The Malera fief was a secluded place without any particular tourist attractions. It had been like this in the past as well. Since it was in a place far away from any of the five Demon King Castles, Eugene had never visited this place in the past.
Leaning on the railing of the hotel terrace, Eugene looked down at the street with idle eyes.
He suddenly felt that the world really had gotten a lot better.
He was staring down at the street from dozens of floors above. The black road had dark-power cables running beneath it. The paved road had been made using a special material with a high conductivity for dark power. On a road like this, various dark-power vehicles were racing along at high speeds.
[Unlike yesterday, when it rained, the sky today will be very clear and blue. It will be warm during the day, but please be careful of temperature variations. A bit past noon, you should be able to see the view of the Dragon-Demon Castle passing through the sky to our east….]
The weather forecast was being broadcast from a screen in the living room.
Even in the Magic Kingdom of Aroth, magic wasn’t as thoroughly blended into daily life as it was in Helmuth.
…Though now that he’d become used to it, it wasn’t all that surprising.
‘Three hundred years ago, it would have taken five years just to travel this far,’ Eugene thought.
They hadn’t had anything like a warp gate, and of course there hadn’t been any dark-power vehicles either. Ordinary horses weren’t very useful for traveling through these lands because of their fear of demonic beasts, and only trained war horses were calm enough to be used as mounts. There had also been many demonic beasts and demonfolk who were blocking the way forward back then.
In this day and age, there weren’t any issues like that. Were there still demonic beasts? They had seen a few of them while traveling. In the vast grainfields of Helmuth, Eugene had spotted giant demonic beasts plowing out new fields, and he had also seen a few being used as exotic vehicles, much like the new dark-power cars. Even the street cleaning done in the deserted hours of the morning was done by demonic beasts.
“Can you see it?” Kristina asked as she emerged from the room and walked out onto the terrace.
It was currently a little past noon.
“Not yet,” Eugene replied.
Raizakia’s Dragon-Demon Castle flew through the sky and didn’t move at a particularly high speed. On days when the weather was clear and visibility was good, people could see the Dragon-Demon Castle flying around.
About ten minutes later, Mer let out an exclamation, “Ah!”
From over in the distant skies, she had spotted something approaching.
It was the Dragon-Demon Castle.
This castle was different from Helmuth’s high-rises, and it was also different from the castles found in the other countries on the continent.
After the war had ended, Raizakia, who possessed a strong desire to show off, wanted to make clear his own uniqueness and distinction from Helmuth’s other demonfolk. So right from the start, the fact that the Dragon-Demon Castle was even capable of flying through the sky was all because of Raizakia’s desire to show off and his elitism.
The dwarves enslaved by Raizakia had done their best to satisfy their master’s desires. The castle was built by selecting an architectural standard that wasn’t used by any country in the present era; it dated all the way back to an ancient civilization that had collapsed a long time ago.
The distance between them and the castle was not close by any means, but in Eugene and Kristina’s eyes, they could see Dragon-Demon Castle as if it was up close.
Kristina, her brow furrowed in worry, glanced over to the focused Eugene. “What do you think?”
By now, Eugene had taken out Akasha so that he could examine the wards of the Dragon-Demon Castle.
“It will be difficult to infiltrate,” Eugene gave his honest observation.
Although it was too far away for him to see through all the different layers of magic, even at this distance, Eugene could examine the barrier surrounding the Dragon-Demon Castle.
The barrier wasn’t just made with magic alone either. Since the Dragon-Demon Castle presented an enormous and obvious target with how it floated through the sky, it was only natural that they had prepared a physical barrier to ensure their own safety.
‘Even without Raizakia, the spells are still being refreshed. It shouldn’t be enough to maintain and repair the barrier with just the mana that they can absorb through the air….’
In the middle of his considerations, Eugene immediately came to a conclusion. As expected, it was clear that Raizakia’s hatchling had to be in this castle. It was probably still young, but even a young dragon was still a dragon. The level of its Draconic Incantations and other magic was likely still low, but maintaining the barrier was not impossible even with just the strength of its Dragonheart.
‘Like we thought, infiltration will be difficult.’
Although it was true that Eugene was an exceptional wizard, it was impossible for him to slip through a barrier that had been constructed by using a Draconic spell.
However, while infiltrating might be impossible, breaking in was still a viable option. If he first destroyed the Dragon-Demon’s Castle barrier, he could then just charge right on in.
But even thinking to himself, Eugene had to admit that was being too reckless.
The collapse of the Kazard Mine hadn’t managed to draw any attention to Eugene. It was partly because what had been going down in those underground caverns wasn’t something that could be publicized. It was also because the owner of the mine — Rhode Lonick — had been, to put it in vulgar terms, used as a scapegoat.
On top of that, the arena wasn’t a place where any humans or tourists would have reason to go. The demonfolk who came and went there were those that belonged to the lowest of all demonfolk classes, and the demonfolk that were in the mine at that time ended up literally being squeezed into paste. Since the mine collapsed cleanly, burying everything in it deep below, it somewhat made sense that there was no sign of anyone investigating things.
However, there was no way that Eugene would have the same luck when infiltrating the Demon-Dragon Castle. Regardless of Raizakia’s current status, he was still one of Helmuth’s Three Dukes. Invading the Dragon-Demon Castle was a challenge to the prestige of all the Dukes, so it wasn’t something that could be done lightly.
Though, in fact, Eugene’s intended purpose was precisely to challenge a Duke’s authority.
‘Well, even if that’s the case, to invade the Dragon-Demon Castle when we don’t have any idea of who Raizakia’s bastard even is….’
Eugene shook his head as his thoughts grew distressed. No matter how long he kept glaring at the Demon-Dragon Castle from here, he wouldn’t be able to find an answer. For now, he would first need to infiltrate Karabloom, the fief below—
Brrring.
Eugene’s thoughts halted for a moment as he turned to look behind him. The room’s phone, yet another product of Helmuth’s magical technology, was ringing. Eugene was about to go and pick it up himself, but Mer, who was standing beside him, hurriedly skipped over to pick up the phone.
“Hello? Ah, yes…?” Mer had been grinning with delight as she answered the phone, only for her expression to quickly change. Mer tilted her head to the side and turned to look at Eugene, “Sir Eugene, apparently a guest has arrived?”
“A guest?” Eugene repeated. “Why would someone come looking for me here? Ask who it is.”
There was no way that someone would come looking for Eugene in Helmuth of all places.
Mer nodded her head at Eugene’s instructions and held the phone to her ear once more, only to report, “They’ve hung up.”
“What is going on?” Eugene muttered, his expression furrowing as he returned from the terrace into the living room.
He thought about phoning the lobby on the first floor, but just as he was about to grab the phone, he froze in place. The same went for Kristina, who was still out on the terrace.
The room’s door, which should have been tightly closed, had suddenly been thrown open. Standing on the other side was Noir Giabella, who was wearing sunglasses and a mask.
“It’s because I’m famous,” Noir said in explanation for her disguise.
Beyond the dark lenses of her sunglasses, her eyes were curled up in a smile. As she took off the mask that even covered her nose, the big smile on her face became even more dazzling.
“Although I feel like I may have overdone it with the disguise, it can’t be helped, no? Recently, due to the great success of Giabella City, I’ve been appearing so often on the TV and in newspapers that even small children in the countryside should be able to recognize my face—”
There was no reason for him to keep listening until she was done talking. Eugene immediately drew the Holy Sword from his cloak and aimed it at Noir. He didn’t try to charge in for a sudden surprise attack to slice open her throat as he had done before. This wasn’t an opponent that such a surprise attack would work on, and the circumstances this time were different from when he had faced Gavid Lindman a while back.
“...Ah, how magnificent,” Noir muttered as she looked at the Holy Sword with wistful eyes.
When they had last met in the snowfields, Eugene hadn’t pulled out the Holy Sword. Noir felt thrilled to be able to see the light from the Holy Sword for the first time in three hundred years.
Noir calmly commented, “Although it was impressive even when it was being held in Vermouth’s hands, I think that the current Holy Sword seems even more magnificent. Do you know why that is? Because back then, Vermouth’s killing intent wasn’t as blatant. After all, having slain three of the Demon Kings, Vermouth’s killing intent had grown extremely faint.”
There was no way that Eugene wouldn’t be aware of that fact. Vermouth was originally just that type of guy. It wasn’t just his killing intent, that guy was someone with very little emotional expression in general.
…But what about when Noir said that Vermouth’s killing intent hadn’t been so blatant? The only reason she could say those words was precisely because she didn’t know Vermouth all that well. When he needed it, Vermouth’s killing intent was stronger and more glaring than anyone else’s in the party.
“What are your intentions? Why have you come here?” Eugene demanded.
“Please don’t be so naive, dear Eugene,” Noir said in a soft tone.
‘Dear Eugene?’
Those words sent goosebumps rising across Eugene’s whole body. A crazy burst of rampaging killing intent washed over Noir.
Fwoooosh!
Noir’s hair was blown backward. Her whole body went numb as if she had been electrocuted.
Yet, Noir continued speaking in a soft, unperturbed voice, “This is Helmuth. The land of the demonfolk. In this country, there is no place that I cannot go. Could it be that you really haven’t thought this might happen? You didn’t expect that I would miss you so much I couldn’t help but come looking for you?”
Of course, Eugene had considered this. He hadn’t even donned a disguise, and had instead entered Helmuth with official permission to do so. So in regards to the Queen of the Night Demons, Noir Giabella, Eugene had thought that there was a chance this insane demonfolk might try to contact them for no particular reason.
Eugene demanded once more, “Why have you come here?”
Noir Giabella was certainly insane, but even so, it wasn’t like she was incapable of holding a conversation. At the very least, Eugene couldn’t sense any killing intent coming from Noir at the moment.
Of course, the fact that Noir wasn’t showing any killing intent was by far not a good enough reason for Eugene to put away the Holy Sword. But instead of taking offense at his demands, Noir seemed to have fallen in love with Eugene’s show of blind hostility.
With a grin, Noir peered over the drawn blade to look around their room. Her gaze first went to Mer, who was openly glaring at her.
Although Noir hadn’t seen Mer in the snowfields, she had heard the rumors. Originally from Aroth’s vaunted Royal Library of Akron, it was said that the custody of this familiar that had been personally crafted by the Wise Sienna herself was transferred over to Eugene along with Akasha.
“I’ve always said that Sienna Merdein is quite the mystery. Why did she create a familiar that so closely resembled herself?” Noir winked at Mer. “Perhaps she wanted to have children? If that was the case, then it’s even more inexplicable. Why would she need to create a familiar for that? Sienna’s looks were quite beautiful, so she could get any number of men if she only wanted to—”
Noir wasn’t able to finish her words. The Holy Word sliced through Noir’s neck, sending her head flying up in the sky.
Grit.
Yet, instead of the sound of the head rolling on the floor, the only thing that could be heard in the aftermath of the attack was the sound of Eugene grinding his teeth.
Plop.
Noir’s hands reach out to catch her head as it fell back down.
“Haha—” Noir still attempted to let out a laugh, but even that was choked off as her head fell apart.
It wasn’t just her neck that had been severed, even her head had been split into two pieces by the blow.
Noir held her bisected head back together with both hands until everything reconnected.
‘It seems like it’s only natural that she wouldn’t die from having her throat cut. Her regeneration is also very fast. So slicing her to pieces faster than she can regenerate… probably won’t work,’ Eugene assessed his target.
Even though he had just chopped her head in half with the Holy Sword, Eugene parted his tightly clenched jaws and said, “I asked you, why have you come here?”
Without showing any distress from her injuries, Noir said with apparent contrition, “It seems I’ve made a mistake. I’m sorry, please don’t get angry, dear Eugene. I forgot that you are Sienna Merdein’s disciple.”
“You, don’t call me that,” Eugene growled through gritted teeth.
“Are you offended by me calling you ‘dear Eugene’? I don’t know about anything else, but the way I address you, at least, is entirely up to me,” Noir insisted.
Eugene didn’t want to discuss anything more to her. The door that Noir had wilfully thrown open began to close by itself. Of course, Noir wouldn’t just let the door close in front of her. She quickly raised a hand to stop the door, then thrust her head toward Eugene.
“I’m not here to play pranks like I did last time,” Noir quickly explained. “Really. I’ve come here in order to help you.”
Eugene coldly rejected her. “If you want to help me then you can get out of my sight, and just stay there until I come to kill you.”
“You really are saying such ridiculously selfish things with a calm face. When exactly are you going to come to kill me?” Noir asked, her eyes widening into circles as she stared at Eugene.
Without saying anything more, Eugene immediately grabbed the doorknob in order to pull the door closed himself.
As for Noir, she felt a strong sense of fate coming from Eugene’s words.
Thrusting the tip of her foot between the door and the frame to stop the door from closing, Noir grabbed Eugene’s wrist.
Or rather, she tried to grab onto him. Eugene naturally had no desire to be held by Noir. The moment that her fingers were about to close on his wrist, he instantly pulled his hand back.
“Are you really going to kill me?” Noir asked excitedly.
Neither of them was moving from where they were standing; only their hands were flashing quickly through the air as they stood in place. Noir tried to grab Eugene, while he tried not to get caught.
….Instead of annoyance, Noir actually felt a tingling sense of excitement rising in her heart just from their childish game.
In these three hundred years since the war had ended, Noir had never once failed in getting what she wanted.
“So what, do you want me to not try and kill you?” Eugene challenged.
“No, no, I would be quite happy if you did come to kill me. When that time comes, I will also happily and enjoyably do my best to kill you,” Noir declared cheerfully.
If this wasn’t a bond of fate, then what else could you call this? Perhaps a grievous tragedy? Noir tried to imagine how one day Eugene, the hero, would come to kill her.
There was no way that Noir could just die easily. Honestly speaking, her own defeat and death was something unimaginable to her. If they were to try and kill each other, Noir felt that the only one to survive it would be herself.
She would be left cradling the bloodstained Eugene, or else she might end up hugging his severed head in her arms. When she kissed his still-warm lips, the smell of his blood would wash over her—
Just imagining it caused Noir’s body to heat up.
Noir suddenly asked, “You want to enter the Dragon-Demon Castle, don’t you?”
Their hand-to-hand game of tag froze immediately. Eugene pulled his hand back with one clear motion, and Noir stopped trying to grab onto him. The fun would just have to be postponed until later.
“If you want to enter the Dragon-Demon Castle, I can help you,” Noir offered.
Eugene hesitantly asked, “...Why the hell would you do that?”
“There are several reasons, actually. First of all, I like you. The fact that you’re Vermouth’s descendant, as well as the Hero who’s been recognized by the Holy Sword, are nice enough, but… it’s also good to see that you’re a completely different, far more greedy person than Vermouth. You know what I mean by that, right?” Noir said as she pulled her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose and showed Eugene her eyes.
Her eyes that were filled with the light of countless stars stared right into Eugene’s.
The Demoneyes of Fantasy.
Although he risked being enthralled by those eyes, Eugene refused to back down. If he really wanted to be safe from her Demoneyes of Fantasy, then he had to avoid even standing in front of Noir Giabella in the first place. Her strong dark power and those absurd Demoneyes weren’t abilities that could be blocked by mere sunglasses.
“You really are a fascinating existence for me, dear Eugene,” Noir said seductively.
Her voice was horrible, disgusting, and even gave him goosebumps.However, even greater than those sensations was Eugene’s intrigue in Noir’s offer to help him enter the Dragon-Demon Castle.
“...How am I supposed to trust you?” Eugene asked doubtfully.
Noir posed her own question in return, “As a Duke of Helmuth and Queen of the Night Demons, what reason would I, Noir Giabella, have to lie to you like this?”
Noir glanced down at her shoe that was stuck in between the cracked-open doorway and smiled.
“Please, open this door and invite me in,” Noir politely requested. “I prefer alcohol over tea, but since it seems like you would rather not have drinks with me… why don’t we have a chat over some nice tea?”
Boom.
Eugene gave the door a light kick before turning around. Noir walked through the now-opened door and followed him inside. After meeting eyes with Mer, who looked frightened, and Kristina, who was glaring right back at her, Noir smiled.
“Ah, how nice….”
The murmur unconsciously escaped Noir’s lips.
A descendant of Vermouth who resembled Hamel, the Saint of this current era who resembled Anise, a familiar who resembled Sienna…. There were some slight differences, but right now, this place reminded Noir of back then, three hundred years ago.
“Your beds are quite wide,” Noir commented with a glance at the large beds as she walked through their living room.
As a hotel suite in Helmuth, the beds here were tailored to accommodate demonfolk of all different physiques, so they were mostly quite large.
“There’s enough room for three… no, for four people to roll around on. How about it? Before we talk, why don’t we share a nice dream together—”
“Get lost,” Eugene barked sharply.
“Even your cold rejection is sexy,” Noir said with a giggle as she sat down on their sofa. “Well then, let’s start our discussion about the young master of the Dragon-Demon Castle… the Dragon Princess.”