An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 5

by Fuminori Teshima

  Kuroka shook her head vigorously, indicating she had no clue.

  Well, I guess she doesn’t know... Since she was blind, they were likely treating her like a nuisance. Even if something went wrong, they probably chose to waste no time telling her about it.

  “Kuroka, did Kuu’s scent lead you to that place we were just at?”

  “...Y-Yes.”

  Zagan couldn’t tell anything by scent, but if Kuu had gone there, then there was a high possibility that she got involved with a dangerous sorcerer.

  But why did that brat sneak out of the church? It was possible that Zagan could find out if he knew what happened at the church, but there was no way for him to access that knowledge at present.

  “Kuroka, did anyone strange come to the church or anything?”

  “I only started working at the church yesterday... I’m not sure what would and wouldn’t be strange.”

  “Anything is fine. Maybe someone who seemed like a sorcerer or someone who had a strange scent, as you would put it.”

  There was a high probability that someone like that abducted Kuu.

  I don’t know how valuable a vulpin brat is, though... Kuroka, on the other hand, was of a rare breed, so she was rather valuable to sorcerers. And after thinking deeply about it for a moment, Kuroka let out an ‘Ah.’

  “It wasn’t really someone strange, but more like a goddess, I guess?”

  “A goddess?”

  “Yes. You know how a corpse has a certain scent to it? I thought someone was already long gone by their smell, but that goddess managed to heal the person who smelled like a corpse and save them!” Kuroka replied with a nod as if it were perfectly obvious.

  Zagan cocked his head to the side. It was true that he had dispatched several sorcerers to the church to cooperate with them, but they likely weren’t able to heal someone on the verge of death like that. That being the case...

  Oh, now that I think of it, Nephteros is there... It didn’t seem like she was the one who took Kuu, so that information was useless, but it was nice to know the people at the church had accepted her.

  “It’d be nice if I could be like her someday,” Kuroka said, completely entranced by the thought.

  “Then just do it. What’s stopping you?” Zagan replied in a matter-of-factly tone, which made Kuroka stare back at him in wonder with her vacant eyes before forming a bitter smile.

  “You really are kind, Mister. Normally, you would say that’s impossible, you know? I mean... I can’t do anything unless I get help from others...” Kuroka muttered, conveying her clearly sad state of mind.

  “Even the person that you think is a goddess probably failed many times over, experienced pain, wished for salvation, and was saved by others,” Zagan replied resolutely as he shook his head.

  “Mister... do you maybe know who the goddess is?” Kuroka asked as she tilted her head to the side blankly.

  “...Who knows? Listen, there is no goddess in the church. Just think about it, someone who relied on only themselves would have no reason to be at the church, right?”

  Someone who relied on only themselves was far more likely to trample over others and soak their hands in sorcery. That was why they were unrelated to the church.

  “Then, you mean because the goddess was saved by others, she wants to save others?” Kuroka asked as she seemed to catch what Zagan was saying.

  “Perhaps.”

  “...But I don’t have any power like that. I can’t rescue others like the goddess did, so how can I ever repay those who saved me?”

  “Hey, when I asked you the same thing yesterday, what did you tell me?” Zagan spoke to her in a truly astonished tone, looking about ready to burst into laughter.

  “Huh? The same question...? Oh, then that person was also your benefactor, Mister?”

  Zagan didn’t reply, and simply shrugged his shoulders as Kuroka stood up.

  “Thank you very much, Mister. I’m going to continue looking for Kuu.”

  “...Well, I’ll take a look around as well. Not sure I’ll find her, though...”

  “Okay! Thank you very much!” Kuroka exclaimed as she bowed down with a bob. Then, she turned around and left.

  “Hey, wait! If you run, you’ll...”

  After just a few steps, she fell right over.

  Why does she not check her footing properly when she has a cane... Zagan was astonished by that, but he realized it could have been because she wasn’t yet used to using the cane in that way. No, maybe it was better to say that it was because she was used to not needing it that she was careless. In that case, it would mean that she lost her vision relatively recently. And seeing that unreliable figure off from behind, Zagan also stood up.

  I guess I’ll go take another look at that spot... It was possible that there was a clue to Kuu’s whereabouts there.

  “Hey there! Long time no see, Archdemon Zagan,” a familiar voice called out to him from behind as he began walking. It was a voice that he could never forget, since it was that of a repulsive Archdemon he despised.

  ◇

  “Nephteros, are you alright?”

  Nephteros woke up as Chastille shook her body. She was sweating all over, and her clothes and hair were sticking to her body. Her breathing was out of order, and she knew that she had been stuck in a nightmare.

  Just like the previous night, she was resting in the nap room adjacent to an office in the church. During the fight against the assailant, Barbatos’ Flames of Indignation had burned not only the office, but even the nap room to ashes, but both had been restored to normal. That was likely the power of Zagan’s barrier. Back when Nephteros fired celestial mysticism in the middle of town, it ended up restoring the damage to the buildings in an instant. The sight made her realize the newest Archdemon didn’t only possess combat powers like ‘Heaven’s Phosphor’ and ‘devouring sorcery.’

  “Are you alright? You seemed to be having quite the nightmare,” Chastille inquired as she anxiously put her hand to Nephteros’ forehead.

  “I’m fine... is what I’d like to say, but I feel horrible,” Nephteros replied. She had a headache like she had been crying for hours, and her body felt heavy. Even though her recovery should have worked faster thanks to the mana in the church, she felt excessively fatigued. Still, luckily, it wasn’t to the extent where she couldn’t get up.

  “Have some water for now.”

  “...Thank you,” Nephteros said as she obediently accepted the cup from Chastille, and after hydrating herself, her thoughts grew clearer.

  “I feel like... I saw a bad dream.”

  “Do you not remember it?”

  I don’t remember, but it really was a terrible dream... Nephteros thought as she nodded. She didn’t remember what was going on or what she saw, but she felt like she’d been filled with hate in that dream. Her hate was so grand that it couldn’t even be compared to the hate she held for Nephelia before. It was deep like a bottomless bog, and she was unable to struggle against that emotion.

  And yet, I also felt sad... She didn’t know why she felt a deep sense of despair in that dream, but those feelings were etched into her heart like scars. After wiping away her sweat, she noticed that Chastille was still looking at her anxiously.

  “It’s a dream I’ve been seeing often lately. Though, I hadn’t seen it for a while until now...”

  After talking about it, she remembered that she hadn’t really even slept over the past seven days or so.

  “When exactly do you mean by recently?” Chastille asked, knitting her brows.

  “...About the time... I was swallowed by that ‘sludge,’” Nephteros replied hesitantly.

  “C-Could that be an after-effect of being eaten by it!?” Chastille exclaimed as she rose to her feet with a bang.

  “I think... it’s a little different. I mean, there’s no effect on my body, but...” Nephteros’ words drifted off for a bit as she found it hard explain the disgusting sight before saying, “I think what I saw in my dreams...
was the Demon Lord.”

  “What do you mean? Something like the Demon Lord’s memories?” Chastille asked as her eyes shot open.

  “I don’t know. Like I said, I don’t even remember what happened in the dream.”

  “Is it painful?” Chastille looked at her anxiously, finding it hard to ask her a proper question.

  “It isn’t pleasant, but...” Nephteros paused, putting her thoughts together before continuing with, “The ‘sludge’ was trapped in the depths of despair within my dream. It hated anything and everything, it was in pain, and it was so sad that it couldn’t even breathe.”

  “Hold on. Does that mean the Demon Lord feels the same emotions as us?”

  “I only felt it in my dream... but I think so...”

  The demon they saw in the hidden elven village was far too mindless to be considered sentient. And even if it did possess a mind of its own, it was difficult to believe that it held the same emotions as humans. Yet, Nephteros believed that the feelings of despair in her dreams were the emotions of the Demon Lord.

  “Does Bifrons also know about this?” Chastille questioned Nephteros after a brief pause.

  “No. I thought Bifrons would make fun of me, so I never talked about it with anyone else,” Nephteros said as she shook her head.

  “Then why me?” Chastille asked, seemingly shocked.

  “Now that you mention it, that’s true... Why did I trust you?” Nephteros stared back at Chastille in wonder as she mulled over that dilemma. And as Nephteros was worried about how she couldn’t explain her actions, Chastille gazed at her with a gentle smile, which left her even more confused.

  “Huh...? What?”

  “No, I just thought that maybe you’ve started to trust me.”

  “Trust...?” Nephteros got worked up and was about to deny it, but before she could, Chastille stood up. She was already wearing her Anointed Armor, and Nephteros could tell that she was heading out to battle.

  “Sorry, but it’s about time that I need to head out on my mission. If the person from yesterday is targeting me, then they shouldn’t show up here again. Please get some rest.”

  “...Wait,” Nephteros said as she moved her legs out of bed. She was unable to shake off her fatigue, but it didn’t stop her from moving. She was far better off than she was the last few days when she was running about without even having any water.

  “I’ll go with you. You’re planning to take care of the chimera, right? That thing is after me, so things will go more smoothly if I’m with you.”

  “You’ll help us?”

  I’ve finally learned how horrible it is to watch others die because of me... Nephteros thought as she averted her gaze. Chastille was no slouch, but she likely had no way to defeat an immortal monster on her own. That was why Nephteros wanted to assist her. However, there was no way that she could honestly put those feelings into words, so she simply pouted and turned her face away.

  “I’d also like to be rid of that thing forever, and I just figured it’d be more efficient for two people two face it rather than one.”

  “I see... Well, thanks. That chimera may be too much for me to handle alone. Please lend me your help, Nephteros,” Chastille said as she looked back at her with a strained smile.

  “I-If you insist!”

  And just as the two of them were about to head out... Nephteros felt a shiver run down her spine, and looked out the window.

  “What’s wrong, Nephteros?”

  “It seems... it’s coming from over there.”

  After hurriedly opening the window, they spotted a hooded figure in the plaza outside the building. It had the shape of a person, but Nephteros was convinced it was the chimera that had been chasing her for ages.

  There’s no mistaking this discomforting feeling... The robe had lost its meaning as a cloak because of the continuous battles with Nephteros and the Angelic Knights, but the hood itself still stubbornly concealed its face. She didn’t know who it tore them from, but it was wearing filthy clothes. And upon taking in that sight, Nephteros suddenly remembered something.

  It’s probably just a coincidence, but that thing’s physique is the same as that Azazel from yesterday... She wasn’t positive of that fact because the assailant from the other day was wearing clothing that obscured them, but she had a hunch that they were the same. And perhaps because it was waiting for them to come out, the shadowy figure in the hood simply stood there looking at up them, showing no signs of launching an attack.

  “You’re kidding...” Chastille became visibly pale as she said that.

  “Why are you trembling? Listen, Bifrons would think nothing of causing chaos in the middle of town. Let’s get rid of it befo—”

  “That’s not the problem!” Chastille screamed in a voice that was clearly on the verge of tears. And then, she pointed at the shadowy figure with a trembling finger and said, “Those are the clothes... of a girl we took into our care yesterday.”

  She was a girl who was abducted by slavers and escaped to the safety of the church. They were the clothes that she was wearing back then... and they were now covered in blood as they draped over the monster before them.

  ◇

  “Hey there! Long time no see, Archdemon Zagan.”

  After turning around to face the source of the voice, Zagan’s body stiffened up. The one standing there wasn’t the figure of that repulsive Archdemon. It was a vulpin girl with triangular ears and a fluffy tail. Her clothes looked to be supplied to her by the church. She was wearing a black one-piece dress that looked similar to what a nun would wear. It was the girl Kuroka was running about looking for, Kuu. Zagan was filled with disgust and caution as he practically spat out words at the girl.

  “What are you planning to do in that repulsive form, Bifrons?”

  The vulpin girl merely blinked back at him blankly, seemingly confused.

  “What’s wrong, Mister? What’s a by-fronz?”

  “Cut the crap,” Zagan roared as he clenched his fist, then swung it down at the girl without hesitation.

  “Aahahahaa! Why’re you so mad, Mister?”

  After leaping into the air nimbly and dodging Zagan’s fist, the vulpin girl grabbed onto a tree branch overhead and laughed while hanging there. She then twirled around the branch with a somersault and landed atop it. And what came out of the girl’s mouth next... was an irritating voice that could not be discerned as that of either a boy or a girl.

  “Come on, there’s no reason to get all upset! This is just a prank, a small joke, even. It’s a form I don’t usually take on, so I’ve gotta enjoy it a bit here.”

  “You’re the only bastard having fun here...” Zagan replied as he clenched his fist, intending to pulverize the entire tree. However, the girl stuck out both her hands in an attempt to stop him.

  “Hey, hold on. I just came to talk. Isn’t it fine to keep me company for a bit?”

  “Why would I want to talk to somebody who’s about to die?” Zagan proclaimed as he cocked his head to the side. His answer simply made the girl’s mouth warp into a hideous smile.

  “Hang on, you should stop right there. This body’s the real deal. I’ll have you know it belongs to that pitiful girl that you so kindly saved. It’d be no skin off my nose if you killed her, you know?”

  In short, she’s a hostage... It may have been good fortune that Kuroka left earlier. In any case, Zagan never thought he would hate the idea of having a simple conversation that much. Though, perhaps that just came naturally when dealing with Archdemons.

  “I thought you’d be a little shaken, but maybe you’ve got a thing for the stink of beasts too? Go on, take a look! This body is quite developed, so wouldn’t it be a waste to kill her? I mean, I even had to go to the trouble of finding people who’d pounce on her in a heartbeat. Ahahaha!”

  The girl twisted about while touching her own waist and breasts, at which point a tear streaked down from her eye.

  This scumbag... Seems Kuu’s consciousness is still intact..
. The innocent smile she showed him when he split his apple with her and the way she nervously said that Zagan wasn’t someone scary weren’t a part of Bifrons’ act. And as he came to that realization, Zagan also figured out that fact that he came into contact with her in the first place was a trap to chip away at his desire to fight. It was likely that everything from her being abducted to her running into Zagan as she tried to escape was all an elaborate ruse. As Zagan quietly lowered his fist, the girl finally put her hand to her chest in relief.

  “Looks like you’re finally willing to listen to me. Actually, there’s something I’d like to ask of you.”

  “Don’t touch me.”

  The girl tried to wrap her arm around Zagan in an over-familiar manner, and Zagan cruelly brushed her off.

  “Ahahah, come now, don’t you feel sorry for this girl? Even though she’s trembling here with no idea what’s happening to her own body, you’re acting all cold.”

  “...Get to the point already,” Zagan snapped back. Honestly, he did find Kuu pitiful, but he could not afford to lower his guard when Bifrons was still controlling her. There was no way he would show her the slightest opening.

  “Well, whatever. You’ve likely already noticed, but my little pet ran away from home and stumbled into this town. I want to take her back, so could you let me act as I want here for a bit?”

  “How shameless. You dare to ask me for a favor after unleashing that dangerous chimera in my domain?”

  “No, listen, that’s a misunderstanding. My chimera hasn’t taken even a single step into town, and it didn’t lay a hand on those stupid Angelic Knights until they drew their swords, you know? I’m hoping you can see that this was all unintentional. I swear, I’m acting in good faith right now.”

  “Good faith? What a load of crap. You plan on dragging Nephteros back no matter what I say here. Be honest, you’re only revealing yourself now because your preparations are complete. You went out of your way to hijack that brat’s body as part of your plan, right?” Zagan replied in a critical tone.

  Bifrons wasn’t asking for permission. This was a declaration of war. A statement that Archdemon Bifrons was invading Archdemon Zagan’s domain. It was only natural that all their pieces were already in place. The girl then smiled as if that response was exactly what she wanted to hear.