Chapter 13 (2/2)

Both Yuumis and Gran’s eyes were widened in shock.

Luru understood their feelings quite well.

In truth, even Luru and Iris who were of a faith that believed in this couldn’t hide their shock when it happened to Luru himself.

Luru continued in a way that didn’t interrupt them.

“It’s not a lie. The reason being that I died in my previous life. Iris can attest to the fact that there’s no mistaking that. In truth, Iris and I were originally acquaintances. And for some reason I don’t know, the two of us reunited in this era… Ahh, it’s not as though I stuffed her in there, by the way. It was all just coincidence…”

“Meaning… Hang on. Was the explanation you gave me in the ruins a lie, then?”

Gran looked at Iris a little accusingly.

From the point of view of Gran who had sympathised with her, if it really were a lie, it was something he felt a little sad.

However, Iris shook her head.

“No. Not a single thing was a lie.”

“Then what does this mean?”

“In the past, I lost a very important person to me… That person was the very personage sitting right here, Luru-sama.”

“…That’s…”

“In the past, because Luru-sama was the very good friend of my father, he was kind even to me. Luru-sama was a personage who should have been busy enough that they had no time to spare on the likes of a child like me, but despite this, he came to visit me in various ways… On my birthday, he would unfailing come with a present in hand to celebrate, and would play with me very much. Because of this… it did not take very long for me to develop a deep, deep affection for Luru-sama.”

Having said all of that in a breath, Iris cut off her words temporarily.

And then suddenly looking into s.p.a.ce as though she was recalling something, her eyebrows knit into a sad expression, and she began to continue speaking.

“However, in those days… it was a chaotic era of war. Absolutely no one could escape from the fighting, and Luru-sama was a personage who was constantly in the centre of it. On the eve of my seventh birthday… Luru-sama… was killed. As Luru-sama was, as I stated a moment ago, constantly in the middle of the war. From when I was very little, I had prepared myself for the fact that something like this might one day happen. However, the way he died was much too grand… so not a single one of we retainers could see him off when he pa.s.sed…”

Gnawing on her lip, Iris continued.

The next expression on her face was wrath.

“I felt regret. I felt mortified… So I decided on revenge. Not against the ones that killed him… But against the world that killed him,  I would raise a beacon of rebellion, I thought. I would crush war, and the reasons that caused it, as a memorial service for Luru-sama, I thought. However… In the end, my determination came to an end halfway. Along the way, I was kidnapped by an unknown somebody, and was thrown into the equipment in those ruins… After that, it is as you know, Gran-sama. I saw you and Luru-sama, and in my half-awoken daze, I immediately attacked you as well… and like that, we arrive at this point.”

Once she reached the end of what she wanted to say, Iris returned to her normal calm expression.

Hearing that, Gran made a difficult expression,

“You had those kind of circ.u.mstances… Sorry, for doubting you…”

and apologised.

As for Iris, she replied,

“No. What I said to you in the ruins was not a lie, but… neither was it accurate. And the intent was to conceal the truth. That I was doubted was a matter of course. On the contrary, I would like to thank you for forgiving me…”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry… I get it now… But leaving Luru aside, Iris-chan… just how old are you? You didn’t reincarnate or anything, right?”

It was something that was on Luru’s mind as well.

Before Luru died, certainly she was a girl who was intelligent beyond her age, but he had no memories of it being to this extent.

Iris thought about it for a little, and spoke.

“…When Luru-sama pa.s.sed away, I was seven years old. I went about fighting on the battlefield for roughly another five years, so… that makes me 12. In regards to my appearance, because of the ancient demon race’s special trait… my growth is just a little slow.”

12 years old.

When Luru thought about the fact that this girl fought for 5 years after that, he didn’t know what to say about the trouble he had put her through.

However, he thought that having said that, apologising might be the wrong thing to do.

This girl didn’t wish for an apology.

Not an apology, but instead facing forward, and thinking about what to do from now on, would surely make her happier.

Thinking this, Luru decided to risk not apologising.

However, though it was the truth that the ancient demon race grew slower, even that had its limits.

In particular, up until they matured as an adult, the grow of the ancient demon race was not all that slow compared to humans.

In that case, Iris’ growth was…

Thinking that far, Iris noticed Luru’s gaze, and looking down at her own body sadly, she sighed and said,

“…I am still twelve, and there remains the possibility of growth…”

She muttered, looking down with her cheeks dyed red in embarra.s.sment, Luru felt that it would be pitiful for him to consider this any further, and decided to stop.

Seeing Iris act like that, the heavy atmosphere lightened just a little, and Gran opened his mouth.

“…Got it. Still, for your age you’re quite the clever little miss[/jouchan], aren’t ya? Are all ancient demons like this?”

Luru replied to Gran’s question.

“No, I think Iris is special. The others weren’t any different to humans. There was a considerable difference to humans in their control of mana but… there wasn’t much difference on the inside.”

“Heh[/I see]… I had absolutely no idea I’d ever hear something like that from an ancient demon themself though. Hearing this, it seems ridiculous that they’re called a legendary race or whatever.”

Said Gran, seeming to have come to some conclusion － about the fact that Iris and Luru were of the ancient demon race, as well as what they spoke about just now.

You could say that a magnanimous person referred to this type of man.

Yuumis was a little different, and perhaps because she finally digested that Luru and Iris were ancient demons, it looked like she was little by little becoming excited.

Though you could say it was a just hobby, the things she had been pursuing for a long time were now before her eyes.

Her joy was probably immeasurable.

Moreover, it seems that Yuumis had picked up on a word that she couldn’t overlook.

“That you two are ancient demons… is something I understand now… But just a moment ago, there was something that Iris-chan said that I haven’t been able to forget about, you see.”

“My…! Just what did I say?”

Iris tilted her head to the side.

Yuumis then spoke.

“You said it, you know… ‘Retainer’ or something… Luru is an ancient demon, and you are too, Iris-chan. I’m fine with the story up to there. But… just what kind of position did Luru hold? Your words sounded almost as if you were serving him… If you mention an ancient demon… who was served by other ancient demons…”

From her manner of speech, Yuumis had probably more or less guessed at the truth.

However, she wasn’t convinced about it, and it was nothing more than a thought that she had come up with.

And then, Luru already had no real reason to hide it.

That’s why he spoke frankly.

“Yeah, you’re right… In the past, I was the one who the ancient demons followed… The one who led all of the demon race into battle… In my past life, I was――”

――――The 100th Demon King Luruslia Nord.

そのもの; ‘that thing in and of itself’, ‘per se’, ‘the very thing’

/Chapter 13 END

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