“…… Boss?”
The demon lord, slightly flustered, then adjusted his expression and looked down at me again.
“Interesting.”
Without abandoning his skeptical attitude, he asked,
“Let’s start with how you know the location of the hidden treasure.”
If it was about that, I had already prepared an explanation from the moment I first spoke.
“It’s the tiara.”
Holding up the tiara in my hand, I said,
“It reminds me of a Pavabath when I hold it.”
I then placed the tiara on my head.
“Pavabath!”
A bright light covered my body, just like when I wore the bracelet, and the system window immediately appeared.
[SYSTEM]
You have equipped an artifact that enhances enchantment status.
Suitability: 100% judgment!
[SYSTEM]
Warning! Penalties will be applied for deviating from the main scenario.
Penalty: Artifact performance limited to 50%.
Since I’m not a hero, it seems I can’t avoid penalties.
However, it was a bit surprising that the tiara maintained its form. When a hero had it, it turned into a headband.
Regardless, as soon as I wore the tiara, the demon lord’s gaze subtly changed. They must have felt the power contained in this artifact.
“There’s no room for doubt.”
“Yes. I only speak the truth.”
I deliberately responded with a cheerful smile.
In truth, the demon lord was still intimidating.
It’s still scary. I never know when that guy might decide to kill me.
But I know that displaying a frightened attitude will only lead to deductions. If I keep showing fear, he might actually kill me.
So, I maintained a confident attitude, despite beads of cold sweat trickling down.
“Hehe.”
I forced myself to lift my chin and looked at the demon lord.
“Because, boss, it wouldn’t be cool to kill me.”
And I managed to smirk.
“I’m useful, you know.”
The demon lord glanced at me with an enigmatic gaze, then snapped his fingers. Suddenly, my body floated. Wait, did he just use magic so effortlessly?
“We depart in two days.”
Poof!
I opened my eyes in what was clearly Lyat’s office, only to find myself in a greenhouse garden.
“Whoa…”
Without a moment to process the triggered magic, I found myself marveling at it.
If it were an attack spell, I’d be dead before thinking I got attacked.
Sealed power, yet this strong?
“You’re really something, boss.”
Yeah.
I should stop complaining.
Firmly decided.
***
The corridor leading to the main dining hall is empty.
Thanks to the demon lord’s presence being felt by the demons, no one dares to cross paths, leaving the corridor deserted.
Lyat closely observed the demon lord’s back as he walked ahead.
The demon lord returned after a solid three years.
In the eyes of the demons, three years is not a long time. However, Lyat felt like it had been an eternity. The sense of the passage of time indicated that something had changed, and in this case, the change was within Lyat himself.
Yes, he was cherishing Shekina.
Lyat let out a sigh, cautious not to be noticed by the demon lord.
‘I must be crazy.’
Despite being at the top of the demonic ecosystem, life is precious, and Lyat wondered why he risked it.
– I cherish this homunculus.
Why did he say that? Well, he does cherish Shekina, but he could have denied it in front of the demon lord.
‘It makes Shekina look pitiful… I’m crazy.’
It’s incredible. Now he even pities the homunculus.
Am I really in my right mind?
Lyat sighed deeply, bowing his head.
“Demon Lord.”
Lyat spoke towards the silent back of the demon lord.
“I apologize. I’ve acted in a way that diminishes the pride of demons in front of the Demon Lord. Even if it means disqualification as an aide, I have nothing to say.”
The demon lord, Lucart, lowered his long eyelashes and fell into thought for a moment.
“Did you say you cherish that homunculus?”
“…… Yes.”
In response to Lyat’s feeble answer, Lucart stroked his chin.
It’s quite peculiar.
Demons are inherently a selfish race, thinking only of themselves. To cherish someone is considered a luxury.
Emotions in demons are solely loyalty.
Yet here is Lyat, not just any other, harboring new emotions.
Lucart smirked as he continued to caress his chin.
“No, you did well.”
Yes.
Perhaps the lack of emotions in demons was their downfall. They were a tribe solely focused on themselves and the well-being of the demon lord. Even if someone next to them took a blow, they would raise a teacup. That’s why they couldn’t unite, and that’s why they fell under the decision of the Holy Sword.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to observe for a while.
“Living in the human realm requires showing the appropriate attitude to those human bastards. That way, we can avoid suspicion, don’t you think?”
“Well, but…”
“It’s crucial to reassure the humans. For now.”
Lucart stated firmly.
“But don’t give them too much affection.”
Lyat, with a slightly lowered gaze and a hint of melancholy, nodded after a moment.
“Yes. As you command.”
True to the nature of a demon loyal to the sole king, Lyat was dignified, and Lucart did not find this unusual. Instead, he recalled the young homunculus he had just encountered.
‘He said it wasn’t input.’
A Homunculus without loyalty programmed.
Was it the reason she resisted my magic?
The pursuit of amusement by demons, following their self-preservation, is intriguing.
The demon who senses amusement will savor it until the end.
Lucart smirked, muttering to himself.
“It shall be an interesting journey.”
May you become a presence that fills my void.
Lucart blinked.
***
The sun, which had been floating beyond the clouds, gradually receded, and darkness swept in as night approached.
I gazed through the greenhouse window, observing the world bathed in a red hue, as if covered in blood.
“Departing in two days.”
A sigh escaped as I lay down.
“If he’s talking about departing, does that mean the tiara is going somewhere?”
Perhaps the Demon King found the tiara in the cave, but in reality, that cave is a dungeon—a bonus game stage, one of only four in this world.
“One in each cardinal direction.”
The dungeon with the tiara is in the west. I recalled the strategy for the ‘western dungeon.’
“It’s not particularly difficult, so it should be fine.”
However, a question lingered.
Was the tiara originally discovered at this time?
“According to the game’s plot, it should be found at least five years later.”
Has the future changed?
Why is there something that wasn’t there before? A story where the protagonist, having transmigrated into a novel, acts differently, altering the future from the original work.
But…
“It doesn’t apply to me, though.”
I am a character fixed in the role of the ‘Hero’s Lover.’ Despite attempting to change the future through six reincarnations and causing chaos, the plot has never altered. Even when confined to the laboratory, the hero always came to rescue me.
‘Perhaps this time, I’m a hidden character.’
If not that, then…
‘Is it because the system initiated the game for me?’
I wasn’t sure, but both possibilities existed.
“Hey, system.”
Since the system is occasionally absent, I called out uncertainly. Seeing a slight distortion in the air, it seemed to be present.
I hastily added, ‘Don’t bother answering what I’m thinking. I didn’t call you to ask about that.’
Regardless, asking the system about the game’s content or the future would likely result in it pretending not to know. I had to find out for myself.
So, I had one question for the system.
“About this tiara, the enchantment or whatever it was, what function does it have?”
It was directly asking for information about something originally in the game.
As expected, a familiar notification sound echoed in my ears as a window appeared.
[SYSTEM]
Wearing it increases your charm by 50%.
“Is that the end?”
The absence of a response indicated that it was indeed the end.
“Oh well, it’s whatever.”
There were all sorts of useless artifacts. Muttering to myself, another cheerful notification sound rang out.
[SYSTEM]
Just watch. It’ll be useful.
A window marked in bold appeared. Judging by the slightly trembling frame, the system seemed irritated. Well, why would it get irritated over this? It’s absurd.
I responded with a grumble.
“I don’t have anyone to show off my charm to. It’s not like I’m here for romance…”
However, I couldn’t conclude my sentence.
“… sigh.”
The being I knew all too well, one I both loved and hated, was now right in front of me.
“Dehan?”
It was because the hero had appeared before my eyes.
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