Vol 1 Chapter 7 – Poison

Under the light of an elegantly crafted chandelier, Christela sat on the edge of her bed.

It was already evening. Having finished her work for the day and finally having time to hear the details, she summoned Aroma to her room.

Aroma had hardly been able to get any work done today, which meant her workload for tomorrow would increase. But she was competent. She would manage just fine.

What concerned Christela right now was the unprecedented fact that her childhood friend, who never let her smile falter, was currently looking down with an exhausted and haggard expression.

“I heard a scream. It was El-chan’s.”

That was the first thing Aroma said.

“I thought that human would just end up torn to pieces right away like always. And yet, about five minutes after he went in, what I heard was El-chan screaming. And so…”

Christela listened without interrupting as the usually sharp-minded girl spoke in a broken and clumsy narrative. She judged that talking it out would help Aroma regain her composure.

“I went into the room. And then, that human was standing right in the middle of it. El-chan was crouching down, holding her head. I… I couldn’t understand what was going on.”

“…And then?”

“As the younger sister shook her head over and over while crying, I ordered Selphi to carry her to her bedroom after she rushed into the room behind me. I saw that the human’s cuffs were off, assumed he had done some harm to her, and on reflex…”

“You attacked him with magic, and that’s how the room ended up like that.”

The playroom had been left in a terrible state. It was completely scorched, combined with the awful stench of burning meat from the lump inside.

“And then, the younger sister…”

Perhaps having calmed down, she reverted from her childhood nickname for El to her usual title of ‘younger sister’.

“The younger sister protected that human with a barrier, told me not to kill him, and just demanded that I get him out of her sight.”

“And so, you tossed him back into the Dungeon.”

“Yes. I heavily restrained him, binding both his hands and feet. Just in case he knew any magic, I applied a rudimentary sealing spell on the cell to prevent him from chanting.”

“Hmm… Just to confirm, her condition has stabilized now, hasn’t it?”

“Yes. I had a healer look at her, and they said there were no external injuries and no physical abnormalities. However, the cause of her panic remains unknown.”

Having already received a report that El was safe, Christela had finished her minimum required tasks before asking Aroma for the details. She had witnessed the scene directly.

Even so, no one could have possibly predicted this.

Though inferior to Christela herself, Electra possessed overwhelming mana along with physical strength that surpassed even beast-kin and vampires. Anyone, Christela included, would assume it was impossible for a human to scratch her.

No, for the inhabitants of this world, simply standing against her sister was a calamity synonymous with death. To even consider the possibility of danger to El was completely beyond expectation.

Yes, it was unexpected. But it was also a result that exceeded her expectations.

“…Well, as long as El is safe, that’s fine. You are not at fault.”

“But even so, I cannot forgive myself. Putting the younger sister in danger is an irreversible mistake…”

“Rest easy. In that case, I’ll give you the perfect punishment.”

“………? Whatever you command.”

“I am officially bringing that man into Diabolo’s ranks. I will leave his education entirely up to you.”

“H-…Huh? Eh? Are you serious?”

“Didn’t you hear it from him? I have no intention of breaking my promise.”

Christela dismissed Aroma from the room, leaving her eyes darting back and forth in sheer bewilderment.

As she watched the door close, an inappropriate smile spilled onto her lips. There was no doubt she was worried about El, of course.

With a soft poof, she collapsed back onto the bed. The custom-made springs gently caught her body.

…The survivor of Nile Village. I remember. Of course I remember.

Yes, I lied. I know that human. I remember him. As if I could forget. There’s no way I could ever forget.

The man who could be called the single biggest reason I became who I am today is now right in the palm of my hand.

And he is currently alive. He made it back alive from El’s playground, from that prison of death.

If that’s the case, he really is different from other humans. I don’t know what that ‘something’ is, but he definitely possesses something I don’t.

If so. Then surely, if I use him.

If I can tame that man, trample him underfoot, and thoroughly strip away every ounce of his dignity. If I can make that human who sneered at me grovel before me, claiming I lacked pride and confidence despite being the most exalted being in this world, then surely I will be able to reclaim my true self.

“Hmph. For now, I suppose I should go check on El.”

If I can casually drag out of her exactly what he did to her while I’m at it, that’s two birds with one stone.

Christela smiled.

The strongest and most foolish woman in the world firmly believed without a shadow of a doubt that she was the champion chosen by destiny.

She was absolutely convinced that if she could subjugate this man who had survived a death that any ordinary human could never escape, then she would truly become the supreme ruler of the entire world.

And the snake she had taken into her bosom would feed upon that very hubris.

The snake’s name was Nine.

＊＊＊

“Three meals and naps included. This is a nice place, Wilson.”

Inside the cell, I muttered to the skull.

With cuffs on both my hands and feet, wriggling around like a caterpillar was about all I could do. Spouting sour grapes like this was my only source of entertainment.

“But man, Aroma-san is surprisingly rough, huh. I guess that type really is the scariest when you make them mad. Not that I know the first thing about handling women, though.”

While Garon-san had kicked me into the cell, Aroma-san had slapped the shackles on me, dragged me all the way here by my leg, and tossed me inside. She didn’t say a single word to me. She just shot me a glare swimming with pure murderous intent.

“Now then, I wonder what happened to El-sama. That little missy was easy to figure out, which saved me.”

Meeting her in person, it was nothing special. She was just a lonely, crying child.

A baby throwing a tantrum with too much power, completely unaware that she was loved.

To love someone like that… was, quite literally, like twisting a baby’s arm.

Cute, really.

“Hey, Wilson. Sorry for throwing you yesterday, alright? …By the way, what kind of life did you lead, and what kind of misfortune got you tangled up in, ending your life in a dark place like this?”

“………”

Dead men tell no tales. Obviously.

But someone loved someone else, and as a result, a life was born.

Surely he, too, was born into this world with a blessing.

And because that blessing was trampled upon, his life ended here.

Looking into Wilson’s hollow eye sockets, I could see earthworms writhing deep inside.

…Height unknown. His bite was misaligned, so maybe he had lower back pain. He probably had a face with a somewhat strong jawline. Age… around thirty-five to forty, maybe.

I’ve seen a lot of human bones. I’ve touched a lot of human death.

So, just by looking at a bone, I can gather a certain amount of information, like gender and age. But the corpse won’t tell me how he lived, how he fostered love, or what kind of despair he died in.

Still, even someone like me had enough lingering sentiment to mourn a guy who died in a place like this, which is why I’m keeping up this meaningless mental conversation with him. Half to kill time, really.

“By the way, Wilson. It seems like there are a lot of beauties among the demons, and I’d really like to get intimately acquainted with them, but unfortunately, I’m a virgin. As an experienced senior, got any advice on how to get along with them?”

“………”

“You’re quite innocent for your age, aren’t you. Don’t you have, like, a killer pick-up line? Something like, ‘If a woman hears this, she’ll swoon instantly!'”

What, just pin them down and everything will work out? …Tia-sama. I wasn’t asking you. I already know you’re easy… Ah, hey, don’t sulk.

It’s a joke, a joke.

And so, my second night in demon territory passed by.

＊＊＊

…ake…up.

…ake…up……man.

I could hear a voice calling me from far away. And then, the gentle, soft scent of flowers tickled my nose.

I suddenly remembered how, since I’ve always been a heavy sleeper, my mother used to wake me up every morning by shaking me violently.

A nostalgic memory.

A warm blanket and a soft futon. Because my mother always hung them out to dry, they smelled like the sun.

A gentle sensation I hadn’t felt once since Nile Village was destroyed.

What should I have done to make sure I never lost that feeling? Just whose mistake, and what exactly did they do wrong, to cost me that warmth?

I already know exactly who to hate. But there are some things you just can’t get back.

So, instead, I decided to love all sorts of things. Because everything I ever wanted was left behind in my memories from ten years ago.

Because Tia-sama taught me that there are things you can obtain through loving.

That’s why I…

“Wake up already. Human.”

Crack. A sharp sound echoed through the room.

I was forcibly awakened by the severe sting of a whip. Something struck my thigh, the sound reached my ears a fraction of a second later, and then—because I hadn’t braced myself for it—an immense wave of agony assaulted me.

“…Tsu…! That’s quite the harsh alarm clock. Is this the demon style?”

“It’s for slaves. I thought it would be fitting for you.”

Aroma-san said this, her initially soft demeanor from when we first met having completely vanished.

“Believe it or not, I am quite busy. I would appreciate it if you didn’t cause me too much trouble.”

“I sincerely apologize, but I would like to request about five more minutes.”

“My. To think you can still say such things in this situation. Is there a valid reason for it, I wonder?”

“It’s for religious reasons. Sleeping in twice is mandatory.”

The whip flew again. It hurts.

“Aren’t you treating me just a little too poorly? I believe the promise with the Demon Lord-sama was that I would be made one of your comrades.”

“There is no way a mere human could ever stand on equal footing with us. Your return to the dirt has simply been postponed.”

“So cruel, so cruel, you’ve betrayed my feelings. I won’t hesitate to sue!”

“…If you trouble me any further, I will have you die right here and now. Is that clear?”

“Crystal clear, ma’am. Good morning.”

“Yes, good morning. From now on, I’d like to avoid looking at your face as much as possible.”

Ignoring Aroma-san’s words, which practically screamed just die as quickly as possible, I crawled out of the Dungeon. It seems she took the shackles off while I was sleeping.

Passing through the sunless corridor facing the Dungeon and climbing the stairs to the surface, the sun gently illuminated me.

A new morning had arrived for the first day of my new life. I sure hope it’s a morning of hope.

Though my expectations have never, not even once, managed to avoid being betrayed.

…The outfit I was given ‘for the time being’ was nothing but a piece of fur covering my waist.

No shoes. No shirt.

It was a true masterpiece that might actually rank even lower than the tattered slave rags I was wearing before.

“…Aroma-sama. What season is it right now, again?”

“It’s autumn. It’s gradually cooling down and becoming quite pleasant.”

“Right. I think so too. But, I just feel like this might be a little too cool, you know?”

“Is there a problem?”

“…Noooope.”

Looking like a pure barbarian without Gaia whispering to me to shine any brighter, I walked down the stone corridor. Walking barefoot directly on the floor is cold, and more than anything, it hurts.

Could you give me a break? I know she’s probably incredibly pissed off about whatever I did to El-sama yesterday, but still.

…I mean, like, it totally has nothing to do with you, right? Right? What’s with the good-girl act? What did I ever do to you?! I’m telling the teacher on you! You just look forward to being called out at the end-of-day homeroom meeting!

“Ah, that’s right. There is something I need you to do.”

“Yes, yes, what is it? I’ll do anything. Cleaning toilets, washing dishes.”

“You will be doing those as well, of course. But your main duties will be cleaning the kitchens and disposing of raw garbage.”

“Understooood.”

“…Well, do try your best. Ah, Puria, perfect timing. Could you guide this to the kitchen?”

Aroma-san ordered the harpy we ran into in the castle hallway—a flying race that looks human at a glance, but with wings instead of arms—to guide me to the kitchen, and then she walked away.

It’s a face I remember. I mean, she spit on me twice, so it’s impossible to forget.

The harpy obediently signaled her understanding to Aroma-san, but the very instant Aroma turned her back, she kicked me.

“Wai—hold up, time out, time out.”

“Shut yer trap, why the hell do I gotta do somethin’ like this?”

“Don’t say that. We’re coworkers from now on.”

“Haaaah? The hell’re you sayin’? Why’s a human… ain’t no way. You right in the head?”

“Huh, didn’t the Demon Lord-sama tell you? I’ve officially been hired here.”

“Hah?! You shittin’ me?!”

“No, no, it’s the truth. Nine does not lie.”

Puria, the harpy with a terribly thick accent, ultimately refused to believe a single word I said.

If I spoke one word, she kicked me. If I spoke two, she spat on me. And when I tried to speak a third, she smacked me with her wing. That last one actually felt kinda nice.

Even so, it seemed she intended to follow her superior’s orders, so she did guide me.

“Hey, human. We’re here. This is the first kitchen, dining hall’s next door.”

“Oho, well, well.”

It was incredibly large. Or rather, it was big enough to fit a few small houses inside. There was meat that humans eat, like cow and pig, and there were vegetables too. Perhaps there simply wasn’t much of a culture of cooking food before eating it. There were a few blades and tables, but absolutely no equipment for using fire.

Sensing my puzzlement, Puria-san put her folded wings on her hips, puffed out her chest, and explained.

“This place is basically a food storehouse for the omnivorous races. They mostly just gnaw on it raw, so it’s just a place to chop it up into single servings.”

“Do you not worry about preservation or anything?”

“I dunno the details, but supposedly there’s a spell on it to keep it from rottin’.”

“Wow, magic really is a convenient thing, isn’t it.”

“The hell’re you sayin’, humans are way better at these kinda piddly little spells, ain’t they?”

“Nah, I wasn’t raised too well. I don’t know the first thing about magic.”

“Hah. Well, you sure look shabby enough.”

She sure has a mouth on her. Smirking like that, it seems this one really, truly hates my guts. Well, I doubt there are any demons who like humans anyway. Just like there’s barely any humans who like demons.

I can love you, though.

You too, Puria.

“Aight, let’s head to the next one. The folks on serving duty just carve up the grub here, and there ain’t much scraps to begin with, so the most you’ll be doin’ here is moppin’ the floors, yeah?”

“By ‘next’, I assume you mean the second kitchen?”

“Yeah, there’s three in total.”

The second kitchen, located in a separate building, had ventilation, heating equipment, cooking utensils, and ingredients kept warm separated by type. It didn’t feel much different from what humans would use.

“This here’s for the gourmets who actually care ’bout what they eat, and well, supposedly the Demon Lord-sama uses it too, but it’s basically where they make grub for the higher-ups. Most of the stuff made here gets carried to private rooms.”

“Do demons actually cook, then?”

“Sure do. I can’t do squat with arms like this, but there’s always folks with weird tastes. Got a few who cook as a hobby handlin’ this place. ‘Course, both the ones makin’ it and the ones eatin’ it are in the minority. Most everyone just gnaws on the raw stuff from the first kitchen.”

“I see.”

“This place gets pretty dirty. You’ll be taking out the trash from here along with the garbage from the third place.”

“The third kitchen?”

“Nn-nah. I mean, you ain’t wrong, but we don’t call it that.”

Saying that, Puria-san gave a nasty sneer. Her expression practically screamed that the only reason she had been talking so casually until now was because the real show was about to begin.

“Everything up to here’s fine, but the next one might be a bit rough for ya.”

…Well, I already had a pretty good guess.

“We call it ‘The Feast Room’. ‘Course, I’ve never been able to eat the grub from there myself.”

The place she guided me to after saying that was horrific. El-sama’s playroom was awful, but this was far worse.

Structurally, it wasn’t any different from the first kitchen. However, there was only one type of ingredient stocked here.

…From large ones to small ones. Some were prepped and processed, others were in the middle of being drained of blood. And of course, some were still alive.

First of all, ingredients that a human would never have the opportunity to eat were neatly categorized.

Neatly, for the sake of being eaten. It was surely something deeply grotesque.

Just as humans eat cows and pigs, demons ate these.

“Folks who earn merits or work real hard get to eat the meat from here. Though looks like there ain’t much meat on your bones. If you start gettin’ fat, you might end up in here yourself, eh?”

Saying that, Puria-san narrowed her pupils into vertical slits as she laughed, peering into my face.

“In that case, you’ll just have to work hard so you can eat the meals here too, Puria-san.”

Saying that, I smiled right back at her.

Letting out a high-pitched kiki sound,

“You really are the worst… What’d you say your name was again?”

“It’s Nine.”

“Nine, Nine, huh. Fine, if that’s how it is… then I’ll acknowledge you as my gofer.”

Saying that, Puria-san scoffed.

Following behind her as she offered to show me around the rest of the castle, I left the Feast Room.

Cries for help, begging to be let out, echoed incessantly at my departing back, pleading and clinging. But I didn’t look back. Not even once.

…Dealing with the garbage here looks like it’s going to be quite a hassle, I thought.