How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord: Volume 7 Read online

  The story so far—

  In the MMORPG Cross Reverie, Takuma Sakamoto was overwhelmingly powerful, and was able to role play so well that his performances were more boss-like than the actual bosses of the game. For this reason, he came to be known as the “Demon Lord.”

  By defeating the 《Demon Lord of the Mind, Enkvaros》 faster than anyone else, he obtained the super rare item, the 《Demon Lord’s Ring》. It was one of the ultimate pieces of equipment in the game, able to reflect all types of magic.

  Then, one day, Takuma found himself summoned to a world that looked exactly like Cross Reverie! Having performed the ritual magic at the same time, the Pantherian, Rem, and the Elf, Shera, fought over which one of them was his Summoner:

  “...I am the one who summoned him. Your magic was a failure.”

  “You’re wrong! He’s mine!”

  But thanks to the Demon Lord’s Ring he wore, the magic was reflected, so the 《Enslavement Collar》 meant for him had clamped onto the two girls instead!

  Faced with Rem and Shera arguing, Takuma was at a loss of what to do. While he may have been a superior player back in the game, he couldn’t talk with other people if his life depended on it. After struggling over what to say, the words that came out of his mouth were from the Demon Lord role play he had used in the game:

  “Cease your pointless squabbling. You are in the presence of Diablo.”

  The three of them have since made the town of Faltra their home base. As it turned out, Rem held a great secret: Within her body was sealed the soul of the 《Demon Lord Krebskulm》. Trembling with fear deep down, Diablo’s Demon Lord role playing drove him to promise he would find a solution to her plight.

  Diablo soon after found himself foiling an invasion of one hundred Fallen, lead by a Fallen named Edelgard. Diablo then later found himself the recipient of a quest from the governor of Faltra, Galford. Prince Keera of the Elven Kingdom of Greenwood had demanded Shera be returned to him, threatening open war with Faltra against the country of Elves should compliance fail. The details of Galford’s quest were simply to find a way to avoid the war. The bespectacled, straight-and-narrow Imperial Knight Alicia was assigned to the group as an observer to watch over their actions.

  Using the 《Marionette’s Flute》, Keera manipulated Shera and unleashed a forbidden summon called the 《Force Hydra》—yet Diablo still managed to rescue her.

  Prince Keera was eventually killed by Galford, and his remains were returned to the Elven Kingdom by Celsior, an elite Elven warrior, and his cohorts.

  After her rescue, the group set off to resurrect the Demon Lord Krebskulm trapped inside Rem. But in the process, Krebskulm had lost a portion of her memories as a Demon Lord, being reduced to a biscuit-loving young girl, who was then nicknamed “Klem.”

  Peaceful days passed by...

  Suddenly, Alicia betrayed the group! Now awakened as a true Demon Lord, Klem went into a destructive frenzy. But thanks to one of Diablo’s ultimate spells and the sound of Rem and Shera’s voices, Klem was subdued and reverted to her biscuit-loving form. To ensure Klem would never go berserk again, Diablo bound her with the same enslavement magic afflicted upon Shera and Rem.

  Through a string of coincidences, or perhaps God’s own guidance, Diablo found himself rescuing Lumachina, a holy woman, from the Paladin Gewalt. Being a 《High Priest》, Lumachina was the highest ranking member of the Church. However, due to her attempts at ridding the Church of corruption and avarice, she was nearly assassinated. Still seeking to reform the corrupt Church, Lumachina sought the help of the Paladin Captain Batutta, setting out to meet him in Zircon Tower.

  Located in the perilous expanse of the former Demon Lord’s Domain, Diablo’s group of Adventurers accompanied her as bodyguards. After a long journey, they arrived at their destination, and were greeted by Batutta.

  However—

  Batutta had been culminating the spread of a cursed illness known as Death Knell disease, and extorted donations in exchange for treatment.

  Diablo fought hard, defeating Batutta and toppling his underground altar. But all of a sudden, Lumachina collapsed, the mark of the Death Knell disease having appeared on her body.

  Avoiding pursuit from Laminitus, Zircon Tower’s governor, Diablo’s group made way to a dungeon Diablo made in Cross Reverie to get an item that could cure the Death Knell disease. Eluding many traps (?), they finally reached the dungeon’s lowest level, where they also met the 《Magimatic Maid》, Rose. Diablo then obtained the item he sought, along with many pieces of new equipment for himself and his team.

  The Fallen Varakness marched the Demon Lord’s Army against Zircon Tower, crushing the races’ army under their superior strength. Diablo quickly rushed on the scene and, exhibiting 《The Demon Lord’s True Power》 for some reason, saved Zircon Tower from the invasion.

  Diablo then made way to the Royal Capital. Lumachina returned to the Church and the capital for the first time in a long while, resolving to face those who’d plotted her assassination head on.

  Thanks to Alicia’s efforts, who had reformed and joined Diablo’s side, Diablo and his group managed to gain evidence of the 《Cardinal Authority’s》—the Church’s top brass—wrongdoings.

  They stormed the Church, but Lumachina was overwhelmed by Vishos’s, the head of the Cardinal Authority, demagoguery and was captured as a heretic for crimes against the Church. Horn was the only one to escape, and, with the help of the level-up goddess Babalon, was able to rescue the group.

  Diablo, who’d played along with the Church’s act till then, snapped out of his lulled senses at the sight of Horn’s efforts. He defeated the Paladins and destroyed half of the Grand Cathedral... Yet Lumachina still revered him as her God, which somehow resolved the situation and led to the villainous Cardinal Authority’s defeat.

  With the escaping members of the Cardinal Authority all killed by Gewalt, he is quickly recruited by the 《Order of Palace Knights》...

  Prologue

  The Imperial Capital Seven Wall’s sixth district, 《The Firebird Inn》—

  The rain that had begun pouring down at noon lasted until nightfall. Raindrops battered against the window panes as a candlestick standing on one of the side tables flickered, casting a shadow on the room’s residents.

  An Elven girl lay asleep on the bed, the (currently runaway) princess of the Kingdom of Greenwood, Shera L. Greenwood. Her face was pallid, her expression pained, and her breathing ragged.

  “Nng... Nnn...”

  The High Priest Lumachina Weselia sat beside her, praying all the while. She was capable of performing healing miracles, bringing even the most wounded from death’s door and onto full recovery.

  But Shera still remained as pale as before.

  “How is she?”

  Diablo had entered the room. Lumachina turned to face him, shaking her head.

  “Her fever has not broken yet. That said, her condition is not worsening either...”

  “...In that case, she should get better with some rest,” Rem, the Pantherian girl who had entered the room with Diablo, proposed. “I’ll watch over for now, so you go get some rest, Lumachina. You have your duties at the Church to consider, don’t you?”

  “Yes...”

  Leaving Rem to look after Shera, Diablo and Lumachina moved to the common room.

  †

  The inn the Imperial Knight, Alicia Cristela, had prepared for them not only had individual rooms for each of them, but also a large common room for communal gatherings. Rose, the 《Magimatic Maid》, stood back-to-back with the wall, and on the sofa they found the Grasswalker, Horn, with her gaze fixed at the window. She was apparently deep i
n thought.

  Lumachina had put on her coat, preparing to return to the Grand Cathedral.

  “Lord Diablo, Miss Shera’s fever seems to be due to emotional stress. I have dispelled any diseases that may have been present, and her body should be perfectly healed, but... It seems the stress from your many journeys has gradually accumulated...”

  True enough, ever since they’d left Faltra roughly two months ago, they may have had time to rest, but it had been one suspenseful situation after another. They went from one life-threatening crisis to the next, time after time. And now, Shera had received word of her father’s passing...

  Diablo shrugged dejectedly. “One can’t blame her for becoming bedridden.”

  “Please forgive me... If only I had found a better occasion to break the news...”

  “Don’t let it bother you.”

  It was the death of a parent; there were very few situations where keeping such news hidden would be a good idea.

  “Miss Shera may very well wish to return to the Kingdom of Greenwood. But in the state she is in, I fear that may be too dangerous...”

  Lumachina had accompanied them all for some time now, which meant they didn’t need to fear any grievous injuries or fatal diseases. The High Priest was the most powerful healer in all of Lyferia after all. But having regained her control over the Church, Lumachina would have to serve as its absolute authority now. She wouldn’t be able to escort them again.

  Diablo nodded. “We’ll remain in the capital for a while then.”

  “Please do. If her condition changes, please head to a church. Also, please take this.”

  Lumachina handed Diablo a silver holy mark. It was roughly the size of a brooch, but it had a definite weight to it. It was apparently made from real silver.

  “What’s this?”

  “A Paladin Captain’s mark. The title of Paladin Captain is surely beneath you, my Lord, but this is the most I could prepare for you. With this mark, any church you visit should extend their aid to you.”

  “Are you asking me to become a Paladin Captain?”

  “I would be thrilled to have you, Lord Diablo... But the rest of the world needs your help. Such a title would require your presence at rites and festivals, which may be too troublesome for you... Either way, you may see it as an honorary title.”

  “Hmph... I see.”

  Diablo was no good when it came to social events, and hearing speeches from higher-ups just made him sleepy. Besides, a Demon Lord dealing with the Church’s affairs would be straight up weird.

  At any rate, having the cooperation of every church in the kingdom was convenient. You could find churches even in remote villages, and, in the Kingdom of Lyferia, a church was more than just a place for prayer as they also served as postal services, banks, and schools.

  Diablo accepted the holy mark. “Greenwood is a ways off after all. We’ll of course have to make sure Shera’s fine, but we also have preparations to make for the journey.”

  In the game, it would take an hour to get to Greenwood without teleporting. Judging from past experiences, a distance of three minutes in Cross Reverie was five hours in this world. Getting from Faltra to the former Demon Lord’s Domain took even longer, with an hour’s worth of traveling being two weeks long. They’d be taking the main road for half the way this time, but would still need to prepare food and water for the journey.

  —I could use magic to make those if we needed them, but I’d rather not waste MP if I didn’t have to.

  “Have you gone to the Kingdom of Greenwood before, Lord Diablo?” Lumachina asked.

  Diablo was summoned from another world, and had visited every corner of this world in Cross Reverie. He couldn’t just say, “I’ve been there in the game” of course; he still felt as if knowing that much was to be expected.

  “I am a Demon Lord after all. I command all manner of knowledge and wisdom.”

  “True enough, my Lord... The Elves’ sovereign territories are hidden in the depths of the 《Wayward Forest》, an unexplored region where only those allowed to enter the kingdom may pass.”

  Diablo recalled a similar setting from Cross Reverie. However, an early-game event would lead players to the Kingdom of Greenwood, and from there on teleporting to and from the place was simple. Diablo didn’t quite feel “unexplored territory” was an apt description of the place, seeing that it was as hidden as some “secret hot spring” you might hear about on TV. They also had Shera on their side, so getting lost shouldn’t be an issue.

  “There’s no need to worry about us.”

  “Indeed. It was presumptuous of me to be concerned for you, my Lord.”

  Lumachina bowed her head deeply, then turned to leave the room after a word of goodbye when Horn sat up and suddenly called for her.

  “Ah, hmm! D-D’ya have a minute?”

  Horn’s expression was uncharacteristically serious. It seemed something was on her mind.

  “Yes, what is it?”

  “I... Well, there’s something I need to ask you, Lumachina. You should hear this too, Boss.”

  “Understood.”

  “So be it.” Diablo nodded as well.

  Judging by Horn’s conduct, it seemed she had something important to say. Rose was also in the room, but didn’t bother to leave.

  †

  Horn sat back on the sofa. Lumachina, who had taken off her coat, sat opposite of Horn. Diablo took a seat next to Lumachina.

  “Speak, I’ll allow it.”

  “R-Right...”

  Horn looked rather deep in thought, her bunny ears twitching nervously as sweat dripped from her forehead.

  Horn was a Grasswalker, a race with bunny ears and tails whom retained their youthful appearance even upon reaching adulthood. Horn, however, was still a child at the tender age of 12.

  A black-leathered 《Subjugation Collar》 was around her neck since she and Diablo were bound in a 《Subjugation Contract》 with the latter being the Master and the former serving as Thrall. The contract made it so the Thrall’s level increased in accordance with the Master’s, making Horn a level 80 Thief. Frankly speaking, she was quite strong right now. Thieves weren’t a class that focused on combat, but Horn was now stronger than the common warrior. But the cost for that strength was that should the Master die, so would the Thrall. Such was the deadly nature of the contract.

  Lumachina patiently waited for Horn to speak. She was used to confessions and consultations, and remained calm as such.

  Diablo was nervous beneath the surface though. He was bad at speaking to people in the first place, but when they looked so grave and serious, the fear that he “mustn’t say anything careless” ran through his spine like an icicle.

  The two could hear Horn nervously grit her teeth. Then, she took three deep breaths. All of a sudden, she fell from the sofa, lying on the floor on her hands and knees with her head lowered.

  “Please, I’m begging you! I want to go study magic!”

  “What!?” Diablo couldn’t help but raise his voice at this sudden “request.”

  Horn’s body twitched nervously.

  “I-I know I’ve caused you so much trouble up till now, and I’m sorry... B-But I... Even so! I want to become a Sorcerer like you, Boss!”

  That was an unusual wish to have. Horn had paid such a hefty price to increase her level as a Thief, only to pick another path now?

  However, Lumachina nodded without a hint of surprise in her eyes.

  “Once before...when we had just arrived at the capital, you expressed great interest when I mentioned there was a magic school here. Are you serious about wanting to learn magic?”

  “Definitely! You noticed that, Lumachina?”

  “Your admiration for Lord Diablo is quite apparent, Horn.”

  “I mean... I know I won’t be as strong as Boss, but...still...”

  “Am I to take it you wish to become an 《Elemental Sorcerer》?”

  “You might mock me for it...but yes.”

  Mo
st Sorcerers in this world were 《Summoners》 because Summoning Magic was considered the superior school. It may be lacking in firepower, but it was a safe method. Elemental Magic, on the other hand, was a fairly under-researched field and was perceived as weak and useless.

  Lumachina shook her head. “How would we mock you when we know Lord Diablo and his power?”

  “Awesome! Oh, but... Uhm, I...”

  Horn turned her gaze in Diablo’s direction. Lumachina also directed a concerned look his way, and Rose, who stood against the wall, diverted her eyes to Diablo as well.

  Diablo finally realized they were expecting to hear his opinion. His lack of communication skills made it so he always assumed other people “don’t know he’s there and don’t care for what he has to say.” That wasn’t really ever the case since he’d come to this world...but years-old habits really did die hard.

  Diablo cleared his throat. “Hmph... Do as you wish.”

  Horn’s expression lit up at those words. “Really, Boss!?”

  “If you wish to become a Sorcerer, go ahead and learn magic. You needn’t anyone’s approval to live as you choose.”

  “Thanks a million, Boss!”

  Horn lowered her head again, bumping it with a thump against the floor.

  Lumachina, on the other hand, looked at him in shock.

  “What is it?”

  “I am just a bit surprised, my Lord. I thought you would be opposed to this...”

  “What made you think that?”

  “Grasswalkers may be skilled with magic as a race, but...I believe Horn’s talents are better geared for the Thief class. I thought you would object since her skills are already quite honed, and going into an entirely different field would be inefficient...”

  “True, it is inefficient...”

  —But I hate it when veterans try to enforce a playing order on newbies. Why not let them take the long way around? Why deny them any challenges? I, myself, love the process of trial and error, so I can’t stand seeing people rob beginners of that enjoyment... Not to mention how patronizing it is to think you can teach them... That’s just the worst.