It was already past noon. For some reason I couldn't explain, the sun on the Demon Continent was much hotter than on the Central Continent. Maybe it's because I'm a Blood Tribe now? Just getting hit by sunlight makes me literally burst into flames.
But that's not very important.
The reason I found the sky glaring was that I was looking up, focusing my entire attention on the black figure flying away at breakneck speed towards the west. That was the Immortal Demon King Atoferatofe Rybak, and she was carrying Isolde Cluel—my rival friend (real) and also my fiancée (fake). The Demon King declared that if I wanted to win Isolde back, I had to go to her Necross Fortress in Gaslow and complete her challenges.
"What the hell just happened?"
That was all I could say. Why did things turn out like this? Kidnap and rescue? Is this a 90s JRPG!?
"Excuse me." While I didn't know how to react or what to do, Moore, the captain of Atofe's guard, spoke up from behind me. "You seem to be confused."
"Yeah." I nodded.
"Then I think we should go somewhere more comfortable to talk."
Only then did I notice we were right in a town square. Locals were gathering around to gossip in large numbers. I could hear whispers echoing everywhere about the existence of strange people. Of course, there was fear too, and I didn't want my image as a talented, wise and multi-skilled Demon King to be ruined if we just stood here.
Besides, Isolde's party of three teammates looked tattered. Although they had been healed by that petite teenage mage, their clothes were far from intact. The mage was wearing something that looked quite like pajamas. The dwarf warrior was still a bit dizzy and staggering. And the elf girl had her armor and outfit damaged to the point of revealing a few spots that were quite a treat for the eyes—Ack, thinking dirty thoughts again.
Anyway, given the situation, I definitely nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we should go somewhere more private."
While Moore and Atofe's other guards began to lead the way, I immediately took off my cloak and coat and slowly walked over to the three adventurers.
"Ah, um..." I said in the Human Tongue; it had been a while since I used it, so I was a bit tongue-tied. "You should cover yourself with this."
I handed my cloak to the elf girl and the coat to the teenage mage who was still in her pajamas. Of course, I turned my face away like a gentleman.
Truth be told, I don't really like draping a pile of clothes on myself like that. Normally, I just want a shirt and trousers; that's enough. When fighting, I wear loose, comfortable clothes and slap some armor on a few vital spots. But Lord Lan Xin was the one who forced me to dress like this. "To look cool," he said. In the end, I suddenly had two spare pieces of clothing to perform this act of chivalry.
You can't predict anything, huh?
"Thanks." The elf girl didn't seem to hesitate at all; she took my cloak and wrapped it around herself. Then, she twirled slightly and gave a rather... an indescribable smile along with an extremely sexy moan when she inhaled my cloak. "Ah... the scent of a young boy~"
Um... I don't know what I smell like, but could you not make that sound, miss? This forty-three-year-old boy is at a very excitable age here.
"T-thank you."
Meanwhile, the mage girl seemed flustered, her voice small as she took my coat and draped it over herself. Her face was a bit flushed, but not to the extent of that elf. This is what a normal reaction looks like.
"Is that how you thank someone for their kindness, Elinalise?" The dwarf warrior spoke up to remind her. Standing next to him, I realized we shared the same height, but his width seemed to be double or triple mine. Truly the appearance of a dwarf as I had imagined: short, stout, rugged with a bushy beard.
"Don't act high and mighty." The elf girl named Elinalise tossed her head in dissatisfaction. "I was just reacting naturally."
As soon as she finished speaking, she stepped towards me. Only then did I dare to look straight at her. And oh my god, looking this close, I saw what a true beauty was. Even wrapped in my cloak, her slender and voluptuous figure was clearly revealed. Her skin was fair, but not the pale white of a Blood Tribe; it had a rosy hue full of vitality. Her face was extremely pretty, and her aura radiated the unique attraction of someone incredibly seductive.
And I haven't even mentioned the gentle scent of jasmine yet. I had to involuntarily gulp and close my eyes, keeping my mind zen.
"By the way." But as soon as I heard that sweet voice, my mind could no longer stay 'zen'. "Are you the beloved Atur that Isolde is looking for?"
'The beloved Atur that Isolde is looking for'? Hearing that phrase, I immediately opened my eyes and frowned.
"I am indeed Atur." I replied. "But what do you mean by 'looking for'?"
I deliberately ignored the 'beloved' part. That was clearly added for flavor; there's no way Isolde would actually call me that. More likely, she calls me a crude pervert.
"Well, your friend came here specifically to find you." Elinalise folded her arms before letting out a sigh. "Seeing you in person, you really are cute. Too bad you two are lovers."
"Ah no no. We aren't lovers." I looked back at Moore waiting in the distance; from this position, he probably couldn't hear what we were saying, so I explained. "Earlier was just a bit of improvisation on my part to try and diffuse the situation."
Although the result was a bit... different from what I thought. But at least it seems Isolde won't be forced to become Atofe's subordinate anymore, so I'm somewhat relieved. As for whether things are actually worse, I have to hear Moore explain first.
"Is that so?" Suddenly, the smile on Elinalise's lips became extremely 'immoral'. The blonde elf leaned in, her face close to my ear, and whispered in a voice as sweet as molasses. "Looking at you makes me really 'wet'. Want to come to my room tonight for a little 'talk'?"
Every single cell in my body reacted immediately. They started jumping around wildly, colliding with each other as if preparing for a nuclear reaction. I could feel my body heating up, my heartbeat increasing dizzily.
"Heh? Eh? HUH?????" My whole body froze.
"This reaction..." Elinalise winked playfully. "So Isolde's beloved Atur is a cherry boy huh?"
"Eek!" I tried to back away but tripped, falling backward and rolling onto the ground, starting to convulse from this surprise attack. "Ah! A... Ah! No... I can't! I have a fiancée! Please don't say things like that!"
Why do women pounce on me everywhere I go? Is it because I'm too cute and handsome? Must be, I know I'm handsome. But I have someone I love! Please stop tempting me! Arggggggg!!!
"Hehe, such a cute reaction." Elinalise put a hand on her cheek and leaned down to look at me. She licked her lips before finishing me off with her words. "Seeing you like that makes me want to ravage you even more."
My heart can't take it anymore! I'm dying! Goodbye Eri! I will definitely love you again in the next life!
"Elinalise... Don't do that, we're in public." The blue-haired teenage mage spoke up after struggling to put on my coat. "People are staring."
"Ah, right?" Elinalise glanced at the crowd and nodded. "Well, let's head back to the inn."
Finally, this torture ended. Thank you, young mage! You are truly a goddess! I will remember this favor for the rest of my life!
So I scrambled up and went with everyone to their inn.
On the way, I, who was still trying to keep a safe distance from Elinalise, used that time to get acquainted. So the three adventurers introduced themselves one by one. Only then did I realize how small this world is.
First is that terrifyingly sexy elf girl. Her name is Elinalise Dragonroad, an S-rank adventurer formerly of the party Fang of The Black Wolf. This name is too familiar to me. Because that was the party of Ghislaine, Paul, and even Zenith. And now I know this is the vanguard warrior woman I had heard mentioned.
But why did no one tell me she has this slightly weird 'problem'? Urgh... Must stay away from her...
Next is that 'dwarf warrior'. His name is Talhand The Clifftop. And he has another name, something very long that made me dizzy just hearing it. The most important thing I learned about this man, who wears armor more heavily than a warrior, is that he is actually a mage. A bit strange, but looking at Moore right in front of me, I guess there's a reason for this.
More importantly, Talhand is also a member of Fang of Black Wolf. So I have met five out of six members of that legendary party. Just one more person and I'll unlock the achievement and maybe even select one of them as a playable character.
And finally, probably the person I least expected to meet. The mage girl with the mage hat and the giant staff is named Roxy Migurdia. Also a famous A-rank mage whom I've heard mentioned often whenever I went to adventurer guilds since I was tiny. She is a King-tier Water Mage, absolutely terrifying.
And seeing her only as tall as me like this, for some reason, the first thing I thought was: She looks like she'd look quite good in white panties.
Did Rudeus infect me with his weird thoughts? Definitely.
And most importantly, this is the master of my old pal Rudeus.
Though I almost converted to Roxism. Thank goodness, hope Saint Millis forgives this servant.
"Oh then you are 'The' Master Roxy that Rudeus always talking about."
"Yes. It seems to be me but… I hope he didn't say anything embarrassing about me."
"Oh don't worry. He always talks about good things about you." A little too much to be honest. "He said 'The' Master Roxy is the best mage in the world."
Should I tell her about him worshipping her panty? Nah, maybe not. I'm not gonna snitch out my friend like that. Let's keep the honor among perverts.
Oh wait… Did I just admit that I'm a pervert as well? Ah yeah, maybe I would like to worship Eri's panty as well huh?
"I'm not that great." Roxy let out a sigh. "If there's gonna be the best mage in the world, it should be Rudeus. In just a few years, he will realize how weak I really am and start feeling ashamed about me."
Erm… What's with that reaction? How can someone become this gloomy just because of a compliment?
"Well…" I scratched my head. "I don't think he would ever do that. To him you are more like a goddess than a teacher. So he would never do something like that."
"Is that so?" Roxy's face suddenly turned a bit red.
"Heh? Seems like your beloved student has a thing about you, Roxy." Elinalise suddenly chimed in.
"W-What are you talking about? He's just a kid." Roxy shook her head. Then the gloomy face returned. "And I don't think he would be interested in someone like me anyway."
Should I tell her the fact that he would be more than 'interested' in her? Oh well, my pal already had Sylphie so I shouldn't meddle in this topic.
Back to the main point, the reason Talhand, Elinalise and Roxy are here is that they are on their way to find information about missing people. At the same time helping Paul find his family. Meanwhile, Isolde had a similar goal, but she actively went searching because she was worried about me.
Hearing this part, I was so moved I almost cried. Turns out I hold such an important place in my rival friend's heart. Alright! Rest assured, Isolde. I will definitely save you from the stupid Demon King!
On the way, they helped quite a few people in distress. But they still haven't met any members of Paul's family. According to what they know, only Paul and Norn are currently confirmed safe in Milishion.
I then shared the information that I knew of an adventurer party named Dead End. At this, Roxy seemed the most aggrieved because their two groups had almost met at Wind Port but missed each other.
"It's too late to go back to the Central Continent now. So I will continue searching for the other members of his family." That's what Roxy said. "After all, we still have to save Isolde."
With those words, our group steadfastly returned to the inn where they had stayed the previous night.
It was a fairly spacious two-story house. Downstairs was for dining, receiving guests, and the kitchen. Upstairs were the bedrooms. It met the usual standards of a fairly common inn found anywhere. The strange thing about the place was that all the furniture in the dining area was smashed to pieces, the windows were broken, and there was even a huge rock on the floor. And did I mention the bloodstains splattered on the floor?
It seems they did fight from here all the way to that square.
The innkeeper was a demon woman of a race that looked like a mix with a goat. She looked quite gentle, but as soon as she saw us, specifically the returning guests, she immediately demanded an explanation. Moore stepped up to resolve the issue and took out his own money to compensate. Meanwhile, Elinalise had also paid, so it could be said the compensation far exceeded any damage the inn had, so the landlady immediately became cheerful and offered everyone ale.
However, the conversation couldn't start immediately because the two girls went upstairs to change. The rest, including me, helped clean up the inn a bit. Just as we finished cleaning, Roxy and Elinalise appeared in proper attire.
"Let's sit down." Moore said, moving to the only intact table left.
The group and I followed and sat down.
"So where should we start?" Moore asked, in the Human Tongue. That was convenient, so everyone at the table could understand.
"I think we should start from the beginning." Elinalise was the one to speak up. "First of all, who are you people?"
Ah, right. From the perspective of Roxy, Talhand, and Elinalise's party (I'll call them the Search Party for now), according to their story, they were staying at the inn, discussing how to approach me in the morning when Atofe barged in, grabbed a bottle of wine, and attacked them. Given that sequence of events, who wouldn't be confused? Even that legal loli mage, whose age I don't know, had to fight in her pajamas.
So Moore apologized and explained thoroughly about his master. But instead of hearing the story I've heard many times before, now I truly got to know Atofe's 'origin' in the most specific way.
"Well to explain everything. I think we should go from the start. Lady Atofe was born at the end of the first Human-Demon War."
"So about... six thousand years ago?" I asked. "So an immortal demon can live that long."
"Theoretically, the members of the immortal demon clan can live forever. Just like a Purebred Blood Tribe like Lord Lan Xin." Moore replied.
Ah yeah, according to Lan Xin, he is even older than that. But if not purebred like me, how much longer do I get to live? Although I know I'll live longer, no one has told me a specific number. Even Lord Lan Xin doesn't know; when I asked, he just said: "Depends," then changed the subject.
"And Lady Atofe's father is the Immortal Demon Lord Necross Lacross, right?" Roxy asked.
"Correct." The old captain nodded. "And as you may already know, Lady Atofe also has a brother, Lord Badigadi. He is a man of great intelligence like his mother. Meanwhile, Lady Atofe grew up emulating her father. At that time, Lord Necross was the mightiest of all demon kings."
"Even stronger than Lord Lan Xin?" I asked curiously.
"Stronger than me." And the only living Great Demon King, standing there filing his nails, also confirmed it. "Though I don't remember the specifics of the past, I remember never winning against that man."
"If he was stronger than even Lord Lan Xin, then this Demon Lord Necross Lacross must have been terribly powerful." I marveled.
"But even so, Lord Necross Lacross was slain by the hero Arus." Moore continued. "I wasn't born yet at that time, so I don't know how to kill an Immortal Demon King. Actually, no one knows, not even Lady Atofe. But Lady Atofe said she still remembers the moment of her father dying. And from then on, she decided to become a powerful demon king."
I see. Even for an immortal demon, seeing one's father die before one's eyes as a child would certainly leave a deep wound. "And so she became violent like this?"
"No, Lady Atofe has always been like that."
Oh... So it's nature? Actually, I always thought someone's personality depended on education and the past, like Eris for example. If not for Lord Sauros spoiling her, she wouldn't have naturally become a violent unruly child. But maybe the Demon Race is something different?
But thinking back, things don't make much sense. "So Lord Necross Lacross was a violent person who liked to kidnap people?"
"To be honest, no one knows. The immortal demon clan does not have a habit of recording history." In this regard, it's like the Blood Tribe. Lord Lan Xin doesn't even know who his parents were. I'm starting to worry if I'll become weird like these people when I get old. "And actually, that is precisely the problem for everyone."
Moore tapped his finger lightly on the table before continuing.
"Because no one knows what kind of Demon King Lord Necross Lacross was, Lady Atofe started relying on human records about him to imitate." Moore looked straight into each of our eyes. "I have a question for you all: what is a demon king in the eyes of humans?"
Actually, this question is quite ironic. Because except for me (who bears the appearance of a Dragon Tribe), no one here is human. But it seems everyone has their own answer.
"As I recall, they write about demon kings as savages who attack and destroy villages." Talhand answered first.
"Extremely powerful individuals?" Elinalise put her hand on her chin in thought.
Finally Roxy; she seemed a bit troubled for some reason. "Also seen as enemies of mankind."
And for some reason, as if all three realized the issue. They simultaneously looked at me and spoke in unison. "And have a habit of kidnapping princesses."
I think I heard this detail in the legend of Hero Arus, the first king of the Asura Kingdom.
Basically, in the first Human-Demon War, Arus defeated a demon king and accidentally saved a princess who was being held hostage. From there, historians or novelists used that allusion to put into their stories. The script always revolves around some hero defeating the demon king and saving the princess, then they marry and live happily ever after.
Hearing these stories, I guessed they were partly fiction, fairy tales to tell children before sleep. Yet it seems Atofe believes these nonsense stories.
Anyway, putting the reason aside, I should get straight to the main point now.
I was the one who called Isolde the 'princess of my life'. So Atofe did what she has to do to be a proper Demon King and kidnapped my friend.
"So this whole situation happened because of me?" I rubbed my forehead.
"Correct." Moore confirmed.
So I fucked up big time then. Sigh… "So what should I do now?"
"As Lady Atofe said, you should go to Necross Fortress to perform your trials to rescue the 'princess'." Moore replied.
"What are those trials?"
"Usually defeating the Ultimate Four and finally the Immortal Demon King herself; that would complete the story according to the tale."
Right, the hero must defeat the sub-bosses and finally meet the final boss. I don't know why I feel like I'm acting in a play just to satisfy the entertainment needs of a six-thousand-year-old hag.
But urgh... in the end, I still have to fight Atofe? I really don't want to.
"But with my current situation, I don't think I can defeat Lady Atofe..." I scratched my head. "If it were ten years from now, I'm not even sure I'd win, let alone now. I don't even know if I can beat one of her Ultimate Four."
"That is true." Moore agreed. "But unlike that ten-year duel challenge, this time you don't necessarily have to fight alone. Lady Atofe issued the challenge to anyone present, meaning if these three warriors want to, they can join the challenge."
"That goes without saying." Talhand stroked his beard. "I can't let my friend be captured like that. As for Elinalise, I'm not sure."
"Hey, what kind of talk is that?" Elinalise pouted. "Of course I'm going to save Isolde too!"
Roxy also gripped her magic staff tightly. "Me too!"
This scene is like something came straight out of Lord of The Ring. With this spirit, I couldn't hold back a tear of happiness. The cold hearted Water Saint Isolde really does have friends, huh.
"Alright!" So, like a main character in those hero stories. I slammed my hand on the table and stood up straight. One right hand raised into a fist. "Let's set off to save our friend together!"
And no one responded. They just nodded and immediately went to pack their things.
Argh… so embarrassing!!!