DKFTI 38

Aizen asked. Normally, when asked so directly, a person would be flustered, but Ramiel did not even blink. As if he had expected it, he opened his mouth.

“Doesn’t it look like I wasn’t brought here by force?”

“If you see it that way, then am I not in the same position as you, Apostle?”

At Ramiel’s words, Aizen frowned.

“Me, and you?”

“Yes. You are also here because of necessity, aren’t you?”

“And what necessity do you think I have?”

“Who knows. But it seems clear that… you’ve found it.”

At Ramiel’s words, Aizen’s lips twisted.

“If not that, then did you simply lose your way?”

Aizen felt he was mocking him. He wasn’t literally suggesting he was a child who had gotten lost.

“Interesting.”

An ordinary human? Nonsense.

A man who could meet his eyes so squarely and speak so smoothly in front of him could never be ordinary.

Aizen was wary of Ramiel. It wasn’t only because of the questionable nature of Ramiel’s existence. There was a visceral unease.

“Whatever reason you came here for, if you try anything foolish, your head will fly off.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

“Not concern. It’ll be my sword that cuts you.”

Even as Aizen showed open hostility, Ramiel only shrugged lightly.

“It almost seems like Apostle Aizen is protecting the Demon King.”

“I’m watching him.”

“You even add excuses like that.”

Ramiel laughed softly. At that, Aizen felt himself bristle.

“I hope whatever you seek, you accomplish it.”

Even those words that sounded like encouragement only deepened his suspicion.

Ramiel, ignoring Aizen’s gaze, left unhurriedly.

***

“It’s cool.”

“Yes. It’s refreshing.”

Sibel and Ramiel said this as they hugged the ice golem from either side.

“Does that tribute human know no fear?”

Ruru clicked his tongue at how easily Ramiel had adapted to the Demon King’s castle. He had always prided himself on shamelessness and fakery, but this human was on another level.

“The seat beside the Demon King is mine!”

At first, Ruru had liked Ramiel. He was fun and curious. But little by little, as Ramiel naturally filled the spot that should have been his, Ruru grew jealous and resentful.

“You’re discarded now.”

Shanti found great amusement in teasing Ruru like this.

“I can’t let him take Lord Demon King’s side seat!”

“Someone would think you married the Demon King.”

“I’ve given him my whole body and heart! What’s the difference from marriage!”

“…What are you saying?”

Ruru bit and chewed at a handkerchief that no one knew when he had pulled out.

“Raccoon, you say something too!”

“Say what. Doesn’t the Demon King seem more comfortable with that human than with us?”

“How dare a mere human! He is Just a human!”

“Why does the Demon King like humans?”

Raccoon asked flatly.

“The Demon King likes humans?”

Ruru’s eyes widened and gleamed.

“The Hero, the human he spared, and this human too.”

Raccoon flicked at Ruru’s tail fur as he spoke.

“Has the Demon King ever really disliked anything?”

Shanti answered instead.

“Well, that’s true. I rather like this human.”

“I thought the same. I didn’t realize he harbored such ambition!”

“What ambition. Just trying to please Demon King counts as ambition now?”

Shanti mocked Ruru’s words, but Ruru’s eyes were growing redder.

Today they were all patrolling near the Demon King’s castle together. They had expected to see swarms of monsters, but the area was quiet, so the time felt more like a midsummer outing.

Sibel and Ramiel stuck close to the ice golem’s side all day, talking nonstop. Unexpectedly, they got along perfectly.

Everyone turned to watch Sibel and Ramiel.

“Every time I touch the ice golem, I think of it. I want a cold bowl of shaved ice.”

“You mean a snack made of ice?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s not difficult. I’ll make it for you.”

“Where will you get the ice?”

“Shall I just take a little from here?”

“Heh.”

The two of them were exchanging pointless jokes and amusing themselves.

“Is that funny? Is it funny!?”

“Why are you yelling at me!”

Ruru grabbed Raccoon’s ears and shook them. With both ears pulled, Raccoon flailed his arms trying to shake Ruru off, but Ruru’s eyes were already wild.

“Ramiel, have you ever eaten red beans?”

“A sweet food, yes.”

“Oh! You knew that! You really know your food!”

Like soulmates, Ramiel had already taken the seat at Sibel’s side.

“Demon King! Lord Demon King! What is that? I want to eat too!”

Ruru leapt into Sibel’s arms as he spoke.

“Ruru-nim, you are bold indeed! As expected of a fox demon, so forward.”

“Hm. Am I?”

“You can see ten things from one. How could such a brave bloodline be hidden?”

“Well, I suppose that’s true.”

Ruru’s tail swayed. Seeing that, Raccoon and Shanti’s eyes grew cold.

“If he was going to give in so easily, what was all that jealousy for.”

“Exactly.”

Shanti and Raccoon clicked their tongues. For a long time, they had to sit and watch Ruru burrow into Sibel’s chest.

***

Sibel was in a good mood when he returned from checking the castle defenses. The weather was good, and the Demon King’s castle felt peaceful.

Sibel and Ramiel came back to the castle with their arms full of flowers they had found outside.

It was Ramiel who had told him that flower arranging was fun.

To Sibel, Ramiel was a little burdensome, but a good person.

Kind, cheerful, human.

There was no one more suitable to have as a friend.

“Ramiel, do you want to arrange the flowers and then have a late-night snack?”

“It would be an honor.”

Sibel intended to spend the evening idling with Ramiel. If possible, he wanted to hear more stories of the human world too.

Ramiel knew many interesting tales from across the continents. He was like a talk box that produced stories whenever pressed.

But the fun Sibel had been expecting ran into crisis with someone’s sudden appearance.

“You’re as clingy as a leech”

“……”

The one who appeared with a glare was, of course, Aizen.

“Are you enjoying yourself that much?”

“……”

Sibel quietly lowered his eyes.? Why was it that he always shrank in fear in front of Aizen?

He held his breath and avoided his gaze. That only made Aizen’s stare more relentless. Ramiel watched the two silently.

“I told you not to idle and to come here.”

“I’m-I’m still on duty.”

Sibel’s timid resistance was useless against Aizen, who had already lost his humanity.

“You don’t even think about the one who sets the table?”

“Why do you keep setting tables all the time….”

Cooking had become Aizen’s recent hobby. At some point, he had started wearing the Demon King’s castle apron as if it were nothing, but to Sibel it felt violent.

“Shut up. We’re going to the dining hall.”

“Yes, sir!”

Once again, the clash began between the two, enough to confuse who was the human and who was the Demon King. Even Ramiel had grown used to watching this relationship.

Demon King and Apostle. Evil and justice. An interesting relationship.

“May I join you as well?”

“Of course.”

“Who gave permission?”

Aizen’s face immediately soured at Sibel’s answer.

“Then, are you going to starve me?”

“Ha. He even gets angry now.”

The two traded pointless words as they walked down the corridor.

“Broken personality, petty man.”

“You keep acting cute. Right?”

“Eek, why again….”

“To make me want to spoil you.”

Threats disguised as compliments flowed naturally.

A relationship where it was impossible to predict who held the upper hand.

Ramiel enjoyed the comedy of the two’s banter as he followed them to the dining hall, easily gaining himself a meal.

Ordinary people would have choked if someone with Aizen’s aura stared at them like that, but Ramiel didn’t even blink.

***

Sibel had a homework assignment: magic.

“Are you sure this is safe?”

“Ah, of course, of course. Didn’t we lay soft cotton all across the garden?”

Ruru encouraged Sibel. Sibel checked the ground, covered everywhere in fluffy cotton as Ruru said.

“Ha, I-I’m really going to jump? Really?”

Today he was training hard to learn flight magic.

It was by no means an easy challenge.

If not for Ruru’s words, “Even a demon baby could do this much!”, he never would have climbed to such a high roof.

“I will jump?”

“You’ve said you’ll jump about the five-hundredth time now, and the sun’s already setting.”

Ruru yawned as he answered.