“Dear one.”
“Yes.”
“Did you always enjoy standing out like this?”
“It’s certainly a great way to relieve stress.”
“Haaah…”
Upon returning after normalizing the ecosystem of the Demon Realm, Arsep let out a deep sigh as she looked at me.
When I asked Flua why she was acting like that, she shook her head, saying she couldn’t grasp it either.
Even though I had returned all the dragons unharmed, was there a reason I didn’t know about?
“Well, are you injured anywhere?”
“Of course not.”
“I figured as much. Then that’s fine. As long as you’re safe, I don’t really care…”
At the moment, I was trying to find an inn with the two of them, but somehow we ended up in a carriage headed toward a large mansion in the center of the city.
This is what happened: after returning the dragons, the demon soldiers suddenly started flocking to me.
At first, I thought they’d noticed the dragons’ arrival because of me, but the soldiers explained that they were here to escort us—Arsep, Flua, and me—to the city’s ruler.
Apparently, the city’s high-ranking demon had given strict orders to bring me respectfully…
I initially thought of fleeing with the two of them, but since Arsep said it was fine, I decided to get into the carriage too.
The seat reclined back, so it was comfortable.
“So, are we really okay riding in this carriage?”
Comfort aside, I was worried if it was safe to go since a high-ranking demon was summoning us.
Arsep was wary of demons, and I didn’t know much about them either.
If they found out I was human, it was bound to cause problems.
“At least they didn’t call us here to harm us. Besides, now that we’ve revealed ourselves, trying to hide would only make things troublesome.”
However, as Arsep mentioned, this city was under the ownership of a high-ranking demon, and since we still had business here, it would be better to stand our ground rather than trying to escape.
“And you don’t need to worry about your identity being revealed.”
Arsep pointed to her face with her fingers.
She explained that as long as I didn’t remove my mask, it would be hard for anyone to force it off.
Not only did it hide my power as a human, but it also created the appearance of a complete demon.
So even a high-ranking demon wouldn’t be able to see through my true nature, which was reassuring.
“…However, we should change the nature of our relationship.”
“Can’t we just act like usual? I’m used to it, and it’s comfortable.”
It’s best to avoid unnecessary confusion by changing things.
Acting like we did in the human village felt the most natural and comfortable.
“Th-That… won’t work. Demon culture differs from humans’. Especially among higher-ranking demons, traveling with family is quite uncommon.”
But Arsep said that due to the cultural differences between humans and demons, it would appear strange.
According to what she’d told me before, high-ranking demons would kill or even eat their young if they found them unsatisfactory—even as infants.
The image of family here was vastly different from what one would normally imagine.
“Then how should we act?”
“There’s a natural way to go about it, but…”
Arsep’s face showed an expression that hinted at hesitation.
The flush on her cheeks suggested that her solution was anything but ordinary.
However, given the circumstances, she whispered the idea into my ear with a trembling voice.
Apparently, she had already informed Flua.
But this solution…
“Do we really have to do that?”
“T-This is the best option right now.”
It was even more troublesome than I had anticipated.
***
“Have you arrived?”
The city’s ruler, Count Berard, rose from his seat as the carriage arrived.
The person coming to his mansion was none other than the hero who had saved the city, a mysterious demon of immense power—someone beyond comparison to himself.
This meant that while it was an opportunity, the situation could quickly turn into a crisis.
Demons do not obey they weak, nor do they respect them.
‘I’d better go meet them myself.’
If everything went smoothly, it would be an excellent chance to forge a connection with a powerful demon, but if he made a misstep and offended them, he could end up just like the wyverns and dragons who had been crushed.
Thus, Count Berard stepped down just before the carriage door opened to personally welcome the hero as an esteemed guest.
“Thank you for enduring the trouble of coming to my humble mansion.”
Count Berard bowed his head to greet his guest.
As the door to the carriage opened, the demon who had shattered hundreds of wyverns and dragons in an instant appeared.
The demon silently stepped down.
His blue eyes glowed coldly, sending chills down anyone who looked.
Count Berard instinctively bowed his head, unable to meet that gaze.
The feeling of not being able to face him directly was overwhelming—it was clear that this was a high-ranking demon, one possessing a commanding presence far beyond his own.
It was puzzling why such a high-ranking demon had come to his city, but thanks to it, I was able to escape the sudden calamity caused by dragonkind, so it turned out to be a good thing.
“Thanks to you, my city was able to remain safe. My invitation is a small token of gratitude for saving the city—”
***
“My master is tired.”
At that moment, a woman stepped forward, interrupting Count Berard’s words.
Despite standing before a high-ranking demon, she showed no sign of intimidation.
‘Who is she…’
A woman with white hair and red eyes stood there, and beside her was a young girl who held the magical aura of a Dark Elf, but curiously, she lacked the characteristic dark skin.
‘Who exactly is this woman?’
Most likely, both of them were servants of this demon.
What intrigued Berard, however, was that he couldn’t feel any magical power from the red-eyed woman.
At first, he hadn’t even noticed her presence.
He thought only the young Dark Elf girl was there.
“So please, let’s skip unnecessary greetings and take us to the room. My master isn’t particularly interested in speaking with others.”
It was clear that she was concealing her power and presence to an extreme degree to support her master from the shadows.
Perhaps because her master was so powerful, even this servant, who looked no more than a slave, seemed far from ordinary.
“Considering the feats performed, it’s understandable to be weary. I’ll guide you to the room immediately.”
Though it was unpleasant to have his words interrupted by a mere servant, Berard knew that the demon she served held a status higher than his own as a high-ranking demon.
Thus, he didn’t raise an issue.
In fact, he was somewhat impressed by the audacity of a mere servant, who seemed no more than a lower-ranking demon, to stand so boldly before a high-ranking demon.
What’s more, while he had seen demons who could hide their presence to some degree, he’d never encountered anyone who could completely erase their aura, as if no magical power existed at all—like this woman.
Given that even the lowest-ranking demons are born with conspicuous magic power, her concealment skills indicated she was likely a skilled assassin.
“I’ll prepare two additional rooms. If you need anything, please order the maids in the mansion.”
“No, one room for the master will be enough. And as for tending to my master, we’ll take care of it ourselves. We won’t need any maids.”
“Understood. Then, as you wish.”
Berard found it somewhat strange that all three intended to share a single room.
Initially, he wondered if it was a decision made by the servant herself, but since the master demon remained silent, it meant there was no problem with it.
It was possible these attendants were simply there to serve him at night.
If that were the case, sharing a room among the three wouldn’t be odd.
Although the red-eyed woman seemed mature enough, the Dark Elf looked quite young, but since Dark Elves were still elves, appearances and age could be deceptive.
Perhaps they even appeared this way to suit their master’s tastes.
‘Well, it’s no surprise that demons have peculiar tastes.’
Berard’s mind buzzed with thoughts, but he decided to focus on fulfilling their requests for now.
There would be time to talk more later.
‘This might work out in my favor.’
If this demon were interested in such things, it could be good news for Berard.
Coincidentally, he had a daughter who resembled the two attendants in appearance.
For those who favored a human-like appearance, she would be a perfect match.
***
Once inside the room, and after confirming there were no prying eyes, I was finally able to remove my skull mask.
“Ah, now I can breathe a little.”
It had been incredibly uncomfortable and difficult.
I had merely walked in silence, but even then, the whole experience had been truly burdensome.
‘Who would have thought Arsep would suggest such a solution?’
“Listen carefully, from now on, you are my master.”
“Excuse me? What do you mean?”
“You know how nobles often have slaves or maids with them. So, you’re the noble, and I’m the maid.”
Suddenly, she was volunteering to play the role of a slave or maid.
When she asked me to act as her master, I remember feeling a brief moment of shock until I understood the reasoning.
“I have no choice. Given your appearance and aura, the demons of this city will undoubtedly believe you’re a powerful high-ranking demon of unknown origin.”
But if I addressed Arsep with deference like usual, it would seem strange, even suspicious.
So I had no choice but to go along with Arsep’s idea.
She told me to keep my mouth shut and remain silent.
She would pretend to be my maid and handle any interactions with other demons.
She was likely concerned that a slip of the tongue might reveal my true identity.
In the end, her plan worked.
The other demons didn’t suspect us and even kindly guided us through the mansion.
This mansion was quite impressive—not as grand as Arsep’s castle, but spacious and elegantly designed.
At least for the time being, it seemed like everything had turned out well…
“H-Haha… So, the Demon King herself is now calling a human her master? I must have truly fallen to rock bottom.”
The mastermind behind this plan, Arsep, sat slumped in a corner, letting out a bitter chuckle, seemingly overwhelmed by sudden dismay.
I had thought her performance was excellent just moments ago, but comforting her now would likely backfire.
“Are you… alright?”
“I… don’t think so.”
If it weren’t for Flua, she might have even broken down in tears by now.
“This plan has more side effects than I anticipated…”