032 Desire Devil, Kenen[]
"Turn right at this street."
"So left it is," said Rino.
"Just skip over this town square..."
"I see. Then, we’ll stay here for a while," said Reiyu.
"There are a lot of posters here. I guess she gave quite fervent speech, that Sealed Blaze Maiden," said Zonne
"And they were headed towards the east."
"Hmm, the west? There are a lot of swamps and lakes that way," said Rona.
"There's also the Zeroth Crater over there, where the miasma is much thicker than it is here. Has me curious," said Reiyu.
"They looked to be in a hurry, so you probably would be able to catch up with them today..."
"It's not too late yet. If I remember correctly, there's a stagecoach headed to the Zeroth Crater. Let's hurry up!" said Rino.
It was at this point that I lost my temper.
"Why do you always do the opposite of what I say, kii?
"I mean, you're a demon."
Said Trickstar as it laughed beside me while I angrily stamped my feet on the ground.
The Blaze Maidens and I as well as Trickstar were now within a historic city of the Dark States, the capital of decadence, Quilkarua.
We were in a corner a little off the main square.
It was a place away from the eyes of the people which I often used for secret conversations. Well, even if it was a conspicuous place, no one would make a fuss over a sudden disappearance of a person. This was the capital of decadence after all, kekeke!
That said, decadence was an elegant way of calling it, but the point was that the buildings, roads, people, and culture were all in shambles. The Demon Lord of this place was very old. And I've known every inch of this city since the time I was human. That's why as a side job I approach foolish travellers from other countries who step foot into the underworld and guide them to the best places around. And the more demons we get, the more likely Lord Greedon will take notice of us.
"You're pretty good at being an Amanojaku. It seems like you were caught in some kind of trap and carelessly transformed into a devil."
H-h-how did they know!?
"T-Tha-That's what the guys called the 'Borderless Healers' say, kii!!"
"Ah, I'm not a Blaze Maiden though," said Trickstar.
"Even though we’ve spent our lives healing people, nurturing hope in the world and doing good, we are not easily deceived," said Reiyu.
Hmm. This woman was tough.
"That said, you already knew about us from the very beginning!" said Zonne.
You know too much about us from the very first moment we met you! Sonne said.
Gulp! Sweat dripped down.
"You remembered everyone's name right away, even though this was the first time we ever met," said Rona.
Gulp! Gulp! Sweat flowed profusely.
"You even knew we were looking for an 'egg'. It was Bavsargra who ordered you to interfere with us, wasn't it?"
Said Rino. This girl, she seemed like a simple soul but she was the sharpest of them.
"I-It's a misunderstanding, kii! If you're in a hurry, I can arrange for a stagecoach to..."
"Just tell us one thing."
Even though Rino spoke with a gentle tone, she stared at me with burning eyes. Scary....
"Y-y-yes? Kii!"
"What kind of person is Bavsargra?"
".... When I met her, she was a normal human, kii. But as soon as she put on the black crown, she became a really scary woman..."
"Those who have been overwhelmed by the 'despair' of the world, go wild at her every word. Just as rumoured," said Reiyu.
"As such Lady Bavsargra, with eyes just like your’s right now (though her gaze was icy), ordered me to invite you to the depths of the underworld. It was not something I could disobey, kii. And in her arms was...."
"Our idol. She was carrying Sunrise Egg, right?" asked Rona.
"That’s right, kii...."
I lowered my head in disappointment. Oh well, instead of using antagonism as a sweet juice to sip on, I’m going to get it bad from Master Greedon (since I failed to increase the number of devils). Since I stuffed up, he might make me his dinner tonight.
"Okay, now we’ve got a handle on the situation. Now, after them!" said Zonne.
"Wait."
Rino looked back at me, who was completely devastated, and handed me some coins and something in a small bag. Was this, a reward?
"...it's too much, kii. And I even tried to trick you."
Rino smiled and shook her head.
"It's a thank you for showing us around. And this bag contains our prayers. Don't give up on hope and do your best."
"You, you're going to give a devil a charm, kii...?"
What was she thinking? But, she was enough of a good person for me to shed tears.
"That's right. I hope good things will happen to you tomorrow. I'll be going then. Thanks for teaching me so much."
Said Rino as she finished by patting my head.
A virtuous person stroking the head of a devil? The head of a devil who tried to do something bad? I was getting very confused.
And then Rona, Zonne, Reiyu, and even Trickstar for some reason, patted me on the head, then the Blaze Maiden group left for the stagecoach depot.
".... Maybe I should stop being a devil?"
Watching the backs of the 'Borderless Healers', the words that left my mouth, were like those of when I was human.
《Notes about Terminology》
Desire Devil
The Desire Devils are of the demon race. Even amongst the demons, the Desire Devils are special due to being individuals transformed into the form of a devil by the Avaricious Demonic Dragon, Greedon. Perhaps it is a joke on Greedon's part, but it seems that when he turns someone who loses a bet against him into a devil, their name reflects their original bad qualities, with the currently known ones being Taida (Sloth[1]), Gouman (Pride[2]), Boshokku (Gluttony[3]), Acratz (Viciousness[4]), Incane (Treachery[5]), Hystera (Hysteria[6]) and Kenen (Argumental[7]), all of which seem to have personalities that are unable to get along with society.
As for Yaaba and Mucca, rather than personality traits they refer to outbursts of uncontrollable emotions, and since these Desire Devils refer to ranks as opposed to individuals, this shows just how many humans and other species fall into the trap of Greedon's gambling because of temporary desires or temptation. It literally was a devil's play.