(I can’t remember the last time I was here...)
The Madame walked to one of the farthest rooms from the gate, with ample soundproofing, where (coincidentally) White and the Demon Lord had had their first meeting. As the Madame sat down, she was immediately served tea and cookies (baked mixture of flour and water). Without hesitating, she took them with an elegant gesture. It was a tense moment for those in the room. While the Madame wasn’t a food critic per se, she had a perceptive tongue. Coupled with her blunt remarks, a negative reaction from her could spell doom for any restaurant or chef. Ordinarily in noble society, one would compliment any food prepared by a notable restaurant or chef, regardless of its quality. If one were to criticize them, they would simply be laughed at for being a brute, ignorant of those things. However, the Madame did not follow this unwritten rule. As long as the food was good, she would eat it, even if it was prepared by a nameless sous chef. When someone of her status judged things by their content and not their reputation, those around her were thrown for a loop. She was unyielding in her thoughts and her desires. By living that way, she had many enemies and allies along the way.
(Ordinary...)
The Madame did not make a single remark for the tea (the most important part of the snack) nor the unusual cookie, filling the room with both relief and disappointment. She wouldn’t sacrifice etiquette to comment on something that wasn’t noteworthy, for better or worse.
Soon, White appeared in the room, causing everyone to exit with a bow.
“It’s been too long, little White.”
The Madame made the first move right off the bat. With subtext, she made it clear that this was no official meeting, but a private visit. In fact, this wasn’t an official meeting, and would not be accounted for in records.
(She really is something...)
The Madame couldn’t help but squint at White. Everything about her almost seemed fake, as if she was made completely to order. She possessed the beauty and aura of someone who’d received the Angels’ blessing all to herself. Even other women couldn’t help but see White with adoration or awe, except for the Madame. She alone, thanks to her nature, did not look away from White’s beauty, but faced it head-on. Because of that, the Madame felt a powerful sense of envy towards White. This was both a show of her pride and her weakness. Until now...
“Yes, it’s been too...”
White froze for a moment. It seemed like the Madame had shrunk since the last time they had met. On top of that, she noticed that the Madame’s skin was brighter. White couldn’t chalk this up to the Madame’s sickness she was told about. On the contrary, the Madame was the embodiment of health, glowing in a way she hadn’t been before — the glow of a woman’s confidence. The Madame lived each day feeling growth and progress, the fulfillment of which could not be put into words. She was filled with hope for tomorrow. How could anyone like that not glow? The guards and servants only didn’t notice her change because they had seldom seen the Madame before.
“...Thank you for seeing me, Madame.”
White managed to conceal her shock and took her seat. Still, she could feel the pressure from the Madame. White’s honest reaction was that the already-intimidating Madame had evolved into someone even more troublesome. And White was indeed troubled, just for a moment, by that glow. The Madame didn’t miss the slightest indication of that, even though White herself hadn’t noticed.
“Aha ha ha ha!”
Suddenly, the Madame burst out laughing. Cackling, without even covering her mouth with her fan, forsaking any semblance of noble etiquette. Even White couldn’t help but frown at the disrespect.
“What is so funny?”
“I never thought I’d see anything this hilarious in my lifetime. You’re jealous of me, little White. Even though everyone from here to the Northern Nations knows of your beauty.”
“I-I would never...!”
“Yes, you are. I can tell... I’ve lived with jealousy that burns hotter than anyone else’s. That’s how I can tell.”
The Madame left no room for debate. In fact, White had felt a slight sense of envy for the Madame. The glow of a woman who lived each day with fulfillment, progression, and the satisfaction of having her hard work pay off was not to be underestimated.
“I’m not here to discuss something like that.”
“Really? It was already worth the trip for me. Much more than that, in fact.”
Even the Madame, notorious for being hard to please, was ecstatic today. The last time she had felt this much joy was when she first set foot into the salt sauna. White, the sole object of the Angels’ blessings, jealous of her? The Madame wanted to roll on the floor and bang her hands on it in excitement. White watched the Madame’s excitement with a cute little squint as she started the conversation:
“I invited you today, Madame, so that we may converse about the man known as the Demon Lord, heart to heart.”
“Oh...”
With this, the Madame’s attitude changed. She hadn’t expected the conversation to go in this direction.
“Please be frank. How do you see him, Madame?”
“Let me think...”
The gears in the Madame’s head were turning as she perceptively picked up on White’s tone. There was no animosity towards the Demon Lord when White spoke of him.
“I have a few theories, but it’s hard to describe him concisely.”
The Madame put off answering the question, a bit ceremoniously. It wasn’t that she was teasing White, but she was just following the custom of noble society. Even the blunt Madame didn’t dive right into confessing all of her thoughts when it came to an important topic.
“Let me ask you something in return, little Wh— aghhh!?”
Now the Madame shouted in astonishment. White had placed the Angel’s Ring, which she had kept hidden in her pocket, on top of her head. The Madame’s eyes widened and her body trembled at the halo’s divine light.
“W-What is that...!? I know the Angels spoiled you, but that’s just not fair! How much must you mock mortal womanhood!?” the Madame shouted, bearing her emotions.
It was ridiculous to the Madame that, on top of all of her blessings, White now had an angel’s halo on her head. It seemed like White was striding over with ease the steps that the Madame and other women were struggling to climb.
“You should have an idea, Madame, about who could possibly bestow an Angel’s Ring to a human.”
White’s collected tone quieted the Madame like a bucket of cold water. An Angel’s Ring... Who could bestow such a thing? The Madame considered the answer and controlled her emotions. After a few deep breaths, she responded as calmly as she could.
“Yes, I have an idea... I’m sure of it now, in fact.”
“I see. Perhaps you and I have drawn similar conclusions, Madame.”
With that, a prolonged silence filled the room. If that conclusion was to be made the official opinion of Holylight, that would cause quite the commotion. It was chilling to imagine how, not only the people of Holylight, but the Tzardom of Light would react. That was a nation that worshiped the Great Light. Naturally, it would become a national mission for them to hunt down a rebel against their deity.
“War,” the Madame uttered, matter-of-factly.
“That must be avoided. We have a long-lasting relationship with the Tzardom of Light.”
“Sooner or later, it’s going to happen. It might become a huge war that involves the Northern Nations, too. Whose side will you take when that happens, little White?”
“...That’s not a fair question, Madame. That’s why we have diplomacy. To prevent such things.”
“That’s the sane reaction. But there is no way that the Tzardom would let their most-wanted enemy slide with diplomacy. Worse yet, I can’t imagine him backing down from a fight... I think the entire Tzardom would turn to dust.”
While the Madame dropped a scary image here, the Demon Lord himself would have been dumbfounded if he had heard. ‘What do you
think I am, some space Kaiju!?’ he might have asked.
“I agree. That’s why we must avoid that scenario.”
Even White seemed worried about the fate of the Tzardom. The Demon Lord, of course, would have completely disagreed.
“I see, little White. You don’t want his existence coming to light.”
“Not at this time, at least.”
“I’m not going to disagree with that, but it’s up to him at the end of the day. There’s a very scary man working for him, you know. I don’t know anything about war, but I have a feeling that all he’ll have to do to finish an international conflict is send his henchman out with a nod.”
This was accurate, at least. Tahara could easily gun down every last important figure in the Tzardom with his sniper rifle, rendering the country powerless. What Yu could do in his stead was more terrifying. She could turn the country into a lifeless wasteland, or maybe a field of flowers. In either case, the Tzardom would become a hellscape of human experimentation. While White and the Madame didn’t know exactly what the advisors were capable of, the Madame had perceptively picked up on a glimpse of it, and White considered anything to be possible by the hands of the Demon Lord who had performed the same miracle as the Ember Angel.
“You want to keep it quiet for their sake, then... I don’t think the Tzardom will reciprocate your kindness.”
“Still, I want to do everything I can.”
“I suppose you’re right. Unless he tells me to, I’m not about to blab about him... I will always respect and obey his wishes,” the Madame declared with no ambiguity.
Against White, the leader of the Holy Maidens, this was filled with intent to rebel. She had just brazenly promised to follow the will of an individual over that of Holylight’s national policy.
“I can’t blame you...”
White didn’t show any anger towards the declaration, but quietly closed her eyes. What law could stand a chance against that man? White herself no longer considered the Demon Lord evil, anyway.
“The Holy Church has already reached the consensus to keep it quiet and not ask too many questions. I just wanted you to know our intentions, Madame.”
In fact, the Holy Church didn’t even imagine that the Demon Lord was the one who bestowed the Angel’s Ring to White. They were sure to only tell anyone (in and out of the Church) of the fact that a Holy Maiden was given an angel’s halo as it suited their agenda.
“And I have certainly heard them.”
The Madame stood without responding in one direction or another. She was demonstrating that the will of the Demon Lord dictated her choices, one way or the other. There was no point in further debate.
“By the way...” They spoke in unison. It was an uncomfortable overlap.
“Please, Madame...”
“...No, you first, little White.”
They silently stared at each other. White wanted to ask how the Madame lost so much weight in such a short time, and how her skin was brighter and healthier than before. On the other hand, the Madame wanted to ask how one could be given an Angel’s Ring from the Demon Lord. If she could have a beautiful ring like that, she would have given up all of her mines. Still, neither of them could ask it out loud. They both felt like they would lose if they spoke first.
“...N-Never mind, Madame. Please be careful on your way home.”
“I-I will... I think I lost my train of thought, too.”
With them sharing a stiff laugh, the meeting concluded.
While the meeting didn’t generate any results that brought about national change, it was a significant step in the right direction that these two were able to discuss their positions and opinions. At the very least, they were able to take away that they wouldn’t become enemies to one another any time soon.
The Demon Lord’s Return
Upon his return, the Demon Lord was amazed at how energized Rabbi had become. There were many people running back and forth in the streets carrying soil or lumber. Some could be seen smashing the Sand Snail shells he had obtained in the dungeon, mixing the shards into the soils.
(It’s really coming together...)
While the speed of construction in modern-day Japan was impressive of its own right, magic allowed construction even in this less-developed world to happen at least as fast. An experienced spellcaster would accomplish as much as a piece of heavy machinery.
“Welcome back, Master Demon Lord!”
“Aku. How have you been?”
Aku ran to him, and the Demon Lord picked her up and pulled her close to him. Aku then happily rubbed her cheeks against his, like a cat marking her territory.
“A lot has changed around here.”
“Yes it has! You really are amazing, Master Demon Lord!”
“I didn’t do anything,” the Demon Lord chuckled.
He had only given an outline to Tahara, to whom he left the entirety of the project. Yu was the one running the hospital with her talent, and the Demon Lord had this feeling that his advisors should have been the ones praised, not him. Of course, he was undervaluing himself. Without him, his two advisors would have never even appeared in this world, never leading to the development of the village. The Demon Lord was the one who came up with the money to hire all of the extra people, too.
“I was in a hurry, so I didn’t bring you anything. I’ll get you something good next time.”
“All I want... Is for you to come home safe.”
Aku’s red eye stared directly into the Demon Lord’s face. Her green eye, shaded by her long bangs, shimmered in the light. The Demon Lord saw something mystical in Aku’s mismatched eyes and enjoyed looking at them. With his hand, he brushed Aku’s bangs aside.
“Master Demon Lord...?”
“Yep. Your eyes are still beautiful.”
“...I-I don’t really like my eyes.”
She didn’t like her eyes because she had become a pariah in her village because of them, to the point where she was forced to hide half of her face. While the Demon Lord knew first-hand how Aku was treated in her village, he stayed true to his heart.
“I like them. They’re calming to look at.”
“Urm...”
As if to hide the blush on her face, Aku wrapped her arms around the Demon Lord’s neck. The Demon Lord didn’t mean any of it in a romantic sense, but just as if he was looking at a pair of mystical jewels. Still, Aku must have been embarrassed.
“I’m almost done with my errand up north. Maybe we’ll go on a vacation once I come back.”
“Vacation...?”
“It’s hot here. I’m seriously considering building a pool, or something.”
“...Pool?”
“Don’t worry about it yet.”
Aku could not even imagine such a thing. Where a cold bath was the height of luxury, overflowing a place with precious water just to swim in it, not to drink, grow crops, or even clean yourself with, was the height of wastefulness, and totally unproductive. For people of this land, most didn’t even consider the concept of swimming in water.
“Now I’ll go take care of business. I’ll see you tonight.”
“Okay!”
After gently brushing Aku’s golden hair, the Demon Lord headed to the hot springs resort. In front of it, Yu welcomed him with an attractive bouquet.
“Welcome back, Mister Secretary.”
“Thank you. These are the flowers you were telling me about?”
Yu held a variety of vibrant flowers, in red, yellow, purple, and pink. They were so beautiful as to dissuade one from even touching them, to the surprise of the Demon Lord. He had no appreciation for flowers whatsoever, but even he could tell that these flowers were amazingly beautiful.
“These are even more amazing than I had thought... I appreciate it.”
“Y-Yes, sir! I continuously performed modifications to grow ones to your liking.”
“I see. This is a wonderful hobby.”
As Yu smiled gleefully, the Demon Lord did as well. He was o
verjoyed that Yu, whom he had designed with a mind to create hellscapes, had started such a dainty hobby. Then he went one step too far.
“This purple, especially... I tremble at its beauty.”
The Demon Lord only knew the names of ubiquitous flowers like tulips and dandelions. He had mentioned this without much thought, except that he didn’t remember seeing many purple flowers in the few floral shops he had seen.
“I thought you might say so...”
For some reason, this put a brimming smile on Yu’s face. It was amazing how cute a woman of her natural-born beauty could appear when she wore an innocent smile. Of course, if one were to imagine how the purple hue was created, they would see a much different meaning behind her smile.
“A great hobby. Keep it up.”
The Demon Lord had said so with almost a prayer-like tone. That kind of sincerity couldn’t help but exude into one’s voice.
“Y-Yes, sir! I will continue to make improvements on them.”
Yu clasped her hands and looked up at the Demon Lord’s face. It almost looked like a schoolgirl giving a bouquet of flowers to an older student she admired. Yu was on the taller side for a woman, but was still considerably shorter than the Demon Lord, making them a picturesque pair when standing together.
“Now, keep up with the hospital, too.”
With a gentle pat on her shoulder, he left. Yu stood there quivering for a while, but after repeatedly touching the same shoulder the Demon Lord put his hand on, her lips curled up in a twisted shape.
“I have to bloom the little ones some more. Purple was electricity and boils, I think.”
Her eyes were glowing in a kindling light, with too much malice for someone with a doctor’s title. Further improvements would be performed on her flowers, and very soon. However, no one pitied Milligan the test subject, nor would come to save him. For every little girl he tortured, the agony was coming back to him now a million fold.
(It seems so long since I was last here...)
Once he reached the hot springs resort, the Demon Lord went to the office in the back. Tahara was waiting for him there, and without so much as a greeting, the genius said:
Demon Lord, Retry! Volume 3 Page 13
