An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 8 (Premium)

by Fuminori Teshima

  “How long do you plan on sleeping? We have to go check on Kuroka next. Hurry up. We won’t be able to return to the castle until nighttime at this rate.”

  Zagan left the store with his baggage in his right hand and Gremory in his left, as he sensed a somewhat relieved presence behind him.

  “We somehow got by without him finding us.”

  “Miss Gremory... I shall definitely repay this kindness...!”

  And just as Zagan was about to turn around upon hearing a familiar voice.

  “Mister Zagan?”

  A familiar looking girl came running over.

  “Kuu?”

  It was the vulpin Kuu. Judging from her maid outfit which was similar to the one Nephy usually wore, he could tell that she was in the middle of her job at Manuela’s shop. Zagan only knew her for a short while when he looked after her for a bit, but Kuu came running over and clung to him nonetheless.

  “Please help. Kuroka, Kuroka...”

  “What happened?”

  Immediately sensing something abnormal had happened, Zagan squat down and lined his sight up with Kuu’s as he questioned her with a serious look. At the same time, he dropped Gremory, who woke up when the back of her head slammed into the ground.

  “Owowowow... My liege... could you be just a little kinder to me...? Hrm? What’s going on here?”

  Even as she tumbled over head over heels on the ground, Gremory’s expression turned grim. Setting aside her usual eccentric behavior, Kuu now had two of what could be considered the most reliable sorcerers in town earnestly lending her their ears. After taking a short moment to collect herself, she began her tale.

  “Kuroka vanished. She was supposed to do a reading of the scriptures at the orphanage, but they said she never showed up. She even said that we would celebrate when she got back.”

  The scene reminded Zagan of the time Kuroka was running about looking for Kuu. The situation was completely reversed, but at that time, Kuu was being manipulated by Archdemon Bifrons, and was left with ghastly memories.

  I don’t think Bifrons could possibly be involved here...

  Bifrons would surely antagonize him again one day, but the covenant he etched into the Archdemon wasn’t so simple that it could be broken in one or two months.

  “What do I do...? Kuroka is unfortunate to begin with, so if she gets caught up in something bad...”

  Kuu was doing her best to put on a brave front, but she had tears running down her cheeks. Gremory then stole a glance over to Zagan.

  “My liege. Wouldn’t you be able to search for Lady Kuroka with your barrier?”

  This town was Zagan’s domain. It was outfitted with the capability of finding almost anybody within it.

  I mean, I was troubled by not being able to find Kuu when she was abducted last time.

  To repent for that, he put up a barrier around the town. Having said that, there were tens of thousands of people in town. Counting everything that moved put the number in the hundreds of thousands. The problem was how to sift through that massive amount of information.

  In Zagan’s case, he was capable of using the wavelength of mana peculiar to an individual to search for them and pinpoint where they were in town. He was incapable of recognizing those who had no mana flowing through them, and was incapable of distinguishing the mana of anyone but his target. However, he also had the advantage of being able to search memories of the past. Such was the case, but Zagan grimaced.

  “I’ve already been trying...”

  And he still couldn’t find her.

  What’s going on? Did she leave town? No, her presence vanished completely right at a certain point.

  The halt of the flow of mana could be connected to death, but it didn’t vanish in that way. It was like it became a blur and vanished in an instant. It was as if she was abducted by Barbatos’ shadow or something and disappeared.

  Barbatos is actually better at this kind of thing...

  Barbatos’ sorcery to traverse through the shadows also used wavelengths of mana as landmarks. He was more of an expert in that type of sorcery than Zagan was. Barbatos would be capable of easily understanding information that Zagan was unable to pick up on. Having said that, he couldn’t rely on someone who wasn’t...

  “Oof... dammit, why do I gotta look for that stupid cat lady, anyway? Don’t fuck with me.”

  For some reason or other, Barbatos showed up, apparently driven out of the shop they were just in.

  “Barbatos?”

  “Purgatory?”

  Zagan and Gremory both raised their voices in surprise. Kuu didn’t know him, so she ran behind Zagan with a slightly frightened look on her face.

  “Why the hell are you here?” Zagan inquired.

  “Haa? That’s cause the crybaby... never mind, it’s nothing. I’m just passing by. I don’t got any other reason to be here. None at all.”

  Barbatos was even wiping a cold sweat from his brow as he replied with his awareness focused entirely behind him.

  Did Chastille also come to that store?

  Well, she did in fact live in this town, so it wasn’t all that strange to coincidentally end up at the same location. He was somewhat curious as to why she wasn’t showing herself if that were the case, though...

  It was also bizarre that Barbatos looked to be driven out of the shop, despite being unparalleled in not listening to others.

  Is it something Alshiere Imera related again?

  If that was the case, it may have been wiser for Zagan not to pry. It was difficult for him to claim that he was protecting his promise with Kimaris just by the fact that he was looking for a present for Nephy and the others already. He didn’t need to complicate it further. Moreover, Zagan wasn’t particularly bothered by Barbatos being driven out of a shop. And since there was no other choice here, Zagan went along with it.

  “Hmph. I have no interest in what you’re doing here. Setting that aside, lend me a hand. I’ve got information here I’m not able to parse myself.”

  “Huh? You can’t possibly be asking me to work pro bono, could you?”

  “...Isn’t it more convenient for you if I don’t pry further here?”

  “Erk...”

  Barbatos’ face expressed both hatred and grief, as if he was swindled out of a bet he had placed all his money on. He then groaned like he despaired for everything in the world.

  “...So? What do you want?”

  “I lost trace of Kuroka’s tracks halfway. I don’t care if you use my barrier. Find her.”

  “Yeah yeah...”

  Zagan handed over control of the barrier, and Barbatos knit his brows.

  “Hm? That really is a weird way to disappear. It don’t really feel like she died... more like the nature of her mana itself changed or something?”

  Kuu jolted at the mention of death, but looked relieved upon figuring out that it wasn’t necessarily the case. After glancing at her for a moment, Gremory inquired for more details.

  “By a change in nature, do you mean in the same way mine changes when I manipulate my age?”

  “Well, it’s kinda like that. Though I’d say it’s a bit different.”

  A person’s features and physique would change along with their growth. Mana followed a similar course. When one grew older, the wavelength and nature of their mana would change little by little. It didn’t change much in one or two years, but going from a young girl to and old woman like Gremory did, it could be said to be impossible to track her by mana. That was precisely how she managed to shake off Archdemon Orias during the incident one month ago.

  Oh come on. Please don’t tell me it’s Kuroka’s turn to turn into a kid now.

  The memories of turning into a child still haunted Zagan’s dreams to this day. There were in fact other ways of changing the nature of one’s mana at least. For example, she could be restrained in a way that not even an iota of her mana was being emitted.

  Barbatos continued to manipulate the barrier, and smiled as if he foun
d something.

  “Oh? Looks like there’s a guy coming out from where the cat lady vanished ain’t there now?”

  “So, did he kidnap her?”

  “Who knows? But looks like something happened. Why did that guy go somewhere like that, anyway?”

  “Someone you know?” Zagan asked, scowling at Barbatos.

  “He’s more someone you know. You remember a guy called Shax?”

  Zagan’s eyes shot wide open upon hearing an unexpected name.

  “He’s the subordinate that I stationed at the church.”

  He was a sorcerer who specialized in healing sorcery. Real healing sorcery wasn’t anything like the shoddy techniques Zagan employed himself. It used blades that could sever the affected region without injuring the skin, threads of mana which could even suture nerves back together, and could even suspend a patient’s metabolism putting them in a comatose state for more complicated procedures. It used many highly advanced techniques and magic circles.

  “I don’t understand what’s going on, but if he’s involved, we just have to question him. Open a shadow.”

  “Haa... What an unlucky day. I didn’t even do anything bad today, why do I gotta do all this volunteer crap...”

  He did in fact swipe Shax’s drink earlier and started up all sorts of trouble, but Barbatos himself didn’t really recognize any of that as something bad.

  “Right, whatever... Oh? Looks like that asshole’s really on the move. I’ll send you over, but it ain’t my fault if you lose him, got it?”

  “Whatever, just make it quick.”

  Barbatos grumbled and opened the shadow, sending Zagan over to the other side. And what greeted him, was a fiendish looking claw coming right down at him. It really gave him a sense of déjà vu. Back during the incident with Kuroka and Kuu, he also had a sword coming at him right upon teleporting.

  Tch! This is why I hate his stupid shadows!

  The only difference was that the claws came to a stop on their own without Zagan having to do anything.

  “Sir Zagan?”

  It was the giant sorcerer with the face of a lion.

  “Kimaris? Why are you here...?”

  And the man and the black cat slipped by as if weaving through the complex threads of fate. However, the cogs that should have missed each other were set in motion and were now engaged.

  Chapter IV: On a Sacred Night, a Vampire Prays for Miracles and a Black Cat Brings Good Luck

  The sound of a wheel quietly creaking rang out in complete darkness. It was a wheelchair. This apparatus was controlled with sorcery and could be moved without its user lifting a single finger. In other words, it moved only by their thoughts. And sitting within it was a therianthrope sorcerer.

  They looked like a lion, but possessed no mane, and the white fur which covered their entire body had what looked like black streaks of lightning running across it. It was a characteristic of the cryptids known as tigers.

  Lions were called the king of all beasts, while tigers were called man eating devils and monsters. They didn’t exist in the world naturally. They were summoned or created by sorcerers, understood human language, and possessed a tremendous amount of mana. They were the king of monsters.

  The Sigil of the Archdemon appeared on the tiger’s right hand. This sorcerer’s second name was the Tiger King, but his body had atrophied so much that he was just skin and bones. He was paralyzed. If not for the help of a servant, he couldn’t even have a meal or defecate on his own.

  Even the flow of his mana was completely pulverized. His body was beyond hope as both a normal person and as a sorcerer.

  And the one to destroy this famed Archdemon and render him to such a state was a single young man.

  That detestable Seraph Hunter...

  There was a direct correlation between a sorcerer’s strength and the accumulation of their knowledge. An Archdemon who lived hundreds of years could be said to possess power far beyond human understanding.

  The Tiger King was a sorcerer who concentrated on accumulating knowledge for the purpose of battle. It was said that he ranked just barely behind Andrealphus among all Archdemons, and even surpassed the aging Eldest. And that young man pulverized the Tiger King in a confrontation straight from the front all on his own.

  It was... terrifying...

  It was a power that could destroy the world. Something that shouldn’t exist. And as he trembled, the sorcerer’s lips warped into a smile.

  “No... that... which shouldn’t... exist... also... applies... to me...”

  However, despite being resolved for everything, this was the state he was reduced to. He carried out his desires knowing full well that he would be rendered so utterly pathetic. No matter what punishment he would suffer, regardless of the millions of grudges he would build, he decided to push forward to grant that one desire that could never be forgiven.

  Having his body pulverized beyond repair was nothing to him. That terrifying young man was no longer around. The curse he cast on the man in exchange for the blow suffered to his body would finally have defeated him in the past five years.

  That’s why he once more took action. The preparations took a tremendous amount of labor and pain. His body was in a state where it took an enormous amount of effort to breathe, let alone cast sorcery. If it was known that he had survived all this time, he would have been immediately disposed of. That’s why he couldn’t seek help from others.

  Nevertheless, he continued his unsightly struggle for survival, gave birth to a familiar who could move for him, raised it so it could use the most basic of sorcery, and secretly made his preparations.

  He knew full well that if he tried to accomplish his desire, even someone other than that young Seraph Hunter would stand in his way. He knew full well that even if his desire was fulfilled and his body were to never recover, they would never allow it to pass.

  “Just... a little more...”

  A little more, and all the necessary pieces would be in place. There was just one more piece, the last fragment which led to the Silver-Eyed King. His eyes had long lost their light, but the image of a single girl appeared before them.

  She wore a dress the shade of the night and had eyes colored like the moon. She carried a creepy stuffed doll and appeared quite young, but was an ancient being. She was the first undead, the Saint of the Night, Alshiera. She protected the Holy Treasures of Liucaon, and would never take center stage. And now, she was finally out in the open.

  If he could take hold of her, his desire would finally be fulfilled. He failed the first time. However, there was none left to protect her now.

  His cloudy eyes reflected nothing. This sorcerer who looked dead despite being alive could no longer see the present. Everything he saw was a deep-rooted delusion. As such, even if the world were to be destroyed, it meant nothing to him.

  ◇

  Going back to a little after Shax was attacked in his room at the church.

  He was running. His form was not that of a human, but a beast running on all fours. Every step he took gave birth to a violent gale. The wind loaded with mana could trample all before it like a wheel running over straw. As the black gale died down, blood went flying everywhere, but not a single drop stained his body.

  Looking at the spectacle he had created, his memories from before becoming a sorcerer came to mind. He was ignorant, young, foolish, a beast who only moved according to his emotions. He had no composure, and killed and devoured all that caught his eye. And what appeared before that young beast was a single witch.

  “You sure have made a bloody mess of my domain. Come now, I shall bestow you a reward, so be grateful and accept it.”

  He didn’t remember much of what happened after that. He could certainly remember that the witch rushed in to attack him, but before he knew it, he was sprawled across the ground. And above him, was the witch, looking down at him, covered in a spurt of his blood.

  “I’ve changed my mind, oh foolish monster. I shall keep your piti
ful self as a pet.”

  He tried to snap at her, but his body wouldn’t move. He could only groan.

  “Keeheehee. So you still have the energy to rebel? It looks like it will be well worth training you. But it’s useless. The only one who hasn’t moved unto my will up until now is my teacher. Now that I have my eyes on you, you can no longer escape.”

  And following that, the witch began to train him. She gave the nameless monster a name of his own, taught him to speak, fed him, granted him clothes and passed to him the dignity of a person.

  The witch’s name was Enchantress Gremory.

  And the name she bestowed on the beast was Kimaris.

  I wonder if Miss Gremory is supporting Sir Zagan because he is similar to her?

  Zagan himself would surely deny it whole heartedly, but the two of them were fundamentally similar to Kimaris’ nose. If he were to point out a difference between them, it would be that Zagan was honest in displaying his feelings whereas Gremory had a tendency to aggravate the situation by hiding her embarrassment.

  The ‘scent’ that the two of them gave off was comforting. That’s why Kimaris ran and ran, for the sake of one who bore a similar scent to the two of them. And that person in question was...

  “Miss Alshiera! Are you unharmed?!”

  The vampire Alshiera that Zagan so detested.

  Alshiera was seated atop a corpse. It had a crimson jewel in its forehead, a carbuncle. It looked to be dead already, but it had two fang marks on its neck. There was apparently a battle, but Alshiera showed no signs of injury. The childish vampire wiped her mouth with a pure white handkerchief as she let out a sigh.

  “I finally thought I caught up, but they managed to run away once more.”

  The one she was chasing was Zagan’s subordinate Shax, and the black cat that he happened to be carrying. She then took a dispirited look down at herself.

  “I don’t intend to make myself look all that terrifying here...”

  She was apparently a little hurt by that. Kimaris read the atmosphere and didn’t prod any further. He instead changed to his human form and bent a knee.