Chapter XI

And here we are yet again. I know, Demon Lord's Adventurers again. Surprised, are you not? The obvious aside, it appears that my brain is glued to this story and will be for the foreseeable future, so look forward to more. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the previous chapter, it is certainly looking that way from the reviews, which is always good to know. Do be sure and let me know if you enjoy this one as well. I would like to thank Bakuto as well for his aid in this insanity my brain has concocted. Enough babbling, on with the reviewer responses!

Thanos69: I'm sure this may come across as blasphemy, but Skyrim is actually the only Elder Scrolls game I've ever played besides a momentary dabble into Daggerfall. But yeah, despite the quote on the box, Skyrim's quests aren't truly limitless. Eventually they become just an endless repeat of the same three or four fetch quests.

Skull Flame: Good to know.

No one except maybe a braindead Otaku.

Don't worry, Neuronist will be getting plenty of toys soon.

You know it.

ObsidianUnknown66: I have a bad habit of doing cliffhangers. Moedred for the win indeed. There's quite a few high-ranking nobles that won't be around much longer.

METALHELLSPWN: I'm sure it'll be a cackle heard 'round the world.

DreamWeaverGod: Well his "buttons" will be getting broken very soon.

Can't promise those doods will get the fate they deserve just yet, but it will come.

Lawoi: Intense is what I was aiming for.

Only in some aspects. For example, I prefer DanMachi's Demeter over Fate's.

correnhimself316: Both coming soon courtesy of your favorite horned Demon Lord.

duskrider: No, Aqua is worthless. This guy is some special insult not known to human tongues.

Phew! That was quite a few! Not a bad thing at all, I appreciate all the interaction, so keep it coming! That said, now for why you are all really here.

Galford urged, "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. "After all you have been nothing if not antagonistic."

"Because you're wasting time in here when you should be out there dealing with the elves," Galford scoffed.

Diablo finally lost his temper and slammed his fist on the table in the center of the room, cracking it. "How the hell do you expect us to do that when you haven't given us any information!? Things like this need detailed information in order to be completed!"

Galford stared silently at Diablo, nonplussed, as Sylvie looked from side to side in frantic fear, Diablo just sending scowls at the man.

Nanana sighed and spun on her heel. "Let's just go. This guy is just about useless, and we need to sort out this whole thing with Greenwood. Because this guy obviously has no clue."

Galford finally sighed in annoyance and pulled out a map that he unrolled onto his desk. "If you're that insistent."

Nanana raised an intrigued eyebrow. 'Hoh? Looks like being ignored is his weakness.'

'Indeed,' Diablo agreed.

Pointing to a spot on the map, he explained, "Here, on the Eastern Lakefront, some of the knights have reported elf sightings. Do you understand the layout of that area?"

Diablo nodded confidently. "Perfectly." 'Though considering how things seem to have changed slightly, the layouts here might not be identical to the maps in the game.'

Nanana nodded subtly. 'Yep. Like how Betas are different from the full release.'

Galford continued, "I cannot say how many elves are there for sure."

Diablo raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. "You haven't even sent a team to look?"

"Even if I sent a reconnaissance team, this is an enemy specializing in stealth attacks. The witness who originally found them was a townsman there fishing, who managed to escape with his life. He claims to have seen at least twenty elves, but I have no doubt there are more."

"I see," Diablo noted as he examined the map carefully from where he stood.

"Considering the size and influence of Greenwood, they could easily amass a force of over a hundred, but if they did, I doubt they could hide it. I don't expect there to be more than one hundred elves there. That is all the information I have."

Diablo folded his arms in derision. "Much better than no information at all. I would hope you wouldn't send your men in with such a lack of information as before."

Galford huffed through his nose. "I wouldn't send them at all. Sending them to fight a group of elves in a forest, I would likely lose countless men."

Narrowing his eyes, Diablo theorized, "Which is why you wish to use us."

"Which wouldn't be necessary on either front if you simply handed the princess over," Galford argued as he rested a hand on his sword.

Shera stared up at Diablo in worry, who put a hand on her shoulder and responded bluntly, "Would you hand over a member of your family to a rapist?"

"I'm not the one in that position. Is the princess truly that important to you?"

"Don't ask such a foolish question. She belongs to me. I have no intention of handing her over to people who would only use her."

Galford remained silent for a moment before closing his eyes with a nod. "I see. On that, we can agree. I have no intention of yielding to the likes of elves."

Diablo frowned slightly at his response.

The greying man then turned his attention to the busty elf in question. "I also had a question for you."

Shera blinked curiously, shuffling closer to Diablo. "For me…? What is it?"

"What could you possibly want so badly that would make you throw away your life of luxury, going so far as to take on the life of an Adventurer? Or, perhaps, did you have a reason you couldn't stay in your homeland?"

At that, Nanana tilted her head in thought. 'Come to think of it, where is Greenwood…'

Diablo felt a small drop of sweat fall down his head. 'I… don't actually know… I don't think anyone in Ainz Ooal Gown really bothered trying to find it.'

Shera clutched her hands tightly near her heart. "I… I wanted freedom. I wanted to know my own worth, not just my worth to the bloodline."

"Wow…" Megumin mumbled in understanding.

"I see," Galford answered, digesting the information. "From a poor man's perspective, it seems as though you lived in the lap of luxury. But I suppose everyone has their own circumstances and reasons."

"So you understand?" Shera asked, slightly hopeful.

Galford shook his head coldly. "No. I cannot sympathize with you. I will, however, remember it as valuable information."

Diablo narrowed his eyes in suspicion. 'I don't like the sound of that… At fucking all…' Wrapping his arm around her tighter, Diablo urged, "You needn't seek sympathy from others. Put yourself through as many hardships as you see fit, exert yourself as much as you need, and push yourself to as many limits as you desire. Savor the fruits of labor that you earn with your own two hands. In short, live as an Adventurer."

Galford could only scoff at the display.

Rem put a hand on her chin in thought. "Damn… if only we had some kind of 'treasure' of equal value to Shera, we could at least consider negotiations."

Stepping away from Diablo slightly, Shera puffed her chest out proudly. "I wasn't called the 'most valuable asset of the elves' for nothing, after all! I don't think there's anything that could replace me!"

Rem's tail twitched angrily. "… On second thought, we should just return this dumb elf. For peace, if nothing else."

Shera gasped at Rem in shock. "What?! Why are you mad all of a sudden!?"

Diablo gently rapped Rem on the head. "Rem, stop being jealous of her. You still have plenty of time to grow."

Rem winced before turning aside, her ears drooping.

Nodding to himself, Galford stated, "So, you will not turn over Princess Shera, but will instead take other measures to avoid a war with the Kingdom of Greenwood. The reward for such shall be paid through the Adventurers' Guild – understood?"

"Understood," Diablo answered.

"That's all I have to say as Faltra's governor. However, the royal capital of Re-Estize has dispatched one of their own to watch over the matter."

"Oh?"

"Come in," Galford called before the large double doors opened and a new figure walked in.

A tall, slim young woman with dark, almost blood red hair, bright ruby eyes tucked behind a pair of frameless glasses, and overly fair skin, clad in elaborate silver and white armor that hugged her generous curves tightly, a pleated blue miniskirt, a red waist-cape hanging to her feet, covered by thigh-high leg armor that left just a portion of her soft thighs exposed. Bowing formally, she introduced, "Alicia Cristela, an Imperial Knight."

Diablo stiffened slightly where he stood as he looked at the alluring knight. '… First, a female Imperial Knight? Second, she's so pretty…'

Nanana jabbed him in the ribs softly. 'Hey, don't start swooning yet. We don't even know what she is like.'

Alicia continued, "His majesty has bestowed upon me the duty of resolving the conflict with the Kingdom of Greenwood. Please, forgive me of my inexperience, but I will do my absolute best to be of use to you all. I look forward to working with you."

Any sense of wonder left Diablo's face in a flash. 'And just like that I am on my guard…'

Nanana nodded slightly in mutual concern. 'Agreed. That intro is way too perfect.'

Walking up to her, Rem noted in surprise, "A female Imperial Knight is extremely rare."

Shera nodded with equal surprise. "I know, right? I always thought of the Imperial knights as being human guys."

Mordred twitched an eyebrow and commented, "… Right here," though it was clear she was ignored.

Alicia just smiled to them both. "I know it is unusual, but I am quite fortunate."

'How is it unusual?!'

"I face my own problems as a woman. Though I'm certain I wouldn't face them in Melromarc."

"You wouldn't in Lautreamont either," Mordred interjected, not liking being in the background.

Alicia turned to her directly with a nod. "Ah, yes, I hear Lautreamont doesn't distinguish on gender in roles of authority. I have heard of many of your accomplishments, Mordred."

Mordred raised an eyebrow at her rather curt addressment. "No title?"

"I can tell from what I've heard of you, and from just meeting you that you find the nature of titles and such to be pains, so I figure it's easier to communicate without them."

"… A – Ah," Mordred mumbled, taken aback by her assessment, Diablo and Nanana, meanwhile, narrowed their eyes suspiciously at her.

"Miss Rem, I understand you face your own hardships as well."

Rem tensed and backed away a couple steps. "… R – Really? What makes you say that?"

"Just a guess on my part. You're a very capable Summoner with seven Summons, and yet you refuse to work with the Mage's Guild or the governor. So I assume you must have your own reasons for doing so."

Nanana's suspicions were becoming annoyance. 'This girl is far too informed on our members, Diablo.'

Rem frowned suspiciously at the redhead.

Alicia continued, "Don't worry, I have no intention of prying into your personal matters, I simply wish to help deal with the situation facing Faltra."

Rem nodded slowly, keeping her eyes on her. "… Alright…"

Putting a hand up delicately, she added, "But you too are a citizen of Faltra, and Re-Estize. If I can be of any help to you whatsoever, please feel free to consult with me. Though I may have duties as a Knight, I worry especially about those who keep their struggles to themselves. You do not need to force yourself to tell me your secret, though."

Diablo ordered bluntly, 'Keep a sharp eye on her at all times.'

Nanana nodded firmly. 'Way ahead of you. This girl gives me a bad feeling.'

Alicia turned her attention to Shera with a bright smile. "Miss Shera, I'm sure you're going through a lot right now, but let's do our best to make everyone happy."

Shera blithely pumped a fist in the air. "Yeah!"

'There's no doubt she's a master at talking to people. Maybe even at manipulating them,' Diablo noted.

Alicia then turned to Sylvie and pulled a large pouch of coins out of her pack. "This is an expression of sympathy from the king."

"A – Ah… thanks," Sylvie stuttered in mild surprise.

Alicia then approached Megumin and took one of her hands with a smile. "It'll make me much more comfortable having such a powerful mage as a Crimson Devil alongside us."

"O – Of course!" Megumin exclaimed, feigning absolute confidence.

The redhead then turned to Darkness with a formal bow. "I'm glad to have a fellow knight along for this quest. I hope I don't get in your way."

Darkness just nodded silently to her.

Diablo would not let the redhead out of his sight for a second. '… She knows far too much about our party.'

'Yeah…' Nanana agreed.

Alicia then approached Aqua with a bow just shy of a kneel. "I know such a situation must be tense for a goddess to be involved with."

Diablo widened his eyes in shocked worry. '… How does she know that? No one other than those in our group and dumbass does. This woman is… highly suspicious…'

'Can you cloak one of the Flames?' Nanana questioned.

'Easily,' he answered before waving a hand subtly, one of the Archangel Flames vanishing in a shimmer.

'Might be a good idea to have one keep an eye on her.'

'Agreed.'

Alicia then set her attention on Diablo and walked up to him, grabbing his left hand with a sense of awe.

Diablo stood silently, waiting for her to speak. "… Yes?"

Taking the cue, she explained, "I'd like to personally thank you for everything you did."

He blinked a couple times in confusion. "Eh?"

"I heard about how you stopped Gregore from terrorizing the people of the city."

Diablo's eyes narrowed suspiciously. '… If she knows so much about everyone else, how does she not know the truth of that?'

'She might be testing you,' Nanana noted.

"It was nothing," Diablo returned with a confident smirk.

Alicia stared at him for a moment, her expression unwavering before shifting to a smile. "I also heard of your battle with the hundred Fallen at the Bridge of Ulug. As an Imperial Knight tasked with protecting the people, I can't possibly thank you enough."

Nanana narrowed her eyes and ran over the scene before her. '… Simple words for Shera, skipping straight to money with Sylvie, offering her sympathies to Rem without seemingly knowing what her plight is, praising Megumin's Crimson Devil heritage, accepting and believing Aqua's godhood, showing kinship with Darkness, treating Mordred as nothing more than a fellow warrior, and showing awe and fealty to you. She's a master at reading people.'

'Indeed…' Diablo noted before Alicia made her way to Nanana.

Smiling, Alicia offered, "I know all of this sudden change must be difficult for someone in your situation."

"Oh?" Nanana asked in timid curiosity.

"Being from another world, I mean."

'Okay, this woman is dangerously and highly suspiciously informed.'

'Indeed,' Diablo noted before motioning a hand subtly, an Archangel Flame hovering behind her.

"So…" Nanana mumbled before Galford spoke up, annoyed.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to attend."

Diablo sighed. 'Which is code for get lost.' "Fine."

After leaving Galford's estate, Sylvie sighed in heavy relief before turning to Diablo. "I'm going to head back to the Adventurer's Guild. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

He just shrugged his shoulders. "I don't see a need for it, but your concern is appreciated."

After a moment's thought, Sylvie walked closer to him and beckoned him towards her, at which point he bent down to get closer. "I know it's not something you would worry about, but do your best not to kill anyone. As an Imperial Knight, Cristela could start an investigation, and interrogations would separate you from Shera for who knows how long."

He glanced back at Alicia then to Sylvie. "I see. Anything else?"

Sylvie frowned slightly in disappointment to his reaction. "Just be careful. You don't need the imperial knights running an investigation, you'd get separated from Shera."

Standing back up straight, he rebuffed, "I have a plan don't worry."

"Right…" she answered before turning and running off towards the Guild.

Diablo frowned slightly as he watched her petite, almost childlike form sprint away in her outfit consisting of little more than a few strips of fabric. '… That outfit just seems wrong when she looks so much like a kid… It'd be much better on an adult body.'

Alicia then approached him and questioned, "So what shall we do now?"

"Return to our home, set up defenses to ensure no one is foolish enough to even consider attacking my Familia, and then I will head to the forest alone."

Alicia frowned in concern. "I don't think that is safe."

Diablo huffed dismissively. "It would be unsafe if anyone went with me. After all, then I'd have to hold back."

"Ah."

Upon returning to the shop, Diablo sat in his room upstairs, staring at a pile of papers in thought.

"What ya thinking about?" Shera asked behind him.

"Ideas for little Raphtalia's future. Mostly training plans."

The elf blinked a few times, her ears twitching in thought. "Huh?"

"What?" Blinking in thought, he finally realized Shera was there, as he was too focused on his work.

After a few seconds of thought, Shera asked, "Diablo?"

"Y – Yes?"

"I'm hungry."

"Ah. Then I'll get you something to eat."

"Yay!" she cheered, throwing her arms in the air, causing her breasts to nearly pop out of her top.

Later, the group left the shop, Shera humming happily before addressing Diablo. "So, where will we eat?"

"Wherever you want to go, so that I can get back to my work."

"Somewhere quiet, preferably," Rem interjected.

Shera blinked in thought before smiling. "Oh, how about –"

Their conversation was interrupted as a small ball was thrown between the group and exploded, shooting out a cloud of smoke in all directions.

Diablo snarled and charged his mana, before he heard Shera's cries.

"Hey! What are you doing! Put me down! Kya!"

"Shera!" he bellowed before waving a hand. "Wind Feather!" Three large bursts of wind then shot out in all directions, clearing the area of smoke. With clearance now, Diablo saw Shera tied up and being carried by two short Grasswalker men. "Paralyze Shout!" he howled, before a bolt of yellow energy shot forward, narrowly missing the duo as they ducked down an alleyway. "Damn you…!" he snarled before making to give chase, only to get cut off as a Pantherian and Dwarf in heavy armor jumped out and blocked his path. "Unless you want to die, move it!"

"Didn't think we'd make it that easy fer ya, did ya?" the Dwarf snapped back as he readied an ax.

Growling, Diablo summoned Gram into his grasp. "Obviously you lot are tired of living, for taking a rapist's pay."

The Pantherian snapped back, "With two million Vals, I wouldn't have to work another day in my life."

Diablo huffed before raising his blade. "That's how my method ends as well." He swung the blade wide as the two rushed him, only for their headless corpses to collapse to the ground. "Pitiful trash. Fireball," he cast, turning their bodies to ash.

Alicia stared at the events unfolding in front of her with shock.

Diablo turned back to her and retorted, "You will agree that they were aiding in crime, will you not?"

"Y – Yeah…" she answered, shocked.

"Greater Speed!" he called out before his body was bathed in green light. Taking off at a sprint, he practically vanished.

"Whoa…" Megumin gaped with the others.

"Put me down!" Shera demanded as the two Grasswalkers had her tied up, slung over their shoulders.

"This girl is heavy Big Brother," the first one grumbled.

Nodding, the second agreed, "Yes she is, Little Brother."

"I'm not heavy!" Shera shouted back, flailing her legs.

"She is way fatter than I thought elves were supposed to be," the first one groaned, only for both of them to pale as Diablo's voice filled their ears.

"Sheeraaa!" he howled as he dashed towards them.

Shera smiled in joy as she saw him running to save her.

"Oh no, he's gaining on us Big Brother," the younger Grasswalker lamented in a stale voice.

"I can see that Little Brother. Less talking more running."

As the duo rounded a corner towards their escape, a leg swept from the side and caught them, tripping them and sending them to the ground, Shera tumbling.

"You aren't very nice people kidnapping a young girl like that," said a motherly voice in an almost frightening tone.

Hissing, the younger Grasswalker pulled a dagger to strike at his attacker, only to get hit on the back of the head with the end of a sword's sheath.

"There. Now be good boys and stay there."

Diablo slid to a stop at the scene and saw the one who had taken down the would-be kidnappers. A very short woman, shorter even than Megumin, with flowing, bright pink hair, one side of her bangs covering one of her mysterious violet eyes, short, pointed ears barely poking out from underneath her hair, large, curved horns adorning the sides of her head, wearing an extremely short black dress with a white coat that had gold straps barely holding it on over her impressively large bust, long, fingerless gloves, knee-high brown boots, and in her grasp a sword with a handle nearly as long as the blade. "Whoa…"

"Are you okay?" The woman turned her attention to Shera, as the blonde attempted to break the ropes around her wrists. "There," she breathed as she swiped her blade, cutting the ropes and freeing the elf.

"Shera!" Diablo called out as he ran up to her.

"Diablo!" she cried back as she grabbed his arm in fear.

Patting her head gently, he finally took full notice of the pint-sized beauty. "Huh?"

She just hummed with a pleasant smile as she walked up to him.

Frowning slightly, he decided appreciation was at least in order. "You have my thanks for helping her."

The woman shook her head with a smile. "No need to worry. It is my duty to help those in need."

Diablo looked over her small, voluptuous body in mild confusion. 'She's so short… and those horns… is she a Draph? And those boobs…'

Seeing his mild confusion, she tilted her head in worry. "Is… something wrong?"

"N – No," he stuttered uncharacteristically.

"Diabl –!" Megumin shouted as she ran around the corner faster than she could control, slamming into him from behind and flopping to the ground.

"Megumin?"

"Ow…" she moaned as she stood up, rubbing her nose in discomfort, before laying eyes on Shera's savior and puffing her lips in a pout. "… Draphs are unfair…"

"Pardon?" the horned woman asked with confusion.

Pointing at her, Megumin exclaimed, "You're as tall as me but your boobs are huge!"

"O – Oh…" she mumbled, not sure how to respond.

Diablo responded for her by whacking Megumin on the head.

"Owie!" the petite mage cried out.

Bowing slightly to the sword-wielding woman, Diablo offered, "Sorry about the Crimson Devil. She has breast envy I believe."

She shook her head with a mature smile. "No, no, it's fine. Most members of other races comment on it. Though from my point of view, you're an odd one."

"Excuse me?"

"You're rather short for a Draph, aren't you?"

Nanana snarked back, "Says the woman who barely breaks one hundred-forty Celch."

Said woman just looked at her in confusion. "What's unusual about my height?"

Nodding, Rem added, "Yeah, Draphs are normally very small. In… most aspects," she trailed off, landing her eyes on the Draph's most noticeable aspect, "while the males tend to tower over others."

As they spoke, one of the Grasswalkers began to shakily get to his feet, only for the Draph woman to spin on her heel with blinding speed, striking him on the head and knocking him unconscious once more before returning to previous stance, all within the blink of an eye.

Diablo was taken aback at the display. 'I almost couldn't see that it was so fast. I want her…'

Nanana just sent an incredulous look at him, Moluka asked, "What's a Draph doing around here? Aren't you aware what Faltra thinks of Demihumans?"

"Indeed," Darkness added in worry.

Sighing, the Draph explained, "In truth? I'm here to join a Familiar to further increase my abilities and I had heard rumors that a new, powerful god was here outside of Orario."

"Why not join one of the easier to find Familias in the city itself?" Nanana questioned.

"Their marks are too limiting. I heard there is a special kind of Falna that doesn't limit your capabilities. Unfortunately I have not found the God yet."

"Well I've got good news for you," Nanana retorted with a grin. "You just saved a member of his Familia."

"Oh?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

Grinning, Nanana slapped Diablo on the back. "Yep! Right Momo?"

Diablo nodded in return. "Shera is one of my Followers, and you saved her from –" he stopped as the Draph jabbed the back of the second Grasswalker's head in the blink of an eye as he attempted to stand, "them. They planned to sell her to a rapist for two million Vals."

She turned her head slightly to the two unconscious men with a cold stare. "Oh…?" However, before her desire for retribution could take over, she put together a realization and looked at Diablo. "Wait, so that means you are the god of this Familia?"

"Yes I am. I am Diablo, god of the Diablo Familia." 'That feels so awkward to say…'

Smiling, the woman bowed. "I am Narmaya."

"It's good to meet you, and I would gladly let you join as thanks for rescuing Shera here."

Narmaya nodded in appreciation before putting a hand up. "Before I make the ultimate decision on that, I'd like to observe your Familia first."

"By all means," he responded curtly.

She responded with a gracious bow, her globes shifting in her top.

Turning away from her out of mild embarrassment, he then focused on the two unconscious Grasswalkers. "The first thing we need to do is take care of this trash." Opening his hand towards them, he called out, "Chaos Fire Orb!" and a large ball of red-hot energy appeared in his grasp. Before he could move on with his attack, Alicia burst onto the scene, fatigued.

"Wait!"

Frowning slightly, he turned to her.

"They need to be prosecuted, not immediately executed!" she urged.

"And what makes you think that will accomplish anything?"

She froze up at his question. "H – Huh?"

"Scum like this will just slip through the net or be released for just 'doing their job'. Even when that is kidnapping and humanoid trafficking, and I will not let any threats to my Familia like that to live. Any who intend to bring harm to my Familia will not be met with mercy. And if I do not establish that now," he paused, dropping the orb, "they will think they can continue trying to do so."

Alicia watched in shock as the orb exploded into a massive conflagration of flame and pooling magma, the fire and smoke billowing for several long moments before dissipating, the two Grasswalkers having disappeared entirely.

As he watched her stare at the scene, Diablo thought he saw a smile form on her face, but chocked it up to the light from the spell. Turning his attention to Shera, he pushed, "Shera let's go get you something to eat."

"Yahoo!" the elf cheered.

After gathering everyone in a nearby restaurant, Narmaya looked over the group in thought. "You have quite the Familia already it seems."

"I do, and I am somewhat proud of it," Diablo retorted.

His wording caught her off guard slightly. "Only somewhat?"

Nodding, he explained, "They can always improve. It is my duty to ensure they reach their fullest potential and punish them when they do something monumentally stupid. Which reminds me… Megumin come here."

Turning to him, she approached in mild confusion. "Huh? What is i –?" she asked, only to be interrupted as he cast a spell.

"Greater Seal Magic."

Megumin's entire body trembled as she felt a sudden pressure weigh down on her. "Gurh! Wh – What did you do?!"

"I sealed your magic," he explained coldly.

"Wh – What?! Why?!"

"For breaking my word."

"Eehh!?"

"Not only did you defy me by continuing to practice your Explosion magic on Satan's castle, you dragged Aqua into it. The only reason I haven't punished you as severely as her is because you haven't caused as much trouble. But should you continue to act like this, that will change. Understood?"

Megumin's gaze concentrated harshly on the floor, not answering him.

"I asked you a question."

"… I understand…"

"Good," he answered curtly. "I will release the seal moderately during combat, and if you can prevent from causing trouble for a week, I will unleash the seal completely."

Megumin frowned deeply.

"If I promise someone my Familia won't do something, and they do it, the punishment will be proportional."

"Right…"

Looking around the room, Diablo added, "I expect the same out of the rest of you. If I or any of you give our word on something, and another of you breaks it, you will be punished. And Darkness, that means I will take the Reverse Ring from you."

Darkness covered her hand desperately. "Understood!"

"Good that you do," Diablo noted.

Narmaya smiled and remarked, "You certainly run a tight ship."

"I do now. I was lax with them before, but that almost resulted in this city getting demolished. So now I need a firmer hand in dealing with them to ensure they don't do something that will end in their deaths."

The others felt despondent, Narmaya commenting, "It doesn't help to be too harsh but being too soft can lead to just as many problems."

Diablo twitched an eyebrow as he thought, '… She says with that massive rack…'

'Indeed…' Nanana agreed.

Sighing, Diablo redirected the conversation. "Now, we're going to take some simple hunting Quests."

"How come?" Darkness questioned.

Looking down at Raphtalia, he patted her on the head gently. "She needs some experience. So we are going to hunt something simple and easy."

The girl looked up at him in worry. "Hunt…?"

"Yes. Just a few small monsters so you can start becoming stronger."

Raphtalia began trembling, Nanana putting a hand on her shoulder with a smile, "Don't worry. We won't let you get hurt. We will make sure to protect you if things go bad. Which they won't."

Looking between the two, she asked in trepidation, "So I… need to kill something…?"

Seeing the source of her worries, Diablo addressed it. "Instead of thinking of it as you needing to kill something, think of it as you protecting others from something harmful. If you're going to protect others, you need to be strong, and the only way to get that strength is to fight. Okay, Raphtalia?"

Raphtalia's gaze cast down at the floor in silence before she nodded. "… Okay…"

Diablo frowned in frustration.

Nanana smiled and urged, "First thing you need is a weapon. So, let's get you one."

"R – Right," Raphtalia answered unsurely.

After finishing their meal, the group made their way to a blacksmith and began looking over the various weapons.

Diablo stood silently near the door as the girls looked around.

Nanana eventually saw one that caught her eye and presented it to the little raccoon-eared girl. "Hm… here, how about this?"

Taking it, Raphtalia stumbled slightly as she held the full weight of the weapon. "It's heavy…"

Mordred remarked, "Good weapons tend to be. That's how you know they'll work."

"R – Right…" she answered weakly before picking the sword up.

"Take a few swings," Diablo urged.

"O – Okay…" she responded timidly before flailing the weapon around, nearly getting knocked over by the momentum.

Sighing, Diablo shrugged in acceptance. "Good. Now, to find a quest."

After buying the sword and leaving the shop, as they made their way to the Guild, before Diablo took note of Raphtalia getting hit by a coughing fit, frowning in worry.

Nanana reminded, 'Didn't Medios say she was sick?'

Diablo stopped in his tracks and winced. '… I forgot to get her treated…'

Furrowing her brow, Nanana offered, 'Do you think an Elixir would help?'

'I don't know…' he muttered in consideration before Nanana suddenly spoke up.

'Oh! What about Cure Disease?!'

Diablo nodded subtly. 'Of course!' "Raphtalia," he called out.

"Y –" she answered, interrupted by another cough, "es?"

"Come here a moment."

Frowning slightly, she walked up to him as he pulled out a small glass of purple juice, mixed a red potion with it, and then handed it to her. "Here."

She merely looked at him, perplexed, as she took the glass.

"Drink this."

Concerned and suspicious, she looked at the drink several times before taking a few sips and coughing. "It's kind of bitter…"

"I know, but you still need to drink it," he urged. 'Kinda hoped the grape juice would have sweetened it…'

As the young girl looked at the concoction unsurely, Nanana knelt down to her. "It's not unbearable, is it?"

Raphtalia shook her head slowly. "No, it's sweet but a little bitter…"

"It'll help you, so drink it."

"Okay…"

Glancing up at Diablo, Nanana explained privately, 'She's a Demi, remember, she probably has a stronger sense of taste than most.'

'Ah,' he answered curtly as Raphtalia gulped down the mixture. "Feeling better?"

Gagging a little, Raphtalia shook her head before looking down at her body in surprise. "Y – Yeah…"

"Good." He patted her head gently.

"What was that?" Rem questioned.

"Grape juice mixed with Potion of Cure Disease."

She flattened her ears in disbelief. "You just have those lying around…?" Sighing to herself, she just smiled. "Forget it, I shouldn't be surprised."

"Why?"

"You always seem to find a way to make the impossible a reality."

"Well he is a Demon Lord," Shera rebuffed with an odd air of pride.

Diablo, however, was still confused at their point. "I don't understand what you're getting at. The ingredients for it are very common."

Moluka explained, "Not everyone can afford enough potions of various kinds to have them to hand that easily, and a very select few people are capable of brewing the ingredients."

"… Oh."

Sighing, she just shrugged. "I guess as a deity you wouldn't grasp that."

"But he's so nice," Shera argued.

Diablo began to argue before Nanana interjected with a smirk. "Indeed he is."

Twitching an eyebrow, Diablo redirected, "L – Let's just head for the Guild…"

"Right," Mordred answered with a nod.

As they arrived at the Guild hall, Diablo and Nanana were focused on Raphtalia, whose complexion had already improved, smiling softly as she looked around at the mass of people in the building.

'She's already looking better,' Nanana remarked with a smile.

Diablo nodded slowly. 'Indeed.'

Looking over the requests on the board, Fikuma pointed to one. "Oh, this one looks okay. Take down some Kobolds pestering a ranch."

Diablo just folded his arms in response. "Hm…"

Getting the unspoken point in his voice, she went for a different one. "… Right. How about this one? Slime elimination in the forest?"

He just stared at her silently.

Gulping, she pointed to another. "… Right. How about this? A town to the west is facing an unnatural snowfall linked to little snowball monsters."

"Snow Sprites!?" Aqua asked with excitement.

Nanana, however, had picked up on a different detail. "A Town in the west?" 'Wait, wasn't that forest we got that bogus Mage Guild Quest took us to in the west?'

Diablo felt a sudden rush of guilty dismay. '… Crap. I forgot to unthaw the forest… I kind of thought it would on its own…'

She just stared at him with a flat expression.

Clearing his throat, he ordered, "We'll take that one."

"Right," Fikuma answered swiftly as she pulled the page off the wall and took it over to one of the desks.

Soon, the group arrived in the large forest, finding it to be completely encased in ice, with no signs of melting.

Raphtalia joyously ran around the area, picking up and throwing globs of snow, errantly tripping on a patch of ice, but it did little to stop her stride.

Diablo and Nanana just watched her silently before Moluka commented, "What happened here? I've never seen such a large area frozen over so completely."

"A show of force," he answered bluntly, the entire group looking at him knowingly.

Sighing, Moluka asked, "… You did this, didn't you?"

"I did," he answered without any hint of hiding it.

"Snow Sprite!" Aqua cheered as she picked up a large net she had brought and threw it on the ground. Inside was a small creature resembling a snowball, but that floated around with two, small, beady black eyes.

"Oy!" Diablo called out, rather annoyed.

"Huh?" she muttered, having already grabbed a handful of them, Raphtalia staring at them with amusement.

"What are you doing?"

"Catching Snow Sprites, duh," she replied flippantly as she stuff some of them into a jar.

"Why…?" He did not like where the conversation was heading.

"We can use them as refrigeration for food, plus they produce ice, meaning we can make snow cones! And they're just so cute…!"

Nanana and Diablo both stared at the image of Aqua hugging one of the oddly lovable creatures and tried to ignore it. "Whatever…" Raising a hand, Diablo focused his energy towards the ice and called out, "Getting rid of this ice shouldn't be a problem. Dispel."

Several long, pregnant seconds passed in silence. Aside from Raphtalia and Aqua playing with the Snow Sprites, that is.

It was Prelsina who spoke up first. "N – Nothing happened."

Furrowing his brow, Diablo tried again. "… Dispel." And again, no result. "Dispel. Dispel. Dispel! Dispel!" All to no avail.

'What's going on…?' Nanana asked, becoming worried.

Diablo grit his teeth in annoyance as he looked around the area. 'I don't know. Something is interfering with my –' He stopped as a familiar sensation ran down the back of his neck. "Get down!" he hollered at the top of his lungs, the girls responding almost immediately and flopping to the cold ground.

Aqua, however, just looked at him confused as she crouched down. "Eh?"

"Barrier!" he shouted, before a large, hexagonal field of light appeared in front of the group. Almost as immediately, a crescent wave of white-blue energy came soaring from nearby, chopping down most of the trees and impacting Diablo's barrier with enough force to leave a large crack.

Aqua, having managed to duck down just in time to not lose her head, exclaimed, "What the hell was that!?"

"No idea!" Fikuma shouted, flicking her gauntlets over her hands.

Megumin, however, stared at the direction the attack came from and shivered where she stood. "I – It's actually real…"

"What is?" Narmaya questioned, before she and the others looked ahead to see what could only be described as a towering samurai, whose entire armor and body was crafted from snow and ice.

"What the…" Diablo muttered, looking at the creature in suspicion.

"… The Winter Shogun…" Megumin answered weakly.

"The who?" Nanana asked before she noticed the Shogun's glowing red eyes lock onto Aqua, or more accurately, the jar of Snow Sprites she held. "Useless! Drop the Snow Sprites!"

Aqua, not even thinking to consider who she meant, retorted, "Why should I?!"

The Shogun raised a katana made of impossibly sharp ice and charged at the chain water goddess, who stood up in fear and grabbed Raphtalia in one hand and the jar of Snow Sprites in the other.

"You idiot!" Nanana snarled.

"Firebolt!" Diablo called out before a blast of fire shot from his palm like a lightning bolt, only to impact the Winter Shogun with barely any hint of damage. "The hell…?"

Narmaya then took her place in front of the entire group, with her hand on her sword.

"Hey!" Diablo shouted as he reached a hand towards her.

"Allow me to handle this," she urged calmly as she lowered her body slightly, gripped her sword tightly, and unsheathed it with a slash that happened faster than even Diablo could perceive.

The Shogun kept running, its sword raised high, before its top half suddenly split and collapsed onto the ground, its legs continuing to run for a few meters before collapsing as well.

Mordred felt her blood run cold at the sigh. "… I barely saw her move…"

The bisected beast attempted to maneuver with its arms to retrieve its lower body, only for Narmaya to impale its chest with her blade, shattering the glowing purple gem inside, causing both halves of its body to crumble into dust. "There. It's defeated," she said calmly as she sheathed her blade.

Mordred's eyes trembled as she stared at the Draph. "… W – Wow…"

Raphtalia stared up at the woman in awe.

Diablo stared in disbelief. '… I want her so bad…'

'Could you not say that in a way that sounds like a dirty old man?' Nanana chided.

'I am not that old!'

Narmaya smiled to herself and turned back to the group. "This is quite the entertaining Familia. I think I will like it here."

Raphtalia threw her arms up with joy. "Yay!"

Narmaya laughed softly and patted her head gently.

Nanana smiled at the scene before glancing at Diablo in thought. 'So what now? Wasn't this quest supposed to be for Raphtalia to learn to fight?'

'We'll tackle that in a moment.' "Dispel," he called out, the snow and ice around them beginning to slowly melt and vanish.

"Aww…" Raphtalia pouted as the snow vanished and the forest returned to normal.

Nanana smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "We can't leave it that way, it wasn't natural and it was causing problems." Patting her head gently, she added, "We'll find you some real snow instead someday, okay?"

"Okay…" she responded sadly, before everyone's attention was drawn to Aqua, frantically collecting as many Snow Sprites as she could before the hit the ground and melted.

"D – Don't worry! I'll save you all!"

Diablo and Nanana stared in a mixture of disbelief and pity, only to be distracted when Raphtalia noticed something to the side and pointed at it. "Big cat."

Turning, everyone saw a single, large, almost horse-sized, black cat with the body shape of a tiger, but with wild, jet black fur and glowing yellow eyes.

Prelsina immediately ducked behind Fikuma.

Looking at it in consideration, Nanana thought, 'Hey, isn't that a…?'

Diablo nodded slowly. 'I think so…'

"What is that thing…?" Megumin asked with a mixture of disgust and curiosity.

Diablo explained, "A Rookie Killer. Usually they're hording around Goblins, using them as bait for weaker Adventurers, and also guarding the Goblins from attacks. In return for protection, Goblins bring them any meat they can hunt."

Tilting her head curiously, Darkness wondered, "Why's this one on its own?"

"It probably got trapped in the ice and abandoned. Now it is here with only four rookies in sight."

The large feline growled angrily as it eyed the group, backing up slowly.

Diablo motioned his head to the side, the Rookie Killer seeming to take the hint and ran off.

Fikuma, and Prelsina behind her, both heaved sighs of relief.

After a few moments for everyone to calm down, Fikuma noted, "We still need to find something for Raphtalia to fight, don't we?"

Diablo nodded in approval to the remark, Raphtalia's shoulders dropping slightly in worry.

"Someone help me save them!" Aqua shouted as she continued scooping up as many Snow Sprites as she could.

Frowning as he watched Aqua desperately try to save them, he motioned to Raphtalia and urged, "… Raphtalia, go help her."

The raccoon-eared girl nodded emphatically and ran over to Aqua.

'Why'd you do that?' Nanana asked, looking up at Diablo from the side.

Shrugging, he answered, 'It's difficult to explain. After that… session with Shera, if I can concentrate, I can sort of visualize everyone's Stats by looking at them. But it's rough. So I want to see if this kind of thing will do anything for her Stats.'

'Oh? Do tell.'

'If I focus my attention on someone and try to… spit out some mana, I guess, I can sort of… visualize in my head what their Stats are, but I can't be certain how accurate it is just yet.'

'Do Aqua,' she answered snappily.

'Why?' he asked, suspicious.

'So I know just how pathetic she is.'

Sighing, Diablo focused his attention on Aqua and released some mana from his eyes, though turned to Nanana and remarked, 'Just so you know, I can't give you exact numbers, just the range.'

'Yeah, yeah, just tell me.'

Sighing again, he focused on Aqua for a few seconds before the information seemed to just enter his mind. 'Agility H, Charisma G, Endurance I, Luck D, Intelligence I, Perception I, Strength H.'

Before she could make any comment on the actual data, Nanana picked up on something else. 'Huh? Those are a different set of Stats than the Falna.'

Shrugging, Diablo retorted, 'Probably because that's the set from Yggdrasil, the set I'm familiar with.'

'Right… Wait, her Luck is D now?'

'Yeah. It was her highest Stat to begin with.'

Aqua sighed heavily in relief as she looked at the vast number of jars filled with Snow Sprites. "Looks like we saved most of them."

"Yeah…" Raphtalia responded with a tired huff.

Folding her arms, Nanana questioned, "Do you really need that many for refrigeration?"

Aqua looked at her, almost insulted. "I'm not just going to let them all die!"

Diablo and Nanana stared at her in a state of matched shock.

She looked down at the many jars filled with cold white puffballs. "Now let's get you all home…"

Moluka just sighed at the events transpiring around her.

As they reached Faltra, Raphtalia just smiled pleasantly at the jar of Sprites in her grasp.

'In the end Raph didn't do any fighting…' Nanana lamented.

'Indeed…' Diablo returned.

'So what do we do…?'

'… I have no clue…'

Folding her arms in thought for several seconds, Nanana suggested, 'In lieu of anything else, what if we have everyone train? You know, practice magic, or using swords, or just regular fighting. Studying tactics, doing strength training, you know, that kind of stuff?'

'Hm… that could work. First I need to give Narmaya a Falna. And before that, we need to turn this Quest in to the Guild. After that, I deal with Idol Rapier.'

After finishing the Guild, Diablo stood behind Narmaya as she opened her dress to reveal her back. 'Okay… why is this so nerve-wracking…?'

Nanana, through private communication, suggested, 'Because you're both the same species and she's clearly an adult in every way?'

Diablo stood silently for a moment as her suggestion rolled around in his head. '… Maybe…'

"Is something the matter?" Narmaya asked, her back still facing to Diablo.

"N – No," he answered hurriedly, unable to avoid stuttering. "Just hold still."

Narmaya merely nodded silently with a smile.

Gulping, Diablo pricked the end of his finger, the usual stream of blood coming out, before placing his hand on her back as he began inscribing. 'So soft…' he mumbled in his head at her soft, unblemished skin.

'Ahem,' Nanana grumbled, trying to keep Diablo's attention on task.

'I'm sure you're soft too.'

Nanana's entire face lit up in surprise at that answer. 'Wh – What!? Where did that come from!?'

'Then what did you mean?'

'N – Nothing…' she stuttered weakly, turning away with red cheeks.

Diablo raised an eyebrow at her answer but focused on putting his Falna onto Narmaya's back. "Finished."

Narmaya nodded and began to sit up, not seeming to even attempt to put her top back on for a moment.

Diablo winced slightly, turning his head, Megumin pointing at Narmaya and exclaiming, "The look even bigger now!"

Narmaya looked at her in confusion. "Ara?"

"How is that even possible!?"

"Yeah!"

Diablo just sighed as he tried to ignore Narmaya's bare chest.

Wiz moved around the shop when she noticed Diablo sitting at a desk looking over a wide pile of papers. "Is something wrong?"

He mumbled to himself before looking at her, not initially noticing her. "Oh, no. I'm trying to decide how to proceed with these problems."

Nodding in understanding, Wiz looked over the pages before offering, "Should I request anyone from Nazarick to help you?"

Thinking for a moment, Diablo shook his head. "No. I'd rather wait until I've had a chance to visit the Tomb properly and assessed the situation there."

"Understood," she answered with a bow.

As the room fell silent for a few moments, Wiz finally decided to voice a question on her mind.

"Erm, may I ask you something?"

"Of course," he answered, keeping his attention on the scattered papers.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Magic doesn't work on me, remember? That includes perception altering magic." Glancing at her, he added, "Besides, I could never forget you."

The girl's pale skin almost immediately lit up red. "R – Right…" After a few seconds she noticed him staring at her. "Y – Yes…?"

"Do you think you could teach others how to use magic?"

Tilting her head in thought, Wiz nodded. "Of course. My father was a master wizard, and I've had more than several lifetimes to study magic myself. Why do you ask?"

"Then I'd like you to tutor the mages of my Familia in the use of magic. I'll see if Narmaya can teach the new swordswomen."

Realizing his intentions, she nodded with a small smile. "Certainly."

Looking around just as Nanana walked in, Diablo spoke to her. "You can teach Rem and Fikuma martial arts, right?"

Nanana thought for a moment and shrugged. "Shouldn't be a problem." Giving a thumbs up with a grin, she added, "I had a long time to watch training videos on the internet."

Diablo twitched an eyebrow before sighing. "Regardless, you will be training the fist fighters while I am away."

Wiz tilted her head in confusion. "Away? Do you plan and dealing with Idol on your own?"

He nodded in response. "Yes."

Wiz and Nanana both frowned in concern. "Are you sure that's safe?" the purple-haired girl questioned.

Diablo leaned back in his seat. "I have no intention of dragging the others into it. I had potentially hoped to bring Raphtalia so she could personally execute him, but her growth hasn't been quick enough, and I fear if I hold this off any longer her friends might be dead."

"That makes sense…" Wiz replied weakly.

Scratching his head in thought, Diablo remarked, "After dealing with Idol, I plan to deliver him to Neuronist."

"Good," Nanana chirped.

"At that point I'll likely stop by personally. After that I need to teach the elves a lesson and make sure they learn it."

Folding her arms under her bust, Nanana questioned, "Do you still plan to kill the prince?"

"Not yet. I intend to at some point, but if I do it now, the war might spark. So for the time being he gets to live."

"Ah," she muttered.

"Next time I get the chance, however, he won't be so lucky."

Nanana nodded with a smile. "Right. So, what about physical training?"

"What do you mean?"

Shrugging, she explained, "Strength training. I really didn't do that kind of thing for those years since I didn't really have muscles."

Nodding in agreement, Wiz added, "And my focus is only on magic."

Diablo folded his arms in frustrated thought. '… Oh! I might have an idea. I remember a manga I read once where the protagonist used some rather simple exercises to get strong.'

Nanana stared at him flatly. 'Please tell me it's not OPM…'

He remained stubbornly silent.

Raphtalia giggled to herself as she sat bouncing a Snow Sprite around in her hands.

Megumin watched in disbelief as Aqua prepared an unused room in the shop as a temperature-controlled home for the remaining Sprites. "… Do you just plan on keeping them as pets or something?"

"Eh?" Aqua asked, looking up at them in thought.

Darkness nodded in agreement. "That is a question I have as well. What do you plan on doing with them?"

Flinching, she stuttered as she flubbed an answer. "W – Well they are incredibly useful for refrigeration."

Moluka just gave her a deadpan look. "… You plan on just keeping them as pets, don't you?"

"N – No…!" she argued weakly.

In the midst of all that, Diablo walked into the main room of the shop and the saw the girls bickering but decided to worry about it later. He then turned his attention to Narmaya. "Narmaya, I'd like to speak with you."

"Ara?" she hummed as she turned to him with her usual calm smile.

Diablo stiffened slightly but just turned on his heel and beckoned her to follow him to the back room, which she did.

"What do you need of me Lord Diablo?" she asked as she stood opposite him.

Managing to steady himself somewhat, he explained, "I'd like to know how you feel about tutoring the members of my Familia that use swords."

Putting a finger on her chin, she thought it over for a few moments before smiling. "Hmm… it would prove an interesting experience I suppose."

"Would you do it, is my question?"

She nodded firmly. "Yes. New forms make one grow, and the stronger the others become, the more they will push me to be even better."

Diablo nodded with a small smile. "In that we are in agreement. Then I leave it to you to handle their training in the sword." 'She's definitely the right one for Captain.'

She bowed formally. "Of course, Lord Diablo."

Before he could say more, Nanana interjected on the conversation. 'I don't think it's wise to give her that position yet, she did just join after all. The others might be a little upset.'

'Yet she is the most mature, level-headed, and strongest member of the Familia.'

'I'm not saying don't do it. Trust me, I think she's the best pick out of these jokers. I just think you should wait a little first. Maybe give her impromptu command while you're gone or something.'

'What did you think the sword training was for?'

'Right…'

Satisfied, he turned his attention to the pink-haired Draph. "That is all, Narmaya."

"Understood, Lord Diablo," she answered with a graceful bow.

"You're leaving?!" Prelsina and Raphtalia both exclaimed in shock.

Diablo nodded plainly. "Yes, I am. I have some business I need to see to outside of Faltra."

Frowning suspiciously, Alicia questioned, "What about the issue with Miss Shera? Are you going to leave her here?"

"The Wards I have set up and the Archangel Flames patrolling will ensure her safety. Not to mention Wiz, Narmaya, and Nanana along with yourself."

"Right…"

Turning to the door, he announced, "With that said, I need to head out."

And there you have it! Chapter eleven! Hopefully everyone enjoyed it, do be sure to leave me a review if you did. If you were unsure, confused, or simply had questions on anything, leave your queries as a review and I will do what I can to address them in a reviewer response. If you did not enjoy the chapter, post your grievances if you must, but I would suggest something you actually enjoy instead. That said, for the time being, it will be yet another chapter of Demon Lord's Adventurers next time, so bye-bye!