Chapter 55
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Translator: Xrecker
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: The Third Request
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According to Ozma, Dragonkin were supposedly descended from Earth Dragons (地龍), wingless dragons who had fallen from grace.
And on rare occasions, Dragonkin were born with wings. These individuals were called Heaven and Earth Dragons (天地龍) or Heavenly Demon Dragons (天魔龍) to distinguish them from ordinary Dragonkin.
“So, you want to defeat that winged lizard?”
“…Unfortunately, yes.”
“Just curious, what’s your record against him?”
Vanessa, standing beside us, answered,
“0 wins, 34 losses.”
She had never won.
“…Are you the type who believes that all you need is one win, even after countless losses?”
Ozma glared at me.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, your average win rate… Never mind.”
The next Demon Lord would be chosen by the Goddess of Power. My opinion on the matter was irrelevant.
The one who wins in the end is the strongest. That’s how it works.
I decided to ask a different question.
“Why do you want to become the Demon Lord?”
It was the most fundamental question.
No one had forced her.
Yet, she was willing to abandon even her femininity to achieve this goal.
While demons respected strength, Ozma, from what I had observed, was surprisingly self-aware.
She must have known that her chances of becoming the Demon Lord were slim.
Ozma blinked, surprised by my question, then chuckled and lay down on the ground.
The training grounds were dirt, but she didn't seem to mind.
“It’s been my dream ever since I was little, to become a great Demon Lord like my father.”
This was unexpected.
To dedicate herself to such rigorous training, simply because she wanted to be like her father… I had expected a more complex motivation.
“At first, I trained to get revenge on someone who said women couldn’t become the Demon Lord. But now, that’s just one of many reasons.”
Ozma extended her hand towards the sky.
“There are countless strong individuals in this world I have yet to meet. I want to surpass them all and reach the pinnacle with my sword. That’s been my dream for a long time.”
“…Would you like me to teach you how to fight?”
Ozma looked at me incredulously.
“What brought this on?”
“Just… curious.”
I had no ulterior motives.
***
My primary weapons were my hands and feet.
While I knew some swordsmanship, teaching it to someone with a Sword Master standing right beside her would be pointless. So, I decided to teach her something else I was good at: magic.
“Ozma, how much do you know about magic?”
Ozma replied without hesitation,
“Isn’t it just manipulating the mana in the atmosphere?”
“That’s correct. But that only applies to elemental magic.”
Just as there were different types of rice – white rice, millet, barley, beans – there were also different types of magic.
“Have you heard of dark magic?”
At my mention of dark magic, Vanessa, standing beside Ozma, asked in surprise,
“Kaldrash, how does a human know about dark magic?”
I grinned.
“Want to know?”
“Not really. I’m just surprised, since it’s a forgotten magic, even among demons.”
Dark magic, a secret art of the demons, was considered forbidden.
This was because it allowed the user to summon beings from other dimensions.
While elemental magic involved manipulating mana within the body and the atmosphere, dark magic involved borrowing power from otherworldly entities in exchange for a price.
Unlike elemental magic, which was limited by the user’s talent, the key to dark magic was the strength of the entity summoned.
And since it involved borrowing power, it allowed for rapid growth in strength.
“But it comes with risks.”
If it was easy, quick, and risk-free, it wouldn't be forbidden.
“…Why?”
I held up a finger.
“The reason is simple. You don’t know who you’re making a contract with.”
If you were lucky, you might summon a benevolent being like an ancestral spirit or a nature spirit. But if you were unlucky, you might summon a demon or an evil god, with disastrous consequences.
If the entity summoned through dark magic was particularly powerful, it could trigger a continent-wide emergency.
Of course, such powerful beings wouldn’t normally respond to a summons from a mere mortal, but there was always a chance.
Humans and demons feared the potential for disaster and thus forbade dark magic.
If I hadn’t found the last remaining copy of a dark magic grimoire in my master’s study, I wouldn't have known about it either.
“If you wish, I can teach you. Dark magic is one of the fastest ways to gain power.”
Ozma’s face contorted in a mixture of temptation and apprehension.
It was understandable. Offering a shortcut to power to someone who had been diligently training would naturally cause them to waver.
If she was willing to do anything to become stronger, she would choose dark magic.
That would make things easier for me…
“Thank you for the offer, but I’ll decline.”
Ozma shook her head resolutely.
I asked her why.
“Why? You said you wanted to defeat that Heavenly Demon Dragon.”
Ozma nodded.
“That’s true. But I don’t want to rely on borrowed power. It would invalidate all my training.”
“Are you in a position to be picky?”
“That’s precisely why I can’t accept. I’ve been disciplined until now. If I succumb to temptation and take the easy path, it would mean I’ve reached my limit.”
She looked at me with a determined gaze.
“I want to defeat Gabriel with my own strength.”
Based on our conversation, she was a fool.
But not a bad fool.
“I understand.”
I gave up on teaching her dark magic.
“Then, while it’s not exactly a replacement, would you be interested in learning elemental magic?”
“Elemental magic?”
I nodded.
“Ozma, you’re more suited to being a mage than a warrior.”
***
A week later.
Having been rigorously training Ozma as her temporary magic instructor, I finally received a summons from the Demon Lord.
I entered his office with Camilla and was surprised to see Ozma already sitting on the sofa opposite the Demon Lord.
As I blinked in confusion, the Demon Lord, who had been enjoying a leisurely tea time, said,
“Come and have a seat.”
“Yes, Demon Lord.”
I quickly sat down on the indicated sofa.
The Demon Lord handed me a teacup and asked,
“I hear you’ve been teaching my daughter magic.”
“Yes, Demon Lord. I believe Princess Ozma has a talent for magic.”
“Oh? My daughter?”
It felt like a parent-teacher conference, and I felt slightly intimidated.
“Yes. She’s a quick learner and has already reached the second tier.”
“The second tier in just a week? Impressive.”
No parent disliked hearing praise for their children, and the Demon Lord was no exception. His pleased expression suggested he hadn't summoned me to scold me for teaching Ozma magic.
“…But what did you summon me for, Demon Lord?”
“Ah, my apologies.” The Demon Lord gestured towards Ozma.
“My daughter will be attending the inter-demon exchange in my stead. I would normally send Vanessa as her escort, but now that you’re here…”
The Demon Lord looked at me with a serious expression.
“I want you to be my daughter’s bodyguard.”