by CHIROLU
Dale couldn’t quite explain it, but he felt that his instincts had come to accept her, the demon lord.
Well it’s her, so there’s no helping that, Dale thought. He wished to stay with her so strongly that he could persuade himself in that way.
How am I going to explain this?
He’d need to inform his family about this development, and now that his lifespan had changed, he wouldn’t be able to hide it from the people around him forever. He’d have to leave it up to the head of his clan, his grandmother, to decide whether or not to let the duke know.
“Well, I guess it’ll work out.”
Until Dale had chosen to stay with Latina, he’d been horribly troubled and had even tried to run away. But once he made up his mind, he remained unshaken. As long as he didn’t forget those feelings and that they were for the sake of the girl who supported him, he could do anything.
He didn’t know what the future would bring, so he couldn’t clearly declare that he’d never have a change of heart. However, he had made that choice on his own. He wouldn’t blame anyone else for it.
And to be honest, he was afraid of dying and leaving her behind.
Latina was so adorable and precious to him. She’d live far beyond his natural human lifespan. Surely, a day would have come when he’d have to tell her, “You should forget about me and find someone else.” If he wanted to act cool as he faced his end, that’s what he would say. And if he cared about her, he’d need to accept that.
But even so, he didn’t want to say that. He could never accept the thought of her happily smiling, held in someone else’s arms.
It was a selfish thought, so he had no intention of ever voicing it. And so, since he held such feelings inside him, the choice she’d offered him as a demon lord also served to grant his own wish.
As Dale came to such a conclusion, he stared at Latina in his arms. Realizing he was looking at her, Latina gently smiled back at him. That smile of hers hadn’t changed since she was young. It shouldn’t have been any different, but at some point there was a mature allure added to it.
While thinking that he’d want to be someone who could protect that smile, Dale brought his face in close to lock his lips with hers.
†
This place was a part of the world, but also nowhere at all.
In this monochrome place composed of all colors, a circle of thrones existed. One throne was filled with a presence, and that presence looked at the throne that stood in the center of the others, one which existed outside of the natural order.
[The Eighth Demon Lord...]
It wasn’t a proper voice, but the presence’s thoughts flowed through the space as a whisper.
[A being established by the gods to rein in the natural demon lords. A demon lord, and yet also not... A demon lord outside of the natural order.] That ‘voice’ spoke indifferently, lacking emotion, but it was clear that the words spoken were definitely not friendly.
The presence sat quietly, staring at the central throne, and before long faded away.
All that remained was silence.
The Young Man’s Brother and His Thoughts on the Pair’s Relationship
The land that the Tislow clan lived on was on the outskirts of Laband. It wouldn’t be called a frontier area based on its position on the map, but it was surrounded by mountains, the routes there were limited, and it held little geographic importance. On the other hand, it was a place deeply blessed by the power of Quirmizi, so to those who worshipped the god, it was a special place that should never be looked down upon. The clan who protected the land also held a great deal of respect, and as a place that produced high-quality magical devices, the area was greatly important economically as well.
In the living room of the family who led the clan ruling over this land (under circumstances that were difficult to sum up briefly), Yorck responded in a dumbfounded voice to his grandmother, the current clan head, and his father, the acting clan head who handled much of the work.
“Huh?”
“I kept wondering when he was going to make a move, but it looks like he finally made up his mind.”
“Yeah.”
Ignoring Yorck, Granny Wen and his father, Randolph, kept chatting away, a letter out in front of them.
“Still, it turned out just like I said, didn’t it?”
“So she finally got a response out of Dale, huh? It’s because she’s just so earnest and likeable...”
“Huh...? Hold on...”
“What is it, Yorck?”
“...Why are you two so calm about this?”
Randolph stared at his younger son, who was unable to hide his shock; he looked calm and rather like he was wondering what the boy was so perplexed about. “Ever since that girl came here, didn’t you at least have a vague sense things would turn out like this?” Randolph gently responded.
“No, not at all.”
The letter in front of them had come from Dale in Kreuz. It had been sent in a different manner than his usual reports, emphasizing the fact that it was a personal matter, and said that he’d decided to marry Latina and wanted their blessing.
This had happened well before Dale even let the people of the Dancing Ocelot know of his intentions to wed the girl. He had finished laying the groundwork with his home village first.
Yorck’s gaze shifted from his grandmother and father, who looked perfectly calm since they had expected it, to his brother’s letter once again. No matter how many times he read through it, the contents didn’t change.
“But when she came here... she was just a little girl, right...?”
He recalled the young girl who hurriedly darted about around his brother’s legs. Her platinum hair, done up with ribbons, swayed as she went round and round like a small animal, and the expression on her face was always shifting. Yorck had thought she was an adorable kid, but he didn’t think anything further of her. Age-wise, he wasn’t that far off from Dale, so he never imagined his brother’s feelings towards the girl could have changed so greatly.
She wasn’t a target for his affection. He couldn’t say exactly why that was, but that was how he felt. But that was apparently just him; it seemed his brother’s tastes leaned that way.
If Dale could see his brother’s thoughts in real time, he would have felt determined to set Yorck straight.
His father and grandmother started talking about what to do next.
“In addition to his request to marry her, he also said he wants us to send a fitting piece of jewelry... It’s just like you predicted, Mom.”
Naturally, neither Dale nor his family had any intention of asking Latina for a dowry. However, having lived together with her, Dale was well aware that she had saved up plenty enough to act as one.
“She’s too good of a girl for that idiot. Still, we better send something in time, right?”
Granny Wen had requested that the craftsmen of the village make a delicately crafted jewelry magical device shortly after Dale brought Latina with him to visit. Everyone awkwardly laughed at this, saying she was getting ahead of herself. But since there was plenty of time before when it needed to be completed and Granny Wen didn’t have any requirements outside of wanting a fruit and flower design, which traditionally symbolized matrimony in Tislow, the craftsmen were able to use the opportunity to freely test new techniques and ideas. The resulting piece was a beautiful, sophisticated bracelet born of the arts of Tislow, both new and old. The very roughness added from trying out new methods actually gave it a lively feel, like that of newly sprouting leaves. It had beautiful imperfection that the more polished techniques lacked and that coexisted well alongside them. It would likely be impossible to make another like it, no matter how much money one poured into such a task.
“For girls, this is a once in a lifetime event. He seems like he’d settle for something half-baked. That’s why he’s an idiot.” As always, Granny Wen was harsh when it came to her grandson.
“So neither of you are against him getti
ng married?”
“Are you?”
“No, it’s just, it just doesn’t seem real...”
“There’s no reason to object, right?” Randolph responded to his hesitant son.
“Even if we’re talking about the fact that it’s hard for devils to have kids, you and Frida already have two. There’s no need to worry about heirs or for Dale to even think twice about that.”
Dale had yielded his seat as official heir to the head of the clan and gone out into the outside world, but on the off chance something were to happen to Yorck, there was a chance he’d be called back to take on that role. But once Yorck had had children, the chances of that became rather low.
If Dale were still the heir, Randolph and Granny Wen wouldn’t be able to unconditionally approve of his request to marry a girl who was part of another race with a low birth rate. It was because Dale had left the village that they were able to offer their blessings without any misgivings.
“And Dale never had anyone so precious to him before. If he let her go, he’d end up having a hard time finding his way in life again.”
Yorck thought back on that conversation.
“It’s been a while, Mr. Yorck,” Latina said, standing before him with a smile.
Yorck had been on his way back from the Quirmizi temple in the capital, having been dispatched as an envoy in Granny Wen’s place. Unlike Dale, Yorck wasn’t used to traveling, so he was accompanied part of the way by a merchant caravan that frequented Tislow. He had separated from them, finished his business in the capital, and was waiting to meet up with them again for the journey back home. Because of his arrangements with the caravan, he didn’t have time to stop by Kreuz on the way, but on the trip back, he had a good while to spend there before reuniting with them. He headed to the Dancing Ocelot in the hopes of meeting his brother Dale, who used the shop as his base of operations.
The splendor and majesty of the capital had surprised Yorck, but he found the overflowing liveliness of Kreuz overwhelming, too. It was like a whole different world compared to his calm, gentle home village deep in the mountains.
The beautiful girl who greeted him had a sparkling smile that stood out even amongst the hustle and bustle of the city.
“Yeah... Where’s my brother?” He was shaken, but gave a brief greeting and asked about Dale. Rather than having her feelings hurt, Latina just kept on smiling and showed him to the customer seating.
“Dale’s outside of the town for work today. If you need to see him urgently, I can call him back. Should I do that?” Latina asked. A soaring wolf cub wagged his fluffy tail at her feet. As part of his education as the next clan head, Yorck had heard about the mythical beasts that coexisted with Tislow, but he hadn’t a clue as to why one of them was here.
“No... I’ll be staying in town for a few days, so there’s no need to rush.”
“Is that so? Then have you decided on where you’ll be staying? This town has a lot of inns that aren’t too great. If you haven’t chosen one yet, we can prepare a room for you here,” Kenneth said, handing him a cup of tea.
As Kenneth spoke, Yorck looked at the girl in front of him and saw that she was clearly no longer a child; she was a young woman with just a hint of childishness still about her. Her actions were carefully polished, and her face looked both beautiful and adorable at the same time, with an air of maturity about her.
Even with her clothing in the way, it was clear that the contours of her body now drew an alluring shape, no longer that of a child.
“Ah...”
That’s when Yorck finally understood. The impression of the young girl he had met had been too strong, and he’d completely forgotten that given enough time, a girl would naturally mature into a woman. His grandmother and parents had fully grasped that completely obvious fact.
“Huh...?” Latina said with a tilt of her head, a habit that hadn’t changed since she was little. He sensed that her ability to attract people to her hadn’t changed, either.
“It’s nothing. I haven’t decided on an inn yet, so I’d appreciate it if I could stay here.”
“Right! The food here is the best in all of Kreuz, so I strongly recommend it!” Latina said with a smile, and then went to inform Rita about their new guest.
“So you only care about looks, huh, Bro?”
“That’s the first thing you say to me after so long?”
That was the first thing the two said to each other once Dale got back. There was also the matter of the letter he’d sent back home, so Dale didn’t get any angrier than that. He sat down in front of Yorck, his face just a little red.
“So... you came all this way to bring me a response?” Dale asked in a low voice, only for Yorck to quickly shake his head from side to side.
“No, I just happened to be passing through thanks to separate business.”
“Huh?”
“I’m telling you, I’m just on my way back from some work acting as Granny’s proxy and stopped by to see you.”
“Huh, wait... Then what about my response?!”
“Dale, is something wrong? You’re shouting.”
“L-Latina?! I-It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it!”
“Hmm?” With a tilt of her head, Latina put the plate in her hands down on the table where they were sitting. “Dale, you’re going to eat dinner with Mr. Yorck tonight, right? What do you want to do about liquor?”
“Huh? Oh, go ahead and bring what Yorck likes.”
“Got it.”
Latina had asked about that specifically because Dale normally drank weak wine. After asking Kenneth what Yorck liked, Latina brought out a bottle and two glasses.
Yorck recognized numerous dishes of the ones laid out in front of him. “Huh?” he muttered in confusion, then looked at his elder brother. When he realized what Yorck was wondering about, Dale pointed at the plate and laughed.
“Y’see, Latina apparently had Mom teach her, so she makes this stuff often.” The dishes were local cuisine of their home village, whose culture was unique from that of Laband, food included.
On his long journey, York had been eating nothing but preserved foods he wasn’t used to. When he took a bite of the meal before him, he realized he’d been utterly craving his home village’s cooking all this time.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
While taking a sip from his glass and then grabbing some food, Dale scowled back at his brother’s gaze. Yorck had no intention of prodding him too hard on the matter, though.
She’s got complete control of his heart through his stomach...
As he wondered if his brother noticed that the food was seasoned a little differently than how their mother made it, Yorck mentally sighed.
This was made to his brother’s tastes, with a little extra restraint in terms of sweetness. Even with Latina’s deep feelings for his brother also imbued in the dish, it still definitely tasted like the cooking back home.
It seemed they really were close. She had grown up to be this beautiful and they both cared for each other, so Yorck had no reason to object. Although it’s not like Yorck was opposed to their marriage in the first place. He had just felt conflicted.
“A sister-in-law, huh...?”
“Hmm? Did you say something?”
“Not really. It was nothing.”
If they got married, he’d have a sister-in-law ten years his junior. To be honest, as the younger brother, Yorck felt a bit conflicted about that. And so as a bit of teasing, he put off informing his brother of their response. He’d let Dale worry a bit longer.
Having decided that, Yorck took another sip of the mild red wine.
Afterword
When the serialization of the web version started, I declared, “It’s no fun always depicting a dining table set with bread and cheese, so I’ll keep the food-related matters fuzzy.”
For most of you, this is probably our first time meeting. I’m CHIROLU, and I’d like to sincerely thank you for picking up this
work, the fourth volume of If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord.
This novel is a fantasy work set in a made-up world, but I still ended up mixing in bits and pieces of my own experiences. I spend a lot of time staring at my smartphone screen nowadays against my better judgment, but I also want to spend each day making sure I don’t overlook anything that could tug at my heartstrings.
My real-life experiences have had a great impact on my depictions of food.
I’ve spent some time baking bread. I wouldn’t say I’ve gotten very good at it, but I did at least satisfy my desire to release some stress by pounding the dough. I have an interest in things like using fruit or natural yeast, but I’m unskillful by nature. I predicted that I’d easily end up making things rot rather than ferment, so I decided to avoid taking such risks.
The area around my workplace has an especially high concentration of bakeries and the like even for being in the city, and I have a tendency to frequently wander on into them without any particular purpose in mind. As I pound away on my keyboard, I remember the undecorated goods at shops like the one that specializes in German bread. When I tasted how that simple bread, which wasn’t all that appetizing on its own, took on a dramatic change in flavor when garnished with cheese, I realized that that was how it was meant to be eaten.
I, the author, may be more interested than anyone else in the taste of the bread that the titular daughter bites into in the story.
Thank you so much to everyone who helped make this book a reality. Even though she changes every volume, you always draw an adorable “daughter,” Kei. And more than anything else, to those of you who chose this book out of so many options, you have my deepest gratitude.
As long as this book brought you at least a little joy, then I’ll feel truly blessed.
June 2016,
CHIROLU
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