Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo Dorei Majutsu - Volume 4 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Heading to a New Town 

Two weeks later... 

Lyferian Kingdom, year 164, on the afternoon of the twentieth day of the seventh month— 

Catching a breeze in its sails, the sand boat sped along. It was a small yacht made of wood that could carry about ten people. But instead of running along ocean waves, it swam through the desert. The hull of the ship was reinforced using magic, allowing it to cut through the waves of sand. 

Shera was over the moon, this being her first time riding on a boat like this. Rem was terrified, while Lumachina kept praying to God the entire time. Diablo already experienced this back in Cross Reverie, but... 

—This feels amazing! 

He was sitting down, arms crossed just like a Demon Lord would, but it was an ordeal trying to keep himself from smiling. 

Their head wrapped in a black cloth, the ship’s captain pointed forward. “Zircon Tower, dead ahead!” 

“Good!” 

On the horizon of the endless brown sand, he could see a twisted, distorted tower with numerous tents surrounding it. 

There was a lake in the middle of a desert (or, in other words, an oasis). And in the center of that lake stood a tower the same color as the sand. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be more like stone than sand, and a precious kind of stone of that. It was slightly transparent, reflecting light within itself in some complex manner and dispersing it. This tower wasn’t a structure made by any of the races, but was said to have been built by the Fallen. 

This was the former Demon Lord’s Domain... 

It was merely thirty years ago when the Demon Lord reigned over this land that other Fallen made their homes here, and all sorts of monsters crept about.

The boat began slowing down, which finally allowed Rem to regain her composure. 

“...I thought we were going to die.” 

“Heh... You’re more of a scaredy-cat than I thought.” 

Her cheeks flushed red. “...It might be hard to imagine for someone like you who has flown in the sky before, but I am not a fan of moving without using my own legs. Things like wagons, and boats...” 

“You just have to get used to it.” 

“...Sure. That aside, we arrived fairly easily.” 

“Should it have been harder?” 

“No, absolutely not... You spoke like you were quite knowledgeable of the Demon Lord’s Domain, but is this not the first time you’ve gone there?” 

“Mhm...” 

Diablo called himself a Demon Lord “from another world,” so it would be a bit strange for him to know about the Demon Lord’s Domain in this world. To be blunt, that made zero sense for his character. 

“That is...because... Wh-While I have never been, I still know about it. Because I am a Demon Lord.” 

Oh, the agony... It was the sort of response that would warrant people making fun of him online. 

Rem nodded. “...So Demon Lords have those kinds of abilities as well. I see.” 

Good girl! Diablo was filled with the almost irresistible urge to pat her on the head. 

Hiding the unrest inside him, Diablo leaned back, arms crossed and acting full of himself. “Of course I would be knowledgeable of a Demon Lord’s Domain, for I am a Demon Lord myself.” 

It was a lot harder than he had expected, with them getting lost, the weather taking a turn for the worst, and having trouble finding a captain... The map for this world alone was far different than the one in Cross Reverie. 

—It was just plain massive. 

It was the same thing with the distance between Faltra and Starfall Tower. Compared with the game, everything was much more vast and open here. Because of that, he kept going the wrong way until he had gotten used to it. Even dungeons that were a straight shot to get through back in the game were all over the place, design-wise. They were natural caves, after all, so maybe that shouldn’t come as a surprise. 

Diablo had also forgotten a portion of the map, which was part of the reason why he had so much trouble. Ever since he became high-level, he would just use the ?Move? feature to get around, so it had been a good long while since he went through the area after leaving Faltra on the way to the Demon Lord’s Domain. 

Normal players may have passed through here countless times with some newly made companions who were just starting out...but Diablo never partied up with anyone before. 

—Oh... I guess I am now, though. 

Lumachina was more like someone he was charged with protecting rather than a friend; but it was Rem and Shera’s first time coming here. 

“So maybe this is what it’s like...” 

The words he unintentionally muttered were drowned out by the sound of the ship scraping against the sand.

The boat approached the pier as they entered the town. Though Diablo called it a pier, it was different from the kind that stuck out into the ocean from the land. They had just crossed a desert to get here, but the sand continued on through the town as well. There wasn’t much difference between here and what they had just crossed over to get to this town. 

The pier formed a slope that would line up with the tall sides of the sand boat, allowing for passengers to climb down to the ground below. Right as Diablo gathered up a particularly large piece of luggage and got ready to jump off the boat— 

“We’re here!” With a shout, Shera leapt from the boat before he could do the same. With a plop, she sank right into the sand where she landed, buried up to her knees. 

“Agyah!?” 

“......We’re going to leave you behind.” 

“A-Are you all right?” 

Rem and Lumachina used the pier to disembark; Diablo decided it would be smart for him to use it as well. 

“Wait, wait, wait! I can’t get out!!” 

The more she struggled to free herself, the more she would sink deeper into the sand. It was harder to break free than it looked when a ton of sand got on top of your feet. 

Diablo ultimately grabbed Shera by the collar, dragging her out. Sand came pouring off her, with even her boots being full of the stuff. Because of the difference in their body types, Diablo managed to get through the ordeal by only sinking a little. 

“Hmph.” 

“Th-Thanks, Diablo~” She squeezed him tight. 

† 

After they had gone some distance away from the sand boat— 

They arrived at a place that looked to be the main road. Tents as round as fluffy pancakes lined both sides of the street, the sandy road continuing on into the heart of the town. 

A swarm of kids came bustling over to them. 

““We’ll carry your bags! We’ll carry your bags!”” 

—There was nothing like this in the game... 

Just as Shera seemed like she would take them up on their offer, Rem stopped her. 

“You can’t. If you have them carry your things, they’re going to demand you pay them for it.” 

“I-I see...” 

“We don’t have anything heavy enough to warrant them carrying it for us, so let’s just do it ourselves.” 

“Yeah!” 

Lumachina looked heartbroken. She was probably empathizing with these impoverished kids. 

Rem spoke up. “...They are wearing those rags on purpose. Looking at their faces, you can tell they are actually eating well. This is just a way for them to earn some pocket money for themselves.” 

“Is that true!?” 

“...There are children like this in every town. It’s not limited to just the former Demon Lord’s Domain.” 

A look of shock on her face, Lumachina looked around. The greedy kids in question were currently keeping their distance from Diablo. His horns and the pitch-black outfit he wore made it hard to approach him, it seemed.

Diablo started walking toward the tower. There were no changes to be found along the sandy ground, but the amount of buildings around them kept growing. He never thought about it back in the game, but it came as a bit of a shock that people could build these stone structures on top of sand you would start sinking into if you weren’t careful. They must have come up with some kind of trick to make that work. 

“Oh, flowers!” Lumachina exclaimed as she pointed. 

In the midst of this barren land, there was a flowerbed in front of one of the buildings. 

Rem smiled. “...It seems easy to get water around here.” 

“It does smell like water here, after all,” Shera said, and pointed ahead of them. 

There was a lake at the end of the road. Gentle, sparkling ripples spread through the water. Zircon Tower existed in Cross Reverie with almost the exact same layout, but instead of a lake, there was only a moat surrounding the tower. 

—Well, since it was a game, it was a small location that only had the buildings you needed for gameplay purposes. 

The city of Zircon Tower in this world had children, and parents for those children. They even had restaurants and clothing stores, too.

“What the hell’s this!? It’s way different than what you said!”

Diablo heard a high-pitched voice. 

—A kid? 

Taking a look for himself, four guys, obviously Adventurers, were arguing with a rabbit-eared Grasswalker boy. Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be an Adventurer as well. He wore lightweight leather armor, and had a shortsword strapped to his back. Though Grasswalkers always looked like children no matter how old they got, he was most likely no child. 

As the Grasswalker stormed closer, a Pantherian shoved him back by the shoulder. 

“You were useless, so of course you’d get a lower reward!” 

“What the hell, I was useful! I guided you around! I opened the lock for you! There was even treasure, wasn’t there!?” 

“You mean how all those strong as hell monsters jumped in out of nowhere and got us all killed!” 

“What!?” 

—A monster room, huh. One of the standard traps. 

Diablo even used them before in his own personal dungeon. 

There were numerous dungeons to be found in the former Demon Lord’s Domain, and it looked like these guys were a party of Adventurers who had just cleared one of them. Items and experience were automatically distributed in Cross Reverie, which meant there was no way to forcibly steal them from others. Even so, there were some people who claimed leechers who didn’t contribute anything should hand over their rewards... 

But Diablo was always a solo player, so that never concerned him. Thank goodness for that, since it let him avoid all that grief. 

—If you’re gonna play an MMORPG, then you gotta do it as a solo player! 

The Pantherian was showing off some type of longsword. 

“This is a pretty slick sword. I’ll be putting it to good use.” 

The blade was wreathed in flames. The other Adventurers were jeering and making a big deal over it. 

“Woo, that’s sick!” “Nice one, man!” “Let’s try it out right now!” 

—Is that a ?Red Sword?? 

Diablo had seen this weapon before. He always thought it to be an R-rank piece of trash back in the game, but it seemed to be quite a valuable weapon in this world. Players would try all sorts of reckless things to try and gather rare materials in the game, risking their lives without a second thought. The penalty for dying wasn’t a light one, but it wasn’t like your whole account got deleted or anything. 

But dying in this world meant that was it for you. There were a limited amount of people who would risk going out to gather rare materials, which meant this world was flooded with low-tier weapons. 

—Now that I think about it, I left a Red Sword in one of the monster rooms I built in my dungeon. This is just a coincidence...right? 

“That sword’s worth something like 10,000,000 friths, right!?” the Grasswalker persisted. “What’s the deal with only giving me a single silver piece then!?” 

One silver piece was worth 4,000 friths. It was definitely no way to treat someone who had braved a dungeon with you. 

The Pantherian bared his fangs. “If we weren’t there for ya, you’d be monster food right about now!” 

“And if I wasn’t there, you would’ve never made it to the treasure in the first place!” 

“Oh, so ya wanna go, huh? I’d be okay with trying this baby out on ya first, ya know?” 

He pointed the sword at the Grasswalker. The flames were only an effect, so it didn’t actually give off heat, but the Grasswalker still backed off in a panic. 

“Mhgh...” 

“That’s just the right amount for a Grasswalker who only snuck around and hid the whole time.” 

“...But you said we would split everything equally.” 

“What was that!?” Intimidating him, the threatening tone of his voice made it seem like he would slash the Grasswalker at any second. 

The Grasswalker nodded begrudgingly. “N-Nah... This is fine.” 

“You shoulda just said that from the beginning. If you’re fine with that, then we’ll end up usin’ ya again. Gehahah! See ya!” 

Guffawing all the while, the four Adventurers disappeared into a bar. It was still early afternoon, but bars usually kept their doors open while it was light out, serving lunch to customers. 

After the other Adventurers were gone, the Grasswalker raised the silver coin above his head. 

“Like hell it’s fine, you cheating bastard! Get bent!” He made to hurl the coin to the ground—but ended up shoving it into his pocket anyways.

After seeing the whole incident play out alongside Diablo, Rem shrugged her shoulders. “...You see things like that everywhere.” 

“Even back in Faltra?” 

“...There were times I was given a lower reward than everyone else just because I was a girl.” 

“That is utterly idiotic.” 

“...Yes, it is. I didn’t hesitate to use my Summons on those people, however.” 

“As you should.” 

Shera and Lumachina were having an animated conversation about the proper way to raise flowers as they stood in front of the flowerbed. It seemed they hadn’t heard a word of the other Adventurers’ conversation. 

† 

“Are you guys Adventurers?” The Grasswalker from before called out to Diablo and the others. 

Because of his quirky short hair, his sharp voice, and the animated expression on his face, he looked extremely cheerful. His rabbit ears swayed from side to side, and judging by his other looks, he was an explorer. It looked like he had a surprisingly unabashed personality. 

“What?” Diablo crossed his arms as he answered. 

Sensing that this could lead to trouble fast, Rem interjected. “...We’re Adventurers who have come from Faltra, but what about it?” 

“Faltra? Aw, so you’re just here on a shopping trip?” 

“...We are in charge of protecting a certain person, though that will end after today.” 

“Oh, gotcha! Hey, do you wanna head to a dungeon? You’ve already come all the way to Zircon Tower, so I don’t think there’s any harm in taking on a new dungeon while you’re at it!” 

“...A new dungeon?” 

“Yeah, I found a really good one pretty recently! You can just tell by the weird entrance, the place ain’t normal. The treasure you can find in there is in a league of its own, I tell ya!” 

“...It certainly sounds interesting.” 

“How ’bout it? I’ll even introduce you to a well-experienced dungeon guide who’s also a pro at getting locks open—that’s me!” He stuck out his thumb, pointing at himself. 

—Taking on a dungeon, huh. 

True, it would be ridiculous to go back empty-handed. Diablo thought it might not be a bad idea to go after they finished their job of protecting Lumachina. 

“...What is this ‘weird’ entrance like?” Rem asked. 

“That’s just something you’ll have to look forward to after partying up with me... Is what I want to say, but I’ll let you know, just for you.”

“The lion statue in front of the doors can move and attack people.”

The Grasswalker spoke with an air of grand importance. Hearing this, the breath caught in Diablo’s throat. 

—What was that!? 

“T-Tell me more!” He suddenly grabbed the Grasswalker by the shoulders. 

“Ah!?” 

“You! Does that dungeon have thirteen floors to it!?” 

“I-I don’t know about that, we only went to the third floor...” 

“The third floor, which means... After you defeated the green, black, red, blue, dark green, dark yellow slimes in order, they must have dropped a key, right!?” 

“What, is that for real!? I mean, yeah, there were a bunch of different colored slimes hanging around and all...” 

“Was [F43] written above the door to that floor!?” 

“I think so, yeah... Probably...?” 

“Ah...!!” 

—That’s my dungeon, isn’t it!? 

The old retro game he took that from didn’t exist in this world, so it may have been a bit too hard for them to figure out. 

The Grasswalker started asking questions of his own. “Hey, just who are you!? Is everything you said true!? You know about a fourth floor!?” 

“Well, about that...” 

It would be stupid to tell the Grasswalker everything here. If this really was Diablo’s dungeon, his Storage would be on the bottom floor. It was a treasure room that contained all the items he had collected in the game, and he had no intention of letting anyone else have them. 

He let go of the Grasswalker’s shoulders. “You should forget about it.” 

“Wha... Like hell I can! You’re some kinda amazing Adventurer, aren’t’cha, mister!? C’mon, let’s go do that dungeon together! I can be useful, you know!” 

Picking up on where this could be going, Rem changed the topic. She was truly a clever girl. 

“...Pardon me, but do you know anything about Batutta, the captain of the Paladins? We’ve come here to meet him.” 

“Huh...? That big-wig from the Church? Mmm... Yeah, he lives on the western side of town...” The Grasswalker frowned. 

—Does he have some kind of beef with this guy? 

As they were talking, Shera came running over. 

“Diablo, over there!” 

“Hm?” 

Lumachina stood in the middle of the street, exchanging heated glares with some Human man wearing armor. 

—Uh-oh, trouble!? Crap, I got too caught up in talking about the dungeon! 

Rem hastily sprinted over to them. 

“D-Did something happen!?” she said as she got in between Lumachina and the man in armor. 

“This girl came over and started pickin’ a fight with me!” He spat out in frustration. He pointed toward Lumachina, who didn’t take a single step back from the towering giant as she glared at him. 

“I cannot simply overlook you striking a woman who was asking for help!” 

There was a woman to the side of them, a Pantherian, who looked to be about thirty years old. She was sitting flat on the ground, and held a baby wrapped in cloth tightly to herself. As Lumachina and the man argued, she seemed too shaken up to do anything else. 

“If you want the priest’s help, then get in line and pay a donation!” the man said with disgust. “It’s the same as if you took the sniveling brat into a place where people are eating; you’re just causing trouble for everyone! Someone who’s causing trouble for other people is gonna get kicked, that’s just how it is!” 

“Do you think you are without sin? If you think you can get away with doing anything to those less fortunate than you, then you will be punished in excess for your transgressions.” 

“Hah! Like hell I have sin! I’m part of the Paladin Brigade, after all!” 

Lumachina made a curious face. “Huh? What is this Paladin ‘Brigade’?” 

Now that she mentioned it, the insignia of the Church was emblazoned on the man’s armor. His armor wasn’t anything as fancy as what Paladins would normally wear, and looked to be a bit more on the cheap side, like something an Adventurer would sport. That said, anyone who wasn’t related to the Church wouldn’t be able to wear that symbol on their armor. 

Something tugged on Diablo’s cape; it was the Grasswalker from before. 

“You’re still here?” 

“That’s cold, man! But this is bad, that guy’s part of the Paladin Brigade!” 

“And just what is that? I know of Paladins, but not this ‘Brigade’ part.” 

“I’d say they’re trying to copy them. These guys are soldiers of the Church, and rough ones at that. They’re pretty much like bandits. I don’t know what it’s like in other towns, but they sure like to throw around their weight here.” 

“I see.” 

They had come to ask Batutta for help... 

—But we may be out of luck on that, seeing as his subordinates act like this. 

From what he could figure out from the argument between this guy and Lumachina: It seemed like the Pantherian was a mother who had come to request a miracle from God to heal her baby. This guy saw her as a nuisance and kicked her. Lumachina saw what happened, and started giving him an angry lecture. 

Her life was in danger, so Diablo didn’t want her going around causing trouble... But if she was the type of person who could pretend not to see when violence was being used against the weak, then the Cardinal Authority never would have been after her life in the first place.

Lumachina was in the middle of her sermon on how “there is sin in everyone.” 

“This was written in the third chapter of the Scriptures of Genesis, that all persons are born bearing sin...” It seemed she had these things perfectly memorized. 

If this man claimed to be part of the Church, it had to be a verse he heard at least once before. 

A faint light began emanating from Lumachina’s body. As she recited the scriptures, magic energy overflowed from her being. This was a phenomenon caused by prayer, so it would be more accurate to say it was something completely different that was coming out of her. 

The wind grew stronger, and sand danced in the air. These abnormal incidents caused birds to fly away from the lake and, in the distance, Diablo could hear dogs howling. 

Nothing about the Church’s doctrines were made clear in Cross Reverie. Considering the game was a European fantasy, he thought it was probably based off the usual religions... But not going too deeply into religion or politics was the standard for this sort of mindless entertainment. 

And as the man from the Paladin Brigade was losing the mental battle with Lumachina, he finally snapped. 

“Acting all high and mighty, just shut up already!” 

“You will listen to me!” 

“No worthless Adventurer can force ME, a member of the mighty Paladin Brigade, to listen to your stupid lecture!” 

Tightening his hand into a fist, he threw a punch at Lumachina.

Tenma’s Staff smashed into the man’s face, sending him flying away in spectacular fashion.

He flew back about five meters, sliding another five as he scraped along the ground, coming to a stop after being buried halfway in the sand. 

“Hmph...” Diablo shrugged. “Seems like it was a case of ‘in one ear and out the other.’ There isn’t anything you can say to someone like him.” 

Arguing must have been a regular thing around here, since most of the people around them hadn’t paid any mind beforehand. But he definitely drew their attention after sending a member of the Paladin Brigade flying ten meters away, as a commotion broke out among the bystanders. 

Surprisingly enough, the man stood back up. Sand spilled off his armor, and blood trickled down from the side of his mouth. 

“Ugah... You... You bastards...!!” 

“Well, well. Aren’t you a tough one.” 

—His level might be even higher than Emile’s... But that’s what I’d expect from someone living out here in the former Demon Lord’s Domain. 

“You just defied the Church, didn’t you, asshole!?” 

“This again... Weaklings are always so quick to make themselves seem like they are one and the same with whatever organization they claim to belong to. Or perhaps it’s because you identify yourself with such a large organization that you think you can be so arrogant?” 

“It’s too late for you now! I’m gonna purge you where you stand, right here, right now!” 

The man drew his sword. The onlookers that gathered around them let out gasps of shock and backed away. Now that Diablo didn’t have to worry about them getting caught up in the fight, this made things easier for him. 

Rem and the others were already well-versed in how he fought, staying behind him and backing a short distance away. The mother and child at the center of all this turmoil were being taken care of as well. 

—Good grief... Now, how should I hold myself back this time? Should I break out the ?Prototype Great Scythe? ? ...No, I’m up against someone who’s more capable than a level 50 Warrior. There’s a chance using that weapon could cause me to struggle when I fight against him. I’ve got someone I need to protect, too, so I can’t take any chances here, no matter how small. 

The basic rule for any escort quest was to never let the enemy get close. 

Diablo took aim with Tenma’s Staff. “Be blown away! ?Explosion?!!” 

Though it was only a spell you would learn at level 50, Diablo’s high-level stats gave it more oomph than usual. 

He unleashed the spell at the ground. Standing with his sword drawn, the Paladin was blown away by the aftershock of the explosion. Even though they were a good distance away, even the townsfolk were in a panic from the hot wind it gave off. 

The plumes of black smoke cleared and an enormous hole laid open in the ground. The townspeople...all appeared to be okay. 

—Phew, thank goodness for that. I don’t want to cause so much trouble for everyone if I can help it. 

The man from the Paladin Brigade was once again buried halfway in the sand, but he bolted back upright. 

“Augh... Agagh!?” 

“Hmph... So you’re still alive. Consider yourself a fortunate man.” 

“Wha...!? You’re...an Elemental Sorcerer!?” 

“So you want another taste, do you? Very well then, this next one will turn you into ash!” 

A threat, of course, but an effective one. When he pointed his staff at the Brigade member, the color drained from the man’s face, and he threw his sword away as he fled. 

“Eeeeeeeeeeek~~!!” 

“Heh heh heh... What am incredibly dull weakling he was.” 

Though he was acting full of himself, on the inside, Diablo heaved a sigh of relief. He didn’t know what he would have done if the guy didn’t run away. 

† 

Everyone around them was in a complete uproar. 

—Was that bad? Was it a mistake to use magic in the middle of town in broad daylight!? 

He was acting as if he was detached from it all, like a Demon Lord would, but a cold sweat broke out along his back. Rem and Shera were having trouble with how to cope with the current situation. 

Lumachina spoke to the Pantherian mother. “You said earlier that you needed the Church’s help, correct?” 

“Y-Yes! My baby!” 

She had to have been rattled after seeing an explosion go off so near to her, but even so, she made it seem like there wasn’t much time left when it came to her child. 

—A mom, huh... 

She unwrapped the cloth covering the baby. There were eight black “X” marks on their leg, as if someone had drawn them on there. Diablo couldn’t help but react with a short yelp of surprise. He had seen something like this in Cross Reverie as well. 

Lumachina looked at him curiously. “What is it?” 

With great difficulty, the mother plead her case. “It’s the Death Knell disease, an illness that has been spreading around this town... Marks keep appearing on the afflicted, and once the ninth one appears... Th-They die...” 

“What was that!?” 

“It can be healed if they receive a miracle from a priest, but...” 

“Then let’s hurry and head to the church!” 

“I can’t...” 

“Why not!?” 

“Th-That’s because...” It seemed hard for the mother to get the words out.

“She doesn’t have the money.”

His teeth gritted, the Grasswalker boy from earlier cut in. “These Church guys can do all these amazing miracles, but they charge crazy high prices for them. And not just for the Death Knell disease, they do the same thing for other sicknesses, too.” 

“How can that be...! This child’s life is in danger!” 

“I don’t know how other towns do it, but that’s just how it is here. You saw it yourself, that Paladin Brigade jerk kicked her because she asked for help, even though her kid’s in trouble.” 

Shoulders shaking, the mother hugged her child tight. Once there were nine “X” marks, the afflicted would die. The baby already had eight. 

Diablo tried to speak up—but what could he say? His knowledge of the Death Knell disease was something he learned from the game. The cause and treatment for this world’s version of it might be completely different.

Lumachina clenched her hands. “I understand! I will heal them!” 

“...Huh? Look, it’s not that simple...” the Grasswalker said, looking doubtful. 

Taking out the holy symbol from around her chest, she turned toward the child. 

“It’s the first time I have seen a disease such as this, but the gods will be sure to protect them; our prayers will certainly reach them. Isn’t that right?” She turned to look at Diablo. 

—She still thinks I’m a god, huh. No matter how much you pray to me, though, I can’t even cure a sniffle. 

“Hmph...” Diablo gave a magnanimous nod. “You should be able to do it, considering it’s you. Ah, but...hm... Do not worry about me, and just do everything like you normally would.” 

“All right!” She nodded, her eyes brimming with confidence. 

“Would you happen to be a priestess...?” the mother beseeched her. 

“An inexperienced one, but yes.” 

Despite the fact she was on sand, the mother threw herself to the ground, her head bowed low. 

“Please! Please save my child!” 

“Very well. Then let us pray together. God will be sure to save them.” 

“P-Please!” 

“Of course!” 

Lumachina knelt in front of the baby, reciting words of prayer. 

“O great Lord in Heaven, let the voice of those who seek salvation reach you. Heal this child of the wicked disease that ails them. Grant them your gracious compassion for their sins, and allow them life...” 

Trembling, the mother clasped her hands together. The townspeople watching began kneeling down one after the other, Rem and Shera included. 

Diablo started to feel uneasy. He was the only one standing, which made him stick out like a sore thumb. But him kneeling down somewhat went against the whole Demon Lord image he was going for, not to mention that he tricked Lumachina into thinking he was a god himself. 

Diablo put some distance between himself and the prayer circle, cooling himself off in the shade of one of the nearby buildings. 

“Phew...” 

“You not gonna pray?” 

“Mm?” 

The Grasswalker boy had followed him, an amiable grin on his face. “My name’s Horn. What’s yours, boss?” 

“I am Diablo, a Demon Lord from another world.” 

“Eh...?” He seemed a bit surprised, but he didn’t pry any further, probably thinking it was just a joke or a nickname. 

“Are you not going to pray, either?” 

“Not a big fan of ‘God’ and all that. Never even been to church.” 

The people of this world were deeply religious, so it was rare to find someone who had never even been to a church before. 

Horn gave a bitter smile. “They make you fork over those ‘contributions’ if you go, right? But I’m dead broke.” 

“Hm...” 

“I came to Zircon Tower ’cause I thought I’d be able to strike it rich here...but that’s not working out too well.” 

“So it seems.” 

“That’s why we should head to the dungeon together, boss!” 

Diablo barely managed to stop himself from agreeing. 

—It’s dangerous to let myself get tricked by his childlike appearance. He’s a Grasswalker, so he may be even older than me. 

“I’m busy at the moment.” 

Considering how the guy from the Paladin Brigade acted, and the fact they would abandon the life of a child, demand contribution to help, Diablo felt Batutta couldn’t be trusted. He never thought Lumachina would be the one to handle all this. If that was the case, then what should they do to protect her from the Cardinal Authority? 

“Hm?” 

He turned around after sensing an intense magic energy that was being caused by Lumachina’s praying. A pillar of light reached up into the heavens, giving off a light even more brilliant than the last time he saw it. Was the effect being enhanced because of all the other people who joined in prayer with her? 

Horn craned his neck, looking curious. “Is there something up in the sky?” 

“Well...” It seemed like normal people weren’t able to see it. 

Suddenly, cheers and applause erupted from the prayer circle. 

“All right!” “The marks are gone!” “This is friggin’ amazin’!” 

As she hugged her child close to her, the mother kept bowing her head as if she were trying to bury her forehead in the sand. 

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you...!” 

The baby began crying a healthy cry. 

Lumachina wiped the sweat from her brow. “I’m so glad. I really am.” 

Rem and Shera exchanged smiles. 

“...Just what I would expect from her.” 

“Yay! All right!” 

The calls of admiration and praise from the townspeople didn’t stop; someone started singing a hymn, and eventually, it turned into a chorus of people singing along. 

—Man, thank goodness for that! 

Diablo’s face broke into a small smile. 

Horn went slack jawed. “Holy crap! It takes the priests hours of praying to even start making the marks disappear! Did she actually do it!? Sh-She’s amazing! She’s the real deal, an actual priestess!” 

“Heh... Of course she would be able to do that much.” 

If this was something even the local priests could cure, then the High Priest should be able to do it, too—is what he had been thinking, but there was a chance the healing process required special know-how or tools as well. Either way, he was relieved to see she had been able to cure the child after all.

—Seeing as that’s taken care of, the real problem is over here... 

Diablo turned his attention to the road ahead of him. “So, they’re here.” 

A look of shock overtook Horn’s face. “Waugh!? They’re here already!? Y-You guys should scram, and fast!” 

A group of about twenty Paladin Brigade members advanced toward them, with the guy Diablo had sent flying earlier leading the pack. 

Diablo stood in the middle of the road to greet them. 

“Hey, Horn, or whatever your name is... If you do not want to get caught up in this, then get—” 

He was already gone. 

—Damn, he runs away fast! 

That was a Grasswalker for you. Though they were fragile and lacked power, they were a race that specialized in covert ops and possessed high agility. 

“Well, the less people around, the easier it is for me to fight, so it all works out.” 

Diablo readied Tenma’s Staff. 

† 

Diablo anticipated that he would have to beat up another twenty guys from the Paladin Brigade. However... 

—What’s going on here? 

The townspeople formed a wall in front of Diablo and the others. It was all the people who prayed with Lumachina earlier.

This wall was standing in the way of the Paladin Brigade, and every single one of the people wore a look of determination on their faces.

“Get out of here, Paladin Brigade!” “Yeah, that’s right!” “We’re not gonna let you lay a finger on them!” 

Diablo was shocked. 

—So this is the influence of the High Priest! 

He never thought she would turn everyone around her into believers with just a single prayer. They had no idea of the status she held; they simply admired what she had done, and became a shield to protect her from the Paladin Brigade. They didn’t even have any weapons. 

—They’re risking their lives for people they’ve only just met... That’s like a cheat in and of itself. This was so easy that I couldn’t even use it as material for a nation-building story if I wanted to. It’s on the same level as having the influence of a king. 

This was a far cry from Diablo, who had never even been in a party, let alone been able to make a single friend in-game.

If the Paladin Brigade were to back off because of the repeated calls telling them to get lost, they never would have been labeled as being almost like bandits. 

A Pantherian several times larger than the others stepped forward, though he looked more like a bear than a panther at this point. 

“Gufufu... Well ain’t this interestin’. I don’t know what the hell happened here, but I’m gonna remind you of the power of the Church!” 

He was carrying a spear that was bigger than his entire body—a lance. It was usually something you would use while riding on the back of a horse, not on foot, but this guy swung the thing around like it was a cane. He wouldn’t know unless he actually fought the guy, but Diablo pegged the lance-wielder to be someone he wouldn’t have to hold back against. 

There was no one in the group who was dressed like a Paladin, which must have meant Batutta hadn’t shown up. 

—Now then, what to do? 

There was a wall of people between Diablo’s group and the Paladin Brigade. He appreciated their mettle in becoming a shield for them, but at this rate, they would only get caught up in his spells. 

—It takes a second to get ready, but maybe ?Volcanic Wall?? That way I can make a wall of fire between the people and the Brigade. 

Should I throw in a Burst Rain on top of that? Would I kill them if I scored a direct hit? 

From what he could gather of his enemy’s HP and POW (their magic resistance), he could calculate the kind of damage he would do to them.

The sound of a warning bell broke through the tensions.

Though the Paladin Brigade and the townspeople were staring daggers at each other until now, pandemonium broke out on both sides. 

—What just happened!? 

Someone shouted:

“It’s a monster, a gigantic monster! It’s a ?Sand Whale?!!”

Those words were tantamount to the coming of a great disaster. 

† 

There existed a sand ship that could have more than a hundred people riding on it, known as a “Galleon-class” ship. It had three sails, with three masts to go along with them, each mast standing sixty meters high. The sails of the giant ship were fully spread out as it moved ahead at full speed. 

It was running away from something. 

There was an enormous crossbow on the deck of the ship, its drawstring operated by a handle, but no one bothered to use it to fend off their pursuer—and that was simply because there was no point. All they could do now was pray to God and the wind. 

The Galleon-class ship, a vessel much larger than the one Diablo and the others had taken, was being chased by a monster several times larger than even that, throwing clouds of sand in the air as it pursued them. It was a beige-colored whale, swimming through the ocean of sand. Its exterior was as hard as stone, and could even rival dragon scales in toughness. It was said the weapons of the races couldn’t put a single scratch on it. The length of its body totaled more than 300 meters long, and it boasted the largest mouth of any monster in this world. If it plunged itself into the town, it could devour the buildings in droves. Large enough that it could be described as a mountain or an island, it was a monster that rivaled a Green Behemoth or Sea Serpent in size.

The townspeople, the Paladin Brigade—none of that mattered anymore. Screams of terror, cries of indignation, and public outcry all mixed together. 

“Why is it heading toward town!?” “We hafta get outta here!” “To where!? We’re not gonna make it now!” “The Paladin Captain might be able to do something!” “Someone hurry up and get him!” “Oh gods, it’s already this close! It’s overrrr!!” 

Since Batutta was the governor of this town, it seemed the people thought he might be able to do something about this. 

It was considerably close now, and they could all see the Sand Whale clearly. It probably wouldn’t even take it ten minutes to arrive. 

Someone with good eyesight was squinting at the horizon, and Diablo managed to overhear the ensuing conversation: 

“Oh, goddammit! Those idiots are heading toward the town on a sand ship!” 

“They’re running away to here!?” 

“No, they’re a bit off course for that! Sunnuva—they’re trying to force the monster into town so they can get away!” 

“Whaaaaat!?” 

The sand along the ground began to shake, making them feel the tremors in the earth. Was it because the Sand Whale was approaching? He could have never experienced anything like this back in the game. 

Rem and Shera came running over to him. 

“D-Diablo, how should we handle this!?” 

“Waaaaah! Whadda we do, whadda we do, whadda we dooooo!?” 

Lumachina was with them as well. She was staying stoic and keeping a stiff upper lip, but he could tell she was afraid by how her knees were slightly trembling. 

Even though they knew it was pointless, the townspeople began to flee for their lives. The Sand Whale was approaching from the east, so they were all running to the west. 

—If I use that Flight spell I practiced earlier, I could get only us out of here... 

The townspeople staggered over to Lumachina, gathering around her. There were about thirty of them kneeling around her in prayer. 

“God...” “Save us...” “Please, O Lord...” 

Lumachina was at a loss; she didn’t know what she should be doing. But that was understandable. They were all suddenly put face-to-face with a situation that could be called a calamity, after all. 

Diablo sighed. 

—This is why I’m so bad when it comes to religion. Whenever something beyond your control happens, everyone just starts turning to God for help. Even if you can’t do anything by yourself, there are so many other things you could do, like cooperate with other people, or find someone else you can rely on. 

Though they knew it to be pointless, even the other people who were running westward were better than these believers. 

—But the reason I think like that may just be due to how little a presence religion actually has in Japan. 

In any case, running away by themselves using Flight magic was probably out of the question. Lumachina wouldn’t be happy with that, for sure. 

Diablo stood on the sand, fixing his glare on the Sand Whale. It kept getting closer, kicking up clouds of sand as it moved. 

—Ah, well, guess I’ll get to it! 

“Rem!” 

“Y-Yes!” 

“I’m going to use Multiplex Magic, so be wary of our surroundings! This leaves me fairly exposed.” 

“Understood...! I will send out Summons that you can use as a shield.” 

“Shera, you protect Lumachina. Don’t let any suspicious characters get anywhere near her. If they do, shoot them.” 

“A-Alrighty, will do! I’ll send out my Turkey Shot to keep a lookout, too!” 

Lumachina stood surrounded by believers (at this point, it should be all right to call them that) who were all offering prayers to God. He didn’t think they would try to approach her, but this was all just to be on the safe side. 

Shera pulled out her black bow, positioning herself next to Lumachina. She sent her round, plump Summon flying in the air. Though it was slow and weak, it had the ability to observe everything that was happening from up in the skies. 

Rem sent out her ?Stone Golem? and newly acquired ?Iron Gorilla?, two Summons that excelled in tank roles. 

Diablo concentrated on his target, but his hands were shaking. 

—Damn, this is making me nervous... 

This was a spell he used even less than Apocalypse Abyss, after all. He was locked in place until it activated, and he wouldn’t be able to cast other spells. He learned it because of how much of a punch it packed, but for a solo player like Diablo, he didn’t really get the chance to use it. 

—Can I use a spell I don’t really have that much experience with in this world? 

He remembered the first time he used magic, right after he had been summoned to this world. His pulse was pounding. 

Diablo aimed Tenma’s Staff at his target. 

—Multiplex Magic! 

It was a technique that layered three spells on top of each other, firing them as one. It took an inordinate amount of time to prepare, and would be canceled if the caster took damage while in the middle of it, draining them of a huge chunk of MP. On top of that, it was treated as a “special ability” which meant he couldn’t use it multiple times in a row. If it didn’t activate now, it would be a little while before he would be able to try again. 

Basically, this was a make-or-break battle. 

Diablo began chanting the first of the three spells:

“Darkness blacker than black, born from the gloom of the underworld, congregate and form into an arc... ?Dark Arc Seek?!”

The tip of his staff acting as a central point, a black light extended both above and below it. It now looked something similar to the bow Shera carried, but its size was incomparable. The lower end of the arc was entering into the ground, while the upper portion was several times taller than Diablo’s full height.

“Void that swallows all of creation, come to me... ?Black Hole Arrow?!”

A pitch-dark sphere appeared from the top of his staff. It was a hole, one that devoured everything, light or otherwise.

The tremors were growing more intense, and the tents were starting to collapse. Cracks appeared in the stone buildings as the fleeing ship passed along the side of the town. They really were trying to push the Sand Whale into the town so only they could escape. 

—But I need to ignore that for now. 

A monster as large as the city itself was approaching them. The Sand Whale cracked open its cavernous mouth. 

Diablo’s heart rate skyrocketed. Terror welled up inside him, and his breathing became more uneven. This was far different from what he remembered seeing on his computer screen!

—W-Will a single person’s magic...even work on a monster that’s as big as a mountain!? 

Doubt appeared in his mind.

—No, now’s not the time to falter! This is just like when I first used magic here! Believe in yourself, me! No— believe in Diablo! I am Diablo, a Demon Lord from another world!! 

“Arrow of the void, pierce through and wedge between the boundary of heaven and earth! ?Gravity Abyss?!!”

He bellowed with all his might and sent the sparkling black arrow flying toward the gigantic monster. 

The atmosphere itself trembled as the crystallization of these three ultimate spells scored a direct hit on the tip of the Sand Whale’s nose. 

Then the spell activated. A black hole ripped away the monster’s tough hide. The skin tough enough to rival dragon scales was being torn from its body, sucked away into a hole so small that it couldn’t even be seen from a distance. 

The monster’s advance was stopped.

—Oh, hell yeah! It worked...!! 

While posing victoriously on the inside, Diablo kept his gaze fixed on the monster, a cold expression on his face. Before long, there came a reverse shock wave, and a force that pulled everything toward the monster reached the town. It felt as if something were pushing him from the back. 

Sand was starting to gather toward the Sand Whale. Tents went flying, and small objects were knocked all over the place. A portion of a broken stone wall went sailing toward it. Even people were almost dragged away by the vacuum, but the others around them managed to grab hold and pull them back in. 

The typhoon-level winds continued to blow with tremendous fury. Diablo could hear the sound of solid objects breaking in rapid succession as the Sand Whale was slowly falling into the super-miniaturized hole. 

The air shook. 

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRHHHHHHHHHHN!!” 

—Is that the scream a large monster makes? 

At any rate, this thing was huge. Too huge. 

The spell’s effect was going to run out soon, and it still hadn’t brought down the enormous beast. 

Diablo mulled over what other magic he could use. He wouldn’t be able to use anything like Multiplex Magic for a while, so another high-damage spell that would be effective against a Sand Whale would have to be... 

† 

A flash of light came from a corner of the town. Diablo could sense that it was imbued with a substantial amount of SP.

It was a long range Martial Art. 

He didn’t know what weapon the user was wielding, so the name of the technique was unclear, but it was definitely a Martial Art, no doubt about it. It didn’t have the same power as the Multiplex Magic Diablo used since spells were the only things that possessed enough power to change the terrain itself. Warriors, however, were able to use their special attacks one after the other. 

Flashes of light were fired off in quick succession. Its advance halted and the plating on its snout stripped away because of Diablo’s Gravity Abyss, the Sand Whale was taking steady damage from the assault.

On top of that, the next he knew, the sound of gunfire was coming from behind him. It was a noise that shook Diablo to the core, like he was listening to a tank fire its main gun. Not only did it reach his eardrums, but it was something he could feel with his skin. 

*BOOM!* 

*BOOM!* 

*BOOM!* 

The sound kept repeating. And then, about ten seconds later, the Sand Whale’s body exploded. A chain of explosions rocked the monster’s hardened exterior, as if someone planted bombs under its skin. 

*BAM!* 

*BAM!* 

*BAM!* 

—Could this be...a magi gun!? 

One of the higher level classes available for an Archer who invested in their Magic stat was called a ?Magi Gunner?. Considering the average level of this world was so low, he thought they might not even exist... Yet here they were. 

Magi guns were a unique type of weapon used by Magi Gunners that fired bullets imbued with magic. By adding more magic when firing, they could unleash attacks which had enough power to rival that of Elemental spells. 

When the class was first implemented in Cross Reverie, it was so overpowered that it had to be constantly nerfed. Players bashed Magi Gunners when they were first introduced to the game, being called everything from “broken,” to “official cheats,” and even “balance breakers.” 

—If the original version of the class exists in this world, they’d be a real pain in the ass to deal with. 

The air shook once more at the scream of the Sand Whale. Writhing in agony, it sank down into the sand. 

—Did we beat it? Or did it just run away? There aren’t any post-battle results to see like in the game, and you don’t get any EXP or item drops, either. 

Because of this, he couldn’t confirm the outcome of his battle just now; but at least the tremors were growing smaller, and the sense of oppression that gripped the town was slowly disappearing. One thing was for certain: The Sand Whale had left the vicinity of Zircon Tower.

“Hmph...” Diablo snorted. “What a nuisance that was.” 

“...You really are...unbelievable...” Rem wiped the tears from her eyes. 

Shera came rushing over to him, throwing her arms around him. 

“Yay!! You’re amazing, just like I thought you were! You’re really amazing, Diabloooo!!” As she pressed her chest up against him, it felt like he would slip into a goofy smile at any second. 

—Ah, this is bad! A Demon Lord can’t get dopey over having a busty Elf all over him! 

Gritting his teeth, he peeled Shera off of him. As he tried to push her away, he ended up grabbing a handful of something soft and squishy. 

“Mngh...” Shera moaned softly. “Diablo, you perv.” 

—Th-That wasn’t on purpose, I swear! But making excuses isn’t like a Demon Lord at all. A Demon Lord would never get flustered over boobs! Never! But...then, what do I do!? 

As he stayed deep in thought, his fingers stayed latched onto Shera’s chest, pushing and pulling against it. She turned red all the way to the tips of her long ears. 

“Ah, mm... Diablo, you can’t... Not when we’re outside... Everyone’s watching...” 

—So as long as we’re not outside, then it’s OK!? 

Rem pulled Shera off of him. “Just how long are you going to keep doing that! It’s indecent!” 

The soft sensation left his body. He was relieved, but also somewhat sad, in a way... 

Diablo cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact with Rem’s reproachful gaze. At the very least, he was glad that he protected the town. 

Turning around to look—Lumachina was kneeling down, her hands clasped together. 

“My God... Thank you! You have my sincerest gratitude!” 

Those words were meant for Diablo, it seemed. But the people around them would never think that Lumachina was referring to the Demon in front of her as if he were a god. They simply joined hands and looked upward, offering words of gratitude to the heavens. 

Any normal person may not have even understood that Diablo had used magic. After all, the only thing people thought Elemental magic could do in this world was conjure up a slight breeze.

Despite everything, the Paladin Brigade still remained.

Diablo shrugged his shoulders with a snort. “Hmph. You’re all still here?” 

“Hngh!?” 

When he called out to them, they finally broke out of their collective stupor. Putting himself in their shoes, they were probably all prepared to die after the sudden appearance of the Sand Whale. Then came along this Sorcerer who dared to stand and fight, and who actually managed to repel the beast using Elemental magic with power that surpassed their wildest expectations. It wasn’t hard to imagine them freezing up in shock because of that. 

—Well, I guess there was also that Martial Art and the barrage from the magi gun. 

Diablo aimed his staff at the Paladin Brigade. 

“I will say this now...but I won’t be holding back. For those prepared to turn into ash, take up your swords.” 

In a panic, the bear-like Pantherian threw his lance to the ground. He fell to his knees, head bowed; the other members of the Brigade did the same. 

““W-We’re sorryyyyyy!!”” 

“...Very well.” 

It looked like they now understood the difference in their strengths.

But it didn’t end with this. In a way, something even more troublesome than the Sand Whale had just appeared. 

† 

They arrived on horseback and dismounted—a Paladin. Not one of those fake-looking Paladin Brigade members, but an actual Paladin. They wore a familiar set of armor, and carried a spear that was practically overflowing with magic energy. It was a man in the golden years of his life, somewhere around the same age as Galford. He sported a plentiful beard that came down to his chest. 

I thought he might be a Dwarf...but I guess he’s Human. 

Discrimination against the races was particularly strong back in the capital, with only Humans being appointed to any office of importance. There were no Dwarves among the Paladins, most likely. 

The Paladin looked at Diablo, his already stern expression becoming even more grim. If Galford had a “strict teacher” vibe going for him, then this guy was more like an “ornery boss.” 

The Paladin opened his mouth. “Was it you who used that magic earlier...?” 

Before Diablo could answer, the Paladin Brigade sprung back to their feet. 

“Boss!” They started to get cocky again. 

The man Diablo sent flying earlier swaggered toward him. “Heh heh... Hey, Sorcerer! You acted like you’re such a big man, but all that’s over now! This is the captain of the Paladins, the great Sir Batutta! Whaddya thinka that!” 

“So, it’s as I thought.” 

Diablo was half-disappointed. The captain of the Paladins they went through all this trouble to meet was the leader of a group of thugs. 

Batutta stayed silent. 

—That’s right, I guess he asked me a question. 

Diablo gave a shrug. “If you are referring to the spell that drove off that Sand Whale earlier, then yes, that was my magic. And you, did you use some kind of Martial Art?” 

“Aye. That was my ?Seven Star Blast?.” 

“Hm!?” 

—A level 130 technique!? 

There was still a gap in their stats, but depending on the situation and how he conducted himself in battle, there was a chance he could overpower Diablo in a fight. Considering how much MP Diablo had lost, he anticipated it to be an extremely uphill battle for himself. 

His palms were getting sweaty; it had been a while since he felt this tense. 

The Paladin Brigade wore smug looks of triumph on their faces. 

“Get on your knees, Sorcerer! Know your place! Even if God forgives you for speaking so lightly to Sir Batutta, we won’t!” 

“Tch...” 

The Brigade was absolutely ecstatic, getting carried away more than ever before. In a world like this where level 50 was considered “the strongest in town,” Batutta was level 130 or higher. The Brigade members were making the mistake of thinking that their boss was peerless. 

—Doesn’t look like I’ll be able to avoid a fight. 

As he glared at them all, Lumachina came to Diablo’s side. 

—Whoa, whoa, whoa, that’s too dangerous! 

“Is this person Batutta, captain of the Paladins?” 

“Bow down, woman!!” One of the Paladin Brigade members shouted at her, his eyes bloodshot. 

Lumachina ignored his screams of fury, looking only at Batutta. “What is the meaning of this, Captain? What is this Paladin ‘Brigade’ these people claim to be a part of? I do not remember giving permission for anything like that to come about. Did the Cardinal Authority allow it? Or is this something you went and created of your own accord?” 

Batutta had a curious look on his face in response to what she said. He stared at her intently; suddenly, beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. 

“You... You are...” 

A member of the Brigade unsheathed his sword. “Leave this to me, Boss! I’ll show them how they should be acting toward the captain of the Paladins!” 

“...Could you be...the High Priest? You are the High Priest, are you not!?” 

“I believe this to be the first time we meet.” 

“I’ve seen you once when you were just a babe! Th-There is no one else who could possess such divine light!” 

“I see, back when I was an infant... Forgive me for being impolite.” 

Lumachina joined her hands together. The sparkling holy symbol of the Church appeared in front of her chest, emanating a warm, gentle light that spread through the area. The townspeople watching from a distance let out voices of wonderment, joining their hands together and kneeling down. 

“O, Lord...” “She’s the High Priest...” “Truly a venerable sight to behold...” Diablo could hear them whispering. 

“M-My humblest apologies! I cannot apologize enough for my disrespectfulness!” Batutta knelt down as well. 

“Wha!? Huh!? Huh!?!?” 

Seeing their boss bow his head to someone else completely flustered the Brigade members. Their eyes kept darting back and forth to Lumachina. Seeing how bad they were at catching on, Batutta roared at them. 

“You insolent fools! Are you aware just who you stand before!? This is the saint who delivers the word of God to all churches—the High Priest, Lumachina Weselia! Know your place and prostrate yourselves, NOW!!” 

“Eeeeeek!?” 

They seemed more afraid of Batutta’s threatening attitude rather than the meaning of what he said. With both hands on the ground, the members of the Paladin Brigade placed their foreheads against the sand. 

Lumachina breathed a sigh. “God is watching you... Rather than bowing your heads to me, I am sure they would rather you reach out and help those who seek it.” 

“Urk!? E... Eep...” 

The breathing of the man from before grew wilder. He was sweating profusely as his body shook uncontrollably. It seemed like he finally realized just what they were guilty of doing, and who they had done it to.

—You reap what you sow, guys. That should be a good pill for them to swallow. 

Diablo let out a scornful laugh as Rem and Shera huddled up on either side of him. 

“...Well, I feel a bit better now.” 

“Ahaha, me too!” 

Diablo couldn’t disagree with that. 

“...Would this be the end of our escort, then?” Rem asked. 

“She should be fine with this guy, right?” 

Diablo decided not to answer that question just yet. 

† 

“Seems like you have some amusing visitors, you swindlers.”

“Hm!?” 

Batutta took up his spear, looking above him. Diablo glared upward as well, only to see someone standing in the middle of the air. They stood in the sky with nothing to stand upon, their red cape fluttering in the breeze. 

—Is that...?Crimson Wings?!? 

It was a piece of equipment that was about as rare as Diablo’s Curtain of Dark Clouds, and was imbued with Flight magic. Resting on her shoulder was a gun almost as long as the entire length of her body. 

—Was she the Magi Gunner from before!? 

“Say what you will about me, but any insults to this person and your head is as good as mine, Laminitus!” Batutta thundered his response. 

“You will add ‘the Great’ when referring to ‘the Great Laminitus,’ you petulant swindler.” 

It was then Diablo finally noticed— 

—A woman’s voice...!? 

The Magi Gunner with the vivid red cape descended from the air. 

—Yup, they’re definitely a woman. 

She alighted softly on the sandy ground, showing her perfect mastery of Crimson Wings. You could almost smell the sex appeal coming from her when she landed. She looked to be about the same age as Diablo—and just as arrogant, judging by her attitude. 

With only a glance at Batutta, she turned her attention toward Lumachina. 

“We are the governing sovereign of Zircon Tower, Fanis Laminitus. And you would be the High Priest, We assume?” 

Her scarlet lips curled ever so slightly. 

Something felt...off about the way she acted. 

“...Given the way she talks, it seems she thinks of herself more as a ruler rather than a governess,” Rem whispered into Diablo’s ear. 

“Hmph, so I see.” 

Galford acted self-important in his own right, but he still acted like someone in service to the royal court. Laminitus, on the other hand, had the attitude of an empress. 

—I don’t remember someone like her being the governess here, though... 

Lumachina joined her hands together. “It is just as you have said. I am Lumachina Weselia, the High Priest. A pleasure to meet you, governess.” 

“Heh... To think the leader of this group of swindlers was just a young girl.” 

“What do you happen to mean by ‘swindlers’?” 

“Though they do nothing of significance, these whelps still demand donations. We do not allow parasites inside our domain, which means We do not approve of religion here.” 

“Huh!?” 

“However, We would allow them to do business if they paid they’re due taxes.” 

“What are you saying!? The king of Lyferia, Delouche Xandros, ordered that it was the duty of all governors to build churches and make them exempt from taxation...” 

“Hah! As if We care about that useless coward here! If the king has a problem with Us, then he can try coming here himself!”

—I see... The king has never come to the dangerous former Demon Lord’s Domain. He wouldn’t be so easily able to stop Laminitus’s rampage like that. 

Not only that, but Laminitus was quite the capable person herself. Based on her magi gun assault from earlier and how she acted with Batutta, Diablo would say she was level 100 or higher for certain. Even when he’d gone against a party of six level 150 players in Cross Reverie, Diablo still managed to come out on top. But even then, the fight had been adjusted for the number of people he was facing, and he was able to use a near infinite number of items. He’d already used up the rarer potions that were left in his pouch. 

—I wonder how Magi Gunners work in this world. I can’t just take her on if I don’t know at least that much. 

The whole foundation Magi Gunners were built on was the ability to “shoot bullets infused with magic, and for the effects of those spells to activate when the bullet was fired.” When the class was first implemented, they could fire as many of them as they wanted in a row, rapid-fire. Though bullets were consumable items, the destructive DPS they packed was in a league of its own, enough that they threw off the balance of the game. 

Diablo also suffered from being slapped in the face with the wads of cash the pay-to-win players threw at the game because of it. 

—Thinking back on it, I faced off against a couple of rankers who went on a shooting spree while dual-wielding magi guns specced out for damage. That was a bit dicey since they took down half my HP in an instant... But they were a couple wearing ?Wedding Rings?, so I annihilated them, of course! 

After various tweaks and rebalances, the latest versions of magi guns had their rapid-fire ability toned down, and took a huge nerf to their damage. But since they didn’t cost MP to use in battle, Diablo still considered them to be fairly powerful.

“I understand you have your own opinions on the king, but the people under your governance are suffering, are they not?” Lumachina said in return. 

“That is because these swindlers are making demands for their much undeserved ‘donations.’” 

Batutta grimaced, the conversation having been turned back to him. “After having our church taken away, and considering how you’re determined to tax us one way or another, asking for donations from our followers is our only recourse. Priests have their own lives to live as well!” 

“Hmph... Wasn’t God supposed to be someone who handed out wine and bread?” 

“Th-That’s...” 

Lumachina shook her head. “Even if it is possible for God, it is not for people. We are believers in God, not gods ourselves.” 

“Oho? So you think to lecture Us... High Priests sure seem to think the world of themselves. If you really are such an important person, then let’s test if you truly do have the protection of God on your side!” 

Laminitus took the magi gun from her shoulder, aiming it at Lumachina. 

“What are you...!?” 

“Tch!” 

Diablo prepared to use a spell—but Batutta already thrust his spear forward. Close quarters combat was where Warriors truly shined. 

“You insolent fool!” 

The tip of his spear was met with nothing but thin air. Laminitus landed softly about ten paces away from him. 

It happened so fast—before Diablo could even unleash his magic, Batutta charged ahead with his spear, while Laminitus jumped away from him. 

—These guys are pretty strong. 

Their speed was something to be admired. 

Laminitus boomed with laughter. “Ahhhaha~! It seems you do not believe in God after all! That is why you tried to protect Miss High Priest over there. If there really was a god, they would protect her without you having to do anything, would they not!?” 

“What falsehoods!” Batutta roared. 

On the inside, Diablo was almost convinced as well. 

Lumachina shook her head. “You are mistaking God as some sort of all-powerful armor. Someone with an understanding as shallow as yourself lacks the qualification to speak on the subject.” 

“We are mistaken...you say? And shallow!?” 

She sent a vicious glare at the High Priest, but Lumachina stayed calm and composed. 

“Listen well—God is always watching. Whatever ill deeds you perform will eventually beget disaster, either for yourself or for your descendants. But say, for example, you were to shoot me here and I were to die because of it, that may be God bringing his judgment down on me for my own sins. Or, it may be that God is calling me back to them in the heavens. It is impossible for people to fully understand the way God works.” 

For the briefest of moments, Lumachina glanced over at Diablo.

—I see now... Since she thinks no one can understand how God works, maybe that’s why she accepted my ridiculous story? 

No, based on the way she conducts herself, Lumachina’s a sharp one. Did she maybe catch on to my lie by now? If so, how much does she know? Did she figure out I was a shut-in gamer who was only pretending to be a Demon Lord!? ...No, there’s no way she could... I’m really bad with people I can’t get a read on what they’re actually thinking... 

“Hmph...” Laminitus snorted. “Then that just makes you a fool who depends on such trivial things! Is there anyone who would trust in an unreliable weapon on the battlefield? And you claim disaster will eventually befall Us? What absolute trite! We’ll just shoot down that ‘disaster’ as well!” 

“That isn’t what—” 

“You’re only a bunch of swindlers, taking advantage of the insecurities of the masses to relieve them of their monies.” 

“But miracles for healing and bountiful harvests do indeed exist, you know?” 

“You should receive appropriate compensation for things that have actual use. That’s what it means to do business, and We would allow you to do so—as long as you paid your taxes!” 

Lumachina sighed. The conversation between the deeply pious Lumachina and the utilitarian Laminitus wasn’t going anywhere. If this dragged out any longer, she might just end up with a magi gun pointed at her again. 

Batutta stepped between them. “Lady Lumachina, let us leave it at that for today. Laminitus, we don’t use the church here, and we aren’t evading our taxes. I should think we’ve done nothing to earn the scorn of the governess, don’t you agree?” 

“Hmph... We never had business with you to begin with, and that High Priest is nothing but an extra headache as well. The only reason We arrived was to search for whomever used that curious spell against that monstrous beast earlier.”

—Wait, that’s me...!! 

An unintentional scowl came over Diablo’s face. Judging by the way Laminitus acted, anything would probably cause a headache for him. 

With acting that could only be called a sublime performance, Batutta shook his head. “I came here looking for them as well...but it seems no one knows who it was.” 

“Oho~h?” 

Laminitus fixed her eyes on Diablo. It felt like he should avoid looking at her. It was like getting dirty looks from someone who looked like trouble while you were walking around town. But acting like a chicken wasn’t something a Demon Lord would do, which is why he glared right back at her. 

“What do you plan to do after finding this Sorcerer?” 

Laminitus twisted her mouth into a grin. “If We can use them, then We will make them into Our subordinate, of course! If they won’t listen, however, then We will teach them the difference between our powers by force!” 

“Aren’t you a nasty piece of work.” 

Without meaning to, he let how he really felt slip out. He thought she would fly off the handle at him, but instead she gave him a playful smile. 

“Hm-hm-hm... If they truly are such a powerful person, then surely they would stand before Us someday.” 

—They already are, though... 

She was most likely already aware of this. However, Laminitus cut the conversation short, turning her gaze to the west. 

“It seems Our subordinates have caught the idiotic sand ship that caused a scene earlier. We shall continue our conversation another day.” 

She rose back up into the air, whipping up sand as she did, and flew off toward the western area of Zircon Tower.

“...Phew... It seems you’ve had quite a troublesome person set their sights on you,” Rem said, sounding drained. 

“Don’t say that. You’re just going to make me even more exhausted,” Diablo said with a shrug. 

“I had no idea what she was saying most of the time!” Shera said with a giggle. 

—Man, I should learn how to be that carefree... 

Batutta knelt before Lumachina once more. “Allow me to apologize again for my impoliteness. It seems the ineptitude of my subordinates has caused you trouble as well. May I invite you to join me at my estate?” 

“Thank you. I have something I wish to discuss with you as well.” 

“I’ll prepare a sand skimmer at once.” 

Diablo and the others, or rather, Lumachina and her supposed attendants, were led aboard the camel-drawn skimmer and headed toward the northern area of town. 

† 

For the time being, they continued to travel along peacefully.

The camels stomped along the sand with their thick legs. The wheels of carts and wagons would sink in the sand here, so it seemed they used these sand skimmers instead. 

Batutta held the reigns while Diablo and the others were sitting down in their seats. They came upon a giant building that faced the main road. It was made from stone just like everything else around it, but was also built upon a firm stone foundation, and had a bell tower that rose up into the sky. Though it was located in the middle of a desert, stained glass lined its walls. 

It was quite the imposing church, and was surrounded by a perimeter of local guards, preventing anyone from coming close. 

Lumachina placed a hand over her mouth. “Is that the church?” 

“Yes. It was closed at Laminitus’s orders, though....” Batutta answered. 

The governess labeled the Church as a bunch of “swindlers,” and granted them no special privileges. 

“Why would she order it closed?” 

“That church was constructed by the former governor in accordance with the king’s decree, so ownership of the building falls to the governor. We were told if we wanted to use it, we would need to pay rent for it. We were quoted a price at the going market rate, but...it was still too much to pay from just our donations...” 

“Which is why you don’t use it, I see.” 

“There were some townspeople who voiced their desire to let us use the church, but... Well, you have already seen what kind of person Laminitus is like.” 

“Yes, that is a problem.” Lumachina cast her eyes downward. 

“...I have never heard of a governor saying anything like that to the Church before,” Rem whispered. “I find asking them for rent to be a perfectly reasonable request, however.” 

“Yeah, you’re right,” Shera agreed. 

“...What were churches like back home for you in the Kingdom of Greenwood?” 

“Hm? We have the Sacred Tree and stuff, I guess?” 

“...Umm... What about sleeping quarters for the priests?” 

“They sleep back in their own homes. The priest right now works a tea house as their main job. They only do priest stuff during festivals or when someone needs prayer.” 

“...Is that enough?” 

“Yup, pretty much.” 

Since the two didn’t exactly seem to be on the same wavelength, Diablo cut into the conversation. 

“The reason they can get away with being a priest as their secondary occupation is because of how small Greenwood’s population is. That, and they don’t have many ceremonies to speak of. Elves are long-lived, but the birth rate among them is low.” 

“...I see. So that’s why they can be a priest as a side job.” 

“Churches in the Kingdom of Lyferia are not only for prayer, but can also provide services like accepting cash deposits and providing education for children. Though it may be the same in name, churches are given different functions depending on a country’s population and the systems in place for that country. It just means there is no use in simply comparing them.” 

“...As I should expect from you, Diablo, you possess a shocking amount of insight for these things.” 

“It’s only normal.” 

“...It’s embarrassing to admit, but I only know of Faltra and a few of the neighboring towns. I have never left the Lyferian Kingdom, after all.” 

“Hm, I see.” 

TV and the Internet didn’t exist in this world, and the price for books was expensive to boot. Though Diablo only possessed general knowledge of the government and the economy, the chance to have learned about them was a valuable one.

“You can’t lead worship or do much of anything else without a church, correct?” Lumachina asked Batutta. 

“We have set up tents in the northern part of town as a replacement for a proper chapel.” 

“May I see them?” 

“It’s...a bit out of the way. Perhaps after taking a rest first?” 

“Right now, if you please.” 

“Understood.” 

If he was being honest, since he used so much MP already, he wanted to grab something to eat and dive into bed as soon as possible. But still, he understood how Lumachina felt. He stayed silent, being jostled about in his seat as the sand skimmer kept moving. 

Zircon Tower was a small town compared to Faltra. It took them almost no time at all to reach the northern part of the city. There was a multitude of small tents set up here, about one hundred of them in total. 

Lumachina made as if she were going to stand up. 

“All of these are Church tents?” 

“Only about half of them. The rest were set up by Adventurers, merchants, and the like.” 

“Even so, there are quite a lot of them.” 

“But it is still not enough... My apologies, Lady Lumachina, but it would be a problem for us to get any closer.” 

“And why is that?” 

The sand skimmer turned around. 

“That is the line for people waiting for prayer,” Batutta said as he pointed. 

There was a line of around three thousand people milling about in front of one of the tents that was a size larger than all the rest. It was composed of all sorts of men, women, and children, including Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Pantherians, and Grasswalkers. 

“There are a ton more of them at the moment because of the disturbance with the Sand Whale earlier. Usually, there are about a thousand or so waiting.” 

“Do you really have that many people of faith waiting?” 

“There are some who don’t have a chance to pray, even if they wait the entire day. It gets chilly at night, so we tell them to come back the next morning...but most of them never leave the line.” 

“But why would they do such a thing!?” 

“Not only is this the former Demon Lord’s Domain, it is not a rare occurrence for monsters like the one from before to make an appearance. There is no barrier to protect the town, either. There are many people for whom this is a necessity and because of that, we get lines as long as the one you see now.” 

“I see...” Lumachina nodded in response. 

Diablo scanned the surroundings. As he did, he spotted a tent that was a bit removed from the others, with about three people lined up in front of it. Judging by their appearances, they seemed to be rather well off. 

“Hmph... Tell me, is that also a line for prayers?” 

“...It is.” Batutta seemed reluctant to answer. 

“What is the meaning of this?” Lumachina asked him. 

“That line is only for those who make large contributions. Lady Lumachina, I ask that you do not misinterpret this. Not only are we lacking in priests, but this is a very dangerous area we live in. We cannot cater to everyone that wishes for prayer. It is only natural higher priority would be given to those that offer larger donations, since that is a sign they require prayer moreso to give such amounts.” 

Lumachina kept her head down as she thought in silence. She was smart, so she understood that she couldn’t simply judge Batutta as corrupt because of this. 

“Isn’t this kinda weird!? Shouldn’t you just start with the people who lined up first!?” Shera said with a frown on her face. 

“...If that were the case, what would you do if those who weren’t in a hurry held up the line for those who were?” Rem answered in a low voice. 

“Mmm, I mean, I would feel bad for them and all, but isn’t it more fair for them to just line up faster?” 

“...That just means people with more free time on their hands would be treated better. Would you call it fair for those who work hard and offer their money to be given the cold shoulder over those who don’t work and invest only in their time?” 

“Oh, hmmm.” 

“...The Church would be happier for people to give them larger donations rather than have them line up earlier. That’s why the people who give the most are given preferential treatment in return.” 

Rem had an accurate understanding of the matter at hand. What Lumachina was struggling with probably had to do with the incident of the mother and child from earlier. Though they requested a modest donation for prayer, there were still those among the line of three thousand who couldn’t afford to pay even that. But would it be appropriate to say that to Batutta now? The lack of priests was a fundamental issue for them; it wasn’t something that would be so easily solved by her speaking the honest truth alone. Not only that, but she had come here to ask him for shelter from the Cardinal Authority. 

—Good people really aren’t suited for managing these kinds of operations 

“This should be enough, is it not?” Diablo spoke up. “I grow weary of staring upon these lines of believers.” 

Batutta nodded. It seemed he didn’t want to drag out the topic of the lines any more than needed. 

“You all must be tired after such a long journey. Though I can only provide modest arrangements, I will prepare food and a place to rest for you.” 

“Yay!” Shera raised her hands in the air with a cry of glee. 

The Church’s policies aside, Diablo was honestly grateful for food and a place to sleep.

“...To have one thousand people lining up as a regular occurrence really is just too much,” Lumachina muttered. 

† 

Leaving the collection of tents behind, they returned to the center of town. They arrived at the building where Batutta and the other priests were staying in. 

“We’re renting this place at a low price from a merchant. He’s a man of profound faith.” 

The sturdy stone walls of the house were enormous. It was enough to make one think the place was big enough to use as a church... 

But there was no spacious place for worship to be found, as it was built just like a normal house. It had an entranceway and a lobby with the dining and living rooms at the center, and rooms for personal use located around it. The windows were kept closed to not let the sand in, keeping the inside of the house dark. Because of that, the oil lamps that hung from the ceiling were kept lit even during the daytime. In this town, it was easier to get hold of oil rather than candles. There were paintings adorning the walls, and a white cloth covered the table. It was almost easy to forget they were in a town in the middle of a desert. 

Ten maids bowed deeply in greeting. The one standing at the head of the group was a raven-haired beauty with a large chest. She was a stunner, and looked to be a bit older than Diablo. 

“Welcome, High Priest Lumachina Weselia. I am the head maid, Shiliu. If you should need anything, please let us know.” 

“Very well,” Lumachina responded with a nod. 

Seeing her so composed in these kinds of situations really gave the impression she was a part of the elite of society. If a maid were to ask him “if he should need anything” as a greeting, Diablo would have become a nervous wreck. Mei’s shtick back at the Peace of Mind Inn made him think of the place as more like a maid café, but that made him feel more at ease. 

Now that he thought of it, they’ve been away from Edelgard for about two weeks now, but no one figured out who she really was, right? She wasn’t causing trouble for anyone, was she? Was Edelgard doing all right with her job? 

—If only they had phones here or something... 

The head maid led them into the dining hall where Lumachina sat at the head of the table, with Batutta sitting beside her. Diablo was sure they were going to be treated as lowly guards or attendants or whatever, but they were treated as guests, to his surprise. 

Thinking back on it, Batutta pretended not to know Diablo was the Sorcerer Laminitus was looking for earlier. Maybe he was treating Diablo well for bringing Lumachina here and repelling that Sand Whale from earlier? 

—But still, I don’t know if I can trust him just because of that... 

Just as he was wondering what kind of food they would cook up in the middle of a desert...a reddish soup made from beans was served. 

—I-Is this...!? 

Lumachina and Batutta brought their hands together. Diablo did the same. 

“O Lord in heaven, we thank you for this blessing today.” 

He never prayed at mealtimes before, but it became a habit after he began traveling with Lumachina. Whenever she prayed, the rancid smell would disappear from old meat, and dirty rainwater would turn fresh and crisp, so he didn’t mind it. 

He used a silver spoon to bring the soup to his mouth. An intense tingling sensation and the fragrance of the spices reached the inside of his nose and caused his brain to go numb. 

—Th-This is really...!! 

“Spicyyyyy!!” Shera yelped. 

Rem nodded. “...Yes... But it’s quite good.” 

“This is curry!” Diablo suddenly blurted out. “And rice, too!” 

This flavor really brought back memories. It was different than the curry he had back in Japan, of course, but this was definitely curry. The soup had no thickness to it, as well as a strong, invigorating scent of herbs. It was something closer to a Thai curry. The rice was fluffy and the grains were firm; when drenched in the soup, it became the perfect texture. 

“How do you like it, Lady Lumachina?” Batutta asked with a smile. “I’m sure this must be quite different from dining in the capital.” 

“It’s delicious.” She downed her third cup of water as she answered. 

“Was it spicy?” 

“Y-Yes, just a little... But it’s still very good.” 

In the end, Shera managed to get down three servings of the curry, still making a commotion over how hot it was, while Diablo ate five. 

† 

After they finished eating— 

Diablo was kicking back in the living room drinking tea when Lumachina came over, along with Rem and Shera. Lumachina changed into the garments of the High Priest, which Batutta apparently prepared for her. It was a flowing robe that used a white and red base for its colors. The long cloth covered her down to the knees, but he could see her smooth skin from between the gaps. 

“Wh-What do you think?” she asked, a slight blush in her cheeks. 

“Hm. It suits you,” Diablo said with a nod. 

Looking delighted, Lumachina broke out into a smile. Rem and Shera were happy, too, as they had apparently helped her change. 

The High Priest outfit Lumachina wore back when she and Diablo first met had already been torn to shreds by the time he ran into her, so this was his first time seeing it like this. And while he knew he probably shouldn’t look at it that way...it was a pretty alluring outfit. 

—At any rate, who would have thought there would come a time in my life where I’d be complimenting a girl’s clothes. I thought these sort of things only happened in dating sims. 

He suddenly noticed that Lumachina was holding the back of her left hand with her right. 

“What’s wrong with your hand?” 

“Oh, it’s nothing to worry about...” 

It was scraped up and had turned red. 

“...Back when you were fighting with the Sand Whale, it seems she fell over trying to pull people back in when they looked like they would be sent flying away,” Rem followed up. 

“I see. That seems like something she would do.” 

—Oh crap... That was because of my magic! I’m sorry! 

Lumachina gave a bashful smile. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.” 

“Can you not use healing miracles on yourself?” 

“Ah... Actually, miracles of recovery or healing do not work on me. No matter who I have praying for me, it does not even heal a scratch.” 

“What!?” 

“Usually miracles work on priests as well, but strangely enough, they have no effects on me... I wonder if this could also be called part of God’s plan.” 

—Is that the price she pays for using such powerful miracles? That’s a pretty harsh restriction. 

“What about healing potions?” 

“I have used one, a long time ago when I was hurt, and it did heal me.” 

“I see. Then you should carry this.” 

Diablo took a potion from his pouch and offered it to her. Lumachina’s eyes opened wide. With trembling hands, she took the potion from him. To her, this was a blessing from God themself. 

“Th-Thank you so much! I will treasure this my entire life!” 

“No, use it when you need it, all right?” 

Diablo leaned back in his chair. Rem and the others sat down as well. In almost no time at all, the maid, Shiliu, brought out tea for everyone.

Batutta led the group to four bedrooms that were prepared for them. As the most important person among them, Lumachina was allocated a special room in the innermost part of the house. 

—We’ve been treated pretty well so far... But if anything were to happen, it’s gonna be harder to deal with if we’re all split up. 

“Go with her,” Diablo whispered into Rem’s ear. 

With a small nod, she stepped forward. “I have been instructed to attend to Lady Lumachina’s every need. I don’t plan on interfering with any of the other maids’ duties, but may I have your permission to stay in the same room as her tonight?” she asked Batutta. 

“That’s right!” Lumachina picked up on what was going on. “I would be terribly inconvenienced if I don’t have Rem close by me.” 

Batutta looked Rem up and down. “The High Priest needs a slave?” 

“...Y-You are mistaken. This is the result of an accident when I tried using Summoning magic. I am not a slave,” Rem insisted. 

“It’s true!” Lumachina added in her defense. 

There was no way the captain of the Paladins would doubt the word of the High Priest. 

“So you’re a Pantherian... Adventurer, I would assume? Or a Summoner?” 

“...Yes.” 

“Normally, anyone who doesn’t possess the qualifications of a priest wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the High Priest... But I will make a special exception.” 

Though he seemed reluctant, Batutta allowed it. He promised to move Rem’s bed into Lumachina’s room. Diablo was relieved. 

—I guess I’ll just leave her to Rem tonight. 

Nighttime— 

Diablo had a tub and a jug of water brought to his room. By sitting in the tub, he would use the cool water to wash away the dirt from his body. It was a bit of a luxury to bathe as such in this world; usually, he would just wipe himself down with a wet cloth and that would be it. 

“I just want to soak in the tub every once in a while... Maybe I should make myself a proper bath sometime?” he thought, taking off his clothes. 

A knocking came from his door, and he started to get strangely nervous. 

“Who’s there?” 

“Ehehe... You up, Diablo?” 

“Shera, is it? Enter.” 

Diablo sat cross-legged in the tub, his back facing the opening door as Shera came inside. 

“Oh, you were taking a bath.” 

“Yes... Did you already wash yourself?” 

“Nope, not yet.” 

To think she would come see him before washing away the sweat from their long journey... 

“Was there some sort of problem?” 

“I just can’t calm down when I’m by myself is all.” 

Shera got lonely pretty easily, so much so that she even became a Summoner just so she wouldn’t have to travel alone. 

“Hmph... Do as you like.” 

“Yay!” 

He heard the sound of rustling fabric. Wondering what it was, Diablo turned around to look at Shera: She began taking off her clothes. 

“Wh-What are you doing?” 

“Huh? I haven’t washed yet.” 

“I’m using it right now, so...” 

Shera really seemed like a princess when she did things like this. It wasn’t that she was taking things at her own pace, but more like she wasn’t paying attention to what was happening around her. 

“Then let’s use it together! I’ll wash your back for you!” 

—Oh no no NO! Taking a bath with a girl just means breaking out in a cold sweat for me, you know!? 

“I-I can do this much by myself.” 

“No need to hold back!” 

“...Not, it’s not that I’m holding back...” 

Shera already stripped down as he was talking, getting into the tub. 

“Is this a little too cramped?” 

“...Ah, hng...” 

He could feel her coming up behind him. This wasn’t the time for his role play; right now, he was completely alone in a room with a naked girl. He couldn’t get any words to come out of his throat. 

Shera, on the other hand, seemed to be in a good mood as she hummed a little tune. 

“Hm~ Hm-hm-hmm~? Oh, where’s the towel?” 

“...There isn’t one.” 

Now that she mentioned it, he forgot to ask someone to bring him one. 

—It would probably be best to call for the maid in a situation like this. I kinda wanted to avoid that...but maybe I’m overthinking it? Is it normal for men and women to bathe together in this world? There’s no way that could be right... 

They didn’t have a “bathing” feature in the game, so he had no idea. 

“Then I’m gonna wash you without using a towel, okay?” Shera said casually. 

“...Huh?” 

“Using someone else’s skin to wash yourself makes your own skin smoother and shinier than if you use a cloth, you know?” 

He never heard of anything like that before... 

To him, Shera’s skin was smoother and more beautiful than silk. Shera scooped some water out of the jug, using her wet hands to stroke Diablo’s back. They were cool and soft, and felt amazing. It was completely different from using a wet towel to wipe himself down. 

“How’s that, Diablo?” 

“Ah, yes... Not bad, I’d say.” 

It was somewhat embarrassing since they were both naked, but this was the first time he had a bath as pleasant as this. 

Shera poured water over herself as well. “Ehehe, I got sand on me, too.” 

“No helping that, considering where we are.” 

“How about I get us both clean all at once?” 

“Mm?” 

Right when he was wondering what she was going to do, he felt two soft lumps press up against his back as she poured water over them. 

Diablo froze up. 

—Th-These things being pressed against my back... Are they...!? 

“Mm...” Shera let out a soft moan. “Your back is so rugged, Diablo.” 

“Ah... Hm...” 

“I’m gonna start rubbing, okay?” 

She began moving her body up and down, the soft sensation moving up and down with her. Diablo’s heart rate jumped up in leaps and bounds, and he could even feel Shera’s pulse. Her body was getting warmer. 

“Hah... Mn... Diablo... You’re not giving off magic energy or anything, are you?” 

“Y-You could tell if I was just by looking.” 

“I’m starting to feel all warm now... I wonder why?” 

“Hwah!?” 

It felt like he would let out a weird voice at any moment. For someone like Diablo, who lacked experience with girls, there was no way he would keep his cool as Shera rubbed her chest against his back making those seductive noises. 

—What would a Demon Lord do now? What would a Demon Lord do after having a girl press her boobs against him and say she’s getting all warm!? 

No Demon Lord he could remember went through an experience like this. 

“I’ll wash the front of you, too, okay?” Shera said softly. 

“Ah...!?” 

—I can get the front by myself, thank you very much. Or, wait, would a Demon Lord pass on an offer like this? What would they do!? 

While he was still trying to figure out what to do, Shera reached around as if she were going to embrace him, stroking his muscular chest with her wet hands. 

“Mnh... Your body is so solid, Diablo. It’s all...muscley.” 

“Th-That’s because I’m level 150.” 

“Oh, gotcha.” 

—I wonder? Is there actually a connection between muscles and levels? 

He no longer knew if she was trying to wash him or do something else entirely. She moved her smooth hands over his chest... 

She touched his neck... 

Her hands went down to his stomach— 

Then even lower. 

“Ah... Wai— Th-That’s...” Diablo could no longer make words. The breath caught in his throat. 

Shera’s hands had reached a very sensitive spot. 

“Hm? This is pretty stiff, too...” 

“...!?” 

“Is it a tail? Do Demons have tails? It’s really hard...so maybe it’s a horn? You have them on your head, too, after all.” 

“Yes. That’s. True.” 

“Um, let’s see... I should probably wash this, too. Here...we...go...” 

He couldn’t speak anymore. The only sounds left were Shera’s breathing and the noise of her wet hands sliding over his skin. As she rubbed, a burning heat kept building up inside of him. An electric current ran through the recesses of his brain. 

The muscles in his back twitched and spasmed, the convulsions passing on to Shera. 

“Oh, did that hurt? Was I doing it too strong?” 

“......No.” 

“Really? Thank goodness!” Shera hugged him close. “Ehehe~ Taking a bath together is pretty fun!” 

“Oh. Yes. Very.” 

The strength left his body. Though they had only been rinsing off together, it felt more like he got dizzy after spending too much time in a hot bath.

—Wow... It feels reeeeeally good to have someone else wash you by hand. 

It was more of an arid climate here, which meant they both dried off right away. Brushing the sand from his clothes and putting them on, he laid down in bed. Already in her pajamas, Shera jumped in as well, wrapping her arms around him. Remembering what happened earlier, Diablo looked away, on the verge of blushing. 

“It’s been a while since we did anything like this, right, Diablo?” 

“Because we had to camp outside for a while, yeah. Hurry up and go to sleep.” 

“Yeah!” 

He closed his eyes. He fell asleep almost immediately, thanks in part to how much MP he already used.

If only this peace could last forever...