Bonus Short Stories

A Common Sickness

“It’s unusual to see you in the castle, Sir Barbatos,” Kimaris said as he happened across Barbatos at night, alone in the kitchen knocking back a drink.

“Huh? Kimaris? Oh, yeah, guess I haven’t talked with you all that much.”

“...Did something happen? You don’t look well,” Kimaris asked. Barbatos was usually a vulgar, loudmouthed individual, but currently, he was acting rather docile.

“Well, I guess... The other day, I got cut up by that Azazel guy, and I’ve been feeling out of it since. I thought it was some church curse or something and came to get Zagan’s bride to give me a checkup, but she said there was nothing wrong with me.”

“...What manner of symptoms do you have? I’ll assist you if I am able,” Kimaris replied. Unable to ignore Barbatos after seeing him act so meek, he took a seat next to him.

“Let’s see... I guess you could call it irregular heart palpitations? Don’t know why, but my heart keeps beating like crazy. Oh, my head gets all hot when I’m not even pissed. It’s weird. Well, at least it’s not so bad that sorcery can’t fix it, but when it happens so many times a day...”

Kimaris’ expression turned grim as he pinched his brow. A foolish thought passed through his mind when he pondered Barbatos’ dilemma.

“Sir Barbatos, could it be that at such times... a lady was nearby?”

“A woman? Well, yeah, I am a bodyguard right now, so that crybaby’s always around... Hm, hold on. Now that I think of it, I feel like most of these spasms happen when I look at her face.”

“Um, Sir Barbatos. This is mere conjecture, but I think you just have measles. It is a light sickness that every human experiences at least once in their lives, and will pass in time, so there’s no need for you to worry.”

“Really? What a relief. Thanks for the help, man. You’re a good guy. I’ll treat you to some nice booze next time around.”

“I look forward to it,” Kimaris responded. And upon seeing that Barbatos had regained some of his spirit, he made a firm vow to himself.

I must keep this a secret from Miss Gremory!

A Daughter’s Confusion

“Raphael, did Zagan and Nephy fight?” Foll asked when she dropped by the kitchen while Raphael was in the middle of making preparations for dinner. Raphael honestly doubted his ears. The thought of those two fighting seemed silly.

“Hm... Why do you believe they are?”

“They’ve been acting weird since we visited the hidden elf village. They don’t look each other in the eyes, and when they talk they stop right away. It’s like they’re avoiding each other... Seeing them not get along makes my test feel tight...” Foll muttered sadly, leading Raphael to let out a groan.

“Err, Foll, that is incorrect. It’s not like they hate each other now. In fact, they have the exact opposite problem. They most likely don’t know how to act now that they’ve confirmed their love for each other.”

Raphael didn’t know what exactly happened, since he’d been asked to watch the castle, but he believed that some event occurred where the two of them confirmed their feelings for each other.

“Huh...? But Zagan and Nephy were already a couple when I first met them. Why now?”

“Uh, this is rather difficult to explain, but the two of them likely weren’t conscious of that fact. And now that they are, they’re confused, right?”

“Does that kind of thing happen?” Foll inquired, looking like she didn’t really understand what he was getting at. However, Raphael wasn’t someone who was capable of answering that particular question, while left him at a loss for words as Foll followed up by saying, “I want something like what they have... A Zagan to my Nephy, I mean...”

“There’s no need for you to rush. You’ll surely meet a bastard like that one day. It’ll make me feel somewhat lonely, though...” Raphael replied as he brushed her head, which made Foll cling to his leg.

“You’re not alone, Raphael. I’ll live a long life, so I’ll be with you forever.”

Those words left Raphael staring back in wonder before he eventually gave in and smiled. Orobas. Your daughter has grown quite nicely. She reminds me of the girl I once raised...

A Sense of Guilt

“Haven’t you had enough, sir?”

After being reprimanded by the waitress, the man poured even more liquor into his glass. This man was the auctioneer who hosted the dark auction. People counted among the merchandise he sold, and even though he knew that was a sin, the man continued his work in order to make more money.

I wonder what happened to that elf... One among those products he’d sold was a most pitiful girl. The man had never even spoken to her, but he felt sorry for her nonetheless. Unfortunately, that girl was purchased by a devil of a sorcerer. He would never forget the terrifying smile that sorcerer made in the end. The auctioneer believed that he would surely go to hell for that transgression, so he was drowning his sorrows with alcohol when...

“Huh? Wuh!?”

That devil of a sorcerer and the elf sat down at a table close to him.

HUH!? What’s going on? Am I hallucinating? The two of them ignored the man’s shock entirely and went on to order food. The girl didn’t seem used to handling a fork and was in distress at not being able to pick up a cherry tomato.

The sorcerer was watching over this on the edge of his seat, and when the girl managed to finally scoop up the tomato, he pumped his fist. Next, the sorcerer tried to consume a tomato himself, but he also failed to use his fork and entered a difficult battle of his own. And that was the moment the girl used a spoon to scoop up the tomato, then held it out to the sorcerer.

Huh? Why are these two feeding each other in broad daylight...? The two of them looked like a pair of ten-year-olds who were meeting for the first time. Frankly, it was hard to watch.

Goddammit... Don’t screw with me. I’ve been agonizing over selling her this whole time, and this what I get? The man glared at them, and the two of them must have felt his gaze, since they looked back toward him. Their eyes met, and the sorcerer and girl turned bright red to match the food they were feeding each other. Embarrassed by the situation, they rushed off in a hurry.

“Someone remind me what a slave is...?”

The man eventually paid his bill and left. Surprisingly, the world may have been a far better place than he imagined.

A Fateful Encounter

This meeting was preordained by the world itself. Gremory was walking about town as a beautiful woman when she suddenly came to a stop in front of a certain clothing shop. Once there, she met an avian girl with green wings. She could tell at first sight that this girl was the same as her. And so, Gremory brushed back her long hair and put on a proud smile as she began to speak.

“Which would you show more love, a dragon or an elf?”

“If you’re going to show love, then love everything equally! I’ll love them both right down to the bone!”

The two of them shared a firm handshake after she said that.

“I am Gremory. I have heard many rumors of you, Manuela. It appears my liege buys clothes from you quite often.”

“It is an honor to be recognized by the great evangelist of love power, Enchantress Gremory!”

The two of them began snickering ominously after that short exchange.

“Tell me, Miss Gremory, how are Sir Zagan and Nephy progressing?”

“I’m glad you asked! Are you aware that they confessed to each other at the hidden elven village?”

“A confession! Finally!? They were practically already married, but Sir Zagan couldn’t even say ‘I love you’ at all. I’m glad he’s finally taken a step forward!”

“Still, the followup’s been terrible. Now they’re just constantly awkward around each other. Sure, that’s a great event in its own right, but their progress has been so slow that I feel like vomiting blood.”

“Yeaaah, I can already picture it. It’s like a ten year old’s first crush...” Manuela said as she looked up at the ceiling in despair. However, Gremory simply smiled like a wise sage.

“Have no fear. I have a plan. I will guide those two down the proper path and ensure they go on a date!”

“A-Are you sure you can pull that off? Can you really make those two innocent kids do something that bold...?” Manuela asked as she gulped audibly.

“I can, but soon enough, I’ll be stuck in Archdemon Palace for a while. It’s a real shame that I won’t be able to spy on their date...”

“Then, do you want me to be lovestruck... I mean, observe their date and report back to you?”

“You catch on quick. In exchange, I’ll treat you to stories of their interactions in the castle.”

This was the moment a great evil began to stir without anyone’s knowledge.