Chapter 51 (1/2)

Volume 1

CH 25

The sensation of floating in dark water .

『The dream ends . 』

I understand that I’m in a threshold somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness .

If I look down, I see an endless darkness, and if I look up, there’s a bright, wavering water surface .

「Kaito . . . 」

Suddenly, a flickering shadow appears before me .

The voice that calls my name sounds incredibly distant and hazy .

「Leticia . . . 」(Kaito)

The person that has appeared before me has beautiful hair of a deep, blood-like color that could be described not as red, but as crimson . Her black pupils shine just as powerfully as her hair .

The clothing that covers her body, which is too small to be called that of an adult, is the black dress of the Demon Lord . It’s exactly the same as when I saw her for the final time .

This is the 47th Demon Lord, Leticia Lew Harstone .

「Kaito, come and . . . see me . . . 」(Leticia)

「! Haah, I’m desperate enough to make you say something like that in my dreams?」(Kaito)

I let out words of self-derision without thinking .

How pathetic, to be like this just after seeing some dream reminding me of the past . Just how much am I planning to rely on someone I once killed with my own hands?

「Ah, but you’re right . Just once, I’ll come and see you just once . 」(Kaito)

I’ll go and see her properly .

In this second time, she knows nothing about me .

So this is nothing but sentimentality .

I just want to selfishly get my own emotions in order; it’s an act of atonement to satisfy myself .

Even so, I want her to at least forgive me once . After saying one thing to her, I never intend to appear before her again .

So in the words I say to her, I need to convey,『I’m sorry for everything back then』, and『Goodbye, I hope you find happiness . 』

「This time, I’ll definitely come to you and say it . I’ll say,『Ah, Demon Lord, I’ll you half the world, so take revenge with me . 』」(Kaito)

In this second time, she won’t even know what we need revenge for . I don’t intend to tell her . I’ll put an end to everything myself .

So it’s obvious that my words will be rejected .

And so they will be my unsightly words of repentance to punish myself .

Even if my words won’t be understood; even if she will reject me .

Because back then, she said those words to me knowing the same .

I’ll definitely come and say these words to you .

Because if I do that, I should definitely be able to give up on you .

Because even if you’re not by my side, I should be able to live on without relying on you .

Ah, but –

「It’s a little bit of a shame that I can’t be by your side after I die in this world a second time, I suppose . 」(Kaito)

「 . . . -sama, . . . to-sama . 」

「Mmm, ah . . . Minnalis?」(Kaito)

My body is being shaken gently, and as I open my eyes, I see Minnalis’s face which is slightly red .

I realize that I fell asleep . When I succumbed to the drowsiness, I had my back against my wall with one of my knees in my arms, but now I’m lying down horizontally . And actually, whatever is behind my head is dangerously soft .

「Good morning, Goshujin-sama* . You were having something of a nightmare, you know?」(Minnalis)

TLN*: Means “master”, as most of you would know . Previously translated as “milord” .

「Hmm? Ah, I had a little dream about the past . . . More importantly, this is . . . 」(Kaito)

「This is, you know, the『Guardians’ Chamber』was larger than I thought, so I used my『Poison Demon of Phantom Flames』too much and the mana intoxication . . . 」(Minnalis)

Hmm, since I fell asleep from mana intoxication myself, I guess I failed to suppress it .

When nothing is happening, Minnalis doesn’t get carried away; she maintains her position as a slave and keeps her stability .

Perhaps embarrassed by letting me sleep on her lap, she tries and fails to maintain a poker face and her voice wavers .

. . . I wonder if it would be bad for me to make fun of her . As a human being, would it be bad for me to do that?

The temptation of teasing her is poking its face out in front of me, but I suppress it with my self-control as an adult .

I won’t make fun of someone suffering from mana intoxication, nor alcohol intoxication . Messing with someone’s behavior while they’re drunk is inexcusable . Who knows where or when it could happen to me next .