Unknown Shadow

No matter what, morning always comes, even after the worst day.

With a groan, Alain got up from his spot. His eyes were heavy with fatigue. Struggling to rise, he began to sigh.

He simply could not get a good night's sleep.

The concept of physical healing through magic seems simple, but in reality, it's not as impressive as it sounds.

In the end, magical healing involves infusing magic into the body to boost metabolism and increase the rate of regeneration. In other words, it is far from a complete cure.

And the effects are directly shown on Alain's body.

"...It feels like bugs are crawling all over and inside me."

It felt like tiny bugs were gnawing at his entire body.

Thanks to that, he couldn't sleep properly even after returning to his lodging.

Naturally, his condition was bound to deteriorate.

"Yawn... Hey, what are you doing? Get up already."

"..."

The old man lying right next to him teased him. Alain let out another sigh and slowly lifted himself. The old man looked at Alain as he stood up and said,

"Hm? What's this? You?"

".....?"

Looking back, the old man tilted his head and placed his hand on his head, comparing his height with Alain's.

"...Am I mistaken? No, it seems like you've grown taller..."

"..."

Hearing that, Alain realized something.

Just yesterday, the old man's eyes had met Alain's directly, but now they were looking slightly up at him.

"...Oh, I see. So that's it."

"What do you mean?"

"Um, it's just... you know the old saying, right? When a boy sheds a layer, he grows quickly. Hehehe."

Saying that the old man wore a lewd expression.

He was probably imagining something vulgar.

Seeing that old man's face, Alain shook his head, looking displeased.

Then he headed outside his lodging.

*

Just like any other day.

As always, Alain's job was to shape wood using a saw and a plane.

He tidied up the surrounding branches and smoothed out the rough surfaces.

Though it might not seem difficult up close, it demands meticulous attention and surprisingly strong physical effort.

Thus, until now, Alain had no choice but to struggle and cling to his work with his not-so-great strength.

However, that day, Alain noticed something strange.

"...?"

His tools felt incredibly light in his hands.

That wasn't all.

Even the task of organizing the wood felt unusually easy compared to usual.

Overall, it could be said that as he grew taller, his strength had also increased.

As he pondered this, Alain soon identified the cause and nodded to himself. 

It was the black magical power that had surged into him from Seria the night before.

Unlike regular magical power, black magical power has bizarre effects.

It continuously mutates the body of the one who accumulates it.

Remembering that, Alain thought of what had happened to his body in the past.

It was the moment he gained his body as a Demon Lord. 

As he began to accumulate black magical power within him, horns had started to sprout from his body at some point.

Not only that, but his form also began to transform further away from that of a human.

As a result, Alain had acquired a body fitting for the being known as the Demon Lord.

At that time, Alain believed that his desire to escape the human race had manifested physically. 

But now, that black magical power was growing, strengthening his body.

"Hm..."

Alain nodded and repeatedly opened and closed his fist.

If that's the case, what would happen if he poured even more black magical power into this body?

Would he revert to the body of the Demon Lord as before?

That was both a joyful thought and a concerning one.

The body of the Demon Lord possesses abilities beyond that of a human.

If he could return to that form, it would be easy to gather the demon kin who had followed him in the past.

However, a body that strays too far from humanity would likely raise suspicions among the surrounding humans.

If that's the case, it might be necessary to prepare a suitable hideout before that happens.

Thinking this, Alain returned to his work and continued planning the wood.

And after some time had passed,

"Ding, ding, ding..."

With the sound of a bell, it was time for lunch.

Alain paused his work and walked to a corner of the area to collect the food being distributed. Suddenly,

"...?"

Amidst the crowd, he felt a sharp gaze directed at him.

'Who is it?'

'Who is watching me?'

Thinking this, Alain looked around.

And then,

"...!"

Alain's expression hardened as he scanned the area. No wonder, he had spotted the owner of the gaze watching him from between the stacked wood.

The person was none other than Seria.

Why is she here...

Inwardly shocked, Alain carefully slipped away from the crowd and approached her. At that, Seria quickly ducked her head and slipped away between the wood.

Alain began to chase after her. Finally, he managed to catch up to her in the gap surrounded by wood.

"Ah, I got you~♪"

"I caught you! ... No, wait. What's going on? Why are you here at this hour?"

"Ehehe... Well, I suddenly wanted to see you."

"..."

Saying that Seria wore a vaguely warm smile. 

Wait a minute.

"What about your work? Shouldn't you be doing your tasks right now?"

Just like Alain had worked in the lumberyard, Seria had her tasks.

That involved physical training and regular surveillance of the area.

For that reason, it would be impossible for her to be here at this time.

"Well, you see... I wasn't feeling too well today... So I said I'd take a break and came out."

Alain tilted his head at Seria's words and asked,

"Feeling unwell suddenly... Is that a good enough reason to come out?"

Naturally, Alain's question was valid, she was still a trainee. Therefore, she couldn't just skip her duties at will.

"Hehe, well..."

"...?"

"Um, so... should I say it's a secret only girls know?"

Saying that, Seria scratched her cheeks, which were slightly flushed, and averted her gaze. A secret among women?

"...Oh, is that it?"

Alain realized the hidden meaning in Seria's words and nodded.

Indeed, a woman's secret. That couldn't be helped. Even a woman as cold as Karen would have to accept it.

"Yeah, so that means I can spend the whole day doing what I want."

Saying that Seria began to slowly approach him. Seeing that, Alain gulped.

"Wait a minute! Stop, Seria!"

"Hmm?"

"No, I mean... this place is not suitable, right? It's dirty, and we don't know when others might come."

"It's okay, we often use this spot, but no one has ever come here, right?"

"No, that's true, but... even so, I just finished working and I'm covered in sweat and dust. It's not the best condition for that..."

"It's fine, I don't mind the smell of sweat at all."

"..."

"Actually, I prefer it even more! I like your scent, Alain!"

"...!"

This is bad. Really bad.

Seria's eyes looked dazed. Not only that, but her breath began to feel somehow sweet.

Caught off guard by the sudden shift, Alain felt flustered. Was she always this bold? Thoughts like that raced through his mind.

But it was probably more due to the influence of the magic he cast at dawn.

While he was thinking that,

"So, Alain?"

"Hmm?"

"The next step we talked about at night... It's okay to do it now, right?"

"...Ah."

"Eek!"

With that response, Seria rushed toward Alain as if she had made up her mind. Alain, unable to keep his balance, fell backwards onto the pile of scrap wood, embracing Seria as they tumbled down.

With a thud, he felt a light impact on his back, letting out a small groan.

"Hehehe..."

But Seria didn't mind at all and rather clung to him even more.

And as Alain watched Seria, he heard in his ear,

"...Hey, did you hear something?"

"Hmm? What sound?"

"...!"

At the voices of people that reached his ears, both Alain and Seria's expressions froze.

This is dangerous.

There were people nearby.

Despite being a place full of scrap wood, this was still the work area.

Moreover, it was not work time but rather a break for meals.

Even if humans were lingering in this secluded spot to enjoy a quieter moment, it wouldn't be unusual. 

"Step, step." 

The sound of footsteps drew nearer, leaving Seria at a loss for what to do. Seeing her like that, Alain held her even tighter as a shadow emerged between the stacked scrap wood.