NOVEL NEXT Episode 50 – Demon King Girl (10)
Princess Seria of the Human Empire. This young woman with her bright blonde hair is still young and beautiful.
Moreover, she is an excellent magician. Just how much she must resent me, Demon King Takilas, for being taken hostage and dragged to a place like this.
“How’s the tea? To your taste?”
“Yeah. Your skills… are impressive.”
She accepted the tea I personally served her with a rather sour expression. I could have raised my nose a bit at the compliment about the taste, but that wasn’t important right now, so I made an effort to manage my expression.
This wasn’t a place to show off my refined tea ceremony skills, but rather a chance to learn more about her.
First impressions, as expected, began with her surprise at my current appearance.
“You still look young. How did you end up working here?”
“You may not know, but connections between the Demon Realm and the surface occur naturally quite often. Many humans get caught up in it and fall into the Demon Realm… And I was one of them.”
She spoke to me softly, as if soothing a child, and I skillfully delivered my prepared response. Since I wanted to hear her true feelings without hiding them, I decided to keep my identity hidden until the very end.
“I know that. However, according to the agreement we made with the Demon Realm, they can no longer… harm innocent souls…”
“Of course, there was a chance to return. The demon race obeys the Demon King’s orders absolutely. Lost wanderers can now return home. But I refused.”
“You turned it down yourself? Why would you do that? Weren’t you afraid…?”
“Because I saw more than just fear.”
Her eyes sparkled as they reflected mine.
Now it was my turn to ask questions. To be honest, I wanted to hear good reviews. I wanted to hear that this Demon Realm I had changed and nurtured over the years was a good place. That was my pride and self-esteem as a Demon King.
Of course, it was an impossible wish. No matter what, she had been forcibly brought here, and there was a high chance she wouldn’t understand how remarkable what I had achieved was.
“…Surely. I think I understand what you mean.”
However, Seria’s answer was not what I expected. At the sight of her seriously nodding, my body, which had been smiling bitterly, froze for a moment, and my eyes widened.
“The Demon Realm was not the barbaric space we knew. They live enjoying advanced civilization under the name of the new Demon King and uphold strict laws. Even more than an Empire. So why would you react like that?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
When she continued speaking but looked puzzled at my reaction, I hurriedly shook my head to regain my composure.
“You said all of this is the achievement of the Demon King, Takilas. I personally want to meet him. He seems to be a bit outside of the Demon King’s usual image.”
“But the Demon King is a grotesque tentacle monster. He might treat you roughly, Your Highness.”
“I know that looks aren’t everything. The value of a ruler and governing figure who manages his people is not defined by appearance.”
Even in shock, I blurted it out, yet she shook her head with a smile. Seria’s maid stared daggers at me for my rudeness, but I didn’t have the time to care about that right now.
However, once the shock eased, I couldn’t help but smile unknowingly. It seemed that Princess Seria was more extraordinary than I had expected.
That was a much better reaction than being endlessly gloomy and sulking. More than anything, I was so happy that a third party recognized my efforts. The demon race obeyed my orders as their Demon King. Thus, Seria’s evaluation was nothing short of a tribute and praise that they sent my way.
“You’ll be able to meet the Demon King soon.”
“I heard he’s currently away. Do you know when he’ll return?”
“…Of course.”
I nodded at her wide-open eyes. My mind was already swirling with questions. I was pondering what kind of reward I should give her.
And this was instinct born from my years as a ruler. It was absolutely unacceptable to let a talented person with a healthy mindset and perspective rot in a corner of the Demon King’s castle.
She had the right to unfold her own will.
“By the way… there’s one thing I want to ask.”
“Of course.”
However, while I was deep in thought, she suddenly squinted and spoke to me.
“Even though my face feels flushed and I can’t find where to look, I forced myself to overlook it because I knew it was a custom of the Demon Realm. More than anything, they may look similar, but they’re entirely different races. But you’re human, aren’t you?”
“That’s right.”
What on earth was she getting at to be so serious? It was even quite delicate.
“Human women don’t wear such short clothes.”
Then she turned her eyes away as if it was difficult and muttered something. Meanwhile, I looked down at my body, which had been perfectly fine until now, wondering if there was an issue.
“Aha.”
Only then did I catch on to the problem. The maid outfit I was wearing was simply a size-reduced version of what the maids in the Royal Internal Affairs wore.
All maidens were succubi—carefully selected individuals who suited my tastes in every way. Naturally, this outfit was far from ordinary maid attire.
The skirt was short, and both my arms and belly were fully exposed. It included elements that were quite to my taste, like garter belts. And right now, I was wearing it.
“I’m used to it.”
She seemed shocked, but it was the truth. My magical girl outfit was quite similar in its lewdness. For a long time, I didn’t wear clothes at all, so I truly felt no shame.
“Though my body is a bit lacking, doesn’t showing it off mean it’s not necessarily bad?”
I found myself defending my choice without realizing it.
Of course, I had no idea if that excuse worked or not. After a brief exchange, I fled while dragging the cart into the hallway.
“Did you do well?”
“Hey, you handle the aftermath. Go ask if she was satisfied and tell her the Demon King will be visiting soon.”
Turning the corner of the hallway, I found the new butler, Bashim, waiting for me with a worried expression. Unsure how to wrap things up, I scratched my head and sent him off to conclude matters. It seemed I would have to create a non-revealing outfit for myself if the situation called for it.
*
“Was it really not that strange?”
“Exactly. The maid who came by just now asked if there was anything wrong with her appearance, and I said she was great and would love to see her again.”
“Great. Now, go.”
Back in my true form in the Demon King’s castle, I sent Bashim away after he finished his report about the situation.
Fortunately, her favor remained intact, and it seemed we could continue meeting.
“Are you heading to your chamber?”
“Yeah. It’s bedtime.”
“Should I have the total girls brought to you?”
I met Robert on my way to my bedroom. He brought it up naturally, but I shook my head in disgust.
“Don’t worry, Demon King. Our girls provide the best service regardless of the guest’s condition…”
“That’s not it. I have things to take care of alone, so you all leave for the day.”
With furrowed brows, I rejected Meiya’s suggestion, as I indeed had things to do in my bedroom.
It was important work, so once I was alone in the bedroom, I sealed it with shields for multiple layers of security.
“Now, shall we have a little chat, Director?”
And again, I drew the space.
Through the cracked space, I saw Rana, the president of the Fairy Company, Rana Land, buried under a mountain of paperwork, staring blankly with eyes wide open as she dropped the cigarette she had been burning.
“How… how did you…?”
“What’s wrong? Are you too busy because one of your employees took an unapproved vacation?”
I chuckled as I stepped right into Rana’s office, which had frozen in shock.
“No way. First, please have a seat.”
Quickly regaining her composure, Rana rushed to tidy up and offered me the esteemed seat. It was quite an obsequious position for the president of a fairy company, considering she was treating a mere magical girl like me so humbly, but there must be a reason behind it.
I, of course, sank into the cushy chair she provided.
“All the merits you’ve accumulated as Takilas will directly reflect on our company’s evaluation. From a performance ranking of 96th, Rana Land has now climbed to 12th place. Though we continuously face pressure from other companies, we’ll manage somehow.”
“I captured Mamute while all the others were struggling, and that’s all I get?”
Cough She cleared her throat and seemed a bit more cautious. After all, the magical girls and fairies had spread to worlds beyond just Earth.
“But why exactly did you come here personally? That person attached to Ren is currently… behaving quite calmly.”
“There’s no need to be so cautious. I bring good news you guys will love.”
Seeing her wings flutter and eyes roll in anticipation made me chuckle. My words were not a lie. I certainly had a massive gift to present to Rana Land. Being a magical girl, while eventful, had not been unsatisfactory.
“How about accepting one new magical girl? You’ll have to treat her the same as me, but I bet she’ll be easier to handle than I am. She’s a noble and dignified human woman.”
With a snap of my fingers, I projected an image of Seria drinking the tea I had served to her. Rana’s eyes widened as she forgot her words and stared at the scene.
The reward I wanted to give to Seria, who was like a bird in a cage, was the same reward I once sought—freedom, and a break from this monotony.
That means turning her into a magical girl.