Rumble...
Not long after Kan and Misora finished reporting to Adelio, a "door" containing a gate rose up near the coast.
A pitch-black door adorned with demonic figures.
It was the same door Rain and Misery used whenever Walpurgis was held.
Creeeak...
Soon, with a surge of familiar-colored magic power, the door slowly opened, and two women stepped out from within.
A blue-haired woman and a green-haired woman, both dressed in maid outfits as always.
They were his... Adelio's lovers, Rain and Misery.
"Adelio~!"
"Over here."
After closing the gate, the two waved toward the cliff where they could sense Adelio's magic power.
Long ago, thanks to Ria's own form of permission, the two had succeeded in becoming Adelio's lovers, and now they seemed far closer to him than when they had been nothing more than comrades.
It had already been nearly three hundred years since the day they first became a couple with him, so that was only natural.
"It feels like it's been a long time since I've seen both of you come out together."
Waving back to Rain and Misery alike, Adelio spread the wings on his back and slowly descended from the cliff, a faint smile curving at his lips.
If one of them visited the Kingdom of [Ingrassia], it was still common even recently for the two of them to stroll through the city alone together, or even visit a nearby foreign nation. But it was fairly rare for both of them to come at the same time.
That was because they each tried to be considerate and give the other chances to be alone with him.
There was also the issue that if both of those [Primordial Demons] left their posts, there would be too few people left to command things.
In any case,
Perhaps Kan and Misora had expected their superiors' conversation to run long, because by then they had already taken the fully recovered [Greater Demon]s and [Arch Demon]s to the opposite side of the cliff.
"Did something happen at the White Ice Palace?"
Even [Thought Communication] would have been enough to talk, so seeing Rain and Misery come in person made Adelio worry that something might have happened.
Unlike before, he no longer used formal speech, speaking comfortably just as Rain did.
And Misery, though she still used polite speech, was gradually shifting away from her old stiff, businesslike tone into something more natural.
"Of course not. If something had happened at the White Ice Palace, do you think we'd be this relaxed?"
"Besides, with the recent increase in white-aligned demons, things have actually become easier to manage."
Adding that there was nothing for him to worry about, Rain and Misery lightly shook their heads with small smiles.
Being worried over by their lover felt nicer than they had expected, but that did not mean they wanted to trouble him.
"The reason we came this time is because Guy Crimson asked us to. He told us to deliver this personally: 'I think it's about time I measured your strength. I'm curious whether you can truly fight a [True Dragon].'"
"...You already understand what that means, don't you?"
"...Yeah. There's no way I wouldn't."
As if saying the time had finally come, Adelio's smile dimmed slightly as he gave a calm nod.
The fact that Guy Crimson had neither summoned him directly nor sent the message through [Thought Communication], but instead chose to deliver it this way, was practically the same as telling him to come after he had gotten enough rest.
...Things are only going to get busier from here on out, so I guess this really is the perfect time to test me.
Just like when Guy Crimson had tested him before his first time attending Walpurgis, it was the same situation again.
Not as a king, but as a master, he was testing his disciple's skill.
From here on, Adelio would have to deal with hostile majin and humans alike, and he would also have to fight [Hero]es and [True Dragon]s who had lived since the age of creation.
So the man standing at the summit of this world was measuring him personally.
...Trying for a draw like I did against Milim... that's probably impossible.
Guy Crimson was different from Milim.
In terms of sheer might, the two were almost equal, but their ability to wield that power was the complete opposite.
Reason and instinct.
Guy Crimson enjoyed battle, but always kept his reason. Milim, when facing an equal, entrusted herself to instinct.
There was no need to even say which one was harder to fight.
"You seem nervous."
"...Well, if I wasn't nervous, that would be stranger. This isn't just any demon. It's Guy Crimson."
When Adelio quietly fell silent, Misery spoke in a calm voice.
Rain chimed in with her, resting one hand on her hip as she looked at Adelio with clear understanding.
"But is it really okay to get this tense already? It hasn't even started yet. Being nervous now won't do you any good."
Wearing a devilish smile, Rain firmly grabbed Adelio's hand with her other hand.
As if, at least in this moment, she had no intention of ever letting go.
"...Rain?"
Feeling the warmth through her hand, Adelio looked puzzled, and Rain's smile only deepened.
Misery at his side was the same.
Smiling just like Rain, she took hold of his other hand and tugged him along.
"Why are you just standing there blankly? Since we came all the way to the coast, you should show us around!"
"Rain is right. If you quietly watch the sea, some of that tension should ease."
"......"
Adelio was a little flustered by his two lovers suddenly pulling him along, but—
"...Maybe you're right."
—before long, he gave in with a quiet murmur and let himself be led.
After that,
Adelio ended up staying by the shore for half a day, all the way until the full moon rose, but thanks to that, all the tension that had filled his mind completely disappeared.
And by around then, he had also realized that this had been Guy Crimson's scheme from the very beginning, but he did not bother paying it any mind.
"Wow..."
"...Maybe it's because we're by the coast, but there are so many stars."
Because his lovers seemed more than satisfied with it.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register