Vol 7 Short Story 3:
Demon King and Hero, buying a futon together
The devil is a part timer Light novels Volume 7 Part 3
“Bell, I’m sorry, can I ask you to help me watch Alas=Ramus for a bit?”
“Oh my, Emilia, you’re here. Is something wrong?”
A particular evening when the summer sun started to abate. Suzuno stayed in her own room reading kimono catalogues, and Emi, whom she thought had went to visit her neighbours, actually came here with a dangerous expression on her face.
“Suzu nee-chan.”
The girl entrusted to her by Emi, Alas=Ramus, obediently let Suzuno carry her.
“I’ll be back soon.”
After saying this, Emi left again without explaining the reason.
“Suzu nee-chan, is this an art book?”
“……Hm? Ah, this is a book which publishes many photos of beautiful kimonos……”
Even though Suzuno felt that Emi seemed strange, but still opened the catalogue to answer Alas=Ramus’s question, and at this time----
“Rejected!”
“Oh?”
“Uu?”
An angry shout loud enough to blow away the thin walls of the apartment was suddenly heard from next door, Suzuno could not help but put her guard up, and Alas=Ramus also widened her eyes in curiosity.
In addition, on the other side of the wall where the neighbouring closet was, a sound like large rat frantically running away was heard, then there was a short silence.
“……Alas=Ramus.”
“Yes, Suzu nee-chan.”
Alas=Ramus obediently raised a hand to answer Suzuno.
Just large noise from just now, definitely came from Emi.
As for the reason that would cause the Hero from a foreign world, Yusa Emi, a.k.a Emilia Justina to shout in the Demon Fortress next to Suzuno---the six tatami wooden apartment Villa Rosa Sasazuka Room 201 in Tokyo City, Shibuya District Sasazuka----
“Is Mama……fighting with Papa again?”
Besides that, there is no other possibility.
Probably Alas=Ramus’s ‘Papa’, Demon King Maou Sadao, said something which made ‘Mama’ Emi angry again.
However, different from Suzuno’s prediction, Alas=Ramus shook her head and said,
“Erhm, today. I said I wanted to sleep at Papa’s home, then Mama asked me to play with Suzu nee-chan……”
“Ah……”
Alas=Ramus tried her best to express the contents with her limited vocabulary, causing Suzuno’s shoulders to sag weakly.
“……Hopefully this will not cause a storm.”
※
“D, don’t shout so loudly all of a sudden!”
The master of the Room 201 Demon Fortress, Maou Sadao, calmed his fluttering heart, and protested towards Emi.
“How is this sudden! Seeing me entrust Alas=Ramus to Suzuno, you should know that things would not be settled peacefully.”
In the six tatami room under the sun, Emi glared at Maou with a sharp gaze matching her title of Hero.
“About the fact that I have you let Alas=Ramus meet you once every few days, I can only accept it reluctantly. But my tolerance has its limits! I definitely would not allow her to stay at your house!”
“You are the Hero, how can you be so stingy!”
The other person standing next to Maou, a lanky man, also started to protest,
“What, Alsiel! Do you have anything to say?”
The lanky man, a full head taller than Maou, is the Demon General Alsiel----Ashiya Shiro.
At the same time, he is also the Chisho in charge of all the housework and finances of the Demon Fortress.
“Anyway, you must be basing on the shallow reason that ‘You demons are a bane to Alas=Ramus’s education’ to disallow her from staying here!”
Maou and Ashiya are the King of the Demon World and Head General respectively, therefore, Emi, as the Hero, naturally viewed these enemies who once fought against her with animosity.
Through the coloured lenses ‘Demon’, Emi had already said many mean and poisonous comments to Maou and the others.
“But can you still be considered a ‘mother’ like this? Actually cruelly rejecting the wish of a child to be with her ‘father’, forget about Hero, no person is as cold and heartless as you. With regards to Alas=Ramus, shouldn’t we consider it carefully, disregarding past grudges?”
The girl who Emi entrusted Kamazuki Suzuno, a.k.a the Doctrinal Correction Council Inquisitor of the Ente Isla Church Crestia Bell to take care of----Alas=Ramus, is not a normal child.
The girl is a personification of a fragment of the orb which made the foreign world Ente Isla---- the ‘Yesod’ Sephira.
Alas=Ramus strongly believed that the Hero Emi and Demon King Maou is her own ‘Mama’ and ‘Papa’, and when she first came to Japan, she lived in the Demon Fortress as an independent entity.
After that, in order to prevent Alas=Ramus and the Holy Sword from falling into the hands of the angels of Ente Isla, Alas=Ramus could only merge with Emi’s Holy Sword ‘Evolving Holy Sword, One Wing’, and as a result, she had to move to Emi’s apartment.
After a series of commotions, in order to protect the girl, with regards to Alas=Ramus’s life in Japan, mutual enemies Maou and Emi should have made an agreement not to touch on each other’s past as much as possible.
However, Emi smiled at Ashiya’s claim.
“Past grudges~? Alsiel, do you really think I said this because of that kind of reason? Even though it’s not as if such a thing was not involved at all.”
“So there was such an influence after all.”
Emi ignored Maou’s rebuke and continued to speak,
“But, even if I do not consider the fact that all of you are demons, I will definitely not approve of Alas=Ramus staying in this room!”
After saying this, Emi walked up to the closet without hesitation and opened the sliding door in one go.
“Uwahh!”
An embarrassing scream was heard from the top layer of the closet which was opened, and a small sized young man rolled out at the same time.
The young man is the one who ran into the closet to hide when Emi shouted at the beginning and then continued to hide inside while eavesdropping, the former Demon General Lucifer, a.k.a Urushihara Hanzo.
“Th, that’s dangerous! What are you doing!”
Urushihara, who was barely able to use his hand to brace himself on the tatami to avoid hitting his head, protested, but Emi ignored him.
Emi said to the closet which was emptied after being vacated by Urushihara,
“If all of you want Alas=Ramus to stay no matter what, then at least buy a futon!”
The three demons could only stay silent because they had nothing else to say in return.
Not only Ashiya, Emi also wished to do her upmost to fulfil Alas=Ramus’s wishes.
After all, to Alas=Ramus, the Demon Fortress which she lived for that one week is her true home, if she did not merge with Emi’s holy sword later, perhaps she might still be living here.
But just from the results, after being taken in by Emi, Alas=Ramus’s living environment changed a lot.
After all, Emi’s apartment had air conditioning installed.
This is especially important for a young child.
These few days, the highest temperature in Tokyo city is over 35 degrees. Even though Villa Rosa Sasazuka’s ventilation conditions is good in comparison, it was still enough to let Emi, silently glaring at the demons, to start sweating on the forehead, which did not help much with the temperature.
And the second point which made Emi angry is the futon.
Emi was not familiar with the culture of sleeping on the floor, so even if she lived in Japan, she also slept on the bed.
Until now, Emi was unable to forget the scene when Alas=Ramus slept in Emi’s room for the first time.
“Soft! So soft!”
At that time, Alas=Ramus patted Emi’s mattress very happily.
Emi only found out at that time that, in the past, Alas=Ramus actually slept directly on the towels laid on the tatami.
Compared to Japan, Ente Isla could not be considered well-to-do, whether in their culture or their economy, however unless it is in especially impoverished countries, every family would have their own beds. On the contrary, Japan is an economic powerhouse with a wide commodity range, and Maou is living a normal social life here, so Emi could not imagine why he would not even buy one futon.
“I won’t ask all of you to buy those that use soft material like a 100% down quilt. But no matter what, asking a child to sleep directly on a tatami at night is too much. Children at this age have very soft bone structure, what if her body picks up bad habits because of such a strange sleeping style!”
Basically, this environment of having three demons sleep in the tatami in a 川 pattern in the summer is already intolerable.
Even though Maou and the rest are the type of pay attention to their attire and cleanliness, but unless there is an anti-odour, anti-bacterial mist sprayer nearby, Emi would not even want to step on the tatami barefoot.
Emi and Ashiya were totally unable to rebuke Emi’s stern words out of a sense of justice. As for Urushihara, he showed an unconcerned look and planned to return to the cupboard, but after being glared by Emi, he frantically ran to the area next to the window.
“……I’ve been puzzled since before, why don’t you buy futons? Don’t tell me you don’t even have money for this?”
If they just buy a one person quilt, even walking into the store to buy an entire sleeping set will not cost that much money.
As long as they are not too fussy, they would be able to buy decent quality products for the whole year with a budget of around 15,000 yen.
“Even though you have such a complete storage space, it’s a waste not to make use of it. Wouldn’t it completely become Lucifer’s personal room like this?”
Emi looked at the opened closet and sighed deeply.
“I have already given up, and started seeing that place as a place to store Lucifer.”
“Ashiya, are you saying in a roundabout way that I am a burden here?”
Even though Urushihara protested to Ashiya’s mumbles, Emi actually partially acknowledged Ashiya’s opinion.
“……Then not considering the upper layer, the bottom layer doesn’t seem to have anything stored besides cardboard boxes……as long as it is cleaned up, there should be space that can be used.”
“Emilia, can you not say it like it’s already confirmed that I will be kept in the upper layer?”
Emi ignored Urushihara’s protests and turned towards Maou.
“……Even though I don’t really want to say this.”
Therefore, Maou could only lower his head like he had given up, changed to a more relaxed sitting position and said,
“Before I answer, Emi, let me ask you something first, after you return to Ente Isla, what do you plan to do with the home appliances you own?”
“Home appliances? You’re referring to the electronics I’m using at home?”
Emi subconsciously looked at the kitchen of the Demon Fortress, and pointed to the fridge and microwave, Maou also nodded in reply.
“Even though it depends on the circumstances, but for electronics like microwave and fridge, as long as it is modified to using spells to provide electricity, it probably can be taken back for use.”
“Taking things back from a foreign world is probably not that good right. Doesn’t things like this happen often? Technology cohesion being messed up because technologically advanced items are brought back or something?”
Even if Emi could roughly understand what Maou was trying to express, she still shrugged and said,
“I travelled the whole of Ente Isla in order to fight the Demon King, and even came to a foreign world in the end. Even if I bring some tools which can make my life more convenient afterwards back, I probably will not get persecuted by Heaven.”
“……I really don’t know if your actions are considered greedy or not.”
In order to prevent Emi from criticising him, Ashiya said this softly.
Just from this statement, perhaps people will think that Emi’s thinking of monopolising Earth’s technology in Ente Isla is a kind of arrogance.
But on the other hand, travelling the world, putting her life on the line to defeat the Demon King, the reward she wants for bring peace to the world is actually just a microwave and fridge, products on the level of prizes which can be won from a department store street lottery, Emi can be said to be desire-free.
“But, honestly, I have also considered similar things before. I also wish to bring the microwave back, and hope that my home has 2 or three fridges. But……”
As he spoke, Maou started to look at the closet behind Emi.
“A futon……can’t be handled that way. Think about it carefully, we’re demons you know.”
“Eh?”
“Urushihara is still okay, even if he reverts to his original form, he won’t change much. But with Ashiya’s height right now, he can’t even fit into a long towel you know? And my situation is about the same.”
When he reached this point, Emi finally understood.
Their male human form right now, is just a temporary state.
The true forms of Maou, Ashiya and Urushihara are demons from the Demon World, especially the outer appearances of Maou and Ashiya’s demon form, their builds far exceed that of an adult male.
“……Pu!”
After thinking to this point, Emi could not help but laugh.
And Maou, like he already expected Emi’s reaction, turned his head to the side with a frown.
“D, does it matter, pu! You’re a Demon King walking the commoner route anyway! Ahaha! Like this, in order to prevent the horn I cut off from hurting, should you buy a softer pillow……ahahahaha!”
“Don’t laugh! Don’t laugh while thinking of Demon King-sama in his demon form sleeping while being covered in a human sized futon!”
Imagining Maou in his Demon King form lying on an overly small futon, Emi laughed until she could not close her mouth, while Ashiya protested, blushing.
“Hey, Ashiya, imagining in such a detailed manner, it actually makes me angry.”
“Eh?”
“……Anyway, the futon will be useless even if it brought over, and……”
Maou crossed his arms, looked at Emi in an overbearing manner, and said,
“If I prepare a bed for myself to sleep in, it feels like I will definitely stay in this world. So it’s purely because I don’t want to buy any. To me, Japan is just a temporary place to stay after all.”
“Ahaha……ha……”
After laughing for a while, she stuck her hands on her hip and said in an irritated manner,
“A Demon King actually believing this such superstitions, you really can’t be helped anymore. Then again, you better not say such things in front of Chiho.”
“……”
Emi said the name of a young girl who is not present to remind Maou.
A high school girl who is the only person in Japan to know the true identities of Maou and Emi and the situation of the foreign world Ente Isla----Sasaki Chiho, even if she knew Maou is the Demon King, she still liked him.
If Maou said that Japan is just a temporary place to stay in front of her, Chiho would definitely feel depressed.
To Emi, Chiho is a very important friend.
“……Sigh, to be serious, buying futons for three people is quite a large sum right? No matter what, we don’t have that kind of leeway, and now, it did not seem necessary.
“Yeah, it’s not like I don’t understand.”
Even if Emi would not go so far to interfere in the economic situation of others, there are other areas that she could not understand.
“But you came to Japan for almost a year right? With this situation, how did you go through winter?”
In summer, they could at least still barely make it through by making a bed on the floor.
But when the cold winter arrives, not using a blanket in a room without heating feels like a suicidal move……
“When we first bought this kotasu, they gave us a thin blanket. After that it wearing more layers of clothing, and then Ashiya will climb in from the opposite direction to sleep.”
“Eh……”
Maou placed her hand on the kotasu in the middle of the room used as the dining table, work table and other uses, and said this proudly, as for Urushihara, who had never experienced winter in Japan, he groaned with an expressionless face.
“……Sigh, if you plan to freeze during winter this year, then I have nothing much to say…….”
There’s no need to fight them, from the way the Demon King and the rest are living, they would die on their own even if she ignored them.
“Seriously, all of you.”
Even if she continued to discuss, it would never end.
“Alright. Just like what Alsiel said just now, I also treasure Alas=Ramus……the money to buy the futon, let me contribute.”
“Seriously?”
“What did you say?”
“Really?”
The three demons suddenly looked at Emi with sparkling eyes.
Seeing their respectful gazes, Emi’s eyes narrowed and cleared the misunderstanding the three of them had.
“I was talking about Alas=Ramus’s you know? Why do I have to help all of you pay for futons. By the way, you are also her ‘Papa’ right? Of course you have to pay half of it.”
At that instant, the expressions on Maou and the others were so depressed they it gave people the urge to video it down for safekeeping.
“Why did I have to say it in a moment of rashness.”
The next day, under the swaying of the train, she immediately regretted the words she said at the Demon Fortress the day before.
Wrong, considering Alas=Ramus’s situation, Emi still cannot ban the girl from meeting Maou, about this, she had already accepted it.
The problem is that Emi and Alas=Ramus were linked together through the holy sword.
Emi and Alas=Ramus, who were merged together because of the holy sword, they were unable to stay beyond a certain distance away from each other.
In other words, for Alas=Ramus to stay in the Demon Fortress, Emi would need to stay nearby.
Even though she knew doing so would cause trouble for other people, it would be alright as long as Emi stayed at Suzuno’s place next day, the problem is whether Alas=Ramus was willing to let it be that way.
In the past, during the commotion where Heaven wanted to obtain Alas=Ramus, Emi, Maou and Alas=Ramus had spent a night together ‘exclusively as a family’.
As long as Alas=Ramus still clearly remembered the events of that day, she would definitely want the three of them to sleep together.
Even though at that time, the situation where Emi and Maou would share the same pillow because they did not have any futons for adults would probably not occur, but in some sense, there was a problem which was simpler and more realistic than Emi’s mental health.
“Alsiel and Lucifer can’t be chased out right……”
Which is the current Demon Fortress did not have enough space for Emi to sleep.
The situation now is different from the time Emi previously stayed the night.
No matter how small Urushihara was, having three guys lying down on the Demon Fortress’s tatami is already the limit. Even by forcing it, just like before, there should only be enough gap to fit Alas=Ramus.
Even if they tried their best to move the computer table and kotasu away, Emi would still need to be very close to the demons to sleep together with Alas=Ramus.
Even if it is for Alas=Ramus, Emi still has things she could not do. Whether it is as a Hero, or as a woman.
“Stuff Lucifer into the cupboard……can’t be done right.”
If Urushihara was allowed to cause noise in the cupboard like Zashiki Warashi, Alas=Ramus might be frightened and cry.
Even though Ashiya and Urushihara stayed at Suzuno’s place next door last time, but it was really an exceptions amongst exceptions.
“I need to find a way for Alas=Ramus to accept……”
Why did she have to feel troubled over issues like divorced couples fighting over custody.
“……And I don’t know how to choose a child’s futon at all……I’m seriously too hasty.”
Emi used the internet browser on her mobile phone in a melancholy manner.
Emi had went to a nearby clothing store to buy her own futon, but unfortunately when she made a detour before she returned home yesterday, she discovered that futons for children were not sold there.
Even if she planned to search on the internet, it was still a futon for Alas=Ramus when she’s sleeping.
Even though Emi hoped to buy something which the person herself likes and with better quality, since she had agreed with Maou to pay half the price each, Emi did not want to buy on her own without matching the other party’s monetary values, and then get nagged by that group of demons afterwards.
What kind of futon would be good.
In Japan, Emi already cultivated a habit of directly asking someone else when she had something she did not understand.
So even though she troubled over many things last night, during the afternoon today she still nonchalantly asked her colleague and friend Suzuki Rika,
“Ne, do you know where I can buy a futon for children?”
“Eh?”
One of her colleagues working at the customer service centre of the mobile phone company Docodemo branch company----Suzuki Rika, after hearing Emi’s question, not only did she widen her eyes, she even dropped the fork she wanted to use to eat the lunch set spaghetti.
“H, hey, Rika, what’s wrong?”
Even if Emi was very surprised at Rika’s strong reaction----
“Of, of course I will get a shock. It’s because Emi suddenly said something about a futon for children……eh? Why do you have to buy such a thing?”
“Yeah, didn’t I mention before that Maou is helping a relative look after a child?”
Before Emi had looked for Rika to discuss how to get along with Alas=Ramus.
Therefore Emi also said so naturally this time.
“Y, yeah.”
“Actually that child is now…………………”
At this moment, Emi froze.
This was an obvious mistake.
However even if the words spoken just now were not well thought through, Emi could not take back her words.
“What? The child of Maou-san’s relative? Is it the child whom you said thought you were her mother?”
“Yeah, that’s her, and then, that child……”
Is currently at my house.
Emi should have considered beforehand what Rika’s reaction would be if she told Rika this.
Even though Rika is Emi’s good friend, she was not like Sasaki Chiho who knew Emi and Maou’s true identity.
Even if she knew the existence of Alas=Ramus, Rika naturally still did not know the true identity of the girl, so before, Emi could only tell Rika the girl is Maou’s relative.
“Will occasionally come to my home……and would sometimes stay at my place……”
Even though she knew this explanation was a little forced, unable to change the topic, Emi could only confess this.
“S, stay at your place? What’s with that? Why? The child called Alas or Silas, is being taken care of by Emi now?”
“Alas=Ramus!”
She was still her ‘child’, so Emi seriously corrected Rika’s sloppy way of addressing, but that was not what she cared about at all.
“That child is Maou-san’s relative right? Why must she be looked after by Emi? Isn’t that very strange?”
That’s right. Even if Rika did not explain, Emi also knew that this situation is very strange.
Until a few days ago, other than Alas=Ramus’s misunderstanding, there should not be any connections between Emi and her.
“What……even though I think it’s rather impossible, but did Maou-san see that the child is really attached to Emi, so he took the chance to push the caretaking job to you?”
Even though Rika picked up the fork she had dropped, her stern gaze was filled with suspicion.
After flinching once, Emi said,
“It, it’s not like that! He didn’t push the caretaking job to me……”
“Then why? Depending on the situation, I can help you teach Maou-san a lesson, you know? Or do I have to make use of the connections of my family’s company back home to introduce a lawyer to you?”
It feels that the topic had become more and more serious on the civil end.
“It’s no use even if you introduce a lawyer from Kobe to me, Rika, calm down a bit. Maou really did not give up on the responsibility of taking care of a child!”
From Rika’s aura, if she was not stopped, she might lose control and go to Maou’s place and punch him.
And regrettably, Emi would also feel troubled like this.
Because regardless of Maou’s attitude, it could not change the fact that that Emi and Alas=Ramus are currently inseparable existences.
“Erhm, how should I say it, with that child’s age, she would still miss her mother, and unfortunately, there’s only men at Maou’s place right? Suzuno living next door can’t seem to handle it, and Maou and I both like that child, so when there is a need, she would come at stay at my place. Of, of course we have also explained properly to Maou’s relatives.”
“Oh……even though it feels a bit strange……since the situation is like this, it’s not as if I don’t understand.”
“In addition, even if that child also likes Chiho, but no matter what, we can’t leave a child at the house of a high school girl right?”
“I feel that leaving it to a lady who isn’t your girlfriend is already strange enough.”
Rika looked like she still could not accept, but was eventually willing to back off.
“Then, regarding that futon for children, don’t tell me Emi is paying for it?”
“About those expenses, it will be paid by Maou.”
Actually he only paid half of it, but even if she told Rika, it would be pointless.
Rika crudely chewed on her fork, and thinking for a while, she said,
“A futon is considered bedding right? Talking about bedding, Nishikawa Bedding would be the first thing which comes to mind, but considering the economic situation of Maou-san, perhaps it would be rather difficult.”
“……Nishikawa huh.”
Nishikawa Bedding is more than 400 years old, it is an old Japanese brand and the largest manufacturer of bedding, it can be said that when it comes to bedding, people will think of Nishikawa.
“Considering the time period children can use it, perhaps it’s considered a little expensive. Why don’t you take this chance and just buy a larger one directly? She’s called Alas=Ramus right? That child is quite big already right?”
“True……uh, Rika, have you seen Alas=Ramus before?”
Emi, who did not remember letting Alas=Ramus meet Rika, asked this in confusion.
“……Oh, no, I only deduced it from what Emi said.”
Even though Rika seemed to hesitate for a moment, it should be a trick of the mind.
“Ah, that’s right, Even though going to a specialty shop is rather expensive, but if you go to a children’s product store like Ryomatsuya, there should be a discount even if it is Nishikawa made right? Actually if you really want something cheaper you have to buy online, but since it’s something for a child to sleep in, there should be some considerations for how it feels.”
“Ryomatsuya?”
“Eh? You don’t know? It’s a specialty chain selling various children’s clothes and daily products.”
“I don’t know. Even though I tried searching on the internet yesterday, all I found were shopping websites.”
Emi took out her phone, trying to search for the shop name Ryomatsuya.
“Ah……I really do not have any impression of seeing any in the city centre. It feels like that kind of store will be opened in the suburbs or the residential areas in the city fringe.”
Rika drank her after meal iced coffee, and put it down like she suddenly thought of something.
“Then again, the closest station to Emi and Maou-san’s house with Keio line right?”
“Eh? Y, yeah.”
Rika shouted loudly, and Emi, busily using her mobile phone’s small screen to search for shops got a fright and almost dropped her phone.
“Since it’s opened in the suburbs or residential areas in the city fringe, do you want to try going to Seiseki-sakuragaoka or Minami-osawa side to search for it?”
“Eh, why?”
Emi had seen these names in the route map inside the trains. She remembered that Seiseki-sakuragaoka is a Limited Express train station, and Minami-osawa is in front of a train interchange route.
Even though the station nearest to Emi’s home is the Keio line, but it is actually Eifukucho station on the Keio Inokashira Line.
From Shinjuku, after three stops on the Keio line, Emi will transfer trains at Meidaimae station, so she was not very clear on the stations after Meidaimae station on the Keio line.
“Around Minami-osawa, there is a large specialised outlet. Even branded items is sold very cheaply there. Eh, even though it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with futons, in addition, in front of Seiseki-sakuragaoka, there are many shopping centres under Keio, and there are many products from expensive to cheap ones, and it’s rather fun to walk around.”
“Shopping centre in the suburb huh……”
Emi mumbled a bit, then started to search the station name which Rika mentioned.
※
“Hey, Alas=Ramus, take off your shoes.”
“Ah-um, no~~”
“No, you’ll dirty the train seats like that.”
“Uu----”
Emi grabbed the small feet of Alas=Ramus who wanted to look outside the window from her train seat, planning to forcefully pull the sandals off.
Even though Alas=Ramus resisted for a bit—
“Hey, Alas=Ramus, be good and listen to Mama.”
“……Uu~~okay.”
But after she was chided by Maou sitting on the other side, the young girl obediently nodded and gave in to Emi’s manipulations, and once her feet were free, she immediately kneeled on the chair to look out of the window.
“Seriously……why is she so obedient to Papa’s words……”
Emi held the sandals which were taken off and turned to look at the scenery which Alas=Ramus was currently looking at.
“This is the difference of accumulated authority.”
“A Demon King wearing T-shirt and shorts, and even sandals shouldn’t have the right to talk about authority and things like that.”
“It’s hot today. And fathers on holiday should be like this right.”
Maou surveyed the interior of the train after saying this and Emi also imitated his actions.
“……Using your young appearance to say these words, it feels a bit strange.”
But it was useless even if they continued to discuss this topic.
An announcement within the train said the next stop was Chofu, and Emi sighed after hearing this like she had given up.
They were on the Keio line on a weekday, on the Limited Express train towards Keio-hachioji station.
As it was a train departing from Shinjuku on a holiday morning, the train was still considered crowded, not knowing if it was considered good luck or bad luck, Emi, Alas=Ramus and Maou were seated together in one line.
Maou only found out from Emi during the weekend that they are going to a place called Seiseki-sakuragaoka station to buy Alas=Ramus’s futon.
If they set off from Sasazuka, they need to transfer to the Limited Express train at Meidaimae station, but in the beginning, Maou hesitated about this journey.
After all, just from the route, it can be known that this place is very far away from Sasazuka.
Even if Emi claimed the products there are a lot of product choices, regardless of quality or price, Maou still could not understand it that well.
“I want to go out with Papa.”
However after Alas=Ramus said this through the phone, when Maou came to his senses, he discovered that he had already agreed.
It was only after Maou hung up the phone, did he think that if he went out with Alas=Ramus, then Emi would definitely come along.
“……What’s with that note of yours?”
Maou, who did not bring anything else besides his wallet and mobile phone, was holding a piece of paper in his hand, and Emi asked when she saw this.
“Yeah, it’s a shopping list, Ashiya said to buy them if they’re cheap.”
Emi took the note which Maou passed to her across Alas=Ramus on reflex.
Once she saw the contents----
“One bag of onions, soy sauce, natto, dish washing liquid refill……even if it’s cheaper, there’s no need to specially take the train to buy them right?”
“That’s right. It feels like that guy is mistaken about something.”
After Maou shoved the note which Emi passed back into his pocket, he suddenly leaned towards Alas=Ramus and said,
“Alas=Ramus, is there anything outside?”
“Yeah, plane.”
“Oh? Oh, that’s right. It’s so high.”
“And MgRonron.”
“Hm?”
“MgRonron!”
“Hm? What is that?”
Alas=Ramus turned and faced Maou who did not hear properly and tried to explain.
“Uh……”
“……She referring to the MgRonalds sign.”
Emi, who could not continue standing by, spoke up to help.
“What did you say?”
“When you take the train, won’t you normally see the signs on the roads along the track?”
“……Yeah, that’s true.”
Just as he said this, Alas=Ramus, who found MgRonalds at the plaza in front of the station----
“Papa! MgRonron!”
“Oh, it’s true.”
While shouting a name which one could not tell was a fish or a bird, like a new species of animal, she reported to her Papa.
“After all, the name MgRonalds is hard to pronounce.”
“Recently, she kept making noise about wanting to eat it. Even though I told her it’s too early.”
“Is that so?”
Once Maou asked this, Emi, with a heartfelt expression of aversion, said with a stony face in a position which Alas=Ramus could not see,
“She said that place ‘has the same smell as Papa’.”
“……Alas=Ramus is really a good kid!”
Ignoring Emi’s unhappy expression, Maou reached over, planning to touch Alas=Ramus.
“Aauu.”
However, Alas=Ramus, who leaned her forehead against the window to see outside, hit her forehead because of the violent shaking of the window in reaction to the wind pressure from the train travelling in the opposite direction.
“U, uwahhhhh!”
The young girl, who got a shock, started to cry loudly.
“Oh, ohhh, did it hurt just now? Are you alright, Alas=Ramus!”
Maou frantically used the hand which planned to touch Alas=Ramus to carry her and did his best to comfort her.
“Sorry, sorry.”
Emi quietly apologised to the people around her, and as there were more empty seats after Maou picked Alas=Ramus up----
“……………….Ah~seriously!”
Therefore Emi could only tolerate the cold stares from around her, approach Maou and squeeze together with him.
“…………………………………Sigh.”
Maou and Emi got off at the Seiseki-sakuragaoka platform after a big turn and looked at each other tiredly.
“……Why is it that even though she can face off with an archangel, she can still cry because her forehead hit the window which got shaken by wind pressure……?”
“I also……do not know.”
“……Fu……fu.”
Alas=Ramus, who got tired after crying, was currently sleeping in Maou’s arms.
Even if they walked from an air conditioned train to the outside filled with humidity, the young girl still did not show any signs of waking up.
“Toddlers are really full of surprises……”
“Just not worrying about her getting lost, is already considered quite good……oh my?”
When they were talking, a young couple pushing a baby pram, taking along a child slightly smaller than Alas=Ramus, coincidentally passed by them.
“……So it can also be done that way huh.”
“But our activity zone has too many stairs and differences in height of the surfaces, so it doesn’t feel that convenient, in addition, with Alas=Ramus’s age, she shouldn’t be able to fit into a baby pram anymore right?”
“That model occasionally can be seen in the store, there are customers who let their children who are almost kindergarten age to sit in baby prams……oh!”
As Alas=Ramus almost slipped down, Maou swayed his body to adjust his grip on her.
“I do occasionally see those people. But to buy a baby pram suitable for this child’s body size, it might not be that cheap……”
Emi realised that from an unknown moment onwards, she had already stuck to Maou’s side to watch Alas=Ramus’s sleeping face, and was talking to Maou at the same time.
Once she remembered what had happened in the train----
“H, hey, what’s wrong?”
“……Ugh!”
And could not help but sit on the bench next to her tiredly.
“Is it heat stroke? Or do you feel uncomfortable?”
Emi, sitting on the bench, looked up and glared at Maou, who seemed to be panicking----
“Like this, we’re……like a real married couple……”
And said this angrily at the same time like an angry sigh from deep within her heart.
“…………ah?”
Maou also subconsciously gave a dangerous expression and frowned.
“I say.”
“What.”
“When normal girls say this, they should be a bit more bashful.”
This time, Emi really hoped that she had fainted because of heat stroke.
“Do you wish for me to react that way?”
“How is that possible.”
“……I’m going to kill you……sigh.”
[Image of embarrassed Emi sitting on the bench]
Even if her face really looked horrible, Emi still stood up from the bench.
“……Then in order to prevent this scene from happening in the future, let’s quickly finish our original goal and go back. Seriously, making me mess up my pace like this.”
“Those are my lines!”
They may have said this, but because Alas=Ramus is also present, Maou and Emi still walked down the stairs of the station side by side.
“……If this scene is seen by Chiho, it would be difficult to handle.”
“Hm?”
“……It’s nothing.”
※
“Oh my, this little girl is so cute! May I know how old she is now?”
“………………”
“A, around two years old! Ahahaha!”
After walking out of the ticket gantry, Maou’s group came to the baby products outlet at Seiseki-sakuragaoka shopping centre nearby.
Emi froze after hearing the female staff member’s innocent question, so Maou could only frantically reply with a stiff smile.
“H, hey, get a hold of yourself!”
“……Ah!”
Luckily Maou shook Emi’s shoulder who had a slack gaze with his free hand, and things did not become worse.
Right now, Alas=Ramus was lying in Maou’s arms and resting.
“May I know what products the both of you are looking for today?”
“Uh, erhm, we looking for futons which this child can use……”
Because Emi, the one who is supposed to act as the guide, had not recovered completely, Maou had no choice but to reply.
“Is that so, I understand. Before, did she sleep in a baby cot or something?”
Maou, unable to answer that he let her sleep directly on the tatami----
“Uh, she slept together with her mother……”
“……………ugh!”
And Emi froze again.
“Hey! Don’t blank out every time you realise the meaning of the word ‘family’!”
“Excuse me……?”
Maou-san’s rebuke caused the staff to become suspicious this time.
“Ah, erhm, it’s nothing. Normally, she sleeps in the same futon as her mother.”
“I, I see……together with her mother. If so, then your daughter should be the type to not move much when she sleeps right?”
“……That’s true. She is rather placid when she sleeps.”
Actually, from Maou’s impression, even though Alas=Ramus will cry at night when she was staying at the Demon Fortress, but her sleeping state was not so bad that she would roll around.
“But, is there any problem like this……?”
“Ah, yes. Because after children leave the baby crib with limited space, their sleeping posture will change a lot. So there are examples of mothers who get a shock because their child who was originally very placid when sleeping suddenly become very active.”
“I see.”
“But there are parents who do not use baby cots, so for this part, it will differ from person to person. If your daughter does not move much even when resting, then I think that preparing a better quality one for her would not be a problem. Please come this way, I’ll introduce the products to you.”
“Yeah. Hey, Emi.”
“……Ah, yeah.”
Emi, who had not regained her senses, followed obediently after Maou pulled her sleeve.
The staff brought Maou’s group to a large sized square plastic cabinet, and displayed on it were a few sets of futons with designs which seemed suited for children.
“It comes with a cloth doll as well?”
“This is for the children to hold onto when they sleep. Because when they have something to grab, they feel more reassured.”
After the female staff nodded and replied, she pointed to one of the futon sets.
“The price of this set is 29,800 yen……”
“20,000……”
This time it was Maou’s turn to instantly freeze.
“Includes the mattress, with the ability to adjust the contents of the futon and pillow according to the season, and their covers, as well as the addition of a non-irritant towel and cloth doll for children. All this is one set. The products facing each other on the shelf, are split into the two types of futons used for summer and winter as well as their covers, the price of this set is 35,800 yen.”
“Three……”
“Can these sets be washed directly in a washing machine at home?”
At this time, rather than saying Emi finally regained her senses and helped Maou ask questions.
It was more like Emi’s consciousness registered from the corner of her eye that Maou was opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish because he lacked oxygen, and forcefully continued the interaction in order to maintain the scene.
“Of course.”
The staff nodded with force and looked at Alas=Ramus sleeping in Maou’s arms.
“According to the father……”
At this moment, Emi used all her effort to tolerate it so she would not lose consciousness because of this.
“Your daughter doesn’t seem to move much when she sleeps.”
“……Yeah, I feel that her sleeping state should be considered quite alright.”
“For children at your daughters age, as they are still growing, their bodies are very soft, if their sleeping state is too good, it would already cause a burden to their bones and muscles. Even in adults, maintaining the same posture when sleeping would cause the body to stiffen, and for children, it might affect their development, so the better the sleeping state of the children, we would strongly recommend using futons made from soft material.”
“Development huh……”
Emi carefully thought about what the female staff member said and looked towards Alas=Ramus, who was being carried by Maou.
And took the chance to light push Maou’s shoulder as he looked at the prices on the shelf in an absentminded manner.
“Hey, you better not cause Alas=Ramus to fall because you’re blanking out.”
Maou seemed to finally returned to reality and frantically used his hands to tighten his grip on Alas=Ramus.
“O, oh! E, even though I can understand what the staff member means, but 35,000 yen……”
“It looks like you’re still listening……can I ask you about something?”
“Please go ahead.”
After Emi breathed in lightly, she asked the female staff,
“Even though it’s a basic question, but for a child’s futon, around what age can they use it until?”
“……Honestly……”
The female staff replied with a wry smile.
“Even though in certain circumstances, it can only be decided by the child’s development. However, for children to like to move around when they’re resting, even without considering a futon, it would be better to buy a bigger mattress. Basically the products here are targeted at children around 100cm……”
“Decided by the child’s development huh……”
“……Emi?”
Maou agreed with the explanation of the female staff while he felt confused at Emi, who looked at Alas=Ramus with a stern expression.
“……I understand. Thank you. We still wish to browse around some more, can I get a catalogue for reference?”
“Of course. Please look at more products and research carefully. Let me go and get a few catalogues for you now.”
After watching the staff walk into the storeroom while smiling, Emi said softly,
“Hey, Demon King……”
“Ah?”
The seemingly lonely expression which Emi showed when she turned around, should not be a trick of Maou’s mind.
“Would Alas=Ramus grow up like a normal child?”
“……”
What Emi wanted to ask should not be whether Alas=Ramus’s body to become an adult.
She definitely did not wish to escape the responsibility.
But for Alas=Ramus, who had parents like the Hero and Demon King, which were not blood related to her----
“What would be the better way for her to grow up……”
Behind Emi, the female staff was holding the shopping centre bag containing the catalogues with a smile on her face, however, in Maou’s eyes, this scene was really too surreal.
※
“How should I put it, it feels really extreme.”
Maou mumbled as he walked along the corridor of the fourth shopping centre.
“Even though I thought 30,000 yen is too exaggerated, the price in the next store suddenly dropped to 3,000 yen, this actually leaves a bad feeling……why don’t we take the middle, and choose one around 15,000 yen?”
“That 3,000 yen one is an afternoon nap set used by day care centres right. It’s totally different from the futon sets for children to sleep properly at night. Then again, even though you have always been such a miser, why are you suddenly so generous?”
Maou answered Emi without hesitation,
“I was only confused because I saw such a high price at the beginning. Even though it would be troubling if it’s too expensive, having it too cheap makes one feel uneasy……”
After saying this, Maou looked towards the area next to her feet.
“Papa, what is it?”
“……Ignoring adults like me, Ashiya and Urushihara, since it’s for Alas=Ramus to use, of course I would hope to buy something better.”
Emi, like Maou, also looked towards the area next to her feet.
Alas=Ramus, who just woke up from a short afternoon nap, was currently holding Papa and Mama’s hands, moving her feet with all her effort to follow the both of them.
“Yeah, Alas=Ramus, there are stairs in front, you have to properly grab Mama’s hand okay!”
“Oh!”
“Eh? Wait……”
Alas=Ramus grabbed Mama’s hand tightly, and Emi gripped back on reflex.
“Yo-sha!”
“Ye~~yah!!”
Maou and Emi both pulled Alas=Ramus in the middle onto the stairs.
Alas=Ramus grabbed onto the hands of Papa and Mama and cheered and smoothly landed on the top of the stairs.
“…………ugh!”
“Hey, Emi, you should be used to it now! It would be like this all day today.”
Maou said in a relaxed manner to Emi who could not help but kneel on the spot.
“Mama, are you okay? Is it hot?”
In addition, with Alas=Ramus also starting to worry about Emi, it became harder to accept.
“Alright, Alas=Ramus, since Mama seems to be tired, then let’s go eat.”
“Eat!”
Alas=Ramus held onto her parents’ hands happily and shook them back and forth happily.
“MgRonron!”
“Hm? MgRonalds might still be too early for Alas=Ramus.”
“No, I want MgRonron!”
Even though it was not known by MgRonron meant to Alas=Ramus, this young girl seemed to be very stubborn with regards to MgRonalds.
“Hey, did you let her eat it before?”
“I did not, but not just MgRonalds, this child seems to be sensitive to the smell of all fast foods.”
“Smell huh……”
Maou remembered when Alas=Ramus met Kisaki----
“The same smell as Papa.”
And said this.
“Hey, Alas=Ramus.”
“What is it?”
“Why do you want to eat MgRonalds?”
Maou, who suddenly felt curious, asked, and Alas=Ramus replied in a cheerful manner,
“Papa’s smell!”
““…………””
Maou and Emi could not help but look at each other.
“Ne, Mama, we’re sleeping at Papa’s house today right?
“……Let’s eat first okay?”
Emi changed the topic in order to avoid Alas=Ramus’s pure gaze, and lowered her head in a lonely manner.
“……Hey, Emi.”
“What is it……”
“Are you feeling depressed?”
“……Ah?”
Maou suddenly asked this randomly, making Emi truly confused.
Maou, who did not expect Emi to react this way, suddenly felt bad.
“Uh, erhm, I was thinking if you feel jealous or something because Alas=Ramus only cares about me.”
“……I say, I’m not that self-centred. Ah, look, there’s a map over there. Why don’t we take a look to see where we can get lunch?”
“Y, yeah.”
The direction Emi pointed in, is the restaurant guide inside the shopping centre, and at the same time, there were a few families happily discussing what they should eat for lunch today.
“She originally lived at your place, so missing you is a natural thing to feel.”
“O, oh……”
“I’m just troubled if I should prioritise the ‘Hero’, or the ‘Mother’……let me see what Alas=Ramus can eat……”
In front of the guide panel, Emi stared at the meal photos recommended by every store, and replied nonchalantly.
“……I feel kind of bad like this. To me, whichever side taking precedence is no different to me……how about soba?”
“You don’t have to feel bad at all. Didn’t I say so before……the soba in that store is expensive? Since it comes with tempura.”
“What does that mean? Hm…..tempura huh.”
“It doesn’t mean anything……then again, is it alright for you to eat outside? Do you have money?”
“Hm, I may look like this, but I do have money on me. Every month, I can freely use a portion of my salary, and for every workday, I can get 300 yen of allowance. As long as I don’t use it that day, I would be able to save 300 yen per day, it’s fine even if I eat tempura with Alas=Ramus……eh, were we discussing about this just now?”
“We were discussing what to eat for lunch right?”
“Uh, I remember that we’re discussing a more serious topic……”
“Oh, that issue. I just feel that it’s useless even if we talk about it, so it would be better not to…..spaghetti, I’m a bit sick of eating it.”
“What. Try talking about it then.”
“MgRonron!”
Amongst the listed stores, Alas=Ramus, with sharp eyes, spotted the MgRonalds symbol and shouted happily, for unknown reasons, Emi showed a somewhat happy expression and looked sideways at Maou.
“If even more than ‘Demon King’, you’re willing to prioritise being a ‘father’ and give up on conquering the world and living in Japan for your whole life, then I do not have to be so persistent.”
The scene that day suddenly surfaced in Maou’s mind.
After finishing an evening shift, the intersection at Sasazuka.
The Emi at that time, what kind of feelings did she have when she said this to the enemy who killed her father whom she put her life on the line to chase after----
“If you’re willing to live out the rest of your life in this country, and there is no need for me to see you as an enemy.”
At that time, Alas=Ramus was not here. The Demon King and Hero were just enemies.
In reality, the new fates between these two people, who did she think about this?
Wrong, no matter what she thought, what could be confirmed was that Emi truly did not wish for others to think that she and Maou are husband and wife.
But how about with regards to ‘as the mother of a young girl’……?
“……Hey.”
“What?”
“For MgRonalds fries, as long as you tell the staff beforehand, you can ask them not to add salt. Why don’t we let Alas=Ramus eat a little.”
“Eh? Why so sudden?”
“In addition, there should be a lot of people in every store anyway, why don’t we bring to out there?”
Maou did not answer Emi’s question, and pointed directly to a point on the map of the area around Seiseki-sakuragaoka which was located next to the restaurant guide.
“Ne, Alas=Ramus.”
“What is it?”
Maou slowly picked up Alas=Ramus, who had looked up and answered him, meeting her gaze and said,
“Let’s go have a picnic.”
※
“The wind is so strong!”
Emi pressed down her hair being blown around by the wind on reflex.
“It’s a river!”
“Oh, this place is rather spacious.”
The three of them were currently at the bank of the Tama river.
Below the Keio line overpass on the right side, there was an organised park, soccer field and tennis court, and the scenery looks very beautiful.
“Why is that area of grass over there the only area which isn’t landscaped?”
“I see that there are people currently barbecuing meat on the other side, but it seems like it can’t be done in the park on this side, so what standards to they use to differentiate them?”
There was a large bridge on the left side, and a large group of people barbecuing meat could be seen near the pier of the bridge.
“Papa! Park! Park!”
After seeing the leisure facilities installed at the river bank, Alas=Ramus’s eyes instantly shone.
“Yeah, but let’s eat first. The chairs nearby aren’t taken up, let’s go there.”
Maou, carrying Alas=Ramus, walked in front of Emi, and walked down the river embankment first.
His goal was the old wooden bench which would fit the family of three nicely.
Luckily, that bench was under a large tree, so it looked like it could also provide some shade.
“……Alas=Ramus knows what a park is huh.”
Emi said in surprise.
“I have never taken her to one before……”
“When she was still staying at my house, Ashiya and Suzuno seemed to have taken her to the park near the apartment before a few times yeah?”
“Mama! Swing! I want to play on the swing!”
As for Alas=Ramus, she stretched her body out beyond Maou’s shoulders like she could not wait to run off.
“Because we’re always merged……so it feels like every time I go out with her, it would be to work……”
Alas=Ramus could not stay still and surveyed the wide river embankment around her, and cheered at everything she saw, seeing this scene, Emi felt a little pain in her heart.
“She did accumulate a lot of stress after all. Looks like I have to reduce my shifts a bit……”
“If the current situation is still manageable, it’s best not to do such a thing.”
After letting Alas=Ramus sit on the targeted bench, Maou gave the MgRonalds takeaway bag to the young girl.
After Alas=Ramus used both her hands to receive it, she hugged the paper bag with shining eyes.
“MgRonron!”
“Of course, it would be best to stay with her 24 hours a day. But for us, we would still have to work in order to earn money. When Alas=Ramus was still staying at the Demon Fortress, I also did not have much time to play with her at all. I left it completely to Ashiya and Suzuno to take care of her……hey, Alas=Ramus, stretch your hand out. You have to wipe your hands before eating.”
Maou squatted in front of the bench, and as he used the wet tissues bought from a convenience store to wipe Alas=Ramus’s small hands, he looked up at Emi and said,
“Sit. You also want to eat right.”
“……Yeah.”
Emi obliged and sat next to Alas=Ramus.
“Yo-sha……alright, Alas=Ramus, what do you have to do before eating?”
Maou sat on Alas=Ramus’s other side, and looked down at the young girl.
“Oh! Let’s eat!”
Without even finishing the sentence, Alas=Ramus had already opened the small paper bag from MgRonalds and grabbed a piece of fries out.
“MgRonron!”
Inside the bag, there is only a box of small fries.
The remaining was different flavoured rice balls decided by Emi from a store which provides takeaway services.
“Emi, here, this is tea.”
What Maou passed to Emi is a bottled tea from the 100 yen store.
Emi took the tea after some hesitation, and after opening it, drank one mouthful.
“……Ah, it’s delicious……”
After confirming the brand on the bottle, Emi discovered that she had never seen the name of the manufacturer or the brand name before.
“I rather like this brand. Even though convenience stores sold this in early spring, perhaps because it didn’t sell that well, it was taken off the shelves immediately, it was only recently did the 100 yen store sold it with the price of two bottles for 100 yen. Sigh, but before the end of summer, it would probably disappear again.”
Maou laughed and at the same time, opened up the bottle with the same brand and started to drink.
“Hey, Alas=Ramus, you’ll be thirsty if you only eat fries. Drink some tea.”
“Gurgle……oh.”
Alas=Ramus, eating unsalted fries with big mouthfuls, placed her mouth against the bottle Maou held over, and after drinking a big mouthful with her small mouth, she swallowed.
“……With both of you like this, it’s like a real father and daughter.”
Under the rays of the summer sun, a young father, sitting on the bench under the shade of the tree, was feeding his young daughter tea.
Other than that, Emi could not find any other words within her to describe this scene.
“It’s good if I could be one.”
“…………Eh?”
Unable to judge if Maou was answering her, Emi momentarily faltered.
“When you normally act as a mother, don’t you act like one as well?”
“Eh……er, erhm, that is……”
Can this sentence be taken as praise?”
“I have never thought about it before, about how long I can be with Alas=Ramus……and Alas=Ramus……”
It feels like the sounds of the families playing in the riverbank park suddenly became faraway.
“would she be able to always stay by our side.”
“……Demon King……”
“Pwah! Mama! Rice ball!”
“Eh, ah, yeah.”
Under the request of Alas=Ramus, who swallowed the tea and fries, Emi placed the container containing the rice ball and the free gift of pickled radish in front of Alas=Ramus.
“Oh, eating pickled radish from the start, Alas=Ramus is so mature.”
“I like, pickled radish.”
Alas=Ramus ate the pickled radish with large bites with clear chewing sounds.
“……It seems like as long as has the colour of ‘Malkuth’, she would like it.”
“……I see.”
Maou replied Emi’s explanation with a wry smile.
Alas=Ramus has a preference for yellow things.
The core of Alas=Ramus’s existence, is the ‘Yesod’ Sephira orb which makes up the world, and yellow is the colour of her comrade ‘Malkuth’.
The mother is the Hero with the mixed blood of an angel and human, the father is the Demon King of the demons, as for the daughter, Alas=Ramus, she is a personification of a Sephira.
With relations like this, it would be impossible to continue with perfect relations like normal human families, this is the obvious truth.
“But, it would be useless if we live a hesitant life every day because of this. Right now, it is impossible for us to abandon Alas=Ramus, and……”
Only at this time, Maou looked at Emi’s eyes in a steadfast manner and said,
“Since you have no plans to kill me with the holy sword, thinking about separating from Alas=Ramus is unnecessary. Thinking anymore about it would be useless.”
“……Ugh.”
Even though it was stated so clearly, Emi was still unable to retort.
The sword skills practiced to fight the Demon King and the holy sword which was obtained.
And Alas=Ramus contained within the holy sword.
If she used the holy sword to cut down Maou now, it will be the same as letting Alas=Ramus be covered in the blood of her ‘Papa’.
“E, even so……that doesn’t mean that I have already given up on fighting you……!”
This definitely does not mean that Emi had already forgiven Maou, and also does not mean that she had given up on her goal of fighting the Demon King.
Even if Emi used a heavier tone to emphasise this, Maou’s calm smile did not change at all.
“Don’t be so worked up. I don’t plan to take advantage of this to do bad things. Hey, Alas=Ramus, don’t grip it so hard……ah! You broke it up.”
“Ah, ah, the bonito flakes have all dropped out!”
When the two of them looked away to talk about serious topics, it was already too late.
Alas=Ramus squeezed the bonito flakes rice ball, and the rice ball fell apart entirely just like that.
“Ah, it’s sticky. Come, Alas=Ramus, give the rice ball to me. Hey, Emi, you should have disposable chopsticks right?”
“Ah, Yeah. Hey, Alas=Ramus, how can you make such a mess with the rice ball. Come, open your mouth.”
“Ah!”
Emi put the broken up rice ball she barely managed to save back into the container, and used disposable chopsticks to feed it to Alas=Ramus bit by bit.
“……Sigh, when we’re busy handling these things, we can’t be considered Demon King or Hero at all.”
“……”
Emi pretended to focus on feeding Alas=Ramus, intentionally ignoring Maou’s voice.
It feels like if she agreed with Maou’s words, it will cause her to feel like she lost.
And Maou seemed to not mind Emi’s reaction, and as he picked up the rice grains on Alas=Ramus’s clothes and put it in his mouth, he shouted loudly,
“The weather’s so good!”
He did not speak to any particular person, and said what he felt as he looked at the sky.
[Image of Alas=Ramus eating, Emi feeding her, and a troubled looking Emi]
※
“Ah~so tiring, hey!”
“……”
Even if it’s already 6pm in the afternoon, the sky of summer evening is still bright.
Maou, who got off at Sasazuka station yawned hugely and mumbled softly.
As for Alas=Ramus, she was sleeping soundly in Emi’s arms.
After eating lunch, accidentally forgetting the original purpose, Alas=Ramus, who played at the riverbank park leisure facilities until she was dead tired, fell asleep immediately once she got on the train back home.
Even if there was wind blowing at the riverbank, it could not change the reality of having a picnic under the sun, Maou and Emi, who were very tired, boarded various trains at the stations and returned to Sasazuka.
“Sigh, then Emi, I’m sorry, can I trouble you to take the futon catalogues to my house. I have to explain the situation to Ashiya.”
“……”
Emi could have changed trains at Meidaimae station on the way and gone home.
But because she was asked by Maou, she specially came to Sasazuka.
In the end, the two of them at Seiseki-sakuragaoka station, unable to choose which futon to buy for Alas=Ramus, after thinking about it, still choose the expensive set of futon at the beginning, however since the two of them are sharing the cost, Maou said if he did not consult Ashiya first, scary things might happen later.
Even if she could not tolerate this Demon King who had to go with the mood of his subordinates even when buying things, as Emi originally did not plan to make an immediate decision, she agreed that there was a need to discuss about it.
But on the return train, Maou was so tired that he slept.
And ever since Maou woke up at Sasazuka, Emi’s mood was bad, causing him to mind it very much.
After all, no matter what Maou said, Emi did not react at all.
“Hey, your face is very red. Don’t tell me you forgot to apply sunscreen?”
Maou looked over casually and discovered that underneath the white rays of the summer evening sun, her face was a little red for unknown reasons.
Maou, who remembered the strong sunlight at the river bank asked carelessly----
“……I say……”
But Emi’s deep and cold piercing stare caused him to shut up immediately.
“You actually…….you actually dared to……”
“O, oh?”
Emi was shaking for unknown reasons.
And anger flared up in her eyes.
Emi opened her mouth which looked like it could breathe fire any moment, abruptly approached Maou and said,
“You actually dared to keep leaning in my direction? Aahh?”
“Oooh? Eh? Re, really?”
Even though Maou, who went to sleep once he sat down, did not remember anything, Emi would not say such a meaningless lie.
“You still dare to ask me! How are you going to compensate me for humiliation I endured when an old lady who got on at Sakurajosui station asked ‘The whole family going out together? Your relationship with your husband is so good’!”
“Uh, that……”
Even if Emi was blushing furiously, she still shouted softly in order not to wake Alas=Ramus.
Seeing her aura, if she was not carrying Alas=Ramus, she might have just grabbed the front of Maou’s shirt.
“A, a few times I used my shoulder to bump you back, but every time the train stops, you would just lean over again……se, seriously, I almost thought I would die because my face caught on fire!”
“O, oh, I’m really sorry……”
“Actually I wanted to change trains at Meidaimae station, but because you and Alas=Ramus are asleep, there’s nothing I can do, this really is……I hate this, idiot!”
“H, hey, everyone is watching!”
Emi was lecturing Maou in a worked up manner while blushing and her voice grew louder and louder.
“L, look, Alas=Ramus is going to be woken up by you. Hey, ca, calm down a bit, let me help you carry Alas=Ramus, breathe deeply a bit.”
“I, I have always been calm……!”
Even so, Emi was passed Alas=Ramus to Maou, and exhaled deeply at the same time.
Even though they could sit down in the train, Emi, who could not relax at all, tried to move her stiff body, and stretched in order to calm herself down, just as she looked away to ignore Maou----
“Ah.”
“Ah.”
“…….ah.”
Her eyes met with a person passing by, and following that, whether it was Emi, Maou or that person, they froze on the spot.
“Maou-san, Yusa-san and Alas=Ramus?”
That person is Chiho.
Sasaki Chiho, wearing her school uniform, stared at the three of them in shock.
“Chi, Chi-chan?”
“H, hello, Chiho……”
Maou and Emi did not expect to meet Chiho at this time.
“What is it? Why is everyone here?”
Chiho asked calmly.
“Ah, yeah, erhm, we went to buy things.”
“Buy things?”
“T, that’s right. Even though it’s something Alas=Ramus needs, b, but I am unable to decide on my own.”
“I see. That’s true. After all, the environment changed after moving to Yusa-san’s home.”
Chiho, who knew Maou and Emi’s true identities, also knew Alas=Ramus’s true identity and situation.
So she did not react that much to Emi and Maou going out together.
“……Fwah……un.”
At this time, Alas=Ramus woke up in Maou’s arms.
“Ah, Chi-nee chan, ‘orning.”
Alas=Ramus, bleary eyed caught Chiho’s figure at the edge of her vision.
For reasons unknown, Maou and Emi suddenly thought the same things and predicted what will happen next and felt chills down their spine.
“Good morning, Alas=Ramus-chan. Where did you go today?”
Chiho asked nonchalantly, and Alas=Ramus, who liked her Papa and Mama the most, answered honestly,
“I went on a picnic with Papa and Mama.”
“Eh, pic......picnic……eh?”
Chiho subconsciously looked at Maou and Emi’s faces.
“Fwah……I played for a long time, today, I’m going to sleep……with Papa and Mama……fwah.”
Alas=Ramus, who was not fully awake, with the terms which she choose terrifically, caused Chiho to freeze on the spot.
“Eh? Maou-san, with Yusa-san……?”
“No, no, Chiho! Things aren’t like that!”
“Ca, calm down a bit, Chi-chan! Think about it carefully, how is it possible for me to sleep with Emi?”
Maou and Emi’s frantic explanations, could not reach Chiho’s ears at all.
Because Alas=Ramus said one sentence before that and struck the fatal blow.
“……We, went to buy a futon……fu.”
“Fu……futon……”
“Chiho! Chiho, wake up!”
“Yu, Yusa-san……ar, are you really going to be, become a family, with Maou-san……”
“How is that possible! Who wants to become a family with that kind of guy……”
“I decline on my end too!”
“Eh? Papa? Mama?”
“A, Alas=Ramus? N, no, Papa and Mama aren’t quarrelling……”
“Th, three people going to buy futon together……is Yusa-san, planning to move to that apartment? All, all of you are going to become one family?”
“Chiho! Calm down! Calm down first, I’ll explain to you from the beginning!”
“I don’t want Papa to quarrel with Mama……wahhhhhhh!”
“B, but……I, I, if you both of you decided this……then I won’t say anything.”
“I said you misunderstood! Chiho, calm down a bit!”
“A, Alas=Ramus! D, don’t cry, things aren’t what you think it is, ah! Seriously!”
The chaotic scene of the Demon King and Hero not knowing which side to handle first, continued for more than ten minutes after that.
“…….Demon King-sama, Emilia and Sasaki=san……what are you making a ruckus at the train station for?”
It was only after Ashiya, who suddenly appeared, interjected with a tired voice, did the commotion get suppressed.
“I see, you went to buy a futon for when Alas=Ramus-chan stays over……”
After listening to Ashiya explain Maou’s activities today on the walk from the station back to the Demon Fortress, Chiho’s suspicions were finally dissolved.
Maou and Emi, their heads lowered tiredly, followed behind Ashiya and Chiho.
As for Alas=Ramus, she was sitting on the child’s seat on Dullahan II which was being pushed by Ashiya.
“But I got a shock. Because Maou-san and the others really look like a family……”
“Don’t talk about it anymore.”
“Don’t talk about it anymore……”
“……The both of you have such rapport.”
The low voices heard from behind caused Chiho and Ashiya to give wry smiles.
“Then Demon King-sama, may I know if you bought Alas=Ramus’s futon afterwards?”
“Ah……I asked Emi to come here because I wanted to discuss this with you.”
“…….In other words, it’s not cheap at all.”
Even though Ashiya frowned immediately----
“But since it’s a futon for children, then it’s better to buy one of higher quality. I heard that sleep during childhood will affect the bones and other areas.”
“Sigh, including this part, it’s better to discuss it in more detail when we go back……”
However, after Chiho, who helped the Demon Fortress in various ways, reasoned with him, Ashiya’s attitude also softened.
“Then again, Ashiya, who did you call just now?”
Maou asked Ashiya like he suddenly remembered this.
It was not a coincidence that Ashiya had appeared at the scene of conflict with Maou’s group, he seemed to have gone to use the public phone at the station.
“I only went to confirm an arrangement with someone I know, it’s nothing of much significance.”
Ashiya turned the corner after replying, and the lights of Villa Rosa were a short distance ahead.
“Bell was worried you know. She was afraid that Demon King-sama and Emilia would quarrel when buying things.”
Before Maou and Emi could answer----
“Papa and Mama cannot quarrel okay?”
Alas=Ramus, sitting on the child seat of the bicycle, had already turned behind first and looked at the both of them with stern expressions.
“Sigh.”
“Sigh……”
‘Papa’ and ‘Mama’ sighed with complicated expressions on their faces.
“Alas=Ramus-chan is right, it would be good if everyone can continue getting along.”
“This……even if it is Sasaki-san’s opinion, I still find it hard to agree from my standpoint.”
The human high school girl and Demon General walked side by side on the road under the evening sun, talking about unimportant topics.
※
“……I don’t want to go to work……”
Emi gave a complaint which did not suit her usual style, walking amongst the morning crowd at Shinjuku.
In the end, everyone gathered like this at Suzuno’s room for dinner, then Alas=Ramus proposed once again that she wanted to sleep at the Demon Fortress, causing Emi to spend a lot of effort to placate her and go home.
Even though Ashiya expressed that he felt troubled about the price of Alas=Ramus’s futon, but with convincing from Chiho, he finally decided to buy the Nishikawa made futon.
Once Emi thought about having to narrate the experience to Rika, who have her information, equivalent to causing trouble for herself, she could not get motivated at all.
‘Can’t the futon topic be ignored like nothing had happened’----with these negative thoughts, Emi sat on her own seat.
“……Ri, Rika?”
But Emi was immediately shocked when she discovered that Rika, sitting beside her, had a different from usual dazed expression on her face.
Rika was normally very energetic on the morning, and it was rare for her to blank out with her mouth half open like right now.
“Rika? Is anything wrong?”
“………………….Ah, Emi, good morning.”
Rika’s reaction was very slow.
What happened? Compared to yesterday, it was as if Rika had become a different person.
“E, erhm, Rika. About the futon……”
“Futon……? What does that mean?”
It looks like Rika had a serious condition.
Even though she was so interested in the topic, it looked like she did not care at all right now.
“What’s wrong? Are you sick?”
This time, Emi asked worriedly.
The normally energetic Rika, why would she end up in such a depressive daze.
“I……think I don’t understand myself anymore.”
“Eh?”
“Ne, Emi.”
“W, what is it?”
Rika’s voice was so small it was as if it could disappear amongst the rings announcing the start of work.
“The people who did not have mobile phones before, do they go through feelings of anxiousness just like me.”
“I, I don’t really understand what you’re saying……”
“Yeah, sorry, it’s nothing, it’s about time to start work.”
Rika, who tried to cheer herself up, put on her headphone microphone with a lack of certainty.
“Even though Emi’s situation might also be complicated……”
“Y, yeah……”
“But being able to freely converse when one wants to, it actually is a very important thing.”
The thing which troubled Rika, must be all included into this sentence.
However, Emi did not have time to think about the meaning behind this sentence----
“…….Thank you for calling, this is the Docodemo customer centre, my name is Yusa, I will be the one assisting you from now on.”
A phone call immediately came to Emi’s machine, and the strange mysterious feeling she felt this refreshing morning was quickly swallowed up by the busy daily activities and disappeared without a trace.
END
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