If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord: Volume 2

by CHIROLU

  “So then... Vassilios doesn’t have a demon lord right now?”

  “Right. Unlike with human kings, demon lord isn’t a hereditary position.”

  “*****, ********, ‘***’ ***” Latina muttered after hearing Glaros’s words. She spoke too quickly for Dale to pick up what she’d said, but Glaros gave a big nod.

  “That’s right. It’s like how those called ‘heroes,’ who are beloved by the gods and overturn fate, appear for the other races. For us, when those who are chosen and protected by the gods appear, we call them demon lords.”

  “So a new First Demon Lord...”

  “If the gods judge that the time has come, we devils will crown a new king.”

  After listening thus far, Dale let out a big sigh. “Humans really don’t know a thing about devils... To us, demon lords are just something to be feared.”

  Glaros pointed a smile Dale’s way. “I suppose there’s no helping that. Vassilios is a closed-off country that doesn’t interact with other nations very often. But the Demon Lords of Calamity, on the other hand, get directly involved with those outside countries.”

  “Demon Lords of Calamity?”

  “I suppose you don’t hear that term much over here... That’s what we devils call the demon lords who have nothing but ill will and malice towards others.”

  “So the Demon Lord of War, the Seventh Demon Lord, would be one?”

  “Right. And then... there’s the Second Demon Lord, the king of death who loves annihilation and slaughter. The Fourth Demon Lord, an incarnation of disease and plague, is one as well. Even devils fear them and consider them dangerous.”

  It was starting to get quite active around them, and they realized the Silent Seagull’s evening rush was fast approaching. More time seemed to have passed while they were talking than Dale thought.

  “Oh my, it’s already this late? I’m terribly sorry, but I need to start getting ready for work soon.”

  “Not at all, we really appreciate it. You told us even more than we could have hoped for,” Dale said, standing up from his seat and prompting Latina to as well. The young girl gave a small curtsy, and Glaros smiled back and gently pat her head. Latina’s gaze remained fixed on the devil woman.

  “Come on, Latina, we’re going.”

  “Right!”

  Halfway through catching up to Dale as he headed for the Silent Seagull’s exit, Latina suddenly stopped, turned around, and returned to Glaros.

  “Um... um... what happened to your husband...?”

  Glaros stood silently for a moment and, after thinking on the young girl’s words, she realized what exactly she was asking.

  In a quiet voice, she told the truth. “He lived a long time for a human, and... I stayed with him until the very end.”

  Latina’s breath caught, but she seemed to have been expecting that answer, so she managed to suppress her emotions. Latina threw out another question. “Did you have children...?”

  “Unfortunately, devils aren’t granted children often, and... when it’s with members of another race, it becomes all the rarer,” Glaros responded, once more patting the head of the young girl who was also living amongst humans. The woman knew full well that being a devil living amongst humans meant facing more hardships than just differing customs and appearances.

  “Um, then... are you glad you met your husband?”

  “...Yes,” Glaros responded with a smile. That was precisely why she was still here in this port town, where she’d lived together with her husband, and why she still played the song he had loved so much. “I was definitely happy.”

  “Then that’s good.”

  Latina put a smile on her face, clearly holding back her tears, and Glaros hugged her tight. Perhaps if she’d managed to have a child with her husband, she would have been able to hug them like this.

  On their way back to the inn, Dale stared at Latina as she walked by his side. He didn’t know what she had asked Glaros at the end of their visit, but she was gripping his hand tightly like it was a lifeline. It was as if she feared that if she let go, she’d end up lost. Her face was pointed down, and she wasn’t taking in the sights of the town in the least.

  And so Dale...

  “Wah!” When she found herself suddenly looking in the opposite direction, Latina yelped in surprise and blinked her big grey eyes. Feeling like she was floating, she called out, “Dale?”

  “Hmm?”

  Dale had lifted Latina up and was holding her.

  “Latina isn’t a baby. She can walk by herself.”

  “You’ve gotten heavy...” He’d done this every day when she was younger, but it had been quite a while since he’d last done it. “You may not be a baby, but you should let me spoil you a bit more. You’re my cute, adorable, precious girl, after all.”

  They kept on walking like that, Dale gently stroking Latina’s head all the while. Latina soon docilely placed her arm around Dale’s neck and clung to him. She really was accustomed to doing this.

  Just by being lifted up like this, the scenery looked completely different to Latina, and when she looked down, the ground was farther away than it normally was, and she could only see the tips of her feet.

  “Dale...”

  “Hmm?”

  Latina whispered quietly into his ear, her voice full of emotion. “Thank you for everything... Latina loves you.”

  Just then, the first star of the night began twinkling through a gap in the clouds.

  4: The Young Girl Visits a Beastman Village

  It was early morning when the pair departed from Qualle. Thanks to the light cover of clouds remaining from the day before, it felt darker than it normally would at this time.

  “What a shame. Normally you’d have a good view of the ocean from this highway.”

  “Let’s look forward to seeing it on the way back.”

  Their view was now of a grey sky divided by the horizon line from a dull-colored ocean. If the weather had been good, it surely would have been a breathtaking view. Even so, Latina didn’t seem disappointed at all. It was true that they’d be returning this way as well, so she was looking forward to seeing it then.

  “We’re heading south from the ocean, but we’re taking a big detour, so it’s more like we’re heading east.”

  “Why are we taking a detour?”

  “There’s a real rugged mountain range spread out between Kreuz and my home village. If we headed in a straight line, we’d have to climb some steep mountains and cut through places where only animals live. There’d be no chance to rest, so I wouldn’t want to do it even if I were on my own.”

  “Latina sees.”

  “My home village is also in the mountains, so it’ll be all hilly paths from here on out... And we’re moving away from the capital, so it’ll get more and more desolate, too...”

  As they walked down the highway, there were still a fair number of travelers passing by, but around noon and the moment they split off onto a path towards the mountains, everyone disappeared. The road itself also became narrower and less maintained. It was incredibly easy to tell that they were heading towards a less populated area.

  “Latina, do you want to ride on the horse?”

  “Latina is still fine.”

  The young girl still seemed to be enjoying herself as they walked along.

  As if to show that spring was arriving, small flowers were blossoming by the side of the road. Latina broke out in a happy smile when she spotted them.

  It was then that Latina looked up, and light-pink flower petals filled her vision.

  “Woooow...”

  She couldn’t help but shout out in joy. The road was lined with trees filled with light-pink flowers in full bloom. The small blossoms overhead looked absolutely brilliant, contrasting with the grey sky that served as a backdrop. The flowers adorning the branches all the way to their tips extended towards the sky and the ground.

  “It sure is spring... There’s a village nearby, so somebody may have planted them..
.” Dale muttered, but it didn’t reach Latina’s ears. Right now, her gaze and attention were completely captured by the stunning blossoms in full bloom.

  With a bit of a strained smile, Dale stopped walking. “Do you want to take a break, Latina?”

  “Yeah!” Latina responded happily, just as he’d expected.

  Dale tied the horse’s reins to a nearby tree and sat down at the side of the road. Latina did the same by his side. She looked up with sparkling eyes and followed the petals fluttering down.

  Dale pulled out a package he’d had prepared at the inn. Latina at last noticed what he was doing when she heard the sound of him opening the paper. He held it out so she could get a good look at the sandwiches inside.

  The two had eaten plenty of fish, Qualle’s specialty, while they were there, but it was hard to tell when they’d be able to eat such seafood like that again, so Dale had had this lunch prepared.

  “Latina, which one do you want?”

  “Umm... what about you, Dale?”

  “I’m fine with whatever.”

  After wavering for a while, Latina grabbed a sandwich filled with smoked fish and vegetables. Taking it in both hands, she bit into the corner. Dale started eating his as well, which was soaked in fish oil.

  As the pair ate in silence, petals fluttered down around them.

  Latina took a drink from the canteen to quench her thirst, watching Blau graze on grass all the while.

  By the time Dale finished his second sandwich, Latina was still only halfway through her first. When the contents slipped out as she took a bite, a look of panic crossed on her face and she steadily pulled the slice of fish into her mouth. Each and every thing she did really was cute.

  “That was tasty!”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “The flowers sure are pretty.”

  They stayed a while longer even after they’d finished eating, enjoying the beautiful spring scenery. Until the time came to start moving again, Latina sat and stared at the blooming flowers.

  Dale smiled when he saw a single light-pink petal clinging to Latina’s platinum hair; it was almost as if it didn’t want to part ways. He decided to wait a little longer before he told her it was there.

  Blessed with good weather and nothing impeding their progress, their journey continued on smoothly. There may not have been any big towns along this small country road, but it wasn’t like there weren’t any travelers at all, and Dale knew that if they needed to, they could stop by a nearby village for a place to stay and to stock up on supplies. Even though he was an outsider, he could safely say that this wasn’t a dangerous area, and the villages around here also found visiting travelers an important source of income.

  After staying at one such village, the pair arrived at a field of flowers. As if trying to usher in the arrival of spring, the plain beside the road was filled to the brim with wild blooms. The sight made Latina unconsciously to come to a halt. She may have been able to see flower beds and parks with blooming flowers back in Kreuz, but she’d never seen something like this before, where they absolutely filled her field of view.

  “We can take a bit of a detour if you want.”

  “Is it alright?”

  “Just make sure you look out for snakes and stuff.”

  “Alright!” Latina replied, immediately rushing into the field of flowers. In no time at all, everything below her torso was hidden by the brilliant blossoms. As she pranced about, the flowers swayed alongside her and petals danced into the air all around her. Seeing the cute and joyful Latina completely surrounded by flowers made for a whimsical scene that wouldn’t lose to any painting.

  Yeah, definitely... Dale thought, wanting to give a firm nod. He could confidently declare that anyone would be charmed seeing Latina like this against such a backdrop. It was a real shame that he couldn’t capture this moment and keep it on hand. If he could, he’d flaunt Latina’s cuteness to every single person he met. Oblivious of Dale’s doting thoughts, Latina danced and pranced about the field.

  A large butterfly fluttered by in front of Latina’s eyes. She stopped and watched for a while, seeing it off as it flew into the clear blue sky.

  She was truly enjoying the trip. It also helped that it was spring, so felt cool and comfortable and there was brilliant scenery wherever you looked.

  She’s so happy right now, maybe it’d be a good idea to take her somewhere again after we get back to Kreuz, Dale thought.

  As they approached the mountains, the path steadily grew more slanted and the scenery started to change.

  They entered a dense forest, but it wasn’t quite as gloomy as the one south of Kreuz. There may have been animals and magical beasts about, but they weren’t vicious enough to attack people. This was a forest that clearly saw frequent traffic.

  “There’s a beastman village near here, so this area is pretty safe.”

  “Beastman?”

  “Ah, right, they’re pretty rare in Laband. I hear there are a lot of them farther out west, though. They’re friendly with humans, so mixed kids are pretty common between the two races, and plenty of them are adventurers, too.”

  “Hmm...? Latina didn’t know that.”

  “Well, there aren’t many in Kreuz. We should’ve passed by some in Qualle, though...”

  Latina wore a slightly awkward expression on her face. She’d been so absorbed in looking at everything, but she’d managed to overlook something so important. You could say that that trait of hers was also what made it so easy for her to get lost.

  The trees around them were covered in fresh new bright-green leaves.

  Dale split from the road to a narrow path leading deeper into the forest. Thick foliage was at just the right height to smack Latina in the face, so he had her ride on the horse. The young girl’s gaze started to dart about again as she took in her surroundings; she was clearly restless. Dale had to stifle a laugh.

  “Where are we going, Dale?”

  “We’re going to stay at the beastman village for today. There aren’t any inns there, but I’m going to ask an acquaintance to let us stay with him.”

  “Dale’s acquaintance? A friend?”

  “He’s more of a relative of sorts rather than a friend... His mom is my dad’s second cousin.”

  “Huh?”

  Latina didn’t quite grasp how they were related, so she tilted her head. Perhaps the concept of an extended family differed between humans and devils.

  “It’s like he’s family of family.”

  “Hmm...” she said, still not quite understanding.

  It was just about evening when they suddenly hit a forest clearing with a little village. It was smaller than not just the towns that they’d stopped at thus far, but the villages as well. It seemed like you could take in the whole of the village with a quick glance. Small houses with stone walls and unpainted wood roofs were huddled closely around a central plaza.

  “Wow...”

  “Looks like we made it before dark,” Dale said with a sigh of relief. They headed towards the village entrance. Most towns were surrounded by walls to protect against magical beasts and intruders, but this village had a simple wooden fence around it instead. Of course, there was no sign of a gatekeeper at the entrance, either.

  When they drew close, Latina was shocked as she saw one of the villagers who happened to pass by.

  “Wow! Is that person a beastman?”

  “That’s right. Are you surprised, seeing one for the first time?”

  Having heard their conversation, the beastman turned his fur-covered face turned their way.

  “Are you visitors? How unusual.”

  “Yeah. We came to visit the Bündte family. Is it alright if we come in?”

  “The Bündtes, huh?” Hearing the name Dale gave, he (from his attire, he was most likely an older male) nodded a few times in understanding. “Considering the time, they should be at their house. Do you need me to show you the way?”

  “No, we’re good, thanks.”

>   As this conversation was taking place, Latina took a long, hard look at the beastman. Normally, staring like that would be rude, but her gaze was filled with nothing but pure curiosity. That was a special privilege reserved for young children, and they could do so without earning any animosity in return.

  Beastmen had a rather unique appearance to them. In terms of physique, they didn’t look all that different from the other races. The biggest difference, which separated them even at a glance, was the fur that covered their entire body and varied in color based on the individual. Their faces were no exception and were also animalistic, their shape, most closely resembling those of dogs, though there was a touch of human as well. Add triangular ears to the top of their heads and tails to their behinds, and you had the basic traits of the race known as beastmen.

  “Dale, you’re related to a beastman?” she asked, apparently questioning this after seeing a beastman for the first time.

  Seeing Latina’s confusion, Dale pointed towards one of the houses in the village. “Look, that’s Bündte’s house... He’s a mix of human and beastman.”

  “Mix?”

  “Right. Humans and beastmen are close in nature, so they can have kids together. They’re born looking like humans, but with the ears and tails of beastmen.”

  The seven races could all have children with one another, as genetically, they were largely similar. But when the races in question vastly differed in terms of physical characteristics, the children would be born as one parent’s race rather than a mix of both. For example, if a child was born to a merfolk mother and a human father, it could be either of those races. There was a greater tendency for the child to be born the mother’s race in such situations, but it was by no means definite.

  Outside of the race itself, though, the child would have a mix of both parents’ traits; it wasn’t as though they inherited none of the second parent’s genetic information. Revisiting our example, it wouldn’t be odd at all for the child to be a merfolk who looked like their father or a human who looked like their mother.