The Melancholy of the Demon Army Officer
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Shizukuku
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 069 – The Last Day of Vacation [A]
“Haa… Haa… How many survivors are there…?”
“…It seems it is only those around us that still live…”
“Damn it…! What’s with those angels…?! Do they have a grudge against us or something…!”
“…Raizen, I have a request.”
“…What is it?”
“I want you to take the dragons around us with you — and escape.”
“Wha… Stop with such jokes! Are you trying to fight them all alone?!”
“Exactly. Those angel fellows are powerful and there are too many of them. Ordinary soldiers would only be a hindrance—”
“Don’t screw with me! Then I’ll stay and fight too!! You won’t say I’m a hindrance too, right?!”
“…I can’t allow that. If not you, nobody can protect the dragons here.”
“That’s… but then…!”
“…You are the only survivor of the Four Great Saint Dragons. There’s nobody else I can entrust with this.”
“…Are you asking me to live in shame?”
“That’s right. I’ll entrust the future of the dragon race to your hands.”
“………Okay. But you have to—”
“Don’t worry. —I’ll definitely return.”
“…Fine then. Don’t you dare lose, okay?”
“…Aah, you too, please protect them until the end.”
Leonhart listened to Ssulal as she introduced the new majin standing in front of Hunty’s house.
Before him was Kesselring’s figure, which gracefully bowed next to the petite Ssulal.
…How did it end up like this?
He held on to his head despite the fact Kesselring had been turned into a majin. He didn’t understand why it ended up like that.
Leonhart understood the intentions behind the two choosing to talk in private. It was to quietly fill Ssulal in on the circumstances and fix the difference in perception from the story he told her. Kesselring should have told her the truth personally.
However, if things had gone according to Leonhart’s intent, he doubted Ssulal would chase after the matter aggressively, although he would likely suffer a greater punishment once the matter ended.
However, unlike what he had predicted, Ssulal turned Kesselring into a majin.
…What the heck did they talk about in there…?
Leonhart felt a headache starting from seeing Kesselring as a majin. It was that strange to him.
While holding his forehead, Leonhart looked at Kesselring and then Ssulal.
“…I won’t ask what happened inside, but are you both satisfied with this result?”
“Yes, there’s no problem about it.”
“…It’s fine this way.”
When he spoke to them, Kesselring replied with a smile. But, in contrast, Ssulal seemed to answer with a pout. She then stared at Leonhart with her half-lidded eyes,
“…Leonhart.”
“…What is it?”
“………You idiot, I’ll punish you once we return.”
“…Seriously…?”
Ssulal called his name as she sulked. It seemed she was still angry and his punishment was scheduled. It made him feel melancholic and he suddenly didn’t want to return.
Rather, Leonhart wondered what punishments awaited him. Would it be magic? Corporal punishment? Or maybe those deadly dishes? Although all of them were tough, he wished to be spared from the last choice.
However, Ssulal said,
“………Once we return, I’ll have you… listen to me.”
“? …Aah, okay.”
Although Leonhart found it weird as Ssulal looked away and said that, he still nodded. He felt her voice quivering slightly.
…Did she become more naïve somehow…?
Although Ssulal’s mood often changed, she seemed a little depressed at that moment. Perhaps he offended her somehow?
In that case,
“…Well, just order me around all you like. It’s my fault for returning late. I was absent from my duty, after all. I’ll work like a carriage horse once we return.”
He said that, which was also meant to serve as an apology, while scratching his head. In fact, Leonhart was well aware he took too much time off.
However, Ssulal glanced as Leonhart as she heard that, and she once again pouted,
“………Leonhart, you idiot.”
“Eh? Ssulal?”
“…Fu-hn.”
She said those words, the first was meant as an insult, and the second to show her intention to ignore him. She looked away.
As he was feeling confused by Ssulal’s response, Kesselring, who stood beside Ssulal looked at him,
“Leonhart, it’s not good to trouble our lord too much.”
“No, this is…”
“It’s Leonhart’s fault.”
“…Leonhart is indeed at fault.”
…Guh, these people…!
Galtia and Hunty joined with their remarks, ignoring Leonhart’s protests. Rather, Kesselring seemed to be against him in this matter as well.
Leonhart didn’t understand what was wrong with what he said. However, Carol and Pale approached him as he dropped his shoulders in defeat,
“It’s alright! Even if Leonhart-sama turned evil, I would follow along beside you! I’ll be a good villain!”
“Eh, err… please cheer up.”
“You guys…”
Leonhart was slightly moved by the two who encouraged him. As expected, it was a good thing to have an apostle and someone with big tits on his side. Well, the former’s follow up was a little weird, so that left only big tits as the decent one.
…Even so, that took care of the situation.
Although he felt like he messed things up, the conflict itself was resolved for the time being. He might be punished once he returned, but he pushed such thoughts to the corner of his mind.
The problem was what to do from now on. Beyond his gaze, after they were done blaming Leonhart, Galtia spoke with a light tone.
“…So, what should we do now? We found Leonhart and welcomed a new member, so should we just eat and go home?”
So you’re still thinking about eating… as such a thought ran through everyone’s mind, Leonhart opened his mouth.
It was because he still had something he needed to do here,
“…I am thinking I want to try climbing the Rising Dragon Mountain once again—”
“Nope.”
Ssulal’s voice interrupted his words. Everyone looked at her.
“Leonhart, didn’t you already lose against that Saint Dragon? Yet you are still thinking of climbing the mountain once again… that’s just reckless, so nope.”
Everyone voiced their understanding with those words. Among them, Galtia looked at Leonhart,
“Now that I think about it, didn’t you get seriously hurt? Then isn’t it better for you to not do it?”
“Ah?” Leonhart leaked a voice due to the misunderstanding. But now that he understood where they were coming from, he continued his words to make them see his point.
“…No, while it’s true I’m injured, it’s not because I lost against the Saint Dragon.”
“Really?”
“Eh?”
Galtia asked him, and Ssulal leaked out a stupid voice at the same time. She glanced at Kesselring for a moment before returning his gaze to Leonhart.
Then Hunty looked at him from behind her half-lidded eyes and,
“…I don’t quite understand. Did you escape from the fight with the Saint Dragon?”
“No. It seemed like Pale was going to get caught up in our combat, so he said ‘evacuate the girl so she doesn’t get caught in this, then we will resume our fight’ and then we just stopped the fight.”
“Eh?! He-he could talk?!”
“—”
As Hunty voiced her surprise, Ssulal’s eyes went wide.
“…Not only could that Raizen fellow talk, he’s a dragon that I’m quite comfortable communicating with.”
He should be bored of waiting for me by now, thought Leonhart, as he felt guilty for making Raizen wait for long.
The signs of doubt and surprise were still there, but Ssulal’s expression changed from her moody one to the serious expression she had when researching. She mumbled something as if she’d forgotten her earlier rage. And with a quiet voice,
“…I heard most dragons had turned feral to the point they were unable to talk though… But, in that case, why did Leonhart end up that injured? When I used my magic to check the state of his body, I could see he almost died…”
…So that’s what you did earlier?
Magic users are absurd, thought Leonhart. Or, perhaps Ssulal was just special.
Even so, Leonhart still answered her question. Since he didn’t think there was a need to hide anything, so he honestly said,
“On the way back, after meeting up with Kesselring, the mountain’s footing collapsed and the two of them fell… So I just jumped off after them to try to save them. I tried a few things as we fell, and I managed to save them but, because of that, but my body ended up pretty battered and — hey, what’s wrong?”
As he looked around, he noticed the atmosphere around him turned weird. Everyone, except Pale and Kesselring to be precise, had their faces twitch as they heard what he said,
“…Did you turn stupid from fighting too much? Even an idiot should know that you’ll die if you do something like that.”
“…Rather, how did you manage to survive that? Well… I do think trying to save people is a good thing, though…”
“We, well, I guess that just proves falling from a mountain is not enough to kill Leonhart-sama! I’ll note it down!”
“…Healing.”
“Don’t say these things like you see me as a monster now, please…”
Ssulal cast Healing without saying anything else, which contributed to Leonhart’s recovery. He was grateful for it but, perhaps it was just his imagination that he became mentally wounded from it.
While feeling uncomfortable, his heart told him to continue,
“…Anyway, I promised him I’d come back to resume our battle. That’s why—”
He faced Ssulal and,
“—Please, give me just one more day of vacation.”
“…”
As he asked her, Ssulal just looked at him silently. Leonhart was well aware that this was,
…It’s just my selfishness.
He understood the meaning behind Ssulal and the other three coming here. He could also clearly see they were worried about him.
But he needed to make another request and selfishly ask for more. He needed them to accept what he wished to do, all while knowing it would make them anxious.
…If I am refused — I guess, I can only give up on it.
Although he felt bad for Raizen because that would mean their rematch wouldn’t happen. Leonhart didn’t want that, but he also felt like his request was unlikely to be granted, considering Ssulal’s personality. Even so, he wished for Ssulal to agree to it.
Leonhart lowered his head as he made his request. Ssulal opened her mouth and, after some time, she sighed and,
“…Okay.”
“…!”
The answer he got was her agreement and his heart was filled with joy.
But, at the next moment, that feeling was mixed with surprise and confusion.
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