Volume 6 Chapter 2 (2/2)

Upon hearing it, Fel's eyes sparkled.

And so, I Awakened.

I felt a bundle of heat gather on my back and in the next moment, my four wings emerged. Concurrently, a horn also grew on my head. After those transformations, a sense of omnipotence welled up within me as this power dyed my heart black.

My consciousness began to fade and I felt sleepy… I closed my eyes as my other self opened his.

”Kyaa! Black master! Oh that cold stare!”

Hugging me like this, she's acting too familiar. It's irritating. It seems that after all that education, she still doesn't know her place. If education isn't enough, punishment is in order. Yeah, let's discipline her as though she's just a dog.

◇

I woke up and found Fel sleeping soundly by my side. She was hugging my arm while looking so happy.

I then tried to remember the rest of yesterday's events.

Fel and I were both clothed so that was one less worry.

After some more effort, I remembered some things. First was that I was able to accomplish my goal of ascertaining the nature of the abilities I got from the two Demon Lords I had killed.

Great, I've remembered them properly. They will certainly be useful tools.

If I made use of those abilities, Avalon's war potential would surely double. Individually, they weren't particularly strong abilities but together, they transformed.

They weren't abilities I could afford to ignore. Even with all the risks, I have to learn to control [Awakening].

As for what happened with Fel, it seemed like it went just fine and that I somehow remained rational.

I remembered that upon transforming, I only talked with her and then proceeded to go to sleep. I didn't recall anything else so I probably didn't do anything weird.

”Fel looks so happy.”

When I looked at Fel's adorable face, I found it regrettable to part with her.

”Father… Fel's… doing her best…”

The moment I thought of such, I heard Fel talking in her sleep.

Her words snapped me back to reality. In all likelihood, she probably preferred it more to return to the [Time] Demon Lord's side rather stay by mine.

As I pondered on it, she began to scrub her eyes.

”Mnnya. 'Morning, master.”

Maybe it was because she wasn't a morning person but she made a rather lax face. It was adorable.

After three minutes or so, she returned to her usual self. …or so I thought. There was something odd about her. Before I could come up with an answer, she put both hands on her suddenly red cheek and shook her head.

”Master, thank you for giving me lots and lots of love yesterday!!”

”I'm glad you liked it.”

”As I thought, a slightly wicked Demon Lord is so cool!”

Fel remarked so as she energetically swung her tail.

She seemed to have made her mind about it after yesterday's shampooing and brushing.

Suddenly, a blue bird entered from the window.

In its leg were letters which were surely replies to the message I had sent.

”Fel, it says here that the [Time] Demon Lord will be participating in the feast.”

”Wow, Father's coming here!?”

There was undeniable joy in her voice.

As I thought, she truly loved him.

In reaction to her words, I smiled and then stroked her head.

There was also a letter from Marcho and she wrote that she could attend the feast as well. Aside from that good news, she had mentioned another one which would most probably make Rorono happy.

Okay, I've finished giving Fel her reward. Next up will be to give Rorono hers. Has she decided on one though? Alright, I'll go check on that while also telling her of Marcho's good news.

◇

I parted with Fel and headed for Rorono's workshop.

Just like with me, her workshop's workload had piled up during her absence. There were also the tasks of repairing the golems and firearms that were broken in the most recent fight as well as replenishing our stock of bullets.

If it were just normal bullets, I could replenish our stocks myself through my [Creation] but since the ones we used were special bullets like mithril and orichalcum bullets, it was necessary that she be the one to make them.

She was just too serious. Even if I said that it could be done later, she probably wouldn't rest until a minimum amount had been done.

However, there was something quite depressing in only one person not taking a day off. And so, I had decided to give a separate day off to her sometime in the future. If she still refused to take a break then, perhaps a command to go with me on a trip would do the trick.

In the chance that a trip was what she wanted as her reward, I planned on taking her along in a gourmet tour.

She's quite the glutton so she should like that.

As I thought of such, I entered the workshop.

”Rorono-sama, you're being too reserved if all you ask for is to be patted in the head! Be bolder! A woman has to be brave!”

”Yeah, yeah. Learn from that girl; she already has a child in tummy, see?”

”You're not gonna lose to her and Wight-sama, right?”

”That's it. I have a good idea for your reward. Why don't you ask Procell-sama to give you a baby?”

”””Oh yeah!”””

Rorono's subordinates, the Dwarf Smiths, surrounded her and were teasing her.

As for Rorono herself, her white skin was totally red and her head was hung low.

Such was most probably the result of her asking them for advice regarding her reward.

…but, of course, a baby was out of the question. I intended to grant her only what one would grant their daughter.

”Rorono, are you here?”

I loudly said so. When I did, Rorono and the Dwarf Smiths all looked in my direction. After seeing me, the Dwarf Smiths then hurriedly returned to their workstations, leaving Rorono behind.

It's probably better to pretend I didn't hear their conversation just now.

”What can I do for you today, master?”

”I came here to know whether or not you've decided on what kind of reward you want.”

The Dwarf Smiths then pricked up their ears and listened closely.

Rorono, with her face still red, said the next words with a trembling voice:

”Father, I want a baby.”

You're going with that!?

I felt my face stiffen. Meanwhile, the Dwarf Smiths squealed in glee.

”Is that a no?”

With upturned eyes, Rorono whispered so.

”Yeah, it's a no.”

”Is it because you dislike me?”

Anxiety in her eyes, she looked at me.

”No, it's because Demon Lords can't produce children. I've told you I'll grant whatever wish you want so long as I'm able to do it but, sorry, this is one of the wishes that I can't grant.”

”Mhm, okay. A pity.”

”Moreover, even if I could, I won't do that to you, my daughter. It's not that I dislike you, but rather it's because I love you.”

Depending on their compatibilities, monsters could reproduce with their fellow monsters. However, the same couldn't be said about Demon Lords; whether it be with fellow Demon Lords or with monsters, we just didn't have the capability to reproduce.

…that was technically the truth. The exception, however, was the [Evil] Demon Lord and his ability, [Mating]. And now that I had absorbed his abilities, I too was very much capable of producing an offspring.

I chose to stay silent though; believing there was no need to bring it up.

”Understood. I'll think of another wish then. I'll have it ready before the day ends.”

A bit of sadness could be heard in her voice as she said so.

”Thanks. Oh, one more thing: I have good news. Marcho said that she had collected all the bodies of the broken golems within her dungeon. I've already sent a group of Darkness Dragons and Mythological Foxes to retrieve them.”

For monsters, after a certain amount of time upon death, their corpses would turn into blue particles of light that would then soon vanish. For golems though, considering they were ultimately just creatures of magic and spells, their bodies didn't vanish.

That meant that so long as their base form was still intact, their bodies could be recovered at a later time.

”That…”

”Yeah. It might not be enough for everything but we've got enough to fix the golems.”

”I'm so glad! I can now repair those children sooner.”

Full of joy in her voice, Rorono said so as she embraced me.

Thinking that she truly did love those golems, I smiled wryly.

When the Darkness Dragons arrive, I'll make them deliver the recovered bodies to her immediately.

However, as her father, I wanted her to think more about herself. The reason I wanted her to think of her own reward this time was to make her herself know what she really wanted.

I talked with everyone for a little while and then left the room.

I had work ahead of me. Distinguished Demon Lords were coming in response to my invitation and for that, preparations must be done to ensure Avalon could welcome them as best we could.