by Hyougetsu
At the very least, I could totally see him getting along with Garsh and Petore. Woroy both had the charisma and the ability to lead, so I was confident he’d do a good job. After saying my goodbyes to him I squatted down in front of Ryuunie.
“Ryuunie. I know it’s gonna be tough living in a new country, but you can always come to your uncle or Ser Barnack or Meraldia’s viceroys for help.”
“Okay, I will!”
Despite how uneasy he no doubt was, Ryuunie nevertheless answered with all the dignity of a prince. Next, I turned to the canines who’d tried to sneak their way into Rolmund with me.
“Sorry, but I can’t take you guys.”
“Whaaaaaaaaaaaat!?”
“But you said it was okay for Ryucco to come!”
“Oh, yeah! We finished the sewage system for Ryunheit that you told us to make! See, here’s the report! Praise us!”
I asked you guys to make that like the day after I conquered Ryunheit. What the heck have you guys been doing this whole time if it took you this long? It seemed to me that the easiest way to offload these canines would be to introduce them to Ryuunie.
“See, Ryuunie. These are demons too. They’re as harmless as they come, so try to get along with them.”
He’d been glancing curiously at them the whole time, and the moment I directly introduced them to him his eyes started to sparkle.
“Wow, they’re so cute! Can I hug them, Veight!?”
“Yeah, sure. Canines love being hugged.”
Ryuunie excitedly ran over to the canines and hugged them.
“Whoa, they’re so warm and fluffy!”
“Yep, yep.”
Fufufu. Good, soon you’ll be infatuated with demons. And now I had a new mission to give the canines.
“You guys stay in Meraldia and serve Ryuunie as his pages. If you do a good job, I’ll treat you all to sheep ribs.”
“Really!?”
“We’ll do it!”
The canines started wagging their tails excitedly, all thoughts of going to Rolmund forgotten. They didn’t care what they were doing, as long as they were having fun, and they were clearly enjoying the attention Ryuunie was giving them. But despite how whimsical canines were, I had the feeling they were actually the strongest of the demons.
Woroy and Ryuunie would have Kite and Lacy to guide them around Meraldia, so they’d probably enjoy their tour of the cities. And since they had Ser Barnack to guard them, there was no need to worry about bandits. Add the canines to their party and they seemed more like a traveling merchant caravan than an exiled prince’s party.
Once I finished my goodbyes to everyone else, I finally turned to Airia.
“Lady Airia.”
“Yes?”
Airia smiled at me.
“I plan to wrap everything up by spring, but things may take longer than I would like.”
“Don’t worry, you can leave Meraldia’s affairs to me.”
Airia looked so reliable that I was half-tempted to just leave everything in her hands. But I knew she had more than enough on her plate already. Not only did she have to take care of Ryunheit’s affairs, she’d also been appointed by the Council to take care of all negotiations with northern Meraldia. And of course she was still the demon army’s official Demon Ambassador. I needed to finish my business in Rolmund quickly, so I could come back and help her.
“I’ll return as soon as I can. So don’t push yourself too hard in my absence.”
“I won’t.”
Airia smiled again. No matter how much work was tiring her out, she never let it show on her face. She really was a born leader. I wracked my brain, trying to think of something nice to say in farewell. I wanted to make it back by early summer at the latest. Oh yeah, Meraldia celebrates the summer solstice, don’t they? I can just talk about that.
“Let’s spend this year’s summer solstice together. I can’t promise I’ll be back in time for it, but I’ll do my best to.”
“O-Okay.” Airia looked momentarily taken aback, but then her smile returned in full force. “I’ll be looking forward to it. If you fail to keep your word, can I ask for another favor in return?”
“Yeah, anything you want.”
I mentally breathed a sigh of relief. That seemed to have lifted Airia’s spirits. Ever since Ryunheit had declared its independence, I’d been saved by Airia dozens of times. The least I could do was try and make her happy.
“Well, it’s time I departed, Lady Airia. Take care of your health while... Hm?”
I suddenly noticed Woroy grinning at me. If you’ve got something to say, just say it. Feeling oddly embarrassed, I drew my cloak around myself and turned around. On second thought, working away from home might be better.
“Werewolf squad, move out!”
“Aye aye!”
Why the hell are all of you grinning too?
* * * *
—Lacy’s Homecoming—
I peek inside the entrance of my family’s shop. Though I spot my brother-in-law sitting at the counter, I don’t see my older sister anywhere.
“Well if it isn’t Lacy. What’re you doing here?”
“Wha!?”
Turns out my older sister’s standing right behind me. My family runs a preserved food store out of their home. Most of what they sell is vegetables pickled in Krauhen’s famous rock salt. I remember Veight said he really liked the vegetables when he tried them. He said they reminded them of home. But Veight’s from the south, so how come northern food reminds him of home?
“Hey, Lacy. You’re spacing out again, aren’t you?”
My sister starts smacking me on the head and I hurriedly raise my hands to protect myself. If all this cranial abuse makes me any stupider I won’t be able to do my job.
“Stop that! Oh, yeah, that reminds me.”
“Mhmm?”
“...What was I gonna say again?”
“How would I know?” my sister shot back as she gets up from her chair.
“If you’re this scatterbrained, I bet you’re no help to the demon army either. I can’t believe someone like you got a letter of recommendation from Belken to attend the magic academy...”
“I’m doing great at my job!”
I really am! I think... Hmmm... Actually, I might just be doing okay at my job? Seeing my expression, my sister sighs.
“Don’t worry your new bosses too much. You might be a genius when it comes to magic, but you’re a moron when it comes to everything else.”
“I am not!”
I puff my cheeks out angrily at my sister, who just pats my head.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re a big girl. Ah, looks like we’ve got a customer. I’ll talk to you later.”
As my sister headed to the front of the store, I heard a familiar voice.
“Oh no, I can manage perfectly fine by myself, thank you.”
“Movi!”
It looked like Master had gotten overwhelmed upon entering the store and was loitering around the entrance. Even though she’s the Demon Lord, Movi’s a really shy person.
“What kind of nickname is...Movi?”
I puff my chest out proudly and introduce my master to my sister.
“This is my magic master, Movi—err, I mean Gomoviroa! She’s also the Demon Lord!”
“This little girl is the Demon Lord?”
My sister’s eyes go wide. Movi looks like a kid, so I can’t say I’m surprised by her reaction. But my sister takes the revelation in stride, and after nodding for a few seconds, she introduces herself to Movi.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Demon Lord. I’m Lacy’s older sister, Wechka. I run this store together with my husband.”
“It’s nice to meet you too, Wechka. As my disciple stated earlier, I am Gomoviroa.”
My sister curtsies with a smile and replies, “Thank you for looking after my little sister, Your Majesty.”
“Think nothing of it. Lacy is quite a superb illusionist. So superb, in fact, that I have little left to
teach her. She already understands the qualities a mage needs most. I am proud to have such a splendid disciple.”
By “qualities a mage needs most” is Movi referring to her lessons on how mages should embrace solitude and value tranquility? Or, put in less flowery terms, “mages shouldn’t be sad that they’re eating their meals alone?” Well, that’s not important right now. I turn to my sister and ask, “How come you believed me right away when I said Movi’s the Demon Lord, sis?”
She smiles confidently at me.
“Because I know you wouldn’t lie about something like that.”
Wow, she actually has faith in me. That makes me kinda happy. But then my sister sighs again.
“That being said, I really wish you could be more clear in your letters. I’m not as smart as you, so stop writing all this cryptic stuff that makes no sense.”
Just then, I hear a commotion from the store’s entrance.
“This way, Master Woroy. Master Ryuunie, are you still following along?”
“Ah, yes! I’m sorry, I won’t get lost this time!”
“I’ve never seen a pickling method like this before, Barnack. Let’s go ask the shopkeeper if we can sample their wares.”
“Allow me to test for poison before you eat anything, Master Woroy.”
“I wonder if they have any salted meat? I guess not, huh?”
“Man, I really wanna eat salted meat now.”
Wow, they’re really noisy. My sister and her husband hurriedly run over to greet the party that walks in.
“Lacy, who’re these guys?”
My brother-in-law turns to me after bowing to the customers. I once again puff my chest out and say, “That’s the Rolmund Empire’s Prince Woroy and his nephew Prince Ryuunie! And that old man is their bodyguard, the Sword Saint Ser Barnack!”
Now this’ll definitely surprise Sis!
“Huh? Really? Wait...are you serious?”
“Yep! Prince Woroy’s come here to help build a new city in Meraldia!”
As I say that, Prince Woroy bows to my sister.
“I am Woroy Bolshevik Doneiks Rolmund. Though here my rank is something akin to an Honorary Count.”
“Oh, I uhh...”
“My apologies for the sudden visit. But when I heard this was Lacy’s family’s home, I knew I had to come see it.”
My sister’s totally shocked to see a prince acting so polite toward her. Oh yeah.
“Ah, and that’s one of my coworkers from back when we were in the Senate, Kite. He’s really good with epoch magic and he’s Veight’s vice-commander. Also, he can’t hold his liquor at all. Like he gets drunk even faster than your husband.”
“You didn’t have to mention that last bit!” Kite yells angrily at me.
“Oh and these are some canines who work for the demon army...”
“I’m Pan!”
“I’m Paka!”
“And I’m Paan!”
“Together we make up the Panpakapaan trio!”
One of them didn’t give his real name, but it was part of their comedy skit so it was fine. Besides, it seems canines don’t really care that much about names. My sister and her husband hurriedly greet everyone, but it looks like they’re still confused.
“What the heck is your job in the demon army, Lacy? I know you said in your last letter that you were going to Rolmund for work, but...”
My sister’s husband gives me a puzzled look. I puff my chest out for the third time and say, “Right now I’m Prince Woroy’s guide!”
I’m the cool, mysterious, beautiful illusionist who serves as the imperial prince’s royal guard! Together with my partner in crime, Kite, I’ll use the magic the Demon Lord taught me to save him from all kinds of danger...I hope. Man, I’m so cool.
“Lacy, you’re drooling.”
Kite pokes my back, and I hurriedly wipe my mouth with my sleeve. I need to be more careful. Whenever I get too excited I start drooling. Which is probably why everyone says I look stupid all the time. Just then, Belken walks in, flanked by a brace of guards.
“Your Highness, you can’t just wander off by yourself. Please take some guards with you whenever you go into the city.”
“Don’t worry, Lord Belken. Krauhen’s a safe city. Everyone’s kind, and the streets are neatly laid out so it’s difficult to get lost.”
“But didn’t Ryuunie just—”
Before I can finish my sentence, Kite stomps on my boot.
“Lacy, do you think we could sample some of your store’s food?”
“Oh, yes, sure! Sis, can you get some samples out for Prince Woroy?”
Whoops, that was close. Thanks for the save, Kite. No wonder Veight trusts you to be his vice-commander.
“These vegetables aren’t just pickled in salt, are they? I can tell you’ve added some other spices to them too,” Mister Barnack muttered as he chewed on a sample.
“Yeah, these vegetables are really rich, too. I bet you won’t find anything that tastes quite like this anywhere else. I think I like this better than the taste of Rolmund’s pickled food,” Woroy replied, working his way through his own sample plate. Their plates are piled so high you can’t really call them “sample” plates anymore, but I guess it’s fine. My sister’ll be able to advertise that the prince ate at her shop, which’ll make business boom more than ever. Her husband walks back into the room with a smile on his face, carrying a tray of yet more samples.
“Krauhen’s Mine Pickles are made by stuffing vegetables into salted barrels and letting them sit in abandoned mineshafts. Each mineshaft has a different kind of air quality, so if you pickle your vegetables in a different shaft you’ll get a different taste. Our shop’s been using the same mine shaft for over a century now.”
I remember my dad lecturing us about that all the time when he was still alive. My sister’s husband sure had it tough, learning under him. While I’m reminiscing, my sister slides over to me and whispers, “When did you become so famous? I always thought you were a weird kid, but I’m glad your weirdness ended up getting you powerful friends.”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
“I’ll let you decide.”
Grinning, my sister pats my head again. But you know, if Veight hadn’t saved me that day, I never would have ended up in this situation. Either the demon army would have killed me when everyone still thought I was Mildine, or the ruse would have been discovered and I would have been executed by my fellow Meraldians. So I couldn’t really call these my accomplishments. Blushing, I replied, “The Demon Lord’s vice-commander is a really nice guy. It’s thanks to him that I have all this, not me.”
“Wow, it’s rare for you to be so humble.”
“Oh, I kind of have to be humble these days, or...”
Or I’ll just look silly compared to Veight. Even though he does way more amazing things, he doesn’t brag about any of them. You better come back safe and sound, Veight. I really like working with you.
* * * *
Halfway through the tunnel to Rolmund, I turned around. I wonder what Woroy and Lacy and the others are up to right now? I hope they’re resting. The giant crate of pickled vegetables Lacy had given me was quite heavy. As were the thick pajamas Master had given me, and the stacks of documents Kite had left for me.
I rifled through my pockets and pulled out a letter. It was a letter from Airia; one she’d passed to me directly. Though it was just a single piece of paper, it was as heavy as the rest of my gifts. All of them were laden with the feelings of their senders. So long as I had these gifts, I was confident I could survive anything. Noticing I’d slowed down a little, Ryucco turned back to me.
“Yo, what’s wrong? Feeling sick? Or are you worried about the guys we left behind?”
“Nah, I’m fine.” I smiled at the rabbit and pointed to the tunnel’s exit. “Come on. I need to show you around the empire.”
It’s time for my final mission in Rolmund.
The Blizzard Lord
The assass
in collapsed onto the snowy ground, his head split in two. A short distance away, another assassin lay face-up in the snow, a throwing knife sticking out of his throat. There were no other enemies nearby. The young man wiped the blood off his sword and soundlessly returned it to his sheath. His name was Barnack. He came from a family of disgraced knights who’d had their lands seized, and just the other day he’d entered service into the Doneiks family.
“The battle’s over, Milord.”
Barnack turned to the middle-aged noble walking toward him. He was the younger brother of the emperor, Lord Doneiks. Though he was a masterful politician, he’d allowed his mediocre brother to take the throne. Because of that, there were many rumors that he was the real power behind the empire. And as a result, he had many enemies. Lord Doneiks brushed the snow off his coat and looked down at the assassins lying at Barnack’s feet.
“Who sent them?”
“I do not know. They were carrying nothing that might identify them.”
Barnack was a master of any weapon one could name, but he was not an investigator. After making sure the two men were well and truly dead, Lord Doneiks started rifling through their clothes.
“They’re wearing North Rolmund outfits, but they haven’t put them on right. If you wrap your scarf like this, snow can get in from the cracks and freeze your neck. Besides, anyone who has metal hilts for their weapons is asking to get frostbite this far north.”
“That certainly is unnatural.”
Barnack kept a wary eye on his surroundings even as he turned toward his master. Lord Doneiks smiled at him, his breath misting in front of him.
“A half-assed disguise provides more evidence than no disguise at all. Whoever these men were, they didn’t want their identities known. Meaning they cannot have brought many allies with them.”
Lord Doneiks picked a bow off the ground and tested its string. He then examined the arrows in the quiver.
“This is a good bow. But it lacks the power to fell large game like giant deer.”
