that, but, we can, you know, go to our other home or something?" "Excuse us again, Arileia." "What? Whoa, whoa, whoa, where are we going?" "I thought I told you to let me do the talking." "Well, yeah, but--" "Look, Arileia might be naiive, but she was without a doubt the one closest to the previous demon lord, whom which she believes you to be. If anyone is going to find you acting out of character, it would be her. That''s why you just need to keep your mouth shut. Understood." "Ye--" "Shush ... Just nod." "..." "Good." "It''s worse than I feared, lizard. It seems our master no longer has memories of the events that transpired that day and doesn''t understand the grave position we find ourselves in. Perhaps you can remind her? The two of you were together when everything happened, were you not?" "I ... if you think it will help, I''ll try my best. And stop calling me a lizard!" 2.5 - Escaping From the Demon Lords Castle "Arileia! They''ve almost made it to the courtyard!" "How can there be a human with so much power? Where is the demon lord?" "She''s still on her throne. She refuses to leave while her servants are still fighting to keep the castle." "What is she thinking? Doesn''t she know that we are fighting for her?" "If anyone can convince her to escape, it''s you." "But--" "Don''t worry, we won''t let them get any further. Now go, Arileia!" "R-right!" It was as if everything we had built was suddenly crashing down around us. We had unified most of the beasts of the continent under a single banner, bringing you one step closer to your rightful place at the pinnacle of the world. If only the existence of such monsters in Derival hadn''t escaped your knowledge. "Milady! What are you doing still here?! You should have had plenty of time to escape before they reach the throne room." "Arileia, do you wish for me to abandon my children?" "That''s not the point!" "Even if we lose this castle, do you really think that would be enough to cause our downfall?" "But ..." "Get her! The demon lord must be nearby." "They''ve made it here already? But what about Danorak?" Even when I couldn''t help but panic in our situation and expect the worst, you approached them as they flooded into your home. "Welcome heroes of Derival. To what do I owe the pleasure?" "Silence, witch!" "Hurry! Strike her down!" "There''s no need to wait for Andiar! Surround her and bring her tyranny to an end!" "What an unruly bunch. Do I need to remind you that you are standing at the heart of my home?" As you slowly walked toward them, not a single man was able to move nor avert their gaze. You simply walked past them as you exited the room through the same door they had entered from. "These are no heroes. If I''m to stop Derival''s advance on our home, then I can no longer waste time here. Deal with them as you wish." "Of course, Milady. I hope you tresspassers have prepared yourselves." Dealing with the fodder that made it to your throne room caused me no trouble, but, before I knew it, I had lost sight of you. Luckily, you left just enough destruction in your wake for me to follow your path to the courtyard. That''s when the true gravity of the situation we had found ourselves in became apparent to me. When I had left earlier to find you in the throne room, we were still holding the courtyard; barely, but it was still secure. But now, Seeing you standing alone in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by our dead and wounded allies, with the man responsible for the effectiveness of the raid approaching you with sword in hand, I couldn''t help but fear the worst.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "You must be the human I''ve heard so much about. Your strength is quite something, hero of Derival." "And you must be the demon lord. I have to say, I expected you to be a bit more ... monstrous." "Well, appearances don''t always tell the full story, do they?" "Indeed, they do not. I suppose you know why I''m here, demon lord." "If you''re looking for a cup of tea, I''m sorry to say that I''ve already finished the last one." "I''m not here for your games." "Then, why not tell me what it is you''re seeking to accomplish here?" "I''m here to bring an end to your reign of terror. My entire life has brought me to this moment. My companions that have survived this journey with me, and those who have fallen, the weight of all of their lives are behind this sword, and it is their will that will be taking your life." "Poor soul." I may not have been able to see your face, but your shoulders were filled with an incomprehensible sadness as you reached down to grab a weapon from one of your fallen followers. As the hero charged forth, an arrow fired from your blindspot, but it would take more than that to surprise the one who had managed to bring us all together. Without breaking eye contact with the hero before you, you parried away the arrow with a thin blade. As if falling into a rage for having missed its target, the arrow exploded into a hundred of its likeness, each swarming around you from different angles. Faster than most mortal eyes can see, you moved and swayed from the path of each arrow as they passed you and dug into the ground. Just as it appeared that you had avoided any damage the arrows then exploded in a blinding light one after the other. "Andiar! We''ll take her down together!" Above us was a petite half-elf male with a bow. "Nice timing, Torvis! Let''s do this." The smoke cleared to reveal you mostly unharmed. It would take more than a few small explosion to injure the one who had successfully brought us all together, but the attacks weren''t over yet. Andiar struck at you with his sword, but no matter how fast he was, you never even flinched. Each blow was deflected with a single stroke of the sword you had picked up from the ground, but the power behind each blow finally crumbled the blade to pieces. Arrows flittered from your blindspot, still incapable of hitting you despite being unarmed. "What''s taking you two so long? We''ve already cleared out the rest of the castle." "Milady, we need to flee before it becomes too late!" "Arlamei, don''t let them escape. "i''m on it!" One of the newcomers started channeling a spell and the walls around us started to crumble at the same time the ground started to crack. The world felt like it had flipped on its axis, and my body hit the ground with enough force to lose consciousness for a few moments. When I finally came to again I saw you smiling down on me. Even though I was supposed to be protecting you, you used your own body to shield me from harm. A sword was piercing through you from back to stomach, but it didn''t seem to bother you. "I''m sorry, Arileia, it looks like we''re going to have to leave our home. I''m going to need your help one last time. I''m about to become immobile for a while, and I want you to look after me during that time. I don''t know how long it''s going to take, but I know I can trust you with this." You didn''t even wait for my response before standing up and removing the blade from your body. As blood escaped your wound, the ground started to shake again as an enormous magic circle formed at your feet. "What is this? Arlamei, what is she doing?" "I ... I have no idea, I''ve never seen magic like this before. It''s like she''s trying to break the very limits of our reality!" "Can you stop it?" "I''m trying, but her power is bursting from her like water breaking a dam! It''s filling this whole area!" "Damn it. This has to be the last of her power! Everyone take cover. As long as we''re still standing after, then we''ve won!" "Roger!" All the enemies scattered as the courtyard became filled with an overwhelming white light. The world''s shaking shaking stopped just before the light faded. You were still standing in the same spot and nothing seemed to change. With one last smile in my direction you collapsed. Before the assailants could emerge from wherever they were hiding I rushed to your side so that we could escape together. We were able to flee by air, but I don''t know how many others were able to escape, or where they went. It was only by chance that I stumbled across Enika, but by that time I was already starting to become aware of what you were trying to tell me before you fell asleep. You wanted me to protect your body until you were able to reawaken, but doing that had become difficult with the increased patrols and search parties being put out by Derival. Somehow though, after two long years, you''ve finally returned to us, and now it''s time for us to regather our forces and rebuild our home. 3 - Im Homeless Even Though Im the Demon Lord? ¡°So, Enika, where is it you¡¯re taking us?¡± ¡°I suppose I no longer need to keep it a secret, now that we¡¯ve come this far. I heard rumors about a goblin tribe living nearby that may be willing to let us stay with them if we reveal that we¡¯re with the demon lord. They love having someone more powerful to serve. We¡¯ll be able to get them to do anything we want, fufu.¡± ¡°Lei-Lei, the elf is scaring me. I don¡¯t like the look on her face when she¡¯s talking about servitude. And, is that ¡­ drool? Arileia? Wait, why¡¯d you stop moving?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t mention our destination until now. The lizard has a certain ¡­ trauma.¡± ¡°Do we really need to rely on those ¡­ things?¡± Wow, I¡¯ve never seen Arileia¡¯s face take on an expression like that. Are the goblins in this world really that bad to deal with? ¡°You¡¯re going to have to face your demons eventually, Arileia. Better to just get it over with, right?¡± Arileia shudders. ¡°Question.¡± ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Master?¡± ¡°How do we know that these goblins will even be willing to listen to us?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already said that they seek more powerful beings to serve, did I not? Besides they¡¯ve already bent their knee to you once before, so I wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if they threw you a party and begged to be allowed to follow you.¡± ¡°Cool.¡± It¡¯s like I¡¯m on my way to get my only little mischievous army! I¡¯m really starting to feel like I might be able to pull off this whole demon lord thing. I¡¯m still not used to being so top heavy, but even that comes with its own benefits, of course. It¡¯s like having a bag of holding attached to my chest; my very own legendary boob pocket! ¡°By the way, Master, where were you hiding that biscuit?¡± ¡°That, my dear elf, is a trade secret.¡± Note to self: Boob pocket; not food friendly. This must be what they mean by learning curves. Still, it¡¯s been a long time since we entered this forest. Are there really goblins here somewhere? I wonder what a goblin part would actually be like. Goblin¡¯s don¡¯t really bring the idea of festivities to mind when thinking about them. ¡°You goes no further, elf.¡± Speaking of goblins ¡­ ¡°We don¡¯t mean to trespass, but I have someone with me now that I believe your chief would be interested in speaking to.¡± ¡°Speaks.¡± ¡°I have the demon lord here with me and--¡± ¡°No interested.¡± Wait, what happened to throwing us a party? When the little green beasty revealed itself and spoke with the voice of a demon-possessed child, I was terrified ¡­ I mean excited. Weren¡¯t they supposed to lead us to their village so we could all celebrate my greatness?A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Goes away. Not wants no demon lord.¡± ¡°Excuse me, you slimy little rodent! We did not come all this way for you to turn us away at your doorstep. Don¡¯t you know that we can crush your pathetic little army on a whim? We¡¯re going to enter your village whether you like it or not. You should be thankful we don¡¯t push past you by force!¡± ¡°Okay, okay. We brings chief to see you. Waits here.¡± ¡°See? I told you they like being pushed around a little.¡± ¡°A little? Don¡¯t you think that was kind of overkill?¡± ¡°No, for Enika, that was actually fairly mild.¡± ¡°Thank you, Arileia. I¡¯m glad at least one of you understands.¡± That was mild? What would her serious anger look like? That¡¯s not something I want to think about. ¡°What do you think he meant by not wanting to see me?¡± ¡°Who knows. He was probably just having a bad day and taking it out on his guests. He should choose who he speaks to more wisely next time though.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°You too, Lei-Lei?¡± ¡°Of course. Out of all the beings I¡¯ve spent time with, goblins are by far the hardest to deal with, and I¡¯ve had to attend a feast with the king of trolls before.¡± My god. What are we getting ourselves into? ¡°So it¡¯s true that you¡¯ve brought the demon lord with you. I was told that she had perished,¡± an old goblin holding a fancy stick approaches with an unnecessarily large entourage. ¡°What right do you feel you have to bring yourself before me?¡± ¡°Aba? I¡¯m sure I requested to speak to the chief, not some witchdoctor.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, our chief is in poor health and must remain in bed. I am now acting chief.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s true, then all the more reason for you to let us see him. I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t forgotten the power our master holds. There are no illnesses that she cannot cure.¡± Really? I have that kind of power too? ¡°I remember clear enough, dark ears. I remember how we let our tribe-daughter live in your castle with half our tribesmen because it was a safe place for her to learn and become ready to be our next leader. And here you are before us again with no Rana.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ there was no way for us to know that the humans had created such a powerful force that--¡± ¡°But you are still here, and she is not. You abandoned her and our tribesmen to escape. We have no need for someone who cannot protect what she has. We have a new master now who will not abandon us.¡± ¡°A new master? Who could possibly be so powerful that you would cast aside the demon lord for a single mistake in judgement?¡± ¡°The forest queen cannot be compared to some disgraced demon lord.¡± ¡°Forest queen? You can¡¯t possibly mean ¡­ That witch is going to lead your whole village toward destruction. How could you possibly let yourself fall for her twisted smile and empty words?¡± ¡°Goodbye, dark ears, scaly one.¡± Huh? What about me? ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°So what happened? I couldn¡¯t really understand what was going on. Are we still having a welcome party?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe she would be willing to take even goblins under her wing. I didn¡¯t foresee this outcome at all.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t we just trying to do the same thing though?¡± ¡°Enika, who is this forest queen? I¡¯ve never heard of such a person before.¡± ¡°Someone I know all too well. I thought I had rid myself of her, but she always seems to crop back up like a weed. She¡¯s an elf that goes by the name of Eloria. She¡¯s mostly delusional, but that doesn¡¯t mean that she¡¯s not powerful. She¡¯s not someone I want to see again, but it would be best if I were to speak to her alone.¡± ¡°So ¡­ no party then?¡± ¡°Haah ¡­ no, no party.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shame. I was kind of looking forward to it. So where to next?¡± ¡°Nowhere. This was it. How was I supposed to know they wouldn¡¯t let us in.¡± ¡°So ¡­ what? We don¡¯t have anywhere to stay for the night?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m sure Arileia will take care of you just fine. Just as she¡¯s done for the last two years. Right, Arileia?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Milady, the nights are warm this time of year.¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe we¡¯ll find another hunter¡¯s shack to bed down in.¡± Enika¡¯s wry smile isn¡¯t very soothing at all. This has got to be some kind of joke. Aren¡¯t I supposed to be some kind of all powerful demon lord? Who ever heard of a homeless demon lord? 4 - If Youre the Demon Lord, Then Who Am I? Sleeping outside has never been on my list of things I like to do. I¡¯ve never even been camping, so suddenly sleeping under the stars seemed more than I thought myself capable of. Of course, it seems I¡¯m more capable than I imagined, as I fell asleep before I even realized. How do you know I¡¯m asleep, you ask? Why, because of the beautiful woman I can see standing right in front of me. But, why does that automatically mean that I¡¯m dreaming? Surely I¡¯ve seen beautiful women before, right? Of course! I¡¯m traveling with two of them right now, am I not? But that¡¯s not the point. It¡¯s that this one is particularly special. So special that this being a dream is the only plausible scenario. I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯d recognize that bust anywhere. It¡¯s mine! ¡°Wow, seeing my new body from an outside perspective sure is something. Have I really been walking around rocking hips like that this whole time?¡± ¡°Connection acquired.¡± ¡°Wh-what? The me that isn¡¯t me starts to speak the moment I poke at it with curiosity. ¡°Message discovered, please hold.¡± ¡°Thank you for holding. Playing back message ¡­¡± ¡°Greetings, this is the demon lord.¡± ¡°I know. Like I said, I¡¯d recognize that chest anywhere. What¡¯s going on here? Are you me, or am I me?¡± ¡°By now you must be confused. I apologize for pulling you from your own world, but it was a necessary action. What you are seeing now is no more than an echo my memories which I¡¯ve left behind to guide you. You can inquire upon these memories whenever you find yourself lost, but know that not all of my memories will be available to you. In order to reach deeper into my memory banks, certain conditions must be met. For your own safety.¡± Suddenly the echo¡¯s eyebrows furrow with worry. ¡°Warning: As you reunite with my followers, be wary. One of them has definitely betrayed me.¡± ¡°Wait! Who?! Don¡¯t just leave it at that! I hate suspense!¡± ¡°End of message.¡± ¡°Nooo!¡± ¡°Level One: Unlocked. Playing message ¡­¡± ¡°Welcome back. You can now access memories categorized as level 1. These include information about the world you are now a part of as well as requests that will move you forward in becoming a proper demon lord. Completing these requests may also unlock further levels.¡± What is this? Some sort of RPG? ¡°Would you like an overview of level 1?¡± ¡°Might as well. It¡¯s better than staying in the dark about everything ¡­¡± ¡°Acknowledged. Loading ¡­¡± ¡°Our world is known as Elda. There are three major continents; Meris, Taigrand, and Deilorn. You are now in Taigrand. Taigrand contains two main powers; the human kingdom of Derival, and the Elven nation of Moriel. Moriel is currently in the midst of a long civil war. Smaller states exist around Taigrand, but most are tied in some way to the two aforementioned realms. Further information available ¡­¡± *Squeeze* ¡°The races found in Taigrand include: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Goblins, Orcs, Ogres, Giants, Trolls--¡± *Squeeze* ¡°--Trolls, trolls, trolls, trolls--¡± ¡°Connection interference detected. Attempting to bypass ¡­¡± *Squeeze* What is that sensation? I¡¯ve never felt anything like that on my back before. It¡¯s almost as if ¡­ The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.*Squeeze* ¡°Failed. Unable to bypass interference. Severing connection.¡± ¡°Wait, no, no, no, stop! I wasn¡¯t ready to-- huh?¡± A~nd the dream ends. More importantly though ¡­ ¡°Please don¡¯t go ¡­¡± It appears I wasn¡¯t the only one dreaming. Arileia is pressed against me as if trying to prevent me from slipping away. The softness of her voice suggests that she¡¯s still sleeping, but her claws dig at me as she grips my shoulder. I want to pull myself away, but she¡¯s strong. Like, unnaturally strong. Really. I¡¯m not just enjoying learning the shape of her body from the imprint it¡¯s leaving on my back. Is this plumpnesspower due to her dragon blood?? I¡¯ll just have to endure for now ¡­ At least until she wakes up. ¡°M ¡­ Milady?¡± ¡°Oh, good, you¡¯re awake. Would you mind releasing me now?¡± ¡°!!¡± Arileia jumps away from me and clears her throat while trying to regain her composure. ¡°M-my apologies.¡± ¡°No, no, not at all. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re the reason I slept so soundly.¡± If only it wasn¡¯t for that strange dream ¡­ I wonder what that was about? ¡°By the way, where did Enika disappear to?¡± ¡°What are you saying, Master? I¡¯m right here.¡± ¡°Unfortunately.¡± ¡°What was that, lizard? And here I thought I was doing you a favor by not disturbing you while you cozied up to the demon lord.¡± ¡°Co-- I wasn¡¯t cozying up to anyone. I¡¯m just ¡­ cold bloody ¡­ and couldn¡¯t help myself.¡± Can your face really flush like that when you¡¯re cold blooded? ¡°Really? That¡¯s a shame. I think the demon lord was really enjoying it.¡± Well, she¡¯s not wrong. ¡°So, where to?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anything in mind at the moment. This Forest Queen really twisted my plans around. What about you, lizard, you¡¯ve been the one making calls up until now, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll follow the demon lord wherever she decides to go ¡­¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Well that¡¯s not going to help us any ¡­ Even if whatever my dream told me was real, that only leaves me with the name of this continent ¡­ and trolls. Should I just head in a random direction? ¡ºConnection acquired ...¡» ¡°Wah!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Enemies?!¡± ¡ºSearching ...¡» ¡°N-no, umm ¡­¡± ¡ºInformation found. Four hours north of current position; Hot spring (more information: available). Associated races; Harpy (more information: available). Associated memories; Arileia (more information: unavailable).¡» Wh-what is this? The echo of the demon lord that showed up in my dream? ¡ºCorrect.¡» Why are you suddenly filling my head with thoughts about hot springs? ¡ºThe hot spring located at the north-eastern edge of Avarid Wood and the base of Mount Urth is within the territory of the Hal¡¯la tribe (more information: available). Arileia (more information: unavailable) and I visited the Hal¡¯la harpy baths when negotiations with the harpies had reached their conclusion. It was enjoyable.¡» Okay, but what am I supposed to do with this kind of information? ¡ºReturn?¡» Oh ¡­ Good idea. ¡ºPraise accepted.¡» ¡°So, how about revisiting the Hal¡¯la baths? They¡¯re near here, right? We can, I don¡¯t know, regroup there, or something. Rest and recovery.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ actually not a bad idea. I would have preferred if we could have stayed amongst the goblins for a while, but I¡¯m sure the harpies will welcome us. However, what do you mean by revisit?¡± ¡°I believe she was talking to me, Enika. As you weren¡¯t invited last time, you wouldn¡¯t recall.¡± ¡°Indeed. But I shouldn¡¯t be the only one who can¡¯t recall.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Well, whatever. Like I said, it¡¯s a good idea, and it will give you a place to stay while I have a word with this so called Forest Queen. I fear I don¡¯t know the way however, since I was not invited before. Maybe you¡¯ll be able to show us the way, Master?¡± ¡°A ¡­ haha ¡­ ha ¡­¡± I don¡¯t like how she said that. ¡ºAgreed.¡» Shut up. 5 - Harpies Are Nice, But What About the Hot Springs? ¡ºThe Avarid Wood Is a small area between Mount Urth and the Norva River. Danger Level: minimal. The goblins in the southern edge build their village in the trees. The North is the hunting ground of harpies who nest at the foot of Mount Urth.¡» You don¡¯t say? So, what should I expect when meeting the harpies? Are they going to turn us away the same way the goblins did? ¡ºInformation: unavailable. The goblins¡¯ decision to turn away from the demon lord was not a referenceable memory.¡» Fair enough. Enika seemed pretty upset about it as well. Does she normally act so ¡­ aggressive when she doesn¡¯t get her way? ¡ºEnika: The daughter of Lord Vesta and Lady Lyria. She takes after her mother.¡» So ¡­ is that a yes then? ¡ºYes.¡» ¡°What are you staring off for, Master? You do know the way, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Y-yeah, I was just thinking. It shouldn¡¯t take much longer now.¡± What about Arileia? She seems nice. What¡¯s her story? ¡º...¡» ¡ºInformation: unavailable.¡» Oh, come on. Don¡¯t be like that. She¡¯s taken care of you this whole time, hasn¡¯t she? There has to be a thing or two you want to say about her. ¡º...¡» ¡ºInformation: unavailable. Current access level: 1. Required level: Special.¡» Special? Isn¡¯t that against the rules? ¡ºAccess parameters: unavailable. Sorry, the information is sealed. Even from me.¡» Aren¡¯t they your memories? I more or less understand keeping an outsider like me out of them, but not being able to access them yourself doesn¡¯t make sense. ¡º...¡» Alright then, what about you? What kind of person was the demon lord before ¡­ this? ¡ºAs a collection of memories with no ego, I am incapable of making such judgments.¡» Meaning? ¡ºInformation: unavailable.¡» ¡°Gah! Why are you so useless!?¡± ¡°I''m sorry?¡± ¡°Oh, not you, Lei-Lei.¡± Enika glares at me in an intimidating manner. ¡°O-or you, Enika. I was, uh, talking to myself?¡± ¡°How can you sound so unconvinced with your own excuses?¡± ¡°I-information: unavailable.¡± Nailed it. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± *Crack* ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the branches. These woods are old. But, I suppose you already know that, don¡¯t you, Master?¡± ¡°Haha, of course I do ¡­¡± *Crack* A couple more small branches fall. ¡ºThey¡¯re watching.¡» Don¡¯t say such terrifying things so casually! ¡ºMy apologies. We¡¯ve entered the harpies¡¯ territory.¡» ¡°O~h, so it¡¯s just the harpies watching us.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t sense anything. Are you sure you¡¯re not just imagining things?¡± ¡°No, I think she¡¯s right. They¡¯re letting us know they¡¯re here without giving away their position or numbers. Right, Milady?¡± ¡°Right, sure! It¡¯s just like last time, isn¡¯t it, Arileia?¡± ¡°No ¡­?¡± The elf snickers. ¡°Last time we were guests. They¡¯re definitely treating us more cautiously this time. These are the same tactics they use when hunting.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Master? You should know these things, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course! I just ¡­ misremembered is all.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± What¡¯s wrong with her? I thought she wanted me to keep playing the role of demon lord in front of Arileia.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Milady, it looks like we¡¯re reaching a clearing.¡± ¡°Oh, good, we¡¯re almost there, my feet are killing me. Come on Enika, don¡¯t slow down now.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± A blur of feathers flurries past us as we step out from the trees as two harpies land on either side of a third one who appears to have been waiting for us. ¡ºTuwa: Daughter of the Hal¡¯la tribe¡¯s leader, Toa¡¯ka (More information: available). Captain of the special harpy soldiers, Valkyrie.¡» ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a welcoming party, Tuwa.¡± ¡°And we didn¡¯t expect such a special guest. Especially one the rumors say is dead. My mother wishes to speak to you, demon lord.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The harpy smiles before casting a glance at the two beside her and flying off. Her two Valkyrie companions quickly follow. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll have to climb to keep up today, Enika.¡± Arileia¡¯s wings spread as her feet lift from the ground. ¡°As much fun as that sounds, the demon lord was kind enough to offer to carry me, which I think I¡¯ll accept.¡± ¡°I did what?¡± ¡°Oh come on, you¡¯re not going to force me to walk just because I can¡¯t fly are you?¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t feel like you would let me even if I wanted to.¡± ¡°What are you saying? A mere elf like me has no such power over the great and mighty demon lord.¡± When you hold your arms out to make it easier for me to grab you, it doesn¡¯t make your words very convincing. ¡°Will this work?¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t let go.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re pretty small.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me hit you.¡± With my arms wrapped around Enika I fly up to join Arileia so we can follow the harpy escort together. ¡°By the way, how is it that you can fly?¡± Enika speaks low to make sure Arileia can¡¯t hear her. ¡°Well, I¡¯m the demon lord, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Physically, perhaps, but that¡¯s not what I mean. From what I understand, your world lacks magic does it not? You shouldn¡¯t know how to use it and be just as grounded as I am.¡± ¡°¡­ How do you know that ¡­?¡± ¡°What about you? How did you know about the Hal¡¯la? You¡¯re not supposed to have any information that I haven¡¯t given you.¡± ¡°I- it was just a feeling? Maybe it has something to do with being in the demon lord¡¯s body?¡± Somehow, I feel like telling Enika about Echo right now would be a bad idea. At least until I know more about the two of them. ¡°I doubt it. You¡¯re mind should be completely separate from the demon lord¡¯s. If there¡¯s something you¡¯re not telling me, just know that I¡¯ll figure it out eventually. I hope you¡¯ll be prepared when that happens.¡± ¡°¡­¡° ¡°I have my own question. Forgetting about what I do and don¡¯t know about this world, didn¡¯t you want to keep the truth behind my identity a secret from Arileia? Isn¡¯t openingly doubting me like earlier kind of risky?¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be helped. I still don¡¯t trust you. Besides, if Arileia figures you out, it¡¯s your fault not mine.¡± ¡°How is that fair?¡± Enika stops responded as we come closer to a small settlement sticking out from the mountain face. At the top of the settlement is a large, ancient-looking, tree with a house built into it reminiscent of a tree fort. None of the buildings I can see have the kind of doors on them that you would expect on a house, but instead of tall windows near the top of one or more walls. It¡¯s through one of these windows that Tuwa flies through, leaving her two companions waiting outside. Next to enter is Arileia, followed by me and Enika. On the other side of the window is a large room with a high ceiling. There are several other harpies roaming around the inside of the room, but what is most eye catching is the ornate throne-like structure on the far side. Stretched across the wide throne is a silver bar with a large harpy adorned with flashy gold jewelry perched at its center. "Thank you for agreeing to see me, Demon Lord. I''d heard about what happened in your castle and feared the worst. You are like one of my own hatchlings after all." The regal blue and green feathers of the harpy perched in front of us fan out as she speaks. "Are you comparing the demon lord to a baby chicken?" "Calm down, Enika, from a harpy that''s high praise." ¡°Indeed. I mean no disrespect, young elf. The demon lord is someone of whom I hold much gratitude for. After hearing rumors of her death, I could not hide my sadness, even from my own flock.¡± Wow, you must have had quite the influence on her, huh, Echo? ¡ºReminder: I am not the demon lord, but merely a collection of memories.¡» Yeah, yeah, so what made the harpies trust you, I mean the demon lord, so much? ¡ºThe harpies were gradually losing their hunting grounds to the rising human population in the area. The harpy tribes began to turn on each other as their resources dwindled. It was our group that brought in extra resources to calm them while simultaneously reclaiming their stolen land. The remaining harpies in the area gathered together to form a single clan which placed Toa¡¯ka as their leader.¡» Oh, wow, that¡¯s pretty impressive. I always imagined a demon lord more as a taker than a giver. Giving away your own resources in order to help another is rather benevolent for a demon lord, isn¡¯t it? ¡ºIndeed. That¡¯s why we followed Arileia¡¯s suggestion.¡» ? ¡ºThe resources we delivered to the harpies were taken from the humans we helped relocate.¡» Yeah ¡­ that sounds more demon lord. Eloquently put, by the way. ¡°When I heard that you had entered the Avarid Wood, I could not contain myself. I wished so much for this day to come.¡± Toa¡¯ka¡¯s jewelry clings against itself as she leaps down from her perch and stands before me. ¡°We welcome you back to our lands, demon lord. Please feel free to use them however you wish.¡± The rest of the harpies in the room follow their leader as she kneels. ¡°Does that include the baths in the spring?¡± ¡°Of course. Do you plan on gracing us with your presence for long?¡± ¡°For a few days at least.¡± ¡°Then we must prepare a place for you to rest at once. We should have a small feast to celebrate your good health as well. Tuwa.¡± ¡°Yes, Mother?¡± ¡°Have Ka¡¯la and La¡¯ka escort our guests.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± After a sharp whistle, the two harpies that had been accompanying Tuwa earlier arrive through the window to join us. ¡°You called?¡± ¡°Ka¡¯la, La¡¯ka, give our guests a tour while they wait for a room to be prepared for them. And, don¡¯t leave them alone unless they request privacy. ¡°As you command. Well then, if you¡¯ll follow us, Demon Lord.¡± 6 - Is This the Legendary Bath Scene? The harpy village definitely has an interesting design. It¡¯s easy to tell that it wasn¡¯t built while keeping humans in mind. Most of the buildings are built along a cliff face like a spread out cluster of bird nests, but the foundation of their home is a small cave system accessible from various points. It¡¯s from that cave system that we finally reach the destination I¡¯ve been looking forward to all along. ¡°Finally! The hot spring! It¡¯s time for the hot spring episode!¡± ¡°Episode?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Come on, come on, let¡¯s get in! Let¡¯s relax!¡± Wow, there are so many natural baths here! And the slight scent of sulfur in the air is really triggering my hot spring appetite. ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Arileia?¡± ¡°She¡¯s ¡­ Just don¡¯t expect too much from her. I doubt she¡¯ll be joining us.¡± ¡°And miss out of our bathwater bonding time? I think not! Arileia, get out here!¡± ¡°But, Milady ¡­¡± ¡°No, buts, just butts! We¡¯re all ladies here!¡± Kind of¡­ ¡°Th-that¡¯s not the problem ¡­¡± Oh~ she came out! But ¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering for a while now, but what¡¯s with that mysterious steam floating around you two?¡± ¡°Oh, this? It¡¯s just a natural phenomenon that occurs at a hot spring. With all your excitement, I¡¯d assumed you¡¯d been to a hot spring before. Shouldn¡¯t you be aware of it already?¡± ¡°No, well ¡­ I know of it ¡­ but ¡­¡± Damn it! The mysterious censor steam strikes! I thought it was just a myth developed by TV broadcasts! ¡°D-don¡¯t stare so closely! If we¡¯re gonna do this, let¡¯s just do it already!¡± Embarrassed Arileia is good too. But, I wonder what she was so worried about? She has a great figure worth being proud to show off. Ahh ¡­ ¡°Did you finally notice them?¡± Enika whispers to me while Arileia climbs into the bath before us. ¡°Yeah, but, is it really something to be so sensitive about?¡± ¡°For her, the scars from battle are a badge of honor, I¡¯m sure, but they¡¯re not something she can show off without revealing the much deeper wounds. Those scars on her back, they¡¯re from a past that she would rather forget. Or, at least, one that she doesn¡¯t want to advertise.¡± The long, crossing scars on Arileia¡¯s back dip beneath the water¡¯s surface and out of sight. ¡°Are you two getting in or not?¡± ¡°The lady calls! Come on, Enika!¡± ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t pull!¡± *Splash* ¡°Ahh~¡± The hot water soaks in deep and warms me to my core. Yep, I definitely needed this. And, as an added bonus, the buoyancy from the water relieves some of the stress on my shoulders. Win-win! ¡°So, Arileia, have you ever considered wearing something a little more like Enika¡¯s outfit? You definitely have the body for it.¡± ¡°Are you saying that I don¡¯t? It¡¯s not my fault that elves aren¡¯t blessed with the chest of a dragon or demon lord.¡± ¡°No, no, it suits you just fine. Although, I have wondered on occasion if you weren¡¯t a bit cold.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I don¡¯t need your concern.¡± ¡°Oh! I get it now!¡± ¡°What do you think you understand, exactly?¡± ¡°Your outfit is the reason for your cold attitude! Waah--!¡± C-cant ¡­ breathe ¡­ ¡°Milady, Enika, stop fooling around in the water!¡± ¡°Ahem. I don¡¯t mean to interrupt your fun, but our meal is almost ready, and we would like for you to join us.¡± Enika removing her hands from me before I drown allows me to see the harpy who had approached us just in time to see a naked dragon trying to pry a naked elf from the naked demon lord. Baths are fun. ¡°But the water is so nice. Do you think you can give us a few more minutes?¡± "Please be quick. We''ll take you to the great nest as soon as you''re ready." "Okay, okay." Even though they said ''great nest'', I wouldn''t really describe it as great, nor a nest, to be honest. The so called great nest they brought us to is similar to the building containing Toa''ka''s throne, except for the lack of said bird throne. Instead there''s a long table spanning the middle of the room. The wooden chairs, if you can call them that, which are lined up on either side of the table have four legs like any normal chair, but rather than a seat, the legs are connected by a wooden bar. "So, how do those of us without talons sit on these?" If it wasn''t for the few harpies already perched at the table waiting, I don''t think I would have even realized they were meant to be harpy chairs. "I think the lizard''s feet are clawed, she could probably pull it off." "I most certainly cannot." "Don''t worry, the hatchlings are bringing you chairs more fitting for your posture." Just as Tuwa explains the situation, three little harpy girls come dragging three stools behind them. They''re absolutely adorable with their fluffy little feathers and the way they''re struggling to move the small stools. Arileia ruffles the feather-like hair of the children and thanks them for working so hard. At first, the little harpies just stare at her with wide eyes, but after looking back and forth amongst each other, they pile on top of Arileia at the same time. "It''s a dragon! There''s a dragon here! Rawr!" The little ones shout with excitement while making cute little dragon noises. I never expected Arileia to be so popular among children. ¡°Wah ¡­ Milady! Please help me!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be in any trouble to me. How about just enjoying the attention?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s not the issue!¡± "To think that the great dragon would be overwhelmed by a group of children. These last two years sure have made you soft." "You two are enjoying this, aren''t you?" Perhaps. It''s definitely fun watching Arileia being unsure how to react to her situation. ¡°Go for her horns! They¡¯re even weirder than her claws!¡± Rather than not helping though, I think Enika might actually be making it worse. Uh-oh, they¡¯ve finally noticed us too! ¡°An elf, an elf!¡± ¡°Can I touch your ears?¡± ¡°Absolutely not. Hey, hey! I said no! What are you--?¡± You definitely deserved that one, Enika. I better slip away before I become the next target of these little harpies. There¡¯s only one part of me that is likely to capture their attention, and I just don¡¯t feel like accepting that kind of sexual harassment right now. ¡°Do you mind if I set my chair here beside you, Tuwa?¡± ¡°Of course not. I would love the opportunity to sit next to the demon lord. But was only one chair brought out to you? I¡¯m sure we asked for three.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, they were brought out. Enika and Arileia were so happy to be given a place to sit, that they decided to play with the children.¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m sorry if the hatchlings bothered you at all. Those three are a rather rambunctious clutch.¡± ¡°Not at all! Arileia and Enika absolutely love children. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re happy to get the opportunity to play with them.¡± ¡°Really? That doesn¡¯t seem to be the case to me.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Milady, how could you just walk away and leave me like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to remember this, Master.¡± ¡°Welcome back, you two. You escaped quicker than I expected.¡± ¡°No thanks to you! There was a whole other swarm that showed up. If it wasn¡¯t for Kali forcing them to leave us alone, there¡¯s no telling how far they would have gone!¡± Kali? ¡ºKali: One of Tuwa¡¯s Valkyries.¡» Got it. Thanks, Echo. ¡ºAny time.¡» ¡°Thank you all for waiting,¡± Toa¡¯ka stands up and calls out from her perch at the far end of the table. Her voice carries like a songbird¡¯s and draws everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°You¡¯re all probably aware of our guest of honor. The demon lord has returned to us after a long absence and will be staying with us as our guest. Being guests, make sure not to disrespect them while during their stay with us. Now then, let¡¯s eat.¡± 7 - How Can a Dragon be the Damsel in Distress? The dinner served by the harpies was better than I expected, if not just a little awkward. The taste was fine, but their eyes were on my like I walked into a chicken coop with fresh feed. I don¡¯t think they had any bad intentions, but being the center of attention made it difficult to eat. I didn¡¯t have as difficult a time as Arileia though. She never truly got away from the children until it was time for everyone to sleep. The room the harpies offered to let us sleep in was nothing fancy, but it was still somewhat better than sleeping outside again. I was hoping to get some girl talk in once it was just the three of us, but Enika disappeared somewhere at some point and Arileia fell asleep as soon as we arrived. I¡¯m actually pretty sure she was sleep walking all the way here and just collapsed once she made it to the room. Not that I blame her. I¡¯m definitely not jealous of her magnetic nature toward the littler ones. The way they flock to her, I¡¯m not so sure they know the difference between wyrm and worm. ¡°Master, are you going to wake up any time soon? And what¡¯s with that ridiculous sleeping posture?¡± ¡°Hmm? Mmmn ¡­ Ah ¡­ Enika? When did you get back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I ever left, I just wanted to speak with Toa¡¯ka a little more. More importantly, I doubt they¡¯ll escape no matter how tightly you hold them.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± My hands apparently became crossed over my chest while I was sleeping and at some point started cupping my breasts. I wonder if that¡¯s why I slept so soundly during the night? ¡°I was just worried that maybe that¡¯s what happened to you, and I didn¡¯t want mine to run away as wel--ugh!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, you seemed to be sleep talking, so I thought maybe you weren¡¯t quite awake yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no excuse to kick me!¡± Enika lifts her foot from the ground again, and I sit up as quickly as possible to avoid any further damage to my HP. ¡°Huh? Where¡¯d Arileia go?¡± ¡°She left ages ago with her new friends. She didn¡¯t want to leave you alone, but I offered to stay until you woke up. Aren¡¯t I kind?¡± ¡°No. I mean, yes! Yes you are!¡± Enika puts her foot back down. ¡°So who are her new friends?¡± ¡°The same she was playing with last night.¡± ¡°Ah ¡­¡± I could be wrong, but I think Arileia may have been using me as an excuse ¡­ Actually, didn¡¯t Enika basically do the same thing while simultaneously abandoning Arileia? Is this how far the demon lord has fallen? That she becomes an excuse to avoid playing with children!? ¡°I don¡¯t like the way you¡¯re looking at me right now. I really did stay with you for Arileia¡¯s sake. Besides, having Arileia deal with the little harpies is good for her.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s something she didn¡¯t get to experience a lot when she was younger, and ¡­ well, nevermind. Anyway, it was for her sake. Why are you still looking at me like that? You don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°I just find it hard to believe that you are capable of doing something for someone else¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°Just what kind of person do you think I am?¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Should I show you the bruise you just gave me?¡± ¡°¡­ Fair enough. But you¡¯re a different story. I¡¯m willing to help Arileia out of respect for Isabella.¡± ¡°Isabella?¡± ¡°¡­ forget I said that.¡± ¡ºIsabella Arimae es Orrien: Daughter of Lord Mikael Arimae et Orrien and childhood friend of Enika. The birth name of the demon lord.¡» ¡­ what? ¡°Hold on, you can¡¯t just gloss over something like that. What kind of relationship did you two have with the demon lord?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything about the demon lord. And didn¡¯t I tell you to drop it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s who you meant when you said Isabella, right? And, if I¡¯m meant to be the demon lord, then shouldn¡¯t I know these kind of things?¡± ¡°How did ¡­ You obviously already know plenty, but ¡­ I suppose you¡¯re not wrong. I¡¯ll tell you, but I doubt knowing is going to do you any good.¡± ¡°I knew Isabella since long before anyone knew much about her, let alone began to refer to her as a demon lord. At first, I didn¡¯t think of her as much more than a spoiled human noble, but she didn¡¯t have the kind of prejudices that humans carry. Even as a mixed elf, she treated me the same as anyone else, but that kind of personality can be dangerous. I even warned her against it several times.¡± ¡°One of those times was when we secretly visited the markets. We were both high-born, so we¡¯d never been to a common market before. However, Isabella had a special kind of naivete. There were many things about how the world worked that she was unaware of. One of those things came to light when she met a certain slave girl.¡± ¡°Like most of her kind, the girl had been born into slavery. It was the first time Isabella had ever seen a dragon-kin before, but the girl¡¯s wings were bound and her ankles shackled. In that state, it was hard to see the exotic wonder that made her kind such prized slaves. She was still enough to enamor Isabella though.¡± ¡°After that, our secret journeys to the market became more frequent, and we would watch the little dragon girl work. Occasionally though, the girl would make a mistake and we would have to witness the harsh discipline that slaves are often subject to. It was difficult to keep Isabella from interfering then.¡± ¡°Isabella started getting more and more involved with the girl, even going so far as to speak with her. That¡¯s when we learned that the girl was never even given a name. Isabella named her Arileia then and there. Unfortunately, the one time we all tried to play together, we were caught. Arileia was sure to receive harsh discipline. It was unfortunate, but there was nothing we could do. She was someone else¡¯s property after all.¡± ¡°¡­ but, Isabella refused to accept that. Even after my warnings, she went up against Arileia¡¯s master. She dispelled the binding on the slave she hardly knew and ran away from the city. Isabella¡¯s father had no choice but to disown his daughter after such a display or become an enemy of the ruling class. Isabella never returned home after that. I¡¯m sure Arileia still feels responsible for everything that happened, but Isabella never once blamed her. Now that I think about it, that was probably the beginning of Isabella¡¯s ascent to the role of demon lord.¡± Wow. That¡¯s not the kind of origin story I was expecting, but doesn¡¯t that kind of make the demon lord the good guy? ¡ºPerhaps. But to the laws she could only be considered a villain.¡» ¡°Demon Lord!¡± One of the harpies that I¡¯ve seen assisting Toa¡¯ka rushes into the room without warning. ¡°I have troublesome news.¡± ¡°What is this about?¡± ¡°The hatchlings! They returned in a panic, claiming that they were attacked by hunters from the city. They all made it back safely, but Lady Arileia ¡­ they said she stood up against the attackers herself so that the young ones could get away. We¡¯ve already sent two valkyries to assist her, but we were told to inform you immediately.¡± ¡°That damn dragon. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s more than they can handle, but we should head that way ourselves, even if just to clean up her mess.¡± Enika and I are led to the small glade the children had been playing in with Arileia. Just as Enika had predicted, the hunters seemed to have bitten of more than they could chew. Several of their bodies are strewn about lifelessly, but there¡¯s also no sign of Arileia. ¡ºManaburn detected in the area. Processing ¡­¡» ¡ºSpell read. Paralyze. Teleport. Analyzing teleport ...¡» ¡ºAnalyzed. Target determined. Copying teleportation.¡» Wait! And then there was darkness. ¡ºTeleportation successful.¡» 8 - Is My Princess (Dragon) In This Castle? ¡°Did you just teleport us?¡± ¡°Enika?¡± ¡°Who else? Damn it, I can¡¯t see a thing.¡± So, where are we now? ¡ºDetails: unknown. Spatial coordinates suggest somewhere south.¡» Awesome. Good to know you know what you¡¯re doing. ¡ºGlad I can help.¡» ¡­ ¡°Do you hear that? It sounds like someone¡¯s having a party nearby.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think it¡¯s this wa--Wah!¡± ¡°Enemies?!¡± ¡°No ¡­ no ¡­ just stairs ¡­¡± Servants of the true enemy; Gravity. I¡¯m just glad that it¡¯s dark enough that no one saw me tripping up stairs ¡­ ¡ºThat is not the correct way to use this device.¡» Shut up. The commotion we can hear gets louder the further up the stairs we climb until reaching the top and passing through a worn out wooden door. The smell of ale permeates the room on the other side along with drunken chatter. ¡°Hey, sweetie, can I get another glass?¡± ¡°Excuse me? Why don¡¯t you get yourself some you worthless piece of--¡± ¡°Hey, hey, don¡¯t be like that. Come on, I¡¯ll treat you to something special if you jus--Gegh!¡± Gegh? ¡°What? He was getting handsy.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Poor guy. He should probably double check that he¡¯s actually talking to a barmaid next time. Assuming Enika didn¡¯t just kill him. ¡°Sorry about that. Are you still alive down there?¡± ¡°Ugh ¡­ my ¡­ everything ¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s gonna make it, Enika. Did you really have to put in so much energy just for a wandering hand or two?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, what she said! I was just trying to be a little friendly!¡± ¡°Looks like there was no need for you to worry, he¡¯s still plenty lively.¡± ¡°Gegh!¡± ¡°Or not ¡­¡± ¡°Oops ¡­ Sorry, that was just a reflex.¡± There used to be a dog that would cling to my leg the same way as he just did. Kicking it away was the only way to get it to calm down, so I just ¡­ Well, habits are hard to break, I guess. ¡°You¡¯re still alive right? Can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Ask away! I¡¯d love nothing more than to help a couple of beauties.¡± ¡°Well, he has an impressive life force, if nothing else. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s really something praiseworthy or not, though.¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking for a friend of ours that should have passed through here recently. Have you seen anyone ¡­ unusual?¡± ¡°Have you looked around? This whole establishment is full of unusual.¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯re including yourself in that assessment.¡± ¡°Enika, please.¡± ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m going to go talk to someone less useless to see what I can figure out.¡± ¡°Wow. You two are friends, right? Is she always that brutal?¡± ¡°You get used to it. More importantly, you haven¡¯t seen anyone that stands out even in this kind of crowd?¡± ¡°Other than an angry dark elf?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid to hit you again.¡± ¡°Would you carry me if that made me no longer able to stand?¡± ¡°¡­ No.¡± ¡°Damn. Well, I don¡¯t suppose that¡¯s who you were looking for, is it?¡± Enika is in the direction the man is pointing and surrounded by a group of rugged looking men. They definitely stand out, but not in the same way that Arileia would. ¡°You lookin¡¯ for someone, eh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I said. Is your brain as messed up as your face.¡± ¡°Ahahahaha! That¡¯s pretty harsh lady. I know some people that know some people. I bet we could find them people you lookin¡¯ for if¡¯n you follow me.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Oh! Oh! You found someone to show us around? Way to go, Enika, I never doubted you for a moment!¡± ¡°Oh-ho, a friend? Well, how ¡®bouts we take you both?¡± ¡°Wait! Busty lady with the elf!¡± B-busty? I mean, he¡¯s not wrong I suppose ¡­ ¡°Those are Kaigen¡¯s lackeys. Didn¡¯t your mother ever teach you not to follow strangers?¡± ¡°You plannin¡¯ on gettin¡¯ in the way of business, Giles?¡± ¡°Hiii!¡± Don¡¯t hide behind me, you coward! You¡¯re the one that pissed him off! Actually, he probably just doesn¡¯t want to get beat on three times in one day. That¡¯s not enough to excuse his ridiculous shriek though. ¡°I don¡¯t know who this Kaigen is, but it looks like I can still sniff out the right person from a crowd.¡± The large man in front of Enika sniffs himself. ¡°Unfortunately, thanks to that perverts sad attempt at being heroic, we¡¯re going to have to do this the hard way. Unfortunate for you. I was actually secretly looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Get the elf and her friend!¡± ¡°Kyaa! Somebody save me!¡± I always wanted to say that. Really though, kidnapping in public? Why isn¡¯t anyone doing anything about this. Also, where¡¯d the hero run off to? He can¡¯t save me if he¡¯s already disappeared. Enika slips through the attempted grasps of the random lackeys before striking the big guy in the throat with a single chop, and when he leans forward Enika is nice enough to give him a facelift with her foot. Like, she actually lifts him from the ground by his face. It was a beautiful kick. Oh yeah, I don¡¯t have time to be impressed! I¡¯m being assaulted by a bunch of no goods myself! ¡°What ¡­ is with ¡­ this chick ¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Why are you all out of breath already? Weren¡¯t you trying to capture me? I was all ready to play my part even.¡± ¡ºYou were too focused on Enika to notice these poor villains trying their best to capture you.¡» What!? You mean I missed missed the most important part? ¡°Come on guys! Don¡¯t give up already! You got this! I wasn¡¯t paying attention last time, but if you try again I¡¯m sure you can capture me just fine. Come on! Come on!¡± ¡°Wh-what the hell is wrong with her? Did she just ¡­ is she cheering us on? Even though we were just trying to capture her and her friend?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but, somehow, I suddenly feel more motivated!¡± ¡°Yeah! We got this!¡± ¡°She believes in us! We can¡¯t let her down!¡± ¡°What the hell are you guys doing?¡± Just as the big guy¡¯s lackies were surrounding me and getting handsy, Enika notices the awkward position we¡¯re in. ¡°Sorry. They just seemed so disheartened that I couldn¡¯t help myself but to cheer them on.¡± I casually pull myself from their grips and pat one of the men on the head. ¡°I¡¯m glad you all decided not to give up. Confidence is important when trying to win over a lady.¡± ¡°What?¡± is what their faces say for the first few seconds after our encounter. After that, they seem to notice the big guy laying on the ground. ¡°Boss!¡± ¡°Yeah, looks like I went a little overboard. He said something about knowing people, so I figured I could get him to take us to Arileia if I just pushed him a little. Didn¡¯t think he¡¯d break so easy.¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t dead is he?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t check.¡± Fair enough. ¡°Boss!¡± As if they don¡¯t know any other words, they shout again, but this time they¡¯re all looking at me instead of the man on the ground. ¡°Boss! Let us help you find who you¡¯re looking for!¡± ¡°B-boss?¡± ¡°What did you do? Use some kind of mind control on them or something?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have that kind of power!¡± Do I? ¡ºNo.¡» Exactly! ¡°We were just overwhelmed by the passion you showed for a bunch of mob characters like us.¡± ¡°Right, right! We want to help you in any way we can, Boss!¡± ¡°You just don¡¯t want to get your asses kicked like the guy over there on the floor.¡± ¡°Th-th-th-th-that¡¯s not true!¡± ¡°Come on, Enika, give them a little benefit of the doubt. What¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡± ¡°Your optimism astounds me, Master. Very well, show us what you got.¡± ¡°R-right ¡­ what kind of person are you looking for?¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s about this tall, and she always looks like she¡¯s upset about something. As for defining characteristics ¡­ Maybe her tail?¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking for a dragonkin.¡± ¡°Yeah! That!¡± They all cast glances at each other before one of them speaks up. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I think I know exactly where to look, but ¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stop there. What do you know?¡± ¡°Well ¡­ it¡¯s just that ¡­ I heard they were bringing Kaigen a new dragonkin to play with. You don¡¯t think ¡­?¡± ¡°Do you think you can take us to see this Kaigen?¡± ¡°I can take you to the gate, but are you really sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± ¡°Come on, boys. Have some faith in your boss!¡± ¡°When did you suddenly decide to become their boss?¡± ¡°What? I can¡¯t just leave them now, can I?¡± ¡°Boss!¡± The group of misfits suddenly starts cheering and all the attention we¡¯ve been getting from the other patrons goes away once they realize that the conflict is over. Are fights so common here that they don¡¯t care, or is it just that no one wanted to get involved? ¡ºMaybe they were just scared of Enika.¡» Oh! That¡¯s probably it! My new collection of henchmen lead us out of the tavern and to a large gate at the edge of town. On the other side of the gate is a giant mansion that supposedly belongs to that Kaigen fellow. If that¡¯s true, and Arileia really is there, then we¡¯re about to do the unthinkable. That¡¯s right, we¡¯re about to save a dragon from a castle. 9 - Has the Plot Finally Started to Develop? ¡°How do you plan on getting inside?¡± Henchman #1 asks with innocent curiosity. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible. But we brought you here just like we said,¡± Henchman #2 adds. They¡¯re so funny. ¡°Wait, what are you doing, Boss?¡± Crash! ¡°Wh-what are you doing!?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just break through the front gate like that!¡± ¡°But ¡­ it was in the way.¡± ¡°Do we really need these fools, Master? I think we should just get rid of them now.¡± ¡°Really? I think they¡¯re interesting. And, keeping a few mob characters around makes me feel important.¡± ¡°But look at them. They¡¯re completely useless.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not completely useless. They can, I don¡¯t know, stand guard or something?¡± ¡°Hey! What do you think you¡¯re doing over there? This is private property!¡± ¡°Oh, it looks like they came out to greet us. I love being shown the right amount of hospitality.¡± ¡°Bro these chicks are kinda crazy, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Shh, they¡¯ll hear you.¡± My new followers stay put at the broken gate while Enika and I let ourselves in. There¡¯s actually a surprisingly small amount of guards for such an important house. With Enika here, I don¡¯t even have to do anything. They weren¡¯t even enough to slow us down. The only thing that kept us from entering the house immediately was the unnecessarily long walkway to the front door. Now that we¡¯ve made that journey though-- Knock knock-knock knock knock Knock knock ¡°Uh, Master, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t want to be rude.¡± ¡°I think that time passed when you broke their gate.¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s completely different, Enika. A true gentleman always knocks before entering a room. A door is a door, and a gate is a gate.¡± ¡°There is too much wrong with that statement for me to even question it. Just get out of the way.¡± ¡°Oh, good idea. We should both knock, so that they know there¡¯s two of us. We wouldn¡¯t want to surprise them.¡± CRASH ¡°Uh, Enika, I think you knocked a little too hard.¡± ¡°Sure ¡­ But, since the door¡¯s open now, shouldn¡¯t we head inside? We shouldn¡¯t keep them waiting, right?¡± ¡°Good point.¡± The inside of the mansion is cold and quiet. The way all the curtains are closed and the lack of any signs of life, I¡¯d assume that it was an abandoned building. Maybe even a haunted house. But even so, there¡¯s absolutely no dust or spiderwebs. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little too quiet in here?¡± ¡°Maybe no one¡¯s home. See, that¡¯s why it¡¯s important to knock before entering. What? Don¡¯t look at me like that. You know it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just look for Arileia.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Wait, do you smell that?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It smells like ¡­ something cooking.¡± ¡°Could you not think with your stomach right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. I think it¡¯s this way.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t just run off! Don¡¯t you realize that we¡¯re in an enemy¡¯s home right now?¡± What Enika says is true, but it doesn¡¯t feel like there¡¯s any need to worry here. No one calls out or tries to approach us no matter how many rooms we search. ¡°We should be getting close now.¡± ¡°Actually, I think I can smell it now too, but ¡­¡± Before Enika can finish her statement, I open the next door. On the other side is a charred mess. Broken furniture is scattered about and the drapes are singed. It looks like there was some kind of explosion right in the center of the room. ¡°Yep, Arileia was definitely here.¡± ¡°How can you tell it was her?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve seen her when she¡¯s angry. If you don¡¯t believe me, why not just ask?¡± ¡°What?¡± Oh ¡­ I didn¡¯t notice it at first, but near the center of the room is the figure of a young woman. Her black and white outfit is covered in ash and charcoal while she calmly seems to be trying to clean up the mess left by our companion. ¡°Hello?¡± Hearing my voice, the woman turns around carrying a bundle of wreckage and smiles. She seems nice. ¡°Oh, you must be the guests that Master Kaigen was expecting. You¡¯re early. He¡¯ll be very pleased.¡± plop Everything suddenly falls from her arms as she smiles sweetly. Everything. Including one of her arms. ¡°Hiiii!¡± Somehow, the maid isn¡¯t bothered by my sudden scream, or the fact that I¡¯ve hidden behind Enika. Actually, I don¡¯t even think she¡¯s even realized that she¡¯s lost an arm. She just continues to smile sweetly. ¡°Umm, is your arm okay?¡± ¡°Oh, it happened again? I¡¯ll be fine. I can just have Master Kaigen fix it for me.¡± ¡°R-right ¡­¡± ¡°Now then, if you¡¯ll follow me, I can take you to Master Kaigen right away.¡± She scoops up her arm from the floor and walks past us. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Follow her, obviously.¡± The maid leads us to a large door at the end of a hallway, and before entering the room, she knocks. This only serves to prove that I was right earlier, so I smugly smile toward Enika. She ignores me. ¡°Come in.¡± The large room we are led into has walls lined with bookshelves and chairs that look comfy enough to sleep in. Sitting behind a desk in one of those chairs is a middle-aged man with a somewhat scruffy beard, and standing in front of him is Arileia. ¡°You made it here much earlier than I expected. Please, take a seat.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve come for the dragon!¡± The man seems confused by my sudden proclamation, and even Arileia gives me a strange look. The face I look back at them with is probably more similar than I realize. Thanks to Enika, I quickly learn why. ¡°Seren. I didn¡¯t realize that Kaigen was one of your aliases. Or even that you were still alive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a horrible way to greet me, Enika, but I see that the demon lord is doing well, so I guess you deserve at least some praise. Today is full of nothing but good surprises. I never expected to reunite with Arileia this way, but once I realized who she was, I knew that you would be on your way here.¡± ¡°What have you been doing all this time, Seren? Our forces completely fell apart, and yet here you are is some human town playing king.¡± ¡°I¡¯m far from being a king, but Kaigen is indeed one of my more influential personalities. Believe it or not, I¡¯ve been biding my time and preparing for our lord¡¯s return. And now she¡¯s ¡­ here ¡­?¡± Kaigen, or Seren, or whatever the old man¡¯s name is, studies me for a moment before standing up from his chair. ¡°Arileia, you seem to be doing better now, and I would hate for my poor little Mei to be forced to clean up your mess all on her own. Can you please help her while I speak with these two a moment longer?¡± ¡°But ¡­¡± It seemed like Arileia was about to refuse, but a glint in the old man¡¯s eye sparks right at her and she pulls back. I¡¯ve never seen Arileia comply so willingly to someone before. Without a single complaint, she turned around and grabbed the maid by her hand (the one still attached to her body) before leading her out of the room. Just who is this guy? ¡ºSeren: a highly ranked member of the Demon Lord¡¯s council.¡» After Arileia leaves the room, Seren moves to the door and shuts it behind them. ¡°You¡¯re not the same demon lord as before, are you?¡± ¡°W-what do you mean? I¡¯m as demon lordy as ever, r-right, Enika?¡± ¡°By the gods, it actually worked. When I was asked to help her research the spell, I didn¡¯t think she would be able to pull it off. Are you really from a completely different world? What was the soul binding like? Do you remember your previous life? I have so many questions.¡± ¡°Calm yourself, you crazy old man. We can¡¯t understand a single thing you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. My apologies.¡± ¡°She may not have the same memories as she once did in the past, but the Demon Lord is still the Demon Lord. She is a being that deserves respect? Is she not?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, of course. I let my excitement get the better of me. I suspect Arileia has still yet to learn the truth?¡± ¡°Correct. So I appreciate you sending her away for the time being. However, don¡¯t think that I¡¯ve forgotten about your involvement in her kidnapping, Kaigen.¡± ¡°No, no, of course not. I¡¯ll answer any question you have when the time comes, but for now, we have much to discuss. After all, the demon lord¡¯s plan is finally being set into motion.¡±