Chapter XIII
Greetings and salutations everyone! I have returned with yet another chapter of Demon Lord's Adventurers. I know it has been quite a while, but life has a habit of doing that at times. Regardless, I have returned. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the previous chapter, it seems that at least a few of you did, which is always nice. I also hope you enjoy this chapter as well, do be sure to let me know with a review if you do. Enough prattle, on with the reviewer response!
edboy4926: It won't be that quick, it would be too easy on the shitheel.
smatt9411: Canon. And yes. I think.
Dawga: The name Bakuto Masaki and I came up with for the Head Maid from Demon King and Hero.
correnhimself316: What a way to go indeed.
Skull Flame: ... Let me get back to you on that one.
If I had waited any long Rifana would have died.
Indeed. She obviously wants much, much more.
Tsolda: Yeah, that was kind of my intention. And wow, I thought Bakuto and I were good at coming up with gory outcomes.
And yes, it is Bloodborne.
Bachi the cat: Name the ones you don't know and I will tell you what they are from. As for the chapter summaries, can't really help you there.
DreamWeaverGod: Casla is the name Bakuto and I came up with for the tailor from Rising of the Shield Hero, since she doesn't have a name in canon.
Of course it's nice. And there's more on the way. :)
Don't worry, Bakuto and I have all their fates sorted in our back pockets.
Nothing much? After all that? I'm curious what "a lot" would look like from you.
ObsidianUnknown66: Indeed it was. It won't take long, I assure you.
METALHELLSPWN: A lot of people seemed not to have noticed her. Several did, though. I just couldn't get into the AssCreed games. And knowing how slipshod and halfassed some of the later games are, I'm not too worried about that.
Thanos69: No, yes, no.
Lawoi: Even longer now, sorry.
The interactions will be entertaining I assure you.
Messiah of Authors: Trust me, I have plenty of fluff planned in the future. It's nice to write stuff that's just soft and fluffy from time to time after all.
Friggleberry: Replacements are what I do. If you keep reading you're going to find even more of them.
123ABIR123: Yeah, it's been a while since the last update, sorry about that...
Primus2021: Ultima and Sinoula are the names we (Bakuto and I) came up with for Maou and Head Maid MaoYuu.
You're right on almost all of your guesses.
Just look up that name and you should find your answer pretty quick. I won't say anything here because of spoilers.
No? She's from KonoSuba.
Lilietta is from a small anime that came out a few years ago, Otona no Boguya-San, or Armor Shop for Ladies and Gentlemen.
She is, don't worry.
Yeah, if he were in this his whole world view would get turned inside out.
PHEW! That was a lot! Guess that's what happens when you go eight months (Good god...) without updating your most popular story. Anyway, with that wall of text out of the way, time for a more enjoyable wall of text!
Smiling, Sinoula gave a simple command. "I give you permission."
Before he had a chance to be confused, Albedo dove from where she stood and grabbed onto Diablo with almost as much as strength as Sinoula. He stumbled back slightly from the impact, but remained standing despite Albedo's firm snuggling as she pressed her body against his, her firm chest compressing against his bare abdomen.
Gulping, he did his best to refocus and turned to Sinoula for answers.
Sighing with a weak smile, Sinoula began to explain. "Tabula, sorry," she interrupted herself, correcting the name, "Nanana programmed her to be obsessed with you."
He raised an eyebrow at the explanation.
"And programmed her to be one of Beliath's daughters."
"… Ah…" he answered, glancing down to see Albedo still hugging him tightly, practically rubbing herself on him.
"Alright, that's enough Albedo," Sinoula urged, the black-haired woman either not hearing or simply ignoring her.
Diablo, for his part, tried to break her grip, but found it almost impossible without injuring her.
"Albedo…" Sinoula ordered more harshly, almost growling.
To the dismay of both of them, Diablo's escape attempts almost seemed to make Albedo hug him tighter. He worried he was in legitimate danger of taking Damage if that kept up.
"ALBEDO!" Sinoula howled.
Albedo winced and turned her attention to the redhead, despite not releasing her grip. "Y – Yes Lady Sinoula?"
"I said that's enough," she ordered with a twitching smile.
Backing away, she coughed into her hand and nodded. "Y – Yes, milady."
Diablo sighed in relief, both that he was not injured, and that the unneeded stimulus was gone. 'I'll need to talk to Nanana about this…' Clearing his throat, he returned to his focus on being there. "Ahem, anyway, I'm actually here for a reason."
"Oh?"
Diablo responded by pulling the shrunken and unconscious Rabier from a bag and returned him to normal size, causing the rotund man to hit the ground with a loud thud. "This scum is to be sent to Neuronist."
Sitting up, disoriented and in pain, the man looked around frantically before seeing Diablo, Sinoula, and Albedo around him. "Wh – What… where am I?!"
"Welcome to Hell. Your eternal damnation awaits," Diablo warned with a low growl.
Albedo stepped away from the man and put a hand over her nose. "This creature stinks…"
Diablo then turned to Voulcosta behind him. "Voulcosta, bring Neuronist here immediately."
"At once, my lord." Bowing, the maid turned and left the room.
With the three distracted, Rabier attempted to leave the opened door, only for a large wall of bright blue ice to block his way. Turning, he saw a hulking, insect-like creature with a carapace the same color as the ice, its four, three-fingered hands clenched as mist rolled down the ice.
"You. Shall not. Leave," the beast threatened in a rumbling voice, causing the man to squeal like a child.
"Thank you, Cocytus," Sinoula offered with a smile.
Bowing, he returned his focus to Rabier. "You have been chosen to receive punishment by a Supreme Being, and you will accept it."
"So what did this cretin do?" she asked, staring with disgust at the man.
Diablo hissed as he recounted the man's crimes. "He purchased many demihuman, er," Diablo paused, reminding himself, "buman slave girls, barely thirteen, and tortured them viciously. Many of them died from his actions."
Sinoula's eyes narrowed as red sparks of energy flashed in her palm, only for the large doors to open once more, and Voulcosta reentered the room.
She was accompanied by a large, grotesque creature that resembled a bloating, rotten corpse clothed in leather, with many tentacles falling from its head.
Rabier threw up at the mere sight of it and tried to put distance between it and himself. "Wh – What the fuck is that thing?!"
"Your new owner," Diablo explained, trying to withhold the subtle glee he felt. "Neuronist Painkill."
Neuronist made its way over towards Rabier, who had backed himself up against a pillar. "My oh my, he looks so plump and scrumptious."
Rabier shivered as one of the tendrils extending from its mouth caressed his face.
"Have fun." After a moment of thought, Diablo added, "If you need, I can cast an immortality spell on him so he won't expire on you."
Neuronist turned so fast the tendrils on the back of its head slapped Rabier across the face, and its face tinted as if blushing. "You would!?"
Diablo nodded in response. "Yes. I don't want your toy breaking on you too quickly after all."
Putting a bloated hand on its cheek, it twirled where it stood. "Oh, I would be just tickled if you did!"
Approaching Rabier, Diablo stuck out a hand, and the man attempted to make a break for a nearby exit. "Ent Ingal." Rabier's body was immediately illuminated by a purple-green light before quickly fading. "There, that should provide enough entertainment."
Neuronist chortled in amusement, turning as Rabier tried to get away and tossed a whip that wrapped around his legs. "Come along now, it's time to play…"
Rabier howled and screamed Neuronist dragged him down the hallway, the large double doors slamming behind him.
Taking a moment, Diablo sighed softly. "Damn, that Neuronist creeps me out…"
"Well considering who created her, I'm not surprised," Sinoula answered with a shrug.
Albedo, unfazed by the events that had just unfolded, turned to Diablo with a smile. "So, Lord Diablo, will you be staying long?"
He shook his head in response. "I'm afraid not. I must attend to my Familia after all."
Albedo frowned in disappointment, her wings going limp behind her. "Oh. I see…"
"Something the matter?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I had thought you would stay longer."
He shook his head once again. "I see. Unfortunately, I have other duties to attend to. If we are able, we could arrange for you to visit Nanana."
"Nanana?" she asked with mild bewilderment.
Sinoula explained, "That is the real name of Tabula Smaragdina."
Albedo's eyes shot wide with shock. "I – I would see Lady Tabula's true form?!"
"Yes," Diablo answered plainly, almost causing the winged beauty to faint. Turning to Sinoula, he explained, "Anyway I must go before any of them start worrying or the Trash gets antsy."
Nodding, Sinoula added a suggestion. "At the very least, I urge someone from the Tomb to accompany you. Both as aid, and so we don't have to wait in uncertainty to what you're doing."
He opened his mouth to argue before deciding it would be best not to. "Very well, dear." Looking around at the Pleiades, he nodded to himself. "I'll take Narberal Gamma, and my personal maid, Rose."
On command, two maids stepped forward, the first was Narberal.
The second was a tall, thin-framed young woman with long, bright pink hair tied into twintails and bright green eyes, wearing a white and dark blue maid uniform that left most of her sides and back open, a short, multi-layer skirt, dark stockings, white gloves, and a white, frilled hairband atop her head. Her white boustier drew attention to her two globes that rivaled Albedo's in size, both bouncing insider her top as she bowed to him.
"It pleases me to accompany you, Lord Diablo," Rose announced with a placid smile.
"I feel the same, my Lord," Narberal added.
"Good, now let's get going." Before he could leave, however, Albedo interjected.
"What of the other filth?"
Diablo looked at her curiously before seeing her staring at Alicia. "If you mean the human with me, she comes with me. I have already warned her that if she does anything that jeopardizes Nazarick, I will erase her from existence."
Albedo frowned suspiciously as the four left.
Upon leaving the Tomb, Diablo noticed Narberal was now in a new outfit, a disguise. Her armored maid uniform was exchanged for a plain white top, simple brown pants, a red cloak over her shoulders, calf-length black boots, and a short sword at her waist.
Looking over her disguise, he nodded in approval. "Looks good on you."
Narberal tucked her head down slightly as her cheeks tinted red.
Rose walked ahead of him slightly and put her arms behind her back with a small smile of anticipation. "What about me Lord Mo – er, Lord Diablo?"
He looked at her in mild confusion. "Hm? You're not in a disguise though."
Her expression fell with disappointment.
"Alright, let's head back to Faltra."
"Right," Alicia answered as the four set off away from the Tomb of Nazarick.
As they walked, Rose clung to Diablo's arm with a wide grin.
Narberal watched the event with a silent frown.
Seeing this, Diablo decided to try and figure out what was bothering her. "Something wrong, Narberal, er, Nabe?" he asked, using the alias she chose for herself.
"No, sir," she answered gruffly.
"I see…" Sighing for a moment he looked around. "Alright, this should be far enough without causing any disturbance."
"For what?" Rose questioned.
Diablo proceeded to grab both Narberal and Alicia and pulled them close, causing the two of them to both flush gently. "Return."
Wiz nodded in affirmation as she looked at Shera and Rem, both sitting with large white crystals in their hands. "Good, you're getting better mana control now."
"Right…" Rem answered with a weak nod, her tail drooping from exhaustion.
Shera, meanwhile, swayed side to side weakly. "So tired…"
"Just keep at it," Wiz urged. "You need to get that much under control before we can continue."
Nearby in the yard, Narmaya stood holding a wooden sword as Darkness and Raphtalia stood opposite her, Darkness covered in light bruising.
"Just try your best to hit me, come on," Narmaya urged with a confident smile.
"R – Right…" Raphtalia answered shakily before raising her sword, only for Narmaya to suddenly be in front of her with her sword at her abdomen.
"Dead."
The young girl pouted deeply before a flash of light filled the area as Diablo, Alicia, Narberal, and Rose appeared in the city.
"I'm back," Diablo declared bluntly.
"Diablo!" Shera shouted, suddenly regaining her energy and leaping at him.
Diablo instantly stepped to the side, causing Shera to go flying past him and land her hug on Nabe, knocking her to the ground and suffocating the maid in her cleavage.
After several long seconds, Shera pulled away from her victim and looked to see Nabe. "Huh? You're not Diablo."
Nabe finally managed to grab hold of Shera, albeit by her globes, and pushed her off. "Air!"
Rose twitched an eyebrow as she watched the elf.
Shera stood up after a moment and finally took note of the duo. "Wait, who are you two?"
"Allies from my home base," Diablo explained, eliciting a prolonged "oh" from Shera.
After a few seconds, Nanana walked to the front upon hearing all the commotion. "Hey, what's all the –?" she stopped suddenly when she saw Narberal and Rose. "Huh? Nabe? Rose?"
The reaction caught the black-haired maid by suspicious surprise. "… How do you know my name?"
Raising an eyebrow, Nanana realized why she was confused and explained. "It's me, Tabula."
Narberal stared at the, relatively, unassuming human before her in mild confusion. "H – Huh? You're… Lord Tabula Smaragdina?"
Nanana nodded with a pleased smile. "Lady, actually, but yeah. Satan recognized me on sight."
Narberal nodded firmly with a hint of regret. "I can only hope to be as perceptive as Lady Satan."
Diablo and Nanana both just stared at her in equal disbelief. "Perceptive? Satan?"
Narberal looked at the two in mild confusion. "Huh?"
Shrugging, Nanana answered, "Satan is the least perceptive person I know."
"And yet she was able to discern your true identity."
Nanana nodded and retorted, "Yeah. So why couldn't you?"
Diablo put up a hand and interjected on the wildly deviating conversation. "I think we're getting off topic here. Regardless, yes, I'm back. Though again not for very long."
"Aww…" Shera pouted.
"I need to deal with your brother's foolishness. Then I will be able to relax for a bit. Maybe play with the kids as well."
"Diablo!" Raphtalia suddenly exclaimed.
"Diabla!" Rifana added, slightly slurring the name.
Rahptalia, Rifana, and Keel all ran up to Diablo and grabbed his coat.
Kneeling down, he patted the three of them on the head. "Yes, but only temporarily. I have another job to do after I'm done here."
All three girls' tails drooped dejectedly at his answer.
Folding her arms, Narmaya butt into the discussion. "You should at least have something to eat before you head out again."
Diablo shook his head as he stood up. "I'll be fi –"
"I insist," she interrupted with a warm smile.
Diablo began to sweat slightly in concern as he opened his mouth to argue, only to once again be interrupted.
"Even a god needs to eat to keep his focus," Narmaya argued, her warm smile warping into one of dangerous sweetness.
The tan-skinned man gulped nervously before nodding. "… R – Right…"
Alicia and Nanana just stared at the events unfolding before them in disbelief.
"Scary…" Nabe muttered quietly to herself.
"E – Extremely…" Rose added with a slow nod as she tried to put distance between Narmaya and herself.
Rifana and Raphtalia sat at the large dining table, practically drooling as their tails swayed side-to-side with excitement.
"So much food…" the blonde, cat-eared girl mumbled in disbelief.
Raphtalia nodded firmly with a wide smile. "Yep! We eat this much every night!"
Her tail shot straight up in shock. "R – Really!?"
"Whoa…" Keel noted with amazement.
"There's more than enough, so eat to your heart's content," Narmaya urged with a smile as she sat next to Diablo.
Keel's eyes shot wide with disbelief and excitement before she began to scoop up pieces of each item on the table.
Frowning slightly, Narmaya then turned her attention to Diablo, who just sat silently next to her, thinking to himself. "You need to eat too."
Twitching slightly, he decided not to argue and just nodded. "R – Right."
Nanana grinned mischievously as Diablo grabbed pieces of the sliced meat on the table, topping it with some of the sauce nearby. '… She has you whipped.'
'… Shut up…' he weakly shot back as he chewed the surprisingly tender dish.
'Not a chance.'
Deciding to break the awkward silence in the room, Narmaya turned to Diablo. "So where are you going tomorrow?"
Taking a moment to swallow, he looked at her in mild confusion. "Huh? No, I'm heading there –"
"Tomorrow," Narmaya cut him off with a smile.
He just sat silently as she stared at him before sighing in defeat.
Alicia, getting further perturbed, interjected, "It is imperative he prevents war breaking out between Faltra and Greenwood."
Narmaya nodded in understanding. "I am aware. But he has many here who need his attention, even if just for a day."
Rose narrowed her eyes as she moved her hand to grab something. "… You're going to stand in the way of Lord Diablo?"
Narmaya shook her head, merely smiling to the automaton. "No. I am merely making sure he doesn't overwork himself."
The pink-haired maid stared at her incredulously.
"Even gods have limited stamina in this world. So, sit and eat," she added, looking at Diablo.
With a heavy sigh he gave up all attempts to argue with her.
"Unbelievable…" Wiz remarked in amazement.
Nabe nodded slowly in agreement.
Nanana folded her arms in thought. 'I had no idea tiny girls were your thing, or I would've made Albedo shorter.'
'What?' he wondered, raising an eyebrow at her in confusion.
Nanana winced as her cheeks flushed, forgetting he could hear her. 'O – Oh, uh, nothing, just rambling!'
As he looked around the room at the others, he noticed a pattern of exhaustion on their faces.
"Need… Mana…" Megumin grumbled.
"You should have plenty of mana, you simply can't cast any spells with it," Diablo chastised, only further annoying the petite girl.
"Oh," Wiz thought aloud. However, before she could say anymore, Diablo moved his finger across his lips in a 'zip it' motion.
After ending that conversation before it began, he then looked around and noticed Aqua slumping in her seat, exhausted, before turning to Darkness who looked at her Reverse Ring with a whimper. After the curiosity took over, he looked to Nanana. '… Okay, what have I missed while I was gone?'
She just shrugged and explained, 'Narmaya's training is pretty brutal, and Darkness hasn't been able to get any use out of the ring.'
'Ah…'
The purple-haired girl decided to swiftly change the subject. "So, how do you plan to deal with the elves?"
Diablo folded his arms in thought. "Either a show of force or ending the prince. Whichever proves more effective."
Wiz suddenly sat up straight as something occurred to her. "Oh, Diablo."
"Yes, Wiz?" he asked as he handed some of his meal to Rifana.
"Do you think you could craft some more potions?"
Diablo, surprised she needed more already, nodded in subdued surprise. "I can, but why? I crafted you quite a few before."
"Because the ones you made before sold out."
He blinked a couple times as he attempted to process that information. "I see. That was fast."
Wiz nodded with a smile as she added, "A merchant traveling to Orario was impressed with them and bought most of them."
He nodded in understanding and was about to stand up. "Ah. Well I best go start making more then. Narmaya, would you like to watch?"
Nanana sent him an incredulous, knowing look which Diablo did his best to dutifully ignore.
"Certainly. After dinner," she answered with a smile.
Diablo stared at her silently before sighing as his attempts to defy her seemed almost quashed by something instinctual. "R – Right…"
Nanana and Rose both watched the display with varying levels of confusion and concern.
After dinner was finished, and while Aqua and Shera began cleaning up the dishes, Diablo made his way up the stairs with Nanana and Narmaya to begin preparing more potions.
After setting everything up, he placed the ingredients in assorted piles with the vials set to the side to contain the liquid.
Narmaya sat across from him to get the best view, unwittingly giving Diablo the best view as well, a fact he tried his best to hide from both women, though Nanana was already aware of the truth.
Gulping nervously, Diablo unwittingly stuttered a word as he commanded, "N – Now, watch my hands."
"Of course," the petite, horned woman remarked as she turned her attention to the man's wheat-colored hands.
Setting his mind in motion on the potions, his gaze predictably fell on the Draph's voluminous cleavage, which threated to pop the buttons straining to hold her top closed. 'So… big… and soft…'
Narmaya's visible eye widened in amazement before frowning slightly as she looked up at Diablo. "Hmm? I appreciate the speed and efficiency with which you can craft the potions, but that was slightly too fast for me to observe… do you think you could do it again?"
Diablo looked down and realized that in the few seconds that had passed, nearly half of the ingredients had all been prepared, mixed, and stored in the vials already. '… This could be dangerous…'
Nanana nodded with a combination of disbelief and annoyance. 'Uh-huh.' After a few seconds of silence, her cheeks gained a light tint as an idea crossed her mind. '… Wanna try it with me instead and see if it works better?'
Diablo was not initially certain about trying it, but knew if he focused on Narmaya again, the Draph would not be able to pay attention to and grasp the process. 'S – Sure…'
"Hey, Narmaya, think you scoot over a little?"
Nodding in slight confusion, the Draph shimmied to the side on her knees as Nanana sat next to her, both girls sitting in front of Diablo.
Doing his best to focus on Nanana instead of Narmaya, he set his hands to work on the potions once more.
Narmaya nodded to herself as she watched. "I see, I see. That's how."
Nanana, however, was less amused by the display. 'Seriously, how the hell does the size of someone's boobs affect how fast you can make those stupid things?'
'If I knew that we wouldn't be having this conversation!' Diablo snapped back.
Nodding to herself, Narmaya looked up at Diablo. "Alright, I understand how to make the potions now. Is it alright if I try my hand at a few?"
"Go ahead," he answered, motioning to the pile of ingredients.
Narmaya smiled to herself as she tried mixing a few of the ingredients to make some potions.
As the Draph did that, Nanana got Diablo's attention. '… Do you think you'll be able to get that prince to leave Shera alone?'
His shoulders dropping slightly, he answered with dismay. 'If I'm being honest? No. I'll probably have to kill him. Maybe if I do so in a brutal enough way it'll scare the elves enough not to try anything.'
'Or make them go against you thinking you're a threat to Shera's safety.'
'As long as he's alive, it's unlikely that they'll avoid war. I doubt I can frighten him enough to leave her alone, with as insane as he is.'
'True…'
Sighing, Diablo added, 'I'll try and reason with him, but with what I saw in Shera's memories, my hopes aren't high.'
Nanana frowned in concern before asking. '… What'd you see…?'
Wincing, he groaned quietly before explaining, 'Her brother wanted to force her to be his bride so she would have his children.'
Nanana's face darkened as her expression twisted. '… And killing him is all you're going to do? Talk about light punishment…'
'Killing him is the end game. I have other things in mind before that happens.'
'Science experiment then?'
'Or see if Gashokukochuuou needs a new place to store his eggs.'
Nanana shook her head in response. 'Nah, save that for some horrific bitch. Besides, I know you. You want to unlock the secret behind the elves' eyes.'
Diablo smirked lightly in response. 'Guilty as charged. I'll worry about how to handle him, I just need you to keep things locked down here.'
'Sure, sure. I'll make sure our daughters are taken care of.'
Narmaya smiled proudly as she held up a bottle of darkly tinted red liquid. "I finished. How is it?"
"Very good for your first time."
Her pointed ears wiggled slightly as she nodded. "I'll keep trying, if that's okay."
Diablo nodded in affirmation. "Certainly. Tomorrow morning I'll head out to the elf camp."
"Right."
The conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door to the room.
"Diablo?" Raphtalia asked timidly through the door.
"Yes?" he responded to her as she walked in, with some potato on her cheek.
"Megumin and Rem are fighting are fighting over a piece of steak…"
Diablo stood up and sighed as he wiped the wayward food from her face. "I'll deal with them. Go play with your friends."
She nodded with a bright smile. "'Kay!"
Later that night, Nanana knocked on the door to Diablo's room before waiting for an answer.
"Come in," he answered lightly.
Opening the door, Nanana saw Diablo, sitting on the floor with a large cloth laid out, on it a wide array of potions, knives, other weapons, scrolls, and various other tools. "What are you doing with all this out?"
"It's tools I'm planning on giving to Nabe when we head out," he answered half-heartedly, not fully paying attention to her.
"You can't just store it in your Inventory and give it to her during battle? It only takes a second."
"That second can make all the difference in a battle."
"Right…"
"Alicia will also be going with us as well. Mostly because she refuses to stay behind and I don't feel like arguing the topic with her."
After a few moments of silence, Nanana spoke up. "You sure you don't want me coming with you?"
Diablo nodded as he balled up the cloth. "You would certainly be a help, but I need you here. Narmaya and Wiz are certainly strong, but the more people who can be here to protect the girls and Shera the better."
She nodded slowly.
"Not to mention, if you need me immediately, you can speak to me telepathically."
"Right…"
The next morning, Shera stood with her ears drooping in worry. "You'll be okay, right Diablo?"
Diablo smiled as he patted her head. "Of course I will be. This is nothing but a simple matter."
Shera's worried expression deepened. "But Keera is really scary when he's mad… and he's got really powerful magic."
"I highly doubt his is anywhere as powerful as mine. Just stay here and don't wander too far from the Archangel Flames."
"Right…" she replied with a heavy voice.
Narmaya smiled with a bow. "Don't worry, I'll keep everyone safe and in line."
Diablo nodded in appreciation. "Good. I appreciate it. Alright, Nabe, Alicia, let's head out. Rose, will you go or stay here?"
"I'd like to go with you, Lord Mo – Lord Diablo," the maid returned.
"Then come along."
Rose hummed blissfully as she followed alongside Diablo and the others away from Faltra.
Nabe followed silently beside him.
Alicia, after several long moments of quiet, asked, "How do you plan to deal with the elves? Getting into their camp won't exactly be easy."
"Simple. Just walk in."
"You make it sound so easy."
Rose, with her chest puffed out proudly, retorted, "There is nothing Lord Diablo can't do."
Nabe nodded in agreement. "Indeed. He is the strongest of the Supreme Beings."
As they continued, Alicia noticed something up ahead. "What's that?"
Diablo looked ahead and saw an elaborate carriage, dark wood decorated with gold and jeweled accents, drawn by two vibrantly white horses. "That's certainly opulent. Probably belongs to some noble."
As the carriage neared, Diablo pulled Nabe towards him right as the carriage rode past them.
Nabe's body tensed as her cheeks turned red from the contact.
Rose pouted and hugged close to Diablo's other side.
Alicia frowned in annoyance as the carriage disappeared off into the distance. "… That was rather careless of them. Most royals are aware they need to avoid people on the road."
"Maybe he wasn't from around here," Rose noted as she clung to Diablo's right arm.
"So a foreign noble then?" Diablo question, glancing back at Alicia.
The headed nodded uncommittedly with a light shrug. "Potentially. With the various nations considering summoning the Four Heroes, there's been a lot of international travel."
"Ah, that makes sense."
"Four Heroes?" Nabe questioned suspiciously, glancing up at Diablo.
Diablo flinched slightly before averting his attention. "… M – Mortal nonsense I don't care to worry about."
Alicia raised her hand slightly and offered, "Oh, I can explain, then."
"Then do so." 'After all, Shera and Rem only explained so much…'
Nodding, Alicia began. "The Four Heroes are four people summoned from another world to ours to help push back against the Waves. Each one is summoned with a special weapon unique to them that gives them immense power. The Shield, Sword, Spear, and Bow."
"A shield is not a weapon, it is armor," Nabe argued bluntly.
Alicia just shrugged. "The legends were written a long time ago. So it's possible there was a mix-up somewhere along the line."
"Oh."
Alicia proceeded to explain the rest of the details as the group continued towards the elven encampment.
Rifana hummed quietly to herself as she played with a small cloth doll before she glanced up and noticed the troubled expression on Nanana's face. "What's wrong?"
Nanana just smiled and patted her head. "Nothing really, just trying to decide what's for dinner tonight."
Moluka, her arms folded, walked out of the kitchen in mild annoyance and interjected, "Not much if the state of the cupboards is any indication."
"What do you mean?"
Motioning to the kitchen, she grumbled, "We've got a few root vegetables and a handful of spices and that's it." Shooting a pointed glare at Shera, she added, "Because someone insists on having meat every night."
"But meat is so gooood…" Shera moaned out.
"Well if you eat to much more, those boobs of yours are going to suffocate you."
Shera tilted her head in confusion. "No they won't. They're not anywhere near my neck."
"That's not what I mean you dullard."
"Huh? I'm not dull, I'm very interesting!"
Moluka just groaned with frustration.
Laughing weakly, Nanana decided to interject before the confrontation got any worse. "Well I guess we need to go do some shopping then."
"Indeed we do," Narmaya added with a smile.
Shera stood up excitedly. "Ooh, can I come, can I come!"
Nanana shot down the idea immediately. "No. You're staying here with me."
"Aw…"
Moluka waved a hand dismissively. "Besides. Everyone knows what you want. Meat, meat, meat, and more meat." She glanced over and saw the elf drooling. "Don't start drooling just from me talking about it!"
"Fatty elf…" Rem cursed quietly.
"Am not!" Shera argued indignantly.
Narmaya put a hand up to stifle the disagreement before moving on. "Fikuma, Darkness, will you two come with me?"
Darkness then got a glint in her eyes with an idea. "Oh! We still have that cart. I can pull it if you want!"
"No," Narmaya retorted bluntly. "Carts are for Filolials."
The blonde just pouted.
Fikuma laughed quietly before pumping a fist. "Now, time to go get some tasty meat and veggies. Oh, I can taste the stew already!"
Raphtalia's tail suddenly perked up with excitement. "Hey, can we have some chocolate?"
"Oh yeah, chocolate please!" Rifana echoed.
"Yeah, yeah!" Shera added loudly.
Keel wanted to pitch in to the excitement but chose not to.
Narmaya looked back at the four with a smile. "If I can find someone selling some reasonably priced cocoa, I'll bring some back to make some chocolate."
"Yay!" all four cheered.
Nanana smiled pleasantly as the group celebrated the impending arrival of chocolate.
"This forest certainly is dense," Rose complained as she smacked a tree out of the way.
Nabe nodded in agreement. "Indeed. I'm certain Ladies Aura and Mare would enjoy it."
"Aura and Mare?" Alicia asked, the two maids seeming to just ignore her.
Sighing in mild irritation, Diablo explained. "Two Dark Elves that serve as guardians of the Tomb. They are also twin sisters as well."
"Interesting."
The conversation was halted as Diablo suddenly stopped in his tracks, staring at a small row of bushes around the nearby corner.
"Is something wrong?"
"There's someone watching us."
Alicia and Nabe both grabbed their weapons to prepare for a battle.
Diablo withdrew his staff and aimed it in the direction of the observer. "I know you're there. Come out slowly and I won't hurt you."
After a few seconds of silence, the bushes began to rattle and rustle with movement.
"I – I'm here! Don't shoot…!" pleaded a small, green-skinned humanoid creature with a round head and bulbous nose, quivering in his makeshift, rag-like clothing.
Alicia looked the creature up and down with a mixture of confusion and disgust. "… What is that?"
"A goblin," Diablo answered. "A real one."
A few moments later, another Goblin stepped out, this one looking more human like, despite being overly muscular and well over two meters tall.
Diablo did his best not to let his combination of surprise and slight worry show. '… Did Goblins always get that damn big!?'
Despite his size, the Goblin still trembled slightly.
'I mean come on! He's almost as big as a male Draph!'
"Wh – What…" the tall Goblin began before clearing his throat and attempting to sound more intimidating. "What do you want with our forest?"
"Your forest?" Diablo asked, confused.
The smaller Goblin flinched in fear and held his spear out towards the group, though his attempt of intimidation was undone by his knees very nearly knocking together as he shook. "Y – Yeah.. this forest belongs to the Great Rimuru… what d – do you want with it…?"
"We are merely passing through on our way to deal with an elven monster, Little Goblin."
"L – Little Goblin?!"
"Something wrong big nose?"
Before the bulb-nosed Goblin could answer, a high-pitched voice echoed from the bushes. "Is everything okay? Gobta? Rigurd?"
"J – Just fine, Great Rimuru," the taller Goblin answered before a blue blob of slime jumped out from one of the bushes and landed on his head.
Looking at the slime, Diablo was surprised, and then confused, before finally realizing why it seemed so familiar. "… Bukubukuchagama…"
"Hm?" the slime hummed before motioning towards Diablo, as if looking at him. After a few moments wriggled in surprise. "M – Momonga?"
Back in the city, as Narmaya, Fikuma, and Darkness made their way around, purchasing various food items and other assorted goods, Narmaya took notice of an elaborately decorated carriage drawn by two white horses, parked in front of the governor's estate. "He certainly seems to get a lot of visitors."
Shrugging, Fikuma replied, "Well, he is the governor of this region so it makes sense he would."
"I suppose," she murmured suspiciously before they continued walking.
"Don't the leaders of Draph villages have meetings like this?" Darkness questioned.
Narmaya nodded in response. "We do. But Draphs consider it best to have important meetings like this in the open if it affects an entire town. Humans seem to value secrecy so much. It is rather disturbing and untrustworthy."
"A lot of humans can't be trusted," Fikuma noted coldly.
"In my home village, if two Draphs got into a disagreement they had a duel. If one broke the trust of another, they'd wrestle it out. Lies and betrayal are extremely rare in Draph societies."
Looking at the woman's small stature, Darkness could not help but voice the question in the back of her mind. "Pardon my bluntness, but isn't wrestling between male and female Draphs extremely unbalanced?"
Narmaya put a hand on her cheek in thought. "In a way. Females are smaller and generally faster than males. So us being equal in strength can lead to unexpected results."
Fikuma and Darkness both looked at Narmaya in equal amounts of surprise. 'She's as strong as a male Draph…?'
Narmaya glanced back, seeing the expression of disbelief both shared. "Is something the matter?"
"N – No…" both stammered shakily.
"Very well."
Darkness decided to change the subject before she got a headache. "Do you ever plan to wrestle Diablo?"
Narmaya responded with a slight shrug. "I was beginning to believe I would need to last before he obliged."
Darkness blinked in surprise, considering the altercation. "Oh? Would you have been able to win?"
The pink-haired woman put a finger on her cheek in thought. "I'm not certain. He is smaller than a normal Draph, so it's possible. Though it is just as likely he would wind up on top."
That instantly got Darkness' mind racing. "… Diablo on top…"
"Come on, snap out of it," Fikuma rebuffed in mild amusement.
Darkness just continued. "Holding you down as he bears down on you…"
Fikuma winced as her cheeks turned pink. "S – Stop it, or I'll take that ring from you."
She stopped with her public fantasies and just continued walking.
The slime bobbed forward a bit as if nodding. "Ah, so you're called Diablo now. Well, you can call me Rimuru."
"Got tired of that long ass name, huh?" Diablo rebuffed.
"The Goblins couldn't pronounce it."
"I'm amazed they can speak at all…" Alicia noted quietly.
"Why are you surprised by that?" Nabe questioned.
Diablo answered, "Humans have this foolish habit of mixing up Goblins and Imps."
"Imps? Where!?" the shorter Goblin shouted as he began looking around frantically, the larger Goblin also scanning the area, attempting to hide his fear.
Rimuru sighed and attempted to calm their nerves. "Th – There aren't any here, he's just talking about them."
"O – Oh…"
Rimuru then turned her attention back to Diablo. "So you're trying to get to that elf camp on the other side of the forest?"
Diablo nodded in affirmation. "Yes. We're hoping to speak with the one leading the elves."
"Hm… that's going to be a little difficult."
"How come?" Alicia questioned.
"He left just a little while ago."
"I'm getting so hungry…" Shera groaned as she leaned across the table.
"Move it, fatty elf, you're knocking the cards everywhere," Rem hissed.
Nanana smiled as she brushed Raphtalia's tail. "Narmaya and the others will be back soon. Then I will make dinner and you can stuff your face."
"Yippee!" Shera cheered as she sat up suddenly, sending the cards on the table flying.
Rem snarled at her, but suddenly she, Rifana, Keel, and Raphtalia all turned their attention to the front of the store.
"Where's that music coming from?" Raphtalia asked, her ears twitching and wiggling around to get a better vantage point.
Rifana curled up next to Nanana. "It's creepy…"
Upon entering the front room of the store, Nanana heard what they were talking about, an ominous melody playing from a flute.
"There's something bad about that music…" Prelsina mumbled, clutching her staff tightly.
As the melody filled the room, Shera's eyes went foggy as her posture slumped and she began walking like a puppet.
"Shera?"
"Big Sis Shera…?" Rifana asked as the elf meandered unsteadily towards the door.
"I need… to go…"
Keel raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What? Like to the bathroom?"
"I need to… go home…" she mumbled listlessly as she carried herself towards the door.
Narrowing her eyes, Nanana rushed towards the front door and swung it open forcefully, seeing a tall, pale-skinned elf with long blond hair and an elaborately decorated suit made of various shades of green and blue. "Fucking knew it…"
The man lowered the flute he was playing as he looked at her with a smile. "My, my, quite a foul mouth for a lady," he spoke with a silver tongue.
"Let me guess, Keera?" Nanana asked, voice practically dripping with venom.
The man responded with a dramatic bow. "Indeed. Keera L Greenwood, prince of the Greenwood forest. I'm here to take my sister Shera back."
"Yeah – no," she answered bluntly as she put her fists together. "She has no interest in going with you, so beat it."
"On the contrary, she's more than happy to return to where she belongs," he proclaimed as Shera mechanically pushed her way past Nanana, muttering the same words again.
"Hah?! What did you do to her you bastard?! Some kind of control magic?!"
"Nothing of the sort," he retorted with a dramatic huff.
Nanana grabbed Shera's arm as she walked by. "Shera, snap out of it!" As she struggled to hold the elf in place, she looked at the Archangel Flames, floating nearby motionless. "Don't just stand there!" 'Why aren't they doing anything!?'
Keera pointed his flute at Nanana like it was a weapon. "Let my sister go. Unless you want me to have the guards deal with you for trying to detain my sister for no reason."
"I need to… go home…" Shera again repeated mindlessly.
Nanana paled as she put the pieces together. 'Oh no… Diablo's order was just to prevent her from being forcibly kidnapped… He didn't account for something like this…!'
Shera pulled free of Nanana's grasp in the woman's confusion before making her way over to Keera.
Seeing the instrument in the man's hand, Nanana figured it must be the source of the mind control and attempted to dive at him to destroy it.
Keera responded with an exceptionally loud gasp of terror, catching the attention of a nearby soldier who ran over to the situation. "What's going on here?" the armored man demanded as he approached.
Glaring, Nanana pointed to Keera. "This elf is using a magic artifact to control one of our Familia members!"
The man raised an eyebrow and looked at Keera suspiciously. "Is this true?"
Keera stumbled back in exaggerated shock. "Of course not. These humans kidnapped my sister and forced her to join their Familia." Pointing to the slave collar around Shera's neck, he added, "They even made her a slave."
"Yeah right!" Nanana shot back. "You're just trying to enslave her and make her your breeder bitch."
Keera huffed dismissively at her accusations. "She is the princess of Greenwood, she deserves to be around her people, not a bunch of humans."
"Why you…!" she snarled before preparing to attack him, only for the soldier to draw his sword and put it in front of her, blocking her from reaching the man.
"Just go," the man grumbled in annoyance to the elf. "You're making a scene."
Nanana shot the man a gaze of pure hate. 'That dirtbag of a Governor is working with him.'
Keera smiled as he stepped back into the carriage, taking Shera's hand as he led her up the steps. "Come Shera, let's return home."
"Yes… home… my people need me…"
Nanana paled as the door closed and she saw the malevolent grin on the elf's face. 'Smile while you can you son of a bitch. It'll be the last time you ever can.' As the carriage rode away, she concentrated to connect to Diablo. 'Come on… come on…' Hearing a small chime in her mind, she shouted to him. 'Diablo! Find that elf camp and raze it to the ground NOW!'
"… They left…?" Diablo asked, mildly confused.
Again, Rimuru wobbled forward like a nod. "Yeah. In a fancy carriage pulled by some white horses."
"… Oh."
Alicia tilted her head slightly in thought. "Wait, didn't that carriage we passed have…?"
"Yes, it d –" Diablo began to answer, only for Nanana's voice over private comm to echo in his head.
'Diablo! Find that elf camp and raze it to the ground NOW!'
'Nanana?' he asked, surprised and confused.
The others looked at him, mildly bewildered.
'That bastard just took Shera, and that rat bastard of a governor is in on it!'
Diablo's entire face lit up with fury as he grit his teeth.
"Diablo?" Rimuru questioned, worried about his sudden change in expression.
"Where is the camp?"
"Hm? I just told you the leader isn't there."
"That doesn't matter," his voice filled with rage. "I need to know where it is."
"Ah," she answered simply before leaping up and landing on his head, landing between his horns before looking at the two Goblins. "I can lead you there faster like this. Gobta, Rigurd, go back to the village and tell everyone there's no danger." Glancing down at Diablo, she mumbled, "I think."
"Got it!" the short one replied with a salute, both rushing off into the forest.
Diablo turned back to Alicia and the others. "Nabe, you're the only one who can keep up with me. Alicia, Rose, if you see that carriage again, stop it from moving, I don't care how you do it."
"Right," both answered in unison.
"Just make sure Shera isn't hurt." With that last order, Diablo took off running, so much force behind his step that he left an impression on the ground, Nabe taking off after him at matching speed.
Alicia frowned slightly before turning her attention back to the road.
"So what should we do now?" Narmaya questioned uncertainly.
"Nothing at the moment," Nanana grumbled as she chopped up the vegetables. "I'm sure that son of a bitch has us being watched. So we can't do anything until Diablo butchers them both."
Raphtalia then walked in, curious. "Hey, has anyone seen Aunty Rem? I was thinking of brushing her tail but I can't find her."
Nanana ended up slamming her knife down so hard it embedded itself in the cutting board. "… That… idiot…"
"M – Mama…?"
"Narmaya?"
"Yes?" the petite woman answered, already armed and ready to go.
"Please make sure Rem doesn't get herself hurt."
Narmaya bowed with a smile. "Of course."
"Good. Also tell her I am not making any fish for her tonight to for making me worry about her."
"Naturally," she answered before spinning on her heel, heading for the door, and dashing down the street at extreme speed after closing it.
As Diablo sprinted through the forest with Rimuru on his head, dodging around the trees that he can and just smashing the ones he cannot avoid, Rimuru decided to fill the dead air. "So is it just me and you?"
"No," Diablo answered curtly. "Sinoula and Tabula are here as well, along with the Great Tomb of the Nazarick and everyone in it."
"Wow. So how'd you end up here?"
"I was summoned by two girls."
Rimuru almost deflated on Diablo's head. "Lucky… I got stabbed in the back and just woke up in a cave as this ball of goo. I was only able to learn how to actually see around me and speak after meeting this dragon. Who I then Consumed."
Diablo almost face-faulted mid-sprint when he heard that, but decided to save that topic for later. "I'll have to ask you about that later."
"Huh? Why? Wait, forget that. The camp is just beyond this tree line."
Nodding, Diablo equipped his staff and readied a spell to fire. Clearing the remainder of the forest in the blink of an eye, he saw the elven camp up ahead, with the elves all running around frantically, like ants without a clue. "Murder time."
However, before he could launch his spell, one of the elves saw and recognized him. Celsior.
"You!?" the elf exclaimed as he dashed over to the horned man.
"That's my line," he retorted coldly as his staff began to glow.
Realizing what the meant, Celsior took a step back and raised his arms. "Wait, hang on just a moment!"
Diablo huffed in derision. "That's an ironic plea, considering what your prince just did!"
Celsior looked at Diablo with confusion. "What he… dammit! I told him not to leave without us!"
"Now, prepare to join oblivion."
Again, Celsior pleaded with Diablo not to launch his attack. "Please, wait just a moment! I had no idea he'd actually do that! He promised us we were just going to try and convince her to come back with us!"
Diablo hissed in derision. "And you believed him? How idiotic are you?" Aiming his staff directly at Celsior, he chastised, "You're so gullibly stupid it infuriates me. Now, either you and your fellows leave right now, or you're all going to be part of a mass grave."
Wincing, the elf tried to protest. "But we can't leave without the –"
"Five."
"You don't understand!"
"Four."
"This is bigger than –!"
"Three."
Gritting his teeth, Celsior relented. "… Alright, fine!" Heaving a deep sigh of regret, he turned to the rest of the camp, that had stopped their milling about to watch the proceedings. "Everyone, pack up what you can. We're returning to Greenwood."
"What about Prince Keera and Princess Shera?" another of the elves questioned.
Looking back at Diablo, Celsior answered with a combination of frustration and disappointment. "… They won't be coming back."
Diablo nodded in approval. "Good. Your kingdom doesn't need that filth ruling it."
Turning back around, Celsior walked up to Diablo, almost face to face. "I honestly don't care what you do to Prince Keera that much. But if I find out Princess Shera gets hurt because of you; I will hunt you down."
"Then we can rest assured we will never have to meet again."
Celsior stared at him silently for several long moments. "… I'll hold you to that." Turning around, he ran up to the others and helped pack up what he could before they all shipped out, leaving a few tents and some scattered supplies lying around.
Diablo looked around as the last of the elves left and nodded in approval. "That will do. Now, let's go get Shera."
"Right," Rimuru added with excitement before extending a pseudopod to look at him. "Who's Shera?"
"An elf, and one of the girls who summoned me here. The other was a Pantherian named Rem."
"Interesting," Rimuru retorted before recoiling to her original shape. "Need some help?"
"Not really. This will be over quickly. All we need to do now is wait for him to arrive. And to show what happens when someone tries to screw with me."
"Wow, I think Tabula's rubbing off on you a little too much."
Diablo just flinched in place at the mental imagery before shaking his head.
"What? Something I said?"
"… You'll see later… trust me…" Turning back to Nabe, he ordered, "Go tell the others to come join us."
Nabe nodded before disappearing into the thicket.
Rem sprinted down the dirt road towards the forest at top speed, the wind whistling past her ears. 'Dammit Shera…' However, she stopped suddenly when an object dashed in front of her and stopped at the entrance to the bridge.
And there you have it, the end of chapter thirteen. That is a lot to get through in a story. Anyway, hopefully you all enjoyed it, let me know with a review if you did. If you were confused, unsure, or just have questions on anything, leave them as a review and I will do my best to address your queries in the next reviewer response, which hopefully will not take quite as long. As for those who did not enjoy it, how did you get this far into the story without enjoying it? Anywhomsteverest, until next time, bye-bye!