(How can I deliver Luna from evil...?)
“There is a changing room inside. Please take your clothes off there before going in... Hoppity!”
Kyon left, having shown White the way, and she continued onward. Lost in thought, she had no mind to check her surroundings, and continued into the men’s quarters.
(The only way to liberate Luna must be to take down the Demon Lord, somehow...)
White could think of a few miracles left behind by the Ember Angel. These were what White had planned to use against the King of Devils to seal him away once again, should it have come to that. In order to use them, though, she needed a little more time.
(Bath, she said...)
White often cleansed herself before performing various rituals. Back in the day, she would cleanse together with Queen and Luna before performing ceremonies as a team. With this unexpected surge of nostalgia, White quickly stripped. She thought this might be the perfect opportunity to talk with Luna alone. In any world, nudity is a show of intimacy, romantically or otherwise. The conversation, too, could turn naked.
(This could be my last chance to convince Luna...)
With all of her clothes removed, White appeared to be a bona-fide angel. Her long, pink hair glowed as if it was coated with some protection, and her body was perfectly contoured, as if it was sculpted by the angels themselves. A million men would surrender at the sight of her breasts alone. Her appearance was mystically attractive, one could even spend hours staring at her shapely lips alone.
White opened the door that lead to the hot springs without so much as a thread on her body. Immediately, her vision was filled with white steam, enveloping her in a comfortable warmth.
(What is this...?)
White stopped in her tracks at something she had never seen before, let alone understood.
“These... are hot baths? All of them?”
White had vaguely anticipated a tiny bathtub filled with purified water, whether it be cold or hot. Of course, the tub in the Holy Castle was much larger and more extravagant than the norm in this country, but compared to this facility, it was a child’s playroom. The hot springs could easily accommodate a hundred people at once.
“What is Luna... or that Demon Lord, rather, thinking...?”
Looking around, White noticed something more interesting. In the distance, she spotted a courtyard surrounded by rocks and strange vegetation. The area seemed filled with tranquility. Drawn by the strange allure, White walked to it.
(Another bath... Outside...!?)
The stargazing bath.
White had no idea what was going on, though. Why was there a bath outside? Why was it in such a tranquil garden? Why was the bath made out of rocks? She couldn’t answer any of that, and everything about this space was beyond her capacity of understanding. Most shocking of all, however, was the cursed Demon Lord taking a bath with a defiant expression.
“D-Demon Lord!”
White couldn’t help but scream at seeing her devious nemesis. She had forgotten that she was naked as the day she was born. The Demon Lord slowly turned around and raised a brow. He seemed composed, and almost too calm in the face of this surprise encounter.
“Hm... It’s not every day we have someone like you infiltrate the place.”
“Y-You ambushed me...!?”
“Hm...”
Spending a moment in contemplation after White shouted, the Demon Lord continued:
“This is a stargazing bath. Anyone who causes a ruckus here is either an uneducated child or incredibly brash. I would like to believe that you are neither...”
White was enraged at his taunting words. She braced herself to ask this evil existence one last question...
The gears in the Demon Lord’s mind were spinning faster than they ever had before. If White were to let out a clichéd scream right here and now, his reputation would fall so hard it would crash and burn. In these situations, it seemed that the man would always take the blame. Comparing his situations to false accusations of sexual assault on a crowded train (a common concern for men in Japan), the Demon Lord secretly shuddered in terror. Because of that, his first move was to try and make sure that White wouldn’t scream.
(I won’t get thrown in jail for some stupid crime like ‘ogling the Holy Maiden,’ will I...?)
Raising his cup of sake from the tray floating on the water, he took a sip from it. His gesture must have made him appear as calm as the breeze, but the Demon Lord was panicking on the inside, and his hand was ever-so-slightly shaking.
(Dammit! Why does shit hit the fan every time I’m taking a bath!?)
Was it a curse or a blessing? Despite the crowd of people working outside, he had decided to start drinking in the stargazing bath midday. And now he was burning White’s naked body into his memory. A truly unforgivable and evil being.
(Why is this Holy Maiden in the village, anyway? And this is the men’s quarters!)
The realization hit the Demon Lord. He didn’t imagine that she mistakenly came in, since he had no idea that she was so lost in her thoughts that she couldn’t see her surroundings.
(This isn’t some kind of honey trap, is it...?)
The possibility came to his mind, but the Demon Lord discounted it immediately. Although there may be a time in the future when he would be subject to such a tactic, it would not be executed by the leader of the nation. Now this man’s thought process led him to his usual stance.
“Well, you’ve come all this way. It seems you have something dire to bring to my attention. I consider myself to be rather open-minded, if I do say so myself.”
Blowing smoke to see what would happen. The Demon Lord had begun to realize that this tactic proved surprisingly effective. Often, his opponent would lose composure at his intimidating presence and spill the beans on their own.
“Open-minded...!? How could you...!?”
“Before we begin, I must say this is a disturbing sight. Please.”
With that, the Demon Lord handed her his towel. Finally, White realized that she was naked.
“Ah! Y-Y-Y-You saw me nak...”
“Why don’t you join me in the tub? It would be a shame, and a great loss to the country, if you were to catch a cold.”
“...!”
White was infuriated by the sarcastic proposal, but wrapped her body with the bath towel and jumped into the water. She seemed to be trying to cover her skin as much as possible. Her face was painted red with humiliation and anger. This was the first time any man had seen her naked, and he called it ‘disturbing.’ Pity the Holy Maiden.
“Now, let’s hear it. Why are you here...?”
Titling his cup back, he gazed up at the sky. Seeing this, White’s face twisted further in wrath. The Demon Lord was exuding an attitude that screamed that her naked body was not even worth looking at.
“Demon Lord. What are you doing with the Mada...ah!?”
As a gust of wind blew away the white steam, White lost her words. She realized what should have been obvious.
The Demon Lord was also naked. And his body was chiseled to the point of giving him an even further overwhelming presence. Now White blushed for another reason entirely.
“Is something the matter, Holy Maiden White? You won’t say that a leader of this nation is taken aback by a naked man, I’m sure.”
The Demon Lord chuckled brazenly before tying his long hair up with a black rubber band. The Demon Lord was losing count of how many he had had so far, but another battle against a Holy Maiden was about to commence.
The Steam-Veiled Duel
“Is something the matter, Holy Maiden White? You won’t say that a leader of this nation is taken aback by a naked man, I’m sure,” the Demon Lord declared with grand bravado. These words were steeped in his desperate plea that ‘me being naked isn’t a big deal! This isn’t sexual harassment, I swear!’
(If rumors start going around that I showed my ding dong to a Holy Maiden...)
He couldn’t imagine a fate b
etter than being jailed for life or burned at the stake with the bonus of carving his name into history as the most heinous sex offender. Drinking more from his cup, the Demon Lord glared up at the sky with a look as if to kill any god that was up there. No matter how many prime numbers he listed in his head, he kept remembering the nude encounter from a moment ago, which curdled a pool of lava in his loins. In accordance with the rest of his physique, the Demon Lord’s... horn... was enormous, reminiscent of Gáe Bulg, the mythical spear said to penetrate all. With his entire body now a weapon, the Demon Lord let his gaze drift around the sky.
(Where does the blue sky end...?)
Despite gazing up at the heavens in the manner of Zhuge Liang, the ancient strategist, just as a semi couldn’t stop on a dime, an active volcano needed time to cool.
“That’s right... I feel nothing from your naked body!” White exclaimed.
“Wonderful. I’m glad we can focus on our conversation, then.”
One party had her face bright red to the brim, while the other looked up with gritted teeth. At first glance, it would appear that they were, indeed, enemies.
“Now you have the Madame under your thumb. What are you doing to this country!?”
“Under my thumb? I’m insulted. Both Luna and Madame are staying in this village of their own volition. I have never once coerced anyone to do so.”
“How do you have the gall to...!”
White couldn’t help but approach the Demon Lord, and stare into his face. Despite her angered expression, she was mysteriously beautiful. Besides, although she had wrapped herself in the towel, her shoulders were exposed, along with the top of her twin peaks (that could ensnare the soul of any man alive), creating a long and deep canyon down the middle.
“Don’t get too close to me. Your body’s a little too much for me.”
“Y-You...! H-H-H-How badly must you mock me!?”
“Mock you? I am always sincere. I only tell the truth.”
“T-T-T-Truth...!?”
White quaked at the overwhelming humiliation and tears formed at her eyes. Ordinarily, she would not have been so overtaken by her emotions. Unlike her sisters, she had plenty of social skills and knew how to compose herself with elegance. However, this was the first time any man had seen her naked, and the first time she had seen any man naked. Worse, that man was the Demon Lord, whom she considered to be the root of evil. On top of that, he was calling her body ‘disturbing’ and ‘too much.’ After taking these comments at face value out of confusion, White’s heart was torn to shreds.
“As for the Madame, the water will show you, in a way.”
“How can this water show me anything...!?”
“Relax, and soak in it up to your shoulders.
With that, the Demon Lord shut his eyes as if to escape the sight of her. He figured that, if he turned to the darkness, the lava would subside. White was glaring at him for a few moments, but after the Demon Lord remained wordless and motionless, she reluctantly sunk into the water.
Some time of silence passed, save for the sound of construction outside. Tranquility filled the air. After spending a while with that non-sensual noise and darkness, the Demon Lord finally released his frown.
(Good. When there is light, there is always darkness. I am nothingness. I am inside nothingness.)
“Ah... Something’s... Ooh, my shoulders... Ahhh...!”
(Stop moaning like that! Why does she have to have a cute voice, too!?)
“W-What is this... I’ve never felt... something... so...!”
(Dammit! You’re doing it on purpose! Is that it!?)
Feeling the lava begin to resume its tumult, the Demon Lord muttered something. From a bystander’s perspective, it could have looked like the Holy Maiden cornering the Demon Lord.
“This stargazing bath not only revitalizes you, but separates you from your day-to-day. At this facility, you can forget about your life for a moment and recharge before tackling tomorrow.”
“Forget... my life....”
“There are other baths that help with dry skin and keep it moisturized, for example. It’s not a front that the Madame will rehabilitate here. The comfort you’re feeling now should be proof of that.”
With that, the Demon Lord presented her with a sake-filled cup. He kept his gaze forward, but still carried a persuasive attitude. He was trying to get White drunk to put everything about this encounter in the past.
“Y-You want me to drink this...?”
“Are you afraid of a drink offered by the Demon Lord? Even though your caution and cowardice as leader of the nation is one of the causes of the troubles of this country.”
“Y-You have no right to...! Anyway, you can’t poison me! Angel’s Spoon!”
As White activated her skill, her eyes gently glowed. This was a skill that detected any poison or harmful agent in a substance, acquired by those in particular positions in the Church. In turn, the Demon Lord replied harshly.
“As far as I’m concerned, the higher-ups of this nation are the real poison to it. They allow the majority of their people to suffer without a second thought. What’s worse, they don’t even try to break the status quo, nor propose any policies that could do so. In my country, we call people like them ‘useless.’”
No holds barred. In a sense, the Demon Lord was exuding powerful willpower to get out of his current predicament. Of course, all of that was said to save his skin, but it deeply resonated with White. She couldn’t counter anything the Demon Lord had just said.
“...I’m sure it appears that way from your point of view. It must be quite the show to see a child like me run around in vain.”
White powerlessly accepted the cup, and looked down at the sake. The clear liquid shimmered in the light, but White shone much brighter, with an indescribable sense of femininity about her.
(I can see how Helen caused the Trojan wars... In this country, I guess I should call her an angel.)
The Demon Lord was breathless as White appeared to have come to life out of a painting. The revered air about her had dissipated the lava in the Demon Lord’s loins before he knew it. White tilted the cup, and the sake poured to her lips.
“This...”
In fact, the sake was also an item from the game, and had properties to recover Stamina. With moderation, normal sake had health benefits too. In Japan, it was even said to be the root of a hundred medicines.
“This is a drink from my country. It has been enjoyed for ages.”
Taking the cup from White, the Demon Lord took a sip.
White let out a whisper about sharing the cup, but the Demon Lord was oblivious, and ruthlessly threw the sake down his throat. The truth was that they had already shared the cup when White took her first sip, but she must have been distracted in her sadness. The Demon Lord scoffed at her. As far as he could tell from the news, the average age of girls losing their virginity only declined by the year. It wasn’t uncommon to hear stories of girls losing their virginity in their pre-teens. A woman worried about exchanging a kiss through a cup was an endangered species.
“What? Do you think our lips touched through the cup...? You’re not a virgin girl, what are you...”
His disrespectful remark was cut short as he realized that he was speaking to a Holy Maiden. White’s slender shoulders quivered as she squeezed out these words.
“...What if I am?”
His luck was bad and his timing was worse. White had just been thoroughly ridiculed by Queen the other day. To top it off, Queen had declared ‘you’re such a prude, Sis. You’ll end up an old maid for sure.’ Secretly, White was hurt. After hearing that her two younger sisters had found potential suitors, she was feeling left out.
“Oh, yes, I’m an old maid! I’m a virgin! Do you have a problem with that!?”
Aided by the open atmosphere of the stargazing bath and the buzz from the sake, White ended up saying something she never would have otherwise.
“N-No, I don’t have a problem. In fact, virtu
ous women are preferred. Why don’t you be proud of it?”
“How can I be proud of such a thing!? You’re making fun of me!”
“Not at all. Actually, I commend your stoicism.”
“Prude... Stoic... What do think I am, a golem...!?”
The Demon Lord, panicking on the inside that things had really hit the fan now, maintained a serious tone and stuck his hand into the black void and produced an item. An Angel’s Halo, armor worn on the head. As its name suggested, it was a glowing halo that floated above the wearer’s head. While its Defense was garbage at a mere 2, many female players wore it for its cute design. There was also an item called Devil’s Horns which served as its counterpart. Also quite popular despite its low Defense.
“W-What is... this...? How do you have the halo of an angel!?”
“I want to gift it to you, who lives up to the title of Holy Maiden.”
The Demon Lord gently placed the halo on White’s head. He wore a smile on his face, and even White had to admit that he was dashing. With his long hair tied behind his head, the Demon Lord was even rugged. His sculpted body, sharp appearance, and cunning wit were qualities of maturity White had never encountered in a man before.
“Keep at it, so you may wear this halo with pride. I am not your enemy...”
With that, the Demon Lord vanished into the steam. He had simply Quick Traveled to the changing room, but White was convinced that he had vanished into thin air.
“An Angel’s Halo... How would a Demon Lord...?”
White mumbled, her mind wandering. In contrast, there was only one thought in the Demon Lord’s head: ‘When a girl is upset, give her a present.’ A ridiculous philosophy that every woman out there would surely object to. For White, though... this item was nothing she could disregard. She rushed out of the stargazing bath and stood in front of a mirror. The glimmering Angel’s Halo floated above her head. White was breathless at its solemn beauty and divine illumination.
Northbound
The Demon Lord was smoking a cigarette in front of the hot springs resort, waiting for White to come out. While he had wrapped this encounter up without causing a scene, he was the kind of man to always follow through.
Demon Lord, Retry! Volume 2 Page 14