It seemed like after witnessing my overwhelming might firsthand, the little one finally started to accept my identity as the Nineteenth Demon King of Herentis.
Of course, I had to explain a few things midway—like how me wearing cat ears wasn’t for cosplay or anything. It was part of an important undercover mission.
The moment she nodded with an enlightened “Ah, I see,” I figured my dignity in her eyes must’ve gone up a notch. Even just a little.
“Now it’s your turn.”
“Eh? My turn for what?” Triss looked confused. Only when she noticed my outstretched hand did the survival instincts in her kick in and remind her that it was her turn to explain things.
According to Triss:
She got caught up in the Oasis War Incident, barely surviving the chaotic space-time turbulence.
When she woke up, she found herself in the Light Faction’s world.
“Over eighty years ago, the previous Demon King launched a counterattack on the Light Faction, but was ultimately defeated. His fall led to the current chaos within our Dark Faction.”
Seeing me look over, Syl explained calmly, like a history teacher.
But the part that caught my attention was—
“Eighty years ago?”
Syl nodded.
“Demons tend to live long. Some special races can even rival the high elves. There’s no need to be surprised, my Lord.”
“That’s right~ Don’t be fooled by my appearance—I’ve lived for half a century already!”
Maybe it was my expression of disbelief, but Triss puffed her chest out a little in pride.
“No, I’m more surprised that even after all those years, your brain—and certain areas—haven’t developed at all.”
Triss immediately froze, her proud expression crumbling into silent despair.
Unable to come up with a rebuttal, she quietly resumed her explanation.
In order to survive, she had to hide her demonic powers and identity, treading carefully as she tried to blend into the Light Faction society.
It wasn’t easy, especially as a demon.
Had she not discovered her talent in alchemy and become an alchemist, she might’ve ended up homeless.
She had been suspected a few times, but always managed to slip away.
Eventually, she arrived in Faerns and settled here as a high-ranking mechanical alchemist and potion-maker.
“And that’s how I ended up like this,” she said with a small bow.
“But how have you managed to stay in the Light world this long without being discovered?” I finally asked the thing that had been bugging me most.
After all, both Syl and I had to wear special equipment just to infiltrate Faerns safely.
A regular demon like Triss should’ve been exposed ages ago.
She looked completely human—absolutely no trace of demonic presence.
If Syl hadn’t pointed it out, I never would’ve guessed this adorable loli was from the Dark Faction.
“She’s a Shadow Demon,” Syl explained.
“The best among demons at hiding their identity.”
Triss nodded.
“That’s right! Shadow Demons like me are really good at disguises. I rarely go out, too, so I don’t raise suspicion.”
“With such amazing stealth skills, I bet you were super powerful back in the day!”
A spark lit in my eyes as I grabbed her shoulders.
…I totally wasn’t thinking about using her to obliterate some cities or anything. Nope. Not at all.
But when I asked, Triss suddenly got awkward. She fiddled with her fingers.
“W-Well… technically yes… b-but, Demon Lord…”
“What is it?”
“I’ve been living here for so long that I… kinda… completely forgot how to use my powers.”
“……”
My understanding of this girl’s airheadedness deepened significantly.
Even Syl, who rarely showed emotion, had the slightest twitch at the corner of her mouth.
I think I owe Satahia an apology. A big one. Right now. Immediately.
“Syl, it’s about time we head back, isn’t it?”
“The sun is setting,” Syl agreed.
Triss panicked.
“Wait! Demon Lord! Lady Syl! You’re not just gonna leave me here, are you?!”
“Oh, that? Our Demon King’s Castle doesn’t support freeloaders. Besides, you seem to be doing fine here.”
“I-It’s not fine at all! I…
I can do lots of things for the Demon Lord! For example…
I can increase the reward for the bat venom sac collection quest!”
Her words reminded me about that hidden quest she had—“Oh? Just increasing the reward?”
Triss looked like she was about to cry.
“B-But the merchant guild only gives me so much. If I can’t make more money soon, I’ll be sleeping on the streets…”
“…Fine, fine. You can come back with us. But only if you become one of my subordinates.”
“Ehh? I can become the Demon Lord’s subordinate? Really?!”
Far from complaining, Triss looked like she’d just had a wish granted. She agreed without hesitation.
“From now on, you can use the Heart of Herentis to teleport back to the Demon King’s Castle anytime,” Syl explained after Triss signed the contract.
“When are we going back, Demon Lord?”
“Right now works.”
“Yay! I can’t wait to see the legendary Herentis Castle!”
“…Wait, you’ve never been to Herentis before?”
Triss shook her head.
“Our family’s a minor branch of the Shadow Demon clan. We’ve always lived in the Candina Mountains near the Abyss. I’ve never left that region before.”
“Oh… Well, don’t get your hopes too high.”
Honestly, this whole exchange gave me the vibe of a city slicker chatting with a country girl.
“Not at all! You’ve lived in Herentis all your life, so you’ve gotten used to it. But for us, Herentis is the very heart of the Dark World! It’s the birthplace of countless legends. It must be a magnificent, majestic capital!”
Syl and I exchanged a look.
“Let’s just hope… you’re mentally prepared, Miss Triss.”
“It might not be exactly what you imagined.”
“Meh?” 🌀