Chapter 321: The Day of Departure
There were basically no more unusual incidents in the next few days after that.
On the matter of heading to the Stalim ducal territory, Shien also made sure to let everyone in the Bayztrot home know.
After learning about Shien’s intentions to head to the Stalim ducal territory to subjugate the Old Demon Faction there, Vivian’s party also brought up going along with him.
Shien did in fact consider the idea of taking Vivian along with him, but when considering the fact that they had just gone though a dangerous crisis and the fact that Lucy had claimed that he won’t have a very easy time in this trip, Shien decided against it for the sake of not getting the girls dragged into another incident like that. Thus, he simply stated that he’ll be going with Airi, so there’s no need to worry about him.
And naturally, after learning that Airi will be heading to the Stalim territory with Shien, the girls relaxed and easily gave up on following along.
To use Diere’s words to describe it…
“If something could happen to you even with the Dragon Demon next to you, then we’d just end up dragging you down if we went with you.”
Thus, Vivian’s party decided to remain in the Capital and help Shien look after the things back home. At the same time, they’ll formally register at the Capital’s adventurers guild and start truly using the Capital as their base for their adventuring activities and also use this as an opportunity to raise their own strength.
Airi also had no problems on her side.
“Rather than that, I’ve already been waiting for a while now.”
That girl seemed rather impatient to depart already.
The only one whose thoughts on this matter that remained was Sara.
After learning that Shien and Airi were planing to head to the Stalim Ducal territory to subjugate the Old Demon Faction there, the sovereign of the demon race just frowned slightly without saying anything or showing any opinions. She simply looked considering at the topic, not showing a hint of what she’s actually thinking.
Shien did actually grab her for a proper conversation.
“It’s about time that you headed back to the demon world yourself, right? Do you really have so much free time that you can laze around at my place?”
Shien had never showed a hint of reverence in his attitudes when conversing with this sovereign of the demon world. This time as well, he simply called out to her the same way he did back at the start.
“You’re in that much of a hurry to chase me out?” Sara wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry at that, “Anyone else would be begging me to stay even a little longer, but you’re the first person to actually dare to try to kick me out.”
“It can’t be helped. You saw it too, my private life is actually pretty messy.” Shien replied with a smile, “With such a messy private life here, the great sovereign of the demon race wouldn’t want to keep on watching to your displeasure either, right?”
“Now that’s not necessarily true, you know?” Sara returned his smile with her own. Not only did she not get embarrassed by Shien, she even shot back, “I rather found it quite interesting. In fact, I really would like to keep watching for a few more days.”
“Enough already.” Shien rolled his eyes at her, “Anyways, as you can see, Airi and I will be leaving soon and heading to the Stalim ducal territory. You wouldn’t go so far as try to follow us along to freely wander outside, right?”
That’s true though. If Shien and Airi were to leave the Capital, then Sara won’t be able to keep on following them.
Unlike Airi, who just hands all her work to the demons under her, Sara really is quite busy. All kind of matters, large and small alike, require her to deal with. She also needs to worry over the friction between the three races. Her being able to stay here so freely was all thanks to her having properly prepared ahead of time, which was why a few short days of absence for her won’t cause any issues.
However, this has already reached its limits.
If Sara were to really go wandering around out of contact, then the demon world would likely fall into chaos.
Shien might now have known, but just for the past few days, Sara had already been contacted by her subordinates back in the demon world several times.
As the leader of the demon race, Sara really is limited in the amount of time she can spend in the mortal world. If she really were to stay any longer, then even putting aside what the mortal nations might do in reaction, the gods may also start acting in response.
Therefore, Sara had in actuality already started preparing to go back to the demon world soon.
Only…
“Can’t you help convince Airi and have her go back with me?”
That was the only result that Sara was dissatisfied with.
“If you want to convince her, do it yourself. I’m not going to do it.”
Shien doesn’t care to do that kind of high effort, no reward things.
Airi’s personality is quite simple. Although she does have the side to her that doesn’t care about others, she also has a side to her where she’s very attentive to those she believe in. She would basically satisfy all of the requests that Shien might make of her, so Shien really didn’t have the slightest objection to her remaining.
Sara’s different though. All her thoughts come from the basis of her status as the ruler of her race, from the viewpoint of governance. It’s not easy to get her to put forth real effort for someone else or help out with something.
Add in the fact that they basically aren’t all that familiar with each other, Shien didn’t care at all about where Sara went, and he’d miss her even less if she were to leave. Rather, he’d want her to leave as quickly as possible.
As for Airi, she’s a major heavyweight on his side, so Shien would obviously want to keep her around as much as possible. There’s no way that he’d instead try to push her away.
Sara seemed to know this too, so she simply sighed gloomily.
“That child. She really has reached her rebellious phase.” Sara reminisced while speaking to Shien, “Since little Airi refuses to go back with me, you had better take good care of her. You better not get any ideas about her, or you understand.”
In response to that, Shien replied with utter irreverence.
“Sorry, I really don’t understand all that much.” Shien half grinned at Sara, “The main thing is I simply don’t really want to understand what these ‘ideas’ that the lady Moon Demon speak of refer to. The reason for that, I think you understand as well, no?”
Sara was actually quite frustrated with the roundabout statement that Shien made.
She knew what Shien was referring to.
It was because the “ideas” that Sara spoke of referred to warning Shien against using Airi’s power and status for political means.
Sara really was worried that, with Airi’s pure personality, she may end up being unknowingly used by someone ambitious.
That was why she came to the mortal world in the first place.
And over these past few days, based on Sara’s observation of Shien, which she can’t say that she has completely come to believe in Shien, she did basically confirm that he didn’t have much in terms of ambition.
Thus, Sara had more or less relaxed when it comes to that topic. Even so, she still couldn’t stop herself from giving Shien a warning.
But, is Shien really the kind of person who is so easy to warn off like that?
He was using his own way to tell Sara that those “ideas” are things that only people like her would bother to think of. He himself don’t want to comprehend such thing, so he won’t bother trying.
Simply put, Shien was telling Sara to stop worrying about nothing.
Of course…
“If the ‘ideas’ that Lady Sara spoke of actually referred to stuff like hugging, holding, or kissing, then I won’t be able to promise anything in that case. That’s going to be my joy for the coming trip I’m taking, after all.”
Shien’s words just now made Sara explode on the spot.
“You’re actually planning on hugging, holding, or kissing that child? Don’t even think it!”
Sara was instantly enraged.
“Why not?” Shien shot right back, “So long as its consensual on both sides, even you, as a big sister, don’t have any right to interfere, right?”
“W-why wouldn’t I?” Sara shouted, “She’s still little you know!”
“Little?” Shien immediately spoke in a strange tone, “The king of dragons who has lived for at least thousands or even tens of thousands of years, and you’re telling me that she’s too little?”
Do you perhaps have some kind of misconception as to what little actually meant?
Howver…
“In my eyes, she’s just too little!”
Sara was basically adamant on this matter.
Shien’s look toward her immediately turned even stranger.
At this point, he finally understood just why Airi hated other people treating her like a little kid so much.
She must have been treated like a little kid to be taken care of by those sis-con older sisters of hers the entire time.
As he had that thought, Shien’s eyes turned shifty as he suddenly grinned.
That grin immediately gave Sara a bad feeling.
“What are you grinning about?” Sara got tense in a rare moment, “I’m warning you, you’re not allowed to get any ideas about that child.”
“Alright.” Shien was unusually quick in his reply and spoke in a very kindly manner, “I won’t. Don’t worry.”
Yet, Shien suddenly turning so agreeable not only did not get Sara to relax, but instead made her even more anxious.
“No! I have to go with you!”
Sara felt like she can’t leave this be.
Shien however completely ignored the Demon Lord before him and instead just turned around, left, and headed to the palace to go meet up with Lucy.
Shien thus kept Lucy company for several days, and Sara also forcefully remained in the Bayztrot home for those several days.
A few days, later, the pressure from the demon world became more and more intense, and Sara’s own adamant position also became weaker and weaker. In the end, after Jacinta personally came around to beg her, she had no choice but to return to the demon world while filled with regrets.
“Remember this! Little Airi can only be mine!”
Sara seemed to have left a letter written in red pen in Shien’s room, letting Shien see those bloody words.
Truth be told, when he saw those bloody words written there, Shien really did feel fear.
“As reality shows, sis-cons are not to be provoked.”
In this world, what’s scariest aren’t yanderes, but sis-cons.
At the very least, yanderes will follow you down to hell, but sis-cons will only end up ruining you.
One is actual death, and the other is social death. The horror of the latter, depending on the situation, could exceed that of the former by several times over.
Thus, Shien handed the letter over to Airi.
“… Give me another day.”
The day Airi got that letter, she fell silent for quite a while. In the end, she tensely threw out those words and seemed to have taken a trip back to the demon world with a belly full of anger.
Shien had no idea just what had happened on that day.
All he knew was that, the next day, Airi brought back another letter.
“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry…”
The letter was filled that kind of content.
Thus, Shien solemnly threw that letter away.
After all, he didn’t want to get nightmares from it.
Just like that, Shien had dealt with everything he needed to, and his preparations were complete.
The night before his departure, Shien stayed the night over in Lucy’s apartments.
As for what happened that night, well, it should be obvious.
The next day, the moment Shien got back to the Bayztrot home, he immediately grabbed Airi and got on Yulin.
One point that needs mentioning is that, besides Airi, Lasha had also come along as well.
“Since the one I serve is planning on leaving, then I too have no reason to stay here.”
Lasha so stated like it was only natural and had even fully prepared all of Shien’s luggage at some unknown point.
Thanks to that, when Shien and company was about to leave, it wasn’t just Vivian’s party in the gardens sending him of. All the maids and servants in the house had also all come out.
“Safe travels! Onee-sama!”
“Come back soon!”
“Remember to properly take care of yourself!”
“Wahh… Onee-sama…!”
A horde of beautiful maids and servants all gathered in the gardens, shouting out while crying.
Shien didn’t even want to say anything to that anymore. He just addressed Vivian’s party.
“Make sure to be careful.”
Vivian nodded toward Shien.
“Come back soon.”
Diere stared intently at Shien while emotions flashed through her eyes.
“H-have a safe trip?”
Lumia stated somewhat nervously.
“Please make sure to take care of yourself, Mister Shien.”
Melika spoke with great reluctance and an expression like she was on the verge of tears.
Shien grinned at that.
“Don’t worry.”
With those final words, Shien got up onto Yulin.
“Roar!”
Yulin roars, flapped her wings, stirring up a wave of wind and flew high into the sky.
Not long after, the pitch black dragon flew out from the Capital and blasted through the air.
Many people had seen this.
This includes the princess in the palace.
“Come back soon, alright?”
Lucy, covered in only a bed sheet, stood in front of the window and murmured with a voice full of love while watching the black dragon disappearing into the horizon.
Shien thus left the Capital and headed toward the Stalim ducal territory.
