“We’ll Definitely Come Back to Save You!” — It’s Been Three Years Since I Was Left in the Most Difficult Dungeon, Isn’t It About Time for Help to Arrive...? - 12-13

Chapter 12: It Seems the Second Demon Lord Has Appeared

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While things were taking an unexpected turn at the guild, the center of the controversy, Athos, was out searching the city with Hel, relying on memories of the time he had spent with his former comrades.

“Hmm… They’re not here. I think I’ve already searched pretty much everywhere they might be.”

“They were adventurers like you, right? Then maybe they’re out on a quest?”

“That’s possible. But if that’s the case, it’ll be hard to track them down… Maybe we should stop by the guild first and ask if they showed up for a quest today.”

If they were heading to the guild from here, rather than following the street, it was quicker to take the alley and cut through the plaza. As they proceeded through the cool, shaded alleyway, sunlight gradually began to bathe the ground evenly past a certain point.

“This is the plaza. Compared to the main roads, there aren’t as many people, but it’s rich with nature and a perfect place to relax… Huh?”

“There are a lot of people here.”

“You’re right. That’s unusual… Maybe some bard is reciting poetry or something?”

It was rare to see a bard draw such a large crowd, one that filled almost the entire plaza. Watching curiously from a distance, Athos quickly realized he’d been mistaken. The ones standing at the center of the square weren’t wandering minstrels with instruments—they were guild staff, all wearing matching uniforms with white jackets.

“—Silence, please!”

One of the staff members raised their voice toward the townspeople and adventurers who had begun murmuring in confusion, instantly quieting the crowd. Once all eyes were on them, another guild member stepped forward and spoke.

“Just now, a warning has been issued by the Guild Headquarters regarding the approach of a dangerous monster! The target is an unknown creature possessing the same ‘monster-controlling power’ as the Demon Lord who once threatened the world! We are designating it as the ‘Second Demon Lord’ and have already issued a bounty for its defeat! If you encounter this entity, do not engage—immediately leave the area and report to guild authorities!”

“…Demon Lord? Athos, what’s a Demon Lord?”

“Uh… From what I remember, it’s some guy from hundreds or maybe thousands of years ago who led monsters and attacked towns and people. I don’t know the details, but apparently, he was incredibly powerful.”

“Wow… And there’s another one of those now? Humans sure have it rough.”

“Yeah, no kidding.”

We might even run into that Demon Lord in the future. As Athos listened to the staff member’s speech out of curiosity, one of the adventurers in the plaza raised his voice.

“Monster approaching…? You mean it’s already heading this way?”

“Yes. According to the investigators’ report, the Second Demon Lord appeared near a dungeon in the southeast and was seen flying toward Calzeria on the back of what looked like a dragon.”

…Huh? Southeast from here.. That’s the direction of Niflheim, isn’t it? And flying in on a dragon? That’s exactly what I did today…

“…No, no. It has to be a coincidence. That whole Demon Lord business has nothing to do with me.”

As Athos reassured himself, the guild staff began distributing sheets of paper en masse.

“This is the wanted poster showing the face of the Demon Lord. If you see this person, report it immediately. Those who provide useful information or slay the target will receive a special reward from the guild!”

“””YEAHHHHHH!!!”””

Cheers from the adventurers rang out through the plaza. Maybe the reward was massive—over half of those who grabbed a copy of the poster immediately dashed off toward the city gates.

“Oh… one flew this way too.” 

Hel said as she stood on tiptoe and caught a copy fluttering in the wind.

“So, what kind of guy is this? I’ve been tight on money lately, so if I find him, maybe I can hunt him down and—”

But when Athos casually glanced at the paper, he read the following:

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“High-Priority Wanted”

Target: The Second Demon Lord — Athos

Bounty: 5,000,000 Sert

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“—HUH!? HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!?”

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Chapter 13: It’s Me

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It turned out the Second Demon Lord was me. 

“Eh!? Haaah!? What do you mean, ‘The Second Demon Lord’!?”

I couldn’t help but raise my voice after seeing the contents of the wanted poster. There were just too many things to yell about.

“I don’t remember ever becoming a Demon Lord, and more importantly, I don’t have any powers to control monsters! And the reward is insanely high, too… Wait a second, who the hell is this supposed to be!? The facial features kinda look like mine, but the vibe is completely off!”

“True… Now that you mention it, maybe they exaggerated the picture a bit. But it’s pretty close, isn’t it?”

“Not even remotely close! How the hell is this me!?”

I shoved the wanted poster in Hel’s face, and she began responding in her usual deadpan tone, with an expression that made it impossible to tell if she was teasing me or not.

“The suspicious, upturned eyes, the mouth like a starved beast… Oh, and those dark circles under your eyes? I do have to say, it really sells the whole vibe.”

“That’s not good! Being mistaken for some lunatic who sticks his tongue out and screams ‘Hyahaha!’ is gonna ruin my life! At the very least, I need to get the guild to fix this character profile—wait…”

The moment I stepped out into the plaza, I realized every single person was staring at me. They were comparing my face with the poster in their hands, their expressions shifting in shock as they began to reach for their weapons.

“Th-this is bad…! We need to run, Hel!”

I grabbed Hel’s arm—she had been calmly watching like this was someone else’s problem—and dashed back into the alley we came from.

“—Hey! You there! Stop!”

That one shout triggered the whole crowd of adventurers to give chase. The clamor of armor and frenzied footsteps rang out behind me. Drenched in sweat and with no time to look back, I ran for my life.

“—Where did that guy go!?”

“I think he ran this way… Heh, how nice of the Demon Lord to come right to us just to get killed!”

“Shut up and search! That bounty is five million sert! With that kind of cash, we could live in luxury for months without taking another job! We gotta find him before someone else does!”

THUD THUD THUD THUD

“………………Are they gone?”

I peered out cautiously from the gap between two buildings where we had taken cover. Luckily, it seemed they hadn’t realized we were hiding here. The adventurers had already run through this alley multiple times, and every time they passed by, looking absolutely bloodthirsty, I felt my skin crawl.

“Damn it… Why the hell is this happening to me? I just came back from the dungeon, that’s all…”

“……Um, Athos.”

“Hm? What is it, Hel? Don’t tell me—you’ve come up with a great escape plan?”

“No, not that………… It’s your hand…”

“My hand?”

I didn’t get what she meant at first, but then I tried moving my hand, and everything became crystal clear. Right now, we were crammed into a narrow gap barely wide enough for a single person, hiding with our bodies pressed closely together. In our rush to escape, I hadn’t paid any attention to where I was touching—and my hand had ended up squarely on her chest. Just the slightest movement of my fingers let me feel that unmistakably soft sensation.

“Wha—! No, wait! Hel, this isn’t what it looks like—!”

I instinctively tried to pull my hand back, but in this cramped space, that only made things worse. I lost balance and ended up pushing against her even more. Unable to move or even make an excuse, I stared as Hel, cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling faintly with amusement, gazed back at me.

“I see… Fufu. Athos, you wanted to touch me that badly, huh?”

Her seductive smile from such close range sent my heart racing.

“No! W-wait, Hel!? This was totally an accident—!”

“An accident, hmm. Then it sounds like the one who caused the accident—Athos—needs to take res-pon-si-bi-li-ty for it.”

“Wait—!? What are you talking about!?”

Hel’s hands began creeping over my body, slipping under my clothes like a snake through the gaps.

“What am I doing, you ask? Well, since I was the one touched earlier, it’s only fair if I return the favor. …So just stay still until I’m satisfied, okay?”

“Hey! No, stop! Don’t just casually grope me somewhere I can’t even see! If you’re gonna do it, at least do it where I can see!”

“Oh? So it’s okay as long as you can see?”

“No, that’s not what I meant—!”

“In that case, I’ll continue.”

“STOP! Someone! Somebody please get a responsible adult over here—!”

“What’s that scream just now!? Hey, over here!”

My panicked cry had been louder than I realized. Voices and footsteps from the adventurers began converging on us all at once.

“Ah—no, wait! This isn’t what it looks like! It’s just a typical lovers’ quarrel! You guys stay away from hereeeee!!”

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