Chapter 61
After that, Ragvela and Jeevy were safely released.
It seemed they had been brought to Rugimano, and their safety was confirmed in the reception room of the Adventurer Guild where they were guided.
The man who kidnapped the two was named Rubert.
Yuurai received an apology from him on the spot.
"I'm sorry for kidnapping your precious comrades. My apologies."
Rubert, along with Deena standing beside him, bowed deeply. By the way, Deena's clothes had been dried with Livia's magic.
Rubert was a young man with dark green hair and sharp eyes. He was a tall, handsome man, but Yuurai had no interest in his appearance. His equipment consisted of a spear and armor. Apparently, he was a First-Rank Adventurer like Ceres.
"......Well, since they came back unharmed, I won't kill you. But I'll make you suffer a bit. No matter the reason, if people think I'd silently forgive someone for kidnapping my comrades, that'd be a problem."
"......And by that, you mean?"
"......You've got a pretty face. How about I destroy half of it?"
"Destroy...... my face?"
"Don't resist. Stay still."
Yuurai approached Rubert and placed her right hand on his left cheek.
"Magical Remodeling"
"Ugh!"
Yuurai transformed the left side of Rubert's face, making it look like a mummy. His eye sunken, his cheek gaunt, and his skin turned brown.
His once gallant features were gone, and the left half now resembled something close to a monster.
Beside Rubert, Deena grimaced and let out a small scream.
"......Well, that's about right."
Yuurai took out a hand mirror and showed Rubert his own face. Rubert widened his eyes for a moment but quickly returned to a composed expression.
"......Is this the end of my punishment?"
"Yeah. I'll let you off with this for now."
Beside Rubert, Deena trembled with a face that looked like she was about to cry.
She was likely still a teenage girl. The thought of the same thing happening to her must be terrifying.
"......Ah, Deena. I'm not planning to do anything to your face, so you don't need to look so despairing."
"R-Really?"
"Yeah. I don't even really understand why you're here, so it's fine."
Deena let out a sigh of relief.
"But doing nothing at all isn't good. Not something like destroying your face, though...... Hmm, Deena, are you good with spicy food?"
"......Uh, I'm, I'm not good with it."
"Then let's do this. For the next ten days, all your food and drinks will taste spicy—a Curse."
"Huh? W-What's that?"
Yuurai placed a Curse on Deena. Originally, it was a spell capable of much crueler effects, but as retribution for what was done to Deena, this was enough.
"There, it's done. Good luck for ten days."
"Huh? I've been cursed?"
"Yeah. That's all for you."
Deena, looking confused, licked her fingertip. Perhaps it was spicy, as she let out a small scream and grimaced.
(This is kind of amusing. It might be a big deal for her, though.)
Yuurai shifted her gaze from Deena and glared at Rubert.
"......Rubert. This is the end for now. But if the Adventurer Guild does something like this again, I'll kill everyone involved. Remember that."
"......Understood. It won't happen again. And I'll make sure this is shared within the Guild."
"Make sure you do. By the way, you're surprisingly calm. Isn't it tough for a handsome guy like you to have your face marred?"
"......If this is all it takes, it's a small price to pay."
"I see. You've got guts. ......Well, standing around talking is awkward, so let's sit down for a bit."
"Yeah......"
Yuurai urged Rubert and the others to sit on the sofa.
On Yuurai's left and right were Claire and Lipia, while across from her sat Rubert and Deena.
Gilka, Ragvela, and Jeevy stood by Yuurai and the others' side.
"......So, Rubert, what did you want in the first place? You handed over the hostages so easily, so you weren't seriously trying to threaten me, were you?"
"......The Adventurer Guild wanted to see how the Demon King would react. We've heard that the Demon King doesn't favor conflict, but we wanted to know if, when comrades are kidnapped, you'd immediately resort to extreme retaliation or if there was room for discussion."
"......You're a dangerous guy. What were you planning to do if I got furious and retaliated?"
"In that case, the conclusion would likely have been that the Demon King is too dangerous and must be defeated somehow. As it stands, since you show a degree of tolerance, coexistence might be possible."
"......Hmph. That's a good thing to hear. I also have the will to coexist with you all. So, in short, the Adventurer Guild has the will to coexist with me, right?"
"Yes. Or rather, it's been determined that defeating the Demon King is likely impossible, so we're exploring ways to coexist."
"I see. By the way, how are others moving on this? The kingdom, the church, and so on? Are they dead set on defeating me?"
"The Rivalt Kingdom would prefer to defeat you if possible. However, considering the damage and the Demon King's stance, they're beginning to think there might be a path to coexistence."
"That's good to hear. What about the church?"
"The largest religious faction, the Seirene Faith, believes coexistence with the Demon King is unthinkable and is planning to defeat you."
"......I see. Then I might have to eradicate the Seirene Faith......"
Yuurai muttered as much, though she wasn't particularly eager to do so.