Chapter 81
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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 81 – Old Memories of the Magic Stone (3)
“N-no, I can’t… I don’t understand; I don’t think it should be me…”
She was shy, troublesome, picky, and loved to sleep.
She had a special talent.
“Arche. But you have awakened it. You have that talent, so Sylvia and I want you to do your best.”
“Don’t worry. Cain and I will support you well, so… It’s okay, isn’t it?” [T/n: Since Dullahan’s name is different between LN and WN, I decided to just stick to the WN’s name, so I hope you don’t have any problems with that. FYI, Dullahan’s name is Ramza in LN and Cain in WN.]
That talent was being strong.
Arche was truly blessed with the gift of strength. It was a special talent that was more important and harder to obtain than anything else for monsters.
It had been decades since the three of them started adventuring. They rescued many monsters and built a city. Now, they used it as a base and only occasionally went out on adventures.
The people who lived there have long followed Cain, Sylvia, and Arche as their leaders.
They were basically good at taking care of people, so they couldn’t leave the monsters living there alone. They built several houses and dug wells, and Sylvia pa.s.sed on many skills.
This place, which had developed in many ways, had become a paradise for monsters who have nowhere else to go.
“Then take over. Sylvia-oneechan is the right person for the job, both in looks… and personality.”
“Ara? What do you mean by personality?”
“P-piii…!”
“What’s with that bird-like sound…?”
Don’t mess with Sylvia carelessly. Arche had forgotten about it. But when she thought about it, she was right. But why did Sylvia take the trouble to choose her? Arche couldn’t help but wonder.
“Cain and I noticed your talent from the beginning. But you know… I never imagined that you would awaken to become a Demon King.”
“B-but it’s just a formality… No matter how hard I try, I don’t think I can beat the two of you. So there must be some mistake, yes. I’m sure of it.”
It must be the difference in experience. Perhaps Arche was stronger in terms of brute strength. However, she still couldn’t compete with Cain and Sylvia when it came to fighting skills.
“When I first met you, I think you said something like ‘I am a bundle of possibilities’…”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Seeing her bluff, Cain wondered what to do. At times like this, Sylvia was the most reliable person. Cain looked turned toward her.
“…Then let’s do it this way. Cain and I will do the work that needs to be done. So, Arche, you just be the king. That makes everyone feel safe. So all you have to do is sit in your chair.”
This was the last compromise.
Everyone already knew that Arche had become the Demon King. Since there was no way around it, there was no choice but to let her be the king after all.
“…Really? You’re not lying?”
“Have I ever lied to you?”
“I’ve had vegetables put in my sweets, even though I told everyone I didn’t want them.”
Many years ago, when Sylvia was so desperate to get Arche to eat vegetables, she put them in her sweets as a last-ditch effort.
In the end, she didn’t notice the taste, but once, while she was eating, she saw the vegetables sticking out of the dishes and immediately had a look of despair on her face.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Sylvia looked like she was thinking and looked in the opposite direction. It felt like déjà vu.
“(I see. Arche looks like Sylvia.)”
Cain realized that her methods of evasion were just like Sylvia’s. But when pointed out, he jumped to his own conclusions. However, if he were to point this out, it would also spark a fire in him, so he did not mention it now.
He just stopped thinking about it.
“It’s no use being innocent. My memory is quite good…”
“Then why did you forget your own words?”
“Cain is a sensitive type. I always thought that was a bad thing.”
“Arche. Don’t say things like that.”
Cain smiled and looked at Sylvia. He was touched by her defense of him… but she made him understand that it had never been that way.
“It is true that Cain is very sensitive. He often pointed out things that I didn’t think were important.”
“Right?”
“But you know what? It is important to be careful like that. Right, Cain?”
“Oh, yes. That’s right.”
He only has the energy to answer blankly. Because the two of them were too carefree. Of course, even when he thought about such things, he never said them out loud. That would be even more troublesome.
“But why me? I am just a Succubus. Not a Dullahan like Cain, not an Elder Lich like Sylvia. Just a Succubus who becomes a Demon King. I’d be scared if everyone hated me.”
During their journey, Cain evolved from Living Armor to Dullahan. And like the beautiful faces of Sylvia and Arche, he gained a handsome face. And even when Arche fought these two, she never won a single battle. In fact, she was beaten to a pulp every time.
That’s why she lacked confidence.
That was why she was afraid.
That’s why she couldn’t believe them.
“…Then let’s do a ritual.”
“Ritual…?”
Sylvia looked at Arche, who was very uncomfortable with the idea and suggested a ritual.
“Yes, a ritual. Let’s seal our bond. May we come together forever and ever, wherever we are. A prayer.”
“What is that…? What does it mean?”
“Even if we become a magic stone. Even if we are burned and eaten. I pray that we will meet again somewhere.”
“Like I said, Onee-chan. I don’t understand what you mean…”
Cain, who was listening to the words, was very interested in them. “We monsters? Are we connecting as if we were human?”…He didn’t like to imitate others, but Sylvia’s words struck deep into Cain’s heart.
“The three of us are becoming a family. That’s what I mean.”
“I-is it ever different?”
“Let’s be a family that is much more deeply connected. That’s what I mean.”
“I-I see. We will become a deeper family! How can we do that?”
Cain was also excited, although he did not say so in words.
After all, they were only connected by a very thin thread. It was a somewhat dangerous relationship that he couldn’t help but feel. This was because of their unique values as monsters, the reason for their meeting… and many other things that could be thought of… but it is good to be connected even more deeply.
“Do you remember the Dryad, Arche?”
“Y-yes! I remember them! Those people who seem to have such a hard time living…!”
“Y-yes, well, it’s a hard way to take root, that’s for sure. But nothing can convey love like that, can it?”
The culture was full of drawbacks, but it was a Dryad-like habit to love their partners with all their hearts. When Sylvia said that, Arche somehow understood.
“I understand. Let’s put aside the fact that it seems like a lot of work. But why Dryads?”
“We can perform similar rituals with magic. So let’s do that as well. That way, Arche won’t be afraid, right?”
“S-so you can do that…?”
Even though Arche had said earlier that it would be hard to live with, she easily changed her mind. When she heard that they could do it, she couldn’t resist.
“Sylvia. Can we do it?”
“Yes, we can. But it’s a secret that we did it, you know? It could be used against us. And it’s a curse; you can’t do too much with it.”
“Yeah. Okay.”
When Arche replied, she was still thinking about one thing at that moment. It was whether she would cause trouble for the two of them because of her weakness. Inevitably, that was what was on her mind.
However, even with that thought, the desire to be connected together the three of them overcame the negative thoughts.
“This is a good opportunity, so let’s think about our family name as well.”
The existence of monsters basically did not have its own family name. The reason for this was that they had such tenuous relationships with each other that they rarely longed for some form of family.
“It’s nice. It really is like a family, and I agree with you.”
“M-me too! I agree with you!”
“That’s good. Then what kind of name would you suggest?”
Sylvia began to think of a name for the family. Cain and Arche watched in silence, looking forward to it as if they were pets before a feast.
“Both of you. Do you remember the name of this continent?”
“I-I know it! Ishtar…! I don’t know who started calling it that, but that’s what it’s called…!”
“Yes, that’s right. Arche really is a clever girl.”
“Ehehe…”
Arche’s face was filled with joy, and she was silently patted on the head. The name of the continent, which had somehow begun to be called Ishtar, was already widely known not only by monsters but also by humans.
“In the language of the G.o.ds, family is likua. It is a deeper family. So, since we’re here, let’s borrow the language of the G.o.ds.”
“Can we borrow it? Won’t they be offended?”
“Fufu… if Arche behaves well, they won’t be mad at us, will they?”
“I will be good! I’ll behave myself!”
As she remained in a high state of tension, she did nothing more than obediently listen to Sylvia. Cain, who was standing next to them, was rea.s.sured by their exchange.
“Then the G.o.d won’t be angry. So let us borrow it. But it’s a little hard to say with Likua, so let’s, uh… make it Lika…”
They could feel their bodies heating up, but they would certainly not be able to control it.
That was why Sylvia’s words had the most important meaning for both of them.
“I have decided. Our family name is…——”
——The Demon King had never been confident in herself.
Part of this was due to the fact that she had always had an excellent older brother and older sister by her side.
But more than that, she was a coward.
After receiving her family name, she still had no confidence, but she gained the greatest weapon of all: a sense of security.
Then, she trusted her family and stood there as the Demon King.
…Finally, the Demon King’s territory was born on the continent of Ishtar.