A gruesome battle between the one who wanted the covers off and the one who wanted them on ensued.
It all began when Kongming, a straight A student, was selected as a friend-slash-tutor for Princess Beatrice. Kongming, who had been praised as a prodigy from a young age, acted like the obedient tutor on the surface, all the while treating Beatrice like a lackey behind closed doors. Oh, the follies of youth.
Even now, with an entire nation in their grasp, their childhood had never left them. Although their public titles had changed to the Golden Ruler and Ice Cold Chancellor, they were still just schoolmates in private.
“L-Listen, Beatrice... The Tsardom parade has an interesting member...!”
“Interesting...?”
“Th-That’s right. Apparently, a Holy Maiden of Holylight had... Pff!”
Beatrice reached her arm out and around, slapping a pillow in Kongming’s face.
“I don’t care about Holylight. I’m just a showpiece. Just go ahead with one of your schemes, Boss, do what you want!”
In truth, every policy of the New Kingdom of Xenobia was proposed, planned, and decided upon by Kongming. Beatrice was ruler in name alone and only served as a lively façade. Still, she was seen by neighboring nations and her advisors as gorgeous, fearsome, and courageous, revolutionary for scouting anyone with talent, even commoners, and giving them important roles in the government. She was, indeed, one of the best puppet heads in the history of anywhere.
“L-Listen... They’re carrying an interesting demi-human! We can use this to drive a wedge between the Tsardom and Holylight!”
“I don’t care about some faraway country!”
“I’ve told you already that a Dragonborn has appeared in Holylight...!”
Hearing this, Beatrice finally stopped throwing pillows. Kongming, placing importance on information, had made sure to send informants into Holylight, too.
“But you said it was a bunch of hogwash, Boss.”
“Yes, I... did!”
Seizing her one opening, Kongming ripped the covers off of the bed and maneuvered Beatrice into an arm lock from behind.
“Rrragh! Not fair!”
“Give up already and finish your duties as ruler...!”
Beatrice struggled, but Kongming was much stronger than her slender stature suggested. The feeble ruler was submitted in the blink of an eye.
“Now listen. Something’s fishy about that country, right now... I even hear there’s a man who calls himself the Demon Lord.”
“T-There’s a Demon Lord right behind me, right now...!”
“You little... Now you’re calling me a Demon Lord...!?”
“C-Can’t breathe! Demon Boss Lord, I can’t breathe!”
“What kind of name is that...!?”
Tangled up in the bed, their serious conversation continued.
“Don’t you get it? If we cleverly leak this info to Holylight, it could be the first step in driving them apart. I need you to remember these things so you don’t drop the ball when it matters...!”
“N-Never... Just you watch, I’ll forget it all!”
“You remember useless crap from forever ago...!”
“Y-You don’t get it, Boss... How lonely it is to eat your lunch alone in a bathroom stall...”
“Noooo! Forget it, already! I said, forget it!”
Still in the lock, the pair rolled up and down the bed. Who could tell whether they were a good pair or not? In any case, their next moves would end up affecting this world in a major way.
You Unlocked Some Information!!
The Tsardom of Light
A large nation located to the west of the Northern Nations. They worship the Great Light and are led by the Pope, who preaches the teachings of the Light. In addition to its two paladins, the country holds an Order of Knights with uncontested strength, solidifying their power. As the country is blessed with abundant farmland and temperate grass fields, it leads the continent in produce production, supplying the Northern Nations with food. In a sense, the Tsardom is responsible for prolonging the war in the Northern Nations. Since there are no storage dungeons in the country, they trade surplus food for various items.
The New Kingdom of Xenobia
What used to be a small, dime-a-dozen Northern Nation transformed after the princess banished the previous king and seized the throne. Ever since, the country has absorbed small neighboring countries and city-states, leading to its leader earning the moniker of “Little Ruler of the North.” After overtaking two major nations, her title evolved into just the “Ruler of the North,” or “the Golden Ruler.” The kingdom is led by the decisive direction of Beatrice Constance Castilla I, with Kongming (AKA the Ice Cold Chancellor) supporting her.
Side Story: Hot Springs Resort Concerto
A woman was walking elegantly down the hallway of the hot springs resort. She carried incredible weight and exuded immense pressure from her thick body. If an ordinary man were to face off with her, his groin would probably shrivel up. This woman was the Madame, the empress who ruled the party scene in the capital. Her days were almost entirely spent in this resort, learning the effects of each hot spring and every detail of the facility. The expansive knowledge and experience the Madame was accumulating were reserved only for her; no matter how much anyone paid, no matter how powerful their house was, everyone else was only allowed a one night’s stay at this hot springs resort.
(This resort will entrance every woman on the continent some day...)
The Madame was absolutely right. In what world could there be a bath that revitalized one’s skin the longer one spent in it? Since that fateful day, the more the Madame learned, the more she was astonished. The beautification and whitening of skin was incredible, but even the baths that were just meant to relax the body could only be explained as divine. The Madame was recalling the magic words that seemed to melt her heart:
——Everything I say becomes reality.
His undaunted statement and dark aura that seemed to swallow everything whole... and that deep voice that lingered in her ear. The Madame realized that she was completely intoxicated by him. She was frustrated at herself for coolly self-assessing, but had to admit that it was the truth and she couldn’t change it.
(I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt this way...)
In the glitz and glamor of the party scene, there were countless men who approached the Madame, but none of them were looking at her. Without hearing a word from them, the Madame could see in their eyes that they only wanted money and power... She hadn’t paid them any mind most of the time, but once in a while, she would feel an overwhelming sense of loneliness. No matter how many handsome men swarmed her, they had nothing to offer that the Madame wanted. Not a single thing. Everything they could possibly offer, she already had. Money, power, status, glory, fame... Every man had only ever begged for her to give. Not a single one of them had given anything to her. Upon meeting the Demon Lord, however, the Madame’s perception of men was completely changed.
(All of the tears I’ve cried and the hopelessness I’ve felt, it was all to meet him...)
The Madame could feel her hair hydrating and her skin revitalizing each and every day. Moreover, she could hear the thick layer of fat on her body screaming as it began melting away. Out of everything that a man could have given her, nothing would have been more impactful than this.
(Before he returns from up north...)
She had to lose the weight. She had to become beautiful. She wanted to approach her ideal form and receive a genuine compliment, not one spoken out of politeness. Out of all of the men in the world, she wished to be praised by one alone. In short, she was in love. The Madame was aware of this and kept her emotions bottled up. She couldn’t want it just yet.
When she arrived in the changing room of the hot springs, she stripped off her extravagant dress. When she opened the door, she was greeted by a woman’s utopia, as per usual.
“Oh, it’s been a while...”
&nbs
p; “Woah! M-Madame... G-Good evening!”
Inside, Aku was bathing in the pot bath. Since it was deep, her hands were gripping the ledge of the tub, the rest of her arms concealed. There was something adorable about her posture.
“It’s alright. No need for formalities, here,” the Madame said with a gentle smile as she leisurely rinsed off with a showerhead.
Because of her thick fat, her movements weren’t swift, nor was she light on her feet, but her appearance exuded a mysterious class that captured even Aku. This must have been the product of the Madame spending most of her life in the limelight, polishing each and every movement of her body. In a world like hers, even a single movement of the eye or finger could be scrutinized.
“E-Excuse me...!”
Aku suddenly shouted, and the Madame slowly turned around. While she acknowledged that Aku was someone the Demon Lord kept close and carefully protected, whether or not Aku had something within her that warranted such treatment, the Madame could not yet tell.
“H-How are you so beautiful, Madame!?”
Normally, these were pleasantries the Madame was sick of hearing. People lied through their teeth to people with power in order to buy their attention, to garner favors, to boost their reputation, etc. After meeting countless people and surviving the party scene, which was the epitome of fakeness, the Madame was skilled at seeing through people’s intentions. Aku’s eyes, however, were perfectly genuine and clear. The Madame was the one who was surprised, as Aku’s eyes reminded her of the sun.
(What is this girl...)
With differently colored eyes, Aku even appeared mystical.
“My, my... You’re so kind.”
While she responded with nonchalance, her interest in Aku only grew.
“I-I want to be... a beautiful, mature woman like you, Madame...!”
That was enough for the wise Madame to understand it all. There wasn’t any mystery to it: the girl was in love too. In love with someone who soared above all else, who definitely was the first of his kind in any history. Ordinarily, there would be nothing to a little girl like her with no status or power falling in love, but for better or worse, Aku was actually close to the Demon Lord.
(From her point of view... Of course she’s in a rush.)
The Madame could easily imagine that the Demon Lord would eventually be surrounded by beautiful women. There was no female in any world that could withstand the charm of such a powerful being. Overwhelming strength, guts, and mysterious powers that seemed stronger than magic... He was definitely worthy of the title of ‘Demon Lord.’ The higher he rose, because of their closeness, Aku would feel like she had to grow up that much faster. That urgency seemed like a very perilous thing to the Madame.
“Aku. There is absolutely no need for you to rush growing up,” the Madame said, slowly, to try and calm her.
The Madame almost added ‘Look at me. I’m not giving up, even at my age.’ Aku was still thirteen, after all. The Madame knew that, at that age, Aku had infinite chances and no need to rush on anything.
(In fact...)
She had a feeling that the Demon Lord would be happier if Aku just acted her age. While she had only thought so out of intuition, she completely hit the mark. In truth, the Demon Lord wasn’t looking for any sociability, class, or etiquette from Aku, as if he wanted to take her to parties. In fact, considering where things were headed, the Demon Lord was the one who should begin acquiring those things.
“B-But, the way I am, I don’t know how much longer I can stay by Master Demon Lord’s side...”
Aku lowered her gaze as she confessed her fear, which the Madame wholeheartedly sympathized with as another woman. The more she was attracted to the Demon Lord, the more she, naturally, felt like she had to catch up and become a person worthy of his affection. The Madame would go so far as to say that any woman must strive to do so under the philosophy that a woman who is always carried by her partner and adds nothing to the relationship would sooner or later be left behind.
“I understand why you’re nervous, Aku. He keeps an especially close eye on you.”
“I-I’m not pretty, I’m not good at anything... I don’t know why he’s so good to me...”
The Madame was won over by Aku’s humility. While this could have been interpreted as a humble-brag by some, she sensed that this was a sincere and serious concern for Aku. Having finished at the shower, the Madame walked over to Aku and joined her in the tub, holding the girl in front of her.
“Woah!”
When she did, water flooded out of the tub like a waterfall.
“Oh, my! This is a luxury that we could never have before, isn’t it?”
Soaking their entire bodies in precious water (heated with Spell Stones, to boot) was the height of luxury. Seeing that hot water overflow was an amazing sight. The most surprising thing, though, was that the tub was suddenly refilled until there was as much hot water as before.
“Y-You don’t have to share a tub with me, Madame! Someone like you shouldn’t...!”
“Look, Aku. Just like this tub of water, you have so many chances for do-overs. That’s how young you are.”
When the water was depleted, it immediately regained what it was lost. What was youth good for if not to bounce back the next day after going a little too far?
“I-I’m a bathtub...?”
“Ahaha! Maybe you are.”
The Madame laughed heartily. Luna had her own innocence and naivety, but Aku’s innocence was something else.
“Maybe this is why the Demon Lord likes you, Aku.”
“S-So, I should stay in here?”
“Aha ha ha! Oh, stop. You can’t show off in here, can you?”
Still laughing, the Madame was sure that Aku didn’t need any noble-like etiquette. In fact, if she were to focus on such a thing, it could do more harm than good. What Aku needed were cute, age-appropriate outfits and nutritious meals... but most of all, she needed to live a free-spirited, exciting childhood. It was a very special and precious time in her life that she would never come back to. The Madame believed that the best thing for Aku would be to appreciate the normalcy of her everyday life.
(Now I have another goal to accomplish...)
To guide this girl to become a princess worthy of standing beside him. The Madame believed this was a task that no one else but her could take on. She considered Yu to be too smart, and not fit for the spousal position. If anything, she was the chancellor to a ruler. While this was only a personal desire of hers, she just wanted the Demon Lord to go home to a place where a kind girl like Aku was waiting for him. Perhaps this stemmed from her political beliefs. When the leader of a nation had no room to breathe nor stability in his life, that state of mind was directly reflected in the people. Therefore, politically speaking, Aku was an extremely important piece, too. As the Madame let her thoughts on this matter wander, the entrance door flew open.
“Aku. Found you.”
“Tron?”
“And the beautiful lady, too! Shining bright as ever!” Tron said.
“Oh my...”
Tron the Firebrand had joined them. She had the rare gift of seeing the color of people’s souls. To her, the Madame was an endlessly noble and beautiful woman. In the Madame’s soul, Tron could see her strong determination to overcome her hopelessness, even after fighting tirelessly with it for decades. In her eyes, the Madame was a beauty second to none. Tron’s sincerity was obvious to the Madame, too.
“Now you have me stumped. I’ve wanted to hear someone say that for so long, and here you are...”
Before she knew it, the Madame was laughing. Those words she had longed and waited for had been given to her all too easily. Twice in one day, for that matter.
“Why don’t you join us?”
“Yep. I want in too.”
Tron, after taking a shower, cheerfully jumped into the tub, and the Madame caught her with ease. The tub easily fit the three and had room for more. The three blissfully closed their eye
s, feeling the perfect temperature of the water.
“I’m going to keep coming here and be pretty.”
“Oh. You want to draw someone’s attention, too, don’t you?”
“Wait! You don’t mean Master Demon Lord!?” Aku blurted out in surprise, but Tron was quick to deny it.
“No. Not the Demon Lord.”
“O-Oh, okay...”
Aku sighed in relief. Since Tron was a similar age to her (maybe?), Aku seemed particularly concerned about her.
“...But he also is the Demon Lord.”
“What!? Which is it!?”
Aku was left confused at Tron’s paradoxical remark. She had only told the truth, though, since the Demon Lord was Zero and Zero was the Demon Lord... but Aku was unaware of this. On the other hand, the Madame had interpreted what Tron had said as a representation of a child’s fickleness. In fact, every day children changed what they wanted or even liked to eat.
“Well, no matter who it is, it doesn’t hurt to improve yourself, ladies...”
The Madame thought of the future. These girls were directly brought here by the Demon Lord, and were sure to become important characters very close to him. She felt the obligation to help these two grow up to their full potential so they could provide much-needed relaxation to the Demon Lord. In any age, a throne was a lonesome place to sit. At times, this could have catastrophic repercussions on the world. Perhaps the Madame’s heightened political intuition had picked up on the loneliness of Akira Ono, somehow. In contrast, Tahara and Yu viewed the Demon Lord of the Empire as the dictator of the millennium, and would never think of questioning his mental health.
(I doubt Yu or that handsome Tahara thinks about these things...)
In that case, the Madame thought, what she had to do was becoming clearer. First, taking on the tiresome interactions with nobles and to control them as she saw fit. This would lead to lessening the burden on the Demon Lord and putting more money in his pocket. Secondly, the Madame was determined to watch over these two girls and help them grow in the right direction.
“All right, you two. Let’s head to the stargazing bath.”
Demon Lord, Retry! Volume 2 Page 17