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The orders My Lord gave me are always the same after that human was gone. A repeat of: Bring that person back. 

Her words didn’t change even after he was kidnapped by Leitis, and she didn’t even show discouragement at me not being able to accomplish her order. 

Someone like me may not be able to measure how much emotion those words have, but I can’t return to the side of My Lord until I fulfill my task.

 “Hey, Dyuvuleori! Where you going next?” (Kutou) 

“Wherever. Whether it is Leitis or that human, it should be possible to find him as long as there’s faint traces of them in the air.” (Dyuvuleori)

Mine Nose of Sniffing can sniff out all scents. If I can’t find them even with that, there’s a high chance they are at a place where I haven’t been.

I have finished searching Taizu, Gahne, and Kuama. There’s no doubt he is within the remaining countries. 

“Then, next Mejis! I heard barrier there tough!” (Kutou)

“The place where the holy grounds of the Yugura Church is. If I remember correctly, Mejis is the country that has been fighting against devils for a long time. They may have a lot of techniques to detect devils, but it won’t be a reason to obstruct my duty.” (Dyuvuleori)

“Kutou can’t deal with that stuff.” (Kutou)

“Get into my stomach or something. My stomach is special. They shouldn’t be able to detect you that easily.” (Dyuvuleori)

It would be difficult to find them as long as we don’t get directly close to the building if the enemy has the same concealment nature as my stomach. 

But I am aware of that. I just have to search all of the buildings of all the countries. 

“Sorry for interrupting while you are all hyped up, but can you spare a moment?” 

“…What is it, Colorless Demon Lord?” (Dyuvuleori)

The Colorless Demon Lord manifested right behind me as if he was there from the very beginning. 

I would have gone into battle mode if I didn’t know who this Demon Lord is. 

I don’t know how it works, but it should be the same as teleport magic…no, beyond that. 

“I am glad you are an intelligent monster. The peps of the Scarlet Demon Lord immediately get hostile, so there’s no method aside from ignoring them.” (Colorless)

“I myself have no time to get involved with you. I have heard you can’t take actions that will turn you into an enemy. I will judge you as an enemy if you get in my way.” (Dyuvuleori)

The Colorless Demon Lord has been given the role of observer by Yugura so that forbidden magic doesn’t spread. 

The price of having the power to eliminate anyone that touches the forbidden is that he has been restricted to not being able to take any hostile actions. 

“I have no intention to get in your way. However, this may be sudden, but aren’t you interested in my strength?” (Colorless)

“Not at all.” (Dyuvuleori)

“You should! I am the strongest within the Demon Lords alive as of present, you know?” (Colorless)

“Not interested.” (Dyuvuleori)

“Please do. You might be able to grasp a trigger. You might be able to be of use to your master. And so, let’s spar! A fight where the first to land a hit ends it is fine. I won’t kill you!” (Colorless)

I can’t tell what the intentions of this man are. 

He is nothing other than a hindrance. 

But if I judge him as an enemy, he might be able to eliminate me seriously. A method to get away from this Demon Lord… This is vexing, but I have no means aside from tagging along with this play of his. 

I store Kutou in the Stomach of Perplexion and take a stance.

“…Fine. I don’t want to waste any more time.” (Dyuvuleori)

“Oh, nice! That’s how it should be! Come at me!” (Colorless)

I don’t know how well it will work, but if I am going to do this, I will use my full power. 

I close the distance in one go with my Left Leg of Running and smash him with my Right Leg of Roaring. 

But my right leg didn’t hit him. 

The space in front of me split and pitch black darkness spread.

Something akin to a barrier had been placed between me and the Colorless Demon Lord. 

“Your physical strength is outstanding. It is below the Scarlet Beast, but I think you are pretty up there as a monster. But well, you are too straightforward.” (Colorless)

The darkness spread and my whole body was swallowed in the blink of an eye. There was no pain and I don’t feel like something is eroding me. 

What magic is this? 

My vision was swallowed by darkness and I have even lost the sensation of the ground. 

“You…!” (Dyuvuleori)

“This is not a spell for attack but more for evasion. This throws the target wrapped in darkness to a random location. The type that makes problematic techniques miss. Ah, don’t need to worry. You will be able to return faster than a child taking a bath and coming out.
Oh well, devote yourself. With how you are right now, you won’t be able to stay by the side of your important people when it matters the most.” (Colorless)

I don’t understand. 

What does this Demon Lord want to accomplish? What’s this aside from an obstruction? 

Just when I thought this, my Nose of Sniffing smelled the scent that I was looking for. 

◇◇

“…” 

Comrade has been kidnapped by Leitis. 

My worries about that were piling up one-sidedly. I currently can’t do anything about it. 

I may have spells for infiltration, but there’s nothing I can do when I don’t know where to infiltrate. 

In that case, I should finish the matters I have until that time comes to secure a perfect state of mind. 

“…” 

But I honestly would like to consult Comrade. 

Leaving aside the matter of my mother, should I proceed with the other matter by myself? Comrade’s life is most likely in danger even now. 

Maybe…no, there’s no doubt Comrade would be able to come out of it safely. He managed to act that well even against us who were completely superior to him in strength. 

Even if the other party is someone more skilled than me, Comrade, who managed to defeat the Scarlet Demon Lord, should be…

“…” 

…I have to do something about this awkward atmosphere first though. 

Inside the carriage headed to Mejis, Blue, Rakura, and Mother were sitting there in silence. 

Mother’s treatment ended safely. 

The Purple Demon Lord performed splendidly. She managed to finish the treatment completely in less than an hour after bringing Mother to her. 

She even placed a seal to hold back the power from activating again, and she regained consciousness. 

Her eyesight has dropped slightly as an aftereffect, but it apparently won’t be too detrimental to her everyday life. 

And so, we are currently here in order to bring Mother back to Mejis…

“…” 

I can feel the gazes of the 3 stabbing me every now and then as I hold the reins of the carriage. 

What do you want me to do here? 

It seriously makes me feel that I should have brought Haakudoku. But he returned to Kuama and is using the adventurers of Kuama together with Gestaf to search for Comrade. 

I can’t just lower the chances of Comrade being found just so that I can mellow out the atmosphere. 

We left Taizu, passed by the continent of Gahne, and we are about to reach the national border of Mejis, and yet, not a single person has spoken a word. 

Should I…be the one speaking? 

No, what does that mean? Am I saying Blue and Rakura wouldn’t do? 

I am clearly the one who is the worst in communicating with others—

“…Mother, how are your eyes?” 

“…They are fine. I have made you worry.” 

The first one to speak was Rakura. 

I feel like Blue flinched there, but I also did. 

“Your eyesight has lowered, so I will ask Ukka-sama to prepare a tool that adjusts your eyesight, okay?” (Rakura)

“I am fine. It is pretty much the same as the times when I am a bit tired.” (Natora) 

“You don’t call that being fine. It is because you shoulder things alone like that that you ended up entrusting me to an orphanage.” (Rakura)

“H-Hey, Rakura, that’s going too far—” (Blue)

“No, I will say it clearly here. I don’t want you to apologize, Mother. But Mother wants to. In that case, we both won’t feel refreshed until we speak our gripes clearly. It is true that we were different from a normal household. But I haven’t thought of that as reproachful. I may have complaints that I can’t put in words, but my gratitude for you giving birth to me greatly surpasses this.” (Rakura)

“…I…see…” (Natora) 

I agree with the words of Rakura. 

My life can’t be called decent, but I managed to meet Comrade and extend my hand to Blue. 

I certainly did feel my growth there. 

If I had been born as a peaceful human, I wouldn’t have ever been able to obtain this feeling. 

“I am an adult too. I am satisfied with my own life.” (Rakura)

“But you have been unmarried for close to 30 years.” (Natora) 

“Plain cruel?! *Cough* Marriage is not everything. If we are talking about that, Ekdoik—my brother is older than me.” (Rakura)

She threw the fire at me too for some reason. 

It is true that you are considered an adult at 18, and there’s a lot of people who marry in their late twenties. But I have been living in the Nether until that age…

“Ekdoik has Blue-san.” (Natora) 

“Wa?! P-Please wait a moment! My relationship with Ekdoik is that between a Demon Lord and demon—” (Blue)

“But you said you would stay by his side until the very end…” (Natora) 

“That’s true, but…!” (Blue)

“The two of them have only just begun their relationship, so please don’t poke that too much.” (Rakura)

“Rakura?!” (Blue)

“Ekdoik, what’s your opinion in that regard?” (Natora) 

Even Mother has thrown the conversation to me, so I should say something, huh… 

I can’t think of any thoughtful words. 

I have no choice but to say what I think as it is. 

“My relationship with Blue is not like that.” (Ekdoik)

“T-That’s right…” (Blue)

“I have simply given my life to Blue.” (Ekdoik)

“Hey!” (Blue)

Muh, did I say something wrong? I don’t think I did. 

“Oh my, in other words, Ekdoik-san is the wife?” (Natora) 

“That’s weird stuff you are saying there. Are the women the ones who give their lives to the man in the marriages of humans?” (Ekdoik)

“I…don’t know about that. Such trends were big in the past though… The forms of the married couples were varied.” (Natora) 

“As I said, I—” (Blue)

“Sorry about that. I just felt like teasing you a bit. But I felt like the relationship between you two was extremely kind for a Demon Lord and demon.” (Natora) 

Demons are the subordinates of Demon Lords; they are in a master-servant relationship where they can’t disobey at all. 

But now that she mentions it, Blue has never treated me like a tool. 

She would get angry in weird moments and I have been smashed onto the ground several times, but they are most likely my mistakes. 

“That’s certainly uncharacteristic for a relationship of servitude.” (Ekdoik)

“…What, you want me to use you more like a slave?” (Blue)

“That would be troubling, but I do feel bad that I am using too much time because of the matters of Cormrade, and I can’t be by your side too much, Blue.” (Ekdoik)

“So true. You are always going Comrade this Comrade that, and always leaving your master for later.” (Blue)

“That much?” (Ekdoik)

“You are. You cry more often than a pet dog.” (Blue)

“You do. You always do when you show up.” (Rakura)

“I see…” (Ekdoik)

I normally show up in front of Rakura when I am acting together with Comrade, so I feel like it can’t be helped that she has that perception though. 

But it is hard to describe the feeling when it is actually pointed out to me. 

I heard Mother giggling when I was groaning. 

“You have met good people, Ekdoik.” (Natora) 

“Yeah, Comrade guided someone like me, who was raised in the Nether, all the way here. I would already be dead if I hadn’t met Comrade, or would be living a life not that different from that of a monster. No amount of gratitude would be enough.” (Ekdoik)

“Include Blue-san there too. You felt enough to offer your everything to her after all.” (Natora) 

“Muh, that’s true.” (Ekdoik)

“I am fine…” (Blue)

“I can’t just pick favorites here. Also…I am sorry for not making it in time.” (Ekdoik)

I should have run straight to her but, in the end, I couldn’t make it in time when Blue was in danger, and the ones who saved her were Comrade and…my mother. 

There was a high enough possibility to encounter a Unique, so if I had communicated often with Blue, something like that wouldn’t have happened.

“…That’s fine too. I did forget to call you… Uhm, Natora-san…thanks for saving me that time.” (Blue)

“No need to thank me. I feel like I ended up pulling your leg instead…” (Natora)

“Not at all! I would have died if I had been hit by that attack!” (Blue)

“I heard Demon Lords are immortal though?” (Natora)

“It takes around several decades to a century to resurrect… No, that’s not the issue here!” (Blue)

“It is a joke. I know. I just teased you a bit because I felt shy about being thanked. Sorry.” (Natora)

“O-Okay… Also, how to say it…I should also…you know…apologize for a variety of things… Sorry.” (Blue)

“I am the one who should—*cough* I was so surprised when I was first told about the relationship between you two, and couldn’t say anything. But you remain the same. A variety of my worries were gone as I watched you two.” (Natora)

I feel like my mother and those two have smoothened things out pretty well. 

I should say more here. 

“—I should thank you too. Thanks for saving Blue and thanks for understanding me…Mom.” (Ekdoik)

“—! …Yeah.” (Natora)

I can tell Mom is flustered here even when behind me. I am sure this is not a bad thing. 

Even if I am not certain of it, I could feel that’s just how it is. 

“Ah, right. If we are going to Mejis, we should visit the grave of Father!” (Rakura)

“Right. I don’t know his face, but it doesn’t change the fact that he is our father.” (Ekdoik)

“I don’t know him either. But I have been going every now and then. Flowers would be noticed by Mother, so I poured booze.” (Rakura)

“Father couldn’t drink alcohol though…” (Natora)

“Eh?!” (Rakura)

“Whipping a dead person, huh. You are a horrible daughter, Rakura.” (Blue)

“T-Then, my love for alcohol comes from Mother…?!” (Rakura)

“I can’t drink that much either.” (Natora)

“Blaming your parents for that is not good.” (Ekdoik)

We managed to solve one problem with this. 

I can feel a part of the worries in my chest disappear. 

But the real problem that we should be facing still remains. 

“Right, I have to thank the one other Demon Lord that treated me…” (Natora)

“No need for that. Your environment got complicated because of the monsters Purple created in the first place.” (Blue)

“That’s true, but…” (Natora)

“Purple barely has any interest for others. You will only suffer a bad aftertaste if you meet her.” (Blue)

“The Purple Demon Lord-san is super unconcerned about anything unrelated to Counselor-sama after all.” (Rakura)

The Purple Demon Lord was the one who tore our family apart even if indirectly. 

She saved Mom this time around because Comrade asked to. 

We shouldn’t let them meet at least until we confirm the safety of Comrade.

“Ah, I also need to thank the knight that helped in my treatment in Mejis.” (Natora)

“…Aah.” (Ekdoik)

“What’s the matter, Ekdoik? You suddenly lost energy there. Could it be that you forgot to ask her name?” (Natora)

“No, I did hear her name… Her name is Melia… Melia Pentes.” (Ekdoik)

“Melia-san, huh.” (Natora)

“Is there a problem? …Hm? Pen…tes?” (Blue)

It seems like Blue has noticed. 

I could feel discomfort in her words. 

“…? Is something the matter?” (Rakura)

“H-Hey, Ekdoik…so it is like that?” (Blue)

“Yeah…She had a resemblance, and I did ask about it lightly to her comrade Holy Knights who I entrusted Melia to. Melia is the little sister…of Leishia Pentes.” (Ekdoik)

“…It is weird for me to say this, but you have quite the strange fateful life.” (Blue)

Leishia Pentes was the Holy Knight that was captured to give me information of human society when I was raised under Beglagud. 

She was killed and made food. You could say she died because of me. 

Mom’s life was saved thanks to the help of her little sister. 

Is this the way fate is telling me to face Melia and my past? 

I don’t know the answer to that right now. But I should be able to know clearly in Mejis where we are heading. 

◇◇

I managed to smell the scent of that human. 

Considering the strength of the trace, the people of Leitis are not here anymore. 

But there’s also a scent I have not smelled before… 

This is from the Yugura Church’s…no, this isn’t the time to think that. 

If it is exactly as the Colorless Demon Lord said, I will be returned to my original place not long after. 

I must secure that human or locate him. 

I erase my presence as much as possible and turn invisible. 

It seems to be a building somewhere, but there’s several layers of strong barriers around. 

It would not only be impossible for devils to get close, it would be difficult to even find it. 

(The scent comes from here. But this scent…) (Dyuvuleori)

I confirm the position of the stars and narrow down the location as much as possible. 

This is Mejis. A facility a few ways away from where the holy grounds are. 

There aren’t that many guards. It seems their security relies mainly on the barriers. 

They don’t seem to be too tense as guards, and I could hear them chatting.

“How’s the man?” 

“With how terribly injured he was… According to the doctors, he can’t even be healed with healing magic, so they can only prolong his life.” 

“What was Zuccho thinking? …He was supposed to train him, right?” 

“Yeah, he may be nuts, but his skills are certain. Though, he went even crazier and ended up like that. At the end, he apparently continued gouging at his own throat until it was a mess.” 

It seems like his state isn’t that good judging from what they said. 

I search for the location of that human, relying on my nose, and find the room. 

I become a shadow, enter through an opening of the door, and check the state inside.

“This is…” (Dyuvuleori)

The one there was that human. 

But I could only tell that because of my Nose of Sniffing. 

The appearance of the human lying on the bed was a dreadful one that didn’t resemble his past appearance. 

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