“Now that I think of it, Sir Raphael, did you manage to ask Sir Zagan about the matter we discussed?” Kimaris asked as he suddenly turned to look at Raphael.
“Urgh... No, he’s been quite busy, so I haven’t had the time,” Raphael responded in an extremely vague way, which Selphy found quite strange.
“Huh? Did something happen?”
“It’s nothing important. It has nothing to do with you.”
“Aww, come on! Aren’t we kitchen pals!? Leaving me out is, like, really mean! Please tell me!” Selphy threw a tantrum, but for some reason it was Kimaris who looked apologetic.
“My apologies, Sir Raphael. I should have been more careful...”
“It’s fine. It’s not actually something that needs hiding,” Raphael said that, then turned to Selphy and explained, “I’ve been having some strange dreams lately. They are likely the memories of a certain dragon.”
“By dragon, you mean someone like Foll? Why would a human see those?”
“Due to certain special circumstances, I have dragon blood flowing through me... Anyway, since the visions are so frequent, I feel like that dragon is trying to tell me something.”
“I see. So that’s why the little lady is so attached to you, Mister Raphael!” Selphy nodded to herself, clearly pleased about whatever strange deduction she made.
“...” Raphael and Kimaris both looked at Selphy like they were facing a dumb brat.
“Well, they’re just dreams. It’s fine not to trouble my liege with such minor matters when he’s already in a bind.”
“No, wait. If it’s about dreams, then my friend Lilith is, like, kind of an expert,” Selphy spoke those words in a worried tone. She felt Raphael may collapse if he carried that burden all on his own.
“I know this may sound rude, but aren’t sirens more affiliated with an eternal slumber of sorts?”
“Lilith is a succubus. She can, like, go into people’s dreams and play pranks on them. Sometimes, when I took a nap, she made me see a dream where I was killed by some sorcerers. Luckily, when I woke up, my big sis would totally comfort me!”
“Are you certain you didn’t see those dreams after getting hit on the head...?” Raphael let out an astonished voice, but eventually gave in, made a strained smile, and said, “Well, if the opportunity arises, I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“Well, I don’t really get many chances to meet up with my friends from back home. It’d be, like, totally awkward to show my face after all this time!” Selphy explained her predicament, which was also the reason why she was glad Zagan was disregarding the conference.
“Raphael! Is that idiot Selphy around!?”
Selphy heard a somewhat familiar tone, but the voice was that of a child she didn’t know. When she turned toward the source, she saw a young boy practically kicking down the door as he made his way into the kitchen. He seemed like an heir from some noble household, as he was wearing a dashing shirt and a stylish jacket. She felt like he resembled someone she knew, but Selphy wasn’t acquainted with any children. It was entirely possible that he had been abducted by one of the sorcerers.
A kid? Did he get lost or something? Selphy stared at him in wonder, confused by the child’s sudden appearance.
“Huh...? Sir... Zagan...?” Kimaris croaked out those words in a shocked voice.
“Oh, you’re here too, Kimaris? Perfect. I was looking for you as well,” the child answered in a somewhat haughty tone.
Why had Zagan’s name popped out of Kimaris’ mouth? Selphy assumed he must have been tired after all his work. It was either that or she’d heard wrong. She didn’t know who brought this kid to the castle, but she pitied the fact that he was stuck here. And so, Selphy puffed out her chest as she stood before the boy.
“Hey now, you need to wash your hands when you enter the kitchen, you know? Mister Raphael will get angry if you don’t. And you won’t like his face when he’s angry!”
“Shut it. More importantly, guide me to that conference or whatever it is. Right now.”
“Man, you’re one arrogant brat. Listen, you can’t do that, okay? Only, like, Mister Raphael and Mister Zagan can be all haughty around here,” Selphy said as she knit her brows.
“I’m telling you I’m Zagan!”
“Oh, okay. I guess that makes me, like, Miss Nephy. Mister Zagan spends a good twenty seconds tripping over his words when he talks to Miss Nephy, so you should— Owowowowowowow!”
Selphy was an adult. She puffed her chest out proudly and decided to play house with the little kid, but her face was suddenly grasped by him like an eagle grabbing its prey.
“Why the hell do you know that!?”
“Owowowowowowowow!” Selphy screamed in agony. She didn’t know why this kid was angry, but his strength was abnormal. And seeing that she would lose consciousness at this rate, Raphael cut in to stop him.
“My liege. If you keep that up, she’ll die. Is that fine?”
“Oh... Sorry, I miscalculated my strength. Are you alright, Selphy?”
Luckily, the child let Selphy go before her head was actually crushed.
“Sir Zagan. What is with that form? Like I thought... did Miss Gremory do something again?” Kimaris inquired.
“No, she shares some of the blame, but it’s not really her fault... Hey, are you alright? Should I have Nephy treat you?”
Since Selphy didn’t seem to be recovering from the pain, the child peeked in at her face with worry.
He’s pretty violent, but maybe he’s not all that bad... Thinking that she couldn’t make a kid worry about her, Selphy put on a smile and stood back up... Well, she had tears in her eyes, but that much could surely be forgiven.
“I’m okay! Your big sis here is a real tough cookie!”
“Hey, I’m telling you...”
As the child let out a troubled voice, Kimaris cut in to interrupt their display.
“Miss Selphy, this child is Sir Zagan. Even Miss Gremory is capable of turning into a child and an old woman, right?”
“Huh? You sure he isn’t, like, Miss Gremory’s grandkid or something?”
“...”
The entire group was dumbfounded by her stupidity. And so, they spent the next hour explaining that age manipulation sorcery existed, and that the boy before her was indeed Zagan.
“No way! Sorcery’s, like, something that crazy!?”
“What did you even think it was before now?” Zagan stared straight at Selphy with an exasperated expression as he said that.
“I’m relying on you here, Selphy. Only you can help me return to my original form. Guide me to the conference,” Zagan requested.
“But, like, I still find it hard to believe you’re a small Zagan. Plus, it’d be totally awkward to show my face to my family, so I don’t wanna,” Selphy began grumbling and griping in response.
“You won’t help me...?” Zagan slumped his shoulders, looking defeated.
“But, like, you were the one who saved me from that ship, and you even gave me a place to work. This time it’s my time to save you. Okay! I’ll take you to that conference!” Selphy proclaimed as she proudly stuck out her chest.
“Really!? Thanks!” Zagan raised both his hands into the air to celebrate as he said that.
Now that I think about it, this is, like, the first time anyone’s relied on me... Selphy was still scared of sorcery, but life in the castle was mostly comfortable, so she wanted to do whatever she could to protect that place of warmth.
“Alright! Since that’s settled, let’s get ready. I have to bring Nephy along this time, so we need to thoroughly prepare for the journey!” Zagan spoke those words in an overeager tone.
“Oh! Wait, can you, like, hold on a bit!?” Selphy called out to stop Zagan as he began dashing out of the kitchen.
“Is something wrong?”
“You’re not gonna return to the castle for a while, right? In that case, I want you to listen to what Mister Raphael has to say.”
“Stop
, Selphy,” Raphael raised his voice in a somewhat angry tone, but it was already too late.
“...What do you mean? Did something happen?” Zagan asked.
“No, it is not something that you need to worry about,” Raphael responded in an obstinate manner. He had intended to keep it to himself, but Selphy had gone and ruined everything.
“Mister Raphael’s been having some really weird dreams lately, so he wanted to, like, consult you about... Eeek!” Selphy babbled on about his issues, which made Raphael aim a death glare at her. Selphy curled into a ball in response, but Zagan turned about to face him anyway.
“Raphael. Speak.”
“Urgh...” Raphael grimaced, but still found himself unable to deny Zagan’s request. And so, he reluctantly told him all about his dreams.
“Orobas’ memories?”
“Yes. It’s likely about the last battle he fought by my side. However, what worries me is that he was fighting something that seemed different from a demon.”
“What does that mean? Wasn’t the demon you fought the one that’s now a chimera in Archdemon Palace?”
“The one I butchered was that demon. However, that wasn’t the only thing on that battlefield. It seems Orobas fought something far more powerful than a mere demon...”
“Impossible. The only one who could be that powerful is the Demon Lord. But...” Zagan held up his right hand, and a sigil of light glowed on surface as he continued, “The Demon Lord is sealed here. I’ve never heard of the thirteen sigils being broken.”
At the very least, when Zagan first inherited the Sigil of the Archdemon, all thirteen were gathered together.
“That’s why I also believe it to be impossible.”
“...Then does that mean another major threat exists? No, that can’t...” Zagan mumbled those words with his head hung low, then shook his head. If such powerful beings popped up that frequently, the world would have been destroyed long ago. However, it was also true that Wise Dragon Orobas, who lived through the age of myths, couldn’t keep up with that enemy, so it had to have been extremely strong.
“Got it. I don’t know the true nature of your dreams, but I’ll keep them in mind. Was that your only worry?”
“No, there’s something else you need to know,” Raphael claimed as he shifted his focus over to Zagan’s right hand before saying, “It seems Wise Dragon Orobas and Archdemon Marchosias were old friends. Also, it may have been a friendship that spanned a thousand years.”
“...I just so happened to hear about that from Orias. This is the first I’ve heard of it spanning a thousand years, though,” Zagan said as his eyes widened due to the sudden revelation. Thinking back on it, even though Zagan inherited Marchosias’ legacy, he knew nothing about his predecessor. Sure, he had suddenly died of old age, but Zagan wished he had left a bit more information behind in preparation for his passing.
No, wait... Old age? I can’t be... Zagan was taken aback.
“Raphael. When did you fight by Orobas’ side? This is important, so think carefully.”
“Hm... It’s been about half a year now, so two months before I met you, my liege.”
In other words, it would’ve been about one month before Zagan met Nephy. And from that, Kimaris definitely noticed what was on Zagan’s mind.
“Oh... Sir Zagan, could that mean...?”
“...Yeah,” Zagan replied as he clenched his teeth, seemingly astonished by his own ignorance.
“That’s the exact same period of time Archdemon Marchosias passed away.”
Am I an idiot? Why did I never suspect a thing?
“Then... are you saying Archdemon Marchosias also lost his life in that battle?” Raphael asked as his eyes widened due to the shock.
“It would be a reasonable assumption. Nephy only ended up at that auction where I bought her because he died so suddenly.”
Originally, Nephy was set to be sold to Marchosias. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities that he intended to use her to further extend his lifespan, but if that were the case, it was even more strange that she was still alive. If his remaining years were that short, it wouldn’t have mattered whether demons or a Demon Lord was coming, he would have prioritized extending his own life. After all, most people would care about their own life above all else.
“Now that I think of it, I heard a conversation in my dream. I don’t remember it very well, but I feel like Marchosias said something about sheltering someone,” Raphael remarked, taken aback by it all.
“Sheltering? Not abducting, but sheltering? An Archdemon said that?”
“I do find it rather odd, but isn’t it safe to assume he was talking about Lady Nephy?”
Why would an Archdemon want to shelter her? Sure, she’s a high elf, but that isn’t a good enough reason. Given her race, the idea that he planned on using her as a sacrifice seemed far more convincing...
Maybe I need to go over everything I know about Marchosias... They had likely learned all they could through discussing it between them, so it was time to move on. Plus, Zagan had to return his body to normal, which meant he had no time to waste.
“I understand. At any rate, I highly doubt those dreams are a mere coincidence. It may be some sort of warning. I’ll keep my guard up as I travel, so don’t let it cloud your judgment.”
“As you wish,” Raphael replied. Then, Zagan looked over to Selphy.
“As for you... Well, good work.”
“Huh? Did I do something?”
“...It’s nothing, really. I was just thinking it’s good that we have someone as insensitive as you around.”
“Ahahah, stop, you’ll make me blush with those compliments!”
“Was that really a compliment?” Raphael asked as he looked over to Selphy. However, she paid his words no mind.
“Oh, right. While I’m being, like, all insensitive, can I say one more thing?”
“Are you self-aware that you’re insensitive...? Well, fine. Owing to the occasion, speak your mind.”
“Um, Miss Selphy, it would be better if you showed a bit more restraint,” Kimaris said, completely on edge all the while, but Selphy simply puffed out her chest and ignored his warning.
“Mister Zagan, you should, like, rely on those around you more! That makes people, like, totally happy!”
“...Got it. I’ll keep that in mind,” Zagan blinked in surprise, then nodded with a strained smile as he said that.
“Ooooh... You know, when you’re acting all honest and cute in this tiny form, my heart flutters! You should try talking like that to Miss Nephy, too!”
“...Do you want me to crush your face again?”
Zagan may have been tiny, but he was still the exact same person at heart. And so, Selphy turned white as a sheet as she vigorously shook her head.
Chapter III: Those Who Live at the Bottom of the Sea Really Aren’t Honest with Themselves
“I see. You need a siren to guide you through the ocean,” Zagan muttered those words to himself in admiration. It had been two days since he had decided to travel to the conference.
The ocean capital, Atlastia, was a metropolis at the bottom of the ocean far away from the continent where the Continental Interracial Elders Conference was being held. In fact, it was even far enough that a boat from Kianoides would have taken over a week to get there, but luckily, sirens could manipulate water currents. Using that power, it was possible to get there in a single day.
I only have four days until my date... In the end, Zagan never got a chance to buy new clothes. And at most, he had two free days to get ready. He had to hurry. That was why he looked at his surroundings in a panic. Since they were supposedly at the bottom of the ocean, there were countless fish swimming about above them. However, his field of vision was poor, so anything beyond ten paces appeared hazy. He was apparently at a depth where the light from the sun couldn’t reach them, but mysteriously enough, it was bright as day around him. It was different from how sorcerers used sorcery to see in the dark. Having
said that, it wasn’t like there was a clear light source around. It was like the air... or rather, the water itself was shining.
It wasn’t grass growing beneath his feet, but seaweed and coral. There wasn’t any air around them at all, just ocean water. The reason he could breathe despite that seemed to be the power of the sirens. This was apparently the entrance to a city or country, so he could spot something akin to a man-made temple in the distance. The stones sticking out around it seemed to have lights within them, and a closer inspection revealed windows and entrances. Thought, for the time being, Zagan couldn’t spot anybody present other than the fish.
“This is quite a mysterious place, isn’t it?” Nephy asked in an entranced voice as her hand gripped Zagan’s like a vice. Aside from her, only Foll, who also had to have the curse removed, and Selphy, who served as their guide, were accompanying Zagan. And since they were heading to the conference, Nephy was wearing a formal dress instead of her usual maid uniform.
Incidentally, Zagan and Foll had their usual clothes on for when they returned to their original forms. Though, it wasn’t like they were wearing them underneath their current clothes or anything. Instead, they were using sorcery to fold space itself and have it cloaked around them, which almost made it seem like they were wearing invisible clothes.
Raphael and Kimaris stayed behind to watch the castle. There’s no way I can let my subordinates find out about this form, so they’d better keep them occupied...
It wasn’t like there were any among them that would start a revolt over such a thing, but being treated like a child was far too painful. Sure, they had no ill will, but it was still rather annoying.
“It’s like being above the water and inside it at the same time. Feels weird,” Foll said as she gave him a small nod. They were walking around normally, and it didn’t feel like their clothes were wet at all. Or so they thought, but Selphy was swimming about in the air. In a way, it was like they were walking through a thick, lingering fog, which probably meant there was a barrier set up in the area. However, if there was, it was terrifyingly enormous.
An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 6 Page 10