Vol 3 Chapter 54 – What is Gained and What is Lost

Bowing once, I left Aroma-san’s office, but I couldn’t help but grumble as I scratched my head.

“Did I bully her a little too much, I wonder?”

But it couldn’t be helped. Aroma-san kept saying she wouldn’t forgive me, after all, so I just ended up going into a fever pitch.

I’m the one who won’t forgive her.

I won’t forgive her.

I absolutely won’t forgive her.

What does she mean, ‘a lowly human’?

For a mere demonkin, she sure went and messed up my life. I don’t give a damn about Aroma-san’s personal circumstances, seriously.

Just wait and see.

I’ll love her to the absolute limit, licking her all over until she’s a sloppy, melting mess.

I’m super looking forward to it.

Aroma-san is a beauty, and since she’s been looking at me with those totally condescending eyes, I’m going to love her until she begs me to stop.

Ah, but still, a daughter. A daughter, huh. I want one.

If it were a well-put-together daughter like Aroma-san, I’d definitely want one.

She really is cute, after all.

It had been bothering me for a loooong time—that look in her eyes when she looked at Chris, her face smeared with guilt.

Was she trying to atone, or was it a mutation of self-love?

Well, either is fine.

That thing she had been hoarding deep within her heart for so long… it doesn’t belong just to her anymore.

It’s mine.

The thing that occupied the number one spot in your entire life is now mine.

You can consult me about anything, Aroma-san.

Even the things you can’t tell Chris, okay? Ufufu, fufu-kufufu-ufufu.

Because I am your father now.

You can’t escape from me anymore, you know?

A father who doesn’t care for his daughter doesn’t exist in your world anymore, understand?

Not on the other side, and not on this side either.

Instead, I’ll cherish you, take oh-so-good care of you, okay?

You don’t have to cry anymore, alright? Uhihi, kuhihihihi.

—Don’t get ahead of yourself, Nine. There’s an order to things, isn’t there? You said so yourself—

But I want her now, Tia-sama! I totally want that girl.

She’s just so cute.

She’s usually so sharp and has that smug face, yet she’s actually such a spoiled child… a cute girl like that is saying she’ll become my daughter!

I can’t hold back anymore!

That previous Demon Lord or whoever was a total idiot, throwing away such a cute girl.

I’d absolutely never do that.

—No, I said no. Endure it—

Geez, Tia-sama is so mean.

Tia-sama is a dummy, I’m ignoring you!

Tch, well whatever. That’s right, there’s an order.

I’d already decided that Garon-san would be next, anyway.

But man.

Even at this point, it’s pretty… you know, well, that.

It’s heavy. Garon-san’s love is heavy.

It’s a wonderful thing, but, you know. It’s kinda scary.

Once we form a contract, just how crazy is she going to get, right?

Fu, hihihi, I’m looking forward to it, so looking forward to it.

—Wait, could this be dangerous? I need to keep a close eye on things—

What are you talking about?

—Just talking to myself. Don’t worry about it—

—And so, the day after I staked my claim on the incredibly cute Aroma-san.

I received another summons from my beloved Demon Lord.

Puria-san, who came to deliver the message, seemed sleep-deprived and was constantly yawning, but that was also quite adorable.

Since she was opening her mouth wide and going kuaaa without even trying to hide it, I wondered if I should reprimand her for being indecent, or carefully inspect the insides of her mucous membranes that I don’t normally get to see.

She wasn’t Aroma-san, who was going to become my daughter, so disciplining her wasn’t my job, which meant my choice was obviously the latter.

So erotic. There really is still so much eroticism lying around in this world.

The saliva was slowly forming threads between her teeth. I wanted to stick my fingers in. If I pressed down on her tongue, Puria-san, with tears in her eyes, would be incredibly cute.

Even so, I think this pantyless woman could afford to have a little more modesty, but her unadorned nature is part of her charm, and pointing it out would be uncouth, or rather, a waste.

Well, no matter how you end up, my feelings of love for you won’t waver in the slightest, you know?

“Whatcha starin’ at?”

“Just thinking about how wide the world is.”

“I still don’t get you at all.”

It’s fine, I’m only thinking about things far more vulgar than you could ever imagine.

“Come to think of it, were ya okay yesterday? Seems like Aroma-sama summoned ya.”

“Yes, I was fine. All thanks to you, Puria-san.”

“Did I do somethin’?”

“Ah, it’s fine if you don’t remember, really. I just wanted to express my gratitude.”

“Hmm… well, whatever.”

That was close.

The range of memory manipulation is still hard to grasp.

It seems Puria-san completely forgot about yesterday.

Well, if she remembered me fondling her butt, it probably wouldn’t have ended with just one or two kicks.

“Look, the Demon Lord is in this room right now. I think I explained it at first, but it’s the room used as a salon.”

“Gotcha, thanks for the guide.”

So nostalgic. It hasn’t even been half a year, but it feels like it’s been a while.

Back when she showed me around the castle, she probably never imagined we’d end up with this kind of relationship.

I’d had my eye on her from the start, though. This girl is cute, after all.

Come to think of it, right after I arrived in Agusta, Puria-san also looked at me like I was nothing more than prey.

Or rather, she spat on me. Twice.

Remembering it pisses me off a little.

Maybe I should get some revenge.

Those little smack-smacks from the other day aren’t enough yet.

In other words, I’m going to have this excuse of “revenge” do a lot of heavy lifting so I can keep playing with her from now on.

Basically, as long as I get to play with Puria-san, anything works for me.

That being said, though Puria-san is super cute when she’s acting friendly lately, there are times when she gets weirdly scary. Establishing a clear hierarchy around here probably isn’t a bad choice.

I’m on top, and you’re on the bottom!

Even if I am a fragile creature who would die from a single swing of your claws!

“Puria-san.”

“Fuaaah, mm, wha…!?”

Taking advantage of her yawn, I shoved my index finger into her mouth.

I just love that part of myself that can immediately put my previous delusions into action.

If the me from when we first met had done this, I would have been sliced and it’d be game over, but what about the current her?

Is it still a no-go? I wonder if she’ll kill me. Nfu-hihihi.

“Whatcha doin’?”

“Men are creatures that want to insert things when there’s a hole right in front of them. Did you not know that?”

“You shink dats an eckscuse?”

“It’s not an excuse. I did it because it’s you, Puria-san.”

I am deeply interested in Puria-san’s holes. I just can’t help myself.

“Idiot…”

Saying that, she puckered her lips and gave the tip of my finger a single lick with her soft, warm tongue.

Perhaps because it was a mucous membrane—the inside of her body, so to speak—her body temperature felt incredibly hot.

The right side of my finger, my fingerprint, the first joint, the nail, under the nail—swirling around, and then spinning back the other way.

By the time she pulled off with a schloop sound, my finger had become completely sticky.

As for me, whether you call it fanservice or a personal favor, I never expected her to lick it so enthusiastically, so I ended up just standing there dumbfounded, exactly like the idiot she called me.

“Nfu, I told ya didn’t I, I’m yours. Somethin’ like this is nothin’… So, how was my tongue? Did it feel good?”

“…Yes.”

“Right, glad to hear it.”

Saying that, she narrowed her eyes with an enchanting smile and looked my way.

Then, she glared at me with those raptor-like eyes again.

“If that’s the case, c’mon. What’re ya gonna do with that finger?”

“Eh?”

“How’re ya gonna treat the finger I just licked for ya?”

“Eeeh?”

“If yer such a slow learner that ya don’t get it unless I say it out loud… guess I’ll have to educate ya.”

Without hesitation, I sucked on the finger slathered in Puria-san’s saliva like a baby.

Chupa-chupa. Sucking like an idiot on a Chupa Chups.

Looking up at her timidly, as if to ask if this was acceptable… wow, she had an incredibly satisfied expression.

I’m soooo glad it pleased you…

“Nfufu, yeah, thought so. You’re mine too, after all.”

Chuckling lightly, she regained her usual atmosphere and lightly walked away.

“Tour’s over. See ya next time.”

I was super terrified.

I really was on the bottom. Or rather, I just can’t win against women.

I guess that’s just who I am, in the end.

It’s so sad.

It’s unbearable, Tia-sama.

—I don’t mind, Nine. I love that part of you too—

Tia-sama’s kindness pierced my heart.

Well, Tia-sama is the only one I can get the upper hand on, anyway.

—I hate you when you say unnecessary things like that—!

Ah, Tia-sama is seriously an angel.

Even though Tia-sama probably absolutely hates angels.

But, I wonder what it is. Maybe because it’s Puria-san’s saliva.

It’s a little sweet.

――――――――――

—Well then, Puria-san said my beloved Majesty was calling for me, but I wonder what her business is this time.

I already returned all of Her Majesty’s personal belongings (or rather, the prizes I swindled from the bet) that I had Puria-san hold onto for me.

I wonder if it’s the usual “become my chair” routine.

Or maybe she’s really after that—the Royal Leg Licking Time.

I’ve kind of gradually gotten used to the job of licking that girl’s legs all over, or rather, getting treated poorly by a young girl is actually starting to turn me on.

Apparently Aroma-san told her she could absolutely never do it again, but Her Majesty seemed to like it quite a bit. Because of that, secret Licking Times were set up every time she summoned me (which means, every time I saw her, I was being penalized ten points or more. It is truly regrettable).

However, for her to go out of her way to summon me to the salon means the topic of conversation might be of a different color than usual.

Well, whatever. Groveling to her is part of my job description anyway.

I wonder what kind of troublesome matter she’s brought me now.

It’s not like someone like me could do anything about a big deal anyway.

“You’ve arrived, mountain monkey. You’re late, making me wait.”

“Chris, you shouldn’t be so unreasonable.”

“That’s right, Your Majesty. Not even ten minutes have passed.”

As I was thinking such carefree thoughts, there alongside the Demon Lord stood my cute daughter candidate. No, it’s perfectly fine that Aroma-san is here, but there was another person—my natural enemy.

Eva Karma.

The older woman who serves as the director of the Central Library.

According to Alice-san, she apparently holds another suspicious title as well, but that doesn’t matter. Anyway, she is an older woman on an unimaginably high level.

Well, appearance-wise, she looks to be around Garon-san’s age or a little younger, so if she wore a dress instead of a white lab coat, she might give off the vibe of an energetic young girl, but my eyes can’t be fooled.

I can see right through her. She’s borderline what you’d call a “loli-hag.”

You can’t master those bewitching sidelong glances in just ten or twenty years.

They say elves live a long time; this person might be living in centuries, for all I know.

“Did you perhaps just think something incredibly rude about me, Nine-kun?”

“No, no, of course not, hahaha.”

So scary.

I have no intention of directly calling an older woman an older woman, but is even thinking about it not allowed? I guess it’s not allowed.

As I was thinking that, she ran a hand through her natural short bob hair and glared at me again.

I feel like I’m gonna pee myself a little.

However, even if she is an elf, as long as she’s here, she must be a type of demonkin.

She is a target worthy of my love.

I don’t discriminate, I’ll love you properly.

But I do need a little time to mentally prepare.

…Honestly, the way she tried to treat me like a specimen is something I could seriously do without, but since it’s in the past I’ll let it slide for now. Still, facing her head-on like this after avoiding her until now is pretty nerve-wracking.

—To touch upon Dark Elves—or rather, the Elf species as a whole—for a moment: calling them a “species friendly to humans” is the simplest expression, but it’s not exactly accurate.

They are long-lived, and their facial features and appearance are generally beautiful (from a human perspective, at least). They are a human-like species characterized by their long ears, but they have a decisive difference in terms of cultural exchange with humans compared to beastkin, who are looked down upon as demi-humans.

While beastkin face discriminatory treatment outside of certain regions in Ista, the Elf species actually commands respect… or perhaps, even a kind of religious reverence.

Because the sacred texts of the Saria religion mention that among the sages who guided the evangelist Saria, there was an old man with long ears, there’s a deeply rooted global cultural foundation of not ostracizing them unless one is an extreme fundamentalist (or rather, a human supremacist). However, because they are an ethnic minority, the number of humans who have actually seen one is likely far smaller.

And one more point, though it might not need emphasizing: even though they are friendly with humans, it’s strictly on the premise of being a different species. As such, they rarely engage in activities to deter demonkin attacks on humans. Due to that, and wariness of their innately strong mana, they are apparently excluded from being targets of demonkin attacks.

To list a few more characteristics of elven ecology, their nature-oriented lifestyle, which earns them the name “People of the Forest,” is particularly well-known.

After all, even an ignoramus like me knows about it.

Regardless of the nation, it is said there are several of their settlements deep within thick forests. The settlement located in Rill Marl, in particular, serves as a bridge between pro-human beastkin and humans. The fact that they are also a subject of respect for the beastkin is arguably the reason these species continue to maintain a precarious balance, for better or worse.

And the heretics among them are the Dark Elves.

Those who reject life in the forest and fall to an existence despised by elves, beastkin, and humans alike are called by this name.

By rejecting the blessings of the forest, their skin is dyed a tainted brown, and their souls follow a path of continuous corruption. It seems they are treated as rather bleak existences, merely waiting to be punished in the afterlife by the god the elves believe in… or maybe it’s spirits? I’m not too familiar with it so I can’t say for sure, but anyway, some kind of great entity. Please excuse the vague explanation, as it’s all just hearsay on my part.

But they really don’t get it. Brown-skinned girls are great, aren’t they?

So nostalgic and exotic.

Tina-san (died at 18), the idol of Nile village, had tan lines from her sleeves in the summer that the whole village agreed were incredibly sexy.

When I peeked at her in the bath, I accidentally muttered “Magnificent,” and her throwing a bucket at me is a fond memory.

Thanks for the meal.

Back on topic.

Anyway, Dark Elves, such a fishy existence, basically seem to build hidden villages and live secretively, so why would one go out of her way to be in Agusta… and what’s more, serving in an executive-like position for this up-and-coming, largest faction?

Diabolo is the only place you can openly see such a rare existence!

So, what kind of business requires Eva-san, who is an executive of Diabolo despite being such a rare existence, to go out of her way to be here?

I’m rapidly losing my motivation to listen.

This might be an unexpectedly troublesome situation.

How awful.

Even so, if I invoke my veto right and end my turn, I’ll totally die.

Super harsh, right? This is the painful part of being an employee.

“…Hmph, very well.”

Saying that, the Demon Lord gave a single snort.

Even such a gesture, which could be taken as vulgar if done poorly, looked beautiful on her. And from her lips came words that, as expected, weren’t very pleasant to hear.

“You will now head to Rill Marl. Together with Eva.”

See? I knew it. This is definitely gonna be a pain in the ass.

—And so, time moved forward.

And currently, having laid eyes on someone called an Apostle, I am trembling like a leaf. Period.

Unlike Abyss-san, he reeks of street thug—the exact type I hate.

Well, I hate guys like Abyss-san too, though.

Well, anyway.

Help me, anybody!

“Are you that thing? The human-wannabe that bastard Abyss was talkin’ about?”

“What do you mean, ‘wannabe’? I am a splendid, full-fledged human, sir.”

“Shut yer trap. I was lookin’ forward to seein’ what kinda guy you were, only to find a bean sprout like you! Can you understand my sorrow, huh?”

“I understand, yes I absolutely understand! So please, let me go!”

“…Hah, what a joke. Guess he misjudged ya… you’re just small fry.”

“Exactly right, so please, I beg of you, just spare my life…”

“Whatever, just die… jeez, if I knew you were this kinda guy… damn, what a waste of time.”

And then, the man in front of me, who called himself Rogue, raised his right arm. It was cloaked in a heat so intense I couldn’t even look at it directly—a temperature that had surpassed red heat, blasted past blue flames, and reached an unimaginable extreme…

And that, which meant certain death if it hit, swung straight down toward me.