Chapter 71
After Lipia reunited with her mother, Yuurai and the others gave them a moment and then headed to the village chief's house.
"...Mom, you've lost a little weight."
"...I see. Well, if I can get along with the Eyeless Tribe from now on, I won't have to make you worry so much."
"Yeah. I'm sure you will."
"By the way, your father and younger brother are here too, right? Don't you want to see them first?"
"...Yeah. It's okay. I'll come visit again once it's easier for us to interact freely."
"Got it. ...I'll do my best too, for Lipia's sake."
On the way, as expected, there was no welcoming atmosphere.
The villagers, wary of the dangerous Demon King, hurried away and went into their houses.
(It was the same in Yusef and Rugimano. This is where it starts. Let's take it slow and steady.)
Before long, they arrived at the village chief's house. It wasn't particularly luxurious, but it was a rare log house for this village. A green glowing stone was displayed at the entrance.
Yuurai stood in front of the door and gave it a light knock.
"Sorry to drop by unannounced. May we have a moment of your time?"
After Yuurai called out, there was no response for about a minute.
Just when she thought no one was home, the door opened from the inside.
The one who appeared was a woman in her mid-fifties. She had three horns on her head and wore a slightly more elegant crimson robe than the villagers.
Perhaps out of caution, she stood before Yuurai with a stern demeanor.
Yuurai consciously softened her voice as she spoke.
"...Nice to meet you. I'm Yuurai, the Demon King. Are you Chief Wizaria?"
She had heard the name from Lipia. Wizaria gave a small nod.
"...Demon King. Please, come in."
"Thank you."
Yuurai had assumed the chief's house would have servants, but there was no one else in sight.
They were shown to the reception room on the first floor, where the three of them sat on a sofa. Wizaria prepared tea, placed it on the low table, and sat on the sofa across from them.
"...I had a feeling the Demon King would come here someday."
"Grimoire is nearby, after all. I believe you already know, but Ragvela and Jeevy are doing well."
"Yes, yes, I occasionally see them myself. And... I've heard that the Demon King saved their lives twice. From the Dungeon's monsters and from bandits. Thank you very much for that. I'm sorry we couldn't even properly thank you..."
Wizaria bowed her head deeply.
"Please, don't be so formal. Raise your head. I just happened to be there and had the power to help, that's all."
"...I had heard the stories, but the Demon King is quite humble, isn't she?"
"I'm just a strong girl. I haven't accomplished any great deeds, nor have I made many people happy."
"...I had heard bits and pieces about the Demon King, but it's true you're not a wicked being."
"That's right. I don't want any unnecessary conflict. I just want to live peacefully."
"I see... Even a Demon King can think like that..."
"Yes. That said, I understand that words alone aren't enough to earn trust. It will surely take time for you to trust me. I'm not in a hurry. I just came here today hoping we could slowly build a friendly relationship."
Wizaria stared intently at Yuurai. Though she had no eyes, Yuurai could tell she was being watched.
"...We of the Eyeless Tribe cannot see light, but we can keenly sense the flow of magic and sound. Your magic is perfectly hidden, so I can't feel it... but your voice—I can hear it clearly. And your voice doesn't seem to carry any falsehood."
"Wow, you can tell that just from my voice? Then, can I assume you trust me at least a little?"
"...At the very least, I can tell that the Demon King, right now, truly wishes to build a friendly relationship with us."
"...Right now, huh?"
"Yes... I've also heard that the Demon King has, at times, killed many people without hesitation."
"...That's true. I've killed many people."
"To be frank, even if the Demon King is kind in peaceful times, if there's a chance you might do anything in an emergency, it's hard to enter a friendly relationship lightly."
"...That's fair."
(No matter the reason, a monster that's killed tens of thousands would be terrifying...)
She had her reasons, but objectively speaking, what she had done was deeply sinful. Yuurai understood that there were people who couldn't accept her.
"The villagers also likely won't easily accept building a friendly relationship with the Demon King."
"...I see. Hmm... then, is it unacceptable for Lipia and me to come and go from this village?"
"...As village chief, I must say that would be difficult."
"At least Lipia, then—could she be allowed?"
"Lipia is already an Undead, so she is incompatible with us."
Lipia hunched her shoulders and let out a deep sigh.
"...What about Ragvela and Jeevy?"
"It's a difficult matter. They live with the Demon King now, so some already see them as part of your faction. If those two fully become your subordinates, they will be banned from entering the village. They'll have to decide soon whether to return to the village or stay with the Demon King."
"...I see. Understood."
That she was the Demon King.
And that she had already killed many people.
Yuurai felt the weight of those facts.
(It's not like I want to force people to obey me. Should I just back off for now...? But I really want Lipia to be able to see her family... She looks lonely sometimes...)
"Yuurai."
Claire called out to the troubled Yuurai.
"Hm?"
"If you plan to keep Lipia by your side, it's better to bring this village under your control."
"...Wait, are you saying I should threaten them and take over the village?"
"Yes. As long as Lipia is with us, others might assume the Eyeless Tribe is on your side. That would put them in danger."
"Ah... so that's how it is..."
"It's better for the Eyeless Tribe if it looks like you're making them obey, rather than them siding with you willingly."
"...Just like with Yusef and the others."
"Exactly. Don't you agree, Chief?"
In response to Claire's question, Wizaria nodded with a sour expression.
"...That may be true. Demi-humans are often persecuted, so even having one person on the Demon King's side could make it seem like the entire Eyeless Tribe supports her."
"That's what I thought. ...Yuurai. If you care about Lipia and this village, making it look like you've taken control by force might be one option."
"...I see. Ah, geez. Is this the only way I can interact with outsiders now...?"
"It might be that way for a while."
Yuurai didn't want to rule over anyone.
However, putting them under her control might be a way to protect them.
Yuurai thought hard for a moment, then made her decision.
"...It can't be helped. Chief, I'm sorry, but I'm taking this village."