by CHIROLU
Latina was still an absolute novice of a demon lord who hardly knew anything of her own power.
“So can I think of that as one of the powers of a demon lord?”
“Yeah.”
As he watched Latina nod, Dale still had some reluctance, but part of him had accepted it. He hypothesized that demon lords were able to wield their power because when they became one, they gained such knowledge at the same time.
There was no way that a demon lord’s predecessor taught them their powers, and it was hard to imagine one demon lord teaching another. In that case, there must have been a system in place to educate them from the start.
Such a system was truly a work of the gods.
The ones who created demon lords were the gods, who were themselves the very laws of the world; since demon lords were beings living in this world, they were unable to ignore the intervention of the gods.
“Why do demon lords exist?”
“To prevent the world from growing stagnant. The gods are the very laws of the world, so they can’t interfere with it... with society, directly. Just like how the world exists, there are also administrators charged to keep things cycling, never stagnating. So from the perspective of normal people, those administrators must all be beings who can throw the world into chaos. That’s what demon lords are.”
“So it’s established... that some will be calamities, too?”
Dale’s contract with Laband was to oppose the threat of the demon lords of calamity, and he fought to defend the nation. The job may not have broken Dale’s spirit completely, but it certainly had caused him to suffer. He’d thought, If only demon lords didn’t exist... Even if he understood that they were established by the gods, he couldn’t help but resent that fact.
There was just a hint of harshness to Dale’s tone, but Latina remained composed as she responded to him.
“That’s why the gods also established opposing presences.”
As he stared straight at Latina, Dale calmed down a bit. A conditioned reflex to not want to let her see him worked up and scare her had long since taken root in Dale.
“Demon lords are born from the devil race. They’re kings born to the devils, so they become demon lords. Because they’re the race that birth demon lords, they’re called devils. Heroes are born from other races. They overturn the destiny that protects demon lords, and possess deep favor from the gods... The gods established their presence to eliminate demon lords from the world.”
“Overturn...”
Dale had heard that word used before. It referred to the power of a hero, which let them oppose demon lords.
“But why... were you chosen to become a demon lord?” Dale asked, also wondering what she meant by it being because of him.
Latina wore a troubled expression on her face and looked down at the floor.
Before long, she opened her mouth to speak. She looked despondent, as if she’d been scolded for something. “To be honest... I didn’t think that you would realize. I was planning... on talking to you about it a long time down the line, when I felt ready.”
The fledgling demon lord, Latina, was apparently also unprepared for this sudden development in many ways. Dale was also quite shaken, but that didn’t even compare to how shocked Latina was. She didn’t know about Dale’s abilities, so she hadn’t even considered the possibility that he’d see through her. She had no idea how Dale had known, but she hadn’t even had the chance to think about that. There was just too little time.
“I’m a demon lord, but one that exists outside of the natural order, so... I don’t have any great and powerful abilities... but I do have the powers granted to demon lords in general.”
She spoke the next line slowly. “Demon lords are able to create their own households.”
Demons.
The followers of a demon lord. They came from all races, not just those of man, and could include any beings with intelligence, such as mythical beasts and demi-humans. Their appearances didn’t change from those of their original race, but they possessed a vast amount of power that couldn’t even be compared to what they once had.
“That’s...” Latina hesitated once more. As if urging her onward, Dale gently stroked her hair. Feeling the warmth of that gentle hand, she looked like she was about to break out in tears as she looked up at Dale. “That’s the only chance... to grant my wish.”
“Your... wish?”
Latina clung tightly to Dale’s clothes. He sensed her unease from this action, which she’d often done since she was little.
“By... By becoming a demon, someone’s allotted time can change... So... So, I... I knew it was wrong... and yet... I’m sorry, I’m sorry...” Latina kept apologizing as the tears started streaming from her eyes.
Dale gave a small sigh, and then hugged her tight. “So... that’s why I’m the reason, huh...?”
Dale was aware that Latina had always worried about the difference in how long they would each live, as she was a devil and he was a human. However, there was nothing that could be done about that; the time would simply come when it came, so he thought they could only accept that time would flow on as it did. They had no choice but to resign themselves to it.
And yet Latina had presented an option other than giving up. She’d discovered a way to not need to accept that eternal farewell and loneliness that was sure to come as absolute. She’d had the only option possible thrust before her to achieve her long-held desire, to not lose that happiness that she’d finally gained.
The abilities of a demon far exceeded those of their original race, and their lifespans were altered as well. They were granted more time in order to serve their master.
Even if they were originally human, someone could live as long as a demon lord if they were a demon.
“Because of me...” Dale muttered, but then shook his head midway through. “You became a demon lord for my sake.”
“I... I’m sorry, Dale... I’m sorry...”
“You don’t need to apologize. It’s alright,” Dale said, hugging Latina tightly. Within his trembling heart, he searched for words to say. “Latina, you... want me... to be your retainer...?”
For some reason, Latina’s eyes shot open wide in response.
“Latina...?” Dale looked surprised as Latina shook her head back and forth.
“I can’t tell you to become something other than human... I won’t say that... you should become a being outside the natural order... I couldn’t reject the possibility, and I was weak, so I reached out for it, but... but I still can’t make you, who I love so much... into something else...”
For some reason, her reply brought a smile to his face. He gained the resolve he needed and gave the response that he needed to: he hugged her tightly once more. He buried his face in her soft, platinum hair and was surrounded by a sweet, gentle scent.
“Dale?”
“You’re still you, Latina.”
She hadn’t changed. She was still that same girl who was so precious to him. And so, he would still remain himself, too.
“Alright.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t mind becoming your retainer... a demon.”
His smile was completely natural. It wasn’t at all forced, and it came from the depths of his heart.
“I don’t want to leave you all alone, either.”
In that case, that was a choice he should make, too.
“I-I can’t, Dale!”
“Why?”
“I mean... because...” Having Dale tell her so bluntly that he’d stop being human made Latina turn beet-red. Completely flustered, she tried to persuade him.
Thinking on how normally this situation would be reversed, Dale couldn’t help but grin even wider. Even after seeking that power, Latina was still carefully thinking about him. She was such a kind girl and incredibly precious to him.
“I want to live the same amount of time as you, Latina.”
And so, Dale shared her desire.
“Ju
st like how you say that I’m the one for you... you’re precious to me, too.”
With those words, Latina was unable to stop the tears from flowing from her big grey eyes. She clung to Dale and sobbed out of gladness for his kind words, his approval, and the way he was granting her wish.
“It... It only needs to be you, Dale.” As she said that, a smile crossed the new demon lord’s tear-stained face.
There were many people who were precious to her. However, she didn’t believe that she could stay with all of them forever. She didn’t seek that. Even if demon lords possessed powers similar to those of the gods, they weren’t omnipotent. And so, she only sought him. She wished to stay with him, the most precious, beloved person to her, the one she never wanted to lose.
“I promised you, right? That I’ll stay with you until my time is up. This all falls within that promise, too.”
“I’m sorry...”
“You don’t need to apologize. After all, I chose it myself.”
“...Thank you, Dale.” Latina gently held out her hand and grasped his, which was bigger than her own. She brought it up to her cheek and closed her eyes. She knew what she needed to do. That was because even though she hardly understood anything about her abilities as a demon lord, this power alone was the one she had sought.
That hand of his had rescued her. He’d offered it to her back then and saved not only her life, but her heart and soul as well.
“My greatest happiness comes from you saving me, Dale.”
If she hadn’t met him there, or had been found by someone else, the current her wouldn’t exist. She was only able to say she was happy now because of their encounter back then. He had granted her all of her happiness.
The warmth from his palm had saved her countless times. Every time they’d walked together hand-in-hand had become a precious memory to her. And so, that was the place she chose for the symbol of their bond.
Numbered eight, or perhaps zero, this demon lord who existed outside the natural order engraved his name as a retainer, as her demon, there.
†
Dale held his left hand up in front of his eyes. He clenched it, then opened it again. After repeating the action several times, he concentrated the magic circulating through his body there. Faint, flickering letters appeared on the back of his hand, forming a word he couldn’t read.
Noticing where Dale was staring, Latina explained, “The language of the devils is also spell language, and it has a high affinity related to magic, That’s why the letters that are engraved need to be a devil word.”
Dale was able to use magic, but he couldn’t read the alphabet of the devils’ mother tongue. There wasn’t any formal interaction between devils and humans, so he didn’t have many chances to learn about their culture.
“I wanted to use your name, but...”
“Well, it’s fine. I got a precious name from you, so it’s no problem,” Dale said, patting her head with his right hand.
Dale was right-handed, so he generally offered his left to Latina. If something suddenly happened with the precious girl by his side, having his dominant hand occupied could prove fatal.
“It’s almost shocking how much I feel like my regular self...” Dale muttered. While he sensed a power stirring within him that hadn’t been there previously, he couldn’t sense anything else that had changed.
It didn’t seem like that newly gained power was uncontrollable, either. Dale was an excellent magic user to start with, and he possessed a high level of divine protection, so he was proficient at controlling great powers. And even though he’d gained this massive power, he had no intention of wielding it.
“I didn’t mess with your sense of self,” Latina whispered in objection, pouting a little.
Having heard that, Dale asked more in detail, “Could you do that?”
“It’s possible to mentally control someone so they can’t disobey. The demon lords who treat their retainers like slaves all do that. I think the other demon lords all use restrictions, too...”
“Restrictions?”
“Like making it so that demons can’t use the power they’ve gained... to kill their master.”
“Ah, I see...”
No matter how much they swore loyalty, there was no guarantee that a demon wouldn’t have a change of heart down the line. It seemed obvious, like putting a collar around their neck in order to avoid risks. It was necessary compensation for the great power they gained as demons.
“But I didn’t do that to you, Dale.”
“Huh?” Because he understood the meaning behind those restraints, Dale was taken aback by Latina’s words. “Why?”
“I want you to be someone who can step in and stop me when I do something wrong.” Those words were imbued with trust.
Dale buried down the question of what would happen if his heart ever changed, but being such a sharp girl, she picked up on Dale’s internal conflict.
“I love you, Dale, so I’d never want to do anything to change you. If I controlled you, though, then I may end up doing that someday. I could end up wanting you to look only at me... to be mine and mine alone... but I don’t want that. I love you, Dale, so I don’t want you to become someone else. I want you to always stay yourself. Even if you come to hate me someday, as long as that’s what you decided, I’ll accept it.”
“As if I could ever betray someone who says things like that...”
She was just too pure and adorable.
She really should wish for her own happiness more, but for whatever reason, this girl always put him before herself. She was such a naturally kind girl, so he just couldn’t leave her be, and wanted her to be happy more than anyone else. As long as she remained herself and by his side, he’d surely stay himself as well.
For the time being, he hugged her tight and kissed her forehead. Just once or twice wouldn’t be anywhere near enough.
“...Smaragdi.” Still in Dale’s arms, Latina’s gaze once more returned to the letters on the back of his left hand. What she’d muttered was her birth father’s name, as well as the name she’d given Dale as a demon.
Demon lords engraved names onto their retainers. That was the proof both that they were demons being granted mana by a demon lord and that they were being controlled by one. Dale had known all that, but he never imagined a day would come when he’d be given a demon name.
Latina had used her father’s name because the only names she knew in the devil alphabet were his and her own. She had been exiled from her home village as a criminal when she was so young that she hadn’t yet learned all of the letters. Her father’s blessing, which was engraved on the inside of her bangle, was the only letters from her home that she knew.
It wasn’t as if Latina had learned everything in the entire world just because she’d become a demon lord. She had no intention of trying to do that, either. It was hard to even say if she understood the scope of her own power and abilities. But she’d achieved her main objective in becoming a demon lord, so she didn’t want for anything more.
As a result, Latina the beginner demon lord left the things she didn’t know as unknown.
Dale also thought it was incredibly like her, the way that she was a little aloof and easy going.
“So, are you going to call me Smaragdi, then?”
“No, I won’t. But demons and people with high levels of mana will be able to read it... so there may be times you get called that.”
“I see.” He stopped concentrating his mana, and the letters disappeared. “Will this appear when I’m unconscious or anything?”
“Emotions and the like may have an effect on it.”
“How ambiguous...”
For a bit now, all of her responses had been somehow vague. Were all demon lords like this when they started out? There wasn’t even a hint of majesty to her. Perhaps demon lords inherently possessing solemnity and an intimidating air was just an assumption of humans.
While thinking such things, Dale had completely forgotten t
he fact that demon lords were beings like the gods, though not quite. Latina was just too much like her old self.
“I think such things may not disappear at all, normally.”
“Really?”
“It’s the proof of a demon lord’s control... You’re being affected by your ‘master,’ me, but I’m not controlling you.”
“...I see.”
For the time being, Dale at least understood that Latina had done something out of the norm.
Well, that wasn’t anything to be surprised about at this point. Ever since she was young, she’d far exceeded his expectations and those of the adults around her. Thinking about that, maybe the fact that she’d become a demon lord wasn’t so unexpected, after all.
Over the many years he’d known Latina, Dale’s common sense had drifted in a variety of ways. His own family was abnormal in many ways to start with, so he’d become fundamentally detached from the thinking of the average man.
Still... to think that I’ve become a demon... Dale thought, considering the ability he possessed. It wasn’t as though he regretted it or thought that he’d made the wrong choice, but he had made the decision on the spur of the moment.
The greatest issue was that he hadn’t even known if someone like him, an opposing presence to demon lords, could become the retainer of one. He’d considered how there’d been a chance that he couldn’t accept a demon lord’s power, or that something could have happened to endanger his body. But Dale had held his tongue because he was aware that if Latina knew there was a potential risk to him, she’d never do it.
No matter how strong her desire may be, she would have placed her concern for his safety first. Even when she should act selfishly, this kind girl always prioritized others. And so, knowing her well, Dale decided to take that risk for the sake of her wish.
In the end, it turned out to be a needless concern.
The effect of her mana as a demon lord was even less unpleasant than Dale had expected. Even the initial instinctual rejection he’d felt towards demon lords had faded once he realized it was Latina.
