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TL: ALT
Chapter 101 – Michelle’s Stay in the Demon Country (Chel’s Chapter)
The sailors had used wind magic all night, and by the time the sun rose, we had arrived at the port city of the Meiju Kingdom.
Those who had come to greet us at the port were the royal guards who had served the previous demon king. They were the ones who had tried to make me the Demon King, but they hadn’t given up yet, had they?
“Thank you for your hard work over the past three months!”
The bearded, red-haired, middle-aged man in front of me who saluted me was named Sekijin and was the general of the Demon Tribe’s army. He is also Sekito’s father.
“If the royal guard came to pick me up here, wouldn’t you be tried under military law?”
“We retired from the army and are free men now.”
“Then who is protecting the current Demon King?”
“It’s a group of former mercenaries.”
I don’t think the Demon King’s mercenaries are weak, but their track record is too different.
“So, are you going to quit the army and serve as my bodyguard?”
“It is our duty to protect the one who is the king’s vessel. We are destined to guide that person on the righteous path.”
“Were you the one who forged the letters and sent them to the Elf Kingdom and Cliff Garuda?”
“Letters?”
It seems that Sekijin and the others did not send the letters. If the Demon King had sent them, then there must have been something unpleasant going on in the castle.
“Is it true that the Demon King is not recognized as the king of the Meiju Kingdom?”
Sekito had told me this on the ship.
“It seems that there are many such factions in the Council of Chiefs. It seems that even the dungeon has not been opened.”
In the Meiju Kingdom, it is customary for the Demon Kings to have their own dungeon. They should have inherited the core of the dungeon from their predecessors and expanded the dungeon created by the previous Demon Kings or developed technology and magic.
If the dungeon has not been opened, it means that the previous Demon King has rejected the current Demon King or that an enemy of the Demon King is in the castle who has not been defeated.
“Isn’t it good for the people to have a lot of trust in the Demon King?”
“If the Demon King were popular, we wouldn’t have resigned from the army.”
The factions of the Demon King’s followers and the Sekijin before me are clearly different. If that’s the case, how did they know that I was in the demonic land?
“How did you know where I was?”
“I think it’s because we have officially established diplomatic relations with the Cliff Garuda, who have been involved in smuggling. Every demon knows that Michelle-sama is in the demonic land across the sea.”
It seems that the news from the Cliff Garuda has spread. I’ll have to think about how to deal with them. Perhaps I should ask Makyo to invade them.
“So my visit was a surprise to the Demon King?”
“It was also sudden for us. We were the only ones who had prepared for your visit.”
“Still, you came to greet me with quite a large force.”
“We can bring as many troops as you want. If you wish, we can bring them from the east, south, or north of the capital.”
“No, that amount of troops wouldn’t be enough to defeat the monsters near the demonic land. They’re not well trained.”
Sekijin glanced at Sekito, who was standing behind me. He probably wanted to see if it was true. Does this country have to accept the truth first?
“I’m sure the Demon King knows I’ve come, right?”
“Of course. That’s the kind of family they are.”
They’re a family that has eyes everywhere, knows information, and uses mental magic. They know people’s weaknesses.
“Then send someone. I’ll go to the castle the day after tomorrow. I have no hostile intentions, and I have no intention of fighting. I also want to hear from the people about the three months I was away.”
“In that case, we will…”
“The voices of the people are different from those of the soldiers. Besides, there are some things I want to check. If there is a book about the holy knights who crossed the sea a thousand years ago, bring it to me.”
“Holy knights? What were they like?”
“The ones who shouted, ‘End discrimination.’ They have been found to have committed mass murder in the demonic land. Please arrange for their immediate capture. If you can’t, I won’t force you to.”
The demon king must have heard this information somewhere. I want to avoid as much trouble as possible. I’ll have to blow away the assassins as well so as not to cause any trouble.
“I’ll take you to your lodgings.”
I can’t talk to him on the dock forever, but I can’t make trouble for the inn either.
“I’ll find a place to sleep on my own. I don’t need any money either.”
“It seems like you’ve learned to do everything in three months. But that means we can’t protect you.”
“You think you can protect me when you’re about to be killed by a sea monster? Find a forest or mountain with as few people as possible. I’ll camp there tonight.”
I have to show them the reality of the situation quickly. I’ll just walk.
I leave the dock and head into town through the brick warehouse district.
The colorful streets are the same as always. The demons change the color of their houses to match their skin tone.
If I go straight down the main street, I’ll reach the square with the fountain. It’s only a few seconds from the dock to the square, but I can feel myself getting faster and faster.
On the contrary, the people’s movements were too slow. I sat on the edge of the fountain and watched the people go about their business, but it seemed as if their actions weren’t accompanied by any intention. I want to believe that it’s because it’s just after noon.
Sekijin and the other former royal guards didn’t follow me. I wonder if I managed to lose them? I hope they’re just doing what I asked them to do.
Only Sekito ran frantically after me.
“Why don’t you wipe off your sweat?”
“The Lord of the demonic land asked me to take care of you, the idiot and unreliable Michelle-sama.”
Sekito looked at me with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily and sweat running down his face.
“Did Makyo say something like that? I’m going to kick his ass when I get back.”
“Are you planning to return to the demonic land, Michelle-sama?”
“I never planned to return to the Meiju Kingdom. I plan to stay here for about a week, including the time it takes to get back to the ship.”
“So you have no intention of becoming the Demon King?”
“No. Even if I become the Demon King of the Meiju Kingdom in the future, I plan to live in the demonic land for a while for now. I feel that I can’t let this opportunity pass, either for my life or for the Demon Kingdom.”
“I’m sure you’re right. It’s only been three months, but you’ve changed so much. I can understand that since you have my mother’s blood, but my father doesn’t believe it.”
Sekito’s mother is from the same clan as me. I can’t tell without touching, but Sekito can sense people’s magic just by looking at them.
“Even though I’m being watched?”
“Look around you. Even though Michelle-sama ran so fast, no one in the city noticed. Even the former royal guards might not have been able to follow her with their eyes. Is it some kind of enhanced magic?”
“No, you just have to focus your magic power in conjunction with the muscles in your legs for a moment. Anyone can do it once they get the hang of it.”
Sekito spread his arms and shook his head. He didn’t really seem to understand.
“The demons are too caught up in their own common sense. They think they’re good at magic or specialize in creating magical tools. But that’s not true. In the capital of the Cliff Garuda, there are flying brooms and carpets. There are even giant airships.”
Sekito smiled wryly and said, “We’ve received some information, but we’ve never seen them, so we don’t know…”
“It’s okay if you don’t know now. I’ll show you the reality while I’m here.”
“Reality… Are the demons in a dream?”
“It’s a nightmare.”
“Is it the Demon King’s magic?”
“Don’t blame it all on her. Is there a battle arena around here?”
“Yes, there is. Not just here, but I think there are temporary arenas in all the major cities in the region now. All the royal guards have retired, and we’re in the process of rapidly reinforcing the army.”
“…Is that a sign of your lack of confidence?”
“What?”
“No, we are beginning to stand out a bit.”
The people passing through the square look at us and raise their eyebrows.
I’m wearing tattered robes from the demonic land. It must seem strange that Sekito, who wears a neat military uniform, is guarding someone like me.
“I will change my clothes. I’ll have to prepare dinner as well.”
“I’ll make the arrangements.”
“No, I’m going to earn some money at the arena. Sekito, go to the Hunters’ Guild or the Adventurers’ Guild and see if there are any requests to hunt delicious-looking monsters.”
“No way…”
“Sekito, you shouldn’t get too attached to titles and positions.”
I called out to the man pulling the cart and asked him where the arena was.
No one knew that I was Michelle, who had fled the country three months ago. Only my family and my name were known. I wouldn’t be recognized until I was near the royal capital.
◇◇◇
The arena is on the outskirts of town, a hastily constructed structure that has just been built. The crowd is sparse. Maybe it will come alive at night. Sekito is still following me but doesn’t say anything about what I’m doing.
“I want to register as a fighter.”
I asked the ticket seller at the entrance.
“I don’t discriminate against women, but can you really fight like that?”
“I’ve been away from the world for a while, and I want to move my body a little. It would also be nice to get some money.”
“Oh, you are a former prisoner? Then I’ll give you a top-class female warrior.”
The first opponent was said to be the best female warrior in the city, but she was probably just a traveling adventurer. She had unusually well-developed muscles for a demon. The people who looked like her companions in the audience told her, “Go make enough money to buy a drink.”
“Earn some pocket money?”
“No adventurer in their right mind would take this kind of arena seriously. Sorry, I’ll finish this right now.”
“Same here.”
Bang!
As soon as the bell signaling the start of the match rang, I drove my fist into the warrior’s solar plexus. I couldn’t blow her away like Makyo, but I could still knock her out even through her armor. However, my fist was a bit sore. Next time, I’d better use magic to protect myself.
“Please arrange my next fight.”
I said to the stunned arena staff, and then five fights were arranged.
I didn’t use any magic in the matches against the humans, only firing a flaming spear at the gargoyle that appeared at the end. I didn’t even use the staff as a weapon.
I had saved some money, so I bought a new robe in town and didn’t forget the flour.
When I left the shop, I asked Sekito, who had been following me, if he had any requests for me to defeat monsters. At first, Sekito watched the fights in the arena, but by the time the second fight was over, he had disappeared, and by the time I had defeated the gargoyle, he had returned to the audience.
“I don’t know what kind of meat is good, but I made a list.”
The list he gave me included some monsters I wouldn’t normally eat, like werewolves and vespa hornets, but it also included things like gibier deer and rock crocodiles.
“So, for dinner tonight, we’ll have deer meat or alligator meat. Which one lives in the forest where people don’t go?”
“It’s crocodile meat, but it’s too dangerous. It’s a monster so powerful that it can even block the river traffic.”
“I see. I’ve seen one nearby. As long as you know how to defeat it, it’s not that strong.”
◇◇◇
Just before sunset, I went to the river where the rock crocodiles live and hunted about three of them. Unlike in the demonic land, they weren’t ferocious, and their skin was soft, so I made sure they were really rock crocodiles.
“Even though it was a request, I caught too many. Share some with Sekijin and the others.”
“Yes, I’ll go get them!”
Sekito doesn’t seem to be thinking about bringing the meat to Sekijin. Is it impossible to carry a rock crocodile the size of a horse? I guess it is.
Finally, on the first day of my return to the Meiju Kingdom, I decided to camp by the river.
In front of the campfire, I gathered branches from plants that wouldn’t attack me and carved them into a walking stick. The bread was golden brown, and the crocodile meat was dripping with juice.
And so the night passed.
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Yay, everyone’s in for a shocker lol. Go Michelle
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