I Became a Demon Lord [03]
When was the last time I'd seen light?
The moment I finally climbed the last steps of the dungeon, everything before my eyes flooded white. I hastily raised my palm to shield my face.
It was brighter than I'd expected, which was the problem. I'd lived in nothing but darkness for so long that the sudden sunlight was more than I could bear. Only after a long while did I manage to lower my hand.
And then, at the sight spread out before me, I found myself at a loss for words. It was a forest. A thin mist drifted between the trees, and sunlight poured through the gaps, gilding the ground below.
Birdsong followed. The wind blew in from every direction, rustling the leaves, and beneath my feet the dew-laden grass gave way with each step.
So this is how beautiful the world was.
At last, I had escaped the dungeon.
I was so moved I could have cried.
"...We're outside. The air is so clean."
My voice trembled despite myself.
After all, I'd considered that place my grave for the longest time.
I took a step, then another.
Tender shoots and soft soil yielded beneath my soles, and a vivid sensation traveled up from the ground—nothing like the dungeon's cold flagstones.
"Does my lord find such things so delightful?"
Nemesia asked from beside me. Instead of answering, I took a moment to drink in the scenery a little longer. It felt like a shame to leave it behind just yet.
"...No. It's just... been a while."
The sun was warm. Watching the light slide across my snow-white armor, I suddenly found myself rather absurd. Here I was, a Demon Lord, and a single handful of sunlight had me this moved. Anyone who saw it might have laughed.
"My homeland looked a lot like this. That's all it is. It's why I foolishly lingered here even back in my days as an adventurer."
I let the words fall like murmurs to myself, and Nemesia simply stood beside me in silence, listening. I hadn't been fishing for a response, so the quiet was actually a comfort. Let's stay like this a moment.
Anyway, that was the end of my sightseeing.
The problems started now. We'd made it out of the dungeon, but I had absolutely no idea what to do next. A crisis, truly.
I was at a loss for which way to go. No map, and every direction looked the same—which way was I supposed to choose? Back in the day, taking this path would have revealed the road, but now there wasn't a single clue to go on.
"...Nemesia. I'll be honest with you. I have no idea where we're supposed to go. I was sure there was a shortcut this way, but there isn't."
Who cares about pride? If you don't know something, own up to it. Better to be honest than to pretend I knew and end up wandering off in some absurd direction.
The moment Nemesia heard me out, she closed her eyes. She drew in a slow breath, then snapped her head to one side. Had she found something?
"That way. It isn't far."
"...Hold on! What? What does that mean?"
"The wind showed me the direction. Let us go."
"Are you some kind of spirit mage? Or a contractor?"
"No. It is merely one of my abilities."
"Th-then you have others too?"
Nemesia continued in her usual matter-of-fact tone.
"I am exceptionally sensitive to scent. Every living creature carries its own distinct fragrance. Insects and humans alike—yes, even Demon Lords each have their own smell. Is that not fascinating?"
"How far away can you smell something?"
"Dozens of kilometers, if the wind cooperates."
"Wow! That'd be a huge help for tracking things down."
"It also lets me sense threats."
It was an even more impressive ability than I'd imagined. So EX-rank didn't just mean raw strength. She'd be convenient in all sorts of ways.
"Then... do I have a scent too?"
"Yours, my lord, is rather difficult to put into words."
"It's not some foul stench, is it?"
"No. I find myself wanting to breathe it in, actually."
She paused, choosing her words.
"You smell like the sky just before it snows. The other Demon Lords are nothing alike. They reek of rotting corpses—vile and rancid."
At that unexpected answer, I fell silent.
Mine alone was different. I couldn't tell whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, but somehow I found I didn't want to pry any further. Let's just let it lie.
"...Understood. Please lead the way for now."
"Yes, my lord. I shall serve you with utmost devotion."
"Then I'll leave the escorting to you."
And so we began to walk.
Nemesia took the lead, and I followed half a step behind. Whenever I started to lag, she would quietly slow her pace without fail. So reticent, and yet so attentive about this. There was a hidden thoughtfulness to her, it seemed.
The denser the trees grew, the thinner the sunlight and the damper the air. How long had we been walking? It was around the time the trees ahead began to thin that I heard it—someone's scream.
"S-somebody, please help me! Please!"
A woman's voice, shrill and desperate. At the scream that tore through the forest's stillness, Nemesia and I froze at the same instant.
No words were necessary.
We broke into a run.
Pushing through the trees, we came upon a clearing—and the instant I saw what lay there, I went rigid. It was horrific.
Corpses lay strewn everywhere. Adventurers, most of them—familiar weapons were scattered here and there.
And in the very middle of it all sat the woman behind the screams. Her armor had been crushed beyond recognition, her clothes torn to shreds. It looked as though a band of brigands had descended upon her.
Her face, drained of all color and stiff with dread, had been steeped in despair for a long time. And something was creeping toward her. What on earth was it?
Looking closer, I saw it was a monster shaped like a vine. Thick stalks surged up from the earth, writhing as they stretched outward. Their tips flared open like wet flower buds—tentacles, unmistakably.
The moment I saw that shape, old memories came flooding back. Stories I'd heard in my adventuring days. Those plant-type monsters were infamous for hunting humans single-mindedly.
The reason: they dragged their prey away alive to use as breeding tools. Appallingly inefficient, really. In any case, the last scrap of the woman's clothing snagged on a tentacle and was ripped away without mercy.
"...Disgusting. Something keeps churning in my chest. Thank goodness. Even after changing like this, I still have a human heart."
Pale corpses of adventurers, a woman cowering and trembling, grotesque tentacles reaching out—tangled emotions surged up all at once. It felt vile. Clearly, I couldn't just stand by and watch.
Nemesia stepped forward calmly, hand settling on the hilt at her hip.
How should I put it—she looked ready to charge at any moment. Her eyes were terrifying, too. It sent a chill down my spine.
"I will handle this. You need only remain behind me, my lord. There is no need to sully your noble body with such worthless vermin."
I put a hand on her shoulder.
I had no intention of delegating my own seething anger to someone else. It was also a fine chance to test a Demon Lord's power. Absolutely no way I was yielding this one.
"This time, I'll take it myself."
"Your body has not yet fully recovered. This place—"
"But it's not as if I'd lose, right?"
"Th-that is true, but. Just in case..."
Nemesia sighed and fell silent. She looked as though she wanted to say more, but I was already stepping forward.
"Don't worry. Nothing bad's going to happen."
"Very well. I shall stand by here."
"Good. Watch all you like from there."
I raised my right hand—sharp fingers sheathed in white scales. As I gathered mana into my fingertips, the air around us stirred. Even my hair fanned outward. It took my breath away, honestly.
It was the instant a single tentacle coiled toward the woman's waist that I swung my hand with all my strength. It was nothing, really—that was all it took. I'd half-worried the blow might fall short.
Every last one of those tentacles was severed at once. Thick stalks sheared away, sap spraying in all directions. Even the main body hiding underground was sliced clean in two by an invisible blade.
Silence fell in an instant.
Everything that had been writhing moments before now lay in scattered, shredded pieces. I lowered my head and regarded the remains.
"Huh? So this was enough, then?"
That much power from a single swing of the arm. I had no idea when it would happen, but I found myself curious what would occur once my mana fully returned. The sooner I recovered, the better.
"My lord's first battle—I shall engrave it upon my memory. How lamentable that I alone may witness it. I should have left a record, but I neglected to activate recording magic. My deepest apologies."
Even in that flat tone, I could somehow sense the pride bleeding through. Excuse me. Isn't that going a bit too far? It's embarrassing, you know.
"Nemesia. Please be careful in front of other people."
"Why so? This is a treasure for all of humanity."
"Humans call that kind of thing simpering, you know."
"It is my lord who lacks objectivity about—"
"...Haah. Fine. Do as you please."
"I shall obey. Look forward to it."
It might be fine for now, but I worried what she might get up to someday. I'd have to keep a close watch to make sure she didn't do anything strange.
In any case, the monsters were dealt with—time to check on the woman. She was still sitting where she'd collapsed, gazing up at me from between the severed tentacles.
Blank eyes. A face that hadn't yet processed what had just happened. I couldn't tell if she was terrified or relieved. Maybe both. A tough call.
I approached her and knelt on one knee, lowering myself to her eye level. Her breathing was relatively steady. For her to keep her composure even now—she deserved some praise for that.
"Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?"
The woman couldn't answer. Her lips merely quivered a few times. I gently held out the scraps of clothing scattered nearby. They were a mess, but they'd cover her for now.
"Here, take these. I know you're shaken, but cover yourself first. Even if it's just us, there's no harm in being careful. Can you hear me? Hello? Hello!?"
Only then did focus slowly return to her eyes. The fingertips holding the fabric trembled faintly. Had she finally accepted reality?
"Wh-who... who exactly are you?"
I paused to consider my answer. If I said "Demon Lord," I was fairly sure she'd faint on the spot. Rescued from a monster by a Demon Lord—it sounded like a joke no matter who heard it.
Better to sidestep it for now.
We'd only just met, and I wanted us to get along if possible. I was a benevolent, peaceful Demon Lord, after all. Time to approach with a smile.
"Artesia. That's my name."
I rose to my feet and held out my hand.
The woman glanced around warily.
Fair enough, really. I'd have done the same.
This was a world where slave traders existed, after all.
"Let's save the details for later. Getting away from here comes first. Can you walk? Tell me if it's too much."
She kept darting her gaze between me and everything else. After a long hesitation, she finally took my hand in both of hers. They were soft and supple.
Her hands still shook, but her grip was unexpectedly firm. Her will to survive came straight through her palms. Someone with hands like that doesn't break easily.
Nemesia quietly drew near and stood rigid at my side. She swept her gaze once over the corpses and belongings strewn around us, then looked from the fallen woman to me, as if weighing whether something needed saying.
"A party of adventurers. Their equipment is decent, but fortune was not with them. They were hopelessly outmatched against an A-Rank monster."
It wasn't the kind of thing to shrug off lightly. I knew all too well what it meant to watch your comrades slaughtered before your eyes. In this world, it was an everyday occurrence.
"I'm S-song Eunha. Thank you so much for saving me. If you'd been even a little later, they'd have dragged me to their nest. If you desire a reward—"
The woman spoke again.
Her voice was clearer than before.
No need to worry about her at this point.
I didn't want to linger here anyway...
Time to get moving. Quickly, quickly!
"I'll remember that. You can give me your thanks later—for now, let's focus on walking. Tell me if your legs give out. If it's too much, my companion here will manage somehow. Don't you worry."
When I pointed at Nemesia, the woman's eyes went round—she'd apparently only just noticed the fox ears. I understood completely; I'd had much the same reaction my first time. Jealous, aren't you? She's mine.
"Is there a city or village nearby?"
"Y-yes! I'll guide the way!"
"Thank you. May I call you Eunha?"
"Of course! Please, make yourself comfortable!"
Whether this would turn out to be a good thing or a bad thing, even I couldn't yet say. I only know that back then, I had no idea. I didn't know that where this woman led me...
I would come to be known by a very particular name.