Chapter X
Greetings all my wonderful readers! I am back, yet again, with more Demon Lord's Adventurers. I would warn you to expect more going forward, it is what my brain is currently glued to. Though I am bringing out other stories as we go, so do not worry. That said, it seems most of you enjoyed the previous chapter, which makes me glad. Do be sure to let me know if you like this one as well. I want to give my thanks to Bakuto Masaki for following wherever my whims take me. Moving on, on to the reviewer responses!
Messiah of authors: Indeed. I'll leave it to you to decide which for now.
Lawoi: Is it bad? Probably, but don't let that stop you. Certainly doesn't stop me.
I always use the Fate Artemis, sorry.
DreamWeaverGod: Thankfully there was a demon god there to prevent things from getting too bad.
coduss: Technically.
METALHELLSPWN: What makes you think Naofumi will be present at all? But yes, Aultcray will get what he deserves.
Omnisaurus: True, true. This is in general terms though.
correnhimself316: Indeed. I can't say if it will have any effect on her, this is Aqua we're talking about after all, but there's hope. Can't make any promises about that, but to be fair, this version of Diablo is effectively Diablo with the powers of Ainz, so there's that. It's different in Demi-years, trust me.
ObsidianUnknown66: Darkness is always Darkness my friend. Yeah, should make things interesting I hope. Ereshkigal is best goddess. Oh it's certainly interesting, that's for sure.
15songoku: I am hyped beyond belief for season two!
Shera is a fluffy muffin indeed. And yeah, that smile of Rem's is too much.
I did the same with Demon Queen from MaoYu, that's who Sinoula is.
Well they'll come up again, I promise.
Prelsina is definitely my favorite of the three names, though I obviously liked the other two or I wouldn't have used them. She's in the story, I promise you that.
Lilietta is from Otona no Bouguya-San.
You'll find out soon.
The gods don't care, generally. The only reason most of them would care if all mortals died out is the boredom that would bring. As for the Wave timers, they're called Dragon Hourglasses.
So far so good, though some of those only have characters involved, no plot.
tempace: Arce? Do you mean Maple? Oh I've seen Bofuri, I promise you. Maple is the ultimate lifeform. And I greatly appreciate your effort, and your English is quite good, actually.
Skull Flame: Of course, this is Ereshkigal we're talking about.
Aqua is certainly the dumbs.
Medios is from How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord.
Yes. The design I'm using for her is the unofficial Prince Mordred Lancer design, since it's busty and I like my busty women, if you can't tell already.
Indeed it does.
Phew! That was a lot!
"O – Oh, that wasn't too –" Aqua began to say before the slave seal on top of her collarbone suddenly lit up brightly as purple arcs of energy shot and zapped around her body, her back arcing as the pain of magical electricity coursed through every inch of her body.
Diablo and the others stood in almost stone-faced horror as Aqua's body convulsed and jolted as the light from her seal grew brighter and brighter before it formed a ring around her neck and then suddenly condensed and burst with an audible pop, the seal vanishing and a heavy metal collar with a single chain link appeared on her neck.
Aqua twitched momentarily before slumping forward, seemingly unconscious.
Diablo gulped before sighing in exasperation. "… That's certainly not what I expected."
"Y – Yeah…" Nanana muttered in shock.
Medios put a hand on her chin in thought. "Hm… so gods react in much the same way to a slave seal as mortal beings. Fascinating. Now, is this all you wanted?"
Diablo, shaking his mind of the bizarre sight he had just witnessed, refocused his mind. "N – No. I would like to learn how it can be removed."
Medios blinked silently a few times as she looked at him. "Really? Just after it was put on her?"
"Not her, them," he explained, pointing to Shera and Rem.
"Ah," she replied with an understanding nod. "Do you know who put the seals on them?"
"No one. Their collars are the result of a botched summoning spell."
Medios tilted her head in confusion, the situation not making a lick of sense to her.
Nanana explained, "They tried to summon a Demon Lord and succeeded. But he flipped the script with his magic and the collars appeared on them instead."
Medios sighed as she processed the information. "My, my… that is a predicament."
"Well…?" Diablo prodded.
"A summoning collar is nearly impossible to remove without the consent of the caster. And since the casters are the ones who got the seal instead of their Summon, that brings up a whole host of complications. So we need to experiment."
"… What kind of experiment…?"
Medios just smiled wryly. "Just wait. Shera, come with me."
The elf blinked curiously as she pointed to herself, Medios nodding in affirmation. "O – Okay," she muttered before following her.
Putting an arm over the elf's shoulder, Medios addressed Diablo. "This'll take a little while, so feel free to peruse what I have for sale."
Diablo nodded as Medios dragged the naïve elf to the back of the tent before looking around the area.
Nanana just sighed with a shrug. "Figures she'd try and sell us some slaves while we're here."
"She has to make money somehow. Not that I'm pleased with getting involved with the slave trade," Diablo responded as he looked around the various crates and cages.
"Well, at the very least we can some maids to clean up the home or something."
"Right…" he rebutted before his attention was drawn by a small, weak cough.
Nanana frowned curiously as Diablo began walking swiftly.
Turning, Diablo found a small cage tucked away in a corner. 'That sounds like a…' Pulling aside the cloth on top of the cage, his blood froze as he saw a petite, frail girl with messy, matted brown hair, two small, round ears on top of her head, and a furry tail filled with dirt, her small red eyes clouded with agony, clothed in little more than worn rags. His fists clenched tightly as he saw the weak girl coughing repeatedly. '… Must… remain… calm…'
Nanana looked up at him in worry, recognizing the expression in his eyes and his trembling hand. "… Diablo…?"
The little girl could seemingly do nothing but cough before her coughing fit knocked her onto her back.
Unable to hold his rage back any longer, Diablo forcefully and effortlessly ripped the door off of the cage.
"D – Diablo!" Nanana exclaimed.
Medios, running out to see the commotion, sighed as she approached the situation. "I understand you may want one for yourself, but you still need to pay for it first."
Diablo responded by grabbing a random fistful of gold and silver coins before simply throwing them at Medios' feet. "Keep them." He then made his way to the girl, who was only further frightened by his actions and his expression, scurrying away to the back corner of the cage in terror.
She curled into a small ball, as small as she could, as she saw his hand reaching out for her, wincing as he touched her, before looking up as he simply stroked her hair gently before gingerly picking her up and holding her in his arms.
"It's okay…" he said in the softest voice he could manage. "I'm not going to hurt you…" 'Whoever did this however… I'm going to make them regret being born…' "It's okay little one…"
The girl trembled in his arms with a mixture of fear and confusion, as the seconds past and she realized he wasn't going to hurt her, she began loosening up before tears began falling from her eyes.
Nanana watched the scene in awe. 'Wow… maybe he really does have kids…'
The girl only continued to cry harder and harder as Diablo held her.
Diablo held her gently and stroked her hair before turning to Medios. "Who was her previous owner?"
Medios shrugged in response. "I'm sorry, I can't reveal that infor –" she began before Diablo sent her a glare that practically glowed with fury.
"Tell me dammit!"
Medios very quickly realized that refusing or lying would not wind up well for her. "I – Idol. Idol Rabier."
Diablo released a snarl that caused many of the more feral and animalistic slaves in the tent to curl back and whimper in terror.
"I – If you're ready… Shera is ready for the experiment."
Diablo nodded and began to set the girl down, only for her grip around his shoulders to tighten. "Tell me this one's name first."
"Raphtalia. I believe."
Patting her on the back gently, he tried to get her attention. "Raphtalia."
She merely remained attached to him, still trembling.
"Raphtalia," he repeated.
The frightened girl pulled herself away from his slightly to look at him.
"I have something to do, so I need to put you down." Motioning to Nanana, who waved with a smile, he added, "She's a friend, she'll be nice to you."
She curled back slightly with her ears curling up.
Medios smiled in response. "My, my, she's certainly taken a liking to you. So, shall we transfer the seal?"
Diablo sent her a silent glare.
Wincing and laughing weakly, Medios answered, "I – I take it that means you want it removed entirely…?"
"Yes."
"R – Right."
"I have to put you down, alright?"
She stared at him quietly for a moment before nodding slowly. As he set her down, Rem walked up to her with a smile, Raphtalia hid away behind Diablo's cape.
Rem just smiled and reached her tail around and touched the tip of the frightened girl's furry tail.
"H – Huh?" Leaning out, she saw Rem smiling before she saw their tails touching, a weak smile forming on her own lips.
Diablo smiled in mild relief before following Medios back to the main tent, where he saw Shera in a thin, black, two-piece outfit that was little more than lingerie with a series of beads over her sensitive areas. He almost found himself lifted off the ground as his nose bled.
'WHAT THE HELL!?'
"W – Well?" Shera prodded with embarrassment. "Does it look… weird… Diablo?"
"Y – Yes! Wait, I mean no, I mean…!" he stuttered and stammered, finding his rein on his emotions still weak after the previous incident. "You look amazing and sexy but why are you wearing it!?"
Medios could not help but chuckle as the man's stone-faced demeanor completely crumble. "It's best to actually touch the skin the first time you do this, but I don't think she'd be up for you seeing her completely naked just yet."
"S – Skin…?!" he blurted out.
Medios just nodded. "Yes. Alright Shera, lie down on the bed over there."
"O – Okay!" she answered, lying herself down on the large bed at the back of the room.
Diablo gulped at the sight of Shera, in a skimpy outfit that hid barely anything, lying on the bed in front of him. '… This is a bad position… I can see almost everything…!'
Medios continued. "Alright Shera, I'm going to teach Diablo how to sense your flow of magic. If he can do that, he might be able to undo the magic imbued into your collar."
"Right…" she replied uncertainly.
"Now, Diablo, you need to touch her exposed skin and try to feel the flow of magic in her body."
"O – Okay," he answered as he climbed on top of Shera and reached out with a single finger, pressing it against her collarbone, only for Shera to moan at the sudden contact. "O – Oy! Don't go making weird noises!"
"Quit flirting already and get to work."
Grumbling slightly, he gulped and then put a hand fully on Shera's shoulder. 'Okay… I need to try and focus on the mana… Wait, how exactly do I do that…?'
After a few silent moments, Medios urged, "Well? Even if you can't see mana you should be aware of what it feels like, since you feel it all the time while casting spells."
'Oh…' he muttered as that seemed to click in his mind. He began trying to focus on outside himself, where his hand was touching, Shera's soft skin, the rhythmic pulsing of her heart, the warmth of her body, the – '… Gah! All I can focus on is how soft her skin is and how nice she smells…!' Diablo shook his head forcefully of the thoughts. 'Okay, focus, focus! It's like the mirror. Try to feel the mana from my own body coursing through me. Then, focus on the mana in my hand. Then, try to feel where her body and mine are coming into contact and try to feel our mana intersecti – ' He suddenly lurched back as a new sensation filled his mind.
Medios smirked pleasantly. "Oh? Finally feel it? Good, now try touching somewhere closer to her core of mana."
Diablo stared at her blankly.
Medios sighed and just pointed between her own cleavage. "Her heart."
Diablo's head slowly and jerkily turned back to Shera. '… SHIT!'
Shera gulped in response.
"H – Here I go, Shera…"
"O – Okay, but it's kinda scary…"
Diablo took a deep breath and then grabbed a handful of Shera's immense bosom.
"Hyaauu!" she moaned loudly.
'So soft…' He immediately shook his head. 'Wait…! Wrong focus, wrong focus…! Wrong! Focus!' Trying to feel where his own mana intersects with Shera's, he focused his attention on that. His sensation of the mana began to change from simply feeling heat and motion, to feeling more acute points of cohesion and movement, his mind presenting it as numerous threads all weaving and connecting with each other. 'So this is… her mana network…? Amazing… it's so complex and intricate, I can't even begin to see where it begins and ends…'
"D – Diablo…" she moaned out as his moved and shifted on her chest, "not so rough…"
Her voice was unable to reach him in his focused state. 'Amazing! When I move my hand, it changes how I see everything!' Sliding his hand up and pinching her peak that was barely covered by cloth, his sensation of the energy changed. 'Like this, I can see almost all the connections on a single thread at once…' Moving his hand back down and grabbing it with force, his fingers practically sank into her soft flesh. 'And this way… I can see more of the network as a whole at once…' Sliding his hand down, he wrapped around her soft mound from the side. 'And I can see the intensity of each flow that way…!'
Shera's back arched as her breath hitched from his motions.
Medios smirked in response. "Good, good. So you can see her mana flow? Try finding where her mana is most densely collected and touch there."
Diablo focused his attention and tried to see where the energy was leading him. "Hmm… That's… lower…" Gulping down his nervousness, he moved his hand slowly down her body, being careful to never lose contact with her skin.
"H – Huh…?" she muttered in surprise and confusion.
Moving his hand down past her voluptuous breasts, he felt the energy concentrating lower and lower in her body. "It's concentrated most… right… here…!" he exclaimed as his hand stopped right at her navel.
"W – Wait, Diablo!" she cried out from his touch, her body reacting in ways she was not accustomed to. "If you touch my belly button now, I'll… I'll…!"
"J – Just bear with it…!" he urged, hoping to finish the process swiftly. 'There's so much mana packed densely here…! I – Is it near her womb?'
Medios smirked in surprise. "Found it? Good. Now, try introducing your own mana. Slowly, carefully. Pump your own mana into hers."
Diablo twitched an eyebrow as his concentration almost broke. 'I know she's a slave traded but does she have to make it sound so sexual?!'
Shera gulped deeply as Diablo began releasing his own energy into her, her body wiggling under his touch as she felt the energy fill her. "That area… where Diablo's touching… it's getting so warm…!"
Medios' eyes widened in surprise at his actions. "My, you are a talented one. You only just learned how to feel another person's mana and you can already mix in your own. Now comes the hard part. Try and use your mana to see if you can alter and influence Shera's. You'll need to use a lot more to do it. So go ahead, pump her full of your mana."
'You're doing this on purpose!' he snarled, trying to ignore it.
Smirking, she teased, "Pump her until she bloats from it."
He winced as he glared back at her. 'Lady! Shut up!' "H – Here I go, Shera…"
"Y – Yes, do it… Diablo!" Shera shouted with swelling ecstasy.
Diablo began pushing more and more of his mana into Shera's body, light emanating brightly from their skin touched. 'It's so weird… I can't see it, but I can… I can see my mana intertwining with her own.'
"D – Diablo…! Diablo! I can feel you flowing into me!"
Outside the main tent, Nanana and the others stood with looks of disbelief, Nanana holding her hands over the bewildered Raphtalia's ears. "Good grief… Do they have to be so loud?"
Rem just sighed before glancing to the side and noticing Wiz standing silently, her expression placid, but her nose very pointedly bleeding. "W – Wiz…?"
Nanana heard a grumble nearby and turned to see Aqua finally waking back up and looking around in bewilderment. "Hey you, you're awake."
"Yeah, and I hurt like hell!" Aqua screamed as she stood up and scowled at Nanana.
"So all is right in the world."
Aqua grit her teeth viciously. "… At least untie me!"
Diablo sat on a chair opposite Medios, panting slightly in mental and physical exhaustion. 'That was too damn much…!'
"Amashing…" Shera blubbered incoherently as she lay on the nearby bed.
Medios held up two strings tied in a large, yarn ball like knot. "So you see, if you want to break the collar, your goal is to find where Shera's mana and the collar's intersect. If you can interfere and untangle it, you can disconnect the collar. But as you can see, it's not as simple as it sounds."
"Indeed…" he groaned as he scratched his head in frustration. "It's like being in a room with hundreds of balls of yarn and I've got dark glasses over my face… Finding which one is the core one that interlocks with the Collar is going to be a pain…"
Medios nodded in affirmation. "Indeed. Personally, I'd recommend you just give up now."
"No," he retorted bluntly.
"Oh?" she answered, intrigued at his stern answer.
Looking at the sleeping Shera, Diablo noted, "I made a promise I would remove those Collars, so I will."
Medios smiled in amusement at his declaration. "Very well. Well, do be sure to come by again whenever you're in need of another slave."
Diablo twitched an eyebrow but decided not to pursue an argument. "Before I leave, you will remove Raphtalia's collar."
"Yes, yes," she responded dismissively.
Raphtalia backed away from Medios, holding the same ink-stained brush. As she reached out to just below Raphtalia's collar, where her seal is, the girl covered the spot in fear. "Come on now," she grumbled as she pulled the little girl's hands out of the way and proceeded to draw a new series of shapes and patterns on top of the existing ones.
As the new shapes warped in and faded, the slave crest lit up a violent purple and began sparking and smoking, Raphtalia's small body doubling over from the pain.
"Oy!" Diablo shouted, getting ready to go after Medios.
The redhead rebuffed, "It's connected to her soul, of course it's going to be painful to remove it."
Sighing, Diablo just aimed his palm towards her. "Soothing Sunlight." A small glow of energy shot from his hand and enveloped the girl, the pained gasps and trembling stopping moments later.
"Hoh?" Medios noted with intrigue. "Aren't you a compassionate one?"
Diablo just exhaled a huff in disapproval.
Eventually the smoking and sparking subsided and the collar glowed a vibrant purple before vanishing into a flicker of lights, the slave crest vanishing with it. The girl stood up, clueless and disoriented before feeling a hand atop her head. She recoiled at the sensation before realizing it was Diablo gently stroking her hair.
"You're free now."
Her small eyes stared up at him in a mixture of doubt, confusion, worry, fear, and relief before she just grabbed onto his arm tightly as tears began falling uncontrolled from her eyes.
Diablo maintained a soft expression as best he could, despite his fist trembling. 'That bastard will suffer.'
Raphtalia merely held Diablo's arm, crying uncontrollably as he gently patted her head.
Mordred sighed as she sat back in the chair, looking at Diablo, who still held Raphtalia in his arms as he sat. "So you didn't make much headway, ah?"
"Not on their collars, no."
Aqua tugged on the metal collar around her own neck to see if she could remove it, only to receive a powerful shock.
"We managed to get her one though."
Frowning slightly, Mordred looked over Aqua with the collar on. "I can see that. I have to admit seeing a goddess with a slave collar is an odd sight…"
"It's only temporary until she learns."
"Right…"
Diablo sighed as he looked at his free hand in thought. 'I wonder… is it possible to train myself to see mana as well…? I'll have to look into this. Maybe capture and experiment on Shera's brother if I ever encounter that trash.'
"So what now?" Mordred urged.
"I need to make equipment for you and the others, then I need to rid this world of some of its filth, and get little Raphtalia here something to eat."
Raphtalia twitched before waking up and looking up at Diablo, having heard her name.
"So you hungry?" he asked, glancing down at her.
"N – No…" she denied as her stomach growled.
Diablo smiled softly before standing up. "Come. Let's go buy you some dinner."
"I – It's okay, I won't cause any trouble…" she argued fearfully.
Diablo gave her the warmest smile he could as he looked at her. "It's no trouble at all little one."
She stared up at him with a combination of uncertainty and surprise. "… Are you sure…?"
"Yes. Let's go. You need some new clothes, too. As well as something to protect yourself as well," he urged as he stood up, putting her on the floor and grabbing her hand.
"Protect myself…?" she asked in befuddlement.
He nodded firmly. "Yes. You need to be able to fight back if anyone tries to hurt you. After all, I can't be there all the time sadly."
Raphtalia's expression fell deeply at his answer.
"This way you can protect yourself in any friends you make."
Her eyes widened slightly before she looked up at him. "Friends…?"
"Yes," he responded softly.
"Friends…" she answered weakly before she began trembling.
"Now look what you did," Nanana jabbed.
"M – Me!?" Diablo retorted, his surprise causing his act to fall.
"Rifana-Chan…" she eked out softly.
"… Who?" he asked, figuring the name was important.
"Rifana-Chan… Rifana-Chan…" she repeated weakly as she cried, "I'm sorry…"
Diablo tensed before tightening his fists yet again. 'My list of how to torture this maggot just keeps growing. I'll reserve a room for him in Nazarick's prison.'
Nanana and the others looked at a variety of outfits in a small clothing shop.
"Hm… what would look good on her…?" Nanana wondered. "Ah! This will do!" she called out as she pulled a small, red and brown dress with cross-stitching along the front from one of the racks. "I think modifying it for a tail hole shouldn't be too hard. So let's get this."
Diablo looked down at the girl in thought. "What do you think?"
"I'll wear whatever you tell me to," she answered weakly.
"Why? It's your choice."
She looked up at him in mild confusion. "My… choice…?"
"Don't like it?" Nanana asked in disappointment.
Diablo was about to answer for her when he noticed Raphtalia's tail slowly swishing side to side looking at the dress, bring a small smile to his face. "I think she likes it."
Leaning over to see her tail, Nanana nodded in agreement. "I think so too. Hey shopkeeper, we'll take this one!" she called out to the woman at the counter.
Diablo smiled to himself as he saw Raphtalia walking with her back a little straighter and a small smile on her face. 'It's always good to see young ones smile…'
'You must've been a pretty bang-up dad,' Nanana commented.
That comment, however, brought a deep frown to his face.
'Wh – What? What'd I say…?'
'I was not a very good father at all…'
'Huh?'
'I spent all my time working, and very little with my daughters. My eldest became a Pandora and died fighting a Nova. The youngest taken by illness. So I delved into games and work to make a world my four living children could enjoy,' he explained, his fists clenching in frustration.
'Oh…' she trailed off regretfully. '… Sorry I brought it up…'
'It's fine, they're my mistakes.'
The conversation was derailed when the others heard a loud growl and saw little Raphtalia holding her abdomen with embarrassment.
"I believe it's time for lunch."
"Any ideas?" Nanana asked.
"Hm… what do you like to eat, Raphtalia?" Diablo asked.
The girl looked up at him in thought. "What do I… I… don't know… I don't remember what food tastes like…"
Diablo winced and did his best not to act out. "… Let's get you a little bit of everything at a nearby tavern."
Raphtalia's tail swung back and forth hastily. "R – Really!? Everything?!"
Diablo patted her head gently. "As much as you can eat."
Raphtalia smiled brightly before following the others.
As they approached one of the restaurants, Nanana stopped as she saw a sign and got Diablo's attention. "We have a problem."
He just hummed through his nose to her.
"No Demis," she explained, pointing at the sign. "Are there any other restaurants in the area?"
"Yeah, but they're small," Rem explained.
Diablo scoffed dismissively. "Then if they decide to throw us out because members of our Familia are nonhumans, then they're going to lose much of their business."
Nanana smiled and grabbed Raphtalia's hand. "Come on, let's go inside."
Raphtalia nodded unsurely.
As the group walked in, a man approached them irately. "Hey, you can't bring them in here."
"Do you disallow gods as well?" Diablo asked, irritated.
"H – Huh? Er, well, that's…"
Diablo approached the man with a stern scowl. "I plan to eat here with my Familia. If that bothers you so much, that's fine. But I will tell every other god I know you don't allow them in your restaurant."
The man stammered and sputtered where he stood before deciding to give up the fight. "That… whatever… just don't stink the place up! Damn animals."
"I'd also recommend you not insult them."
The man hissed under his breath as he walked off.
"… Am I causing trouble…?" Raphtalia asked tearfully.
Nanana knelt down to her and smiled. "Not at all." Moving over to a table, she patted her legs gently. "Now come sit on my lap."
Raphtalia looked at her in surprise. "R – Really? I don't have to sit on the floor?"
"Of course you don't have to."
Shera chimed in with a smile, "Diablo doesn't make you do anything you don't want to."
Raphtalia frowned in concern before Nanana picked her up and placed the girl on her lap. "Can you read?"
"A – A little…" she answered unsurely.
Nodding, Nanana picked up a menu and opened it so they both could see it. "Okay. If you see anything you don't understand, just let me know."
Raphtalia nodded with a brighter smile and a small answer as she looked over the large list of foods.
Diablo smiled softly as he watched the two, the visage of a beautiful brown-haired woman and a petite girl with shiny black hair filling his mind.
Nanana nodded in understanding. "Right, so we'll get that. Alright Momo, what do you –?" her breath caught her in her throat as she looked at Diablo and saw tears slowly falling from his eyes. "M – Momo?!"
"H – Huh? What?"
"Diablo's crying!?" Shera exclaimed in shock.
Diablo flinched before wiping his eyes to realize he was in fact. "N – Nothing, it's nothing."
Rem frowned slightly in worry at the horned man.
"Alright, let's get ready for our meals."
As a large quantity of food filled the table on numerous plates and trays, Raphtalia looked over the items with awe, drooling and her tail wagging wildly. "R – Really…?! I can eat any of it?!"
"Yes, you can try as much as you want of anything you see," Diablo urged. "Whatever you like the most you can have."
Reaching across the table, she grabbed a glob of mashed vegetables from Diablo's plate and stuck it in her mouth, her ears perking up and her eyes lighting up as she did. "It's so good!" She proceeded to grab a chunk of mashed potatoes, a carrot, a piece of diced steak, and more from everyone else's plates.
Diablo frowned slightly as he watched the girl grab and eat everything with her fingers. "… Raphtalia."
Still deep in the throes of stuffing her face with food, the girl momentarily glanced up at him with a hum of recognition.
"Did anyone ever teach you to use utensils?"
Raphtalia shook her head as she swallowed, before coughing and gasping.
Sighing slightly, he handed her a glass of water. "Don't eat so much at once."
She gulped down the water like it was the best drink she had ever had. "Pah…" she sighed as she finally took a breath.
Nanana picked up a fork and knife and placed them in the girl's hands. "Here, let me show you how to use a knife and fork."
Raphtalia nodded and paid close attention as Nanana guided her hands.
Diablo smiled softly. 'You'd make a good mother…'
Nanana's face turned bright red. 'H – Huh?!'
'How you're treating little Raph. You're acting like a good mother should.'
Her face turned even brighter red in response.
Raphtalia looked up at her in thought as her hands stopped moving and trembling. "Nana?"
However, Nanana's frantic mind misheard it. "E – Eh!? M – Mama?!"
Raphtalia just blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
"N – Nothing…" she stammered as she tried to cool her head.
Fikuma, however, chuckled in amusement. "Wanna be a Mama eh, Nana?"
Nanana stared at her with a pout and a bright red face. "Sh – Shush, or I'm letting Raph eat all your food."
Fikuma grinned mischievously. "That would just give her a bellyache."
"Wh – Why you…!" she snarled.
Raphtalia stared up at the others in confusion.
Diablo stood in the back room, forging and preparing materials to make gear and weapons.
Nearby, Shera sat on a chair watching quietly in little more than a small tank top and shorts.
Rem twitched an eyebrow as she peered into the room. "What is she doing in there…?"
"It helps him focus," Nanana answered mildly annoyed.
"Eh? How?"
Nanana flattened her brow, staring at Diablo in irritation. "… Don't ask."
Rem frowned before watching as Diablo picked up a pair of large, black gauntlets with large spikes. "Alright. These should do for Fikuma. Next is Moedred's sword."
Shera blinked curiously. "Huh? I thought her name was Mordred."
"Oh, right. Moedred."
Shera furrowed her brow in confusion.
Diablo looked over the fragments of her original sword and thought on how he wanted it to look. "Hm… that will do…" Taking several of the Ebony ingots, he put them in the forge and began heating them up to shape.
Outside the room, Lilietta looked around the front area of Wiz's shop in thought. "Don't you think we should switch out some of this stuff for better items?"
Wiz nodded in agreement. "I will. As I sell some of my older items, I'll replace them with Diablo's stuff."
"In other words, not going to happen…" the blonde lamented.
"Eh?"
Aqua then began pulling many of Wiz's items from the shelves. "This stuff's been here, what, three years? Take the hint. It's not going to sell." Pulling a multicolored choker off one shelf, she pointed to it. "Like this thing."
Wiz pouted in disappointment. "But that collar will grant any wish the wearer has!"
"… Eh? R – Really!?" she exclaimed before snapping it on underneath her collar.
Wiz frowned in worry. "… I wasn't finished…"
"… Wh – What else…?"
"Most use it as a weight loss tool, because if you haven't granted yourself the wish in four days, it suffocates you."
Aqua's face paled further and further. "… SAY THAT FIRST! THAT'S WHAT YOU SHOULD DO!"
Lilietta frowned slightly. "Oh dear… what do we do now?"
Nanana walked into the room to see Aqua weeping and sighed. "Okay, what did stupid do?"
Megumin answered, "Activated one of Wiz's items without hearing the full explanation."
Nanana scratched her head in exasperation. "Of course she did. What does it do?"
"Kills you in four days if you don't fulfill your biggest wish."
"… No, seriously what is it."
Shaking her head, Wiz urged, "That's what it is and does. A lot of girls use it as a weight loss aid."
Nanana stared blankly for several moments. "… Wow. Aqua's stupidity is finally getting her killed."
"Get this thing off me!" Aqua begged.
Wiz shook her head. "That's impossible. It's not able to be removed by any magic or physical strength."
Nanana folded her arms in thought. "So she will really die in four days? I'll be sure to put up fliers for a new healer."
"You're ruthless!" Aqua shrieked.
"And you're an idiot."
Aqua grumbled silently before Diablo walked out of the forge, annoyed.
"All this noise is distracting."
"Well Aqua committed suicide," Nanana deadpanned.
Diablo looked at her quietly and then looked at the frantic Aqua. "She's still here."
Pointing to Aqua's neck, Nanana explained, "That choker on her neck will kill her in four days."
"… And we get it off, how?"
Wiz answered, "By her fulfilling whatever her greatest wish is."
Diablo folded his arms in thought. "Moluka, deities return to heaven when they take fatal damage, correct?"
Moluka nodded plainly. "As far as I'm aware."
Diablo just shrugged. "Then we needn't do anything. We just let her die."
Aqua gaped at him in horror. "… You can't be serious!"
"It will get you back to the realm of the gods. It's what you've wanted this whole time."
Aqua slumped her shoulders back despondently.
Diablo noticed her reaction with concern. "… It will get you back right…?"
Throwing out her hands, Aqua exclaimed, "How would I know?! A goddess has never been dragged along with a Reincarnated! I could get sent back, I could just get brought back to life here again, or I could be dead forever!"
Nanana looked at her in shock. "Wait, seriously!"
"Oh don't sound so happy!" she snapped.
Nanana argued in annoyance, "Hey, I hate your guts, I don't want you to cease to exist, there's a big difference!"
Diablo sighed heavily. "This is very, very bad…"
"What do you suggest we do?" Megumin asked.
Putting a hand on his chin, Diablo looked at Wiz. "Wiz, what is the origin of that choker?"
"Pardon?" Wiz muttered in thought.
"Was it crafted by divine or mortal hands?"
Wiz put a hand on the back of her head in confusion. "I… believe it was made by a powerful alchemist just after the gods descended."
"So it isn't a Divine Artefact?"
"As far as I know."
"Good." Diablo walked up to Aqua and put a hand on the choker. "Greater Break Item."
The choker flashed for several long seconds before shattering into dust.
Aqua stared blankly for several long seconds. "… Eh?"
Diablo stared off in thought. "Hm… so it works."
Aqua trembled in confusion. "Wait… how did you… why did you… what!?"
"What?"
"You could have done that to our collars this whole time!?" Rem exclaimed.
Diablo shook his head in denial. "No. Summon Collars work differently, it could damage your minds if I do."
"E – Eh!?"
"I had a suspicion due to how the summon crystals are able to store and bring the contracted in and out, and Medios confirmed it for me. The Slave Collars are linked directly to your soul, your mana network. Simply shattering it could cause severe damage to your mana network, your mind, your body, and even kill you." 'Not to mention Greater Break Item only breaks Items, and Slave Collars aren't considered items.'
Nanana smirked at him slyly. 'You made all that up didn't you?'
'Just mostly. Until just now I wasn't entirely certain Greater Break Item would even work.'
She responded with a playful pout. 'If you start getting any better at presenting yourself we might need this link much longer.'
'Oh? Don't like our private chats anymore?'
'Not what I said at all,' she huffed.
Turning to the others, Diablo admonished, "Now, if you're all done goofing around, I have work to do. Moedred's sword won't finish itself," he remarked as he walked into the back.
Mordred, however, blinked in confusion. "Wait, Moedred?"
Some time later, Diablo sighed as he stood in the forge, finishing the last details on the weapon, and nodded to himself. "There… that should do."
"Ooh… what's it called?" Shera cooed as she looked over the weapon.
Diablo hummed in thought. "Hm… Clarent, and it's for Moedred."
Nanana chuckled in mild amusement. 'Seriously? Clarent? You certainly know your history.'
Diablo just shrugged as he walked into the main area with the sword. 'I had a lot of mythological aspects in SAO, so I had to do a little research.'
'Ah. Wait, what?'
"Moedred!" he called out, not hearing Nanana's question.
"It's Mordred," the blonde grumbled as she walked up to him.
"That's what I said."
"No it isn't."
"Yes it is, Moedred."
"You did it again!" she snapped.
"I just said your name."
Moluka and Megumin watched the exchange, entertained.
"… This is kind of adorable…"
"Yeah…"
Diablo happened to hear the two whispering and looked at them curiously.
"Nothing, nothing," Moluka dismissed. "Please, continue."
"Right…" Turning his attention back to Mordred, he displayed the sword to her.
Mordred's eyes widened as she looked over the blade, a deep grey blade accentuated with blood red highlights, a crescent-shaped hand-guard, and engraved red star near the tip.
"This is the sword I crafted for you. Clarent."
"Amazing…" she muttered as she looked it over.
Smiling to himself, Diablo prepared the other items. "Fikuma, Moluka, come here."
Curious, the two approached him.
"Yes?" the black-haired girl wondered.
Diablo pulled out a pair of large, spike, deep black gauntlets. "Here, Ebony Bracers."
"Wh – Whoa…" she muttered in shock as she put the armor on her arms. "It feels sturdy, but not really heavy."
"Well?"
"They're perfect!" she exclaimed before slamming her fists together with excitement.
"Good." Turning his attention to Moluka, he frowned slightly. "I was unable to craft anything for you that met my specifications."
The girl's gaze traveled to the floor at that admission, before he pulled out a large silver staff with a multi-colored jewel at the tip.
"Instead, you'll have this. The Sage's Crystal Staff. It can withstand casting up to Eighth Tier magic."
Her glasses nearly fell off her face. "E – Eighth Tier!?"
"Is that too low?"
"N – Not at all!" she exclaimed. "I can still barely cast Third Tier magic!"
"I see. We will need to work on that then."
Staring at him silently, she suddenly collapsed and fainted.
"H – Huh…?"
'Geez…' Nanana grumbled over their private connection.
'Something wrong, Nanana?'
'People here can only cast up to Sixth Tier magic normally, remember?'
'Oh.' As he mulled over that thought, he noticed Prelsina looking at him unsurely. "Yes, Prelsina?"
Gulping, she nervously darted her gaze around the room. "D – D – Do you… have anything for me…?"
"Yes," he answered before pulling out a large roll of fabric. "This is a Canvas Talisman. It's a powerful Catalyst for casting Miracles."
Prelsina awed over the tightly wrapped roll. "I can feel the energy coming off it just from looking at it…"
Nanana looked at him wryly. 'Just giving away old Items, eh Momo?'
'They're still powerful, even if I don't use them anymore.'
"So what now?" Wiz questioned.
"I need to start making items we can sell and dispose of what we can't."
"Eehh!?"
Trying to ignore her screams, Diablo's attention was taken by a large red crystal sitting on one of the shelves. "… Wiz…"
"Huh?"
"Why do you have a Bloodstone here?"
"Belial said it might be a good idea to sell pieces of it."
Diablo sighed as he took the stone from the shelf.
"Eh!?"
"Having a whole Bloodstone here is too dangerous. Some fool is bound to get it and go insane."
Megumin and the others watched the exchange curiously.
"Erm, Diablo…?" Shera questioned.
"Yes?"
"Do you and Wiz know each other from somewhere else?"
Diablo winced slightly at the question. "… Why do you ask that?"
"Well, you two are talking like you're really familiar with each other."
'Why does she have to be so good at picking up things like that…' "I am merely treating an expert mage such as her like this because I feel it is the only to deal with her. I also know a thing or two concerning some of the items she is selling."
"Oh… that makes sense."
Diablo's expression remained the same, but he sighed in relief in his mind.
The conversation was broken up when Sylvie suddenly barged into the shop, sweating and exhausted.
"Something wrong?"
"Extremely!" she exclaimed before pulling out a letter to give to Diablo. "The elven kingdom of Greenwood has demanded Princess Shera's immediate return, or they'll declare war!"
Diablo twitched an eyebrow angrily. "They have the nerve to try and force my Familia member back there? I guess I should have sent a much more meaningful warning to them then."
Growling, Rem snapped, "War? Are they insane?"
Sylvie just shrugged in exhausted bewilderment. "Who can say… The governor of Faltra asked me to recommend a group of Adventurers I trust to try and prevent that outcome."
Diablo nodded as he read the letter. "Then I will do my utmost to… convince them not to." Diablo turned to his side as Shera grabbed his arm with desperation in her eyes.
"Diablo, please… I don't want anyone to get hurt…"
Before he could say anything, Sylvie continued. "Unfortunately, that's not the only problem. The prince of Greenwood put a two million Val bounty on Shera's return."
Diablo's face went completely blank of emotion for several moments before his eyes practically lit up with fury. "What? He put a bounty on his own sister?! That fucking disgusting filth!"
Raphtalia slinked behind Nanana in fear of Diablo's outburst.
"Yeah, I know," Sylvie lamented with a groan. "The governor wants the war to be averted at any cost, and he said there are two ways he knows of doing that."
"Oh…?" Diablo prodded, getting a feeling he would not like her explanation.
"The simplest is just to hand Shera over to them."
Diablo responded with a silent glower.
Sylvie lurched back and put her hands up. "D – Don't worry, I assured him that wasn't an option!"
"Good. Otherwise you'd need a new Governor."
Sighing, Sylvie mumbled under her breath, "Maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing…"
"Did you say something?" Diablo asked, not quite hearing her.
"N – No, nothing," she stammered, shaking her head.
"Anything else?" Nanana asked.
"Huh?" she questioned, not sure what she was asking.
"Any other intel for us?"
"Um… no…" she muttered, one of her ears drooping in confusion.
Diablo sighed and rebuffed, "How does he expect us to stop the war if we have no information? Short of killing the instigator."
Frowning slightly, Sylvie just shrugged. "I don't know, but that's all the information he gave me."
Diablo folded his arms in annoyance. "If that's the case, then we may need to speak with him directly."
Both of her ears fell back as she paled.
"Something wrong, Guild Representative?"
She put her hands up in an attempt to placate him. "Th – Think this over carefully. The governor, Chester Ray Galford, he was one of the heroes of the previous war. He's not someone you want to take lightly, even as a god."
He growled back, "He is treating my Familia like pawns by not informing us. That greatly displeases me. So either you can ask him for more information, or I will."
"R – Right. I – I'll take you there…" she stammered weakly.
"Good."
As they prepared to leave the shop, Sylvie turned back to him and urged, "Now, do your best not to upset the governor, it won't make life any easier for us."
"That will remain to be seen. But before I leave…" he trailed off as he pulled out the staff the Archangel Flames are stored in. "Summon, four Archangel Flames."
On command four of the mechanical angels appeared in a burst of light.
"E – Eh…?" Sylvie stuttered in surprise.
Looking at the four summons, Diablo commanded, "Attack anyone that approaches Shera or any other member of my Familia with hostile, greedy, or lustful intent."
As they responded with a mechanical hum, Sylvie retorted frantically, "M – Most of the ones taking the bounties would be other Adventurers, you can't just kill them!"
Diablo coldly argued, "They should have thought of that before taking the bounty."
Sylvie gaped in shock.
"After all, I will end anyone that threatens my Familia. I don't care who they are. Just be grateful I do not add my Death Knight or Dominion Authority to the guard detail. These ones can at least kill just the one causing the problem and not create zombies or turn the entire city into a crater."
"R – Right…"
"Unless of course, you want me to bring out them as well."
"No!" she shouted firmly.
"Then this shall be the guard detail."
"Fine…" she replied, giving up the argument.
Diablo looked around the edge of the city in thought as he and the others followed Sylvie to the governor's home.
"Okay, wait here, I'll get the guards to let us through," Sylvie explained and ran up to the guard at the front gate.
Diablo nodded in understanding and waited, before noticing the intricate and elaborate armor the guards wore. 'Those aren't the normal rank-and-file guards. Those are royal guards.'
With a shrug, Nanana answered, 'Well he is the governor of this province.'
'But such guards should be for royalty, not governors.'
Their conversation was cut short as one of the guards took note of Diablo and the others and approached them. "Hey, you there, demon."
Diablo looked around in mild curiosity before the man pointed his spear at him.
"You."
One of the Flames dashed in front of Diablo, startling the guard, only for Diablo to raise a hand and get it to stand down. "I am no demon."
"You have horns, don't you? You may be shorter than the average demon, but you're still a demon."
"Do you mean Draph?" Megumin asked, confused and annoyed.
The guard huffed dismissively. "I refuse to call them that. They're demons."
Nanana frowned slightly and glanced at Diablo, 'This whole country sure seems prejudiced against Draphs.'
"Annoying," he groaned.
"What's that?!" the guard shouted, unprovoked as he readied his weapon.
"Stop it, you're embarrassing yourself, I'd rather not have to deal with such a sight while I have business here."
"I'm not afraid of you, demon!"
Diablo pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and shooed the man away with a hand. "Ugh… I really don't want to end up destroying the city, so go away."
"You're going to destroy the city?! I knew it!"
Diablo's frustration was only growing deeper at the man. "I am not, as my Familia is set up here you annoying bug."
"Bug?! So you're going to crush me?!" he shouted back, raising his spear.
'DON'T GIVE ME IDEAS! BECAUSE I AM THIS CLOSE FROM SPLATTERING YOU LIKE ONE!' Diablo hollered in his mind as his rage was reaching boiling point.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Sylvie cried out as she ran up to the situation, finally done speaking with the other guard. "He's with me!"
"H – Huh?" the guard stuttered.
"This is Diablo, he's the god of the Diablo Familia."
He stared at her incredulously before she displayed a document to him.
"See? I have permission for him to be here."
Growling under his breath, he opened the gate and demanded, "… Fine. Get in there."
Rem frowned in concern as the group walked past the gates, only to find the property on the other side a vast change from the surrounding city. There was a large garden on both sides of the walkway, a small creek flowing peacefully through the center, a large house near the back of plot of land, and a large, blocky building at the center that was clearly an office of some kind.
"Whoa… the estate is so pretty…" Shera cooed.
Nodding in agreement, Rem noted, "It's rather well kept for a man who seems so officious."
"Agreed," Diablo noted plainly.
As they walked, however, Shera took note of the numerous maids and butlers that dotted the area, working on maintaining the greenery or keeping the cobblestone clean. "… They all look so unhappy…"
'Indeed…' Diablo agreed silently.
"Here's the main office," Sylvie explained, motioning to the large, brick-shaped building at the center of the property.
As the large doors opened, they were greeted by a petite girl with light brown twintails and matching chestnut eyes, wearing a plain black dress with white frills. "I'm Titta, head maid," she greeted almost mechanically.
Diablo frowned in concern at the girl. 'Cute… but she looks sad… This governor must be responsible…'
"I'll take you to governor Galford," Titta noted before motioning to the back of the building.
Diablo did his best to present a pleasant smile. "Thank you Ms. Titta."
A small, momentary shift appeared on her countenance before she turned around, heading down the long main hall, past a large number of various doors and smaller pathways, eventually stopping at a set of huge double doors near the back of the building. Knocking on the doors, she announced, "Sir Galford, I brought the Guild Representative and her companions."
A gruff voice from within ordered, "Fine, you may leave."
Flinching slightly, the girl bowed and pushed open the doors before leaving.
As the group walked in, they saw Galford himself, a tall, dark-haired man with greying hair swept back, clad in a stark white military uniform with a saber at his side. Turning to the group, he questioned bluntly, "So, is it finished?"
Sylvie blinked curiously at his question. "Eh? Well, Diablo here has agreed to take on the quest."
"I see," he remarked curtly before turning his back to them. "Then solve this matter quickly. Report to me when it's done."
Diablo twitched an eyebrow at his questioning. 'Wait, so that "is it finished" was about the quest? We just got it today with no intel, what does this jackass expect?!' "And what is the Quest?"
Galford turned to face the group properly, staring disinterestedly at Sylvie. "Could you not even tell them that much on your own?"
"You didn't tell any details…" she argued meekly.
"I gave you all the information you needed."
Wincing, she tried her best to speak up. "Actually, we were hoping to get some more…"
The man sighed in frustration. "I see. So Adventurers truly can't be relied upon then. You may swagger about town, but as soon as something difficult pops up, you make excuses and hide. I see it will be up to the army to finish this then."
Sylvie frantically tried to placate him. "N – No, not at all! We won't be running away!"
"Then hurry up and get rid of these elves," he ordered coldly.
Diablo snarled quietly. 'How the hell did this fool become a Governor?!'
Sylvie stumbled and stammered over her words. "W – Well… er… ah! How about a little self-introduction?"
Galford narrowed his eyes in disappointment. "They do not know who I am?"
"W – Well, Diablo and Nanana haven't been in Faltra very long."
"Indeed," Diablo interjected, "and I'm already beginning to dislike you."
Sylvie choked on her breath at his statement.
"I don't care. My goal is to protect this city and its people, and I don't care if you're a god or a demon lord."
Diablo huffed dismissively. "I would be more inclined to believe you if your people were happy."
"Happiness and safety are not the same thing."
"If they are happy, then they will gladly do what is right making it easier to ensure their safety. If they are miserable it breeds desperation."
Galford just shrugged. "And if they act out of turn I will deal with them. Just as I dealt with the armies of Mammon."
'… What…?' Diablo growled in his mind.
Sighing, Galford went ahead and introduced himself properly. "Regardless, while you are in this province, remember this. I, Lieutenant General Chester Ray Galford, am the one who commands this province, my rule is law."
"So you're the one who stood around doing nothing when the Fallen set siege to your city and your wall."
"By the time I received reports of the situation, it had already been handled."
"How lucky for you," Diablo retorted with disgust.
Staring at the man with a flat expression, Nanana questioned, 'We're gonna take over this place. Aren't we?'
'In due time.'
Rem stepped forward to try and remedy the situation, "My name is Rem Galleu, and I know he comes off as rude but –" but was cut off by the officious man.
"I'm already aware Adventurers have no sense of manners, Miss Galleu."
Mordred, her temper finally having hit its peak, stepped out from the others and snapped back, "This, coming from you?"
Galford confidently retorted, "Watch your tongue. You may be princess in Lautreamont, but here you are little more than hired help."
Her eyebrow twitched with a furious snarl.
The elderly man then turned his attention to Rem. "Ms. Galleu, I have to wonder. The Mage's Guild has extended you offers numerous times, and yet you declined them all. Surely you don't intend to be a measly Adventurer forever."
Diablo finally interjected, with his temper beginning to boil. "You should really stop demeaning the title of Adventurer in such a way. After all, they do what soldiers and guards lack the courage and skill to do."
"Such as threaten the guards at my estate, destroy the Bridge of Ulug, and cause severe damage to the buildings of the southern quarter with magic," Galford rebuffed with derision.
"There was a reason behind all of that!" Shera argued desperately.
The officer huffed through his nose. "The fact remains you don't deny it happened."
Pointing towards him, Diablo growled, "Your guards started it, meaning they are ill disciplined, the bridge was destroyed to ensure possible Fallen reinforcements didn't push through while I returned to Faltra to deal with a powerful infiltrator using the body of a excommunicated Mage Guild member, and said damage to the buildings was caused in stopping said infiltrator's rampage."
He just shrugged. "You should have found a way to deal with them without damaging the infrastructure."
Diablo hit back, "That is not always an option. At least if your goal is to protect lives and not buildings. Buildings are easy to replace after all. Lives and good help aren't."
Galford huffed quietly before changing the subject. "Before I answer you, I want one question answered. The rumor is that you are a Demon Lord from another world. Is that accurate?"
"And if it is? What will you try to do?"
"I merely wished to know. I don't care what you are, human, demon, Demon Lord, or God. Are you an asset to me, or a liability?"
"I believe I am the one who should be asking that question, mortal," Diablo growled.
Yes, I know, cliffhanger ending! Don't worry, you'll be getting the resolution soon. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the chapter, be sure to let me know with a review if you did. If you were confused, unsure, or just have questions on anything, leave your queries as a review and I will do what I can to address them in the next reviewer response. If you did not enjoy the chapter, review if you must, but English please, it's the only language read and any other language will be resoundingly ignored. That said, until next time, bye-bye!