Part 3
When he ascended the inn’s stairway, there was a maid in the corridor.
That being said, they weren’t an employee of the inn.
It was the Magimatic Maid Rose.
When looking at her from the front, his eyes would always go to her huge breasts but......When looking at her from behind, she was wearing a peculiar maid outfit(?) that had her back completely exposed.
There was a reason for that attire, and it was because she had her 《Dimension Transcending Apparatus》 equipped on her back.
It seemed to be an apparatus meant to call out the 《Magimatic Soul》 from something called the 《Void》, which was a space-time that was not part of this world.
She was powerful without equal, but was abnormally heavy.
Also, normal healing having no effect on her was a weakness of hers.
Due to damage in the previous battle, there was a crack on her left arm. It would have been a serious wound if she were a person of the Races, but she was a machine.
「Thank you for your hard work, Master.」
「Does your arm seem fixable?」
「If I am able to stay by Master’s side, something of this level does not even count as damage.」
It seemed like she answered the question, yet didn’t answer it.
Diablo breathed a sigh.
「So it really does seem like it would be better to return to the maintenance bed.」
「......Yes.」
Rose nodded looking regretful.
He placed a hand on her shoulder.
「Get it properly fixed. Rose, your strength will be needed once again.」
Her body started to tremble.
「Ahh, how incredibly kind! And yet, in exchange for that, this Rose......To think that I would bear injuries from fighting an opponent of that level! It is nothing but shameful, so please insult me to your heart’s content.」
「No, well......」
She says "of that level", but the opponent from a few days ago was the Great Demon King Modinalaam. On that night, there was even a defensive battle to protect the town from the rampaging Great Demon King.
Since he hadn’t seen her fight during that time, this was just from hearsay, but it seemed that Rose played a furiously vigorous role in it.
「In any case, rest.」
She made a very deep bow.
After that, in a very rare occasion, Rose was the one to change the topic.
「Fufufu......Master, you gave the 《Marriage Rings》 to the two of them.」
「Ugh!? Well, that is true but......」
This Magimatic Maid held loyalty towards Diablo going to an eccentric level of it. It was to the point that he somewhat felt that there was something wrong with her.
If she were to learn that "Diablo got married", who knows what she would do──is what he was being vigilant against, but she was surprisingly calm about it.
「What an auspicious occasion this is! I must give my blessings to the two of them.」
「O, ou......」
「Fufufu......」
He had an uncomfortable feeling.
Rose had sworn absolute loyalty to Diablo, and would act only thinking of Diablo’s happiness.
However, the "Diablo’s happiness" that she thought of was not necessarily limited to the happiness that Diablo himself desired.
He carefully asked a question.
「──Rose, answer me this. Are you giving blessings from the bottom of your heart to my getting married to Shera and Rem?」
The machine doll tilted her head while being expressionless.
「I am unable to understand what Master is saying. Right now, the pair of 《Marriage Rings》 is equipped to that Pantherian and that Elf.」
「Heh?」
Diablo involuntarily felt like raising his original voice.
「Therefore, the ones getting married, are those two. It truly is an auspicious event.」
「What did you saaaaaayyyyyy!?」
「It seems that only the two of them went on a journey. Could it be a honeymoon. How envious. Master, together with this Rose, let us withdraw from society in the 《Demon King’s Labyrinth》!」
Diablo grabbed Rose’s shoulders and shook her.
「Oi! Are there anymore 《Marriage Rings》!?」
「......Master only kept one set in the storehouse.」
「Kuh......That’s right.」
In the MMORPG Cross Reverie, 《Marriage Rings》 were pointless items that no effect whatsoever.
Therefore, it was proof of being a riajuu that only couples equipped.
It was a sickening item, but since Diablo was a collector as well, he acquired only a single set and threw it into the storehouse.
──It’s because I didn’t think that I would be summoned to another world and end up giving rings to two people.
There was no way he would be able to predict the current situation from when he was playing the game.
「I thought that I had gotten married to the two of them but......」
「My Master has not gotten married to anyone. However, only those two have gotten married. It is an auspicious event.」
「Uugh......」
Diablo held his head in his hands.
In that case, wouldn’t that mean that the Greenwood Kingdom has once again turned to a situation where it has lost its king? Or could it be that Rem is now king? Is it fine if the king is a woman?
What would Rem think if she learned the truth?
Various things rushed about in his mind.
In conclusion──
I, am no good.
「Uwaahh!」
Rose nestled close beside Diablo as he got down to his knees.
「Master, you have Rose. This Rose, even without the need for a 《Marriage Ring》, will swear loyalty only to Master for all eternity.」
For a moment, he almost felt touched.
However, it wasn’t that kind of problem.
Even in this worthless, hikikomori NEET, invalid Gamer, a small sense of responsibility sprouted from this other world lifestyle.
He couldn’t just leave the matter about the Greenwood Kingdom alone, and he didn’t want to disrespect Rem’s feelings either.
「Now that it’s come to this──I will do something about it before it gets exposed!」
He used all of his strength to declare something pathetic.
Rose displayed an expression of ecstasy.
「Even such a comical Master, is just wonderful.」
──Really?
He couldn’t really understand her sense of values.
In any case, he had to bring this damaged Magimatic Maid back to the 《Demon King’s Labyrinth》.
「Let’s go, Rose.」
「As you command, My Master.」
Shera and Rem had just left for the royal capital. For them to return, it would take half a month at the earliest. Until then, he needed to think of a means to deal with this.
Part 4
Using 《Transfer》, he escorted Rose to the 《Demon King’s Labyrinth》.
If she sleeps at the base’s maintenance bed, it seemed that all of her damages would be repaired. He didn’t understand the reasoning behind it though.
This 《Transfer》 Magic was able to move to a town that he has been to before while taking along his party members.
In Rose’s case, she was treated as a possession though.
Why didn’t he just take Rem and Shera to the royal capital with 《Transfer》?
The reason was simple. It was because the royal capital’s portal──in other words, the place one would appear by means of 《Transfer》, was within the royal palace.
At the very least, that was the case in the MMORPG Cross Reverie.
If they were to suddenly appear within the royal palace, they would be treated as suspicious people at best. Without a doubt, The Criminals.
In the game where anyone could use 《Transfer》, that place was open to tens of thousands of people, but how would things turn out in this other world where 《Transfer》 Magic wasn’t spread out?
He didn’t know.
That is why he couldn’t use 《Transfer》 to the royal capital.
Bringing the story back──
Diablo once again returned from the 《Demon King’s Labyrinth》 with 《Transfer》. Faltra City’s portal was the center of the plaza.
Since he was suddenly appearing in a place that flourished with crowds of people, the people around him made startled faces.
It seemed that it was treated as a new street performing trick as he was showered with applause. There wasn’t anyone that noticed that he was the hero that defeated the Great Demon King.
He left the plaza as if running away......
When he returned to the inn 《Relief Inn・Hideout Store》, it was already just past noon.
He opened the front door.
「Mu?」
「Ah......」
A young lady carrying a sword had just come down the stairs.
It was the Dwarven Master Swordsman Sasala.
She was wearing her usual Japanese style attire, and the Japanese sword that had a crescent moon crest engraved on its pommel was hanging on her waist.
She was carrying a largish rucksack on her back.
「──Are you going somewhere?」
She smiled at Diablo’s question.
「Thank goodness. Since I didn’t see you anywhere, I was about to ask Krum-chan to give you my regards.」
「Your regards?」
「The Great Demon King Modinalaam has been defeated, and the town looks like it’s calmed down as well. Since my duty has been accomplished, I was thinking of returning to the mountain.」
Originally, the Master Swordsman set up a hermitage on the Heavenly Mountain that the remote region town Sodmas was at.
Since it was the life or death crisis of the Races this time, she specially lent her strength to them.
Diablo nodded.
「So you are going back.」
「Yes. I need to make Tou-sama’s grave.」
「......Now that you mention it, that is true.」
Just before all of this, she fought against her foster father (the previous generation Master Swordsman) who had turned into an Oni, and cut him down. She had yet to complete his burial.
「I’m glad to have helped protect this town. Also, for there to have been such a strong monster, it has been a good learning experience. I am still lacking in training.」
「Fumu......」
「As for the night fight, I was asleep but......I am sorry. On days where I go all out, I can’t help but get sleepy.」
──Even so, you really helped out.
His true feelings were full of gratitude.
The Great Demon King Modinalaam had the Martial Arts 《Certain Hit》 and 《Certain Kill》 continuously activated. If she were a normal Warrior, then she wouldn’t have been able to even buy time.
Sasala pulled off the feat of completely "cutting and offsetting" the enemy’s attacks.
If she weren’t there, an even greater number of victims might have come out. There was no doubt that it would have turned into an even harder fight.
That being said, meekly expressing words of gratitude wasn’t Demon King-like.
Diablo folded his arms looking important-looking.
「You did good work. I shall praise you.」
He thought that he was a bit too arrogant but......Sasala narrowed her eyes looking delighted.
「Did I really? Thank goodnessー.」
「......Shall I send you off with 《Transfer》?」
「No. Since I’ve taken the chance of leaving the town, I will try walking back.」
「That is good as well.」
Isn’t a woman travelling alone dangerous──is what he thought, but her being the level 200 Warrior Sasala, he would probably feel more sorry for the monsters that attack her.
Even if bandits appeared, it didn’t seem like she would end up being delayed.
Sasala courteously made a bow.
「Diablo, take care. Although you are wonderful as a Magician, be sure you do not shirk your sword training.」
「Naturally.」
「Please come by to play occasionally. I will treat you to soba.」
「If I feel like it.」
「Fufu......Well then.」
Sasala exited the front door.
The door closed.
*Shin* It became quiet.
「......」
Diablo stared at the ceiling.
Then he glared at his feet.
*Gu* He gulped and──
Turned his body around.
He vigorously pushed the inn’s front door open.
「Sasala!」
Trudgingly walking towards the alleyway’s street corner, she made a surprised face and turned around.
「Y, yes!? What’s......wrong?」
Diablo hesitated for a bit, but making up his mind, he opened his mouth.
「Thanks to you, I was able to win against the Great Demon King! You have my thanks......Shishou.」
On the dumbfounded Sasala’s face, she was full of great joy.
「Y, yes!」
*Poro poro* Even tears spilled out.
Since he didn’t think that she would start to cry, Diablo became flustered.
「Oi, Sasala......!?」
「Ue～u～. I’m so happy......That I proved useful......Thank goodness -desuu!」
「Don’t cry, you Master Swordsman!」
「I mean......Hiーn.」
「Ahh, on second thought, I take it back! To have a fellow that would do something as embarrassing as cry on the street, as my Shishou!」
「Nguu. hinguu......You can’t, anymore. I’ve heard you, call me that after all.」
「Tsk.」
With a face that was crying and full of tears, Sasala smiled.
「S, same here, ngu......Thank you. For becoming my disciple......Diablo.」
「Hmph......」
Being bashful, he averted his gaze.
At the edge of Diablo’s field of vision, Sasala was making a very deep bow. She was showing a cheerful smiling face.
This time, she really made her departure.
Diablo saw off that small back of hers.
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