The Melancholy of the Demon Army Officer
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Shizukuku
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 062 – Plot [A]
“—Avel! Avel!! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
“Ah~ … Shut up…! Can’t you tell just by watching, General Raizen?”
“I’m asking you because I don’t get it!! Why are you taking Camilla-sama, who is supposed to be missing, away?! Moreover, that army is—“
“I’m saying — Can’t you tell just by seeing it?!! I’m leaving! I’m leaving this nation, do you get it?!!”
“—! But why?! Why would you do that—!”
“…Why, huh…Why do you think I’m doing it, General Raizen?”
“…What?”
“I’m asking you what you think my reason for betraying this nation and my fellow dragons might be! Don’t try to tell me, you don’t know!”
“…Tha, that’s—”
“…Ah-… if you can understand my reason, then I will obediently go back-”
“!”
“If you truly understand… then I will release them and turn myself in to Magiihoa-sama to apologize. Though I doubt he will forgive me.”
“………Avel, you—”
“…”
“You — hate the fact no one recognizes you — no… you hate what this nation has become?!”
“!”
“The dragons are quite aggressive. They advocate head on competition and respect abandoning their lives for the cause, while the way you fight using your wisdom in battle is denied and despised. You hate such a society don’t you?!”
“………That’s… but why would General Raizen question such values? After all, you are one of the four great saint dragons and a friend of Magiihoa-sama—”
“…It’s not like I never questioned why dragons think this way… No, I guess that wouldn’t be it. It’s because I do question those values. You remember it don’t you? That maou — in the battle against Kkluf Kkluf, you defeated him.”
“…I remember.”
“Dragons always fight directly regardless of how powerful their enemies might be. And they are happy to do so. But, this time, they all went to die a foolish death, attacking head on like that.”
“…That did happen.”
“Yes, I also like to fight, and I know how one can get fired up against a strong adversary… however, to not comprehend such a vast difference in power and just abandon reason altogether to rush forward? That can’t be considered a fight — that’s just suicide.”
“…”
“I hate it. I value my comrades. I participated in that battle because I wanted to protect them. To use my big body, my sturdy scales, and my power to save my comrades was something I could have been truly happy about. However—“
“…However, that wasn’t how it turned out, right?”
“…Yes, it’s as you say. It might have been possible if the enemies were common demons but, during the battle against that maou, even my big body and strong scales weren’t enough to protect everyone. The best I could do at the time was protect those closest to me. Most of the dragons were swatted down like flies by that maou and died meaninglessly.”
“…These things happen all the time, right? Well, I’ve never fought that way so I wouldn’t know…”
“…To be honest, your method of hiding and attacking whenever the chance arises is more useful. When you finished with that maou, I honestly felt like I had been saved just by that alone.” 1
“…I see, so you also felt that way, you say?”
“…Yes. I wish for the other dragons to abandon those ideals — no, I just want them to at least have a broader perspective. If they go to battle and die to achieve something they truly care about, then I wouldn’t complain about it. For dragons, who lack the concept of lifespans, their life will come to an end when they die in combat, fighting to achieve their goals. However, there were many amongst the dragons who died against that maou who weren’t fighting for anything at all but still didn’t think it was a mistake to die that way. As arrogant as it sounds, I can’t forgive such a thing.”
“…Indeed, that is arrogant.”
“Isn’t it? …well, that’s why I was defeated by Magiihoa and had to listen to his words—”
“…But that can be changed.”
“…What?”
“It’s a simple thing. All we need to do is to defeat the embodiment of the dragon that lives, the Dragon King.”
“—! Tha, that’s—”
“Yes, it means that we will need to defeat General Raizen’s friend — the Dragon King Magiihoa, and replace him as king. That’s how we can change this world.”
“…That’s why you brought that army with you…?”
“That’s right! General Raizen! I want to change this world!!”
“Change the world…”
“Yes! To make a world where dragons are not trapped by their current values! To make a world where my fellow dragons who prefer to fight using their brains like I do can be saved!”
“…”
“…And for that, General Raizen! Are you willing to team up with me?!”
“…Team up, with you?”
“Yes! If General Raizen were to team up with me, it might be possible to create that new world, different from the world in which Magiihoa-sama and other four great saints currently dominate! It would be a better world where your dragon comrades didn’t need to meaninglessly die!!”
“……But, to do that… and not through a duel—”
“General Raizen!! This is our only chance!! This is the perfect moment, while the other four great saint dragons are absent and only Magiihoa-sama is there?! If things don’t change, the dragons will be forced to continue living the way they are! …No, it will inevitably take a turn for the worse!! That’s why, before that can happen—”
“…”
“—Build that ideal world with me!!”
“………I’m sorry.”
“…No, no way… General Raizen…?”
“…I’m sorry but I can’t do that. I can’t betray him by stabbing him in the back like that.”
“………Then, I—”
“…Yes, you’re right… But I’ll apologize together with you. Although kidnapping Camilla-sama is a heavy crime, I will beg him to at least spare your life. Besides, in a sense, I’m also guilty of the same crime. And he is quite an understanding dragon, after all—”
“…Then General Raizen. Can I ask one last thing of you—”
“…Ask me for something? What is it? Say it.”
“Yes. —Please bring me there yourself. If it is General Raizen who sends me off, I won’t have any regrets.”
“………Alright.”
“………General Raizen.”
“………What is it, Avel?”
“…I’m so glad that you are my boss.”
“…Aah, I’m also glad you are my subordinate.”
“Yes, truly…”
“………? Avel—”
“Truly — I’m glad to have a fool like you as my boss—!!!”
“—Gah?! A, Avel?!”
“Foool—!! What a brainless dragon you are! Oraora! You guys, hit him now!!”
“Guh—!!”
“Cih… it’s hard as expected… You guys, keep him at bay!! This great me has somewhere I have to go!!” 2
“A, Avel—! You—?!”
“Aah?! Shut up, don’t talk lightly to me, you fool!! I am maou-sama!”
“Maou, you said—?!”
“Yes, that’s right! I am the very maou who dominates this world!! And I no longer need you, since you wasted my good will!!”
“Avel… guh!”
“I was even considering turning you into a majin! — Hey, hey, what’s wrong?! You look hurt? Gyahahahaah!!”
“gh…!”
“Okay okay. You guys, don’t let him get away, got it? You can’t let your guard down against him. Pay very close attention to him. Also— Meglass!”
“…”
“I’ll have you come with me! I can use you in case of an emergency!!”
“A, vel…! You…!”
“Goodbye then, General Raizen! You have your purpose too, you know? As a clown that is! —I… hate the fact that no one, kufu, recognizes me, you said, gyahahahahah!! Don’t make me laugh, you fool!!”
“A, Avel…! You…!!”
“You don’t have to worry, because I will make that ideal world we spoke of, General Raizen — a world where everything is convenient for me, that is—!! Gyahahahaha—”
“—Wa, wait…! Avel…! Avel—!!”
—Leonhart’s vacation, the sixth day, at a certain house.
It was early morning.
Leonhart was awakened by the faint sunlight that shone through the window.
“……I’m still sleepy.”
He muttered with a face that clearly hadn’t known a proper rest. It seemed his mind wasn’t completely awake yet, but he still remembered.
…In the end, I was barely able to sleep at all last night…
Although a majin wouldn’t die without sleep, they would still feel a bit of the weakness that comes from having just woken up. Therefore, it couldn’t be helped that some drowsiness still remained.
I didn’t expect it would bother me that much though. My actions last night were a poor choice, he thought.
It was because the three of them had decided to sleep in the same bed together, with him sandwiched in the middle,
…Then it developed into something ridiculous…
For some reason, although the two women first slept with their backs turned to him, they had both turned over to face him and they both ended up embracing him.
Moreover, they pushed their fantastic chests against him.
If such a thing was done to him, it was only natural for a man to feel some sort of agony. As matter of fact, while it was happening, he couldn’t help but wonder why they would do that.
However, he also couldn’t sleep due to another reason that came up in the middle of it—
“—Are you awake?”
“—!”
As Leonhart twisted his body and opened his eyes, a voice could be heard from beside him before he had even realized that someone else was there.
He was definitely alone in the bed. In that case, the person who called for him must be somewhere else, so he turned his face toward the center of the room.
“…Good morning.”
“Aah, good morning.”
Sure enough, Kesselring was there beside him. She was sitting on the chair next to the bed and she smiled as she greeted him.
“Pale is making breakfast right now. Let’s change your bandages while we wait.”
“A, aah…”
He couldn’t refuse such a suggestion.
Although Leonhart could feel there was something different about her, he still got up and sat on the bedside.
Then she also sat on the bedside — right next to him, and she proceeded to prepare to change his dressings.
“…Then, please.”
“Leave it to me.”
Kesselring reached out to the bandages that were wrapped around his body and carefully began to remove them.
The action was very smooth, and Leonhart felt like he could entrust his body to her with confidence.
“…You have amazing resilience.”
“Hm… a, aah. I’m a majin after all.”
While Leonhart was thinking, he felt the presence behind him freeze for a moment as she saw the condition of his wound.
She was really surprised. In Kesselring’s gaze, the wound which had been previously covered by the bandages had already stopped bleeding, and there wasn’t a single place she could find that was still seeping out blood.
However,
“It’s not like my wound is completely closed, and the organs inside my body are still not healed yet… but I do seem to have recovered faster than normal.”
“…Is that so?”
“Aah. Normally, it would take a little longer, but… I think this must be thanks to the nursing I received from the both of you.”
“! I, I see…”
He could hear the excitement in her voice from behind him. In fact, those medicinal herbs might really be effective, plus the food and small amount of rest that he had weren’t irrelevant either.
Kesselring listened to those words and, once she finished removing the wrapping,
“—I’m glad then.”
She said so with a happy voice and began to apply a new bandage.
She tended to him without hesitation. However,
…somehow, this feels different than yesterday.
Leonhart felt a mysterious feeling of incompatibility. It wasn’t a bad thing, but it was due to the fact that her attitude had become so much better that Leonhart felt troubled.
The way she applied his bandage felt so different compared to yesterday. While he felt her effort both times she tended to him, this time he also felt her —compassion.
Bluntly said, she was doing it too gently.
Although that wasn’t a bad thing, it made him feel awkward and he had a hard time reacting.
And occasionally,
“………This body is—”
She would say things under her breath and Leonhart could feel her gaze as she stared at his back.
No, if he was to express it more bluntly— she seemed to be fascinated by it.
“…”
But, although Kesselring was clearly changing his bandage in a different manner than yesterday, Leonhart chose not to point that out.
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Lol she’s thirsty for him