Volume 10, Chapter 7 – The World’s Only Treasure

As the carriage left the rugged mountain roads of the Duchy of Chloe and entered the flat plains of the Norta Empire, Yisi was soon met with the suspicious gazes of her companions—mainly focused on Tina, who was wearing a large bonnet, was petite, and sat obediently beside Yisi. Previously, because everyone was busy packing, they had noticed this unfamiliar presence, but no one had asked immediately. Now, with everyone except Mary, who was driving, sitting inside the carriage, the sudden addition of Tina became the center of attention.

Sitting across from Yisi, Edith looked languid, supporting her head with one hand as she gestured toward Tina with her eyes.

“Who is this child? Did you pick her up off the street? To pick up such a cute girl just by going out, should I praise your good luck?”

Even without asking, Yisi knew that Pepe was teasing her. But for some reason, Yisi felt a sense of unease. Like a child who had done something wrong, her gaze deliberately avoided Pepe’s, her expression tensed, and she stammered.

“Ahaha… How should I explain this to you, Pepe…”

“Lolicon?”

“It’s not what you’re thinking, Tiffany.”

Somehow, Tiffany asked “Lolicon?” as a question felt even more obnoxious than if she had stated it as a fact.

While returning Tiffany’s “kind” smile, Yisi placed her hands on Tina’s small shoulders with a ‘pa’ sound, pushing Tina slightly forward, as if to show her off.

“Her name is Tina. Because her home was destroyed, she had no choice but to seek refuge with me. The reason I decided to go to Wilfred City this time is also to take Tina home.” At this point, Yisi glanced around the carriage. Other than Laxy, who remained expressionless, the others were mostly observing Tina with curiosity and scrutiny. No one sensed the danger she posed. Following the script they had agreed on, Yisi took her hands off Tina’s shoulders and whispered. “Your turn.”

“Mhm, mhm.”

Returning Yisi’s affirmative look, Tina placed her right hand on her flat chest, scanned the group, and began her self-introduction without a hint of fear.

“Because my castle was sealed by a barrier, I had no choice but to seek refuge with Yisi. Until my strength is restored, I will follow you all to the Norta Empire in the human world. After I take back my homeland, I will bestow upon you an honor that no living being has ever enjoyed. I am the Demon Lord Tartaros, full name Tina Alexia Tartaros. For Yisi’s sake, I permit you to call me Tina directly.”

As she finished speaking, Tina took off her large bonnet and lifted the hems of her dress, revealing the horns on her head and the black tail behind her. However, due to her ‘Demon Lord’s dignity’, Tina did not bend her knees slightly in the greeting etiquette of noble ladies in the human world.

Contrary to Yisi’s expectation that everyone would be so shocked they’d jump from their seats, the carriage fell into a bizarre silence. Everyone except Laxy had a strange expression. The less ostentatious Refina looked troubled, while Edith had a look on her face as if she were looking at an idiot.

“…Was the shock too much, and she broke… up here?”

In a rare show of emotion, Camilla looked sympathetic, pointing to her own head.

“How pitiful. No wonder Miss Yisi took her in.” Refina smiled gently, like a big sister, and extended her hand to Tina. “If you have any problems, Tina-chan, you can ask me. As long as it’s something I can do, I’ll definitely help you.”

“No, Refina, wait.” Yisi quickly stopped Refina as she was about to pull Tina over like a child. “Everything Tina said is true. She really is the Demon Lord Tartaros. I’ve already confirmed it.”

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“Eh?”

“Yisi, did your brain break along with this child’s?” Edith stood up and used the back of her hand to check Yisi’s forehead temperature, then frowned seriously. “You haven’t caught a cold.”

“I… am… telling… you, Tina really is a Demon Lord.” Yisi pointed to Tina’s horns and tail. “Look, these are the horns and tail of a Demon Lord. Aren’t they, like the Blood Clan’s wings, symbols of a race?”

“Setting aside that no one here except Laxy has ever seen a Demon Lord, just having horns and a tail doesn’t necessarily make one a demon. The Ox-kin of the Beastman race have the same features. In my opinion, this is just an ordinary Beastman child.”

“She really is a Dem—”

Just as Yisi was about to explain further, Tina crossed her arms, looking extremely smug. Yisi couldn’t help but think that if Tina had a folding fan, she would definitely be using it to cover her mouth and letting out a mocking laugh.

“Wait, Yisi. Let me prove my own identity. Has the name Tartaros been forgotten after not appearing in the human world for so long? For Yisi’s sake, I will not issue a challenge to you, a mere Blood Clan member. But if I don’t clear up this misunderstanding, and my subordinates see it, they might make you taste the cruelty of demons. Therefore, I must make you recognize the power of a Demon Lord.” Tina pointed her index finger at Edith. “Let’s have a match.”

“Hoh. Just a beastman, but you’ve got a big mouth. I have no interest in abusing a defenseless weakling, but if you’re the one picking the fight, that’s another story. How do you want to compete?”

Although her voice was lazy, as if she wasn’t taking Tina seriously at all, Edith’s sapphire-blue eyes were already tinged with seriousness. That gaze, like a snake locking onto its prey, made even Yisi, who was just caught in the periphery, feel uncomfortable.

“Pepe, I’d advise you to back down. Although Tina’s true strength is less than level 20 right now, that only refers to her magic. Her body is still at the Demon Lord level.”

Unfortunately, Edith didn’t listen to Yisi’s words at all. While Yisi was speaking, the two had already decided on a duel: a traditional, bloodless competition—arm wrestling.

Hey, hey, that’s cheating!

She had thought Tina would choose an honorable duel outside the carriage. That way, even if Pepe couldn’t hurt Tina, she could use her mobility and combat skills to spar with Tina for a while. However, Tina directly proposed arm wrestling, a method completely advantageous to Tina.

She’s an eight-year-old loli, and at first glance seems scatterbrained, but is she actually incredibly cunning? Tina had no idea that her image in Yisi’s mind had just changed slightly.

Since there was a table in the middle of the carriage, Pepe and Tina quickly got into position. Their elbows were on the table, and their hands were clasped. Although both of their wrists were so slender they could be encircled by one hand with room to spare, it would be a huge mistake to think they were as weak as sheltered noble ladies just because of their delicate wrists.

“You should be glad I have no interest in the stinking blood of the Beastman race. Otherwise, I would definitely make you regret your arrogance.”

“Then let me test the caliber of the people around Yisi.”

“Hmph, a mere beastman. Tiffany, you be the referee.”

“Mhm.”

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Nodding with a blank expression, Tiffany then began the countdown, also with a blank expression. Sitting opposite the carriage curtain, she grasped both Edith’s and Tina’s right hands.

“Three… two… one… begin!”

SMACK!

Without any delay, the instant Tiffany’s hands left theirs, a crisp sound of a hand smashing onto the tabletop echoed through the carriage. It didn’t even take a second to decide the winner.

The winner was Edith.

Tina’s hand was pinned firmly to the table by Edith. Even though Tina had a desperate expression, clenching her teeth with her features scrunched together, she couldn’t budge Edith’s arm an inch. The difference in their strength was plain to see.

Yisi and Laxy’s eyes widened in shock.

“How is that possible?”

“She… overpowered Tartaros… Unbelievable…”

“Hmph.” Letting out a sound that seemed to say, “Is that all,” Edith released Tina’s hand and gave her own a relaxed wave. “A predictable outcome. Although you are from a Beastman race that excels in strength, considering your young age, I will only require you to kneel and apologize. Do not speak so arrogantly in the future. If it were the me from a year ago, the only thing awaiting you would be a life in a dark, sunless dungeon.”

However, contrary to what Edith expected—that Tina would fearfully lower her head and apologize—Tina didn’t answer right away. Instead, she just stared, stunned, at her defeated right hand, her reddish-orange eyes filled with disbelief.

“How…?”

Yisi quickly inserted herself between the two. Although she didn’t know why Tina would lose to Pepe, that could be investigated later. If Edith really forced Tina to kneel and apologize, the situation would become difficult to resolve.

“Pepe, Tina really is the Demon Lord Tartaros. It’s just that she used her magic as the price to create a seal, which is why she’s weak right now.”

Edith frowned.

“There’s a limit to role-playing. I understand your kindness, Yisi, but indulging a child of this age too much will only make her boundlessly arrogant. As I thought, it would be more reliable to leave our future children in Refina’s care.”

“Onee-sama, you won’t have children with her. Even if you do, it will be with me.”

“If that day truly comes, please leave the task of raising My Lord’s daughter to me. As an Angel of Guidance, I will educate My Lord’s child as my own.”

My child… Has Laxy ever had a child? In the first place, don’t God-Forged Angels lack functions like eating and sleeping?

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Although the desire to retort was written all over her face, the words were too inappropriate, so Yisi had to forcibly hold them back.

Without dwelling on the sidetracked conversation, Camilla re-examined Tina, a trace of doubt still in her ruby-like eyes.

“Onee-sama, is she really a Demon Lord? I can’t feel any of a Demon Lord’s power. Back in the Hels Kingdom, even from far away, I could feel that ancient, oppressive aura. But the one standing in front of me now is just a girl, even smaller than Mary.”

“Ah, let me explain. Tina, let’s sit down first and explain the whole story. The road to Wilfred City is a whole month long. We can look into the matter of your lost physical strength later.”

“Mmm… okay.”

At Yisi’s urging, Tina sat back down beside her and began to narrate the evidence of her being a Demon Lord and why she had to seek refuge with Yisi. She spoke for a full hour, answering all sorts of questions from the group. It wasn’t until Laxy finally stepped up and verified that Tina’s identity was indeed real that everyone finally believed she was the Demon Lord Tartaros. Fortunately, perhaps because Tina had lost the contest of strength to Pepe, and combined with her harmless appearance, no one in Camilla’s group showed the same wariness and hatred for a Demon Lord as Laxy had. At most, they were just a little surprised.

“Hoh. So, does that mean I just defeated a Demon Lord?”

Edith, with one leg crossed, revealed a satisfied smile.

“Pepe, you just took advantage of her weakness. That doesn’t count.”

“So, because your home was attacked by the Demon Lord Styx, Tina-chan, you had to use the ‘Eternal Freeze Seal’ to seal your castle, and in doing so, you lost your Demon Lord’s Inheritance and became as weak as a normal person?” Refina summarized.

“Mhm, that’s right. Until I recover my strength and can release the ‘Eternal Freeze Seal’ in one go, I will be with you. However, I must emphasize that Demon Lord Styx will likely find me before I recover my power. So, while I am with you, you will be in constant danger. If you are not prepared, like Yisi, you should stay in a safe place. Even if you do not accompany me to Wilfred, as Yisi’s household, I will still treat you with courtesy.”

“And if we do go with you to Wilfred?”

“After the matter is concluded, I will grant you the reward you deserve. Not only will I give you the right to freely enter and exit the Demon Lord’s castle, but I will also permit you to choose one magic item from the castle’s treasury to take as your own weapon.”

“Oh? Choose a weapon from a Demon Lord’s treasury? Interesting.” Intrigued, Edith uncrossed her white legs, leaned forward with her elbows on the table. “This mission, Loiswell Edith Pescia accepts.”

Tina frowned at Edith’s seemingly thoughtless decision.

“I warned you, this mission is dangerous. With your strength, you would struggle to even deal with a low-rank archdemon.”

“But compared to the reward, it’s an adventure worth taking. A Loiswell never shies away from a challenge. Besides, don’t we have someone on this trip that even a Demon Lord finds reliable? Not to mention, my true strength is greater than it appears.” Edith rolled her eyes, gave Yisi a meaningful look, and continued, “Of course, I find the unheard-of task of ‘escorting a Demon Lord’ to be interesting, which is one of the reasons I accept. People on the continent would run at the mere sight of a Demon Lord, yet we are going to protect her. What a crazy idea. In the future, the history of the Blood Clan will record a pureblood who could freely enter and exit a Demon Lord’s castle. Just thinking about it is exciting.”

“Then what about Onee-sama’s reward? We are just escorting you to Wilfred. But Onee-sama not only saved you at a critical moment, she is also responsible for killing that goat-headed demon after you release the seal. Onee-sama’s reward should not be a mere magic weapon.”

Tina took a deep breath, looking as if she were about to make a momentous announcement. Yisi quickly cut in.

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“Tina, don’t say anything strange that could be misunderstood. I will absolutely not accept that contract from before. I’m not helping you for a reward.”

It was perfectly normal to want to stand up for such a small, cute child who was being bullied.

“To brazenly accept a favor just because the helper says they don’t need a reward… even demonic aesthetics do not permit such conduct. After the forced contract failed, I thought for a long time about what reward to promise you, Yisi. But after calming down and thinking carefully, just promising a reward after the fact is too arrogant. Therefore, I will deliver your reward before the task is even complete.”

A black hole the size of a wooden basin appeared in front of her, and Tina reached her hand into the storage magic.

Yisi tilted her head, confused.

“Deliver it beforehand? Didn’t you say all your important things were in the castle?”

“That’s true… But I have always carried this world’s… this world’s only treasure with me…”

For some reason, as Tina said this, not only did her voice get quieter, but her tone became shy, and she looked extremely embarrassed.

If I were a man right now, I’d definitely think Tina was about to say something explosive. But alas, no such misunderstanding exists between us.

Without making Yisi wait too long, Tina took a black wooden box, intricately carved with flower patterns, out of her storage. When she handed it to Yisi, she looked so shy she could barely speak. She held the box above her head with both hands, her eyes completely avoiding Yisi’s face, and with great effort, squeezed the words out from between her teeth.

“Although there is only one… as long as I live, this is a god-slaying-sharp-instrument that no armor, no magic, can defend against…”

Can’t be defended against by any armor?

Hearing Tina’s description, Yisi couldn’t help but scan the small wooden box with the [OmniscientMap]—there was no magic circle on it to block magical detection.

When she saw what was inside the small box, Yisi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Inside lay one of Tina’s baby teeth.

Tina hadn’t deceived her. A Demon Lord’s tooth truly was a sharp instrument that no armor could block.

But how can this girl be so adorable?

Yisi didn’t realize that she was already starting to look at Tina with a doting gaze. Without opening it, Yisi took the black wooden box Tina presented and tucked it away in her breast pocket for safekeeping. Then, she took Tina’s slightly cold, small hands in both of hers.

“Mhm, I’ve accepted the reward. Then, the contract is effective as of now—witnessed in the name of Yisi Enya.”