After receiving a bit of pampering, Loki left to tell Ais and Riveria about Asahi’s sudden leave. Ais was more worried than anyone else, almost running away from the Twilight Manor to search for her teacher in the dungeon. If Loki and Riveria weren’t there, the half-spirit girl might have conquered the dungeon or died trying.
‘Klyscha, you sadist. You were watching Loki suffer.’
(I-I wasn’t able to resist it… she was calling out your name in the empty mansion. I stopped when she cried.)
‘Loki and crying… I can’t believe it.’
(I sent the pic to your phone.)
Asahi quickly pulled out his phone and saw Loki curled up on the bed, tears flowing out of her squinty eyes. Instead of feeling bad for Loki in this state, he found her genuinely cute.
‘I didn’t think Loki could be this emotional.’
(Love turns the most rational person into an unreasonable being.)
‘Is that your personal experience?’
(Yes, my love.)
‘You’re too honest.’
As Asahi left the room, he bumped into the curious trio of Kaguya, Alise, and Ryuu. Kaguya grinned, Alise beamed a wide smile, and Ryuu’s facial muscles unconsciously stretched into a soft smile. Three alluring smiles beckoned him closer, and he embraced them one by one.
Once their instinctive happiness faded, Alise gave him a look of disbelief.
“D-Dear,” Alise said, still unused to the word Asahi preferred from her. “Are you ever coming back to our world?”
Alise certainly loved this palace and the other world they visited, but she wasn’t sure about leaving Orario yet.
Kaguya pinched Alise’s cheeks. The redhead shook her head, her red ponytail swaying everywhere.
“Alise, you doofus bitch,” Kaguya cursed with a gentle smile. “Let’s not make it hard for Asahi-kun. He can hop into our world any time, or we can come here anytime.”
“I have yet to conquer the dungeon.” Asahi pinched Alise’s cheeks. “It's fun to mess with the deities of your world.”
“Only you can say that.” Kaguya giggled and slipped her arm around Alise’s shoulder. “Yeah, Alise. I need your help with that thing I told you. Come with me!”
Kaguya dragged the confused Alise away. As Ryuu turned to follow them, Asahi threw his arms around her.
“Asahi…” Ryuu muttered with a hot sigh. “Congratulations on becoming… an Emperor.”
The elf felt like she was growing more and more distant from the heights Asahi reached.
Asahi, seemingly aware of Ryuu’s growing inferiority complex, gently turned Ryuu’s chin and pecked her lips. “Ryuu, stop being polite, or.” he suppressed his voice to a gentle whisper. “I’ll drag you to my room and make you my wife.”
Ryuu shuddered, blushing furiously in his arms. “I-that would be sexual assault…”
“Is it really when both parties are mutually in love?” He ran his tongue over her elven cheeks, reminding her of the days he used to ask about touching her ears. “Or am I mistaken? Ryuu hates me… now?”
His downright miserable voice, albeit fake, gained some pity from the elf. She shook her head gently and peeled his hands from her. With a delicate smile, she slid into his arms. “I think… I still think I like you. I want to be with you. B-But...”
“But you need time to be worthy in your eyes. You told me that last time.”
“Yes… Alise is a cheerful and supportive person. She would go to any lengths to show her resolve. Kaguya is… a tender soul in spite of her crude mouth… and can be graceful like a princess when she wants to. Goddess Astraea is also very kind, righteous, and considerate to others’ needs than her own. On the other hand, I—”
Asahi interrupted Ryuu. “You’re a stupid elf, who can’t find something redeeming about yourself. Is that what you want to say?”
His blunt words sealed Ryuu’s lips, her eyes wide in shock.
“Am I wrong?”
“I was going to say I’m just relying on everyone.” Ryuu huffed, glaring up at him. “Do you think of me as stupid?”
“A bit.” Asahi chuckled. “Only stupids would fantasize in the middle of the day?”
Ryuu looked away, embarrassed. “I hate you…”
“You underestimate yourself too much. You’re equally beautiful as Kaguya.” Asahi rubbed her head, calming her bitter feelings. “I know you can be stubborn about things, but you are always doing it to help others. You have always worked to make Orario a better place for everyone, so give yourself some credit.”
Ryuu indulged in his relaxing voice, nodding her head in a mystified state. Every word flew over her head under the mystical effect of his headpats.
Asahi sighed and spoiled the elf until she dozed off to the land of dreams. He decided to take a nap with Ryuu, just to see her embarrassed face when she woke up. He received just that, but only for a second before Ryuu fled like a frightened rabbit.
***
Asahi set out for a stroll in Lucifaad city with Grayfia. The capital city of the Underworld was just enormous, more than enough to hold over 50,000 people. Yet, the streets were empty except for a few people busy in their daily work. His warning didn’t work on everyone.
‘They have a decent lighting system with magic and old school architecture design. They only need some upgrades in daily essentials.’
(Won’t you fix this ugly sky? It hurts my eyes…)
The Underworld’s sky was always a shade of scarlet to purple, never showing a glimpse of the daylight. Klyscha seemed to hate it even though she was always staying indoors.
‘Soon.’
Asahi paused at a flower store and plucked a rose from the plant. The devil store girl wanted to yell at him for touching the flower with bare hands, but her father pulled her back and snuck away.
“My Lord, do you sense it?”
“Let’s ignore it.” Asahi winked and slipped a scarlet rose in her headpiece. “There, for my gorgeous devil empress.”
Grayfia couldn’t help the blush creeping up her neck, shading her skin slightly red. “What if it’s an assassin?”
Asahi shook his head. “Just Serafall and Ajuka.”
“They are keeping an eye on us?” Grayfia asked, anger concealed in her voice.
Asahi caressed her hair. “Geez, calm down. You’re pregnant, remember?”
“Sorry… I was angry at their stalking… if they have any doubt, they should have come to us.”
“Like I said, they aren’t worth wasting our time. Just think of them as the commoners who are observing us from their homes.”
“Hmm…” Grayfia nodded.
***
Two figures stood on the thirteenth floor of a nearby building. A black-haired girl and an effeminate man with jade hair.
“Shit, he found us,” Ajuka cursed. “Serafall?”
Serafall pointed at Asahi flirting with Grayfia in the middle of the street. “Look how gently he treats Grayfia… is this the same guy who killed three Devil Kings without batting an eye?”
The Underworld would either perish in Asahi’s hands or prosper far more than it ever could under the previous Devil Kings’ reign. Serafall could only see these two extreme possibilities.
Ajuka gave Serafall a skeptical glance. “Why are we doing this?”
He wasn’t used to stalking people, much less stalking the man who murdered his friend.
“To know more about him?” Serafall shook her head. “We’re probably the strongest devils in the Underworld outside of Asahi’s family. If he does something wrong, let’s try to reason with him.”
Ajuka sighed. “We can only reason with him. A fight will end with our deaths.”
“Hehe, a monk once said fists aren’t the only option to change the world.”
“And what changes did this monk bring to the world?”
“He was beaten to death by his own disciples.” Sera tilted her head innocently.
“...”
Glorious_Milfhunte