Chapter 4 : I’m going to Moonlight Wharf with the Hero Party

Under the night sky where countless stars twinkle.

The saint, Dominicus, was guarding the campfire that was burning, swallowing the bright red light.

“Why don’t you go inside and sleep some more, Saint?”

The hero, Maeve, who spoke with a nasal voice, sat next to Dominicus while fixing her hair.

“How can I go to sleep early on such a happy day as today?”

“We thought we would have to wait another 50 years, but we certainly met quickly.”

Maeve poked the campfire with a long branch.

“Why aren’t you sleeping, sister?”

“I picked some flowers, and I still feel like I’m living in a dream, so I can’t sleep.”

“You don’t have to worry.

Sister.

If it were a beautiful dream, we wouldn’t have met the demon lord sleeping in the remains of the evil dragon, Creimhilde.”

Maeve stroked her shiny blonde hair and looked at the entrance of the cave where Purpure was sleeping.

“That’s true.

She was too loyal.

Creimhilde…

Her whole body was burned, and only her bones were left, how did she fly all the way here?”

“Loyalty was her pride, wasn’t it?”

Saint Dominicus slightly twitched his always-closed eyes and clasped his hands together.

“It’s thanks to her help that we were able to meet Purpure in this far away East Haven.”

“She was so loyal that we had to come to the land where the sun rises first to meet Purpure, though.”

Maeve chuckled and rested her cheek on her knee.

She blinked and examined the remains of the huge evil dragon.

A nest made under a pile of bones emitting evil magic.

It was quite a shocking sight for the hero who thought they would meet again in a more splendid and evil demon lord’s castle.

“……She doesn’t seem to remember us at all.”

Maeve said, tilting her head and holding out her hand to the burning campfire.

“It was expected.”

“Still.

I…

hoped for a miracle.

I hoped that when Purpure met us, she would remember everything again.”

Dominicus shook his head from side to side.

“It’s impossible.

Considering the task she accomplished, it’s even more impossible.”

“Did…

Did Purpure have to do it?”

Maeve smiled bitterly.

“She really is a selfish demon lord.

She made a promise on her own and said to meet here again.”

“…And you’re angry because she has no memory of it.”

“I’m not angry!”

Maeve got up and moved her legs as if she was going to pinch Purpure’s cheek.

“It’s okay if she never remembers!

Because it was our precious promise to go back to the land of prophecy together!”

I know very well how dangerous an adventure can be.

Even when I lived my second life, I had the power of the demon lord from the beginning, but I wasn’t worshiped from the start.

This foolish hero party can’t even imagine in their dreams how many adventures and efforts I went through to get the demon lord’s castle overflowing with marble and magic stones!

Anyway, adventure is a very dangerous thing!

“It’s a village that takes about 3 days to walk to, so there’s no need to pack so much~!”

“It’s not a lot.

When you go on an adventure, you have to pack this much!”

How can you say this is a lot?

“You packed a helmet, a lot of food, a cute little knife, and a wooden board, right?

That’s a lot!”

“This is a kitchen knife, and this is a cutting board.”

“Hey~ If we just eat roughly for 3 days…

Ouch!”

Unable to hold back, I slapped Maeve’s butt with my soft palm.

I wanted to hit her head, but I couldn’t reach!

“Ow…

Saint!

The demon lord is hitting me!”

Dominicus just smiled.

That, that strange squinty-eyed guy looks really nice when he’s just standing there, but yesterday he tried to grill poisonous mushrooms, didn’t he?

They really are a strange hero party.

“Food is always important.

If you’re hungry, you can’t fight.”

“It’s okay.

Purpure.

There is no evil we cannot defeat.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about…”

How did this stupid, ignorant, barbaric hero party travel until now?

If they’re hungry, they just eat, if they’re sleepy, they sleep, if they have to walk, they walk?

…Wait a minute, they’re not really like that, are they?

‘This body has something it wants to make sure of before going on a journey.’

“Purpure is curious about something.”

I said, pulling hard on Dominicus and Maeve’s clothes.

This is a very important story.

In a way, it’s a story about ‘survival’!

“What are you curious about?

Worrywart demon lord?”

“Do you have a map?”

Maeve chuckled and put down the bag she was carrying on her back.

“Of course, we do!

Did you think we came all the way here without a map?”

That’s a relief.

So you have a map?

“We have a map of East Haven, of course!

They sell them at the inn!”

The map that Maeve held out proudly was surprisingly intact.

“Awawa…”

But there was a problem.

First of all, the name ‘East Haven’ itself was a problem.

I thought it would be a roughly similar name, but it was really the same East Haven?

The more I looked at the shape of the land drawn on the map, the more I knew that my memory and hunch were correct.

“Does the demon lord know about East Haven?

There’s an island beyond this land that sticks out.”

Of course, I know!

How much trouble did I have because of those guys in East Haven!

I thought I started in a completely unknown world like when my second life started, but I guess not.

Contrary to my worries, my third life started on a very familiar land.

I roughly expected it when I saw Potake or instant death rabbits…!

“Purpure is curious.

Where is the land of prophecy?”

“Ah~ that’s what you were curious about?

It’s not on this map!”

“…Sister Maeve is a baka?”

How are you going to return to the land of prophecy when it’s not on the map?

Are you crazy?

“Hahaha, our greedy demon lord doesn’t know anything?

These days, it’s popular to travel using magic circles!”

Maeve traced the river that stretched out from the coast with her finger and suddenly stopped.

“There’s a large village here with a magic circle installed.

Once we get here, returning to the land of prophecy is instantaneous!”

“That’s why I said there’s no need to pack a lot of luggage.”

You can travel by magic circle?

Has it been a while since I was defeated by the hero party?

I’m sure back then…

some demon told me it was a revolutionary invention.

Hmm, I can’t remember.

I think there was a reason why I didn’t use it…?

“Purpure understands.

But I still think we need at least the minimum amount of stuff.”

“Hmm~ then how about packing as much as you want to pack as much as possible?

Since we’re walking from here…

to here!”

The place Maeve pointed to was quite far from the coast.

It certainly looks like a distance to the city with the magic circle.

“Is this where Purpure is?”

“Yes, yes!

Right here!

This is where Purpure and we are!”

Around the demon lord’s castle, there were only miscellaneous monsters and the occasional adventurer or hunter.

Since humans were likely to attack me, this was the first time I got this kind of information.

There are so many forests in East Haven that I can’t even get a feel for which forest it is.

It would be easier to get a feel if they said it was in the Great Plains to the west.

“Is this far from the Great Plains?”

“Oh…!

What!

You remember the Great Plains, Purpure?

Of course, it’s far!

Quite far.”

“It will take about twenty days to walk there.”

So it’s at the very edge of East Haven.

It would be impossible to stop by the remains of my shiny demon lord’s castle.

“I understand.

Then I’ll go here.

But what’s the name?”

“Ah, here?

It’s ‘Moonlit Pier’!”

It was a name I had never heard before.

I nodded roughly and sat down again, diligently making a bundle with the cloth that Maeve lent me.

There is a map, but other than the fact that the area around the demon lord’s castle is a forest, there is no further information.

It wouldn’t hurt to be prepared.

Especially cooking utensils are really important.

If the knife is dull, the ingredients will be ruined, and if there is no cutting board, you can’t prepare it hygienically…

It’s a sigh to see a hero party that doesn’t even know these basics.

“Purpure is all prepared.”

Anyway, I held the diligently prepared bundle with both hands and said.

“Wow…

Are you going to carry it like that?

Wouldn’t it be better to put it in my bag?”

Do you think I’m a fool?

“No.

These are Purpure’s precious things.”

I don’t know about giving a new bag, but where is the fool who gives personal items to others?

“Well, it looks a little heavy, but I guess it’s okay.”

“The demon lord must have a plan.”

“That’s right!

Purpure also has a plan!”

Maeve burst into laughter.

“Then if you get tired while moving, be sure to tell me, okay?”

Hmph!

You think I’m too young.

My height is incredibly small, and I don’t even have half of half of half of half of my strength left!

Even so, I’m the demon lord, you know?

“Haa…

Haa…”

“Isn’t it too much?

Demon lord?

You’re sweating bullets all over your body.”

The hero, Maeve, crouched down and met my eyes.

“Here, have some water first.”

Dominicus handed me a water bottle with a squinty smile.

“Ugh…!”

My throat was so parched that it felt like a desert, so I took it with both hands and drank it eagerly.

-Gulp!

Gulp!

“Wow…

Wait, wait!

How much did you overdo it?!

You drank all that water?!”

“Purpure is…

o, okay.”

My legs were shaking so much that they were trembling.

Is it because I walked more than usual?

“Awawa…”

In the end, I couldn’t stand properly and collapsed.

“Hmm…

Saint Dominicus.

I think it’s impossible to walk like this after all.”

“Even being able to keep up with our pace until now is, in a way, amazing.”

Maeve looked down at me.

Alright, now is the time to show your evil side!

I’m probably starting to feel like a burden because I’m not moving as fast as you thought?

“First…

I’ll put this in my bag.

Okay?”

“Ah, no!”

Give it back!

Maeve took the bundle I had temporarily put down and put it in her bag.

“And!

I’ll carry our demon lord like this for the time being!”

“Ah, awawa?!”

Maeve easily lifted me up with both hands.

In an instant, she held me like a princess and gave me a bright smile.

…How are you so strong?

No, am I light?!

‘You foolish woman!

This body is the demon lord!

Put me down!

I can walk on my own two legs!’

“Purpure is the demon lord…!

I can walk!”

“Aww~ but you fell down earlier because you were tired, right?

I’ll carry you~”

You really don’t listen to a word I say!

What is this!

What is this?!

What am I doing being held by a hero?!

“Awawa…”

I tried hitting Maeve’s neck with both hands out of frustration, but all I got back was a smile.

“It’s comfortable being held like this, right, demon lord?”

“…Purpure is curious about something else.”

Maeve looked at me with a smile.

If I just let this hero be, she’ll obviously say I’m cute or soft or something.

“I’m curious about how much food we have left.”

Depending on how much is left, today’s menu will change.

I can add a lot of water to increase the amount, and if it’s still not enough, I’ll have to look for fruits or root vegetables.

“Food?

What do you mean?”

“…Awawa?”

We don’t have any?

Come to think of it, last time you showed me an instant death rabbit you caught somewhere, didn’t you?

“Purpure is talking about food that you can eat.”

“Do we need to carry that around?

If we’re hungry, we can just catch an animal around here and eat it.”

“There are fish in the river, fruits and mushrooms in the forest, and sometimes animals that run at us asking to be eaten?”

What kind of humans are these people?!

“Then what were you planning to do for dinner today?”

“Hey!

That’s what Purpure said she’d do for us, ah!

Ouch!

Ouch!

I, it hurts!”

“You didn’t say you didn’t have any food!!!

I can’t cook even if I want to!!”

Unable to hold back, I grabbed the hero’s cheeks with both hands and stretched them out.

Ah!

Really!

What kind of barbaric hero party is this?!

Can you live without eating or what?!