Chapter 45 - Side Story: The Demon Lord's Circumstances
He walked up the damp stone steps, a child with cat ears trailing behind him.
Footsteps echoed endlessly as they ascended the cylindrical tower.
Unlike his visits at night, the bright daylight allowed the delicate stained glass on the ceiling to be seen clearly. The sunlight filtering through the stained glass was very faint by the time it reached the lowest floor.
"So?"
He asked the child in a low voice.
"I shot a burst of fire, and it hit one of the wyvern's wings... It fell down, wobbling... meow."
A black cloth was draped over the child's head, perhaps because he looked dejected, worried he had offended him. The child panicked, struggling with a "Meow!?" before managing to get his face out.
"That's dangerous! What would you do if you slipped and fell?"
"You're a cat, aren't you?"
What had been draped over him appeared to be the man's jacket.
Gold buttons and matching aiguillettes—modeled after a military uniform, it was his attire as the Demon Lord.
The robes he had worn previously were items that reminded people of his true profession as a sorcerer, but they were also proof that he had been at that research institute in the Royal Capital. That point had bothered him, so he decided to change his clothes, at least while he was acting as the Demon Lord.
The current outfit was the result of him asking Bis to "just get something that looks the part," as he had no interest in fashion.
Being handed the jacket likely meant he was to hold it, but when the child looked at him in confusion, the man was already halfway up the next flight of stairs. He was surprisingly quick.
The child, who hadn't even been granted a glance, looked indignant—nevertheless, he firmly readjusted the jacket he had been entrusted with—and tried to run up the stairs.
He thought for a moment, "...Hmm," took a running start,
Hop!
Making a light sound effect, his action was nonetheless ruthless. He moved from one end to the other in a single leap within the tower, which boasted such height that the lower floors were hazy. And just as he aimed, he landed behind the man.
He did not even spare a glance at his subordinate's great feat.
"Louis is mean."
"That's because I was raised by a woman with a bad personality."
"No way. Elenoa-san is definitely gentler than you, meow."
"I doubt we had enough interaction for you to judge that."
"No, it's just, from the first impression alone, it's different, meow."
First impression. He recalled that their meeting in the throne room had been quite conventional, with the child entering with a polite "Excuse me." He conveyed this.
The child lamented, "I can't believe it!"
"Well, if you just look at the words, maybe. But imagine a human walking in with a normal smile, carrying a hemp bag dripping with fresh monster blood! It's terrifying!"
"It was a treasure trove of materials. I regret not having a better bag."
"Is that all you have to say, meow!?"
Was that scene the very image of the Demon Lord that humans feared?
At that moment, sitting formally on the throne, the child had realized something. His tail had stood on end with a fwush and hadn't gone down for a while, and his instinct to express submission with his entire body had been his greatest enemy.
"...Getting back on track, is the man who approached her window definitely the Hero?"
"He was missing an arm, and he was someone I'd seen before, so there's no mistake. Five days ago, Louis froze and shattered one human arm, but surely that human still can't move... I guess he really is the Hero."
"He went out of his way to check on the castle, and now both the Hero and the wyvern have lost an arm."
Louis let out a scoff, "Hah."
"What a hardship."
"...What will you do if Elenoa-san finds out?"
"It won't be a problem even if she does. There is a barrier here that only I can dispel."
He stood before the door at the very top of the tower.
It was her room.
The iron door was heavy and sturdy, as if it were imprisoning her.
The two entered and approached the bed.
But the child stopped at a certain distance.
Only he could approach her. There was no such rule, but it had become an unspoken understanding since he had become the Demon Lord.
He touched her on the bed. And he spoke to her in a gentle tone that she could no longer hear.
"You are beautiful, no matter when I see you."
The woman he addressed as "you" was a white stone statue lying on the bed.
She did not breathe. Her eyes were closed, and she did not blink. Clutching an hourglass at her neck with both hands, she remained frozen in a praying posture. A wingless fairy permitted only a peaceful sleep. From her attire to the tips of her hair spreading across the pillow, everything was an exquisite work of art.
It was his magic that had turned her—Elenoa—into stone.
So that she would not suffer any more.
Her current state could be said to be the ultimate proof of his love.
The child, the former Demon Lord, watched silently as His Majesty the Demon Lord came to visit her like this twice a day.
—Bis remembered.
He remembered the fact that for the human who called himself Louis Stylus, conquering the Demon Lord's Castle was merely a side task.
In his life of researching complex magic and chemicals, and visiting his wife as a change of pace, there were times he wanted to go out. And there were times when his so-called 'materials' ran low. In such cases, he would fly through the sky, steadily closing the distance to the Demon Lord's Castle, collect materials along the way, lay down a teleportation magic circle at his destination, and return home. He repeated this process.
He must have encountered traps and high-ranking demons along the way, yet even those were memories with little presence for him.
'...Ah, there you were. Many valuable materials. Thank you.'
'It's not like I did it for you, meow.'
Holding a dripping bag of blood in one hand, he had said it as if it were nothing. He had even politely offered thanks.
According to Louis, the reason he came to the Demon Lord's Castle was that he wanted a new home with her.
He had thought of a place with no people, spacious, quiet, and comfortable—and the first place that came to mind was the Demon Lord's Castle.
Just buy a normal detached house suitable for newlyweds, you love-struck couple! Meow!!
Bis would hate a color-blind roommate who was likely to give him ulcers, even if it killed him. As the master of this castle, he could not allow that.
Such heartfelt screams dissipated in the face of Louis's dark, gleaming eyes.
Bis, who prided himself on his abilities as the Demon Lord, was unable to hide his agitation and suffered a crushing defeat to a single sorcerer, feeling as though he had been slapped across the face. He was probably some new species that transcended humans and easily surpassed demons.
He had thought that, as the fate of a Demon Lord, he would be killed as it was,
'It is enough that I have acquired residency rights here. I will not kill you.'
and was confused when told so.
The Demon Lord had been defeated by strength, yet he was still called the Demon Lord; Bis's pride would not allow it. Therefore, he extracted a promise from Louis that he would become the castle master—the Demon Lord—when he was ready. Louis seemed to have anticipated this outcome.
Aside from the oppressive pressure of his extraordinary magic power, being near Louis was pleasant.
—Bis remembered.
When he first exchanged words with Elenoa, the first words he received were, 'Lumina-chan?'
By chance, Louis had left his seat, Bis happened to be there, he had been ordered to wait because Louis would be "back soon," and she happened to wake up. And that happened to be his first meeting with Elenoa.
Lumina. A name he did not recognize. Clearly, he was not the one being called.
But since he was the only one there, Bis decided to answer.
'Who is Lumina? Meow?'
'...Huh...?'
She seemed slightly surprised. He lightly told her his name, saying, 'Call me Bis.'
He had wondered what kind of woman she would be, since she was Louis's mate, but her reaction was unexpectedly vague. She rolled his name around, saying 'Bis...?' many times.
Come to think of it, it had been a long time since a woman's soft voice had called his name.
He felt his chest grow warm and fluffy.
He felt like raising his tail and rubbing against her, but his true self was not such a familiar cat. He restrained himself.
Eventually, she seemed to remember something.
'...Bismarck... Bismarckrose Nilgiri Chambert?'
'Meow?'
Had he told her his full name?
She pronounced the long string of characters, which Louis himself might barely remember, in a halting manner.
'Did you hear it from Louis?'
'Something like that.'
The air stirred with a 'fu.' He thought she had laughed, but she closed her eyes, looking vague, and her expression was hard to read.
Elenoa gently reached out a trembling hand.
Bis did not know what to do with her hand, but since he had heard that she was blind, he awkwardly took her palm.
'Is this the Demon Lord's Castle?'
'It is.'
'I see...'
Murmuring to herself, she gently closed her eyes.
The woman Louis had brought was, as he had heard, someone who slept often.
Apparently, she had not been like that originally. Her cooking and tea were very delicious, her voice was more delicate and graceful than a heavenly harp, and she was a person who smiled quietly.
It was humans, whom Bis hated, that had taken all of that away.
Louis and Elenoa both hated humans. Therefore, Bis judged that they were companions.
And a few minutes after Elenoa fell asleep again. When Louis returned from his errand, he tilted his head at the sight of Bis still holding her hand.
'Bis...?'
'Ah, this is different! It's not me, Elenoa-san reached out her hand!'
'...'
'Louis?'
'She woke up?'
'Ah.'
'So she woke up.'
'...Um.'
'I haven't even heard her voice for four days...'
'Sorry, I have nothing to say.'
'...Shall I wake her up by hitting her?'
'Please stop!?'