Maou – Chapter 2: Maou and Aku

☆☆ ★★★☆☆

This forest has been absent of human presence for a long time, but today, there were two humans.

One is a suspicious long haired man, and the other is a child.

“My…name is Kunai. I am not a suspicious person. I am not connected at all to the Demon Lord. I have a number of things I want to ask you. Is it okay?” (Maou)

The man…no, ‘Maou’ brushed his long hair to the back and speaks.

It seems he was somewhat troubled with what to call himself, but it looks like he decided on being called as Kunai in the end. With a child as the listener, he did try to at least sound like an adult, but it felt as if that pretense could be peeled off at any moment.

“Y-Yes…”

Maou tried his very best to make a smile so that the child doesn’t feel threatened, but the child had his eyes wide opened and was trembling heavily.

It couldn’t be helped. Because the child had witnessed that Archdevil get blown up right before his eyes.

For anyone who knows just what kind of existence that thing was in this world, this would be the natural reaction. Someone that shows a total lack of care against an Archdevil. There’s nothing aside from a Demon Lord who would be able to do that.

Even his looks are fitting to that of a Demon Lord, and it was scary.

“Before that, I should ask for your name, huh. If it is okay with you, can I have your name?” (Kunai)

“M-My name is Aku…” (Aku)

That answer made Maou go ‘Pffft!’, spurting and sending him into a coughing fit. Well, it is an understandable feeling.

‘Maou’ <Demon Lord> and ‘Aku’ <Evil>, what kind of joke is this?

“T-That’s an incredibly nice name. And so, do you know a place named Japan? Or maybe New York?” (Maou)

“I-I’m sorry… I have never heard of those…” (Aku)

Maou mutters ‘Figures’ as he lights a tobacco. You are smoking too much.

From what he sees, no matter how one thinks about it, the clothes of Aku are not modern at all. It is as if his clothes were made from crude cloth, and there’s only a sad excuse of a blue pattern on it. It is far from fashionable.

Aku also has trousers that almost reach the knees, and because of how pretty his face is, it is even more difficult to tell the gender.

His hair is short, but only his bangs are for some reason really long, and it is covering the left side of his face.

Maou was about to ask straight about Aku’s gender, but with his pride as an adult, he somehow managed to endure. He must have felt embarrassed to go ‘Are you a guy or a girl?’ towards a child he has met for the first time. <Where’s Prof.Oak when we need him?>

If he were Kunai Hakuto, he would have used all means available to have them spit out all the information they have, but the inside is ‘someone else’, so Aku was saved by that.

The questions of Maou didn’t stop.

What’s the name of this world? What’s this forest? What was that Devil just now?

The answers of Aku were incoherent, and didn’t have a clear point.

Or more like, it seemed like Aku didn’t have much knowledge that could be called knowledge.

Aku doesn’t have problems in terms of the common sense of the world, but in terms of knowledge of the world as a whole, he doesn’t have any.

Judging from the clothes, Aku is a simple villager.

Putting Villager A and Civilian A together won’t bring about anything.

“I still have things I want to ask, but…before that, there’s a lake over there. How about cleaning that dirt off?” (Maou)

“I-Is that okay?!” (Aku)

“Hm? W-Well, ain’t it okay? While at it, wipe your body too.” (Maou)

“T-Thank you very much!” (Aku)

The smile of Aku made Maou’s throat clench for a moment.

He simply said that after looking at Aku’s dirtied face and clothes.

That’s right, he doesn’t know…just how important water is in this place.

In this place, water is so scarce that the most they can manage is for drinking and cooking, and anything more than that would take a fee.

Using water to wipe one’s body is a privilege of a certain number of people.

In this remote place, water is an important source of money, and it moistened the pocket of the feudal lord.

☆☆☆★☆☆☆

(Hah…What to do…)

Seeing off Aku who was heading with cheerful steps to the lake, I sigh.

I thought I had finally found a source of information, but Aku was a regular villager, and the amount of information was way too little.

What I got was, at most, about this country and the village that Aku lives in.

(Holy Light country, was it? There’s no country like that in Earth…)

It is apparently the country that worships the Cherubim that’s said to be the one that sealed that Devil. Below the Cherubim, there’s the 3 holy maidens that serve under it, and the Order of the Holy Knights, the Holy Church, and the like. I listened to that line of words that I could only laugh at.

The very definition of a fantasy world.

If a high schooler right at the doorsteps of youth got transferred here, I would understand, but what’s the point of bringing an old man like me that’s leeched to the chains of society called work?

When I was thinking that, a bad feeling welled up… That maybe I wasn’t the one who was called…

(Maybe the one who was called…was this body?)

With these many mysterious experiences, my common sense has been steadily breaking. One of the players, Dynamite☆Deathland, told me: ‘Anything and everything is getting transferred to other worlds, you know’ and laughed at it.

Whether it be a game character, a Buddha statue, a war commander; it is already a society where it isn’t strange for anything to be summoned.

If I were to think about it in such a senseless way, I can agree as to why this body was called here.

I don’t know what objective they have, but…Kunai Hakuto has many uses. It was simply that I was coincidentally logged in to the character that was supposed to be transferred.

(That would mean…I was dragged in!)  

The moment I reached that conclusion, anger welled up.

Because of this damn old man, I was thrown into this question mark of a world.

That must be it, no doubt about it. Or more like, if I don’t think in this way, I won’t be able to handle it.

(I have to find a way to return, quickly.)

This time around, it may be called a blessing that I have already gone independent from my parents and am living alone. But no matter how I cut it, the company will be trouble.

Who knows what they would do if I were to be absent without prior notice at this age.

(Now that it has been decided, should I go to a town somewhere? Or should I search for clues in this forest?)

I slowly check the surroundings, but there’s only an eerie silence covering the forest.

It is not a place I would like to stay long in.

(Anyways, isn’t Aku taking way too long?)

☆☆★★★☆☆

(I am so glad I’m alive…!)

Aku was currently at the peak of happiness.

Soaking in this large body of clear water that’s practically transparent, Aku was cleaning his body and clothes to his heart’s content. Not even the village head has a luxury like this.

The times when they can wash their bodies and clothes are, at most, the times when it rains. And not the drizzle kind, but the heavy kind of rain.

Because the Devil had gone rampant in the past at this place, the ground had dried, the old water wells were almost all poisoned, and it was difficult to even obtain the minimum required water.

More so when…Aku has a ‘dirty body’. He absolutely couldn’t let this chance pass by.

(At any rate, what in the world is that person…)

Taking off his clothes, Aku submerged into the lake till his neck, and ponders.

The person that managed to defeat that Archdevil in one hit. Maybe he really is the so called Demon Lord that’s been passed down in the legends of the Holy Capital?

From what he saw of those black clothes of him, he could not see him as an Angel at all.

In the first place, the fact that he was alone in this forest is already abnormal. Legends say that there’s a small shrine in this forest, and it is a place that’s prohibited to go into.

He was told that there’s a beautiful lake in this forest, but the reason no one was able to enter here was not only because of the legends, but because even that Devil was here.

(Could it be…he is trying to clean my body first before eating me?)

Chills ran his body.

He wanted to run away immediately, but he wanted to wash his clothes clean.

He might have to run away naked. Thinking about how there’s the possibility other Devils might be around, it would be suicidal.

“Ooi, not done yet? Hurry it up.” (Maou)

“I-I’m sorry! I will be out soon!” (Aku)

“No, sorry. I simply wanted to try saying that once. Go ahead and take your time washing the mud off.” (Maou)

Even if told to ‘take your time’…just thinking about making Maou-sama wait made his body tremble. There might be a reason why he is still letting him live.

But if he were to piss him off even a bit, his life will be as good as gone.

He is still muttering something and moving around busily.

Is he doing some sort of ritual for a curse?

“Great! I can use the Admin functions!” (Maou)

What is Adminfoncsions? …Is it some ancient evil god?

When he reached that thought, the word felt even scarier. And…his thought was correct.

A pitch black space appeared at the front of Maou-sama, and he put his right hand inside of it without hesitation. Just imagining what could come out from inside there was making Aku want to cry.

Could it be a Scythe of Darkness? Or Dark Magic Armament? Or maybe cooking utensils to eat him?

“Good good, it is out… There you go, a soap and a bath towel. Use them.” (Maou)

“Eh? Is this a cleanser?!” (Aku)

“C-Cleanser, you say. Well, that’s fine. I will be checking out the area just in case.” (Maou)

Saying that, Maou-sama left the lake.

While he was leaving, he muttered some weird things like ‘my SP is decreasing rapidly…’, just what is he talking about?

No, more importantly, the cleanser! A dream item that he wanted to use at least once in his life!

A high-class item that you wouldn’t be able to use unless you are nobility, just where in the world did he get it from?!

☆☆☆★☆☆☆

“There’s no knowing what can be of use…” (Maou)

With the admin window open, I speak out my thoughts.

A moment ago, a part of the admin functions had been open after a certain event. By expending the SP that’s a characteristic system of the game, I am now able to use it.

SP, Skill Points: in the game, they are points that decrease and increase with things like battle, counterattacks, and items.

By using these points, you can learn powerful skills, strengthen your defense; on the other hand, you can also steal them from your opponent and weaken them.

Looks like you can also obtain them in this world without issues.

“But to require 5p for a trash item like that…” (Maou)

Lower grade item creation – 5p
Mid grade item creation – 10p
High grade item creation – 20p
Rare grade item creation – 50p

The happiness of an admin function being unlocked had caused me to make an item in celebration, but the thing that I created was way too dull. A soap is a trash weapon of the throwing type, and the bath towel is an armor for the body, but it gives +1 which is an item that no one would turn an eye to.

“What remains is around 30p, huh… If I accumulate them, will more features be unlocked? Or are there other prerequisites?” (Maou)

I don’t know how strong that enemy just now was, but judging from the SP I got, I think its level was quite high.

But for a high level, it was way too weak. The enemy’s strength and the reward didn’t match at all.

“Looks like not everything is just like the game…” (Maou)

In the game, in order to have balance, the SP obtained depends on the difference of level between you and your opponent. In other words, if a low level attacks a high level, they would get a big amount of SP; conversely, if it is the other way, you would only get a little bit. But the high leveled people are -without exception- cruel to the extreme.

“In other words…that guy might have been a metal slime-like existence.” (Maou)

A popular RPG monster appeared in my head.

It is weak and fast to run, but when defeated, you obtain a massive amount of exp. If there’s still more around, should I hunt them down till none remain? <Dragon Quest ref.>

“M-Maou-sama! Sorry for the wait!” (Aku)

“As I said, I am not the Maou…hah…fine. More importantly, that weakling just now, are there more around?” (Maou)

“N-No way! If there were others like that around, the country would fall!” (Aku)

“Eh? …Is that thing really so dangerous?” (Maou)

Aku nods his head vigorously and affirms it.

It could be that my view is quite disjointed from the regular… Anyways, in order to utilize the admin functions, there’s the need to prioritize the acquisition of SP.

If possible, I want to get plenty enough SP before leaving the forest.

There’s no knowing what might happen after leaving to the outside after all.

Most of all, if I get the SP and unlock all the admin functions, there’s the chance that I might even find a way to return to my original world.

“Aku, do you know the dwelling of that guy? I want to investigate it a bit.” (Maou)

“I have heard that the Devil King was…sealed in the Wish Shrine that’s in this forest.” (Aku)

“Wish, huh… Sorry but can you please guide me there?” (Maou)

“I-I am sorry. I do want to, but my legs are weak…” (Aku)

Now that I see carefully, there’s a big wound remaining at the right ankle of Aku. It looked as if he had received a big laceration, and practically without treating it, only the wound had closed; a really painful sight.

No, is assuming that too hasty? There’s the possibility that it might be some characteristic disease of this world.

Sadly to say, I am no doctor. Within Kunai’s close aides, there was a cheat-like existence that could cure any kind of disease or wound, but right now it would be wishing for something I don’t have.

“Can’t be helped. I will piggyback you.” (Maou)

“N-No way! Someone dirty like me riding on Maou-sama’s back would be unacceptable!” (Aku)

“Sorry but I don’t have time for this. I won’t ask twice.” (Maou)

“…!”

Even when I knelt with back facing him, there’s practically no signs of him accepting.

Not only that, that drooped expression was filled with distress, and it felt as if he could cry at any moment.

Oi oi, are you saying you don’t want to so much to the point of tears? That hurts you know!

“I-I have been a troublesome existence for my village since long ago. That’s why I would always do jobs of gathering the trash of the village and throwing it away, gathering excretion and throwing it away; I was doing my best in my own way, but…” (Aku)

“…In other words, the dirty work like dealing with the trash, right? Ain’t that an important job.” (Maou)

“The villagers would always call me dirty and stinky…And so, they finally sent me as a sacrifice to the Devil.” (Aku)

‘Ahaha’, Aku laughs with a pained tearful expression.

I don’t understand much, but it wasn’t a nice and fluffy story. Making a small child like this do a job like that, and not only that, treating him in that way.

“Everyone in the village says…if you touch me, you will be ‘stained’.” (Aku)

I feel like I am listening about the bullying of elementary schoolers.

This must be what it feels like to be shocked into disappointment. I silently grab the collar of Aku and put him on my back no questions asked.

“W-Wait! Please wait! If you touch me…!” (Aku)

“As if something like that would stain a human. The body of a human can go back to being practically new by just washing up.” (Maou)

“…!”

“More importantly, that shrine you were talking about—” (Maou)

I swallow the words that I was about to say.

Because I heard…sobbing from my back.

(Wa? He is seriously crying! Or more like, from an outsider’s perspective, I would look like a kidnapper?!) (Maou)

Now that I think about it, it does indeed look like I am kidnapping a crying child.

If there’s some sort of organization that works as the police force in this world, I would be apprehended without doubt. Being imprisoned as a kidnapper right on the get go of coming to another world, wouldn’t that be a first?

“You…are okay even when touching me…?” (Aku)

I fall in thought for a bit on how to answer the voice I heard from my back.

From what I have heard about Aku’s environment, he must have been called dirty and infectious.

In the modern times, it could even turn into a trauma and would be a straight course to depression. It wouldn’t be strange for it to lead to suicide.

“Aku, you called me a Maou, right? Are Demon Lords that weak of an existence that they would be stained by you?” (Maou)

Crap, did that sound a bit too conceited?

If my workmates were to hear what I said just now, there’s no doubt they would tease me with it for at least a decade.

“No…they are not…” (Aku)

The strength in Aku’s body dissipates, and I think the weight he placed on my back had increased.

But well, in this body, I feel like I would even be able to pull a dump truck with one hand, so the weight of a single child is nothing.

“Thank you very much, Maou-sama…” (Aku)

The soft body of Aku stuck to my back, and that body had a nice smell of soap.

“…Aren’t you sticking a bit too much?” (Maou)

“T-That’s not true!” (Aku)

□　□　■　■　□　■　■　□　□□　□　■　■　□　■　■　□　□

<TLN: I use ‘he’ for Aku, but the gender is unknown for now.>

A part of the data is now available.

Aku

Race: Human

Age: 13

Personal Belongings: Soap (Grand Empire Brand)
The soaps in this world are things made from natural manufacturing methods and ingredients, but because the people like nobles, rich, and prostitutes buy them at high prices, it rarely circulates to the general populace.
The ‘Grand Empire’ brand soap of the highly advanced power nation that ruled over most of the world has incredible techniques used in the making of it, and it has so much of a difference that it would be stupid to even compare the two of them.

Personal Belongings: Bath Towel (Grand Empire Brand)
The Grand Empire showed vulgar levels of pickiness and craftsman ability in many fields, and even a bath towel had many quirks placed in it.
This bath towel had such a softness that people would even say: ‘They used fabric softener on it, right?’, and its absorption had no rival.

Armor: Cloth Clothing
Nonexistent defense.
However, since he was going to be sacrificed to the Devil King, he was made to wear clothes that in the standards of the village could be said to be great. There’s cases where the poor would wear things made from hemp.

Level 1

Health: 10/10
Vitality: 20
Attack: 1
Defense: 1
Speed: 1
Magic: 1
Magic Defense: 1

Aku only has long bangs, and it is to the point that it covers the right side of his face.

Because of his heterochromia, he was even more of a bullying target. His parents died from disease at an early age, and this only spurred the persecution of the whole village.

Previous Chapter l Next Chapter