Chapter 117: A Flirt with the Demon Lord

Zaydas used genjutsu only on the Fairy Queen, Ramiris. That's why Shizue, Grayfia, and the children were confused when they heard the same voice from before scream, but now sounding terrified.

The children, who had been nervously looking around, became confused.

Even Chloe and Alice let go of their clothes, which they had been clutching for protection.

"What's going on?" Ryouta was the first to ask.

"Zaydas, did you do something?" Grayfia guessed.

"Yes." He didn't deny it.

[+11 AP]

'Huh?'

Zaydas paused, confused by the sudden appearance of that AP value.

"Hey, you!"

With dragonfly wings growing from their backs, small, cute girls appeared before them.

They were no more than 30 cm tall. It was the kind of fairy you'd hear about in fairy tales. In front of the group stood girls in dazzling, frilly dresses; behind them, another group wore much simpler clothing.

Overall, they dressed in darker colors.

The fairy who took the lead put her tiny hands on her waist.

"Hello! I'm one of the ten gweat~…" She bit her tongue.

It seems she had gotten so used to telepathy that she forgot how to speak.

Shizue, who was very kind, asked in a sweet tone: "Are you okay?"

In response, the Little Fairy raised her hand and said: "I am one of the ten great demon lords! Ramiris of the Labyrinth!! Cease these arrogant actions! Show humility!!!"

She said cheerfully. While proudly displaying her nonexistent chest.

"True or False?"

The children looked at each other. Obviously, not believing a single word.

"It's true." Zaydas was the one who confirmed it.

"Ohh, you've got a good eye to recognize this incredible and admirable Demon Lord. Because, after all, I am the strongest of the ten great demon lords!" She became even more pompous as she said it.

"That's already a lie." Zaydas said: "If it were you before reincarnating, maybe, but now?"

"Huh? Do we know each other?" Ramiris flew around him with curious eyes. She squinted as if trying to remember him, but nothing seemed to come to mind.

"Yes, we know each other." He exaggeratedly sighed as he said: "We were married, don't you remember?"

Hearing that, Grayfia sighed, putting a hand to her forehead, but then smiled.

Shizue, on the other hand, looked at him strangely. The children did the same.

"Married?"

On the other hand, Ramiris's eyes widened as she went speechless.

"I'm messing with you. What I said is a lie~" Zaydas smiled mischievously, noticing everyone's expressions, especially Ramiris's.

Coming back to herself, Ramiris puffed out her cheeks.

"Uhyou!!! W-what was that! You're going to give me a heart attack!!!" Ramiris complained, punching his chest with her tiny fists while Zaydas laughed: "What a scare, I really thought I had forgotten that I got married before…"

'Horrible, right? Right? Should we kill him? Kill him? But, but, but, but, he looks strong... Impossible. Impossible. I'm going to be killed!' Ramiris thought.

She kept complaining: "Besides, you're cheating! Why aren't you affected by [Thought Manipulation]!? It's been a long time since we've seen someone like you!!"

"So... it was all a joke?" Gale Gibson scratched his face shyly with doubt.

"Isn't it obvious?" Alice elbowed him.

Backing off a bit, Gale gave a sheepish smile.

"Well, get used to it, Zaydas is just like that." Shizue, who had spent a few days with Zaydas, already knew his playful personality. When she said this, she gave a helpless yet amused smile.

"Come to think of it, although you are kinda cute. Just a little more than Leon." She made a gesture with two fingers from her hand, saying: "This great demon lord wouldn't succumb and marry someone weaker than her!"

"You're right. But now I'm stronger—how about it, let's get married after you return to your normal size?" Zaydas asked.

Automatically, Ramiris's face turned tomato red.

It must be said that this was the first time someone flirted with her. Although she had faced all kinds of attitudes before, never had it been someone flirting with her—and much less so aggressively, wanting to marry her.

"Humph! Never!" She crossed her arms.

"Really? That's a shame." Zaydas pretended to be sad.

"Hey, hey, were you really disappointed?" She circled around him but couldn't hide the smug smile on her face.

"Ramiris-sama." Shizue suddenly called out to her.

"Yes?" Hearing someone address her so respectfully was like music to her ears. That's why her expression when looking at Shizue was cheerful and happy.

"The person you mentioned before." Shizue asked: "Would it be the Demon Lord, Leon Cromwell?"

"Yes, that's the one." Ramiris nodded in agreement.

"I see." Shizue took a step back while becoming pensive.

Zaydas looked at her while narrowing his eyes slightly. He more or less knew the weight that person carried in Shizue's heart. Sooner or later, he wanted to settle that with her.

In fact, he believed that once he awakened as a Demon Lord, Shizue's power should grow strong enough to be able to use even more of Ddraig's power. At that point, it's hard to say if she would need his help to go head-to-head with Leon Cromwell.

"Back to the topic!" Placing her tiny hands on her waist, she pointed her finger at Zaydas's face right after: "Hey, you. What the hell was that back there? What were those scary things? Seriously, I almost peed myself when I saw that…"

She said the last part in a quiet whisper so no one would hear, but Zaydas still heard what she said.

"Illusion." Zaydas replied.

"Illusion… I knew it, I knew it…! There's no way something like that could be real!" She spun in the air at high speed, then stopped in front of Zaydas again.

"Putting that aside." Zaydas declared: "I have a request to make to the strongest Demon Lord, Ramiris."

"What is it, I'm listening~!" She was incredibly happy and with a silly smile, she asked.

Then Zaydas explained the children's situation. Without hiding anything; the truth and nothing but the truth. The children listened carefully.

"I see, I see~ I remembered. There was a guy who came here to experiment with some things. Leon, it was Leon-chan! He hadn't become a demon lord at that time. Well, I could have beaten him with a single punch! No doubt! Really…"

That's a lie.

The children's eyes, especially, were dull as if they didn't believe a single word she said.

How could they believe her while she was looking away? Obviously, it was a blatant lie...

After that, she told the story of when young Leon appeared. Ramiris's [Thought Manipulation] had no effect on Leon either. In fact, she was the one who was controlled. For Ramiris, who was proficient only in "Illusion Magic" from the "Spirit Magic" archive, there was nothing more she could do.

"Also, just like with you, once illusion magic failed, the game was over! I had no more cards to play, you know? This adorable Ramiris had no backup plans..." She vented.

"And then, he made this absurd request. To summon World Travelers, special individuals from other worlds! Stop asking for the impossible. You're an idiot! He looked like he was about to cry when I said that… No! Seriously, he started crying! Yes. I'm not exaggerating even a little. Pathetic~!!! A crybaby, but so full of himself! Idiot!!!" She got excited by herself.

Zaydas interrupted, getting back to the main point: "Well, in that case, I was wondering if a spirit could prevent body degradation. What do you think?"

Her expression became serious. She looked at the children, at each of their faces. An expression truly unfit for a demon lord — full of love.

"Hmm. You know, although I'm a demon lord, I'm also the guide of saints. I grant divine protection to heroes. So don't worry! I'm fair. I, this person before you, have preserved the balance of the entire world!" She said confidently.

"Alright. I'll help with the summoning. Let's summon the best spirits there are!" She thus declared.

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