Episode 2: The Pushover Jailer Snaps
The next day.
My senior, who came to work, had a face like a Buddha, a stark contrast to the lewd grin he wore yesterday.
“Lugas-kun. I have attained enlightenment; worldly desires are the very source of people’s suffering.”
“Woah, Senpai. Are you okay?”
“Yes, there’s nothing to worry about. I’ve merely broken away from the foolish me of yesterday.”
He must have been thoroughly drained by Quina-sama, the Queen Succubus and a high-ranking member of the Demon Lord Army.
His orc-typical, plump body had withered to a gaunt frame, resembling a monk who had completed a grueling pilgrimage.
Suddenly, my senior headed towards the cells.
Could it be that he intends to lay a hand on Katiana in that state!?
But it seems my worries were unfounded.
My senior stopped in front of Katiana’s cell and prostrated himself.
“Human knight. Please allow me to apologize for yesterday.”
“…W-who is this guy? What are you talking about from yesterday?”
Katiana didn’t seem to realize that the person in front of her was the orc who had tried to violate her.
I get it.
Even I didn’t recognize him at first glance and couldn’t tell who he was.
“That’s the orc who was trying to assault Katiana-jo yesterday.”
“!? B-but he’s a different person!? What happened in just one night!?”
“I have cast aside my worldly desires. From today, I will be strict with myself and kind to everyone. Love thy neighbor. It’s a wonderful saying.”
“…H-hey, this change is kinda scary, you know?”
“It’s okay. I’m super scared too.”
Just then.
A cute rumbling sound echoed through the dungeon.
I looked towards Katiana.
Katiana, her cheeks flushed, glared at me and tried to intimidate me.
“I-it wasn’t me!!”
“…I’ll go get your meal.”
Since she said it wasn’t her, it would be tactless to pursue it.
I handed Katiana the meal I had brought.
Then, Katiana made a face that clearly showed her displeasure.
“What is this?”
“What do you mean, ‘what’? It’s food.”
“…It looks unappetizing.”
“…Yeah, it does.”
Demonkin don’t really care about food.
That’s why the dishes made are often rough and look unappetizing.
Or rather, they actually are unappetizing.
They boil things until they lose their shape, burn them until they’re charred, and no one even knows what ingredients they use in the first place.
Before I remembered my past life, I didn’t think anything of it, but now, honestly, I don’t want to eat it either.
But people and demonkin alike will die if they don’t eat.
I try not to smell the food as much as possible, and I swallow it without chewing.
In an instant, a terrible nausea hit me.
“Muggh, ugh…”
It was a blasphemous taste that chipped away at my SAN points.
An unpleasant texture that clung to my tongue like sludge, a fishy smell that went up my nose.
It’s awful. It’s so awful that I’m even getting dizzy.
I can’t believe I used to eat this stuff without batting an eye.
“Orororororororo…”
“…Why are you throwing up too? You eat this stuff every day, don’t you?”
“There are various reasons. Ugh, it’s so bad.”
I know it’s rude to the person who made it, but the person who made this is the most disrespectful to the ingredients.
“…Hmph, I’ve lost my appetite.”
“Sorry about that. …Hmm, well, I guess I’ll have to do it myself.”
“Do what? What are you going to do?”
“Cook.”
I left Katiana under my senior’s watch and headed to the Demon Lord’s Castle kitchen.
There wasn’t a single soul in the kitchen.
Among the demonkin, superiority is determined solely by pure strength, a complete meritocracy.
Therefore, cooks, like jailers, are often looked down upon.
The reason there’s no one in the kitchen is probably because the cooks themselves avoid being there.
I went into the storage room without permission and examined the ingredients.
“Oh? There’s rice. I found meat and vegetables too. …Why are the dishes they make so bad when they have such good ingredients…”
I cooked rice in a pot and made stir-fried meat and vegetables.
The stir-fried meat and vegetables were only seasoned with salt, but it was a thousand times better than the previous dish.
I returned to the dungeon with the food I had made.
“Here you go.”
“I wasn’t waiting for it. What is this?”
“White rice and stir-fried meat and vegetables. I think it’s better than the last one.”
“…Hmph.”
Katiana, while snorting, silently began to eat my cooking in her cell.
Watching her, I also started to eat my meal.
“…Well, it’s not bad. Why don’t you make it from now on?”
Katiana also gave it a good review.
I guess I’ll have to prepare Katiana’s meals from today on.
If I can win over Katiana’s stomach with this, maybe I won’t get killed when she tries to escape.
That’s what I thought…
“Hey, what is the meaning of this?”
“!?!”
My body wouldn’t move.
The presence of the person who had come to the dungeon was overwhelming.
I slowly turned around.
“D-Demon Lord-sama…”
Standing there was the archenemy of the heroines in “PuriHiiro.”
A cute-looking girl with long, silver hair in twin tails and blood-red eyes that evoked the image of blood.
She had a slender, petite physique, but in contrast, her chest was large.
Twisted, sheep-like horns grew from the sides of her head, and jet-black wings resembling a crow grew from her waist.
She wore revealing clothing that emphasized her shoulders, navel, thighs, and chest.
Her name is Lucifiel. The Demon Lord.
“Hey, you’re the jailer, right?”
“Y-yes, I am.”
I knelt down on the spot and responded.
By the way, my senior is no longer in the dungeon. Given his condition, he took an early leave today.
I was worried about him in that state.
So, that means I’m the one in charge of this dungeon now.
Lucifiel glared at me.
“I ordered you to torture that woman with every method you could think of, didn’t I?”
“U-uh, well, I-I was just about to start…”
“Oh? Then I shall observe.”
“Eh!?”
This is bad. This is really bad. I’m completely cornered.
If I torture Katiana, I’ll be killed when she escapes, and if I don’t, I’ll be killed by Lucifiel.
Lucifiel is an arrogant character.
She is tolerant of those who obey her, but merciless to those who defy her.
If I go against Lucifiel’s orders here, I’ll definitely be killed.
What should I do? What should I do!?
How can I make an excuse to get out of this critical situation!?
I could even go with the plan of actually torturing Katiana and making the cell more sturdy so she can’t escape…
Now that I’ve remembered my past life, my spirit is leaning from demonkin to human.
So, I don’t want to do anything too cruel.
As I was racking my brain on how to get through this situation, that’s when it happened.
“Hmm? What is this?”
“Uh, ah, that’s the meal I made…”
Lucifiel’s gaze turned to my half-eaten meal.
T-that’s right!! If I change the subject like this!!
The next moment I thought that, Lucifiel stomped on the meal and kicked it away.
“Hmph, how foolish. If you have time to make such things, you should be training to become stronger.”
“…”
“More importantly, why haven’t you tortured that human woman yet? Don’t keep me waiting.”
What Lucifiel was saying was extremely normal for a demonkin.
But, ah, but.
It wasn’t much, but this Demon Lord had stomped on and kicked away what I had made.
In front of a reincarnated ordinary Japanese person who has been more passionate about food than any other race, she did the one thing she shouldn’t have done.
I stopped bowing to Lucifiel and stood up.
“Now then. Let me see how you’re going to torment that woman—”
SMACK!!
I slapped Lucifiel, the Demon Lord, across the cheek with all my might.
―――――――――――――――――――――
Afterword
A small, unimportant story
Author: “Those who waste food should DIE!!”
Lucifiel: “DIE!! DIE!!”
If you thought, “Orc-senpai has attained enlightenment…” “This is the Demon Lord’s fault,” or “The afterword’s ideology is strong lol,” please leave a comment, bookmark, star rating, or review.