It was a night that felt like it was melting.
While my mind was hazy from the movements that seemed to take away my mind, I felt like my body was suddenly lifted up by him with a low laugh.
After that, these were the words that were clearly engraved in my ears.
'I hereby proclaim by the decree of Demon Archduke Belled.'
Was the term Demon Archduke a title commonly used among demons?
I opened my eyes while thinking about that. The warmth he left on the bed still remained.
Where did he go? That was when I thought about it.
"His Highness has gone to see the day's business."
It was Decarabia's voice. There was definitely no one in the room.
When I turned around again, I saw Decarabia speaking with her head slightly bowed.
She had the same fresh look, but unlike before, she felt a little more polite.
"Day's business?"
Oh, I heard that the waiting schedule was pulled forward.
"Yes. The business of the Vine Dukes in the human world."
That was what they called it.
Well, if the night symbolizes the demon world, then the day symbolizes the human world, which is its opposite.
I looked back at the dark outside day and night. Now, it was really the place where I had to live.
'I'll open the gates of hell.'
Even though it was just my words, it didn't feel real. Were we really allies?
“His Highness would have liked to introduce you to the demons himself, but it seems the priests.”
Decarabia frowned.
"They said that they shouldn't delay the great prayer."
"Ah."
I understood right away.
In my previous life, I had called in the three families suspected of being demons and performed the great prayer at the temple.
I thought that if they were demons, they would react. What was the result?
It was when I thought that way.
"So you said that you would leave the necessary introductions to me."
Decarabia continued. She placed her hand on the chest of her pitch-black dress and bowed her head politely.
"I am the demon of the stars, Decarabia."
"Star?"
Last night, Belled called himself the demon of the mind's eye, and Kilatia... I think it was called Kilatia the Whispers.
Is it related to the unique ability that demons have?
“Yes. The more stars I see at night, the stronger my power becomes. However, I can’t move around during the day.”
She said, tapping the parasol she was holding. It didn’t seem like she had been carrying it around out of habit.
“Oh, then last time.”
But didn’t I and Decarabia go out of the night to see the wedding hall last time?
“Was it okay when you went to the wedding hall?”
“It’s bearable if I use the parasol, so don’t worry about it.”
"Ah."
I understood right away.
In my previous life, I had called in the three families suspected of being demons and performed the great prayer at the temple.
I thought that if they were demons, they would react. What was the result?
It was when I thought that way.
"So you said that you would leave the necessary introductions to me."
Decarabia continued. She placed her hand on the chest of her pitch-black dress and bowed her head politely.
"I am the demon of the stars, Decarabia."
"Star?"
Last night, Belled called himself the demon of the mind's eye, and Kilatia... I think it was called Kilatia the Whispers.
Is it related to the unique ability that demons have?
“Yes. The more stars I see at night, the stronger my power becomes. However, I can’t move around during the day.”
She said, tapping the parasol she was holding. It didn’t seem like she had been carrying it around out of habit.
“Oh, then last time.”
But didn’t I and Decarabia go out of the night to see the wedding hall last time?
“Was it okay when you went to the wedding hall?”
“It’s bearable if I use the parasol, so don’t worry about it.”
Bearable meant that it wasn’t very good for your body.
“...I’ll remember it.”
I paused as I said that.
Suddenly, I found myself trying to naturally memorize the personal information of the demons.
“You don’t have to remember it.”
Decarabia said at that moment.
“Your Highness doesn’t need to remember it. If you need something, the one who has it will kneel before Your Highness.”
She seemed to be saying a very obvious truth.
Even if this place wasn’t a place where demons lived, it wouldn’t be strange for a noblewoman to command her subordinates, but I still felt strange.
I, who had been lost in thought for a moment, quickly realized the cause.
An order based on Belled’s authority. That was the problem.
They would listen right away, but how many demons would really want to listen to my story?
“...I’ll remember it.”
I paused as I said that.
Suddenly, I found myself trying to naturally memorize the personal information of the demons.
“You don’t have to remember it.”
Decarabia said at that moment.
“Your Highness doesn’t need to remember it. If you need something, the one who has it will kneel before Your Highness.”
She seemed to be saying a very obvious truth.
Even if this place wasn’t a place where demons lived, it wouldn’t be strange for a noblewoman to command her subordinates, but I still felt strange.
I, who had been lost in thought for a moment, quickly realized the cause.
An order based on Belled’s authority. That was the problem.
They would listen right away, but how many demons would really want to listen to my story?
I couldn’t just be a stranger here anymore. Since I had joined hands with Belled and decided to open the gates of hell with the demons, I had to live here.
Above all else.
‘Please stay by my side.’
As Belled’s wife. To do that, I needed to make his subordinates sincerely listen to my orders.
If I had the same power as Belled, there wouldn’t have been a problem, but I was human. How could I gain the recognition of other demons?
Above all else.
‘Please stay by my side.’
As Belled’s wife. To do that, I needed to make his subordinates sincerely listen to my orders.
If I had the same power as Belled, there wouldn’t have been a problem, but I was human. How could I gain the recognition of other demons?
One thing was certain: I had to slowly learn about the demons.
In order to do that.
“No, they are the people I will be living with now, so I have to get to know them.”
In order to do that.
“No, they are the people I will be living with now, so I have to get to know them.”
I had to start by memorizing the demons’ abilities one by one and getting to know them.
“Are you going to do that?”
I clearly saw a strange color flash in Decarabia’s eyes and then disappear.
As if seeing something she hadn't expected.
"Yeah."
I said, looking at her like that.
“I’m a Saintess, after all. From a demon’s perspective, they can’t help but be suspicious. I don’t want to live my life covering it up with Belled’s name.”
It had to start with showing that I was a trustworthy opponent.
Decarabia widened her eyes at those words, then nodded.
“... I understand.”
When our eyes met again, I smiled.
Decarabia turned her head away, but her expression of surprise was clearly visible on her side.
I had thought that the minds of demons might be unknowable, but looking at Decarabia, it seemed that wasn’t the case.
“First, can you tell me about the other demons in the human world?”
It didn’t seem like a bad idea to ask them a little.
“Yes, I’ll introduce you.”
Decarabia answered lightly.
Decarabia’s explanation was simple, but I got to the point.
To borrow her expression, excluding the ‘miscellaneous guys that Your Highness doesn’t need to remember,’ there were only about eight people in the human world who could be called demons.
I wanted to meet some of them in person.
“Shall I call them?”
“No, I’ll go there myself.”
I wanted to find out how they were working in their respective positions.
“Yes. First up is General and Inspector Naberus.”
And from the beginning, an awkward name came out.
“Inspector?”
The position of General was understandable. He seemed to like fighting.
I thought of a demon with dark brown hair and a large build.
But what was an Inspector?
“He must be the first to deal with those who dare to disrespect the Grand Duke.”
Naberus, true to his title, was a demon who seemed suspicious.
When I ordered him as Belled’s wife, Naberus was the demon who disliked me the most.
Was it because he thought I was abusing Belled authority?
“He should be in the Knights’ building at this hour.”
Decarabia took me to the Knights’ building, whether or not she knew that I was complicated.
But.
“Lord Naberus! It seems that Kashirin’s magic power is lacking! If this continues, he’ll be transformed into a monster!”
“Again?”
The knights looked busy. And Naberus was listening to the report with a serious face.
It was clear that this was not a good time.
“How bad has it gotten?”
“He should immediately reduce his activities and rest. Until he recovers.”
At those words, Decarabia also looked back at the person who had reported.
“You haven’t been in the human world for long, so why...!”
Naberus gritted his teeth and spat out the words.
“If it’s Kashirin.”
It was a name that I had in mind as well. I recalled the information about the demon that Decarabia had explained to me.
“Isn’t it the youngest demon?”
“That’s right. So it must have been a long way from being transformed into a monster, why...”
According to Decarabia, transformation into a monster starts from the oldest among the weakest demons.
But if the youngest demon is being transformed into a monster...
“His magical power is much less than I thought...”
Decarabia nodded at my words.
“Yes, because we’ve been collecting magic power while avoiding the temple’s surveillance.”
“...How do you do it?”
The evil deeds that the demons do and what Belled had said about ‘negative human emotions becoming magic power’.
I could easily guess from that, but I asked to confirm.
“They cause conflict among humans. Otherwise, they’re cursed to not be able to live.”
Almost at the same time as Decarabia answered, Naberus’s gaze turned to me.
Although he couldn’t bear to glare at Decarabia’s gaze, his eyes clearly held resentment.
Ah.
I realized as I met his gaze.
What Naberus hated was not me, but the priests of the temple that I reminded him of.
Those who rejected them and drove them to death.
“...Negative human emotions.”
I muttered. Come to think of it, there were many stories in my first and second lives that said ‘It’s good that the demons haven’t been running around lately’.
Could it be interpreted that they couldn’t ‘acquire magic power’?
Wasn’t there a place where they could collect such emotions? Is it really the only way to harm humans?
'Treasure, I have to hide the treasure...! Without it, I won't be able to obtain the magic to contact them!'
Then, I suddenly recalled a memory from my previous life. What the devil worshiper Duke Yubar had said when he said the temple was being invaded.
Magic power, can’t be obtained?
“Magic power is all that’s needed?”
Decarabia nodded at my words.
“Yes. Because it’s the source of demon life.”
In that case.
“There might be a way.”
Even Duke Yubar would have left his post by now for prayer, so it was a good time.
The problem was that Belled was also away. Then the one who had to receive the order directly was.
That General Naberus.
Would he really accept the order? I clenched my fists.
“Are you going to do that?”
I clearly saw a strange color flash in Decarabia’s eyes and then disappear.
As if seeing something she hadn't expected.
"Yeah."
I said, looking at her like that.
“I’m a Saintess, after all. From a demon’s perspective, they can’t help but be suspicious. I don’t want to live my life covering it up with Belled’s name.”
It had to start with showing that I was a trustworthy opponent.
Decarabia widened her eyes at those words, then nodded.
“... I understand.”
When our eyes met again, I smiled.
Decarabia turned her head away, but her expression of surprise was clearly visible on her side.
I had thought that the minds of demons might be unknowable, but looking at Decarabia, it seemed that wasn’t the case.
“First, can you tell me about the other demons in the human world?”
It didn’t seem like a bad idea to ask them a little.
“Yes, I’ll introduce you.”
Decarabia answered lightly.
***
Decarabia’s explanation was simple, but I got to the point.
To borrow her expression, excluding the ‘miscellaneous guys that Your Highness doesn’t need to remember,’ there were only about eight people in the human world who could be called demons.
I wanted to meet some of them in person.
“Shall I call them?”
“No, I’ll go there myself.”
I wanted to find out how they were working in their respective positions.
“Yes. First up is General and Inspector Naberus.”
And from the beginning, an awkward name came out.
“Inspector?”
The position of General was understandable. He seemed to like fighting.
I thought of a demon with dark brown hair and a large build.
But what was an Inspector?
“He must be the first to deal with those who dare to disrespect the Grand Duke.”
Naberus, true to his title, was a demon who seemed suspicious.
When I ordered him as Belled’s wife, Naberus was the demon who disliked me the most.
Was it because he thought I was abusing Belled authority?
“He should be in the Knights’ building at this hour.”
Decarabia took me to the Knights’ building, whether or not she knew that I was complicated.
But.
“Lord Naberus! It seems that Kashirin’s magic power is lacking! If this continues, he’ll be transformed into a monster!”
“Again?”
The knights looked busy. And Naberus was listening to the report with a serious face.
It was clear that this was not a good time.
“How bad has it gotten?”
“He should immediately reduce his activities and rest. Until he recovers.”
At those words, Decarabia also looked back at the person who had reported.
“You haven’t been in the human world for long, so why...!”
Naberus gritted his teeth and spat out the words.
“If it’s Kashirin.”
It was a name that I had in mind as well. I recalled the information about the demon that Decarabia had explained to me.
“Isn’t it the youngest demon?”
“That’s right. So it must have been a long way from being transformed into a monster, why...”
According to Decarabia, transformation into a monster starts from the oldest among the weakest demons.
But if the youngest demon is being transformed into a monster...
“His magical power is much less than I thought...”
Decarabia nodded at my words.
“Yes, because we’ve been collecting magic power while avoiding the temple’s surveillance.”
“...How do you do it?”
The evil deeds that the demons do and what Belled had said about ‘negative human emotions becoming magic power’.
I could easily guess from that, but I asked to confirm.
“They cause conflict among humans. Otherwise, they’re cursed to not be able to live.”
Almost at the same time as Decarabia answered, Naberus’s gaze turned to me.
Although he couldn’t bear to glare at Decarabia’s gaze, his eyes clearly held resentment.
Ah.
I realized as I met his gaze.
What Naberus hated was not me, but the priests of the temple that I reminded him of.
Those who rejected them and drove them to death.
“...Negative human emotions.”
I muttered. Come to think of it, there were many stories in my first and second lives that said ‘It’s good that the demons haven’t been running around lately’.
Could it be interpreted that they couldn’t ‘acquire magic power’?
Wasn’t there a place where they could collect such emotions? Is it really the only way to harm humans?
'Treasure, I have to hide the treasure...! Without it, I won't be able to obtain the magic to contact them!'
Then, I suddenly recalled a memory from my previous life. What the devil worshiper Duke Yubar had said when he said the temple was being invaded.
Magic power, can’t be obtained?
“Magic power is all that’s needed?”
Decarabia nodded at my words.
“Yes. Because it’s the source of demon life.”
In that case.
“There might be a way.”
Even Duke Yubar would have left his post by now for prayer, so it was a good time.
The problem was that Belled was also away. Then the one who had to receive the order directly was.
That General Naberus.
Would he really accept the order? I clenched my fists.
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