For several days, Jeha found himself in a state of listlessness. He would sit by the window or on his bed, summon a mirror, and repeatedly examine his own reflection, absently touching his face. Each glance seemed to chip away at his dwindling confidence.
Then, a thought struck him.
‘No, it’s not like I particularly like Hereis, so what does any of this matter? I’m the Demon Lord! *The* Demon Lord!’
Such thoughts would momentarily invigorate him, only for his confidence to shrivel once more after another glance in the mirror.
Throughout those days, Zephyr was nowhere to be seen.
More precisely, he’d loiter by the door all day, yet couldn’t bring himself to enter. Having spectacularly failed his second mission, he seemed to lack the courage to face Jeha. Still, whenever Paimon entered or exited, he’d peek his face through the brief opening of the door, as if waiting for Jeha to call him in. The fleeting glimpse of his face was so utterly dejected it was almost pitiable—though, of course, it was likely a highly theatrical display.
As Paimon entered, carrying snacks, and the door briefly swung open and shut, Zephyr’s red head subtly poked through. The moment his eyes met Jeha’s, he feigned a startled jump and promptly vanished.
“…Just tell him to come in.”
No sooner had Jeha spoken than the door burst open, and Zephyr practically flew into the room, even before Paimon could relay the message.
“Master! You have finally summoned this incapable and useless Zephyr once more!”
As Zephyr prostrated himself beside the window table, grinning broadly, it almost seemed as if a wagging tail fluttered behind him.
“After failing even the second mission entrusted to me by my Master, you cannot imagine how much this Zephyr blamed himself for his incompetence and powerlessness. I was prepared to humbly accept any punishment you might mete out, but to not even be summoned… I had even considered severing my own neck and offering it to you, begging for your forgiveness.”
“Enough. You’re being too loud.”
Jeha silenced Zephyr, who had been chattering endlessly beside him with overly dramatic gestures and intonations. Zephyr promptly clamped his mouth shut, cautiously watching Jeha. Then, as Jeha sighed deeply while gazing out the window, Zephyr carefully spoke.
“Do you happen to have something on your mind?”
“…No.”
“Are you perhaps bored, then?”
Jeha, about to answer ‘No’ again to Zephyr’s persistent questioning, paused for a moment before nodding. It felt as though the uneventful, complacent passing of each day was leading him to dwell on unnecessary thoughts.
“I suppose I might be bored… Is there anything interesting happening?”
At Jeha’s words, Zephyr fell into deep thought. After a moment, his eyes lit up as he asked,
“If you are so bored, would you perhaps like to raise a cute pet?”
“A pet?”
Zephyr’s suggestion plunged Jeha into a rare moment of contemplation.
He had always harbored a desire to raise a cute dog or cat. However, his parents had detested any furry creatures when he was a child, and as a university student living alone, his circumstances hadn’t allowed for it. He had only ever enjoyed watching stray cats feast on tuna cans he opened for them.
The quick-witted Zephyr, sensing Jeha’s burgeoning interest, piped up.
“Excellent! Wonderful! You should definitely keep a pet!”
Clapping his hands together, Zephyr exclaimed, then launched into an excited monologue.
“What kind of magical beast shall I capture for you? Recently, a rare beast with six legs and six eyes gave birth—shall I procure one of its offspring? Or perhaps a magical beast covered in tentacles that drip sweet-smelling nectar?”
Though Zephyr earnestly rattled off his suggestions, Jeha found himself involuntarily gagging at the mere thought.
As Jeha’s face contorted into a frown, Zephyr scratched his head awkwardly with a fingertip. By their standards, those were likely considered quite rare and adorable magical beasts.
“What about a dragon?”
Paimon, who had been silently observing, suddenly interjected.
“A dragon?”
Jeha’s head shot up instinctively. Paimon, raising an eyebrow as if surprised by the intense reaction, then nodded.
“A demon dragon died in a recent battle, and that demon dragon had an offspring. It seems to have hidden the young one somewhere to protect it during the fight, but as far as I know, it hasn’t been found yet.”
“A demon dragon?”
Jeha, murmuring softly, soon recalled the news he had half-heard a few days prior.
‘…A battle erupted between dragons, completely devastating a portion of the western lands. Casualties are estimated at around twenty thousand, but the population will naturally recover over time, so it’s not something to worry much about.’
“Ah… so that battle that devastated the western lands was between demon dragons?”
“Yes, that is correct. Demon dragons are notoriously ill-tempered, prone to bloody fights if things go awry, which has led to a dwindling population. The Demon Dragon Protection Association is quite troubled by this. Even now, they are reportedly scouring various places, attempting to locate the lost offspring, but have yet to succeed.”
As always, Paimon’s words merely brushed past Jeha’s ears. Instead, Jeha was utterly captivated by something else entirely.
‘A dragon?! Dragons, which only ever appeared in fantasy novels, actually exist! Yes, a Demon Lord always had a dragon by their side! A Demon Lord needs to command a dragon to maintain their dignity!’
Feeling a surge of excitement, Jeha’s eyes sparkled. Seeing his luminous gaze, Paimon and Zephyr exchanged satisfied looks, as if they had found an excellent solution.
“So, where is this hatchling?”
Jeha leaped to his feet as if he intended to go retrieve the hatchling immediately, to which Paimon replied with a slightly troubled expression.
“According to the Demon Dragon Protection Association’s tracking, the trail leads beyond the Demon Realm. They suspect that the mother dragon moved its offspring to the Human Realm to protect it during the battle.”
“The Human Realm?”
“Yes. I did mention this morning that a report came in, stating the Demon Dragon Protection Association plans to send an expedition to the Human Realm to search for the hatchling, but…”
‘You weren’t listening, were you?’
Paimon’s voice trailed off, but his unspoken sentiment was perfectly clear.
“Then let’s just go find it ourselves!”
As Jeha exclaimed with an ecstatic expression, a faint crack appeared in Paimon’s usually composed demeanor. Zephyr, conversely, adopted an equally excited look.
“Indeed! This Zephyr shall guide our Master! Let us journey to the Human Realm and display our great Master’s majesty to those lowly humans!”
“Good! Let’s go right now!”
“Yes! Let us depart immediately!”
For the first time, Jeha and Zephyr found themselves in perfect sync, their faces flushed with excitement as they fidgeted. However, in the next moment, Paimon poured cold water on their enthusiasm.
“That will not do.”
His tone was neither high nor low, merely businesslike, yet Paimon’s delivery was unyielding. Perhaps sensing the authority of someone higher in rank, Zephyr immediately fell silent, glancing nervously between Paimon and Jeha. Jeha, meanwhile, quickly put on a discontented expression.
“Why not?”
“The Demon Dragon Protection Association will safely retrieve the demon dragon hatchling. At that time, Master can simply take it in and raise it. There is no need for Master to personally travel to the Human Realm to find it.”
“But…”
“If you are impatient, I shall convey Master’s command for them to find and bring it back without delay.”
“That’s not what I mean…”
“Unless they have no regard for their lives, they will surely find and bring it back by tomorrow.”
“……”
Paimon’s expression was resolute. It was the kind of face that would not budge, no matter what was said.
Normally, Jeha would have simply slumped into a chair and conceded. But this was a *dragon*! A baby dragon, no less! And besides… honestly, embarking on an expedition to the Human Realm to find a baby dragon sounded incredibly fun and exciting, didn’t it?! He couldn’t possibly be left out of such a fantastical endeavor.
As Jeha narrowed his eyes, Zephyr nervously darted his gaze between Paimon and Jeha. Jeha, standing defiantly with his arms crossed and a rebellious look on his face, finally spoke.
“From this moment forth, we shall embark to find the poor baby dragon, who is surely alone and trembling with fear in the unfamiliar Human Realm. That is an order.”
Paimon, who had been about to retort, silently closed his mouth at the single word, ‘order.’ Without a change in his expression, he placed one hand over his heart and bowed his head.
“Anything for our Master’s command.”
As Paimon readily backed down, Zephyr’s face, which had been anxiously observing, brightened considerably.
“Well then, let us depart immediately— *oof!*”
Paimon landed a sharp smack on Zephyr’s head as he excitedly cheered. Then, with his usual cool demeanor, he spoke.
“If we rush off without a plan, there’s a high probability of encountering troublesome situations. We should at least make minimal preparations before we go.”
Paimon was undeniably correct. Honestly, Jeha knew next to nothing about the Human Realm in this dimension. It felt rather rash to simply teleport there without any forethought.
“Alright.”
Jeha nodded, a satisfied expression on his face.
“Then we shall go and make some preparations.”
With those words, Paimon grabbed the tip of Zephyr’s pointed ear and unceremoniously dragged him out of the room. Zephyr, playing up his misery, allowed himself to be hauled away by Paimon.