KKM Gaiden 1, All's Well That Ends Well Part 1
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I felt amazingly productive today so I banged out the first half of Conrad’s story~ People who read Kannnichtfranz's translation of a snippet from this story will recognize that when they come to it ^-^
Once again, illustrations for this novel come from Portrait of a Demon King and were scanned by peanutbaby13.
All’s Well That Ends Well
I, Günter von Christ, am the royal advisor to His Majesty The 27th Demon King and I also serve as His Majesty Yuuri’s tutor. Therefore, I am aware that Conrart brought His Majesty’s soul to another world.
However! I had no idea that something like this had happened!
This is shocking this is shocking this is shocking! Ah what do I do what do I do should I do that!? What is ‘that’?
Ah, saying I know nothing is inexcusable…
Could I have endowed
With the pine tree's thousand years
One I used to see,
Parted from her nevermore
All my sorrows would be o'er.(1)
Part 1
I might run away. I might betray your expectations and hopes and just disappear.
Knowing that, are you still going to give me this duty? There are others more skilled and those far more loyal than I.
Why do I have to go? You know it will hurt me.
The right side of my body is oddly hot.
His ear and cheek pressed against the ground especially feel as if they are burning. His veins are pounding so hard they feel like they are going to rupture and he notices a pain in the back of his head. He is spread out on top of a hot rock like a corpse. When he experimentally tries to move his stiffened fingers, he realizes he is not holding anything.
Ah, I dropped my sword along the way.
Like I care.
With a throaty laugh on his lips, he slowly forces his eyes open. There are dried tears on his eyelashes as if he was sleeping for a long time.
I don’t have a weapon. Like I care about that. Hopefully the first person to come across me is a thief after my wallet. If he cuts me down and I lose my life, I won’t be troubled in the slightest. It was lucky I dropped my sword.
I look just like an idiotic tourist.
Wondering if he had any money on him anyway, he reaches up with his right hand to feel his breast pocket. There were no coins or bills there, but a cool and icy bottle.
This painful, troublesome and important object was undamaged. When he touched it gingerly with his fingertips, there were no chips or breaks anywhere. He gives a sigh laced with mixed feelings and pushes himself up with both elbows.
What came into his blurry vision was dry air and a cloud of dust colored in the evening sun. A gray road cut across the yellow expanse. In the middle of the cracked road there was a line drawn that seems to have been white at some point and he was lying right on top of that completely unarmed. The air rises in swaying waves from the ground around his feet.
… Svelera? When he tried saying the name of a place he knows, he was assaulted with thirst. His voice won’t come out normally.
A vibration like a tremor and a sound from loud marching trumpet come from far away. When he looked behind him startled, he saw a giant yellow box running.
Because he saw a human figure through the window at the front, he realizes that that man is controlling it. However, there are no horses or cows pulling it and it is charging ahead at an incredible pace. Rolling across the surface of the road in a panic, he just barely escapes to the sandy soil on the sides.
It’s armor I’ve never seen before. It’s probably the latest type of military tank. So that means this is wartime? The yellow box passes by where he was and comes to a sudden stop in the distance.
What is that!? Is it moving by magic or exorcism? Then that means that this is a land with an abundance of people skilled in either magic or exorcism.
He had thought he would be surrounded by a crowd of soldiers, but after leaving one petite figure behind, the box runs away once again. If the brown smudges he caught a fleeting glance of were rust, that would mean the entire body was made out of iron. The wheels were gray and covered in dust and he didn’t know what they were made of.
The petite figure walked in his direction and looked down upon him as he sat on the ground. The figure had a strange hat on that was only long in the front. They had brown skin close to the color of aged wood and the limbs sticking out of the short sleeves of their plain clothes were thin. Judging from their physique and innocent expression, they are likely somewhere in between forty and sixty years old. There is a large discrepancy in the growth of demons so he does not know their actual age.
What surprised him the most was that the eyes peering at him were both a magnificent black.
No, not just their eyes, their eyelashes and eyebrows and even the hair sticking out from under the hat were all a perfect black.
Unbelievable! He had lived amongst demons his entire life, but he had never met a Twin Black before. He had heard that those who carry the black are very seldom born even amongst pure demons. In The Great Demon Kingdom’s long history, there are only one or two recorded.
Furthermore, if the words of the priestesses are to be trusted, this is not demon territory. He had received an important mission and been sent from his homeland to another world, after all.
“Who’re you?”
They speak to him in a short phrase, but he doesn’t understand it at all. The black-haired young boy crouches down and looks him in the eye before speaking again.
“You weren’t hit by the school bus so why is half of your face covered in blood? Why are you sleeping in the middle of the road in El Salvallo in July? And why are you wearing clothes like in the Shakespeare movies we see in school? Are you a stage actor?”
Because he had the sense that the intonation at the end of the boy’s sentence rose, the boy was undoubtedly asking him a question. But, he couldn’t understand the details and he didn’t think his response would get across. Seeing as he couldn’t understand the language, it was unlikely he was in Svelera. The countries with sand dunes adjacent to The Great Demon Kingdom have the same language as the demons.
“Who are you? Where did you come from? Are you an illegal alien?”
“I’m Conrart,” he said hoarsely, thinking that they might be asking his name. “You weren’t asking my name? My name is Conrart. And just what is this place? What world did I end up in?”
“… You’re from Scotland? How come you don’t speak English?” (2)
“Ah, Conrad or Conrart, whichever you want to call me is fine.”
After asking another question that sounded different than the others, the boy suddenly stood up. Conrad thought that he might have insulted the boy by not using polite speech. So the boy really was a demon of high status.
If you’re angered by me then arrest me or cut me down.
However, the expression on the boy’s tanned face was bewilderment, not anger.
“So you don’t understand Spanish either. You really are a foreigner. Follow me, your face is covered in blood and if you sleep in a place like this you’ll die.”
The boy forcibly takes hold of his arm. The two of them pass a round sign and walk towards the sun. The injured party, staggering from thirst, fell forward several times.
A sound and vibration like before soon comes near. Before the metal vehicle stopped by them, the boy took off his blue hat and stood on tiptoe to cover his companion’s head.
“Hey Carlos.”
“Hiya.”
The box this time was very small. Two adults sat next to each other and the seating area was completely filled. The rear section was a roofless storage compartment and there were misshapen tools heaped there that did not seem to be weapons, farming equipment or construction equipment.
The whiskered man gripping the vehicle’s round helm stuck his head out of the window.
“You on your way home? Who’s this white man with you? Don’t see people like him around here.”
He could feel the boy’s unease as he gripped his arm tighter. He couldn’t understand the conversation, but Conrad guessed that they were talking about him.
“He’s a customer at our place. I was bringing him there.”
“A man with a half bloody face?”
“… He’s our customer.”
The man drew his lips up and his chin wrinkled. Then, he pointed behind him with his thumb and pulled his head back in the window.
“… Alright, I won’t ask. You can ride in the back if you want. It’ll take you twenty minutes to get there on foot.”
“Thanks.”
While he climbed into the bed of the truck, the boy whispered to Conrad despite knowing that he wouldn’t understand. He might have looked dejected from being so confused.
“The Owen brothers are alright. Their parents are waiting for their turn in New York so they won’t be mean and report you to immigration or anything.”
However, the reason that Conrad was confused wasn’t because he was suspicious of them.
He was completely astonished.
The hair and eyes of both the boy he had first met and the crude men that had called out to them were jet black. As a resident of The Great Demon Kingdom where Twin Blacks were prized, he couldn’t not be in shock.
-----
(1) Once again, an excerpt from The Tosa Diary. So, the official English translation is kind of hard to understand. The literal translation is actually very close to the official English, but my explanation of the Japanese (which took me about a half an hour to do because it’s written in ‘ye olde Japanese’ and I had to read an essay explaining this excerpt to understand it x.x) goes as such: If my lost child was as healthy as these thousand year old pine trees, I might not have had to part with her. I’d like to call attention to the multiple meanings of the Japanese for ‘one I used to see’ (mishi hito). So the author was talking about his daughter who had died, but the word can also mean ‘former lover’ which I believe is the meaning that relates to this story ^-^
(2) Scotland and Conrart sound a bit similar in Japanese kana. Sukottorando <-> Konraato.
*.*.*.*.*
Considering this heavy, metal vehicle was being run with magic, the men in the driver’s seat were lightheartedly singing a song in a loud voice. After singing the same song twice, they arrive in a small town with several crowded together buildings.
After a brief inspection, he saw that there weren’t any buildings above three stories and there weren’t any buildings that could be a castle, a lord’s mansion or even a fortress. Only the building at the center of town with the triangular roof had solid doors good for protection. Perhaps the wooden cross on top pointing towards the sky was this town’s crest.
In a small hut with a white roof near the entrance of town, an old person was sleeping in a rocking chair on a wooden floor up a set of stairs. His hair, beard and eyebrows were all pure white. Guessing from his appearance, he is easily over four hundred years old.
The boy jogged down a narrow side road as if to hide from view. After going down the back road for a bit, he steps into the back entrance of a small and gloomy hut. It may have been because the air was dry, but this shaded place was much cooler than outside.
At first Conrad thought it was a stable or something, but since there was a metal vehicle there he finally realized it was a storage bunker. To think that even civilians were given battle tanks. So was the overall fragile look of the town a plan to deceive the enemy?
“Mom.”
When the boy slightly opened the door leading farther inside, light came flowing through the crack. On the other side of the wall there were several chairs lined up and there was food and drink set out on tables. There weren’t many customers, but this place was probably a restaurant.
A military tank behind a restaurant. That’s insecure of them, or perhaps I should say wary?
“Carlos, why are you coming in from the garage..?”
“This guy was collapsed. His head is bleeding and he doesn’t understand what I say. And it looks like he’s never seen a school bus or a pickup truck before. He might be from a really far away country… or really banged his head. Maybe it’s amnesia like on TV. Dad always used to say that right? ‘Don’t ever forget the kindness we received in this country. The weak have to help the weak…’”
“That’s right.”
The woman who seemed to be the mother patted the boy’s shoulder as he rambled on and then she turned in Conrad’s direction. The hair tied loosely at the nape of her neck, the thin lines of her eyebrows, and - although he couldn’t be certain with the light behind her - both of her eyes were probably black. It’s only been a short while, but he feels as if his values are about to change.
“Keep an eye on things.”
Leaving her son to watch the store, the woman makes the injured man sit and brought an old tin from her house. When her fingers were just about to touch his cheek, Conrad reflexively moved away and brought his sword arm up to his chest.
He tried to protect the object he was entrusted with.
“You have a gun!?”
Realizing that he had startled the woman, he slowly puts his right hand back down. There’s no way that this woman would know about his mission and she likely did not understand how important the object he was carrying was. If they were going to steal it, the son would have tried a long time ago.
“It’s okay. Until you’re healed up I won’t say anything to the sheriff or immigration so let me see your injury. The right side of your chin is completely red. It’s amazing your eyes are open.”
When she wipes away the blood on the surface, she sees that there is a diagonal slash on his right eyebrow. The wound is still wide open and new blood instantly comes oozing out.
The blood in the wound hadn’t begun to clot.
“So it hasn’t been that long…?”
He remembers when he got cut. Of course, the owner of the sword as well. Immediately after, he was sent flying out of The Great Demon Kingdom by the priestesses’ incantations.
“This will leave a scar if you don’t get stitches. If only you had a social security number I’d at least be able to take you to the doctor.”
After seeing off the customers, the boy returns with a bottle of water.
“He doesn’t understand a thing we say. I can’t even ask him his name. Hey you, I’m Carlos. My mother is Keisha.”
He taps his chest and the woman’s shoulder and repeats ‘Carlos, Keisha.’ It seems like those are their names. Conrad was about to give a light nod, but a small shadow moving about caught his attention. It didn’t stop until it collided with his knee.
The girl who had a clearer expression than her mother and older brother clung to his leg and spoke coquettishly to him. She was probably only around thirteen or so. He laughed so much he started coughing.
“That’s my little sister, Nikki. She’s three.”
Carlos, Keisha, Nikki. That’s all he understands.
*.*.*.*.*
The restaurant seemed to be doing well for itself and in the evening the inside of the shop, which would be packed with just fifteen people, was filled with noise.
Keisha wrapped a red plaid cloth around her waist and scurried about the shop like a mouse. When you thought she was working in the small kitchen, she was passing between the customers with plates and alcohol. Her son Carlos went around taking orders and kept an eye on his sister in between to make sure she wasn’t doing anything dangerous.
Conrad just absentmindedly watched them as he sat in between the kitchen and the garage.
In his homeland, they would have been promised a higher status than the ten noble families just by being a Twin Black.
Certainly they would be in danger as soon as they stepped out of demon lands. However, those who lived inside the kingdom would be able to lead a life without anything resembling manual labor. Then what about how this parent and child are working? It’s no different than a hostess at the town bar. Even when she’s shouted at by irate customers, she deals with them without getting angry.
He’s given up on counting, but there are quite a few customers with black hair as well. In the kingdom the most common hair color was blonde and then there were many men with brown hair like his own, but one out of every three people here had black hair down to their long eyelashes and moustaches and their skin was the color of well-toasted bread. (1)
“… Where is this?” he asked no one in particular and turns his gaze back to the small bottle he placed on the shelf. Figuring he was safe so close to a military tank, he took it out of his breast pocket when he changed clothes.
The clear bottle as tall as a finger was sealed with a green augite cap and carrying a bluish-white light inside. The white ball that seemed as if it would draw you in was the color of a cloud you would only be able to see in a dream.
Is this the edge of the world called Earth where the person I am supposed to hand this over to lives?
If so, where should I go from here? Who should I meet? What should I do?
There was a sound of porcelain breaking and a young child started crying. Standing before the broken pieces on the floor, Carlos was scolding his sister. He had probably been victim to a surprise attack by his sister while washing the dishes.
The mother knit her eyebrows.
“Carlos?”
“Nikki’s okay. She just ran right into me so I was surprised…”
“You were distracted by the television weren’t you?”
“… No.”
Conrad slowly stood up and opened the medical supply tin that Keisha had a short while ago. He gently placed the bottle on top of the white, sterile cloth.
They are too busy.
He might not be thinking straight in his fatigue, but it doesn’t seem like he will be able to sleep any time soon. If that’s the case, he should work a bit without weakness and earn a meal.
Edging past the siblings, he stands before the slightly too-shallow wash basin. Twisting this cork makes water come out and the soap that lathers the sponge is in this bottle.
“… Are you okay, I mean, that injury?”
He just shrugs. The boy doesn’t ask anything else and lifts his sister up to carry her into the house.
“I’m putting her to bed.”
The kitchen was nicely secluded and only half of his back was visible to the customers. But then again, his life wasn’t so important to have any regrets about someone finding fault with his appearance.
When he turns his neck to look behind him, there was a box around the size of a crib tilted at an angle. Around half of the men had their faces turned towards it and the rest were playing cards and amusing themselves with silly conversations.
He didn’t know who was performing exactly what sort of magic, but there is a picture moving inside of the box. A man with a red hat was swinging around a club even though there wasn’t any prey around and then suddenly a huge cheer rung out. A young man in a different uniform runs out across the greenery. He seems to be picking up a rolling ball with a misshapen and large glove.
What sort of story is this play about? There really were some magic users blessed with leisure.
When Keisha came back to the kitchen she made a brief comment, but knowing that he wouldn’t understand she silently did her own work. Food preparation was easy once she got an order so it seems like she prepared a lot of it before she opened the store. Much of it included beans, potatoes and onions and it looks like there are fewer types of meat than in his homeland.
Conrad continued scrubbing the dishes even after the boy returned and once there was nothing left to wash, he even fried some eggs in an excellent display of learning by imitation. He remembers when it was his turn to cook while camping out on the march and he tries mixing some of the crushed tomatoes with the short noodles. He had thought that either he or the child would eat it, but he regrets that he splashed some of it on his borrowed clothes.
Next to the bright green phone there is a picture of a chef.
“That’s dad,” Carlos said in a somewhat sad voice as he peeled an onion. “He died three years ago.”
A young man yelled and kicked over a seat near the window facing the road. With a thick arm covered in golden hair, he grabs the collar of the hostess. Keisha grimaces in pain, but she does not pick up a weapon and attempt to defend herself.
“It’s those guys again…”
Pushing aside the boy as he leaned forward, Conrad crossed the aisle with a long stride.
If he was laying a hand on a Twin Black that meant that he was a fool from a foreign country who was tricked by the absurd rumor that one could gain the power of immortality by making that person their own property.
“Let go.”
He tried to give a warning just in case, but since his words wouldn’t be understood anyway he grabbed the young man’s arm and pulled him off.
Keisha held her throat and gave a rough cough and then laid a hand on the chest of her foreign guest. “It’s okay, I’m okay. You go back.”
“I’m not finished here! Hey, who’s this guy with the bandages!? You weren’t satisfied with just getting your husband killed so now you’re whoring around with this kid!?”
He wasn’t sure if he or the hostess was being insulted, but allowing someone to yell at a woman was distasteful. He twisted the man’s arm behind his back and threw him out of the door.
With a face that said she didn’t care at all for the man, Keisha pulls on Conrad’s clothes and repeated in a hushed voice, “It’s okay! Hurry, go back inside. Hurry and hide in the kid’s room. The sheriff’s deputy is right there. If he sees you, you’re going to get arrested.”
The sky had long gone dark and the road was illuminated by the lights in all of the houses. There were only a few other stores open besides this one and a young man coming out of what looked to be a general store and holding a paper bag was walking this way. He had an unbecoming, stubbly beard on his chin and he was wearing a broad-brimmed hat even though it was nighttime and there was even a star on his chest.
“Something happen, ma’am?”
“Good evening, Deputy. No, nothing really. A drunk customer just had a complaint.”
“Was it those guys again? Did they have any drugs on them?”
“No, I don’t know anything about that. They just didn’t like my cooking.”
Keisha was trying to keep up appearances while shoving Conrad back inside. The young men who caused all the ruckus might have been a bit shady because they disappeared in the blink of an eye. The young man with the stubble glanced at the newcomer and posed a question directly to him instead of the woman.
“Haven’t seen you before. Where are you from?”
“Um, he arrived just recently and is staying at our place. He’s not a kid from a town around here so you wouldn’t recog-”
“I’m asking him, ma’am. Besides, there weren’t any names I didn’t recognize on the intercity bus roster today. If he’s not a problem then that’s fine. So, what’s your name and where are you from?”
“Hector, he’s deaf…”
A light blue vehicle passing at an incredible speed suddenly backed up with an odd sound and stopped in front of the store. After slapping the open door roughly, the skinny driver came tumbling out. ‘Giving a military tank to an unskilled soldier like that was a mistake,’ Conrad unconsciously murmurs to himself.
“Hey, sorry I’m late!”
After seeing this late arrival with a know-it-all look, both Keisha and Stubble are taken aback. The only one who didn’t understand what he was saying was the concerned party of Conrad.
-------
(1) Linguistic note! In Japanese, sometimes authors will use a word written in kanji and then write on the side or on top (depending on which direction the text is written) a different pronunciation to give the word a double meaning. That being said, the word for bread here is written with the kanji of an old military word for bread (menbou) and then the common word for bread (pan) is written next to it. Conrad has been relating a lot of things he’s seeing to military stuff and this is another one.
*.*.*.*.*
White robes, glasses, laugh lines.
His black hair that he let grow out a few inches too long was loosely tied behind him, but it didn’t seem to be working that well and there were bundles of hair hanging down over his cheeks and forehead. They seem to really be a nuisance and it’s irritating.
The abnormally skinny man in the white robes skillfully deceived Keisha and Stubble and got Conrad into his car. The reason that he silently obeyed the man in the white robes even though he couldn’t understand what he was saying either was that the man showed him a familiar bottle in the wooden box he had tucked under his arm.
The augite serving as the cap was different, but the strength and calm of the shining light inside was without a doubt a ‘soul.’
That’s right, a soul.
For various reasons it had come to the end of its life and was a pure soul waiting for its next life.
It was a soul that did not yet belong to anyone that had all of its sin and impurity completely erased before setting out on a new life as another existence.
As a soldier of The Great Demon Kingdom, Lord Conrart Weller obeyed the words of The True King and brought this valuable soul that was to become the next Demon King to this far away other world.
Although, he does not yet know if this is its proper destination.
While it was moving straight ahead, it was an unexpectedly enjoyable vehicle to ride in. In exchange for the swaying and creaking peculiar to carriages, his body was tossed back and forth when it made a turn, but if it can move this fast then he just had to put up with a bit of discomfort.
“Ah I’m sorry, I’m always going too fast. Anyway, it’s small but come on in and make yourself at home.”
The white robed man unlocked the door to a building that looked like an office and pushed up a protuberance sticking out of the wall. As soon as he did so, white light came down from the ceiling.
Thinking that this man can use magic as well, Conrad surreptitiously lets his shoulders slump. So this wasn’t a country I could just casually visit without a sword or magic power.
The repainted walls were a light blue and there were two couches lined up together. There was one of those moving picture boxes here, but its surface was gray and there wasn’t any light or sound coming out of it. When he pushed open the inside door, the small room on the other side was pure white all over and there were shelves, a desk, and an unusually high-up day bed. The entire room was steeped in the smell of medicine.
“This is the examination room. It might not look like it, but I’m kind of a doctor. But, even if I say that you won’t understand. We need to do something about your language skills, huh?”
It’s a bit smaller than the one before, but there is a whitish box sitting on the desk. There are several pipes sticking out of the back. At the top there are three figurines standing at each interval. The short and stout one with the red helmet and armor seemed especially evil. It’s probably for magic ceremonies.
“Ah! Don’t touch my Gelgoog, okay?” (1)
The too-skinny man retreated into the adjoining room in a big hurry and came back holding a dark brown box. What came out were grandiose earmuffs. If you put something so heavy over both of your ears, you would have a hard time marching in winter. Even if it isn’t gear for cold weather, wouldn’t the cord and rod hanging out of the left side get in the way?
The laugh lines on the white robed man’s face deepened even more as he brought the rod to his lips and said clearly, “Don’t touch my Gundam models.”
Then, he handed the earmuffs over and indicated that he should put them on. When he carefully lowered them onto his head and they touched both of his ears, a few dozen languages came flowing out in succession.
“Whoa.”
“Huh, no good?”
The man seemed disappointed as he watched him reflexively take off the apparatus. He seems to have thought that the problem would have been solved just like that.
To think that there were bizarre items resembling Anissina’s inventions in this strange land as well.
“Well I guess I have no choice. Sit up here on this examination table. Now put the headphones back on. Ah, I’ll leave your important object by your pillow.”
Because he’s pantomiming everything with his hands, it looks like he’s putting on a dance production. Thinking that it would be useless to resist at this point, Conrad sits down on the day bed as instructed and puts on the awkward earmuffs once again.
“Lesson 1!”
When the white robed man connects the cord to a box, an energetic woman suddenly started talking.
“Haroo hau aa yuu? Hello, how are you? Aimu fain sankyuu. I’m fine, thank you.”
“I’m gonna have you diligently learn English in one night.”
It gradually gets louder. His head feels like it’s going to split apart. And yet, there is no mercy in the woman’s voice.
“Ai amu piitaa. I am Peter. Aa yuu piitaa? Are you Peter?”
Please stop, noo aimu notto piitaa!
-------
(1) A Gelgoog is a mobile suit from Gundam. Since it’s red I’m going to guess that it’s the commander type that Char Aznable piloted. Here’s a pic ([spoiler to pic]
)
*.*.*.*.*
You’re telling me that this is The True King’s will!?
Having me bring the soul of the next Demon King to another world?
With silver hair drooping onto the polished floor, The True King’s priestess replied with a blank look. Her mouth is definitely smiling, but she isn’t showing the tiniest bit of kindness.
“Deciding whether this soul will be the next Demon King and whether it will live in a world beyond even His Majesty’s control is His Majesty The True King’s will. Lord Conrart Weller, granting you this duty is also the word of His Majesty himself.”
Even though he’s someone who died thousands of years ago.
Conrad willfully pushes down that fleeting doubt that floated up in his mind. Everyone has that doubt at some point - how exactly the late His Majesty The True King can still speak to the kingdom.
“No, there is no fault in doubting. For someone who was injured as you were, it is something even more difficult to believe with your emotions awry. It would be nice if we could tell you how His Majesty’s spirit speaks to us even though he has already passed on.” The priestess’s tone was calm and quiet and there was no sympathy to be found within it. “Even if you doubt the existence of His Majesty, we will still entrust you with this soul. Because, that is The True King’s will and it is the only correct path.”
His image was reflected on the unblemished surface of the marble floor. It was a pitiful image of himself from which he could only feel sorrow and regret as he hung his head without the courage to live or the will to die.
Now that he thinks about it, he hasn’t felt anger in a while.
“… I might run away. I might betray your expectations and hopes and just disappear with this. Or maybe I might smash this bottle against a rock, pluck out the flickering light and give it to someone I want to. And it wouldn’t be unthinkable for me to then raise that child as I saw fit and manipulate the power befitting a Demon King to overthrow this kingdom!”
“You could also embrace that soul and then end your life with your own hands.” Without moving even a strand of her silver hair, the priestess smiled apathetically. “If that is what you wish, do so. We will only tell you the words of His Majesty The True King. You doubt the existence of His Majesty, but in the past there have been several people who have heard His Majesty’s voice.”
I hadn’t heard of that.
“Yes, His Majesty The True King met with Lady von Wincott as well.”
Conrad was not brave enough to raise his head so he kept staring at his reflection.
“Before Suzanna Julia died, I heard that she spoke briefly with His Majesty and gladly accepted that her soul would become the next Demon King. However, she had just one wish…”
The figure reflected on the marble floor violently lurched forward. Conrad fell to his knees on the cold stone and covered his face with his scarred hands.
“… that her soul would be entrusted to you.”
-----
That's the end of the first part! I ended it on a really sad scene. Sorry about that ^-^;;;
Anyway, I like how there was concern that a teenaged white boy in New Mexico was going to get in trouble with immigration. That would never happen in a million years XD
Have a Happy New Year and I'll see you in 2014~
Next Chapter -->
I felt amazingly productive today so I banged out the first half of Conrad’s story~ People who read Kannnichtfranz's translation of a snippet from this story will recognize that when they come to it ^-^
Once again, illustrations for this novel come from Portrait of a Demon King and were scanned by peanutbaby13.
All’s Well That Ends Well
I, Günter von Christ, am the royal advisor to His Majesty The 27th Demon King and I also serve as His Majesty Yuuri’s tutor. Therefore, I am aware that Conrart brought His Majesty’s soul to another world.
However! I had no idea that something like this had happened!
This is shocking this is shocking this is shocking! Ah what do I do what do I do should I do that!? What is ‘that’?
Ah, saying I know nothing is inexcusable…
Could I have endowed
With the pine tree's thousand years
One I used to see,
Parted from her nevermore
All my sorrows would be o'er.(1)
Part 1
I might run away. I might betray your expectations and hopes and just disappear.
Knowing that, are you still going to give me this duty? There are others more skilled and those far more loyal than I.
Why do I have to go? You know it will hurt me.
The right side of my body is oddly hot.
His ear and cheek pressed against the ground especially feel as if they are burning. His veins are pounding so hard they feel like they are going to rupture and he notices a pain in the back of his head. He is spread out on top of a hot rock like a corpse. When he experimentally tries to move his stiffened fingers, he realizes he is not holding anything.
Ah, I dropped my sword along the way.
Like I care.
With a throaty laugh on his lips, he slowly forces his eyes open. There are dried tears on his eyelashes as if he was sleeping for a long time.
I don’t have a weapon. Like I care about that. Hopefully the first person to come across me is a thief after my wallet. If he cuts me down and I lose my life, I won’t be troubled in the slightest. It was lucky I dropped my sword.
I look just like an idiotic tourist.
Wondering if he had any money on him anyway, he reaches up with his right hand to feel his breast pocket. There were no coins or bills there, but a cool and icy bottle.
This painful, troublesome and important object was undamaged. When he touched it gingerly with his fingertips, there were no chips or breaks anywhere. He gives a sigh laced with mixed feelings and pushes himself up with both elbows.
What came into his blurry vision was dry air and a cloud of dust colored in the evening sun. A gray road cut across the yellow expanse. In the middle of the cracked road there was a line drawn that seems to have been white at some point and he was lying right on top of that completely unarmed. The air rises in swaying waves from the ground around his feet.
… Svelera? When he tried saying the name of a place he knows, he was assaulted with thirst. His voice won’t come out normally.
A vibration like a tremor and a sound from loud marching trumpet come from far away. When he looked behind him startled, he saw a giant yellow box running.
Because he saw a human figure through the window at the front, he realizes that that man is controlling it. However, there are no horses or cows pulling it and it is charging ahead at an incredible pace. Rolling across the surface of the road in a panic, he just barely escapes to the sandy soil on the sides.
It’s armor I’ve never seen before. It’s probably the latest type of military tank. So that means this is wartime? The yellow box passes by where he was and comes to a sudden stop in the distance.
What is that!? Is it moving by magic or exorcism? Then that means that this is a land with an abundance of people skilled in either magic or exorcism.
He had thought he would be surrounded by a crowd of soldiers, but after leaving one petite figure behind, the box runs away once again. If the brown smudges he caught a fleeting glance of were rust, that would mean the entire body was made out of iron. The wheels were gray and covered in dust and he didn’t know what they were made of.
The petite figure walked in his direction and looked down upon him as he sat on the ground. The figure had a strange hat on that was only long in the front. They had brown skin close to the color of aged wood and the limbs sticking out of the short sleeves of their plain clothes were thin. Judging from their physique and innocent expression, they are likely somewhere in between forty and sixty years old. There is a large discrepancy in the growth of demons so he does not know their actual age.
What surprised him the most was that the eyes peering at him were both a magnificent black.
No, not just their eyes, their eyelashes and eyebrows and even the hair sticking out from under the hat were all a perfect black.
Unbelievable! He had lived amongst demons his entire life, but he had never met a Twin Black before. He had heard that those who carry the black are very seldom born even amongst pure demons. In The Great Demon Kingdom’s long history, there are only one or two recorded.
Furthermore, if the words of the priestesses are to be trusted, this is not demon territory. He had received an important mission and been sent from his homeland to another world, after all.
“Who’re you?”
They speak to him in a short phrase, but he doesn’t understand it at all. The black-haired young boy crouches down and looks him in the eye before speaking again.
“You weren’t hit by the school bus so why is half of your face covered in blood? Why are you sleeping in the middle of the road in El Salvallo in July? And why are you wearing clothes like in the Shakespeare movies we see in school? Are you a stage actor?”
Because he had the sense that the intonation at the end of the boy’s sentence rose, the boy was undoubtedly asking him a question. But, he couldn’t understand the details and he didn’t think his response would get across. Seeing as he couldn’t understand the language, it was unlikely he was in Svelera. The countries with sand dunes adjacent to The Great Demon Kingdom have the same language as the demons.
“Who are you? Where did you come from? Are you an illegal alien?”
“I’m Conrart,” he said hoarsely, thinking that they might be asking his name. “You weren’t asking my name? My name is Conrart. And just what is this place? What world did I end up in?”
“… You’re from Scotland? How come you don’t speak English?” (2)
“Ah, Conrad or Conrart, whichever you want to call me is fine.”
After asking another question that sounded different than the others, the boy suddenly stood up. Conrad thought that he might have insulted the boy by not using polite speech. So the boy really was a demon of high status.
If you’re angered by me then arrest me or cut me down.
However, the expression on the boy’s tanned face was bewilderment, not anger.
“So you don’t understand Spanish either. You really are a foreigner. Follow me, your face is covered in blood and if you sleep in a place like this you’ll die.”
The boy forcibly takes hold of his arm. The two of them pass a round sign and walk towards the sun. The injured party, staggering from thirst, fell forward several times.
A sound and vibration like before soon comes near. Before the metal vehicle stopped by them, the boy took off his blue hat and stood on tiptoe to cover his companion’s head.
“Hey Carlos.”
“Hiya.”
The box this time was very small. Two adults sat next to each other and the seating area was completely filled. The rear section was a roofless storage compartment and there were misshapen tools heaped there that did not seem to be weapons, farming equipment or construction equipment.
The whiskered man gripping the vehicle’s round helm stuck his head out of the window.
“You on your way home? Who’s this white man with you? Don’t see people like him around here.”
He could feel the boy’s unease as he gripped his arm tighter. He couldn’t understand the conversation, but Conrad guessed that they were talking about him.
“He’s a customer at our place. I was bringing him there.”
“A man with a half bloody face?”
“… He’s our customer.”
The man drew his lips up and his chin wrinkled. Then, he pointed behind him with his thumb and pulled his head back in the window.
“… Alright, I won’t ask. You can ride in the back if you want. It’ll take you twenty minutes to get there on foot.”
“Thanks.”
While he climbed into the bed of the truck, the boy whispered to Conrad despite knowing that he wouldn’t understand. He might have looked dejected from being so confused.
“The Owen brothers are alright. Their parents are waiting for their turn in New York so they won’t be mean and report you to immigration or anything.”
However, the reason that Conrad was confused wasn’t because he was suspicious of them.
He was completely astonished.
The hair and eyes of both the boy he had first met and the crude men that had called out to them were jet black. As a resident of The Great Demon Kingdom where Twin Blacks were prized, he couldn’t not be in shock.
-----
(1) Once again, an excerpt from The Tosa Diary. So, the official English translation is kind of hard to understand. The literal translation is actually very close to the official English, but my explanation of the Japanese (which took me about a half an hour to do because it’s written in ‘ye olde Japanese’ and I had to read an essay explaining this excerpt to understand it x.x) goes as such: If my lost child was as healthy as these thousand year old pine trees, I might not have had to part with her. I’d like to call attention to the multiple meanings of the Japanese for ‘one I used to see’ (mishi hito). So the author was talking about his daughter who had died, but the word can also mean ‘former lover’ which I believe is the meaning that relates to this story ^-^
(2) Scotland and Conrart sound a bit similar in Japanese kana. Sukottorando <-> Konraato.
*.*.*.*.*
Considering this heavy, metal vehicle was being run with magic, the men in the driver’s seat were lightheartedly singing a song in a loud voice. After singing the same song twice, they arrive in a small town with several crowded together buildings.
After a brief inspection, he saw that there weren’t any buildings above three stories and there weren’t any buildings that could be a castle, a lord’s mansion or even a fortress. Only the building at the center of town with the triangular roof had solid doors good for protection. Perhaps the wooden cross on top pointing towards the sky was this town’s crest.
In a small hut with a white roof near the entrance of town, an old person was sleeping in a rocking chair on a wooden floor up a set of stairs. His hair, beard and eyebrows were all pure white. Guessing from his appearance, he is easily over four hundred years old.
The boy jogged down a narrow side road as if to hide from view. After going down the back road for a bit, he steps into the back entrance of a small and gloomy hut. It may have been because the air was dry, but this shaded place was much cooler than outside.
At first Conrad thought it was a stable or something, but since there was a metal vehicle there he finally realized it was a storage bunker. To think that even civilians were given battle tanks. So was the overall fragile look of the town a plan to deceive the enemy?
“Mom.”
When the boy slightly opened the door leading farther inside, light came flowing through the crack. On the other side of the wall there were several chairs lined up and there was food and drink set out on tables. There weren’t many customers, but this place was probably a restaurant.
A military tank behind a restaurant. That’s insecure of them, or perhaps I should say wary?
“Carlos, why are you coming in from the garage..?”
“This guy was collapsed. His head is bleeding and he doesn’t understand what I say. And it looks like he’s never seen a school bus or a pickup truck before. He might be from a really far away country… or really banged his head. Maybe it’s amnesia like on TV. Dad always used to say that right? ‘Don’t ever forget the kindness we received in this country. The weak have to help the weak…’”
“That’s right.”
The woman who seemed to be the mother patted the boy’s shoulder as he rambled on and then she turned in Conrad’s direction. The hair tied loosely at the nape of her neck, the thin lines of her eyebrows, and - although he couldn’t be certain with the light behind her - both of her eyes were probably black. It’s only been a short while, but he feels as if his values are about to change.
“Keep an eye on things.”
Leaving her son to watch the store, the woman makes the injured man sit and brought an old tin from her house. When her fingers were just about to touch his cheek, Conrad reflexively moved away and brought his sword arm up to his chest.
He tried to protect the object he was entrusted with.
“You have a gun!?”
Realizing that he had startled the woman, he slowly puts his right hand back down. There’s no way that this woman would know about his mission and she likely did not understand how important the object he was carrying was. If they were going to steal it, the son would have tried a long time ago.
“It’s okay. Until you’re healed up I won’t say anything to the sheriff or immigration so let me see your injury. The right side of your chin is completely red. It’s amazing your eyes are open.”
When she wipes away the blood on the surface, she sees that there is a diagonal slash on his right eyebrow. The wound is still wide open and new blood instantly comes oozing out.
The blood in the wound hadn’t begun to clot.
“So it hasn’t been that long…?”
He remembers when he got cut. Of course, the owner of the sword as well. Immediately after, he was sent flying out of The Great Demon Kingdom by the priestesses’ incantations.
“This will leave a scar if you don’t get stitches. If only you had a social security number I’d at least be able to take you to the doctor.”
After seeing off the customers, the boy returns with a bottle of water.
“He doesn’t understand a thing we say. I can’t even ask him his name. Hey you, I’m Carlos. My mother is Keisha.”
He taps his chest and the woman’s shoulder and repeats ‘Carlos, Keisha.’ It seems like those are their names. Conrad was about to give a light nod, but a small shadow moving about caught his attention. It didn’t stop until it collided with his knee.
The girl who had a clearer expression than her mother and older brother clung to his leg and spoke coquettishly to him. She was probably only around thirteen or so. He laughed so much he started coughing.
“That’s my little sister, Nikki. She’s three.”
Carlos, Keisha, Nikki. That’s all he understands.
*.*.*.*.*
The restaurant seemed to be doing well for itself and in the evening the inside of the shop, which would be packed with just fifteen people, was filled with noise.
Keisha wrapped a red plaid cloth around her waist and scurried about the shop like a mouse. When you thought she was working in the small kitchen, she was passing between the customers with plates and alcohol. Her son Carlos went around taking orders and kept an eye on his sister in between to make sure she wasn’t doing anything dangerous.
Conrad just absentmindedly watched them as he sat in between the kitchen and the garage.
In his homeland, they would have been promised a higher status than the ten noble families just by being a Twin Black.
Certainly they would be in danger as soon as they stepped out of demon lands. However, those who lived inside the kingdom would be able to lead a life without anything resembling manual labor. Then what about how this parent and child are working? It’s no different than a hostess at the town bar. Even when she’s shouted at by irate customers, she deals with them without getting angry.
He’s given up on counting, but there are quite a few customers with black hair as well. In the kingdom the most common hair color was blonde and then there were many men with brown hair like his own, but one out of every three people here had black hair down to their long eyelashes and moustaches and their skin was the color of well-toasted bread. (1)
“… Where is this?” he asked no one in particular and turns his gaze back to the small bottle he placed on the shelf. Figuring he was safe so close to a military tank, he took it out of his breast pocket when he changed clothes.
The clear bottle as tall as a finger was sealed with a green augite cap and carrying a bluish-white light inside. The white ball that seemed as if it would draw you in was the color of a cloud you would only be able to see in a dream.
Is this the edge of the world called Earth where the person I am supposed to hand this over to lives?
If so, where should I go from here? Who should I meet? What should I do?
There was a sound of porcelain breaking and a young child started crying. Standing before the broken pieces on the floor, Carlos was scolding his sister. He had probably been victim to a surprise attack by his sister while washing the dishes.
The mother knit her eyebrows.
“Carlos?”
“Nikki’s okay. She just ran right into me so I was surprised…”
“You were distracted by the television weren’t you?”
“… No.”
Conrad slowly stood up and opened the medical supply tin that Keisha had a short while ago. He gently placed the bottle on top of the white, sterile cloth.
They are too busy.
He might not be thinking straight in his fatigue, but it doesn’t seem like he will be able to sleep any time soon. If that’s the case, he should work a bit without weakness and earn a meal.
Edging past the siblings, he stands before the slightly too-shallow wash basin. Twisting this cork makes water come out and the soap that lathers the sponge is in this bottle.
“… Are you okay, I mean, that injury?”
He just shrugs. The boy doesn’t ask anything else and lifts his sister up to carry her into the house.
“I’m putting her to bed.”
The kitchen was nicely secluded and only half of his back was visible to the customers. But then again, his life wasn’t so important to have any regrets about someone finding fault with his appearance.
When he turns his neck to look behind him, there was a box around the size of a crib tilted at an angle. Around half of the men had their faces turned towards it and the rest were playing cards and amusing themselves with silly conversations.
He didn’t know who was performing exactly what sort of magic, but there is a picture moving inside of the box. A man with a red hat was swinging around a club even though there wasn’t any prey around and then suddenly a huge cheer rung out. A young man in a different uniform runs out across the greenery. He seems to be picking up a rolling ball with a misshapen and large glove.
What sort of story is this play about? There really were some magic users blessed with leisure.
When Keisha came back to the kitchen she made a brief comment, but knowing that he wouldn’t understand she silently did her own work. Food preparation was easy once she got an order so it seems like she prepared a lot of it before she opened the store. Much of it included beans, potatoes and onions and it looks like there are fewer types of meat than in his homeland.
Conrad continued scrubbing the dishes even after the boy returned and once there was nothing left to wash, he even fried some eggs in an excellent display of learning by imitation. He remembers when it was his turn to cook while camping out on the march and he tries mixing some of the crushed tomatoes with the short noodles. He had thought that either he or the child would eat it, but he regrets that he splashed some of it on his borrowed clothes.
Next to the bright green phone there is a picture of a chef.
“That’s dad,” Carlos said in a somewhat sad voice as he peeled an onion. “He died three years ago.”
A young man yelled and kicked over a seat near the window facing the road. With a thick arm covered in golden hair, he grabs the collar of the hostess. Keisha grimaces in pain, but she does not pick up a weapon and attempt to defend herself.
“It’s those guys again…”
Pushing aside the boy as he leaned forward, Conrad crossed the aisle with a long stride.
If he was laying a hand on a Twin Black that meant that he was a fool from a foreign country who was tricked by the absurd rumor that one could gain the power of immortality by making that person their own property.
“Let go.”
He tried to give a warning just in case, but since his words wouldn’t be understood anyway he grabbed the young man’s arm and pulled him off.
Keisha held her throat and gave a rough cough and then laid a hand on the chest of her foreign guest. “It’s okay, I’m okay. You go back.”
“I’m not finished here! Hey, who’s this guy with the bandages!? You weren’t satisfied with just getting your husband killed so now you’re whoring around with this kid!?”
He wasn’t sure if he or the hostess was being insulted, but allowing someone to yell at a woman was distasteful. He twisted the man’s arm behind his back and threw him out of the door.
With a face that said she didn’t care at all for the man, Keisha pulls on Conrad’s clothes and repeated in a hushed voice, “It’s okay! Hurry, go back inside. Hurry and hide in the kid’s room. The sheriff’s deputy is right there. If he sees you, you’re going to get arrested.”
The sky had long gone dark and the road was illuminated by the lights in all of the houses. There were only a few other stores open besides this one and a young man coming out of what looked to be a general store and holding a paper bag was walking this way. He had an unbecoming, stubbly beard on his chin and he was wearing a broad-brimmed hat even though it was nighttime and there was even a star on his chest.
“Something happen, ma’am?”
“Good evening, Deputy. No, nothing really. A drunk customer just had a complaint.”
“Was it those guys again? Did they have any drugs on them?”
“No, I don’t know anything about that. They just didn’t like my cooking.”
Keisha was trying to keep up appearances while shoving Conrad back inside. The young men who caused all the ruckus might have been a bit shady because they disappeared in the blink of an eye. The young man with the stubble glanced at the newcomer and posed a question directly to him instead of the woman.
“Haven’t seen you before. Where are you from?”
“Um, he arrived just recently and is staying at our place. He’s not a kid from a town around here so you wouldn’t recog-”
“I’m asking him, ma’am. Besides, there weren’t any names I didn’t recognize on the intercity bus roster today. If he’s not a problem then that’s fine. So, what’s your name and where are you from?”
“Hector, he’s deaf…”
A light blue vehicle passing at an incredible speed suddenly backed up with an odd sound and stopped in front of the store. After slapping the open door roughly, the skinny driver came tumbling out. ‘Giving a military tank to an unskilled soldier like that was a mistake,’ Conrad unconsciously murmurs to himself.
“Hey, sorry I’m late!”
After seeing this late arrival with a know-it-all look, both Keisha and Stubble are taken aback. The only one who didn’t understand what he was saying was the concerned party of Conrad.
-------
(1) Linguistic note! In Japanese, sometimes authors will use a word written in kanji and then write on the side or on top (depending on which direction the text is written) a different pronunciation to give the word a double meaning. That being said, the word for bread here is written with the kanji of an old military word for bread (menbou) and then the common word for bread (pan) is written next to it. Conrad has been relating a lot of things he’s seeing to military stuff and this is another one.
*.*.*.*.*
White robes, glasses, laugh lines.
His black hair that he let grow out a few inches too long was loosely tied behind him, but it didn’t seem to be working that well and there were bundles of hair hanging down over his cheeks and forehead. They seem to really be a nuisance and it’s irritating.
The abnormally skinny man in the white robes skillfully deceived Keisha and Stubble and got Conrad into his car. The reason that he silently obeyed the man in the white robes even though he couldn’t understand what he was saying either was that the man showed him a familiar bottle in the wooden box he had tucked under his arm.
The augite serving as the cap was different, but the strength and calm of the shining light inside was without a doubt a ‘soul.’
That’s right, a soul.
For various reasons it had come to the end of its life and was a pure soul waiting for its next life.
It was a soul that did not yet belong to anyone that had all of its sin and impurity completely erased before setting out on a new life as another existence.
As a soldier of The Great Demon Kingdom, Lord Conrart Weller obeyed the words of The True King and brought this valuable soul that was to become the next Demon King to this far away other world.
Although, he does not yet know if this is its proper destination.
While it was moving straight ahead, it was an unexpectedly enjoyable vehicle to ride in. In exchange for the swaying and creaking peculiar to carriages, his body was tossed back and forth when it made a turn, but if it can move this fast then he just had to put up with a bit of discomfort.
“Ah I’m sorry, I’m always going too fast. Anyway, it’s small but come on in and make yourself at home.”
The white robed man unlocked the door to a building that looked like an office and pushed up a protuberance sticking out of the wall. As soon as he did so, white light came down from the ceiling.
Thinking that this man can use magic as well, Conrad surreptitiously lets his shoulders slump. So this wasn’t a country I could just casually visit without a sword or magic power.
The repainted walls were a light blue and there were two couches lined up together. There was one of those moving picture boxes here, but its surface was gray and there wasn’t any light or sound coming out of it. When he pushed open the inside door, the small room on the other side was pure white all over and there were shelves, a desk, and an unusually high-up day bed. The entire room was steeped in the smell of medicine.
“This is the examination room. It might not look like it, but I’m kind of a doctor. But, even if I say that you won’t understand. We need to do something about your language skills, huh?”
It’s a bit smaller than the one before, but there is a whitish box sitting on the desk. There are several pipes sticking out of the back. At the top there are three figurines standing at each interval. The short and stout one with the red helmet and armor seemed especially evil. It’s probably for magic ceremonies.
“Ah! Don’t touch my Gelgoog, okay?” (1)
The too-skinny man retreated into the adjoining room in a big hurry and came back holding a dark brown box. What came out were grandiose earmuffs. If you put something so heavy over both of your ears, you would have a hard time marching in winter. Even if it isn’t gear for cold weather, wouldn’t the cord and rod hanging out of the left side get in the way?
The laugh lines on the white robed man’s face deepened even more as he brought the rod to his lips and said clearly, “Don’t touch my Gundam models.”
Then, he handed the earmuffs over and indicated that he should put them on. When he carefully lowered them onto his head and they touched both of his ears, a few dozen languages came flowing out in succession.
“Whoa.”
“Huh, no good?”
The man seemed disappointed as he watched him reflexively take off the apparatus. He seems to have thought that the problem would have been solved just like that.
To think that there were bizarre items resembling Anissina’s inventions in this strange land as well.
“Well I guess I have no choice. Sit up here on this examination table. Now put the headphones back on. Ah, I’ll leave your important object by your pillow.”
Because he’s pantomiming everything with his hands, it looks like he’s putting on a dance production. Thinking that it would be useless to resist at this point, Conrad sits down on the day bed as instructed and puts on the awkward earmuffs once again.
“Lesson 1!”
When the white robed man connects the cord to a box, an energetic woman suddenly started talking.
“Haroo hau aa yuu? Hello, how are you? Aimu fain sankyuu. I’m fine, thank you.”
“I’m gonna have you diligently learn English in one night.”
It gradually gets louder. His head feels like it’s going to split apart. And yet, there is no mercy in the woman’s voice.
“Ai amu piitaa. I am Peter. Aa yuu piitaa? Are you Peter?”
Please stop, noo aimu notto piitaa!
-------
(1) A Gelgoog is a mobile suit from Gundam. Since it’s red I’m going to guess that it’s the commander type that Char Aznable piloted. Here’s a pic ([spoiler to pic]
)
*.*.*.*.*
You’re telling me that this is The True King’s will!?
Having me bring the soul of the next Demon King to another world?
With silver hair drooping onto the polished floor, The True King’s priestess replied with a blank look. Her mouth is definitely smiling, but she isn’t showing the tiniest bit of kindness.
“Deciding whether this soul will be the next Demon King and whether it will live in a world beyond even His Majesty’s control is His Majesty The True King’s will. Lord Conrart Weller, granting you this duty is also the word of His Majesty himself.”
Even though he’s someone who died thousands of years ago.
Conrad willfully pushes down that fleeting doubt that floated up in his mind. Everyone has that doubt at some point - how exactly the late His Majesty The True King can still speak to the kingdom.
“No, there is no fault in doubting. For someone who was injured as you were, it is something even more difficult to believe with your emotions awry. It would be nice if we could tell you how His Majesty’s spirit speaks to us even though he has already passed on.” The priestess’s tone was calm and quiet and there was no sympathy to be found within it. “Even if you doubt the existence of His Majesty, we will still entrust you with this soul. Because, that is The True King’s will and it is the only correct path.”
His image was reflected on the unblemished surface of the marble floor. It was a pitiful image of himself from which he could only feel sorrow and regret as he hung his head without the courage to live or the will to die.
Now that he thinks about it, he hasn’t felt anger in a while.
“… I might run away. I might betray your expectations and hopes and just disappear with this. Or maybe I might smash this bottle against a rock, pluck out the flickering light and give it to someone I want to. And it wouldn’t be unthinkable for me to then raise that child as I saw fit and manipulate the power befitting a Demon King to overthrow this kingdom!”
“You could also embrace that soul and then end your life with your own hands.” Without moving even a strand of her silver hair, the priestess smiled apathetically. “If that is what you wish, do so. We will only tell you the words of His Majesty The True King. You doubt the existence of His Majesty, but in the past there have been several people who have heard His Majesty’s voice.”
I hadn’t heard of that.
“Yes, His Majesty The True King met with Lady von Wincott as well.”
Conrad was not brave enough to raise his head so he kept staring at his reflection.
“Before Suzanna Julia died, I heard that she spoke briefly with His Majesty and gladly accepted that her soul would become the next Demon King. However, she had just one wish…”
The figure reflected on the marble floor violently lurched forward. Conrad fell to his knees on the cold stone and covered his face with his scarred hands.
“… that her soul would be entrusted to you.”
-----
That's the end of the first part! I ended it on a really sad scene. Sorry about that ^-^;;;
Anyway, I like how there was concern that a teenaged white boy in New Mexico was going to get in trouble with immigration. That would never happen in a million years XD
Have a Happy New Year and I'll see you in 2014~
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