“The flowers in the flowerbed are blooming. Come look.”
“I see. Very well, let’s go,” Kimaris replied smoothly using human speech. Then, the black lion began to walk briskly on his four legs, and Foll rode on top of him as if it were perfectly natural.
Zagan hesitated, wondering whether he should interrupt them, but he was searching for Nephy, so he quietly trailed them. Before long, the lion came to a stop near a growth of beautiful pink flowers.
“They sure have bloomed beautifully, haven’t they, little lady?”
“It’s ’cause I gave them snake blood every day.”
“How admirable. Well then, shall we harvest them?”
“Mmm... Yeah,” Foll nodded in agreement as she accepted Kimaris’ request. In response, the black lion began growling in a deep voice. From the outside, it looked like an innocent girl was being menaced by a beast of prey, but Foll didn’t show even a hint of fear. Instead, she gripped the stem of the freshly blooming flower with all her might. And then, just as Zagan was wondering what she was doing, she vigorously yanked it out.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Immediately following that, a shriek that made him want to cover his ears rang out. Upon taking a closer look, Zagan noticed that the root of the flower Foll yanked out had a human-like shape, and the shriek had come out of its mouth.
“Look Kimry, it’s huge!” Foll claimed as she let out a sigh of satisfaction.
“You sure raised it well. For a moment, I panicked and thought I wouldn’t be able to neutralize it in time.”
The human-shaped root was large enough to be an armful for Foll. In fact, it was about the size of a human baby. This plant was called a mandrake. It was something that was often used as an ingredient in potions, and the moment it was pulled from the earth, it shrieked out a curse. Any regular person who heard that shriek would die, and it was even atrocious enough to drive most sorcerers mad.
Kimaris seemed to specialize in sorcery related to sound, so it appeared he was taking care of blocking off the mandrake’s shriek.
“You’re worrying too much, Kimry. No way a mandrake’s scream can break through a dragon’s mana!” Foll proclaimed as she shook her head in derision.
Foll may have been young, but she was still a dragon. Dragons possessed natural resistance to all curses and sorcery, so they were able to easily repel the shriek of a mandrake.
“It is not like all the sorcerers here have the same power as you or I, little lady. They are also Sir Zagan’s subordinates, so we must ensure their safety.”
“Mmm... That’s why I brought you along, Kimry.”
“That was very admirable of you, little lady.”
After that, the two of them turned to Zagan.
“Did you need something, Sir Zagan?”
“Yeah, I’m just looking for Nephy...”
“Well, I saw her heading toward the throne room. It looked like she was searching for you, Sir Zagan.”
“Really...? Thanks for the tip. I’ll go take a look, then.”
It seemed that she was also searching for him, and they missed each other yet again. After he thanked Kimaris, Zagan looked over to his daughter. The adorable young girl was cradling the large mandrake as if it were precious.
“Foll, what are you using that for?”
“A snack,” Foll replied without hesitation, which left Zagan at a sudden loss for words.
“...I see. Is it tasty?”
“Mmm... It’s packed full of sweet mana and tastes really good!”
Now that she mentioned it, Zagan recalled that there was apparently an incident where a mandrake field a sorcerer was raising was devoured by a dragon. It wasn’t very well known, but perhaps they were a dragon’s favorite food.
“Well, that’s good... Could it be... that your usual meals aren’t enough for you?”
Foll appeared to be just a small girl, but her original form was more than large enough to fit a human rider as she soared through the sky. Despite that, she still had a petite build for a dragon, so he assumed they had been feeding her enough. However, his human standards for meals may have misled him.
“Nuh-uh. Nephy’s food is delicious, and I get more than enough of it. It’s just, I’m weak, so I have to build up my mana.”
She called herself weak, but Foll was strong enough to easily beat any run-of-the-mill sorcerer. That probably meant she wanted to grow as a dragon.
“Zagan, do you want some, too?” Foll asked as she stuck her large mandrake out toward him.
“...Maybe later,” Zagan responded. And after patting her head one last time, he spun on his heels and walked over to the throne room.
◇
Upon returning to the throne room, Zagan found Raphael and Selphy there... and he had no idea what she was guilty of, but Selphy was pale and trembled as Raphael grasped the scruff of her neck.
“My liege, we have an intruder. Shall I dispose of her, or would you prefer I hand her over to those damn subordinates of yours?”
Raphael was a man who had cut down close to five hundred sorcerers in self-defense, so he created misunderstandings and prejudice as he walked about. Selphy, on the other hand, was the type of person who clearly didn’t listen to what others were saying. Logically, there was no way the two of them would share any sort of proper conversation.
I should have predicted it would end up like this... He normally would have noticed, but he hadn’t really been paying attention to others since he was out looking for Nephy.
“Ah... It seems Nephy picked her up. Do you have some kind of job you can give her?”
“Hmm, so you plan to put her to work here?”
“Is that not possible?”
“It’s not impossible, but I cannot guarantee this fellow will survive.”
“Eeeeeek,” Selphy shrieked and trembled, but Zagan nodded like it didn’t really matter.
“If we inform my subordinates that Selphy isn’t fodder or a toy, no one will touch her.”
“Then there is no problem. I shall impress what it means to work for Archdemon Zagan into her very soul.”
“Actually, I’ll just head home! I’m fine being unemployed, really!”
“You fool. You have already come into the service of my liege. Put your damn life on the line and work.”
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
He’s actually saying that he’ll teach her everything she needs to know to do her job, right...? Though he sensed the true meaning of Raphael’s words, Zagan remained silent and took a seat atop his throne. It would have been fine for him to dispel the misunderstanding, but if she truly planned on working at his castle, it was better for her to get used to it. That was why he decided to leave it be. And just as that uproar worsened...
“Master Zagan, are you in the middle of something?”
A voice as melodious as a chime called out to him. And when he turned his gaze toward the source, he saw Nephy standing at the entrance to the throne room. She was wearing her usual ultramarine one piece dress and apron combo, the outfit of a maid, and there was a boorish collar around her neck. Her snow-white hair went down to her waist, and her eyes were azure like a serene lake.
Nephy’s pointy ears were a racial trait of elves, but while this girl was an elf, she was also far more. She was actually the descendant of an ancient species called high elves. And on top of that, she was the woman Zagan couldn’t help but love.
Oh, right, Nephy was also searching for me... Nephy may have had something important to discuss. And so, Zagan shook his head and replied to her.
“No, I’ve concluded my business. Don’t worry about it.”
“I see...” Nephy tilted her head to the side, clearly puzzled at the sight of Selphy’s face, which was a mess of tears and mucus.
“Mizz Nephy, zaaaaaaaaaaaafe meeeeeeeeeeee.”
“Ah, I ended up hiring her to help Raphael out.”
For a moment after Nephy heard Zagan’s explanation, she remained expres
sionless and the tips of her ears happily quivered. Then, she clapped her hands together.
“Good for you, Miss Selphy.”
“Are you, like, even listening to me at all?” Selphy’s expression sank into despair as she questioned whether she had any allies left in this place.
“Preparations for lunch are complete, but will you be having it later?” Raphael asked Zagan, ignoring Selphy completely.
“Yeah. You can eat without us.”
Naturally, he had been searching for Nephy because he had business with her. And since he wished to discuss a fairly delicate matter that could take long, he didn’t want to make the other sorcerers wait.
“As you wish,” Raphael said as he put his hand to his chest and bowed.
“It seems like you’ve been searching for me,” Zagan claimed as he beckoned Nephy over. Zagan also had something he wished to talk about, but he wanted to hear what she had to say first.
“Yes. There’s something... that I would like to speak with you about.”
“...I see. For the time being, take a seat.”
“Understood...” Nephy said as she walked up to the front of Zagan’s throne. And then, just like that, she plunked her butt down onto Zagan’s lap.
Ignoring Selphy, who appeared stunned by her action, Nephy tilted her head to the side.
“Like this?”
“Mmm, very well.”
“That’s oka— Oomph!?”
Zagan thought Selphy was making some sort of commotion, but by the time he looked over to her, Raphael had already sealed her mouth.
There were other chairs in the corners of the throne room, but Nephy showed no hesitation as she plunked down on Zagan’s lap. And yet, she was still leaning forward to put more weight on her feet and not overburden Zagan, which he found so charming. However, Zagan also felt his face start to contort due to the feeling of her soft butt and thighs.
I feel like Nephy has been behaving a lot more spoiled lately...
Ever since the incident with Bifrons, Nephy had lost all reservations about sitting on Zagan’s lap. It seemed like she no longer even held any doubts about it.
After basking in the situation for a moment, Zagan directed a hearty nod at Raphael, who took Selphy and left the throne room.
“Holy crap. Mister Archdemon is a pretty generous guy.”
“The extent of my liege’s thoughtfulness is not something that we can surmise.”
“So what, you’re not sure how deep it goes?” Selphy was clamoring about something right until the end, but it probably wasn’t something Zagan had to concern himself with.
After the two of them walked off into the distance, Zagan looked over to Nephy. She was fiddling with her hair using her fingers, seemingly conflicted about something. Her pointy ears were gradually drooping, and after jumping back up stiffly for an instant, they would simply droop again. It was rather apparent that she had worked up the courage to talk to him, but it seemed like her nerves got the better of her each time she tried to speak her mind.
Hmm, maybe I should try to calm her down somehow?
He wasn’t in a hurry. No, he simply wished to encourage the girl he loved. And so, after worrying about it for a while, Zagan scooped up some of Nephy’s hair. Then, he tried to brush it against the strands Nephy was fiddling with.
“Huh...?”
“...”
Nephy’s ears quivered in surprise, and she looked up at Zagan. Apparently, she had not expected such an action from him. And honestly, even Zagan couldn’t explain why he did such a thing, so the two of them just ended up staring at each other silently.
Now that I take a good look at it, her hair is actually transparent, isn’t it? Mmm... How beautiful. The pigment had faded, and it was basically transparent. Seemed it only looked white because it was all bunched together.
Nephy hung her head down as if deliberating something, and then nodded as if she had thought up a brilliant idea. Following that, she leaned back into Zagan’s chest and used the tips of the hair she was fiddling with to brush Zagan’s neck.
Huh? What’s with this situation? I mean, I can’t complain, but...
In any case, Nephy was extremely cute as she tried to tickle Zagan with a serious expression on her face. He just wanted to hug her tightly right away. However, the Archdemon simply reclined back into his throne, playing with his bride’s hair all the while, as Nephy continued tickling his neck.
A rather awkward silence stretched out for quite a while as the two figures continued their actions. And the first one to break that silence... was Zagan.
“That tickles...”
“...Should I stop?”
“No, it’s fine, keep going.”
Even Zagan himself didn’t know what was ‘fine’ about it, but it didn’t feel bad. Or rather, it felt warm and comfortable to him. And after that continued for a while longer, Nephy finally worked up her courage and opened her mouth to speak.
“Master Zagan, in truth, I have come to make an earnest request of you.”
It was the first time Nephy had done anything like this, and she was being so formal to boot. Confused by her, Zagan tensed up as he nodded back to her.
“Hm... Let’s hear it.”
Nephy took a deep breath when she heard his response. The feeling of her chest swelling up with her sweet breath was directly passed on to him, which made Zagan reflexively wrap his arms around her back.
Nephy’s body trembled with a twitch, but she still opened her mouth, fighting back her nerves.
“Could you... allow me to take a leave of absence for a short while?” Nephy was making a request to leave Zagan’s side, which should have made Zagan sink into depression. However, he instead cut right to the chase without being agitated at all.
“I see... So you want to go and investigate the elven village, then?”
“...H-Huh?” Nephy’s mouth flapped open and closed. She was shocked, as Zagan seemed to have read her mind.
“H-How did you figure that out?”
“I can tell just by looking, right?”
“Is that so...” Nephy still seemed to be quite bewildered, but her ears were standing up as if she was somehow relieved.
I mean, I was looking for her because I wanted to invite her to travel there together... It had already been a month, but because of a chance meeting with Archdemon Bifrons, Nephy found out that she was a high elf. In addition, she found out that the Celestian language only she was able to understand were the words of the high elves. That revelation sure made her want to rush out of the castle right away, but due to all the new subordinates Zagan had gained, she instead waited until the housework around the castle could be managed by the staff.
Once in a while, her ears made it clear that she was troubled... Zagan wanted to fulfill her desires as soon as possible, but he was not used to relying on strangers. It took quite some time until he was convinced that he had nothing to worry about with his new subordinates. And that newfound knowledge was why Zagan replied nonchalantly.
“I’ve been thinking now’s the right time to take you there, Nephy.”
“By take me there... you mean you will be coming as well, Master Zagan?”
“There are guys like Bifrons running about, so I can’t just let you go on your own,” Zagan said, then turned to look over to the door Raphael left through and continued, “Fortunately, those new subordinates of mine are obedient. Leaving the castle in Raphael’s capable hands should be enough.”
If Zagan were to leave for the hidden village, then the castle would be missing its master, so only Raphael could take charge.
“Master Zagan, you’ve seen through everything, haven’t you?”
“Not everything.”
“I will accompany you... no matter where you go. No matter where it is... please take me along, Master Zagan.”
“I-I shall...” Zagan said, returning an exaggerated nod to her. At that exact moment, a sudden thought popped into his mind.
Nephy’s b
irthplace... huh?
It may have been a place full of painful memories to Nephy, but he was overjoyed by the idea of visiting the place where she grew up.
And just like that, Zagan’s household ended up following Nephy on her visit home.
◇
“Hmph... So this is the castle Nephy is staying in?”
A lone girl was floating in the sky above Zagan’s castle. Her hair was silver bordering on white, and she had eyes that shone like the moon. She was a dark elf with swarthy skin who wore a rather risque outfit. Also, her face was astonishingly similar to Nephy’s. The girl’s name was Nephteros. She was Archdemon Bifrons’ servant, a high elf who hated Nephy.
Nephelia... That girl who had the same face as her. Even though they were both supposedly high elves, Bifrons valued Nephelia more. And that fact made embers of hatred burn within Nephteros’ heart.
If she were to launch a surprise attack from here and throw in her sorcery, even an Archdemon would be unable to protect Nephelia. And in that moment, Nephteros had the ideal opportunity to launch her assault. Or that was the case, but...
“What a lucky woman...” Nephteros had not come to kill Nephelia. If she launched an attack against the castle, she would no longer be able to accomplish her true goal. That was why all she could do was glare at the castle in an annoyed manner.
Nephteros had something wrapped around her arm. As soon as I finish delivering this, I won’t have any more business with this annoying castle...
The castle below her eyes had a countless number of powerful barriers delicately arranged around it. The fundamentals of sorcery involved drawing magic circles. By reading and understanding grimoires, those magic circles could be enhanced.
Remarkably, the barrier surrounding Zagan’s castle made use of the surrounding forest and wove it in as a portion of the barrier. The position of much of the trees and brooks was easy enough to utilize, but the shadows cast by the moon and the sun, and even the sound of the wind blowing through the forest, were all functioning as part of the magic circle. In other words, it was constructed so that the structure of the barrier changed depending on the time and the direction of the wind.
Any method of breaking through wouldn’t work a second time. It was a fearsome barrier that had no real weakness.
An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 4 Page 2
