“I don’t really think that’s the case, though...” Barbatos insisted that it was completely worthless, which irritated Zagan.
“I granted Nephteros sorcery that could kill Bifrons. Having said that, it was something I threw together on the spot, so that Archdemon could have easily dismantled it.”
It used a simplified Heaven’s Scale to send Bifrons’ head flying, but it wasn’t enough to kill them. Still, it wasn’t like Bifrons didn’t experience the pain.
“And yet, Bifrons remained quiet and simply took it. I’m guessing that seeing Nephteros delighted over accomplishing something she thought impossible made Bifrons happy, so they allowed it.”
“And that’s why you think Bifrons is in love? Isn’t that a stretch?”
“You may be right. However, the reason I’m so confident is because after Nephteros found out about the truth, Bifrons never tried to kill her directly.”
“Yeah, killing someone you’re in love with would be pretty messed up...” Barbatos mumbled. The fact that he truly believed that showed that he may have actually been a good person at heart.
“Bifrons could have ended Nephteros’ life at any moment, yet they never even tried. Or rather, Bifrons couldn’t. I’d guess that Bifrons was trying to get Nephteros to return after cornering her. But unfortunately, she ended up running away all the way into my domain.”
It wasn’t clear whether Bifrons was aware of any of their own conduct back then, but even that Archdemon should have understood that it wasn’t worth making an enemy out of Zagan.
“Are there any idiots out there who would pick a fight with someone they couldn’t defeat in their own domain? Bifrons dared to challenge me in my domain after losing on the boat, which meant they had no other choice.”
That was because Bifrons knew he would try to save Nephteros. And if that happened, Bifrons would never get her back. That was why they could only desperately struggle to eke out a victory.
“Bifrons had no time, no hands to play, no chance at victory, and paid no attention to their own appearance while attempting to reclaim her. No one would ever do all that for a mere tool. I’m certain that was only possible because deep down, Bifrons felt she was the most important thing in their life.”
That was why Zagan was convinced Bifrons was in love with Nephteros. And, since Bifrons wasn’t even aware of that, he used poisonous words to harm the Archdemon.
“A crazy asshole can fall in love with someone...” Barbatos seemed to almost sound scared of believing him.
“It’s not all that strange, is it? The longer you live alone, the lonelier you feel. Bifrons was always alone, so after experiencing the comfort of someone’s company for the first time, it was only natural that they fell in love.”
And yet, despite being fully aware of that fact, Zagan stole Nephteros. An Archdemon’s retribution was truly cruel.
“...” Barbatos didn’t say anything more, but oddly enough, Zagan couldn’t sense any sort of denial from him. And just like that, he closed the telepathic link between them. When Zagan glanced over to Barbatos, who was right behind him, he saw him scratching his head in a conflicted manner.
That reaction... Is he really...? Zagan faintly believed it to be the case already, but it seemed Barbatos was now aware of it as well.
“Is something wrong, Master Zagan?” Nephy asked as she noticed the mix of sympathy and bewilderment on Zagan’s face.
Zagan lowered his voice and whispered in reply.
“Oh... Um, last time, he asked me for some advice with his love life, so I was just thinking of how to reply,” Zagan lowered his voice and whispered in reply.
“My... Lord Barbatos really is the serious type in that regard,” Nephy muttered even as the tips of her ears turning slightly red.
Seems everyone knows your secret already, Barbatos...
Just this once, Zagan cheered on his undesirable friend.
◇
Though they were walking around in the middle of town, perhaps because of Barbatos’ appearance, they were unable to find a single person.
It doesn’t seem like away... Speaking of rustling clothes seemed strange underwater, but Zagan could hear people stirring about and breathing from within the houses. However, they all seemed to be on guard and were only watching from a distance. It may have been that sirens were a very cautious race. Zagan stood around, clearly troubled over how to ask for help when he suddenly heard a suspicious voice.
“Heeheeheehee... How surprising. This is truly surprising. To think the day would come where I would meet you once more.”
Behind me? Zagan turned around to confront the intruder.
“Hello, Silver-Eyed King.”
However, the one standing before him was a small girl. She looked to be about the same age as Zagan’s current form, if not a little older. At most, she was twelve or thirteen. She was likely the daughter of one of the participants at the conference, since she had two feet, which meant she wasn’t a siren. Additionally, her golden hair was tied up on both sides, and her eyes were like a golden moon. She also wore a black dress that was covered in frills, and she carried an eccentric looking stuffed toy in her thin arms.
Her hair and her clothes gave off an impression that reminded him of Lilith. However, the stuffed toy in her arms was the most eye-catching thing about her. It looked almost... undead. There were thick threads intentionally hanging off it, revealing the areas where it had been patched up. In a way, it was unique, though creepy felt like the more appropriate term. In any case, Zagan didn’t recognize the girl at all.
“What do you want?” Zagan asked. It would have been fine to ignore her, but he stopped because she was the first person he’d managed to meet in the area.
Silver-Eyed King... I think Lilith mentioned that name just earlier... Zagan’s eyes were also supposedly silver, though probably closer to blue or gray. Either way, it wasn’t proof of him belonging to some special species. Sure, it was rare, but it didn’t have any value the way elves or dragons did. In any case, this girl may have been someone who possessed power, which meant there was the possibility that she could assist in dispelling Zagan’s curse.
“Heeheehee, just like this child, your eyes are like lovely shells,” the young girl claimed as she stretched her hand out toward Zagan in a longing manner. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the stuffed toy’s eyes were made of shells that were shaped like big buttons.
“What are you talking about? I don’t know you.”
Feeling somewhat creeped out, Zagan took a step back. However, the young girl paid no mind to that at all, and drew in even closer.
“Even so, I know you... How nostalgic. How very, very nostalgic. Why, it’s so nostalgic that I feel like indulging myself and sucking you up right here.”
That was when Zagan realized the young girl who was forming an unbecoming suspicious smile had two fangs sticking out of her mouth.
“You’re... part of the Night Clan?”
Vampires, No Life Kings, Nosferatu. They were inhuman existences who had all sorts of detestable names. They were once human, but due to some unknown reason, they became detached from the circle of life and death. They were the most abominable beings in the world. And, at the same time, they were the very personification of the aspiration of all sorcerers, immortality. That was why sorcerers referred to them with respect as the Night Clan.
However, because they were even more heretical than sorcerers, the church thoroughly oppressed them. And since there weren’t all that many of them to begin with, they practically vanished from the continent entirely. It seemed they had also escaped to Liucaon to survive... though it wasn’t clear if that term was one fitting for those who knew naught of the concepts of life and death.
She isn’t actually as young as she looks, huh?
“Oh, so you’ve finally remembered me, Silver-Eyed King,” the girl of the Night Clan’s bright red lips twisted into a smile as she said that.
“...No, I’m telling yo
u that you have the wrong person. My name is—”
“I’m fully aware of that. You are he who inherited Marchosias’ sigil, the new Archdemon, Lord Zagan,” the girl said that, then readjusted the position of the stuffed toy in her arm and lifted up the hem of her skirt with her other hand to curtsy.
Is she just being a buffoon despite knowing all that? Zagan raised his guard as he mulled over such thoughts.
“In that case, why are you calling me Silver-Eyed King or whatev—!?” Zagan started questioning her, but the girl vanished from in front of his eyes.
She’s gone? Zagan hadn’t been careless, and yet, he lost sight of her entirely. That was a terrifying thought.
“Master Zagan!” Nephy screamed. And the moment he heard her voice, he felt a cold and wet sensation along his neck.
“But even so, the taste of your blood, your smell, and the color of your eyes are all the same...” the girl claimed. She had circled around directly behind Zagan instantaneously. And then, she began licking his neck with her bright red tongue.
Is she planning to suck my blood!? There were anecdotes that the Night Clan needed to suck the blood of others to maintain their existence. Zagan tried to shake her off, but her fingers were tightly clasped onto his shoulder, preventing any form of escape.
“Zagan doesn’t like it. Stop!” Foll exclaimed as she grabbed the girl’s head. Unfortunately, that just made the vampire gaze at Foll with her moon-like eyes.
“Oh my, I thought you were just a child with a large body, but it seems you’re a proper babysitter. Good girl, good girl.”
“...I feel like you’re dangerous, so don’t touch Zagan again,” Foll ordered as she put more strength into her arm and tried to crush the girl’s head. However, the girl’s body crumbled away before she could.
“Heeheehee, how scary. I see. Even a young dragon is a threat. I’m starting to fear for my life,” the girl stated as her body broke down into a countless number of bats, then reconstructed itself in the air.
“Then, you should just die,” Foll said as she stood in front of the newly released Zagan. And then, she swung her arm and wove countless magic circles in its path. Upon seeing those magic circles, Zagan suddenly turned pale.
Hold on... What’s with this number of circuits!? Zagan, who possessed the ability to devour sorcery, could see through the number of circuits woven into sorcery in an instant. Each magic circle Foll wove together had nearly ten thousand circuits within them, which was ridiculous. Heaven’s Phosphor, which Zagan was reluctant to teach to Foll, had a little less than ten thousand circuits, but here she was putting together tens of thousands of circuits in an instant.
In her current form, Foll could easily manipulate the Dragon Form and the Five Fold Grand Flower.
Before long, the magic circles piled up into three locations. They looked just like the frame of an enormous cannon. And in truth, that was exactly what they were.
“Vanish.” Foll muttered. And as she did, the three piles of magic circles let loose three distinct vivid lights. One let loose a severe heat ray that boiled the water and even burned the steam into nothing. One was a Borealis that froze over even the burned atmosphere itself and smashed it to bits. And the last was a hammer of lightning that could change the shape of a mountain.
Each one was a bundle of destruction that far surpassed what Foll’s breath could normally manage, yet all three of them were being used along a precise single line that didn’t even let a single small electrical discharge escape. They advanced, then eventually swallowed the vampire, but...
“Heeheeheehee, how violent. Dragons should show more restraint,” the girl stated as she floated about casually.
She didn’t dodge it... Did she block... No, that’s impossible, which means... Zagan let his thoughts run wild before arriving at the answer.
“I see. Members of the Night Clan are both here and not here at the same time.”
It was much like how the moon would not break because someone threw a pebble at its reflection in a lake. Zagan’s group was only witnessing a mirage, so there was no purpose in destroying it.
An Archdemon from a certain age referred to them as calamities with a will. Even if someone managed to destroy their bodies, they would not die, for they possessed no concept of death. Additionally, if one stabbed a stake through their heart and burned them to less than ash, they would only cease existing in the world for but a mere moment. Given time, they would appear again.
Preparing for a calamity could help minimize damages, but it could never actually prevent it, and the same could be said of the Night Clan.
“Oh my. Your silver eyes see through everything, but I can’t really admire someone who’s revealing a lady’s secret,” the girl confirmed what he said without showing any signs of hiding it, but Foll didn’t seem to understand the meaning of her words.
“What a weird power... I don’t know what it is, but is this enough to kill you?” Foll inquired. She appeared to be getting worked up by the vampire’s provocative behavior. And so, she opened her mouth and took in a huge breath.
“Stop that, Foll! If you unleash your breath now, you’ll blow away the town!”
“...” Foll remained silent. However, she surely noticed that fact herself.
Foll can’t control her power right now... She had suddenly acquired the body and power of an adult. At first, she faltered at the simple task of just walking around, so there was no way she could control her mana like that. The triplex sorcery she used just now was splendidly accurate, but that was because she didn’t even bring out half of her power. If she were to go all out, especially using her dragon’s breath, it was plain as day what would happen.
And so, Foll reluctantly withdrew the breath that she was preparing to unleash. It seemed the girl from the Night Clan foresaw that Zagan would stop her, as she didn’t show any signs at all of being perturbed.
“Could you not get so angry? All I did was come here to give you a small warning, since you’ve traveled so far to get here.”
“Does that mean you’re a participant of the elder’s conference?” Zagan asked, probing for the meaning behind her words.
“It is fine for you to believe so.”
“Huh? She’s part of the Night Clan, right? Why would someone who doesn’t even have to worry about surviving care about the extinction of other races?” Barbatos chimed in, sounding rather confused.
“...Oh my, that vulgar, perishable, sack of meat can speak?” the young girl replied as she stared at him with a vexed look in her eyes.
“You picking a fight!?” Barbatos roared in anger.
“Stop it, Barbatos. You were in the wrong there,” Zagan said as he let out a sigh. Members of the Night Clan still had feelings, after all. Even Zagan could tell that Barbatos’ little remark would touch a nerve.
“So? I’m certain you didn’t approach me to anger Foll, so what’s your business here?” Zagan inquired with a tired look in his eyes.
“Hm, I wonder... I am one who is disconnected from the cycle of life and death. A simple onlooker. I can do naught to those who possess life,” the girl claimed as she laughed evasively, then muttered, “...Even a thousand years ago, all I did was watch.”
“A thousand years ago...?”
What exactly did those words imply?
Raphael’s been dreaming of something from back then as well... What happened during that time period?
“Oh, that’s right. A warning. I came to give you a warning. I apologize. This has been so nostalgic and fun that I unintentionally forgot about it.”
“A warning?”
“Yes. If you wish to be rewarded, you should first listen to the demands of others.”
And, as if that were a signal, he heard the sound of loud footsteps drawing closer.
“Hang on! What’s with this uproar!?” Lilith ran straight up to them and started demanding answers. It seemed that she came to check on the town after hearing that trouble was brewing.
Wel
l, they could probably see Foll’s sorcery from the temple... And that was when Zagan finally realized the truth. The vampire girl had caused this uproar to draw Lilith here. She just had to provoke them and make one of Zagan’s companions go wild to draw her attention. And, if that still weren’t enough, she just needed to talk in a roundabout manner to buy time. It was a brilliant plan, which had already worked before Zagan even realized her intentions.
“Hey, the rich brat over there. What’s going on here?” Lilith asked as she faced Zagan.
“...You know who that is, don’t you?” Zagan asked as he pointed to the girl who was floating above them.
“Huh? What are y— Eeek! Lady Alshiera! Why are you here!?” Lilith shrieked, going completely stiff as she turned toward the vampire.
Her strong-willed face was dyed with terror, and the girl named Alshiera simply laughed as if she found her response strange.
“Oh my, if it isn’t my cute little fawn. I see that you’ve come all the way out here just to meet me. Should I be giving you a reward?”
“Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-That would be unthinkable! I c-c-can’t receive a reward from such an awe-inspiring ally!” Lilith responded in a meek manner as she was trembling so vigorously that it was pitiful.
Guess she’s also involved with this woman... Well, she was a monster who went unscathed after being attacked by Foll. Lilith wasn’t even a sorcerer, so it was no wonder that the poor succubus didn’t dare to oppose her. And, since her personality was so easy to understand, it was clear that Lilith was a victim who was dragged here on the vampire’s whim.
“Hey, does this girl really know that much?” Zagan asked as he clicked his tongue and stood in front of Lilith.
“Heehee, I’m so happy that you catch on quick. My cute little fawn here is quite clever. This child possesses the answer to your question, and if she can’t answer you, then you won’t find your answer here,” the vampire stated that with a laugh, as if enjoying the beginning of a fun play. And Zagan, in turn, looked back at her with a plainly displeased expression.
You want me to ask this annoying girl...? He hated the idea, but oddly enough, he didn’t feel like the vampire was lying... Well, having said that, it also didn’t sound like she was telling the truth, either.
An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 6 Page 14
