The Melancholy of the Demon Army Officer

Translator: Tsukii

Editor: Derpy

Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!

Chapter 048 – Leonhart’s Vacation

 The next day, after Leonhart told Ssulal and his apostles where he would be going, Leonhart left for his holiday and was about to leave Maou Castle.

The people who saw him off were—

“Take care. Don’t forget to bring back some souvenirs, yeah?” 

“I want snacks.” 

“Leonhart-sama, please leave the rest to us! I’ll do my best to cover for you!” 

“…” 

Maou Ssulal, Majin Galtia, and Hunty and Carol, the apostle pair. 

The people closest to him were all gathered here.

Leonhart was a little amazed by the sight.

“I’m not a kid anymore, so you don’t have to send me off like this…” 

“Mu, isn’t it okay? We won’t be seeing each other for some time…” 

“I often go on expeditions too though?” 

“That’s true, but…” 

Leonhart’s casual statement as he hefted his bag up onto his shoulder made Ssulal a little dissatisfied. 

Then, the brown-skinned man next to them, Galtia, dexterously began to eat and speak at the same time.

“Well, isn’t it okay once in a while? It’s to commemorate the first vacation you’re going on… Hmn, this tastes so good. Do you want some meat for breakfast too?” 

“Even so, having this group of people here is conspicuous… Well, anyway, give me one.”

When Galtia recommended the meat he was eating, Leonhart remembered he hadn’t taken his breakfast yet, so he requested it for once. 

“Ooh, so you seriously want some. Well then—”

Galtia was mildly surprised but he raised the hand that held the meat then said, 

“—There you go.” 

“………Ah?” 

“I raised it up as I said, ‘crunch crunch, this meat sure tastes good.’ It’s low on oil and easy to eat for breakfast. —Hm? Leonhart, what’s with that hand?” [T/N: common Japanese homonym. “Ageta” could mean give or raise, also double as a call back of Leonhart’s horrible pun during the banquet. The hand is also a joke about how Leonhart extended his hand, expecting to get some meat from Galtia. If you read properly, you’ll notice that Galtia only asked if Leonhart wanted meat for breakfast, as he did not say that he’d offer him his meat. Thus Leonhart’s reaction below.] 

“…I guess I’ll beat you up a bit before leaving…!” 

“Wah-?! Stop stop!! Don’t go on a rampage here!” 

Ssulal hurriedly stopped Leonhart whose hand was already on its way to his sword. 

Galtia observed it all while laughing,

“Hahah, sorry, sorry. It seemed like you were thinking about something troublesome again, so I did that to make you relax.” 

“See? Galtia was just looking out for you. Stay your hand.”

“Tsk…” 

What’s with that? Leonhart clicked his tongue with such a thought while suppressing his battle lust. He had no choice but to do so after being told off by Ssulal after all, and Leonhart was also well aware of the reason. 

To his right side, Carol, who should have also heard of the reason, tilted her head and looked up at him,

“Is something wrong, Leonhart-sama?” 

“Hm… No, I guess…” 

To that vague question, Leonhart answered with a mild expression. 

As he turned the words around in his head, he held his forehead and exhaled heavily before saying,

“…I got worried now that I’m about to leave, you see… When I imagine a problem occurring when I am not there…” 

“…Well, you’re worried about that again?” 

Ssulal’s eyes turned half-lidded. Her gaze was somewhere between exasperated and warm, as if she was watching over a no-good child. Well, Leonhart also thought he needed to stop thinking about it, but he couldn’t help but keep worrying. 

Leonhart already told Carol and the demon general to take over his work and how to deal with problems that might occur yesterday, and there shouldn’t be any major problems since there wouldn’t be any serious wars happening in near future. Indeed, Leonhart was also aware that he had nothing to worry about, but…

…Am I really okay? Did I catch some sort of sickness from working too much? [T/N: we call that workaholic, sir.]

The thought made him worried for himself about weird stuff. Perhaps it really was a good idea to take a vacation during this period. He’s worked so much that he felt uneasy when he was granted a vacation. The prospect of a vacation didn’t seem to be that overbearing since he could tell he needed it himself, but…

…I need to change the way I think.

It’s a vacation I earned. It’s better to think more positively as I’ll be doing what I want to do, Leonhart said to himself as he tried to improve his mood.

“…But well, saying it like this doesn’t mean much, after all. I just have to change my mindset.” 

“Do that then… Hah, now you’ve somehow made me worried too…” 

“Ah… Uhn, sorry about that.” 

Leonhart apologised easily when he saw Ssulal sighed with worry. It made Leonhart aware that thinking too much wouldn’t do him any good. 

…I guess I should be going.

It was no good to keep talking like this for too long. Besides, the place they were at made it even more conspicuous.

Therefore, Leonhart took a breath, and then said it to everyone,

“—Well then, I’m off.” 

“Be careful on your way there, Leonhart-sama!!” 

“Oh- have fun.” 

“…Hm, ah…take care.” 

While Carol bid him goodbye energetically, Galtia did so lightly, and Hunty, who didn’t talk much in the first place, merely put up an expression to smooth things over. But then,

“…Leonhart.” 

“…?” 

Ssulal took a step forward. Leonhart had question marks popping up inside his head as Ssulal called his name and fidgeted for some reason. She just needs to say her parting words, why’s she hesitating so much? Thought Leonhart. 

“Err, that’s…” 

Perhaps the appropriate words she wanted to say eluded her since she tried to speak several times but took it back each time. Repeating it over and over. Perhaps she was just wondering what she should say? However at the end of it, she gave a reluctant smile and stuttered out, 

“Ta-take care and have fun, okay?” 

“…” 

After spending so much time thinking, those were the words that Ssulal chose to say. 

Leonhart shrugged his shoulders as he understood why she had trouble saying those words.

…What a helpless girl.

Although it was weird for him to say that, her care indeed left an impression on his heart.

Of course, he understood her feelings. Therefore, Leonhart opened his mouth—

“…Ssulal.” 

—to say the words she might wish to hear. 

“…I’ll return as soon as possible.” 

“—!” 

Ssulal’s eyes went wide in surprise. 

And it seemed Leonhart said the right thing, seeing as Ssulal stiffened in response. However,

“………hn.” 

When Ssulal felt Leonhart’s gaze on her, she gave him a proper smile unlike before, having understood his words. 

“—Take care, Leonhart!” 

“—Aah, I’m going.” 

Leonhart was convinced Ssulal’s anxieties had been completely eased when he saw her expression. He then turned around and thought about the meaning of her words earlier.

…I guess she couldn’t have said it even if she wanted to…

Indeed, Ssulal must have wanted to tell Leonhart to hurry up and return.

However, this was the vacation she granted to him after he had worked for her all this time. She couldn’t have said something that would contradict her actions.

Therefore, she could only say a simple, “take care and have fun”.

Well, it was kind of her to be like that. So much so that Leonhart felt the burden he carried lighten.

As Leonhart travelled further and further away from the Maou Castle, his voice shouldn’t be heard by them — or her anymore.

Therefore, Leonhart muttered to himself.

“—Really, it’s just a vacation, you didn’t have to make such a fuss…” 

His voice contained warmth despite the words he said. 

“…I guess I’ll be returning early.” 

Leonhart thought of Ssulal and headed off on his journey with a skip in his step. 

The tension and anxiety he had from earlier had disappeared completely.


—Leonhart’s vacation, Xth day, at a certain house. 

—Preface omitted, to Ssulal-sama. 

The fresh green color here was dazzling — maybe a bit too dazzling for the season, but how are you doing now? By the way, I’m doing fine.

Anyway, thank you for the vacation you gave me the other day. Thanks to you, I could enjoy such a fulfilling leisure time.

…Err- this is somewhat troublesome, and I don’t think I can continue this way, so I’ll stop writing so formally. I hardly remember how a letter is supposed to be written anyway, since I have nobody to write a letter to to begin with.

…So, Leonhart here, I serve as one of the Four Elite Majins and a demon army officer. 

Well then, the situation seems unclear due to things that happened here, so let’s sort out the situation.

I am currently away from Maou Castle for vacation. It was the first time I had time to myself in 320 years, so I decided to spend such time on a journey.

…At least, I think I am having a good vacation. Although various things have happened that led to my current circumstances, at least this very situation would make over half of all living beings jealous.

I slowly looked around the wooden house I was now staying at. The interior was simple but cramped. There was a simple kitchen, and a tattered chair and desk that were still somewhat usable. It was a dusty room with no trace of people living in it, let alone a liveliness to it. The house seemed to only have the minimal things required for living. Furthermore, it was located somewhere within a forest.

To be honest, it was a house that was only slightly better than a shack.

Fortunately, there was a bed here. A single person bed and sheet, also a barely functioning blanket, but it was better than nothing.

…From what I’ve said until now, there seemed neither anything to be envious of nor could be said as a good way to spend a vacation, but that wasn’t the point here.

I was currently sitting on the single person bed with a pillow cushioned on my back. Although there was no saltiness in the air, it somehow smelled good —that’s hot! [T/N: as in, he was interrupted mid thought.]

“—!” 

Leonhart coughed involuntarily. 

Then—

“—A-are you okay?” 

A worried voice could be heard in front of him. It was a woman’s voice that sounded husky yet easy on the ear. 

That should be the case, since it was undoubtedly a woman in front of him. Moreover, she was an amazingly beautiful woman.

And the beautiful woman was looking at him with a frown.

“…Does my dish not fit your palate after all…?” 

She said with a depressed tone. In her hands were a stewed dish and a spoon.

Leonhart denied the woman’s words.

“N-no, that’s not the case. I was just surprised by the sudden heat.” 

“…That’s fine then… hm…” 

The beautiful woman patted her chest in relief as she said that. She stopped her words for a moment, and then,

“…A-at the time like this—“ 

“Hm?” 

She scooped the food up and brought it near her mouth, 

“Fuh… fuh…” 

Then she blew on it. 

Since Leonhart said that it was hot earlier, perhaps she meant to cool it down for him.

Then the action she took after was the same as before,

“I-I guess this should be alright now… okay.” 

She brought the spoon awkwardly towards Leonhart’s mouth, 

“Ah- Aaa~hn…” 

“…” 

And spoke such words with a flushed expression. 

It seemed she found it embarrassing despite having already done it several times. However, for Leonhart who was receiving it,

“……Aa-hn.” 

It wouldn’t help him to be embarrassed about it, so he ate normally. The moderately hot dish spread in his mouth. As he tasted the dish,

“Hm… how is it..?” 

He saw her bountiful chest go closer as she leaned forward to take the spoon back, 

…That’s something both Ssulal and Carol don’t have.

And thought of something rude. I guess the women around me just lack in that department, thought Leonhart. Not only Ssulal and Carol, Hunty was also a person who lacked such assets, and it made him feel bad for his eyes as a man. The only person who had any was Camilla, but she might have gone for the kill if he blatantly stared at her, so he wouldn’t want to do that.

As Leonhart moved away from such miscellaneous thoughts, he thought a little more on the taste of dish, and then commented,

“…It’s not that bad after all. You said that you don’t cook much, right? It’s quite a good dish despite that.” 

“U-uhm… I did my best, but… we-well…” 

“…? What is it?” 

For some reason, she became more flushed, and Leonhart felt something wrong so he looked into her eyes. 

Then,

“Ah well, you see…” 

It seemed she had something to say, so Leonhart waited for her to pick out her words slowly. After a while, she looked away,

“Ple-please don’t look at me too much. Err…” 

While she stole glances at him, 

“…It-it feels embarrassing… to be seen like that.” 

“…” 

She said such words. 

Looking at her state, it seemed clear to her that Leonhart was conscious of her body and it made her embarrassed. Leonhart determinedly stared at the ceiling and thought of his current situation.

He was now being devotedly taken care of by a glamorous beauty with a cool impression, who also didn’t seem to hate doing so.

…What is this… a dream? Is it really a dream?

Leonhart doubted his own perception of the world for a moment due to the very convenient development he just experienced, but the information his five senses relayed clearly showed that the situation was reality, and definitely not a dream nor a delusion.

Then, even as he thought about what to do, the conclusion didn’t change even as he asked himself many times.

—I have no choice but to stay here for now.

He couldn’t leave this place yet. Therefore, he could only accept the situation as it was for a while. Leonhart decided so as he opened his mouth and ate his third spoonful of the dish.

However, it still made him think,

…Why is this happening…?

Leonhart recalled and inwardly felt depressed.

Why was he, at a place like this, with the woman in front of him—

“Ah-aa~hn…” 

“…Aa-hn.” 

—the King of the Night, Kesselring, and living such a life with her? 

With that in mind, Leonhart sighed inwardly.

…Sorry, Ssulal. I said I would return earlier, but… many things happened… and I don’t think I can return just yet…

To the person who was far away in the Maou Castle, Leonhart apologised to Ssulal in his heart.

—I’m staying with a glamorous beauty, so don’t be too angry with me, okay? Thought Leonhart— 


Author’s Note:Ssulal: “…”


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