【Sephilia’s point of view】
I am currently in the middle of a mock battle with the demon king, using wooden swords.
Her skills are on par with a beginner’s. She is much weaker than I expected.
If I put a bit of strength into my sword, I could easily beat her in one strike.
By squinting, I can see faint shines on her right shoulder, left flank, and the middle of her stomach. Those are her weak points, spots where if I attacked, she would be unable to react.
If I attacked her there, she would surely die, but that is not why I am here. I am here to be her playmate for the time being.
And so, I hold the wooden sword as loosely as I can while swinging it, and suffice to say, I avoid those three areas.
Still, the difference between us is evident. A sharp strike from me bends her wooden sword, and the match is settled easily.
After the mock battle is over, I try my best to speak normally.
“I’m sorry, but you lose, demon king.”
“Umumu, I lost?”
“And as promised, please tell me important information about the demon king’s army.”
“Durandal wears that helmet because he’s shy.”
Says the demon king.
Durandal is one of the generals of the demon king. He’s a dullahan, a strange undead monster whose head is separated from his body.
His face is tightly guarded by a black helmet, and it has never been seen even after a hundred years.
This mystery has been solved in an unexpected manner, but I cannot call this important information.
Still, the deal is to reveal a secret after each match. The holy war has to be fair at all times.
I write it down anyway, and put the notepad back in my pocket.
“Thank you for the vital information.”
I say to the demon king.
“Yes. I’ll tell you something even better if you beat me again.”
She says with a haughty tone while crossing her arms.
“You really are strong. It’s frightening how you didn’t even break a sweat. Are you sure being a swordswoman isn’t your main job?”
“Fighting as a whole is my specialty, but my main job is being a maid.”
“I would love to own a maid like you.”
“You sure like to jest. I am a holy knight.”
Never in a million years would I serve the demon king, so I laugh lightly.
Joking with the demon king like this is a way to soften her up and acquire information, not to be friends with her.
“How can I be as strong as you?”
She asks, changing the subject.
I have no obligation to tell her, but I would like the holy war to be as fair as possible, so I tell her the most important thing to improve her skill with the sword.
“I am not an expert instructor, so I cannot say anything too complex, but the most important thing is to practice every day and not give up.”
A master is not made in a day, is what my own master used to tell me.
“That’s a harsh answer for someone as fickle as me. I wish there was an easier way.”
“The teachings of Emeraude call that a fool’s point of view.”
I admonish the demon king when she speaks like a child.
Well then, I have my information for the day, so my business with the demon king is done.
But tomorrow I must carry out Miss Isolte’s holy war as well. Early in the morning today, I was asked to perform it for her.
The usually cool-headed Miss Isolte ran out of the mansion, saying she would explain things later through gardo.
Incidentally, said gardo has not yet arrived.
This means I am planning to stay in the village at the foot of the mountain, rather than return to Minerva.
But since I have time, I want to discuss the plans for tomorrow as well. Two heads thinking rather than one should make for a more fulfilling holy war.
“How about we take it easy thinking while soaking in a hot spring?”
“Hot spring? That sounds surprisingly not bad.”
We head to a floor with an underground lake.
How should I put this? A part of the floor has been expanded into an open bath where we can enjoy the beautiful lake.
This hidden passage was actually recently revealed to be a kind of space-time magic.
Needless to say, it was Miss Iris’ friend who discovered it.
It is assumed it changed into what it is now when she teleported into this Kokkoro mine.
And more surprisingly, he overwrote part of the space-time magic to create a wonderful hot spring.
He really is incredible. He is kind, wise, and the best when it comes to magic power.
I had my doubts when Miss Iris first met him, but now I am convinced that everything she said was correct.
There is no one else here, so we strip and jump in together. (*Don’t jump into hot springs, boys and girls.)
A few seconds later, she brings her head above water.
“I really need to thank that Loyd boy for being able to enjoy a hot spring in a mine!”
She is in a good mood. Her innocent attitude makes the muscles on my face naturally relax, but I quickly tighten them into my usual expression.
“You are correct. You are lucky to be able to enjoy a hot spring.”
I respond in a formal tone.
Despite this being a sealed powerless being, the girl in front of me is the demon king. The one who instigated a great war a century ago.
I cannot let my guard down.
We are letting the demon king live and taming her into our side. Miss Iris also approves of this. Still, that is no reason to get careless.
I am a holy knight. If it comes to that, I might have to perform my duty as such on the demon king.
“Don’t make that frowny face, enjoy the hot spring.”
The demon king says suddenly.
“I apologize. I had something on my mind.”
“You really care about your friends, uh? You could just have a happy carefree life like me.”
“You should actually think a little more about how you act. It is precisely that easygoing attitude that got you sealed by the hero.”
“Ouch, that hurts.”
She says while sinking all the way to her ears and making bubbles in the water.
“How about we swim together?”
She is like a small child.
“You really do enjoy every day as they come, do you not?”
“Yes, it’s very fun. Especially since you and the others have been visiting lately. It’s not boring.”
“Is that so?”
“And in my previous reincarnation, I could never see eye to eye with someone in a hot spring like this.”
“Previous reincarnation?”
“Didn’t Loyd tell you? I am immortal. I have descended upon this world six times at this point.”
The demon king laughs, but this is shocking to me.
I guess I was too naive to think everything would be solved if the demon king was killed.
If I killed her here, she might immediately turn hostile when she revived a hundred years from now.
If that is the case, taming her while she is in this position where she cannot take action really should be the best option.
Iris’ friend was correct.
“I have never heard of any beings that revive, other than fairies.”
“Then you lack knowledge. What about the most famous demon?
Me, Phoenix.”
“Eh?”
Phoenix. I have heard of this.
A bird clad in flames that is naturally reborn from its ashes after dying.
Its beauty is said to be a mystical one that charms the hearts of those who look at it.
“But Phoenix is not a demon, it is a kind of divine beast.”
“Divine beasts and magic beasts are just labels you humans decided to create.
Divine beasts are also treated as magic beasts if they attack humans, and the opposite if a magic beast saves a person.”
What she says sticks to my mind.
＊＊＊＊
“Thirty-nine degrees… It’s pretty bad.”
Says Till while looking at a thermometer.
Sephilia is ill after staying in the bath with the demon king for too long.
She hasn’t caught a cold since she was five years old, meaning she has no antibodies and can’t move from the bed.
“I apologize, head maid.”
Says Sephilia while coughing.
Till is here to support her, as per Iris’ instructions, but Sephilia was already feeling pretty weak by the time she got here.
She was still trying to head to the mine, so Till forced her to stay in bed.
“You can’t let other people catch your cold, so you’re forbidden from going outside for the time being.
Says the head maid with a sigh.
“But I was entrusted with a role in the holy war. I have to perform my duty.”
Sephilia tries to sit up, but is stopped by Till, who softly admonishes her.
“What if that worsens your condition? It would just make things worse for everyone.”
“B-but if I don’t go… The demon king…!”
“Forget about the demon king! You need to sleep! This is an order from the head maid.”
“U-understood. I apologize, head maid.”
It appears the cold has weakened her spirit as well, as she apologizes with a high-pitched tone after being scolded sharply.
Till gently pats her head.
She has experience looking after her little sisters in the orphanage, but more importantly, she is used to dealing with Sephilia.
Sephilia starts to feel sleepy, most likely due to the effects of the medicine, and her breathing stabilizes as she falls asleep.
“It’s all right, I’m sure Miss Isolte will handle it.”
Says Till while gently stroking Sephilia’s forehead.
But she was unaware that Isolte was tied up with the emergency in the Luminous farm, and could not be busier.
Sephilia was the only one dealing with the demon king. Loyd and Iris were also under the impression that someone else was dealing with her.
Basically, with Sephilia down due to her cold, the rotation of the holy war had completely collapsed.
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