I see... They’ve decided this after analyzing the whole situation... Zagan’s eyes widened when he came to that conclusion. It seemed he was thought of as a special existence even among the Archdemons thanks to his battles with Bifrons and Orias, so there weren’t any sorcerers out there who would risk incurring his wrath. And that was exactly why Lilith made that request of him in such a straightforward manner.
She also knows of loneliness... He felt like he understood why she was willing to go so far despite her fear. One of her two childhood friends fled their home and her whereabouts were unknown, and the other was believed to be dead. What sort of turbulent emotions could she have been feeling this whole time? Honestly, even Zagan couldn’t begin to guess. And so, he decided he had to confirm something.
“Well, I understand what you’re saying. By the way, under whose order were you assigned this role for negotiations?”
“Um, I wasn’t... ordered by anyone... To be honest... the elders were supposed to ask you directly...” Lilith jumped with a start, and mumbled those words in response.
“In other words, you decided to speak sharply to me, an Archdemon, of your own accord?”
“I-I mean... you’re saying you won’t meet with the elders, and if I let you go here, we might never meet again, so...” Lilith’s voice trailed off weakly as she started to feel like she did something she shouldn’t have. And yet, Zagan replied with a smile.
“Very well. I like that. I’ll take on your damn request.”
“R-Really!?” Lilith exclaimed, her expression brightening up in an instant.
“However, I will not succeeded Marchosias’ pledge. You’ve piqued my interest, so I’ll be taking you along under my wing. I don’t intend to protect total strangers.”
“Th-That’s no good! The others will be in danger if you don’t agree to help!”
“What are you saying? I said I would take on your damn request. I’ll lend you my name, so I won’t complain no matter who you decide to protect with it.”
“Uhhh...?” Lilith muttered. She couldn’t follow his words, so Kuroka cut in to clear her bewilderment.
“In the end, it’s all the same. If you and the others protect Liucaon, it’ll be just like he is.”
And finally coming to an understanding, Lilith let out a sigh of relief.
“I thank you for your consideration, Archdemon... but why do you have to say it in such a roundabout way?”
“Well, Mister Zagan’s, like, all shy and stuff, just like you!”
This dumb fish... Should I just roast her for dinner? Zagan glared at Selphy spitefully, but the siren simply smiled and waved back at him like she didn’t understand anything at all. Lilith was also glaring at Selphy in irritation, but she immediately calmed down and faced Zagan once more.
“Then, what would you have us give you to bind this pledge?”
Zagan was finally getting a chance to talk about what he came here for, so calmed down and nodded. Then, he glanced over at Nephy, who also nodded as if to cheer him on.
To think I’d be relieved by such a simple act...
“Me and my daughter are currently under the effects of a troublesome curse. I want the power and knowledge of Liucaon to dispel it,” Zagan explained as he pointed over to Foll. That was the only reason he traveled to Atlastia. And upon hearing that request, Lilith’s face stiffened up completely.
“Why do you think we can dispel a curse that an Archdemon can’t?”
“You have those Holy Treasures or whatever, right? And even if it’s only but a fragment, haven’t you all inherited the powers of that Silver-Eyed King?”
“...Got it. I’ll get the cooperation of the elders and we’ll try everything in our power, but... don’t expect too much from us, okay?” Lilith said after she hung her head down in thought for a while. And, leaving them with that, she ran off in a hurry.
Well, with this, I’ve finally accomplished my first goal... Zagan though as he sank back into the sofa. It would have been great if Lilith brought back some sort of clue with her.
“You did great today, Master Zagan,” Nephy called out to him in a voice laden with admiration.
“Well, I’m sure everyone’s worn out from it.”
“Perhaps, but you’ve worked extremely hard. Good job.”
Realizing that he was getting used to being treated like a child, Zagan became flustered on the inside. He then noticed that Foll had become quiet. His daughter was a person of few words, but the last conversation was focused on her, so she should’ve chimed in. However, she was simply staring up at the ceiling in a daze.
“Is something wrong, Foll?”
“...It’s nothing.”
Based on her reaction, Zagan had doubts, but he didn’t prod because he was worried about annoying her. And so, he lost the opportunity to do so. Perhaps it was because he was in the body of the child. Or perhaps he was just worn out like Nephy implied. Either way, after relaxing, Zagan was overwhelmed by a sense of drowsiness, and fell asleep before he even knew it.
◇
“Is Zagan asleep?”
The sirens had bedrooms prepared for their conference guests, so after Zagan fell asleep, Nephy laid him down in a bed. And, when she exited the room, she found Foll waiting for her.
“Yes. He was likely tired from the long trip. I must say, his sleeping face was so adorable...”
“...Nephy, you look happy.”
“Th-That’s not true!” Nephy shook her head in a fluster when her daughter teased her. Then, she admitted, “No, I may actually be happy.”
“Nephy?” Foll tilted her head to the side, clearly confused.
“With Master Zagan as he is now, there’s much we can do for him. He’s finally relying on me, and you as well, Foll...” Nephy stated with a strained smile before saying, “...No. That’s no good. Even though Master Zagan is troubled by this transformation, I’m saying I’m happy about his troubles.”
“No... I get it...” Foll said as she crouched down in front of the door quietly and hugged her knees.
“Zagan told me he wanted me to stay a child. I feel like I get that just a bit now. If Zagan were an adult, he wouldn’t get all angry or act spoiled like that.”
The person in question had no intention of acting spoiled, but at times like when Nephy and Foll were overbearingly feeding him food, he told them what he wanted next. That was in part because Nephy and the others were pushing childish behavior onto him, but they were happy that he accepted that and acted to fit the part.
“Zagan and Nephy... You guys didn’t have a time like that, but you can’t turn back the clock. Right now, Zagan only looks like a child,” Foll said in a sad voice, then let out a sigh and continued, “That’s why he gave me what I wanted, since he knew I’d learn a lesson.”
“In truth, you already knew that and didn’t like it, right?” Nephy asked as she sat down next to her daughter.
“Yeah...” Foll replied as she buried her face into her knees. Then, she added, “Still, I was happy too. Really happy.”
“It’s alright. People have to go through things like this to become proper adults,” Nephy explained as she began brushing her daughter’s head. That was also the case for Nephy. Thinking about her past experiences and the lessons she’d learned because of them was painful, so she lived without feeling anything at all. However, upon meeting Zagan, she experienced more things that put her life into a greater perspective, acquired a daughter in Foll, and had many residents come to the castle. And yet, despite all that, she still felt herself lacking in the life experience department.
In the end, Nephy didn’t believe herself to truly be an adult, but still, she felt like she was on the path to becoming one because of the many lessons she’d learned.
“Even though I’ve grown bigger, I’m still a child...” Foll muttered in a somewhat unconvinced tone.
“Yes. And I am one as well.”
“You are?” Foll asked as she stared back at Nephy in wonder.
&nb
sp; “Yes. For the longest time, all I did was cower without trying to learn a thing... But now, I can’t remain a child...” Nephy explained. In the past, she let the elves in her village who oppressed her get slaughtered, and for some reason, she was the only one who survived.
It may have been better to save them... However, if she did that, her life would have remained the same, and she would never have met Zagan. That was why she never once thought of wanting to undo her decision. Even if she were faced with that instant once more, she would simply allow them to be slaughtered again. It may have been possible to save them, but the village wouldn’t have remained if she did. And without the village, they would have eventually been discovered by humans, which would have resulted in the exact same outcome.
Nephy had decided to live while carrying that burden of the past. Without running away, she accepted it, carried it, properly faced forward, and marched on. That was the answer she arrived at after looking at her destroyed village. And, as a result, she couldn’t just remain a child any longer. That was all there was to it.
“Then, was Zagan also forced to become an adult?” Foll cocked her head to the side as she asked that question.
“Yes. I’m sure that’s the case... However, Master Zagan’s situation was even more pressing...”
What Nephy and Zagan had in common was that they both had nobody who would save them. They were both utterly alone. Of course, there were those who loved loneliness. For example, people who desired solitude when exhausted by the crowds. However, that was different from what Nephy and Zagan experienced. What they felt was a pain called ‘loneliness.’ And when faced with it, Nephy decided to shut her heart entirely, while Zagan chose to grow strong. If he hadn’t made that decision, he would have died. But unfortunately, he grew strong enough to fend off any and all distress without any effort, like a sword strong enough to cut straight through its own scabbard. Nephy believed this to be a truly saddening strength, which was why she wanted to become his scabbard. She wanted to become strong to help keep Zagan’s strength in check so he could live a more normal life.
In that sense, I can truly understand Foll’s feelings...
“I wonder... which I am... right now...” Foll muttered as she pinned down her own chest.
“Foll...” Nephy tried to call out to her when footsteps suddenly began approaching them from the hallway. She turned toward them and said, “Miss Lilith?”
It was the succubus. And, as Nephy called her name, she jumped up with a start.
Now that I think of it, I ended up threatening her earlier... The girl did seem rather arrogant, but that didn’t excuse the fact that she treated her rather poorly.
“Oh, um, you’re... Zagan’s... lover? And daughter... right?” Lilith spoke to them as she began backing off timidly. Nephy became bashful upon being called his lover, and as she unintentionally covered her face, Lilith continued, “U-Um, I made the appeal... t-to have the curse investigated... The elders promised t-to pour their h-hearts into cooperating, s-so I think a response should c-come... soon...”
“Th-Thank you very much. Um, shorr... sorry about earlier.”
“Are you pretending to be babies?”
Foll called them out despondently as she took in their constant stuttering.
“Um, I’ll apologize if I’m wrong, but you’re the daughter... right?” Lilith asked as she looked at Foll with a clear sense of confusion in her eyes.
“Mm. Zagan’s my daddy.”
“Y-You don’t mean that in some indecent way, do you?”
“How could it be indecent?”
“You can use the word ‘daddy’ in an indecent manner?”
Foll stared back at Lilith blankly, and even Nephy didn’t understand what she was saying either, so she cocked her head to the side.
“I-I-I-I-I-It’s nothing!” Lilith exclaimed as she sealed her mouth in a fluster.
“If you say so... We talked about the curse earlier, correct? Foll was originally about the same age as Master Zagan appears now,” Nephy answered that question that Lilith didn’t even ask.
“Well, I heard that, but you’re not human, are you? If you’re his daughter despite being of a different race, does that mean you’re adopted?”
“Yeah... I was left all alone after Father died, so Zagan became my daddy,” Foll explained that with a nod in response to Lilith’s puzzlement.
“You must be quite the rare species if an Archdemon has adopted you...”
“Yeah, I’m a dragon.”
“Huh...?” Lilith froze up for a few moments, then continued, “Huh, a dragon? The ones who think of all living beings as prey and stand at the summit of all predators? The terrors of the sky who even send demons running? Those monsters on par with gods who can easily slaughter anything and everything? You mean that dragon?”
That description was ridiculous. Just what were dragons in this girl’s mind? Foll then stood up and raised both her hands.
“Rawr, I’ll eat youuu!” Foll roared as she stood up and raised both her hands.
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!” Lilith screamed, trembled violently, and tumbled down behind Nephy in response. And, after watching that reaction, Nephy looked over to Foll in wonder.
“Come now, Foll. Don’t you feel sorry for teasing her?”
“I didn’t think she would be so scared...” Foll mumbled. Lilith was still shuddering intensely behind Nephy.
“It’s okay. Right now, I’m not hungry. I won’t eat anyone.”
“Th-There’s something wrong with the way you put that!” Lilith screamed yet again, but she didn’t seriously think that Foll was her enemy, so she peaked out nervously from behind Nephy’s back.
“What kind of legends about dragons are passed down in Liucaon?” Nephy inquired.
“Let’s see... For us, it’s mainly the battle between Wise Dragon Orobas and Black Dragon Marbas. It was one of the stories written about in the Silver-Eyed King’s adventures, but the greatness and the terror of dragons were passed along with that legend,” Lilith explained as she raised her guard.
“I want to hear that one!” Foll demanded as she bent over in excitement upon hearing her father’s name. At that, Lilith puffed out her chest with pride and pulled a small lyre out of nowhere.
“I-I suppose I have no other choice! Consider this an honor! My song is usually reserved for royalty!” Lilith proclaimed. Her attitude made it unclear whether she was doing this unwillingly or out of pure joy.
“Some time after the Silver-Eyed King defeated the Grotesque God, Black Dragon Marbas trampled over the lands of Liucaon. And so, our Silver-Eyed King set out to subjugate the beast. During his journey, he fluttered over ten mountains and strode over a hundred rivers, chasing the Black Dragon for a thousand miles. Eventually, he caught up, but by then his journey had lasted over a year.”
Lilith’s song wasn’t so much a song as a tale accompanied by the melody of her lyre. It was a form of art that was starting to fade, much like Nephy’s celestial mysticism and Selphy’s singing.
Is this the reason Miss Alshiera told us to ask Miss Lilith about this matter? Regardless of the reason, Foll was listening to her attentively with sparkles in her eyes, which was good enough.
“And having reached the Black Dragon Marbas, our king grieved, ‘Oooh, why Marbas!? Why would you, who fought valiantly by my side through many a battle, massacre innocents!?’ For you see, the Silver-Eyed King and Black Dragon Marbas were sworn friends who fought the Grotesque God together.”
The Black Dragon didn’t reply, so they fought then and there. According to her song, the Silver-Eyed King tried to stop him, but Marbas was incredibly powerful, and the Silver-Eyed King could not bring himself to injure his former ally. The battle raged on for three days and three nights, ending in the Silver-Eyed King’s defeat. However, Lilith’s song did not end there.
“And so, the Black Dragon spoke, ‘Oh, Silver Eyes. Your figure has become that of an unsightly beast. You’ll do well to live o
n, trapped in that pitiful figure of yours. Poor, poor, Silver Eyes!’ The Black Dragon cast a curse upon the king, and the king was transformed into a monster.”
A curse that transforms one’s figure... Nephy was startled upon hearing the word curse, but soon enough, gears started to turn in her head. Could that have been a clue on how to solve Zagan and Foll’s issue?
“And thus, the one the king turned to was Wise Dragon Orobas. With the figure of a beast, the king was unable to descend upon human habitats, and his journey went on another three years.”
It seemed it was finally time for Orobas’ appearance. That knowledge made Foll straighten herself out and nod repeatedly.
“So the Wise Dragon spoke, ‘Oh Silver Eyes, the only thing that can dispel thy curse is the kiss of a maiden who knows naught of impurity.’ Alas, the king’s figure was that of an unsightly beast! Who would love him as he was?”
After that, the Silver-Eyed King moved in accordance with Orobas’ advice, and requested a kiss from a blind girl he saved and nurtured. However, when they drew close, she discovered that he was a beast. Luckily, the girl believed in the Silver-Eyed King and they exchanged a kiss, returning the king to his human form. Following that, he once more challenged Black Dragon Marbas alongside Wise Dragon Orobas.
“Straddling the back of the Wise Dragon, the king continued his struggle for seven days and seven nights. The two new allies found themselves heavily wounded, and just as their willpower waned, Orobas’ fangs finally pierced into Marbas’ neck!”
Even as the battle reached its conclusion, Black Dragon Marbas remained alive. The Silver-Eyed King tried to save his life, but Marbas used the last of his power to launch an attack, so the king was forced to deliver the finishing blow with his sword. It was said that Marbas could no longer feel joy when moving from battle to battle, so he turned to committing atrocities to find new forms of pleasure. And when the Silver-Eyed King ended his reign of terror, Black Dragon Marbas thanked him as he breathed his last. The Silver-Eyed King came to fully realize that a stern hand was needed to guide his people, and the story ended with the king aspiring to be a leader who was both kind and strict.
An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 6 Page 16
