Why are you so absurdly cute!? Zagan felt like keeling over when he heard her adorable response.
Looking up, Zagan realized that Nephy was doing her best to gather her courage despite her anxiety. She was likely worried about how Zagan would react. And so, after thinking it over, Zagan beckoned Nephy to him.
“Hear me, Nephy. Don’t just stand in a place like that. Approach me.”
“Yes,” Nephy replied, appearing relieved by his words, and walked up to Zagan at a quick pace. It could have been that she was also waiting to see Zagan’s reaction. Nephy was a meek girl, so Zagan felt like he had to be the one to urge her on in these situations. And as Nephy rushed over, flustered and unable to decide where to stand, Zagan cleared out his throat and called out to her once more.
“Nephy.”
“Yes.”
“You may kneel over here,” Zagan said. Then, he wracked his brain over his foolish words.
Kneel!? Seriously!? Isn’t that extremely indecent!?
Nephy’s eyes darted about in confusion, but he didn’t sense that she would reject him at all. On the contrary, she timidly lowered herself to her knees on the spot.
“L-Like this...?”
It was normal for Zagan to make strange requests, but this was the first time it felt odd to Nephy, so her voice trembled as she responded. Zagan, for his part, was tormented by his sense of guilt, but even so, he returned a bombastic nod.
“Mm. Now you may stick out your hands.”
“Huh...? Like this...? Ah!”
Zagan gripped Nephy’s hands as she stuck them out, and pulled her toward him for an embrace. Nephy lost her posture and collapsed into Zagan’s lap with both her arms still stretched out.
“Huh...? What?” Nephy ended up embracing Zagan’s lap, and let out some bewildered words. Her breasts landed right on him, which left Zagan able to directly sense her heart beating like a hammer. Upon feeling such an unexpected comforting sensation, Zagan was ready to faint from shock. He loved the situation, but it wasn’t his original intention, so Zagan endured his excitement and began brushing Nephy’s head. And as he did, Nephy gradually slackened the strength in her shoulders, entrusting her body to him.
I suppose this works. Sitting on my lap would be no different from before, after all! Would this count as a variation of the lap pillow? Being embraced in such a manner made Zagan think that maybe he was comforting her, but he was unsure. Just like every other time, he thought he was going about things in the wrong manner, which was why he quietly questioned Nephy.
“So, how do you like this?”
“Um, it’s really... embarrassing.”
I know, right!? Zagan anguished over his failure, but Nephy unexpectedly looked up at him without showing any signs of disliking it. In fact, her expression looked downright happy.
“But... it also puts my heart at ease.”
“I-Is that so?”
Zagan was willing to endure any shame if it meant he could catch a glimpse of Nephy’s happy face. After a while of sitting around like that, Nephy began laughing as if she was ticklish.
“I would like to have you try this, Master Zagan.”
By try this, does she mean it’s okay for me to embrace her lap!? Zagan never thought that she would reciprocate this act, so he stared back at her in wonder. Those were terrifyingly attractive words that made him want to initiate the act immediately, but he endured that urge and clasped onto his armrest.
“I see... That’s a fine suggestion... but there’s no need to rush. Right now, I’m the one spoiling you. You may stay like this for a while longer.”
“...Master Zagan, you really are a little mean after all...” Nephy’s cheeks turned red enough that it felt like a hot wind would blow from it as she said that, but that didn’t deter Zagan’s ministrations. She sounded somewhat unhappy, but her ears happily quivered with a twitch, revealing her true feelings. And after that, Nephy looked up as if checking on Zagan’s expression for some reason.
“Master Zagan.”
“What is it?”
“You noticed... didn’t you?” Nephy asked. Her voice seemed strained, showing not even a hint of the happiness from mere moments ago.
“Nephteros... played with you a whole bunch, right?” Zagan replied while shrugging his shoulders. That was the primary reason Zagan was trying to figure out how to cheer up Nephy. Nephteros had not returned from the hidden elven village with Zagan and the others, and her whereabouts were currently unknown.
They were unable to find her after Zagan and Nephy conveyed their feelings to each other. Nephy’s mysticism and Kimaris’ sense of smell could not trace her steps, and figuring she wasn’t anywhere in the immediate vicinity, they ended up returning to the castle. She was someone who initially approached them as an enemy, but when Nephy was cursed at the hidden elven village and turned into a child, Nephteros spent quite a bit of time with her. It seemed that those memories remained within Nephy, even if they weren’t perfectly clear. That was why, even though Nephy looked to be reacting happily, she couldn’t help but worry about Nephteros. And honestly, Zagan understood those feelings.
“I don’t know what happened, but she sure needs a lot of attention.”
Nephy didn’t respond to him immediately, her lips trembling as if she was fraught with worry.
“Is it really fine... for me to be the only one who’s this happy?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Zagan tilted his head to the side curiously as he responded, which made Nephy nod in a sad manner.
“I feel like... Nephteros is still suffering. I’m not sure why, but I feel like her feelings are being transmitted to me from time to time...”
“She’s a high elf just like you. There may be some kind of bond you two have due to that fact,” Zagan answered as he began to stroke her hair more gently.
“Huh...? Master Zagan?” Nephy said, questioning him. She was a smart girl, so she definitely didn’t miss the fact that Zagan’s tone implied he was trying to dodge the subject.
It’s easy enough to guess what that damn Bifrons did to Nephteros... Zagan and the Archdemon he met the other day, Orias, were exceptions within the Archdemons. Zagan planned on killing all the Archdemons from the very beginning, and Orias was a heretic who ended up obtaining the Sigil of the Archdemon by mistake. If not for them, all Archdemons would be repulsively evil and terrifying. They treated everyone other than them as mere offerings to be used in their experiments.
Bifrons, in particular, was a complete lunatic, but was most likely close to the norm among the Archdemons. If such people were to discover rare creatures like high elves, they would easily exceed the most heinous scenarios Zagan could imagine. That was precisely why he could tell what Bifrons was most likely up to.
“It’s not like I don’t understand. Honestly, I also feel the desire to save her. However, her happiness is of no concern to me,” Zagan said in a manner like he was forsaking Nephteros, then bopped Nephy on the head.
“That’s why you need to go and teach her what true happiness is, Nephy. She’s hard to please, but not all that stubborn, right?”
“Yes. I will do my best.” Nephy responded, her expression finally brightening up due to Zagan’s statement.
“That’s the spirit,” Zagan replied with a laugh, which made Nephy get off his lap.
“By the way, Master Zagan. It’s about time to switch.”
Zagan wanted to stay as they were just a little longer, but he’d also enjoyed the situation enough already. Additionally, he was quite interested in the sensation of embracing Nephy’s lap. And so, he yielded the throne to her with slight reluctance, when in an unusual turn, Nephy put on a bold smile.
“Now then, by all means, Master Zagan.”
“Er...” Zagan groaned.
Now that it’s my turn, this feels unexpectedly embarrassing...
However, feeling it would be more awkward to keep Nephy waiting, Zagan timidly entrusted his body to her lap. A sweet scent enveloped him. She
was soft, warm, and though he was embarrassed, there was a sense of tranquility spreading through him that he couldn’t oppose. As Zagan unintentionally let out a sigh, Nephy tightly embraced him. And as one would expect, even Zagan was left in disarray by the sensation of her breasts suddenly pressing into his head.
“N-Nephy...?”
“Please stay still, Master Zagan,” Nephy suddenly pulled out a small wooden stick out as she whispered that to him in an overly serious manner. The tip of the stick was curved like a spoon, so it seemed to be an earpick.
“In return for what you did just now, I’ll have you let me clean your ears.”
Nephy began cleaning Zagan’s ears with all her heart. He didn’t know whether this was punishment or a reward, but he was happy nonetheless.
◇
“Lady Chastille, how about taking a little break?”
The three knights who served as her subordinates placed a teacup on Chastille’s desk while suggesting that, to which she returned a tired smile. Her red hair was tied to the side as always, but light shadows were spreading out around her scarlet eyes. Since she was fulfilling her duties in the office, she was not wearing Anointed Armor, but was instead in some indigo blue dress clothes. Her stouthearted smile carried a dignified air to it, and even seemed akin to a lone lily blooming in a wasteland.
It was truly gallant, and she carried an air of nobility about her. That was only natural, however, as she was the daughter of a fallen noble household. Plus, as one of the Archangels, she also held the title of a prelate. In truth, she was the talented daughter of a respectable family, but when it came to her private life, she was a crybaby who knew no restraint.
“Thank you. I’ll be done shortly, so there’s no need to worry. Besides, going on leave of my own accord was the cause of all this in the first place,” Chastille responded. Angelic Knights were soldiers tasked with fighting sorcerers and protecting the populace. Due to that fact, it was a custom for Archangels to take on the duties of a prelate as well. A cardinal served as the head of this town for many years, but just two months ago, he ended up passing away. Therefore, though it was an exception, Chastille was in a position where she served as head of the church in this area. And just a few days ago, she got wrapped up in an incident and left her seat vacant for three days without notice. That was why she was now swamped with the work that had piled up during her absence.
The three knights grimaced as if they found this scene heartbreaking.
“If only there was some way for us to assist to you, Lady Chastille.”
“You three have done more than enough. Didn’t you already get these documents to a point where all I have to do is sign them?”
Having said that, even just skimming over the contents and signing them would take over two days, since there were several hundred of them. And realizing that, Chastille took the teacup filled with a herbal tea in hand and began her break.
They really are attending to my needs. It’s been two... no, three months now, right?
There was an attempt on Chastille’s life after rumors that she was working with Archdemon Zagan spread. At that time, a cup of tea, just like the one she was holding, drove her to the brink of death. The three knights also knew that, which was likely why they poured her a cup of herbal tea that she didn’t normally drink. And after she soundlessly brought the cup to her lips, Chastille let out a relieved sigh.
“Delicious. I can feel my fatigue dissipate.”
“There is no greater praise than that.”
The stuffy men were smiling as if they were gazing upon their beloved daughter. Chastille then casually looked over to the clock hanging on the wall, noticing that it was somehow already noon.
“It’s already this late...? Hm? Now that I think of it, wasn’t a new priest supposed to arrive today?”
It was a grave situation for an Archangel to be carrying the burden of all the church’s affairs, but unfortunately, leaders above the level of archbishops weren’t something that could be transferred so easily. That was why a priest was to be dispatched as an aide for the time being, but they had yet to show up. The three knights let out an aggravated groan as they realized that.
“For them to be so late on the very day they’re appointed... Do they have no intention of sending over capable personnel!?”
“Come now, don’t be so angry. They may have just gotten lost. It is their first visit to this town, after all.”
Getting lost was something that often happened to Chastille during her private life, so she couldn’t really get angry about it, which was why she tried to deflect and change the subject.
“More importantly, I know nothing about the priest that will be joining us. Do you know who it is?”
She had been grappling with a mountain of paperwork the last few days, so she didn’t have the leisure to check. However, not even looking at the profile of her newly appointed subordinate was still a failure on her part.
The three knights made a complicated expression upon hearing her question. And as she tilted her head to the side, one among them pulled out a single document.
“It’s a therianthrope from Liucaon.”
“By Liucaon... you mean the island country on the other side of the eastern sea, correct? I thought they followed a different religion in that region...” Chastille knit her brows at the unexpected reply.
Nowadays, the entire continent was steeped in the religion of the church, but long ago there were innumerable religions, and it was said that fights between religions often grew so large that they turned into full-blown wars. And over time, they had all merged into one to defeat their common enemy, sorcerers.
Liucaon was an island nation across the sea, so other religions remained markedly more pronounced there. Also, the people of the continent were fully aware that they didn’t really accept other religions.
Plus, that country isn’t really our enemy or ally... There were countless countries on the continent, but because the borders were on land, the true boundary between one country to another was somewhat vague. That was one of the reasons the church held more power than kings. However, since Liucaon was a country isolated by the sea, its borders were clearly defined. Furthermore, it was a national policy for them to close their borders, so their interaction with the continent was sparse.
A mysterious island nation whose culture differed from that of the continent... Yes, that was Liucaon alright. And the fact that her new subordinate was from there worried Chastille. Yet for whatever reason, the three knights returned a tender laugh to her.
“You are certainly knowledgeable as we expected, Lady Chastille. However, the religion in Liucaon is polytheist, and it seems their way of thinking about it is that our church’s god is one amongst all theirs.”
“That’s quite the flexible ideology, then. I’m quite interested in it now...”
The one god revered by the church was the sole absolute existence in the world to them. After all, it was far more convenient for a sole god to declare that all sorcerers were ‘evil.’ However, despite holding the position of an Archangel, Chastille didn’t think of the church’s teachings as absolute. If she was accused of not being pious enough, then she couldn’t fight back, but unfortunately the teachings of the church made it so the adherents left a lot of people to their doom. Chastille felt that it was her duty as one chosen by a Sacred Sword to do everything in her power to save even one more person. That was precisely why she became the head of the Unification Faction within the Church.
Mulling over those thoughts, Chastille looked over to the three knights, who had bitter expressions on their faces. Confused, she stared at them until they eventually began speaking as if resigning themselves to their fate.
“It seems that this priest is a Four Ears.”
“Four Ears...?”
Even though they were all labeled therianthropes, there were many species that divided their race. The most common among them were the dog-like canus or the wolf-like lycan. Chastille’s f
riend Manuela was an avian. And Zagan’s subordinate Kimaris was a leonin, which was among one of the rarer species that was close to extinction. However, even though they possessed fantastical figures, it was normal for them to only possess two ears. But once in a while, there were those who were born with both the ears of a human and a beast. Even now, it was deeply ingrained in the people that such beings were cursed.
I see... That’s why their attitude toward the newly appointed priest has been so poor... There were people who discriminated against races aside from humans. Naturally, there were believers from the other races, so they were not unjustly persecuted, but when it came to the appointment of positions within the church, humans were given the responsibility of being priests, bishops, and the like. Chastille herself had never heard of any non-humans holding a title beyond priest.
“Quit speaking like that. Think of it this way, the fact that they climbed up to the position of a priest despite that just goes to show how much effort they put in, does it not?” Chastille said as she glared at the three knights.
“F-Forgive our discourtesy!”
The three knights straightened out with a snap and bowed low. They were all rather obstinate and stubborn, but they were definitely not the type of people who couldn’t accept change. Their faces looked to say that their eyes had been opened, leaving Chastille with the impression that even if the priest came, they would not be met with disgust.
Still, even these three knights are reacting like this, huh? I have a feeling this is going to get troublesome... Chastille couldn’t say much, having not met the person in question herself, but it wasn’t hard to imagine the other Angelic Knights and priests having the same reaction.
Well, it’ll be nice to not have all these jobs piling up, at least.
Unfortunately, as if to deny her that wish, the newly appointed priest never showed up.
◇
That night, after parting ways with his beloved, Zagan went to the archives of the castle to flip through some old books. They were journals that he brought back from Nephy’s hometown, the hidden elven village, records that seemingly stretched back over a thousand years. The books in the already cramped archives were now piling up like mountains.
An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 5 Page 2
