I Became an Incubus, So I'll Dive into Dreams and Give Life Advice However I Want! - Chapter 24: Was He an Important Person?

Chapter 24: Was He an Important Person?

“Now, who are you?” 

“Um…”

The intimidation… It was intense! The pressure was overwhelming!

I was just peeking into his dream, but suddenly, I was caught by something like a hand emerging from the shadows. And like that, I was dragged into this man’s dream.

“…”

I didn’t have any intention of avoiding the question “Who are you?” But… I was genuinely scared. I was so scared that I felt like I might wet myself any moment.

“Only a succubus can enter dreams, as I mentioned earlier, but you are male, so you don’t fit the succubus profile. In fact, even if you were a succubus, even a queen, you wouldn’t be able to peek into my dreams. That means you must be quite skilled or possess some special abilities.”

“…”

“I won’t understand if you stay silent. I’ll ask again—Who are you?”

…Hey, can we stop now?

If you add up the number of years I lived in my previous life and the years I’ve lived here, I’m definitely an adult. But in this body, I’m about 15 years old in human terms… In other words, I’m being pressured by someone who could easily overpower me. It makes my eyes well up with tears.

The moment I thought that, tears spilled from my eyes.

I almost reached up to wipe them away, but before I could, the man in front of me immediately bent down and touched his finger to my eye.

“Why are you crying… No, I suppose I did frighten you.”

“…I’m really scared.”

“I-I’m sorry… I guess I let my emotions get the best of me because of everything that’s been happening lately.”

The man looked flustered as he saw me suddenly start crying… Huh? Surprisingly, he doesn’t look as intimidating as I expected.

In the world of fantasy in another world, it’s almost a given that there will be a handsome guy with an overwhelming aura… He looks like a demon king, but according to what Mother said, the demon king is supposed to be a bearded old man, so that doesn’t fit here.

Seeing him more panicked than I am actually made me calm down, and I regained my usual pace.

“So, you’re a demon… right?”

“Umu, that’s correct—I am… Well, I haven’t been showing myself much. If you don’t want to give me your name, I won’t give you mine either. Is that fine?”

“Uh, yeah…”

Although he says he won’t give his name, he clearly has an aura that screams danger.

The terrifying look that was in his eyes when I cried seemed to have disappeared, but his overall atmosphere is still formidable, as I’ve mentioned multiple times.

However, if we can have a conversation like this, I’ll just proceed as usual.

I explained to him why I was peering into dreams and what I was doing in them, and he seemed quite intrigued, sitting down next to me.

“Oh, councelling in dreams, huh?”

“Yeah. Basically, it’s like giving life advice to humans.”

“Humans, huh?”

“Yeah… um, is it bad to get along with humans or something? Will you kill me for that?”

“What kind of impression do you have of me…? Rest assured, I won’t take your life over something like that.”

“Oh, really! That’s a relief then!”

Hmm, as expected, impressions can change quickly when you start talking.

Maybe it’s because he’s a demon like me, and he seems to be around the same age… or maybe it’s because we’re having a conversation up close, but I feel an air of familiarity that makes it easy for me to open up to him.

Without thinking much, I playfully pat his shoulder—then he looks at me wide-eyed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well… you’re the first one to ever pat me like that.”

“Oh, really? Well, I mean it lightly, though…”

“I see. Kukuku, let’s continue the conversation.”

“Sure thing.”

Sounds kind of fun, doesn’t it?

But come to think of it… I realize that since I usually stay in the village, I haven’t had any acquaintances who are the same age and the same gender from the demon race.

Maybe that’s why our conversation is flowing so well.

“You know, humans have all sorts of worries. They get abandoned in dungeons, almost get their girlfriends stolen, or are about to be betrayed by their fiancées.”

“…Humans seem to be in chaos, don’t they?”

“Yeah, they are. But well, there are some people I’ve been able to help. Even if they awaken strong powers, they don’t seek revenge. They’re able to protect their hearts by truly connecting with their loved ones, and they regain their fading selves.”

“Hou… and you’re the one who did that?”

“Yeah, I didn’t mean to say I rescued them or anything… but it’s still satisfying to see someone smiling, even if we’re from different races. Hope over despair, happiness over unhappiness, you know?”

“I see, I understand.”

He chuckled, and even that smile of his was handsome.

For some reason, I feel even better than usual, so I casually put my arm around his shoulder and ask him.

“So, now that we’ve met, how about talking about something? Any worries or problems?”

“Are you asking me the same thing? Heh, interesting.”

“Even though humans and demons are different, since we’ve met in dreams, we’re equals, right? So, what do you say, Mr. Demon?”

“…But aren’t you a demon too?”

He sighed and looked away from me as he started speaking.

“I am… a demon in a fairly important position.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve always admired my parents and worked hard, aiming to follow in their footsteps. But recently, I’ve started losing confidence. I wonder if I’m truly good enough as I am.”

“So, what does that mean?”

“I’m especially worried about being able to live up to my parents… especially my father.”

So, he’s worried about becoming a suitable demon to follow in his father’s footsteps. That’s his concern.

In addition to his imposing presence, he gives off a similar sense of dignity as the prince of Ragnadia, but in a different way. Maybe he’s a demon in an incredibly high position.

While I am technically the son of the Succubus Queen, there’s no talk of me inheriting her position or anything like that, and I know for sure that it will never happen in the future. So, I can’t say much… but since I’ve listened to him, I feel like I want to convey something.

“I apologize. Even though it’s a consultation, there’s nothing you can do by telling a stranger like me about this.”

“Well… yeah. But somehow, I feel like things might work out.”

I’m sorry. I felt like I had something to convey, but it ended up being too vague.

But there’s no falsehood in his words. His aura truly gives off the impression that he can smoothly handle anything.

“Are there reliable people around you?”

“Yeah. I have a few friends, and there’s also my troublesome fiancée.”

“I see. So, you have someone more reliable than me.”

“That… might be true. However, whether it’s because of this dream world or not, you’re the first person I’ve been able to talk to so honestly.”

“Is that so? Well, I’m glad to hear that.”

After talking with him like this, I realize that he’s a good guy.

In the dream world, you can’t lie, and although he responded in a way I haven’t experienced before, I am now the one taking the lead.

He is undoubtedly strong and mighty, but in this dream world, it seems that I am the stronger one.

“It appears that your aura has grown more confident. Currently, you seem to hold greater strength within this realm… Though I have no intention of engaging in a conflict within a dream, regardless.”

“I don’t have any intention of fighting either. It’s strange to be laughing and then killing each other the next moment.”

“Kukuku, the way you speak also reminds me of a demon I’ve never encountered before… It seems that there are beings like you among demons.”

I chuckle at the thought that there’s definitely no one like me. With his fiery red hair swaying, he stands up and looks down at me as he continues speaking.

“I never thought that a conversation with someone I don’t usually interact with could be this enjoyable, even in a dream. Your stories are interesting, but is there anything else?”

“Anything else… hmm.”

It seems that he’s interested in hearing more from me.

If that’s his wish or something he’s looking for, I’m willing to indulge him. I start sharing stories from the fictional works I saw or heard in my past life. Since time feels almost infinite here, I recall and recount the stories in great detail.

“Oh, such stories exist… and then?”

“Well…”

By the way, the story that captured his interest the most was about a demon king who concealed his power and infiltrated a human academy. He listened with excitement until the end and even had a sparkling look in his eyes, eagerly suggesting that I continue the story.