An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 9

by Fuminori Teshima

  “Hey teach, why’d you team up with this geezer anyway?”

  Stella completely ignored the roaring middle-aged Archangel. There were ten partners to choose from. Stella would’ve been far more at ease if he’d just paired up with Chastille.

  Michael ruffled Stella’s hair up roughly in high spirits.

  “Don’t be so mean. Kaltiainen’s a good guy, ya know? He just hates sorcerers so much that they disgust him.”

  “I also hate you so much that it disgusts me though.”

  “See?”

  Stella didn’t know what she was supposed to get from that, but Michael had apparently put some thought into this in his own little way... or at least she hoped he had. And as she held back a headache, Michael suddenly made a serious face.

  “Well, let’s cut the jokes out already. Kaltiainen’s about the only one I can trust unconditionally in this case.”

  “What about Chastille?”

  “Well, she’s also the honest type and won’t lie, but when it comes to Zagan, it all goes in one ear and out the other. So I refrained from grouping with her this time.”

  Michael boldly exposed the connection between Chastille and Zagan, to which Stella nodded.

  So he plans to finish this geezer off here... It was the first she’d heard of it herself, but her teacher planned to have her inherit a Sacred Sword. Meaning the plan was probably to finish off Kaltiainen and steal his sword. Frankly speaking, it was an unwelcome favor for Stella, who preferred to just punch things rather than use a blade.

  And yet Kaltiainen snorted as if he wasn’t agitated by any of this.

  “Hmph. I don’t like how she’s currying favor with an Archdemon, but the way she will go to any means to struggle for survival is splendid.”

  Stella mysteriously didn’t sense any hostility from him as he said that, and she was left cocking her head.

  Huh? Didn’t he want to use that as a reason to finish Chastille off? That girl was Zagan’s, or more specifically, his bride Nephy’s friend. She was someone who deserved Stella’s protection. And that was why she was on guard against this man, but judging from his reaction just now, it seemed to be unnecessary. Michael also agreed with a bitter smile.

  “Well, with that incident a year ago, the Archangels are just filled with youngsters.”

  “I don’t care about their age, but that lot are all eager to die. Those who struggle to live in filth become far stronger than those who want to die a clean death.”

  “Going by that logic, won’t the world just get filled with trash?”

  “Are you saying reality is different?”

  It was as if he was saying he was proof of that very fact. Stella felt like she finally understood why Michael had chosen this man as a partner.

  He’s aware of the fact that he’s a villain... Thinking back on it, he’d used the word “holy” with irony during the meeting. In that sense, this man’s thought process was closer to sorcerers. He wasn’t an ally, but perhaps he could be trusted.

  Kaltiainen glared at Michael.

  “More importantly, Diekmeyer. The fact that you invited me means that you damn well noticed, right?”

  “Hm? Oh, you mean about how it feels like there’s a traitor among us?”

  “A traitor?”

  Stella knit her brows.

  “Yeah. There’s someone in the church working with those damn sorcerers. If not, there’s no way even an Archdemon could breach the treasury so easily.”

  “Plus, it’s probably their fault Azazel got annihilated.”

  It was the name that had come up during the meeting. Stella had been driven out right away, but she naturally eavesdropped during their conversation. And unable to understand what was going on, she cut into their conversation.

  “Hey pops, didn’t you suspect Chastille?”

  “I did, but she’s not capable of such tricks.”

  “Well, she is a crybaby.”

  Unexpectedly, her non-work-mode behavior during the meeting proved her innocence. But Stella was still confused.

  “Hmm, I still don’t get it. It’s no good to collude with sorcerers, but it’s fine to openly collaborate with them? How is it any different?”

  Kaltiainen looked truly exasperated upon hearing this.

  “It’s a huge difference. Foolishly working with them in the open is done at your own risk, whereas a traitor sells out their comrades. How many Angelic Knights do you think died because of this traitor?”

  Stella thought that the boundary between those two was just a matter of individual opinion, but she understood what he was trying to say.

  Umm, so basically, Chastille isn’t getting other people involved, so it’s fine? And the problem with the traitor was that they caused other knights to die, so they were bad.

  Is it the same guy who’s harassing Chastille? Both Zagan and Chastille seemed to be planning to settle things, but Stella thought it’d be fine if she at least helped look for them. Apparently, Michael had teamed up with Kaltiainen so that he could look for them too.

  “So, what do you think?” Kaltiainen asked.

  “Let’s see... The ones who reacted during the meeting were Valjakka, the Juutilainen brothers, and Junior. I don’t know much about Hartonen, but he probably doesn’t know anything.”

  “Ginias is a newcomer. I bet he doesn’t know much.”

  “I wonder about that. It’s possible that he’s being used without even realizing it, right?”

  They were likely referring to the boy who had come in at the end. He really did look far too honest and easy to trick. On the other hand, Chastille’s non-work mode was basically a ticking bomb, so there was no need to suspect her.

  That girl’s amazing, huh? Her crybaby behavior is actually working for her to avoid a crisis. That could be said to be a miracle of sorts. It was something that she even wanted to analyze and research as a sorcerer.

  And just then...

  “Mrgh?”

  “Whoa? An earthquake?”

  The underground labyrinth shook greatly.

  ◇

  “Lady Oberon! Ugh... I hope she’s still safe taking on two sorcerers at once.”

  Zagan found himself in a dimly lit stone passageway after teleporting. He could hear Ginias’ flustered voice further ahead. It seemed Oberon was no longer here. The walls themselves gave off the slightest bit of luminescence, which was enough for a sorcerer to see clearly, but anyone normal or an Angelic Knight would likely need another light source.

  Zagan sensed something beneath him and shifted his focus to the floor, where he noticed some sort of crest carved into it. There were tiny letters inscribed within each crest.

  Sorcery... or not... is this Elvish? He couldn’t sense any power from the letters or crests, but he could guess it was a portion of some manner of elven device.

  There was an uncountable number of lacerations on the ceilings and walls, giving a glimpse of the flashy fight that took place here. And as he confirmed the situation, Zagan muttered to himself, full of interest.

  “Hmm. This seems to be the underground treasury of Raziel. Or I suppose the underground labyrinth leading to it.”

  “What a mysterious place. Somehow... it feels nostalgic.”

  “Nostalgic?”

  “Yes. The air here resembles that of the air in the hidden village I lived in just a little.”

  “I see. Well, this is a church. Elves may have an affinity with such places. Since we’re here and all, shall we take a little walk?”

  “Yes.”

  “But it’s somewhat cold here. It’s better to put that on and keep warm, honey.”

  “Yes, dear.”

  Zagan adjusted his mantle, and Nephy put on her overcoat and hat. And now that they were both dressed warmly, they felt like their hearts had warmed up as well.

  “...Wait a minute. Why are the two of you so calm...? I mean, why are you here?”

  Ginias finally came to his senses and questioned the couple with a dumbfounded
look, to which Zagan simply shrugged his shoulders.

  “I’m not sure how to answer myself. We were here before we even realized it. I’d actually like you to explain things to me.”

  When he teleported, he’d ended up here. He specifically wanted to know where in the labyrinth he was, and how close to the treasury they were.

  Ginias gripped his chest with a pained expression.

  “...I see. So you were caught in my teleportation. I don’t even know how to apologize for that.”

  Zagan was doing his best to placate him, but the way this boy trusted him without any hint of hesitation had Nephy holding her hands to her chest with a guilty conscience.

  “It wasn’t your doing, right? There’s no need to apologize.”

  Zagan made a show to be surprised, and Ginias smiled with a small sense of relief.

  “It relieves me that you would say so.”

  Zagan was truly sorry for this endlessly honest boy.

  “Now then, this doesn’t appear to be a place we should be treading upon. I’d like to get out, but which way is the exit?”

  Ginias put his hand to his brow, holding back a headache, and shook his head.

  “It’s useless. This is Raziel’s treasury. If you move around carelessly, you’ll activate the traps. Please follow me.”

  “But won’t we be a hindrance to you?”

  “I can’t possibly allow the two of you to die.”

  As such, Zagan nodded like he had lost out to Ginias’ persistence.

  “Very well. Sorry about this, but allow us to accompany you. The two of us will hide if it gets dangerous. It’s still not safe here, right?”

  “Indeed. You truly are wise,” Ginias said, then held up the hilt of his Sacred Sword. “O light.”

  A small amount of light poured out from his hilt and illuminated the dim passageway. It didn’t reach all that far, but it was just bright enough so that walking around was possible.

  It was unexpected that they’d have company, but Zagan held his hand out to Nephy, and she timidly squeezed his hand with a bashful smile.

  Ah, she’s wearing her gloves today. They were the gloves Zagan had gifted to her. They matched her coat well and just looking at her wearing them filled him with happiness.

  And so, as they followed behind Ginias, Zagan threw a question his way.

  “By the way, is this place related to elves? As you can see, my wife is an elf. It seems she senses something here.”

  Nephy’s ears turned bright red upon being called his wife. Ginias looked around awkwardly then cleared his throat with a cough.

  “I wonder about that. I haven’t ever heard such stories, but the elves are a sacred existence to the church. They may have been involved here.”

  The crests on the ground clearly had Elvish letters written in them, but it appeared Angelic Knights were unable to read it.

  Well, I guess there aren’t all that many sorcerers that can read it either. Nephy also appeared to have an interest in the letters on the floor, and she walked along as she stared at them. And suddenly struck with an idea, Zagan called out to Nephy.

  “Oh yeah. Are you able to read these letters on the floor, honey?”

  “Huh? Me?”

  Nephy had only had a basic grasp on reading and writing before meeting Zagan. She only really recognized numbers and her own name. When Zagan had taught her to read and write as a supplement to teaching her sorcery, he had also ended up teaching her Elvish. In short, this was like a test to see whether Nephy was properly studying or not.

  Ginias turned around with a surprised look.

  “Can you read it?”

  “Umm, to an extent.”

  Nephy nodded, and Ginias directed his light to the floor. After she stared at the crests for a moment, Nephy’s pink lips trembled as she began reading it aloud.

  “—Please save the endlessly pitiful one — If you are the one who wields the thirteen swords and Sigils, we shall yield the path to you—”

  Those were all the words carved around the crest. Nephy took a glance up at Zagan. Her translation was somewhat literal in places, making it hard to interpret its meaning, but he nodded back to her, indicating that she was largely correct.

  The first half required no adjustments, but the second half stated that only those who possessed a Sacred Sword or a Sigil of some sort had the qualifications to pass. Zagan’s face slackened at the sight of Nephy smiling with relief, while Ginias muttered in bewilderment.

  “Is that everything?”

  “Yes. All the stones in this area are engraved with the same words.”

  “Hmm. The swords here likely refers to the Sacred Swords, but why thirteen?”

  “I’ve heard there are only twelve Sacred Swords, right?”

  Meaning there was a thirteenth regardless of the seraph?

  Or perhaps a Sacred Sword which sealed Azazel once existed. He could understand what was written here if that were the case. However, Zagan’s focus was on another word.

  Thirteen Sigils... It was unreasonable to assume that this referred to the Sigils of the Archdemon. However, there was a ridiculous Archdemon out there like Andrealphus. He couldn’t deny the possibility that there were others affiliated with both sorcery and the church.

  “Alshiere Imera...”

  And that was the name to leave Zagan’s lips as he pondered over it.

  “What about Alshiere Imera?”

  “Oh, nothing... It’s supposed to be the anniversary of a legend where a girl returned from the dead, right?” Zagan researched the legend of the church after the incident on Alshiere Imera. “I was just wondering where that girl vanished to after resurrecting.”

  “She returned to heaven, of course. Isn’t it only natural for a saint who brought about such a miracle to be welcomed into heaven?”

  It was a truly exemplary answer for the church.

  “So she died again despite resurrecting?”

  Zagan obviously knew that this girl still existed, as she had started freeloading at his castle recently. Ginias likely didn’t possess a clear answer to this though. All he could do was shake his head.

  “Does that have something to do with the words written here?”

  “Just a bit. Hearing ‘that endlessly pitiful one’ simply reminded me of the story of that girl is all. Wouldn’t you find her pitiful if she was still wandering around this world where nobody recognizes her?”

  Making such a statement was bound to buy the animosity of the people from the church, but Ginias nodded in admiration.

  “I see, I never thought of it from that perspective.” Ginias held up his Sacred Sword. “So these inscriptions may imply the need to save her.”

  “They just might.”

  Zagan didn’t know whether to make this boy an enemy or an ally, but he honestly nodded along. He then looked around him in an annoyed manner.

  I’ve had a bad feeling ever since coming here. It felt like he was being watched. It was a discomfort that he knew quite well. He felt the same thing back when Kuroka had come to town. And the identity of the one watching him at that time was...

  “Heeheehee, looks like all the actors are in place, so let’s get this party started, shall we?”

  It was basically just as he’d expected. A familiar and irritating voice resounded in the air, and Zagan couldn’t hold back a sigh.

  “Who goes there?!”

  Ginias gallantly brandished his blade, while Zagan scooped Nephy up by the waist. And almost as if that was a signal for things to begin, the floor of the labyrinth suddenly broke apart.

  ◇

  There seemed to be another level of the labyrinth beneath them, and with no more floor at their feet, Zagan, Nephy, and Ginias were now falling through the air.

  “We’re jumping. Nephy, hang on tightly.”

  “Yes, Master Zagan.”

  Zagan whispered in Nephy’s ear as the ground collapsed, and she tightly wrapped her arms around his neck. And with his beloved embracing him,
Zagan kicked off the fragments of the crumbling floor and escaped into the air.

  This much should be possible for someone who isn’t a sorcerer. That’s because Zagan didn’t use any sorcery to reinforce himself. And so, after safely escaping from the rubble, he heard a scream beneath him.

  “UAAAAAAH!”

  It was Ginias. As one would expect, this situation was difficult for a thirteen-year-old boy to deal with.

  What a troublesome brat. At the current rate, it was likely he would get crushed by the falling rubble, so Zagan reluctantly stretched his arm out towards the back of Ginias’ neck. Immediately following that, the rubble crashed onto the ground. And with a cloud of dust rising around him, Zagan safely landed atop the rubble.

  Okay, Nephy wasn’t hurt at all! After immediately confirming this, he dropped the young boy and corrected his grip on the beloved girl in his arms.

  “Uwah!”

  “Oops, sorry. Are you okay?”

  Ginias toppled over the rubble, and Zagan apologized for his carelessness.

  “Wh-Who are you? That manner of movement isn’t something a normal person can do.”

  “Huh...? Is that so? I think it’s perfectly natural for someone to do so for the sake of protecting their wife though.”

  At any rate, Zagan needed to surpass the entirety of the church and every sorcerer. This much was nothing to boast about. Nephy, on the other hand, was turning redder and redder and buried her face in Zagan’s chest.

  “Hmm. The footing here is poor. Be careful.”

  Zagan carefully lowered her on top of the rubble, and Nephy took uncertain steps as she stood herself upright.

  Mm. It’s dangerous, so we should hold hands! Zagan gripped her right hand, and Nephy timidly wrapped her fingers between his. And watching the two of them do so, Ginias smiled bitterly as if giving in to Zagan’s logic.

  “I see. So it’s a necessary strength for you.”

  However, Zagan wasn’t looking at Ginias. The space they had fallen into was a large room. It was about the same size as his throne room back at the castle. There was enough room to stand over a hundred people in a line.

  At the center of the room stood a stone pedestal, somewhat like a throne, with a single staff sticking upright out of it. It gave off a pale glimmer like silver, but that glow was mana — or by the church’s definition, aura — and wasn’t a property of silver.