Chapter 81 - Separation from the Demon Lord
War.
Her insides turned cold at the unfamiliar word.
"As a result of repeatedly killing the Heroes who came to challenge me, humanity has likely grown impatient. It has been quite some time since I took this throne, and... although I granted permission for today's festivities, I believe it is fair to consider this a period of transition. Unfortunately, it seems that simply repelling the Hero does not bring peace. No, perhaps it is better to say we have reached the limit of how long we can delay the inevitable."
Louis suppressed Elenoa, who was on the verge of screaming, "No way."
"No matter how long a king reigns, there is always an end. Honestly, I cannot even imagine the scale it will reach, but it will become a battle where either I defeat them, or I am defeated. I had Bis go check on the situation outside, and half a year ago, he reported that human movements were suspicious."
It was far bigger news than she had anticipated, feeling as though she had been slapped across the cheek. While Elenoa had been resolving her own inner turmoil, the world had been moving forward day by day.
"Why didn't you tell me about something so important?"
"Because there is nothing for you to do. I desire nothing more from you than your existence as my wife. Therefore, I judged that it would be better for you to remain unaware until the very last moment."
Since humans all over the world hate me, even if I were to surrender, I would almost certainly not be spared. And since I hate them as well, I have absolutely no intention of doing so.
Louis was gentle in demeanor, yet stubborn.
Humans had taken what was precious to him. They might take more in the future.
Revenge is not a matter of logic; if you do it, it will be done to you. He knew this basic, human emotion through his own experience. Therefore, he understood that it was only natural for humans to rise up and attack the Demon Realm.
A grand and evil case of 'tit for tat.'
"Once war breaks out, I truly cannot let you go outside. I cannot allow unspecified numbers of enemies to see you. If I were so inclined, I could put a silver collar on you this instant and keep you in a silver cage for the rest of your life... but I do wish to hear your will, at least."
Therefore, he asked.
"Do you want to go outside?"
"Yes."
"Then, I will present ten conditions from my side."
As if he had predicted Elenoa's answer, he presented a specific number and began smooth negotiations.
"One, the period shall be thirty days.
Two, if there are signs of war breaking out, I will come to retrieve you before then.
Three, you must not kill anyone, including fairies.
Four, upon your return, I will bind you as I please thereafter.
Five, you must avoid being seen by humans as much as possible.
Six, if there is a risk of being found, you must always maintain a Barrier.
Seven, if any problems or abnormalities occur, you must return immediately."
He explained each of these dangerous stipulations, which were hardly suitable for a marital promise, one by one. So that she could not make excuses later by claiming she hadn't heard.
Continuing,
"Eight, if I perceive that your life has ended, or if you do not return after thirty days have passed, regardless of the situation at that time, I will kill one-tenth of humanity. Furthermore, for every three days that pass, I will kill another one-tenth."
"...What is that?"
"It is the bare minimum condition required for me to trust you enough to let you go outside."
That wasn't trust. It was a threat. Without even needing to ask if he was serious, his eyes were serious.
Was he going to go this far just to keep Elenoa from escaping?
"So, hostages?"
"You may interpret it that way if you wish."
"You might abandon them even if they are strangers taken as hostages. I hate humans too, you know."
"But you would dislike it if I killed innocent humans, correct?"
"Ugh...!"
"Therefore, in this case, the hostage is myself. Please be careful when you go out, so that I do not engage in unnecessary slaughter."
Scary.
From his usual smile, she could read no emotion whatsoever.
Was there nothing that could shake his resolve? Elenoa desperately spun her halting thoughts,
"If you can really kill one-tenth at a time, then war is meaningless. You wouldn't need to consider locking me up for ten years; it should end almost immediately, right?"
"I am still young and inexperienced, and I have not attained enough enlightenment to speak so easily of the meaning of war... But please understand that there is this much difference: whether I target soldiers or engage in indiscriminate killing. Whether I take responsibility, or whether I die chasing after you."
It was a complete defeat.
An orderly war, or a massacre with the intent of mutual destruction. Elenoa did not understand how much difference there truly was between the two.
"............"
Another important task had arisen. She had to confirm with her own eyes what the current human world was like. Elenoa, who no longer wanted to remain ignorant, swallowed hard.
"Nine, cheating is strictly prohibited."
After saying that,
"Even with someone as troublesome as me, will you feel sadness for me, or love me?"
He asked such a thing.
Elenoa widened her eyes and looked up at him. After spouting dangerous words like killing humanity, war, and house arrest, why was he self-deprecating with such an apologetic look now? The point of his anxiety was seriously off-base.
—What obvious things is this man saying.
"I like you."
"Eh?"
"I love you. I like you so much that I worry this much. I only want Louis to touch my wings, and I wouldn't give my body to someone I didn't like, nor would I stay with them for two hundred years. Louis, you are an authority on fairy research, aren't you? You shouldn't underestimate the selfishness of fairies."
She was an innocent fairy, a race whose thoughts were often insufficient on a daily basis. What she liked, she liked; what she hated, she hated. Falling into a dilemma where being together was painful was precisely because she loved him.
Elenoa might be disappointed in herself, but she had never doubted her feelings for him.
But,
"...Thank you."
It was clearly a wry smile that said, "I would be happy even if it were just flattery." Even if he did not take Elenoa's words as a complete lie, they conveyed only enough weight for her to run away if push came to shove.
"I really do like you."
"Yes."
"Ah, it's the 'I love you' kind of like."
"I love you as well."
Even using words he rarely spoke, it was meaningless.
The love he spoke of harbored various past sentiments, to the point of being painful.
Should she start saying things like she wanted to lock him up too, or put a collar on him? Elenoa's thoughts drifted in a strange direction, but voicing such thoughts would only give him more doubt.
If so—no, precisely because of that.
Since there are differences in personal expressions of affection, she had no choice but to rely on a world-universal expression of love.
The 『Fairy's Moon Clock』. Needless to say, it was a special item that appeared in 『The Demon Lord and the Hourglass』 and could be obtained in the Fairy Route. As proof of a fairy dedicating their love, she would give it to him.
She would hand over feelings that words alone could not convey, in accordance with the rules of the world.
She would find the Moon Clock and absolutely return to his side.
"There are ten conditions, right? What is the last one?"
"Please give me a little of your hair."
"Sure, cut as much as you need."
An immediate answer. She did not ask the tactless question of what he would use it for.
He carefully cut a lock of Elenoa's hair, bundled it as if it were precious, and placed it into a small vial he produced from somewhere. Preparing small vials, writing implements, and paper so they could be used at any time seemed to be his habit as a mage.
If the collected material《sozai》could be of even slight use to him, Elenoa would be happy.
"Do you have any conditions from your side?"
"Let's see..."
It would be nice if she could present them immediately like Louis, but if her head worked that fast, she wouldn't be suffering so much.
While letting him love her body as he pleased, Elenoa thought hard, humming to herself.
But what she desired now was not all that much.
"One, when I return, I want to help with work that seems possible for me to do.
Two, when I return, you can lock me up if you like, but I want you to take walks in the sky with me occasionally.
Three. Even if you are lonely without me, cheating is not allowed."
In her fairy ears, she heard cheerful voices shouting, "Long live His Majesty the Demon Lord!" There were also squeaking cries of some sort. Demons were more diverse than humans, and even within a single party, differences in culture and race became visible, which was interesting.
Louis was liked by them. Thinking about what was happening in the human world behind this joy was complicated, but—.
She would confirm it.
The world Elenoa did not know.
The world she had never tried to know, a world that was surely good for nothing.
She alone had been left behind in that game. But the world was moving toward unknown places, riding the flow of time. It was advancing into a future that was still unseen. As one form of that, 'war with humanity' was visible right before her eyes.
"Separation starts now, okay?"
"It cannot be helped.... Ah, for safety's sake, will you wear the earrings I gave you today?"
"Yes."
"You are wearing the hair ornament I gave you before as well, very good."
"This is a Gohyanoro, so I can't take it off for long periods. It's a cursed item with a resale value of five million Clans."
"So that's what a Gohyanoro is.... One mystery has finally been solved."
His atmosphere was refreshingly clear. It was not as if they were parting forever in this life, yet there was a faint anxiety.
If she were to jump into the cage he had made for her, perhaps she could become happy. —But.
Elenoa took a deep breath,
"For now, I will return to my Parents' Home."
Note: It is a happy ending.