MaruMA:Volume04:Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Have I drowned? Is that why it’s so hard to breathe!?

“Ugh… Bando, Eiji, you bastards…”

“Please wake up, Your Majesty.”

Even though it’s morning, peering at me is Lord Weller, his usual charming self without puffy eyes or tousled hair.

“Don’t call me Your Majesty. You named me.”

“Sorry, it just slipped out. But the alarm bird has cried three times already.”

“Really!?”

According to my G-Shock, which is still continuing to valiantly keep the time, it is currently 8 o’clock in the morning. By the way, it’s also November 30th and the first month of winter in this world. One day here seems to be 24 hours, and there isn’t any noticeable deviance in their clocks. So that means that the size and rotation of this planet is about the same as Earth… ah, I can’t really understand complicated things.

Anyway, it’s been almost 120 days since I went with Ken Murata to Sea World because he was rejected by a girl, shook hands with a dolphin named Bando, went on a Star Tours, and got sucked into this swords-and-magic world.

Because this was the third time I’ve come to this country, it’s about time I was considered a regular. Even if everything hadn’t gone well, I somehow managed to solve the designated problem and was completely ready and waiting to return to modern Japan – I even changed into normal boxer-type underwear.

However…

As I was struggling to get up, Conrad rubs the corner of my eye with his thumb.

“Were you dreaming of Bando again?”

“Yeah.”

… I wasn’t able to go back.

I wasn’t able to go back to the Japan where I wasn’t Yuuri(Helping Village) or Yuuri(Gentle Pear Tree) or Yuuri(Distant Lapis Lazuli), where I heard the familiar ‘Shibuya Yuuri Harajuku Furi, where I was the organizer of a grass-lot baseball team even though I was just a high school student, where I was captain and Number 8 and the designated catcher.

“… Even though it’s already been four months… Ah! Now’s not the time to be worrying about that! I thought it was hard to breathe! He’s completely on top of me!”

Wolfram von Bielefelt, with the sleeping face of an angel and the sleeping habits of a devil, has got both his arms and legs wrapped around me, disturbing my peaceful sleep. He had on a frilly-laced, silk nightgown.

“This isn’t funny. If Günter saw this…”

“I’m already here!”

Lord von Christ is yelling as he bangs on the thick, heavy wooden door. His pretty face is probably distorted in unease and impatience, his hair in a disarray.

“You’re Majesty! What has happened, Your Majesty!? Please open the door! Please open the door-!”

My body guard, who has taken the position of ally and protector, rolls over the half-awake Wolfram.

“I locked the door, just in case.”

“Awesome, Conrad! You saved me.”

I quickly put on my custom training wear. It has a design that you only see on variety shows on TV – green with two thick white stripes down the side – and the lack of elasticity is a bit troubling, but it’s easier to move around in than my black school uniform.

I burst through the door, uttering a quick “I’m going running” to Gunter and slipped past him. Behind me, I hear a girlish shriek.

“Why are you in His Majesty’s room!? And in his bed!”

Leaving the soon-to-be scene of carnage behind me, even I have to wonder about that.

“Why is Wolf living with me? In this huge place, there should at least be one or two guest rooms.”

No before that, why is he even living here at Blood Pledge Castle? His headquarters should be in the Bielefelt region. This place with the creepy name is supposed to be my castle. That’s right. This completely normal baseball kid, Yuuri Shibuya, was made the ruler of a country just before his 16th birthday. And not your normal king, either. While it’s true that I laughed a bit at the King of Japanese Rock, my title is even more impressive. I was just supposed to be a normal high school student with my completely average height and completely average appearance and even my completely average intelligence…

But I was the Demon King.

After being unbelievably and miraculously flushed down a toilet, being randomly surrounded by good-looking guys, and being told that ‘starting today, you are the Demon King,’ anyone would think that they were dreaming. I thought so, too. If this is a dream, let me wake up quickly. I prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed some more to someone called the True King to let me go back to my reality.

But I’m past that.

I have no time to be depressed. I have a mountain of documents I need to sign and endless problems to think about. I have to meet so many important people you could make a huge line of them like at a popular store. And of course, I can’t skip my daily training. When your occupation is the Demon King, your body is your wealth.

Seeing such an exemplary king, my tutor and royal advisor Günter has been busy crying and being ecstatic. Well, since I’m a guy whose brain seems to just be made out of muscle (a Muscle-Brain Guy, for short), the one who’s been doing all the miscellaneous work is him.

I’ve been slowly learning how to read and write. Right now I’m at the level of an accomplished three-year old, but I’ve been able to read complicated words in book titles that I haven’t learned yet just by running my finger along them. Maybe it was like in the propaganda in those English class flyers that say you’ll suddenly find your talent like a flower blooming or something.

Stepping off the grey stairs and into the courtyard, I start running before the guards have time to pay their respects. Bathed in the morning light, the wintry lawn was sparkling. Under the grass, there were little icicles. My breaths are white and even the tips of my clenched fingers are getting numb and breathing in the clear, cold air hurt my nose so much my eyes teared up.

“You alright?” Conrad asked shortly, running beside me. He asks that same question every once in a while.

“Why do you ask? I’m fine?”

The blue stone swaying at my chest is making me colder. With intricate silverwork and a color bluer than the sky, this Lion’s Blue magic stone helps me remember my responsibilities.

It wasn’t forced on me. I chose it of my own will.

I was born with the soul of a Demon King, and I have promised to protect this country.

I promised.

After taking my usual course and returning to the castle, I heard a commotion on the way to grab a change of clothes so I could take a bath before breakfast,

“Are Wolf and Günter still fighting..?”

“Your Majesty!”

With a boyish short haircut that matched her wheat-colored tan, reddish brown eyes that were squinted in a smile, and was otherwise pretty much like a sunflower, a young girl came rushing over. Judging from her size, the baby in her stomach was doing well.

“Nicola, you came.”

“It’s been a while! Have you been well, Your Majesty?”

She was the bride of a demon despite being human and looked a bit like Ryouko Hirosue. About four months ago, we were mistaken for each other and ended up in a lot of trouble. But in the end, she decided to give birth to her child in her husband’s homeland and I ended up saving a lot of women. I also got my hands on the recorder-like Demon Flute so I guess all’s well that ends well.

“Saying he was going to the capital on business, His Excellency brought me along. It’s strange how he’s so nice to me despite how angry he is at Hube.

By ‘His Excellency’ she means Gwendal von Voltaire, the cousin of Nicola’s husband Lord Gegenhuber Grisela. He has hair that’s so dark grey it’s almost black, blue eyes that no beautiful woman would ever be able to remove the grumpy look from, a deep booming voice, and an appearance that is the very image of a proper Demon King. Half a year ago, this man was the Crown Prince as the eldest son under the rule of Her Prior Majesty the Demon King, Cecilie von Spitzweg.

Both Wolfram von Bielefelt, who is currently occupying half of my room, and Lord Conrart Weller, who is also my training partner, are both sons of the Pheromone Queen Celi despite all having different fathers. I’ve been calling them the three demon brothers who look nothing alike, but lately that claim has been challenged.

The third son has a build similar to mine, looks just like his mother with long eyelashes, blonde hair, emerald green eyes that remind me of the bottom of a lake, and is the very image of a perfect pretty boy from an orthodox school – like an angel that comes to you in a dream and makes you cry from his whispered gospel. But in reality he’s a spoiled brat and if he opens his mouth, what comes out isn’t any kind of heavenly gospel.

Lady Celi, as an advocate of free love, got married to a human who had nothing of worth other than his sword and gave birth to her second son, Conrad. In the middle of these pretty people, he leaves a rather plain impression, but I’ve heard he’s quite popular with the ladies. He’s attractive without being too pretty, good-natured, and a skilled swordsman. On top of that, as a result of something in the past, it seems he’s hiding the heart of a lion within him. Of course the girls can’t leave him alone. Although if I was a girl, I’d have to pass up this over-accomplished man.

My tutor, Günter von Christ, is the exact opposite. He has grey hair that reaches his back and violet eyes that are brimming with intelligence. Any woman would be taken down immediately if he spoke to them softly with his attractive baritone voice. But the true character of this absolute beauty was unbelievable. Due to some bizarre aesthetic sense, he admires the likes of me to point of breaking down beyond repair. As the king, I’m worried about how far he’ll go.

Already halfway to the breaking point, Günter was vehemently arguing with the disrespectful Wolfram.

“As I’ve been asking, why are you living in His Majesty’s room!?”

“Yuuri’s proposed to me, remember? It’s decided that he would want to share a bedroom.”

It’s not decided.

The beauty countered that desperately with a flip of his hair.

“A fiancé is at best a fiancé, not a partner or a spouse! Spending the night together before exchanging marriage vows is, is, is shameless!”

Wolfram pushed his tangled bangs up.

“Well there’s an almost 150 year old for you. What an outdated thing to say!”

Says the 82 year old. Not wanting to get involved in that troublesome mess, I didn’t say that out loud. Demon blood extends the life of the demons so they’re all about five times older than they look. For a boy who’s just about to turn 16, it feels like a gathering of super old people.

Conrad just shrugged in his training wear, not getting involved in their argument.

“No need to get so worked up over just sleeping together…”

“Before that, can someone please notice that we’re both men!?”

“Aren’t you two mistaken? His Majesty already has His Excellency Gwendal.” Nicola innocently interjected while she placed a hand on her belly.

“That is the biggest mistake of them all!”

I’m simultaneously denying all three of their opinions. As the only outsider, Lord Weller is desperately trying not to laugh. Stop that Conrad. Your one and only baseball partner is being forced into a fraudulent marriage… Wait, rather than a fraudulent marriage, is it gender misrepresentation? Ah, if only Wolfram was a girl… but then he’d still be a spoiled brat…

A few dull thuds came from the knocker on my doors and Conrad opened one side. A soldier in charge of guarding the main gate was standing there.

“Excuse me, sir!”

“What is it?”

“Well, I know it’s not public visiting hours to meet with His Majesty but..!”

“You don’t have to be so formal. I don’t mind if you just say what you need to say.”

“Yes sir! Excuse me!”

I’m not sure if I just made him more uncomfortable, but his knees have started shaking.

“Someone requesting an audience with Your Majesty has arrived at the castle gates.”

“Ah, is that all? After breakfast, I’ll have them added in my schedule.”

The aide, or rather the royal advisor Günter, with a dependable voice completely different than a minute ago, steps in between me and the soldier.

“Those sort of request go through me.”

“Well, but… um, it’s of a very personal nature… so if possible, um, can everyone leave?”

The young man took in his surroundings. His face went completely red by just being glared at by Günter and Wolfram. If the two of us were left alone, he’d probably faint from the sudden pressure. Before that happened, Conrad encouraged him in a gentle voice.

“It’s alright. We’re all close-lipped.”

“Then I’ll say it.”

The soldier fell quiet for a moment and swallowed before continuing in a high voice.

“Someone who says, no, claims to be the royal bastard of the ruler of The Great Demon Kingdom, the absolute leader of us demons, the 27th Demon King, has requested an audience!”

“Royal bastard?”

What’s that? As I turned to Conrad to ask, Wolfram grabbed me by my collar.

“Yuuri, you jerk, where did you give birth!? Where and when, when did that happen!?”

“Wh-what? I didn’t give birth! I definitely did not give birth!”

Being assaulted by this angelic pretty boy, I feel like confessing to anything.

“If you didn’t give birth, then where did you make it!”

“I di- ugh, I didn’t make anything! In the first place, what is a royal bastard!?”

“The child between a noble and a woman that he is not married to.”

“Ahh, like the illegitimate child that the emperor has hidden away like in period dramas. That’s right, the hidden child of the emperor would cause a riot. It’d make deciding the heir super difficult… wait, what? Me? The one with the hidden child who’s the royal bastard of the noble is me!?”

“That’s how it seems.”

Standing next to the completely calm Conrad, my tutor fell flat on his back. His eyes have rolled all the way back in his head from shock.

“Ah, Günter!”

“What is the meaning of this! You’ve done something so lewd behind my back! This is why I keep calling you a flirt!”

He’s started shaking me by my green jersey.

“W-w-wait! Please stop sh-sha-shaking my brain! Li-like I’d have a hidden child after sixteen years of b-being unpopular…”

“Wow, Yuuri! And you look like you wouldn’t kill a fly.”

Nicola, that’s not the right word for that metaphor.

Günter, still on the floor, has started convulsing.

“Even if I killed mosquitoes or cockroaches I wouldn’t father a child!”

“And, this person claiming to be the illegitimate child is where?” My amazing bodyguard calmly prompts the soldier-turned-news-bearer. He definitely believes that there’s no way the king could have a hidden child. Either that or he learned how undesirable someone like I was while in America or somewhere.

“Actually… they’re already here… They had a Great Demon Kingdom insignia that only the previous Demon Kings and their relatives can inherit so it seemed improper to not let them pass…”

What’s that? Is that like a commemorative championship ring that’s only given to the winning baseball team from the regular season? Perhaps having his interest piqued by the soldier’s words, the hands of my ‘dear’ fiancé loosen from my neck.

“The insignia?”

“Hey, what is that? If it’s the Demon King and their relatives, does that mean that you have one, being Lady Celi’s son?”

“I’ve taken my father’s name so I didn’t inherit one. My older brother had one though. The 7th Demon King, King Folger, was once head of the Voltaire family.”

After hearing a name that sounded like it would come up in a history book, Günter jumped up like he had been shocked. For someone who’s around 150, he’s got some awesome abdominal muscles.

“If so, that brat… no, royal bastard candidate, is not the king’s child! As His Majesty isn’t even 16 yet and has only been the Demon King for a very short time, not even the sketches for his insignia have been created yet.”

In modern Japan, it was summer vacation and I was absorbed in my grass-lot baseball. Right before my 16th birthday, I went on a Star Tours with a dolphin named Bando. Therefore, for me it was like I was still 15 years and 364 days old.

“Then whose, what house’s seal do they have… ah, don’t tell me you guys have another brother or something!?”

It must be troubling to have to worry about these sort of things with a beautiful mother who is generous with her love. Perhaps worrying that this might become his problem, Wolfram jogged to the doors and threw them both open.

“Who is it…”

Nothing met his gaze. The person in question was much farther down, their head just barely reaching his hips.

They had short, curly, reddish-brown hair that didn’t cover their ears and a small puckered mouth. Perhaps because they were in a serious situation, they stood stiffly and their olive skin was pale. Like on a rerun from a drama ten years ago, their thick eyebrows and long eyelashes were manly.

With my human-observation-speed-gun, I quickly check the child’s appearance.

Gender: unknown. Nationality: unknown. Role in Karaoke parties: unknown.

My observational skills suck. Well, their age is probably around ten.

“Wait, what? That kid’s around ten, right? How old was I when they were born? You do know I was six years old ten years ago!? If I was six then I was in first grade! A first grader might be able to make a hundred friends but not a child, right!? This is definitely wrong! They’re definitely not my child...”

With a deep breath, the ten year old put some strength in their legs and kicked off of the floor, closing the distance between us.

“Father!”

“F… father!?”

Without even the time to enjoy the feeling of becoming a daddy (I don’t want to enjoy that yet), they come bouncing at me like a soccer ball. Contrary to the current situation, I spread my arms, but the child has their arms at their right side.

In contrast to the sun, there was a momentary glint of steel.

What?

“Your Majesty!”

Turning my body away because of the bad feeling I got without even knowing what the glint was, I lost my balance and fell sideways, slamming my back and right wrist. The silver light slid across the ground like it was crawling and stopped at the feet of Wolfram who was still standing in the doorway. There was a light sound of something thin and metallic.

“Your Majesty! Oh how horrible… Your Majesty, are you injured?”

“What, what happened? Why did I fall? Why did I lose my balance?”

In reality, there was no reason to dodge the attack. Before the culprit accomplished their goal, Conrad had quickly stepped in between us and slapped the blade out of the child’s hand. Günter has crouched over me and begun patting down my body.

“If there are any injuries on this beautiful body…”

“I’m fine… and stop touching places that have nothing to do with my fall.”

Over my tutor’s shoulder, I can see the young soldier binding the arms of the child. His face was completely pale from the severity of the situation.

“I, there is no excuse for my actions! To think, to think that the child was an assa… To attempt such an outrageous thing…”

“Assassin? I was almost assassinated!?”

In English that would be a hitman. In Japanese, “My Lord, I have come for your life.” I’d thought that sort of work was for professionals, not children. Like a ninja or Golgo.

Günter made a proclamation made all the more dreadful by his beauty.

“Regardless of the young age of the perpetrator, an act of high treason against His Majesty the Demon King is a serious crime that is unforgivable. They must be put to death. Their head should be mounted on a pike or we should have them paraded about town before being put to the flame…”

“Hey wait, hold up on those punishments you only hear of in period dramas! They’re still just an elementary school student! There’s no way an elementary student would just come up with an assassination plot on their own! They may just be being used by someone who brainwashed them!”

If I left it alone it seemed like he would just do it on his own, so in order to stop Günter I tried to stand.

“Ow.”

A pain raced along my right ankle and I fell back to the floor.

“Ah, maybe I twisted it.”

Slightly arching his eyebrow with the old scar, Conrad takes off my shoes. My ankle was swelling before his eyes.

“Aw man… I twisted my ankle.”

“Oh how dreadful! Your poor Majesty, if there’s anything I can do for you I would gladly do it!”

“It’s not like I’m mid-season or anything. I can just let it slowly heal… ouch.”

“Forgive me. I was just checking if it was only a sprain.”

Sweeping his slightly disarrayed grey hair into order, Günter made a declaration very fitting for a capable royal advisor.

“Call the kingdom’s best doctor to the castle as soon as possible!”

At the same time, the second son spoke to the soldier in a calm voice, eyes still facing downwards.

“Send for Gisela. Also, keep a watch on that child.”

The soldier gave a bow and ran out. Despite his youth, he can tell which order was appropriate.

I climbed the gently sloping hill road while swaying on the back of a horse.

The afternoon air was hot enough to make me sweat under my jacket. I hadn’t expected to wear a down jacket in a sword and magic world.

But now that I think about it, there are both birds and cloth here so it isn’t really all that strange for down jackets to be a favored way to protect against the cold. Although there might be a flaw in the design because it’s as heavy as a leather jacket. That makes it pointless.

Although it’s only about as arduous a climb as would come up in an elementary school trip, the men who pass us all greet us with one hand like they’re following a rule of mountain men or something. There were a few who were startled when they noticed the color of my hair and eyes hidden under my hood, but strangely they all nod in understanding once Conrad gives them a sign to be quiet. Maybe they think we’re ninjas.

“Everyone’s walking. I want to get down and walk, too.”

“When your ankle is completely healed.”

Lord Weller made a quick addition to this statement while keeping his gaze forward.

“It’s fine; it’s only for now. You’ll be able to run around just like before in no time.”

“I know but…”

The ankle that I fell on and twisted no longer hurts and isn’t swelled up anymore. However, I’m still worrying whether it will go back to before or whether I’ll only be unable to run for right now.

I’m despairing that the day will never come when it gets back to normal.

The one who came running without even a first-aid kit to check my injuries was a sickly pale girl. This girl with skin so pale it was bluish and a dainty figure that didn’t match her military outfit squatted down next to me without so much as a greeting and placed my right leg on her lap. Except for my injury, every inch of my unpopular, 16 year old high school body heated up. Not even the girl manager in the baseball club did that for me.

“It’s fine, it’s just twisted.”

It’s strange to say this about a demon, but the female soldier smiled like the Virgin Mary. Her green eyes crinkled.

“… Have we met before?”

Even though it sounds like some crappy pick up line, she answers unoffended.

“I’m afraid that Your Majesty has dirtied his hands at my place of work before. You shared your compassionate heart without caring if they were enemy or friend.”

“Ah!”

While that compliment was so embarrassing it made me feel like a bridegroom at a wedding, this girl named Gisela was definitely a combat medic on that day. She was the girl from the healing hands tribe that was working in the field hospital the first time I was called to this world.

“Well Your Majesty, may I have your hand?”

“Ah, uh sure.”

“… The first time I met Your Majesty I was very surprised. Someone who had noble black hair and eyes was standing right before me and was helping to treat both demons and humans indiscriminately.”

Like there was a huge heart there or something, the aching in my ankle receded in waves. The heat in my body converged in a straight line in my arm and seemed to be flowing out of my left hand into her palm as she held it.

“What’s happening… It’s like the pain and swelling is going away.”

“This is the majutsu of our tribe. We touch the patient while speaking to their heart and whisper a spell deep into their body and spirit which raises the speed of recovery… in order to do that, we need to draw out the patient’s desire to heal and give them energy. That’s why we need to be able to lightheartedly sing a lullaby to even those patients who are on the verge of death.”

“Oh wow, you’re right. It’s slowly going back to normal! This would be really handy during a game. I feel like I definitely want one of you on my team.”

She smiles at me lovingly like a mother would a child.

“With Your Majesty’s immense power, this level of technique would be simple.”

“Really? Even easier than water snakes and bone swarms and mud giants?”

For a moment, the combat medic had a look on her face that said “the hell are those?”

My tutor has been pacing in front of the door where Conrad was attempting to calm him down.

“As I thought, we should have called the best doctor… to trust the leg of His Majesty to someone like Gisela…”

“Your concern for His Majesty is commendable, but Gisela has healed patients with injuries ranging from bruises to severe sword wounds. It should be fine to trust her with something as trivial as a sprain. You should have some faith in your daughter.”

“Yeah that’s right Günter, for a sports-minded high school boy like me, getting treated by a girl doctor ranks up in my top 3 situations. Even if she is your daughter… Daughter!?”

Perhaps it was because I was so happy to have my injured leg resting on the lap of a girl while being treated, but I became flustered as I tried to figure out just who was who.

“Daughter!? Uh, um, er Gisela is Günter’s? But you really don’t look that much older than… Ah, wait you can’t tell how old people are by looking at them. But what’s up with that, having such an old daughter. The one with a hidden child is you, not me. Ah well I guess you aren’t hiding her. But I didn’t know you had a child!”

Since Gisela had started smiling in amusement, I turned to her and kept chattering on.

“And she’s a daughter that’s excellently skilled and beautiful and there’s nothing about her to complain about. As her dad I’d be worried out of my mind every day that some boring dude would move in on her. But now that I think about it, Günter’s at an age where it would be a given that he’s married and has children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. What comes after great grandchildren?”

“Great great grandchildren?” Conrad supplied.

“Yeah, great great grandchildren. Hey, why do you even know that?”

Next to Conrad, my tutor was standing still in a startled position. It looked like his shoulders were dislocated and a flood of tears and snot was flowing down his face. The lips he had pressed together were trembling.

“Wh-what’s wrong?”

“I am not married.”

“Huh? Ah, then you’re a single father? Wow, you’ve got courage to do that nowadays! But getting divorced once or twice is considered a badge of honor among men. Women say that men who’ve struck out once are mellowed out and it’s listed as something on dating sites or whatever.”

“I haven’t been divorced either! Why are you saying something so mean!? You know that I am devoted to Your Majestyyyyy!

“I’m his adopted daughter,” Gisela said clearly in a gentle voice as she rubbed my ankle.

“Huh?”

“My father died when I was young and my mother was weak from illness. In order for me to attend a proper school, His Excellency’s mother graciously arranged my adoption. So, we’re not blood related and we don’t resemble each other.”

Well, whether they’re genetically related or not, the fact that Lord von Christ has a child is undeniable. And what’s most unforgiveable is that he never introduced me to this awesome working beauty. I mean, she’s a female doctor and a nurse and a soldier! Every man has dreamed of this at least once. Although if you asked me what that dream is about, I wouldn’t be able to answer.

“Alright! From now on I’m calling Günter ‘Papa.’ And I’ll ask ‘Papa, how’s your daughter?’ and stuff like that.”

“Since I’m a member of your troops, you don’t have to ask my stepfather about things like that as I’ll come whenever you summon me. Anyway, the treatment is finished.”

The pale female soldier gave my ankle a pat.

“Now you just need to keep off of your feet for two weeks.”

“Huh, it’s not healed?”

“She’s made your body work harder than it should so it’s a bit more brittle than if we had let it heal on its own. We’ve considered everything. Please be at ease. Your Majesty’s care will be taken care of by me, Günter. I will not hinder you in any way.”

“Wait, you don’t need to make such a big deal about it. Am I going to be bedridden? What level of care am I going to be placed under!?”

“No, it’s alright if you just went on as usual. However, when you walk…” With her nurse smile, Gisela holds out a rod. “Please use this.”

“A… a cane?”

“That’s right. It’s called Windpipe No. 1”

“Huh? You named the cane?”

And ‘Windpipe No. 1,’ at that. Maybe it’s a cane that’s supported countless patients and is a prized creation of a skilled craftsman. Now that I think about it, it’s brown and has a sharp and classy shape with a T-shaped handle and it looks fairly dignified, all in all. Hey wait, this shape looks familiar. This is just like my grandfather’s favorite cane. In other words, it’s an old man stick.

“… Ugh, I’m a young man with a walking stick…”

“With that, you’ll be walking slick like an English gentleman.”

Conrad, I can’t tell if that’s a pun or if you’re actually trying to cheer me up.

Thinking that it might do something like turn into a machine gun or it had some cool hidden trick, I pulled on the handle like a corkscrew.

It came off with a ‘pop!’

“… Flowers come out of it.”

“Wow, you're great!”

In short, I got really depressed and Lord Weller took pity on me and brought me out of the castle. After leaving town and riding for about thirty minutes, the fallow farmlands ended and all that was left was a single road leading to the mountains.

It’s been about an hour since we started climbing this well-maintained mountain road. Suddenly, there was a break in the trees and we got a clear view of the winter sky.

“You can get down now. Take care not to hurt your ankle.”

Grasping the cane I haven’t gotten used to, I put my weight on my left hand and tried walking. I think I can handle this.

The summit was a viewing platform and was surrounded by sturdy looking guard railings. The wind was freezing, but there are a number of tourists checking out the sights anyway.

“Wow! This kind of makes me remember my school trip! We had lunch at the park on Mt. Tenran.”

“Be careful. Remember to use Windpipe No. 1.”

“I know. Ahhh, if you come all the way to the summit of a mountain, you definitely have to make an echo.”

With one hand, I make a sort of half megaphone and take in a deep breath. Some kids nearby were about to do the same.

“Ya-”

“Uffoooon!”

After a moment, the echo comes back.

What’s that!? The remaining ‘-hho’ gets stuck in my throat. When the children yelled, everyone else joined in loudly. It was an ‘uffoon’ heaven.

“Why’d they yell that?”

“It’s the preferred shout for a summit. What do you shout in Japan?”

“We use ‘yahho!’”

“Well, there’s nothing sexy about that either.”

What would be the point of an echo having sex appeal? Hey wait, if that’s the case then where does ‘ahhan’ stand!?

An old lady who had finished her echoing a while ago glances from my cane to my face before coming over.

“Oh what a shame, boy. You’ve got a bad leg even though you’re young. You should face that way and pray. The Shrine of the True King and the castle are in that direction so your prayers will definitely be heard.”

“Uh, thank you for your concern.”

I came from over there, though.

But I can’t admit that so I go over to the fence and look down on where I was instructed to.

Past the long mountain road is the capital and Blood Pledge Castle, protected by the castle gates.

“Are you cold?”

“I’m fine.”

I’m handed a silver cup smaller than my palm that has an amber liquid inside. Without thinking, I take a sip and my mouth is set on fire.

“Hey, this is alcohol!”

“I figured it would warm you up. You’re going to be sixteen soon, so you should start getting used to it.”

“Hey, you know Japanese aren’t allowed to drink alcohol until they’re 20! Well, even if that law wasn’t in place, I’d never do anything that would lower my chances of growing in any way shape or form.”

“I see, in Japan, you’re considered of age at 20. In this country, you become an adult at 16.”

“At 16? Isn’t that fast?”

“I wonder. There’s nothing to compare it to.”

But taking into consideration the calculations to get their real age, wouldn’t that mean they’d still only have the body of a three year old? A coming of age ceremony with all three year olds. Three year olds voting. The problem might even extend all the way to the voting booths themselves. It’s making me as nervous as when my parents sent me out on my first errand.

As if he’s seen through my thoughts, Conrad gives an awkward smile.

“I can’t say my growth was unusual for a demon, but perhaps because I have some different blood in me, I aged the same as a human until age 12. After that my growth was a lot slower, though. Wolfram is from an ancient and pure line of demons so at his ceremony, he still looked like a child. Let’s see, he was about the same as that so-called royal bastard girl from this morning.”

“That was a girl!?”

“You didn’t notice?”

Just like a popular guy, he’s quick at checking people out.

But thinking of a 10 year old Wolfram, I can only imagine an angel from a religious painting. He’d definitely have looked good with wings and a halo.

“In this country, you decide your future on your 16th birthday. In other words, how you intend to live for the rest of your life. Will you take a vow as a soldier, or will you seek prosperity as a civilian? Or, will you protect the souls of the great ones before us and choose a life of prayer? There comes a point in everyone’s life when they must choose. Gwen and Wolf had to choose between their mother and father’s name and I, at the age of 16, chose to live as a demon… not as a human.”

Leaning on the rail, he was gazing at something far past the scenery. Not hearing any regret in his voice, I hid my relieved sigh. Because if he wanted to leave the kingdom, I wouldn’t be able to stop him.

“Gisela must have chosen to live as an adopted daughter of the von Christ family at 16. Once in a lifetime, there’s a point where everything else that comes to pass hinges on a single decision you must make. For demons, that point is their 16th birthday.”

The Shrine of the True King, standing behind Blood Pledge Castle, is right at my eye level. It has fires burning noon, night, summer and winter, and it’s said they are never put out. I wonder if it’s just like the old woman said and if I pray in that direction everything will be resolved. But, what do I want? It feels like something I shouldn’t wish for.

As my footing started to get unsteady, I was overcome with a bad feeling. Something admirable just comes out of my mouth.

“… I should hurry up and turn 16 then.”

“Why?”

“I feel like Günter will freak out soon, if not.”

“Oh, he’ll do nothing of the sport.”

...What?

I feel like the temperature suddenly dropped.

“W- what did you say just now?”

Seeing Conrad opening his mouth, I was struck with an ominous feeling. I shook my head roughly and waved my hands back and forth. It seems like my body was rejecting this too.

“Ah, no that’s fine! You don’t have to say it again!”

“You seemed a bit down so I figured I’d try and make you laugh.”

“Ahh, I see. So that’s what it was.”

I’d thought it was strange for a guy to be this perfect. He’s got a good face, voice and personality and it can easily be said that he’s talented and clever. He’s got a troubled past and doesn’t have children nor has he been divorced. A young man that perfect couldn’t be real, no, in fact they shouldn’t exist. I secretly thought he must have a serious flaw somewhere and was keeping it secret. Like, he had severe athlete’s foot so his socks had a raging stench when he peeled them off or when he took off his clothes his chest hair was like a beast. Or maybe even his charming smile was actually just veneers.

But it seems his flaw wasn’t any of that, but catastrophically lame gags.

“Conrad, you don’t ever have to think you need to cheer me up ever again. Do you understand? Not even if the world is ending.”

If I have to listen to bone-chillingly lame jokes like that all the time, this winter will be record-breakingly severe.

“That’s not fair after messing up one time. Please give me another chance.”

“O-o-okay f-f-fine! One time! Just one time!”

“Are you ready? He’ll do nothi-“

The same thing!?

“AHH! Forget it! I’m good now! The only thing not good is my leg!”

“Then shall we make your leg good as well?”

Leaning on the rough fence with a just-got-some-veneers, nice-guy smile, Lord Weller bent forward slightly. Even though no one was listening, he lowers his voice like he’s telling me his plans for a prank.

“In order for sprains to not become a habit, maybe we should disappear for a while?”

“Disappear where?”

Using a word that’s not very demon-like, he says something that hints at his stay in America.

“To rehab.”

Back to Prologue

Return to MA Series

Forward to Chapter 2