LS – Chapter 277: As such, increased

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We are all taking a break in our own way in the time Comrade was staying in Serende. 

Ritial escaped and the allies of Nektohal that are said to be in Serende are still present, so those are worries that are still there. 

But what must be prioritized is the recovery of Comrade’s wounds. 

The healing magic that we use without worries can’t be used at least on Comrade, so even shallow wounds can be fatal for him. 

If there are too many allies close to him, he might end up pushing himself. 

“I agree with that opinion, but why is the plan to head to Mejis now to head to the Mejis Nether?” (Blue)

“There’s things I want to do when I have the time…” (Ekdoik)

Right now I am riding Daruagestia with Blue, and we are moving to the land where my foster father and Great Devil, Beglagud, ruled before. 

The Great Devils were fighting over territory after Rakura defeated Beglagud, so it wasn’t even possible to enter without complications, but there’s no devils who are trying to rule over the Mejis Nether after the matter with Comrade and the Purple Demon Lord. 

It seems like I can find a number of lesser devils if I search for their presences, but there’s no signs of them trying to approach us. 

That said, there’s no way they would be able to approach with this entourage though. 

“It is a place that’s filled with my mana, I am still not used to it, you know? In the first place, it is  ravaged land everywhere, so the scenery is bad, you know?” 

“And so, why is it that Purple is with us?!” (Blue)

“Isn’t it obviously because I have business in the Mejis Nether, too? I am coming along with you so that lesser devils don’t swarm us, and yet, you are treating me this badly? That’s horrible, you know?” (Purple)

I thought for sure she would concentrate on nursing Comrade, but the Purple Demon Lord and Dyuvuleori are accompanying us. 

The skill of the Purple Demon Lord to control monsters is outstanding compared to the other Demon Lords. She can control them from as far as other countries if it is just mere lesser devils, but…why is it that she is accompanying us? 

“You… You can order the monsters even if you are not in the Nether, right? There’s no point in you coming along.” (Blue)

“It is true that I have business in the Mejis Nether, you know? But it is less shaky and more comfortable to ride this dragon than to be carried by a devil.” (Purple)

“Rooh.” 

“Can you not treat someone else’s trump card as a carriage?!” (Blue)

“Also, is it that bad to be interested in what the other devils are doing in my Nether?” (Purple)

“I don’t know about you treating it as your own territory when you abandoned the management of it… Geez, Ekdoik, tell us the objective already! It is not something to keep me in suspense for anyway, right?!” (Blue)

“It is certainly not something to keep hidden, but…I was thinking about bringing Leishia back to Melia.” (Ekdoik)

“…” 

Leishia was captured and killed for the sake of me learning about human society. 

I buried her remains in this Mejis Nether. 

But she had a little sister that was waiting for her return. 

In that case, I should be returning the remains of Leishia to Melia. 

“It is not like anything will change with this, but I want to make amends as much as possible.” (Ekdoik)

“…I-I see… That’s good, I guess?” (Blue)

“You say amend, but it was something Beglagud did by himself, right? It would be one thing if it were me who created him, but isn’t it weird for you to be the one atoning for it?” (Purple)

I remember Melia saying something similar to that. 

I thought I had settled my feelings about it, but I really do seem to be dragging it somewhere in me. 

“Then, let’s just say I wanted to get some good deeds on my belt.” (Ekdoik)

“Yeah, that’s a better view to have on it. Putting too many emotions in everything you do would just be sweltering, you know?” (Purple)

“You are the one saying that?” (Blue)

“Oh my, Dear accepts something as small as feelings with no issues after all.” (Purple)

The land that Beglagud used as his turf is close to the borders between Mejis and the Mejis Nether. 

Daruagestia should be able to arrive there without taking much time. 

It is the place of beginnings for me. 

It is a sight not so different from the past, but it is more tasteless than I thought. 

My body already doesn’t accept the mana of this Nether, so I have a barrier around my body. 

Maybe that’s why the sensations I can feel with my skin are dulled? 

The Purple Demon Lord and Dyuvuleori said they would be checking the place that Beglagud used and left. 

Blue and I headed to the place where Leishia was buried. 

“This is the place?” (Blue)

“Yeah. Looks like it is safe.” (Ekdoik)

Unnaturally piled up soil. 

Leishia is sleeping here. 

I am feeling bad about how crude this is most likely because I have seen proper graves in human society now. 

“—There really are human bones. So no monsters dug it back up.” (Blue)

“What devils like is the blood and meat of humans. There were a few lesser devils who approached the place for a while when I had just buried her, but I placed a barrier to ward the devils off. There were no issues after it was only bones.” (Ekdoik)

I spread the chains, excavate the place where the bones are buried in, and move it to a wooden box. 

I have achieved what I wanted to do in this Nether now. 

Is there anything else I should do? 

This place will be purified by the clergy of Mejis soon and become the land of the humans. 

There will be no opportunity for me to come back. 

“Did you not have your own room?” (Blue)

“I did, but…the only thing necessary from my room were the chains. Alright, there’s no business here anymore. Let’s head to Mejis and—” (Ekdoik)

I felt some sort of strong mana. 

I deploy my chains and get into a battle stance and use detection magic to check the precise location—above! 

“It really was Ekdoik, huh. I thought you ran away. What brings you here at this point in time?” 

What jumped at me from above was a high rank devil. Also, I remember that horn that’s broken in a warped manner. 

Right, he was a close aide of Beglagud like me. 

He didn’t join the other Great Devils after Beglagud was defeated, so I thought he had been defeated by Rakura together with Beglagud. 

“You…were alive? No, what about you? Why are you here? All devils should have received orders from the Purple Demon Lord.” (Ekdoik)

Most of the high rank devils that were not given a name or a post were killed in the matter of Taizu and the battle against the Scarlet Demon Lord. 

The ones that survived should have all been placed as close aides of the Purple Demon Lord as the Butler Army. 

A high rank devil being in the Mejis Nether is weird in itself.

“I only serve Beglagud-sama, therefore I went against it. That’s all there is to it.” 

“…Do you not care for your life?” (Ekdoik)

The orders of the Purple Demon Lord are absolute for devils. The only ones who can go against it are the Uniques that are strong and with names, but…this devil must have obtained power that’s one step before being a Unique. 

The Great Devils that didn’t obey the order were dragged by force by the devils that were given the power of the masks. 

He has power, but remained in the high rank category, so that must be why he managed to escape the call of the Purple Demon Lord.

“I have no life to value anyways… I dedicated my life to someone else, so me remaining here like this is nothing but humiliating…” 

“So you continued protecting this place even after the ruling devil was gone. But this place will soon be purified by humans. This is the result after the Purple Demon Lord negotiated with the humans. Nothing against you, but join the ranks of the Purple Demon Lord.” (Ekdoik)

“…So the world is changing. But I am fine like this. If humans are going to ravish this place, I just have to fight back until this body of mine perishes.” 

His sense of will is awfully strong compared to your regular high rank devil. 

This devil really is close to becoming a Unique. 

He might become a threat to the people of Mejis if I leave it be. 

“Oh my, so the fly that I got a report on was here? You have grown in an incredibly half-baked manner, huh?” 

“?!” 

The devil that was flying in the air was smashed onto the ground.

Dyuvuleori tears his wings off and restrains his limbs with his tail.

And then, the Purple Demon Lord, who was by his side, looked down at that devil with a gaze as if she were looking at an object. 

“Purple Demon Lord… You came to the Mejis Nether for this devil?” (Ekdoik)

“I did feel its presence when I called the devils in Taizu, you know? I thought the insurrection of a single high rank devil didn’t matter as long as I could secure the Great Devils, however, if this devil were to attack humans, I would be breaking my promise with him, right? But that’s great, you know? I managed to find one of my objectives so easily.” (Purple)

One of the conditions agreed upon with Comrade in Mejis to let the Purple Demon Lord join us was to incapacitate all the monsters in the Mejis Nether. 

It is true that it could have turned into a big problem if this devil were to attack the clerics that are purifying the place. 

“My Lord, what should we do about this one?” (Dyuvuleori)

“It is half-baked, but the body of a Unique is still valuable, you know? But it is also true that it is an insolent devil that went against me… Now then, what should I do?” (Purple)

“…Protecting this land was my way of being. I don’t mind you killing me if you consider that a hostile action against you. I can’t serve you, and I have no intention of abandoning my duty to protect the land that was left by Beglagud-sama.” 

The devil lowered his head silently without resisting. 

There would be no energy to resist if you feel the strength of Dyuvuleori. 

But I could feel faint interest in the eyes of the Purple Demon Lord after seeing the figure of this devil. 

“You are a specimen with an interesting personality even if warped, you know? Right… I have thought of something good. You don’t need to serve me. Follow that man over there instead, got it?” (Purple)

“…Hah?” (Ekdoik)

The Purple Demon Lord was looking at me. 

It seems like ‘that man over there’ is referring to me.

Everyone was speechless at that statement out of nowhere. 

“You are fine with just protecting what Beglagud has left, right? What’s most valuable for Great Devils is the special ability they obtained as a Unique. That would be the Eyes of Blindness for Beglagud, you know? Then, it shouldn’t be a bad idea for your reason of living to be to protect Ekdoik who has inherited those eyes, right?” (Purple)

“…Really?” 

No, it would be troubling to ask me. 

I was given these eyes to exemplify that I am the possession of Beglagud. I feel like it is different from inheriting. 

“Come on, Dyuvuleori, speak about the only limitation of Great Devils.” (Purple)

“Yes! …I currently have 11 special abilities inside of me. One of them is my own, but the remaining ones I took over from the other Great Devils. They died and nothing remained. Their land, their bodies, and even their names were not left at all. But these abilities alone are proof that they have certainly become Great Devils.” (Dyuvuleori)

“…Protecting Ekdoik…is the same as protecting Beglagud-sama…?” 

“I won’t state it for certain. But I do think that’s the closest you can get. It at the very least achieves more than dying in this land where there’s nothing remaining.” (Dyuvuleori)

The devil seems to be thinking seriously. 

But is it my imagination that the eyes of Dyuvuleori seem to be swimming?

I feel like he is just matching logic with the Purple Demon Lord who suddenly threw the matter to him. 

Ah, the eyes of the Purple Demon Lord swam there, too. 

“…Demon Lord-sama…I would like to become the subordinate of that man…if you so allow me.” 

“There’s nothing to allow. I ordered you to, you know? I will simply kill you on the spot if you refuse. There’s no way I would give you a choice, right?” (Purple)

“You have my gratitude.” 

I don’t know how it ended up like this, but it seems like this devil has become my subordinate. 

Just what is the Purple Demon Lord thinking? 

What does she get from doing this? 

“Wait, can you not progress this matter on your own? Ekdoik is my demon.” (Blue)

“Oh my, isn’t it pitiful that your demon doesn’t have a single subordinate?” (Purple)

“S-Skeletons would obey Ekdoik if I order them to!” (Blue)

“How many within those have clear will? Wouldn’t it just be the skeleton dragons?” (Purple)

“Hngh… Also, you are a monster from the Nether, right?! He can’t adapt to the Kuama Nether!” (Blue)

That certainly is an issue. 

The mana leaking from me and Blue is akin to that of the Mejis Nether which is close to poison. 

I can act without issues using a simple barrier, but maintaining it all day long would be difficult. 

Having this devil act in the Kuama Nether would also put a burden on him the whole time. 

“It is fine to just make it adapt, right? Come on, lend me your mana already.” (Purple)

“…Got it. Here.” (Blue)

Blue offered her hand to the Purple Demon Lord with a reluctant face. 

The Purple Demon Lord took that hand and used the other hand to touch the devil. 

Is she using the mana of Blue here to implement some sort of measure? 

“Devils can transform their bodies freely to begin with, you know? I can make it adapt as a monster of a different Nether if I tinker with it a bit. I would be chasing away a useless pawn, and you will be getting a subordinate that’s close to a Unique. Not a bad deal, right?” (Purple)

“You can do something like that…?” (Ekdoik)

The Purple Demon Lord has controlled her own emotions and created aberrant monsters in the past. 

It is certain that she excels in tinkering with monsters compared to any other Demon Lord.

The body of the devil changed like stone after watching for a while and didn’t move an inch. 

It doesn’t seem like he has died judging from the flow of mana, but…

“It is like a cocoon, you see? It is abandoning the body created by my mana, and using the mana of Blue to change into a new body, you know?” (Purple)

“Eh, devils were like bugs?” (Blue)

“I could have changed it normally, but you wouldn’t have wanted to see a melted body moving, right?” (Purple)

“…I am grateful for your consideration.” (Blue)

The surface of the petrified devil began to crack while we were talking, and what showed up from inside was…someone shaped like a human. 

It is not just a human, but one that has a horn and tail like those most often present in devils. 

I feel like it resembles the traits of the ones called succubus that Comrade told us about.

“W-W-Why is it a woman?!” (Blue)

“Dyuvuleori and the other Great Devils, as well as the Butler Army are all men, right? I wanted to make a cute one for a change, you know? Also, that devil wouldn’t get in my way with Dear anyways.” (Purple)

“You…! This is on purpose, isn’t it?! You are getting a kick out of this, aren’t you?!” (Blue)

Looks like it is not that devils have a gender, but a result of the Purple Demon Lord’s adjustments. 

I personally feel like the normal devil shape is more efficient though. 

“This is…me…?” 

“That’s right. You have been imbued directly by the mana of the Purple Demon Lord, so I think you will soon be able to get power at least on the level of a Unique, you know? Have the Blue Demon Lord or Ekdoik give you a name, okay? Devils have a bad naming sense, you know?” (Purple)

“…My Lord, my name is…” (Dyuvuleori)

“Hard to pronounce.” (Purple)

“…” 

Blue was clearly angry here, Dyuvuleori was frozen, and the devil was confused. 

The Purple Demon Lord was watching all of this satisfied. 

I am impressed Comrade can deal well with a person like this. 

—–

Blue: “There’s more again!” 

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