We have a Demon Lord on our side. I think we’re perfectly capable of beating the Gelmed Empire. Do we really need Diablo on our side? It doesn’t matter how strong he is. A game piece that defies orders has no value. If anything, he’s a liability...
But refusing might make Krebskulm break off from us and go looking for Diablo herself, and we need her power. She’s our key to beating this situation, I can’t afford to lose her.
“Diablo’s at the Grand Cathedral, yes?” Noah asked, turning a glance at Gewalt, who stood at her back.
“Yes, for certain,” he nodded. “It looks like he can freely go in and out of the Inner Sanctum. It does make sense, given how little Lumachina adores him.”
“Ooh, you know where Diablo and Lumachina are?!” Klem reacted to Gewalt.
“Heheh... Of course I do. My adorable Summon Beast, 《Secret Graho》, is keeping a close eye on them.”
“You’re a smart one! This Demon Lord praises you!”
“Why, thank you!”
...I suppose meeting him wouldn’t hurt, Noah concluded. But either way, staying here and looking through the binoculars isn’t going to make things swing our way.
“We’ll go around and into the northern forest come nightfall,” she instructed Maximum. “We’ll leave our dragon carriage there and head to the northern gate by foot, using 《Stealth》 as we do.”
“Can we really trust a Demon Lord?” he asked her anxiously.
“We’ll just have to see. For now, believe in me.”
Maximum bowed respectfully and boarded the carriage.
†
In the Inner Sanctum, Diablo sat in his room. Rose came to him, asking for a fast recharge, but Diablo declined. The thought of doing it in a place that was essentially holy ground didn’t sit well with him.
A fast recharge would turn this place into a horny ground instead...
Rose stood against the wall. Just being in Diablo’s vicinity was enough for her to gradually recharge.
“Master, Rose will temporarily enter sleep mode. If you are in need of assistance, do call out to Rose.”
“Mm... I’ll try to sleep, too.”
“Pleasant dreams, Master.”
“Mm.”
Diablo got into bed, with Rem and Shera sleeping to his left and right. It was cramped compared to the ones in the Peace of Mind Inn, which meant he had far more contact with the girls’ bodies. At this point, this shouldn’t have gotten him excited...
It shouldn’t have. He was used to it. That’s what he told himself, but the sensation of their bodies against his hands made his pulse jump. And while he was very much fatigued, the contact blew away any sense of drowsiness.
“...Can’t sleep?” Rem, who had shared a bed with him for the first time in a while, asked.
“Aren’t you sleepy, Diablo?” Shera chimed in from the other side.
“Mm. I’m considering our next step,” Diablo replied.
This was a lie, but he really was concerned about that.
The Inner Sanctum forbade men and women from sharing a bed. Even for married couples, sleeping together was seen as too indecent for a place of worship and was strictly forbidden. But Rem was under pursuit from Emperor Gelmed, and Shera was the sole and essential heir to the Kingdom of Greenwood.
So this wasn’t them sharing a bed. Diablo was watching over the two of them. This was Rem and Shera’s room, and Diablo was there under the pretext of guarding them.
...Though he was very much lying in the same bed as them.
Rem nestled against Diablo’s body, clinging to him.
“...You had to put yourself in danger because of me again,” she whispered into his ear.
Her breath was ticklish, but the expression on her face was terribly strained.
“Hmph! Did you ever wish to be the Girl of the Vessel? Is being sought after by him something you wanted?”
“Never.”
“Then what reason do you have to fret?!”
“...You really are a sweet person, Diablo,” Rem said, a fragile smile on her lips.
“Nng?!” Diablo recoiled, raising his voice on her. “F-Fool! I am a Demon Lord! I could never be ‘sweet’!”
But the smile on Rem’s lips didn’t fade in the slightest. Shera, meanwhile, leaned forward, as if hanging over Diablo.
“That’s not your fault. Rem!” she said.
“Mmg...” Feeling her bosom, which was uncharacteristically large for an Elf, press against his chest made Diablo’s breath clog in his throat from sheer nerves.
“...We understand, so please drag your pointless flab blobs off of Diablo,” Rem said, glaring at Shera.
“Uuu...” Shera frowned. “It’s not my fault, my body’s just like this.”
“...Kuh.” Rem rolled her eyes.
“But Rem, I care about you! So no matter what comes your way, I’ll fight!” Shera beamed at her.
“...You’re better off keeping yourself safe. I’ll be fine. I have Diablo.”
“Whaaa?!” Shera asked, tears building up in her eyes.
“...B-But... Well, I’m glad you care about me that much. Thank you.”
As always, Rem couldn’t be upfront about her feelings. Shera’s cheeks flushed, and she lunged at Rem, hugging her.
“Reeeem!”
“Aaah?!” Rem called out, taken aback. “S-Stop... What are you thinking?!”
“Reeem, I love love love you!”
Shera had clung onto Rem in an embrace atop Diablo’s body, and the two of them grappled like that for a short moment.
Aaaah... Diablo felt his head spin as the two girls tussled atop him.
“Get off of me!” Rem pushed Shera away, shaking off her grasp.
Shera squeaked as she fell back.
“...Now listen to me, you.”
“Y-Yeah?”
The two of them finally settled down, each of them sitting at one of Diablo’s sides.
“...Shera, Emperor Gelmed is a greater threat than anything we’ve faced before. He might even be stronger than the Demon Overlord.”
“He’s that strong?”
“...Diablo’s magic at least worked on the Demon Overlord.”
Rem realized it, huh...