Seere's Birthday
Sitri’s birthday was now only a week away. Taking advantage of the moment when Seere was napping, Nahen secretly crossed over to the 70th Floor. In one hand, he carried Andromalius’s massive crown.
The reason was simple. The blacksmiths who researched and crafted weapons and armor were based on the 70th Floor. Among them were artisans skilled with precious metals and ornaments like crowns, so he had come here specifically for Seere’s surprise gift.
“Lord Nahen.”
As Nahen approached the forge, a troll blacksmith with a bushy beard came rushing out barefoot. It was Doomgrik, whom he had appointed as the person in charge here.
“Doomgrik. It’s been a while.”
“What brings you here, sir? If you had given me advance notice, I would have prepared a cleaner welcome…”
Doomgrik’s entire body was drenched in sweat, evidence that he had been hammering away until just moments ago. Nahen waved his hand, saying it was fine.
“It’s alright. I came in secret on purpose, so it couldn’t be helped.”
“What do you mean?”
Nahen showed him Andromalius’s crown.
“I want this adjusted to fit Her Majesty Seere’s head size. The faded parts should be re-gilded as well.”
“Ah, I understand. We have blacksmiths who specialize in this kind of work. However, do you happen to know Her Majesty Seere’s head circumference?”
“47.82 centimeters.”
Doomgrik looked slightly flustered at the answer that came out to two decimal places without hesitation. Nahen had memorized it after checking Seere’s character profile dozens of times while playing the game, but Doomgrik, unaware of that, could only make a strange face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ah… You came thoroughly prepared.”
“Of course.”
“Her Majesty has a rather small head.”
“Does she?”
Nahen recalled the illustration of Seere as she grew older and nodded. Doomgrik asked him,
“Is there a set deadline?”
“One week. But I’d like to receive it before then if possible.”
“Understood. Shall we keep the original design intact?”
“Yes.”
Doomgrik bowed his head. Nahen asked him one more thing.
“How is the research progressing?”
“We have been analyzing and crafting prototypes day and night with the most skilled blacksmiths. The prototypes are over there, but…”
Doomgrik spoke with a voice that lacked confidence.
“They are still at a level I’m embarrassed to show others.”
“I see.”
It hadn’t been that long since he assigned the task. Nahen hadn’t expected anything groundbreaking yet. He lightly patted Doomgrik’s shoulder.
“It’s fine. Take all the time you need. Just make sure the final product is perfect before you show me.”
“…Thank you. I will definitely succeed.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”
After entrusting the crown to Doomgrik, Nahen quickly returned to the 72nd Floor. Since he had slipped out without Seere knowing, he hurried even more in case he was discovered.
But the moment he returned to the Demon King’s castle, Nahen was quite shocked.
“……”
“Hwaaang…! Hic…”
Seere was sobbing uncontrollably. Secily and Rea were trying to comfort her as she sat crying in front of Nahen’s office.
Secily was desperately waving a whale plushie and a penguin plushie to get her attention, while Rea was holding out a plate of pudding and trying to persuade her.
“Lord Nahen just stepped out for a moment. Your Majesty, shall we eat pudding together while we wait?”
“Nooo!”
The words “I hate pudding” had come out of Seere’s mouth. Not only Rea and Secily, but even Nahen, who had been watching in a daze, was greatly shocked.
“H-Her Majesty…”
“Said she doesn’t like pudding…”
Rea and Secily looked utterly stunned, their mouths hanging open without realizing it.
“Hic, hwaaang…!”
Unable to watch any longer, Nahen hurried over and revealed himself in front of Seere.
“Se-Seere! What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
“Hic… Teacher…?”
“Yes, yes. Teacher is right here.”
“……Hwaaaang!!!”
The moment she saw Nahen, Seere burst into tears again. Nahen quickly scooped her up into his arms. Seere clung to his chest and cried so bitterly that Nahen was too flustered to say anything.
He looked at Rea and Secily. Rea let out a small sigh in response to his questioning gaze.
“Her Majesty didn’t know you had left and came to your office. It seems she thought you had gone away forever.”
Having grasped the situation, Nahen gently patted Seere’s back and spoke tenderly.
“I only stepped out for a quick errand, Seere.”
“Hic… hic…”
“Teacher isn’t going anywhere. There, there. Let’s go inside.”
Still holding Seere, Nahen opened the office door and glanced back. He gave a small nod of gratitude to Rea and Secily, who both looked exhausted from trying to calm her, then closed the door.
Once inside the office, Nahen sat down in his chair and placed Seere on his lap. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying so much.
“Seere.”
“……”
“Have you calmed down a little?”
She nodded. Though she was still sniffling, Seere had stopped shedding more tears. Nahen spoke to her softly.
“You must have been very startled when I left without saying anything.”
“…Yes.”
“You don’t have to worry like that. I won’t ever leave your side, Seere. Why would I leave you? I will continue to take care of you until you grow up healthy and reach the top.”
“The… top?”
Seere mumbled, then struggled to get the words out.
“Then… when that’s over, will Teacher leave?”
“…Huh?”
Nahen was slightly taken aback. He had never expected to be asked whether he would leave once everything was finished. For a moment, he had forgotten how perceptive this child was for her age.
If I see the ending after completing everything…
Indeed, he had planned to return to his original world. That was why he was aiming for the ending in the first place. But how could he say that to this child?
Nahen smiled gently and said,
“That won’t happen. I will stay by your side forever, Seere.”
He tenderly stroked her hair. Seere stared at him for a moment, then gave a small nod.
“Okay.”
Nahen looked at Seere with a helpless smile and stood up while still holding her.
“Shall we go eat pudding together?”
“…Yes!”
Though her eyes were still red, Seere answered with a bright smile.
Teacher told me his first lie today.
He had the eyes of someone who was lying.
Once Teacher achieves his goal, he will definitely leave.
That can’t happen.
Teacher must always be my teacher.
He must always stay by my side.
If I work even harder, Teacher won’t leave.
Right, Whitey?
In the dark room, a pair of blue eyes gleamed ominously. The once pure and bright eyes now held a murky, sinister emotion. She hugged the pure white bear plushie tightly along with the whale and penguin plushies Nahen had given her, and muttered.
“…I won’t let you go.”
The morning of Seere’s birthday finally arrived. For three days, the entire Demon King’s castle had been bustling, preparing to celebrate her birthday. And finally, they managed to finish all the preparations before the morning of the actual day.
“Whoaaa!”
Seere, cradled in Nahen’s arms as they entered the party hall, beamed with joy. Wearing a pretty dress and a large ribbon in her hair for her special day, she looked even cuter than usual.
The hall was filled with decorations that the castle servants had worked on tirelessly day and night, along with delicious food prepared by Chef Mark, who had even given up his break time.
Seere’s eyes sparkled as she looked around, then she said to Nahen,
“That one! That one looks delicious!”
“Alright, alright.”
Nahen headed toward the dish Seere was pointing at. It was a fluffy tiramisu cake. The guests hadn’t arrived yet, but no one would stop the birthday girl from eating first.
Nahen scooped up a piece with a fork and offered it to her. Seere opened her mouth wide and swallowed the fork in one bite. Then, with her mouth full of cake, she smiled brightly.
“Is it good?”
“Yes!”
As Seere was eating the tiramisu cake, the guests began to arrive. The first to appear approached Nahen and Seere and offered their greetings.
“We sincerely congratulate you on your birth, Your Majesty.”
“Congratulations, Your Majesty.”
They were Rin El Laza, Commander of the 4th Legion, and her Vice-Commander, Baruna. Dressed in a gown and tuxedo instead of their usual uniforms, the two looked quite different from their normal images.
Seere smiled brightly at their congratulations.
“Thank you!”
“!”
Rin felt her heart skip a beat. Seere was simply too adorable. Nahen chuckled and said to Seere,
“Seere, you used formal speech again.”
“Ah… Th-thank you!”
Seeing Rin’s face melt with happiness, Baruna let out a wry laugh and took something out from his pocket.
“Your Majesty, this is a gift prepared by the Commander and myself.”
“A present!”
It was a small, beautifully wrapped box. The bright ribbon and wrapping paper were clearly chosen to appeal to a child. Seere took the box with her tiny hands and glanced at Nahen.
“If you’re curious, go ahead and open it. It’s your gift.”
At Nahen’s words, Seere pulled the ribbon and tore open the wrapping paper, then lifted the lid.
“Wow!”
Seere’s mouth fell open in awe. She immediately took the gift out of the box.
“It’s a ribbon!”
Since Seere loved tying her hair in twin tails, Rin and Baruna had prepared a ribbon that would suit her. Seere seemed to like it very much. She smiled brightly and thanked them.
“Thank you!!”
“You’re very welcome.”
After Rin and Baruna, more guests gathered in the party hall. Of course, the number of people was small for a Demon King’s birthday celebration, but not a single person under Seere’s command had been absent.
“What? Am I the last one?”
The last to arrive in a dazzling fashion was Sitri, their ally. Her voluptuous figure accentuated by her dress and her flowing platinum blonde hair stood out even more today. Several male demons couldn’t help but admire her appearance.
Sitri, fully aware of their gazes, walked forward with a proud expression. She approached Nahen and Seere and gave a light wave.
Nahen narrowed his eyes and said,
“You’ve come to a child’s birthday party wearing a dress that’s quite extravagant.”
“Hehe, I put some effort into it for the sake of my beauty.”
“That wasn’t a compliment. Are you really this clueless, Your Majesty?”
“What…? What’s wrong with my dress?”
From a normal perspective, there was nothing wrong with Sitri’s dress. It wasn’t overly revealing, yet it tastefully showcased her beautiful figure. However, Nahen felt it was inappropriate for a child’s emotional development. He spoke in a sharp tone.
“It’s not good for Seere to see.”
“…Then let’s ask Lady Seere herself.”
Sitri smiled brightly and looked at Seere, who was in Nahen’s arms. She asked in a gentle voice,
“Lady Seere, isn’t my dress pretty?”
“…Umm?”
Seere tilted her head, looking unsure. At her age, she had no concept of the appeal of exposed skin or body lines, so she couldn’t possibly understand that kind of beauty.
Sitri was flustered because it wasn’t the answer she expected, while Nahen let out a small snort of laughter. Sitri shot Nahen a quick glare, then asked Seere again.
“Really, you don’t think it’s pretty?”
Seere tilted her head once more, then smiled brightly.
“Lady Sitri is pretty!”
“Oh my!”
Sitri looked deeply moved. She seemed so touched that she was on the verge of tears. Nahen found the whole scene absurd.
Having heard Seere call her pretty, Sitri looked at Nahen with a confident smile.
“See? See that?”
“Yes, yes. If you’re that happy about asking twice to get the answer you wanted, I suppose I should congratulate you as well.”
“You— You keep saying…!”
“More importantly, shouldn’t you start with your congratulations since you’ve arrived?”
“I was going to, but you started criticizing my dress first!”
Sitri huffed in irritation, then took a deep breath to calm herself. She looked at Seere and said,
“Lady Seere, as your one and only ally, I congratulate you on your birth. This is a small token of my sincerity.”
With those words, Sitri gestured to the attendants she had brought. They struggled to carry in an enormous object.
“Heee…?”
“Your Majesty Sitri…”
Seere looked slightly overwhelmed with joy, while Nahen slapped a hand to his forehead. It was a gift that instantly captured the attention of every guest in the party.
“Hehe, what do you think? My gift?”
“Uh… um…”
The gift Sitri had brought was none other than a bronze statue modeled after Seere. It was almost perfectly proportioned to her actual height.
“A Demon King must know how to display her dignity. Every time I visit this castle, I notice there isn’t a single symbol like that here.”
Sitri smiled lightly and continued,
“So please display this. It may look cute, but it will clearly show everyone that Lady Seere is the Demon King of this place.”
Nahen was surprised. He had thought it was a joke gift, but Sitri’s intentions were more serious than he expected. And she wasn’t wrong. A ruler needed symbols of herself. That was why kings commissioned portraits and erected statues to commemorate their achievements.
When Nahen looked genuinely impressed by Sitri’s thoughtful gesture, she smirked.
“What’s with that face? You really didn’t expect this from me, did you?”
“Yes, exactly. I never imagined Your Majesty Sitri would have such a commendable idea…”
“…That is a compliment, right?”
Despite Sitri’s slightly sour expression, Seere could sense her sincerity. She smiled brightly and bowed her head.
“Thank you!”
“…Yes, I’m glad you like it. It was worth preparing.”
Since it couldn’t be kept indoors, Sitri’s gift was moved outside. After that, Seere received several more presents. A considerable pile of gifts had accumulated around the throne prepared on the dais.
While Seere was happily smiling at the mountain of gifts, Nahen spoke.
“Now it’s time for Teacher’s gift.”
“Teacher is giving me one too?”
“Of course. It’s no one else’s birthday but yours, Seere.”
Nahen stepped down from the dais for a moment and approached a troll among the guests.
“Here it is, Lord Nahen.”
It was Doomgrik. Nahen had invited him, and he had brought the gift Nahen had entrusted to him. Nahen took the box and returned to the dais.
“I usually give you plenty of the things you like, so this time I prepared something a little different.”
“Something different?”
“I think you’ll like it too.”
When Nahen held out the box, Seere said,
“Thank you!”
Smiling brightly, Seere did something surprising. She let go of Whitey with one hand and accepted Nahen’s gift with both hands. Until now, she had always clung tightly to the bear plushie, receiving other people’s gifts with one hand or letting Nahen hold them for her.
The people of the Demon King’s castle, who knew Seere’s habits well, were stunned. Even Nahen was slightly surprised. She had let go of it briefly when holding the sword before, but the situation was different now.
Even though she could have kept holding the bear while accepting the gift, Seere had set the plushie down and reached out with both hands.
“Can I open it?”
“Uh… yes. Go ahead and open it.”
Seere tore open the elegant wrapping paper. When she lifted the lid, the sides of the box folded down, fully revealing the object inside.
“Whoaaa!!!”
Seere was genuinely delighted. What emerged from the box was a splendid crown. It was the crown they had taken from Andromalius, resized to fit Seere’s head, with all the faded parts freshly re-gilded. Seere couldn’t take her eyes off the sparkling golden crown. It was a very typical reaction for someone who loved shiny things.
“Seere.”
Nahen smiled tenderly.
“Happy birthday.”
At Nahen’s congratulations, Seere looked at him. Then, just as always, she answered with a radiant smile.
“Thank you, Teacher!”
Unlike last year’s rather lonely birthday, this year’s became the happiest day of the year for Seere.