“It’s done, Rugasussu-kun!”
“Oh, that’s amazing!”
“Fufufu, it’s all thanks to your idea.”
She still gets my name wrong, but Eret really did make what I asked for by the next day.
What she made was, at first glance, a large box.
It had double doors on the front, and when you opened them, cold air flowed out.
That’s right, it’s a refrigerator.
Lucifiel ate all the karaage, so there wasn’t any problem with storage, but there might be times when I can’t finish everything I make in the future.
That’s where this comes in.
Even living things that would rot quickly at room temperature should last for a week.
“I’m so glad we have Eret-san!”
“It’s nothing, I’m just a guest here. It’s just a small rent payment.”
“…Eret-dono, you are technically a prisoner… No, it’s nothing.”
Katiana, who was in the next cell, seemed to want to say something, but I didn’t care about the details.
After that, a peaceful time continued for a while.
Well, the Demon Lord Army is in a huge war with humanity, and there are occasional attacks on the Demon Lord’s Castle, so it’s not exactly peaceful…
I hunted monsters with my slingshot, cooked them, and made sweets for Lucifiel when I felt like it.
Those were the days, until one day.
“Duel with me, you low-ranking Demonkin!”
It was too sudden.
I was making a meal with the game I hunted as usual, and Katiana and Eret were eating it.
Suddenly, a beautiful girl barged into the dungeon.
Her long, reddish-gold hair was tied in twin tails, and her blue eyes were slanted, giving her a strong-willed impression.
She looked to be in her late teens.
Compared to Lucifiel, her chest was quite modest, but it was well-shaped. Beautiful breasts.
She was wearing clothes made of such thin material that you could tell.
No, I don’t even know if you can call it clothes, it’s just a small string of fabric.
‘PuriHiiro’ is a game for gentlemen, so it’s better not to worry about the details, but it’s really an amazing outfit.
I knew this girl.
She appears in the game, and there isn’t a Demonkin who doesn’t know her.
“U-um, you’re Lacia-sama, the ‘Wrath’ of the Demon Lord Army, right?”
“Fufufu, as expected of me. It seems there’s no need for me to introduce myself!”
That’s right, this beautiful girl is a high-ranking member of the Demon Lord Army.
Among them, she is a powerful figure in the upper ranks, and Lucifiel’s close aide.
Even though she’s a close aide, she’s always fighting on the front lines, so she doesn’t have much of an image of serving by Lucifiel’s side…
As her title of ‘Wrath’ suggests, she’s always irritated about something and is a scary person.
“So, why would Lacia-sama challenge me to a duel?”
Duels are quite common among Demonkin.
When a dispute arises, they have a public fight to the death, and the winner can give orders.
Of course, since it’s a fight to the death, they often die.
It’s not something that Lacia, who is the second strongest in the Demon Lord Army after the Demon Lord, would do to a low-ranking Demonkin like me.
Honestly, I absolutely don’t want to fight. There’s no way I can win.
Then, Lacia, looking irritated by my words, said.
“How hypocritical! Do you think I don’t know that you’re trying to curry favor with Lucifiel-sama like a fly on carrion!?”
“…By that logic, the Demon Lord would be the carrion.”
“Enough with the sophistry!”
“Ehhh?”
Apparently, Lacia doesn’t like that I’m trying to curry favor with Lucifiel.
Now, what should I do?
“I respectfully decline.”
“Fufufu, that’s a good answer! Wash your neck and wait—eh?”
“I decline.”
I wonder why she thought I would accept.
“A-are you planning to run away!?”
“You can take it however you want, but I’m definitely not going to duel.”
“D-do you not have any pride as a Demonkin—”
“I threw that away a long time ago. Okay, so please go home.”
I pointed to the stairs leading to the upper floor.
Lacia’s shoulders trembled, and she glared sharply at me.
How scary.
“Do you think you can make a fool of me and get away with it!?”
“There’s no making a fool or anything like that.”
“U-un!? How vulgar!”
“I’m fine with being vulgar. If you have time to deal with such a vulgar low-ranking Demonkin, please use your time meaningfully. Okay, the way home is this way.”
“Y-you—”
Ah, I messed up. I provoked her too much.
It was the moment Lacia raised her clenched fist to punch me.
“Rugas, what is all the commotion? Oh, is that Lacia?”
“!? L-Lucifiel-sama!?”
“Ah, Demon Lord-sama. You’re here again.”
“Don’t make such a displeased face! So, what did you make today?”
Lucifiel must have come to mooch off my cooking again.
She came to the dungeon at just the right time.
“L-Lucifiel-sama!”
“What is it, Lacia? Do you also want to eat Rugas’s cooking?”
“No! Please stop eating such things!”
“Why?”
“W-why, because eating such things will make you weak!”
Lacia pressed Lucifiel.
However, Lucifiel shrugged and laughed off Lacia’s claim.
“It seems Lacia doesn’t know.”
“W-what do you mean?”
“Delicious food makes the body healthy. And health is the first step to becoming strong. That’s what Rugas said. It’s important to eat a balanced diet.”
Lucifiel said, puffing out her chest.
It was something I said when I managed to talk her out of being picky about food a while ago.
She’s saying it so proudly…
However, Lacia still doesn’t like me and is snapping at Lucifiel.
“No! It won’t do! You absolutely must not eat such things!”
“Ah!? W-what are you doing!?”
Saying that, Lacia flipped over the plate of food that I had portioned out for Lucifiel.
The moment the food fell to the ground.
Lucifiel barely managed to get between the ground and the falling food and caught it in her mouth.
“Hmm, it’s delicious again today! But that’s not the point! Lacia, if you waste food, Rugas will get really angry!”
“Lucifiel-sama? Are you perhaps afraid of angering that low-ranking Demonkin!? You, the Demon Lord—”
“Hey, you, shitty twin-tails.”
“…Eh?”
There it is again.
Why is it that Demonkin, including Lucifiel, have no gratitude for food?
“It was a duel, right? Fine by me. I’ll buy that fight. I absolutely won’t forgive you.”
“Eh? Eh? Why are you suddenly so motivated!?”
“What’s wrong? Are you scared? Is a high-ranking member of the Demon Lord Army (lol) scared of a low-ranking Demonkin?”
“W-what did you say!? F-fine! I’ll beat you to a pulp!”
“Why are the two of you going to duel?”
Me, furious, and Lacia, enraged.
And Lucifiel, who doesn’t quite understand what’s going on.
And so, a few days later.
I ended up having a duel with Lacia, a high-ranking member of the Demon Lord Army.
―――――――――――――――――――――
Afterword
A trivial side story
Author: “You want to make it clear that she’s a ‘desuwa’ type lady, right?”
R: “Officer, it’s this one.”
If you thought, “It seems worth making her understand,” “Lucifiel is so greedy, lol,” or “Officer, it’s this one,” please leave your thoughts, bookmarks, star ratings, and reviews.