An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 5

by Fuminori Teshima

  She likely meant a job or something. He didn’t know what kind of work she did, but ‘posting’ wasn’t a phrase he really heard much. Kuroka seemed to be a foreigner, so it was likely just a matter of dialect. And while Zagan tilted his head over that, Kuroka began wailing in grief.

  “I-I came to this town for work, but I lost my letter of introduction... Actually, I’m already a whole day late... Aaah, what do I do...?”

  It seemed the girls had been captured over a day ago. Now that he thought of it, he never asked what kind of relationship they had, but it was probably correct to say they were caught and ran away together because they were similar.

  “I-It’ll be fine, I think...” Kuu was also trying to comfort her, but Kuroka was crestfallen.

  “I don’t know your circumstances, but how about asking the church for shelter? After Chastille took over, the donations got cheaper, and if you got caught in some incident, then you could go testify to them,” Manuela called out to her, seemingly unable to watch anymore.

  Zagan was reminded that Chastille took the place of the old bishop upon hearing that. There was a side of the church that acted as a sort of refuge shelter for those attacked by sorcerers and bandits. That was why people paid the expensive donations despite complaining about them. And yet, Kuroka’s shoulders drooped down and her face clouded over.

  “I’m supposed to be working at that church, yet this kind of thing happened... I can’t possibly show my face to the bishops.”

  Hm? Then... were those Angelic Knights running about looking for this girl? Zagan didn’t think that she was all that important, but considering Chastille’s personality, he felt like she would put all her forces to work to search for a missing nun.

  You know, I’d really like to get my business done here and go back to the castle... It was about time for Nephy and the others to start preparing dinner. He missed his chance to invite her out on a date because of the girls. He was annoyed by the whole situation, so Zagan grabbed Kuroka by the nape of her neck and lifted her up.

  “Eeek?”

  Ignoring her scream, Zagan looked over to Kuu.

  “I’m just going to toss this one into the church, but what will you do?”

  “U-Um...”

  “...Do you have a home to go back to?”

  Kuu shook her head in dismay.

  “Then come with me. The church will at least give you a place to sleep.”

  With that, Zagan began walking at a brisk pace as Kuu tagged along in a panic.

  “Thanks for your continued business! Next time, bring Nephy and Foll over too!”

  Sadly, the two girls were only able to shudder upon hearing Manuela send them off.

  ◇

  “U-Um, I can walk on my own, so please let me down!” Kuroka seemed on the verge of tears as Zagan was quite literally carrying her like a cat by the nape of her neck. Incidentally, she was carrying her own cane.

  “I’m busy here. Don’t have time to look after you two all day,” Zagan heartlessly refused her request.

  In that case it would have been fine to just abandon them, but for some reason that choice never came to Zagan’s mind. Eventually, he noticed that Kuu wasn’t able to keep pace behind him, which made sense considering the difference in stride between an adult and a child. As Zagan came to a stop, he scooped up the vulpin girl in his other arm. Kuu didn’t raise her voice and simply looked up at Zagan in surprise. And perhaps having sensed that, Kuroka let out some gentle words.

  “You sure are kind, Mister.”

  “You’re just imagining things.”

  “Fufufu... Somehow, that part of you is just like my father.”

  “How unfortunate for you.”

  If he resembled Zagan, then there was no way he was a decent man. However, Kuroka’s expression definitely didn’t make it seem like she was looking back on unpleasant memories.

  “Hey, Mister, I want to pay you back somehow.”

  “There’s no need.”

  “Please!”

  He didn’t know what she was wanted to do, but Kuroka’s expression was desperate.

  Now that I think of it, this one’s still a woman, right? If there was something that Zagan didn’t know as a man, then her perspective could have proved useful.

  “Then, answer a question for me. What would make a woman happy?”

  Both Kuroka and Kuu stiffened up, left wide-eyed in shock.

  “U-Um, Mister, are you talking about... your girlfriend?”

  “...Well, I don’t mind if you think that.”

  They had properly conveyed their feelings to each other, but they still hadn’t done anything that a real couple would do. It was still difficult for Zagan to boldly claim that they were together due to that sad fact.

  “Oh I know! Getting food makes you happy, right?” Kuu offered her suggestion nearly immediately.

  “...Well, you’re right there.”

  However, honestly speaking, Nephy’s cooking was the best food there was to him. He didn’t feel like he could give her anything nearly as delicious, so that seemed pointless. Besides, if they were to go on a date, they would most likely eat at a restaurant while taking a break at some point anyway. And so, he felt like it wasn’t a good enough main event.

  “Well, I think she’ll be happy if you give her a gift. When I got this cane from my father, I was super happy,” Kuroka chimed in with her opinion as Zagan groaned in dissatisfaction.

  “Hmm. A gift, huh...?” Zagan had bought clothes for Nephy quite frequently, but Nephy’s everyday attire was the blue one piece dress and apron. Buying her some cute clothes was a good choice.

  The danger of that damn Manuela using her like a toy is worrying, though... Still, as long as he was able to clear that hurdle, it wasn’t a bad suggestion.

  “That’s a good idea. You have my thanks.”

  “I’m glad I was able to help.”

  Setting that aside, Zagan was a sorcerer. And thanks to the superhuman physical abilities that status provided him, the church was now already in sight. At some point in time, Kuroka had gone completely limp, but it wasn’t much of a problem.

  The church’s base in Kianoides was located in an old cathedral. It had towering doors, and if one were to include its central spire, it was larger than Zagan’s castle. There were also stone statues modeled after the Angelic Knights lined up along its stone walls, making it a building that signified the wealth and power of the church. And after knocking on its door, Zagan knit his brows.

  This smell is... blood? It wasn’t a pronounced scent, so no one should have died, but someone injured may have been carried here. And it seemed Zagan wasn’t the only one who noticed this, as Kuroka was also sniffing about.

  “M-Mister, please let me down! It seems something happened!”

  “Seems like it,” Zagan replied, letting go of Kuroka, who stood up with her cane in hand. Perhaps having heard their voices, a single Angelic Knight walked out of the building. He also smelled of blood, which seemed to indicate that he had just finished a battle. As one would expect, there weren’t any signs that someone collapsed within the cathedral. However, just as Zagan was puzzling over how his looked oddly familiar, the man yelled in a boisterous voice that made Zagan realize his identity.

  “Grrr, you bastard! Why are you here!?”

  “Huh? Oh, it’s one of those three idiots...” Zagan said, realizing he was one of the knights close to Chastille. He was usually part of a set of three, yet since he was all on his own, Zagan didn’t recognize him right away.

  “I came to see Chastille, but it looks like you’re all in the middle of something.”

  “Gaaah, don’t you dare think she would meet with a bastard like you without an appointment!”

  “Um, Mister, this is the church, right? Is the bishop here a scary one?” Kuroka hid behind Zagan and tugged at his sleeve, perhaps frightened by the Angelic Knight yelling with zeal.

  “Don’t worry about it. This guy’s not a bishop, he’s just some
chump.”

  The Angelic Knight’s face turned bright red as he barked at Zagan in anger.

  “You insolent cur! We Knights of the Azure Sky are clergymen who have the qualifications of a bishop you... Wait, who are those girls?”

  The Angelic Knight finally noticed Kuroka and Kuu and stared at them blankly.

  “I found them in an alley. It seems Kuroka here has some business with the church. And Kuu here is just a poor girl who was abducted. Seems she has nowhere to go, so you lot should look after her.”

  “You impudent little... Ugh, but, you said she was abducted?”

  “I was taken away by some scary men, and saved by these two,” Kuu said, bobbing her head up and down as the Angelic Knight looked over to her.

  “Grr... It seems... you’re not lying,” the man said as he kneeled before Kuu before continuing, “I am an Angelic Knight named Torres. This church is safe, so you may be at ease. We shall give you a place to live and take care of you.”

  Kuu looked up at Zagan as if asking him if it was alright to believe the knight’s words.

  “Setting this guy aside, the leader here is someone you can put your faith in. Though, it probably is fine to believe him.”

  “O-Okay...” Kuu said, relaxing her guard.

  “So? Was this girl also abducted?” Torres inquired as he turned to Kuroka.

  “It’s true that she was abducted, but she says she was supposed to start working here yesterday.”

  “Yesterday...?” Torres said as he tilted his head to the side, and eventually, his eyes opened wide.

  “It can’t be... Are you the priest who was supposed to start working here yesterday, Kuroka Adelhide?”

  “Y-Yes! I’m sorry for being late!”

  This girl’s really a priest? That unexpected thought crossed Zagan’s mind as he watched Kuroka bow, clearly on the verge of tears. Priest was a fairly high position to hold within the church. Kuroka looked to be at most sixteen or seventeen years old, and she was even a four ears who seemed to receive harsh treatment at the best of time, and blind to boot. How exactly was she able to attain such a position? Setting Zagan’s doubts aside, the Angelic Knight looked to be truly relieved.

  “Thank god. We thought that you had been attacked by monsters and were just about to send out a search party. I see... So you were struggling to try and save an abducted girl, then?”

  “I-It wasn’t really anything all that praiseworthy... In the end, all I did was get caught.”

  Well, it didn’t look like this girl had any sort of combat strength. With her eyesight, she wouldn’t be able to run away, but even so, it seemed that upon finding Kuu being abducted, she couldn’t just leave her alone.

  If she’s a priest, then give her a damn escort... Zagan sighed in astonishment. And watching Kuroka bow down repeatedly in a charmed manner, Torres called out to her.

  “Sorry for saying this right as you take up your post, but we’ll be putting you to work immediately. As you can see, it’s quite busy here. No matter how many helping hands we have, it isn’t enough.”

  “Yes! I’ll do my best!”

  Watching that exchange, a certain doubt suddenly popped up in Zagan’s mind.

  “Now that I think of it, what kind of work can you do when you’re blind?”

  “It’s alright! Even with my eyes like this, I’ve memorized all the scriptures, so I can hold a congregation on my own!”

  “Hm, that’s quite impressive,” Zagan replied nonchalantly. He was able to memorize everything within a grimoire upon reading it just once, but he was unable to memorize all the contents of that bulky bible he had no interest in. Moreover, Kuroka would have to had memorized every single word by having it read aloud to her by someone. That was surely quite a lot of work. However, in contrast to Zagan’s admiration, Torres was left in shock.

  “Huh? Blind? Can this girl not see...?”

  “Can’t you tell by looking at her?” Zagan responded. She was holding a cane, and when she talked she directed her voice to who she was talking to, but didn’t meet their gaze. Even Zagan thought Torres was taking that into consideration a little, but he seemed shocked.

  “I thought you came here to act as a civil official...”

  Zagan and Kuroka both tilted their heads to the side. A civil official was responsible for desk work, including filing documents and deciding on civil policies.

  She probably can’t do anything like read documents... Is this really alright?

  “H-Huh, um, could it be that I’m totally unneeded, or like... it was bad for me to come here...?” Kuroka said as she turned deathly pale.

  “Ah, don’t cry! I said we were shorthanded, right!? There is a mountain of things you can do!”

  “Hic... Sorry, I’ll do my best.”

  Having said that, it was her first time in this building, so the Angelic Knight took Kuroka’s hand and guided her inside. Kuu followed after them and headed within the cathedral, and waved her hand at Zagan before parting ways with him.

  “Thanks, Mister!”

  “Yeah yeah, just get going already,” Zagan shooed her away with both his words and hands, which made Kuroka turn around with a panicked expression on her face.

  “Ah, p-please wait. Hey, Mister, what’s your name?”

  Now that she mentioned it, Zagan realized he never named himself.

  Right, Kuu knew who I was already... Well, Kuroka was still a member of the church. She likely didn’t have many good memories of getting involved with sorcerers. And so, Zagan decided it was better not to tell her.

  “Later then.”

  Thus, he waved his hand and turned his back to her. And just as he went around the side of the cathedral to look for Chastille...

  “So you’re finally alone, huh?”

  He heard a gloomy voice come from the shadow right next to him.

  ◇

  An unhealthy-looking face suddenly creeped out of the shadow cast by the building.

  “Barbatos? Did something happen?”

  It wasn’t a face he really liked looking at, but Zagan could grasp that something went wrong. If this man came out when he was supposed to be guarding Chastille, it definitely wasn’t for idle chatter. And Barbatos came completely out of the shadow while scratching his head in an annoyed manner.

  “I got tired of waiting for you to be on your own, dammit.”

  It seemed that it wasn’t something he wanted other people to hear.

  “Hm... Hang on a sec,” Zagan said as he lightly tapped his heel against the ground and wove together a magic circle at his feet. Their figures then began distorting as if in a heat haze and vanished. It was a barrier that distorted both sound and light. Of course, it prevented them from being visible by any outsiders, and even if they yelled the only thing people would heard was a light wind. And, if someone were to draw near, they would lose their sense of direction and be warded off.

  “You really can make this kinda thing in a single breath, huh...?” Barbatos whistled out in admiration as he looked around him.

  “It’s not really all that difficult, is it?” Zagan said. Barbatos’ base, which Zagan destroyed, had the same kind of barrier set up around it.

  “Haaah... Well, anybody can just make one. Given a few days, anyway,” Barbatos claimed. This sort of barrier was rather common, and its structure wasn’t all that complex. However, there were very few sorcerers who could create one on the spot without a chant or catalyst.

  “So, what do you want?”

  “...Hmph. You probably know those damn Angelic Knights are running about here and there, right? A chimera popped up in the nearby forest, and it’s become a huge mess.”

  “What kind of idiot lost the leash to their pet dog... There’s no way it’s something like that, right?” Zagan asked as he squinted his eyes. Creatures created by sorcery like chimeras, golems, and homunculi suffered from necrosis immediately if not under the control of a sorcerer. If a chimera was healthily running about, that meant some sorcerer will
ingly let it loose on a rampage within Zagan’s territory.

  Plus, it’s impossible for a chimera’s power to surpass the power of the sorcerer using it... If one were to use sorcery beyond their means, the sorcery would simply not activate or run wild. If one were able to create a chimera stronger than them, the first thing the chimera would attack would be the caster themselves. Zagan had once fought against a chimera made from the vestiges of a demon, but the one who created that was Archdemon Marchosias. It would surely be impossible to control a demon chimera without at least that level of strength, and in truth, it only activated after Marchosias’ death, even.

  “In other words, there’s some overreaching idiot out there taking a shot at those Angelic Knights by setting a chimera loose in my territory, and even Chastille can’t kill it, right?” Zagan inquired. Since a chimera was unable to surpass the strength of a sorcerer, there weren’t many cases of Angelic Knights being taken down by chimeras. And in spite of that, it seemed there were casualties among the Angelic Knights in the cathedral Zagan was standing right next to. It was also only natural that their leader, Chastille, took to the field. If Barbatos was sent to inform Zagan of that fact, it meant that the chimera was still at large. In that case, the chimera would have to be on level with Marchosias’ demon chimera.

  “Well, it helps that you catch on so quick,” Barbatos said with a shrug of his shoulders.

  “What kind of chimera was it? You saw it, right?” Zagan asked. If he knew the characteristics of the chimera, it may have been possible to identify the caster. And in an unusual turn, Barbatos made a grim expression.

  “It’s quite the troublesome chimera. It regenerated completely even after being cut to pieces by that crybaby. Looks like it was made by blending multiple sorcerers too, since it’s got human looking parts sticking out all over.”

  The culprit was a sorcerer, so there was no way it was going to be something wholesome, but it was still a dreadful story. Also, in the case that sorcerers were used, there was a possibility the chimera itself could use sorcery.

  “And one more thing...” Barbatos muttered as if it was somewhat hard for him to say.

  “What?”