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

  Not wanting to become that type of player, Diablo never did train newcomers. In his eyes, someone who spent all his time researching for the perfect path may as well never start the game. But that wasn’t an idea he could eloquently put into words. Lumachina and the others didn’t know this world was based on Cross Reverie, so any explanation about “high level players” wouldn’t make any sense to them. To begin with, it was unlikely they’d even understand what he meant by the word “game.”

  “Either way...I’m not opposed to the idea.” Diablo averted his gaze. “I also do not particularly support it.”

  “In all likelihood, this path will be far more challenging for Horn than any other path would be.”

  “But that’s what she wants, no?”

  “Yes, so it seems. Horn, do you understand what we mean? Are you prepared for this?”

  Horn nodded in response. “Of course!”

  “Very well then,” Lumachina said. “I’ll handle your recommendation to the Mage’s Association. I’ll have you enrolled as a beginner.”

  “Th-Thank you!”

  “Don’t use your thieving skills in the academy though...”

  “Of course, I won’t!”

  “How long will it take for her to learn the basics of magic?” Diablo asked.

  “It slightly differs by the individual, but young Sorcerers usually graduate at the age of 15. Horn will be enrolling a bit later than usual, which may mean it will take a bit longer.”

  “Three years!?”

  “Indeed.”

  “I see...”

  It was a school, come to think of it, so that stood to reason. Considering the game’s sense of scale though, Diablo somehow assumed it’d be shorter. Either way, Horn would have to stay in the Capital for the foreseeable future.

  “The capital’s magic academy is a boarding school,” Lumachina added. “It is possible for family and friends to come for visits, but you should consider that you will not be able to leave the campus for a while.”

  Horn looked like she was about to cry.

  “F-For real!? I-I mean... The Boss has to go to the Elven Kingdom, so I knew this was coming, but...”

  It may not have been for very long, but Horn was a companion who had traveled by their side. The thought of her leaving was a lonely one, but hesitating to say goodbye didn’t feel like a Demon Lordly thing to do. Diablo chose to change the subject, with a detached expression.

  “You said she shouldn’t use her Thief skills in the academy, correct? Just to make sure, her training to become a Sorcerer won’t reset her level as a Thief, right?”

  Lumachina tilted her head quizzically. “Why, no, it will not. Not using them for a very long time may cause them to decline somewhat, but...”

  “Hmm...”

  Cross Reverie had employed professions called classes. Players could use bonus points they gained when they leveled up to tweak their stats to some extent, but stat growth was pretty much fixed by class. Warrior-type classes increased their skills with weapons, while Sorcerers developed their magic skills. That was just how the system worked. But when you changed classes, your level would reset. Once you changed back to your original class, you would get those levels back.

  —Did the developers do that for balancing purposes?

  In a game where leveling up was easier (compared to this world anyway), if players were able to extend all classes to their max level, everyone would aspire to make characters that were maxed out in everything. As a result, perfectly maxed out characters would end up being identical to one another, completely destroying player character individuality. So, to avoid that, the developers placed restrictions on maxing out classes.

  That wasn’t the case in this world though. The skills you trained your body to learn didn’t just go away, and once you took things like game balance out of the equation and thought about it realistically, it did make sense.

  In the end, Horn would be able to level up as a Sorcerer while retaining her current level as a Thief. That said, gaining the experience needed for those levels wouldn’t come easily...

  The Adventurers who lived in towns under the races’ domain were level 20, on average. Level 40s were seasoned Adventurers who had carved out a name for themselves. Meanwhile, in the game, it would only take you a week to reach level 40. This world may be similar to Cross Reverie, but it was no game. Dying meant real, unforgiving death, and gaining experience meant putting your life on the line. People who willingly threw themselves into danger to level up were highly uncommon.

  —Well, I guess while she’s in the academy, there isn’t too much risk of her running into danger. That may be exactly why it takes them three years to learn the fundamentals.

  Diablo turned his gaze to Horn. “If you’re going to do it, give it your all, girl. That way, even if you expire halfway through or fall before the end, you won’t have any regrets.”

  “Boooss...” Horn’s eyes filled with tears. “I... I... Thank you so much, Boss!!!”

  Horn’s face had contorted with tears, and snot was dripping from her nose making it...quite the sight. Lumachina smiled kindly, wiping the girl’s face clean with a handkerchief.

  Chapter 1: Sylvie, Once More

  The next day, at dusk—

  Rem stepped out of Shera’s room.

  “...She’s doing better than yesterday. I managed to give her some food.”

  “She can’t get up yet?”

  She shook her head at Diablo’s question. “...The most I could do was get her to sit up on the bed. She’ll still need some time, I think. But I believe she’s calmed down a bit.”

  “That’s good.”

  It was time for them to eat too. Diablo had requested the staff to bring dinner to the common room this time.

  Rem looked around. “...Is Horn still in her room?”

  “Yes. She’s reading a book Lumachina sent her this morning.”

  “...Seeing that book brings back memories... I also read it while studying the fundamentals.”

  “Hmm.”

  Diablo crossed his arms, a pensive expression on his face. He’d become somewhat capable of reading this country’s language by now, to the extent of being able to read labels on commodities. But reading books was still out of reach.

  —I’ve thought of this before, but maybe I really should learn how to read and write in this world’s language? But a Demon Lord studying like a kid is all sorts of lame...

  He had a room to himself now, but Rem and Shera usually ate and slept in the same room as him. With all that, he couldn’t really find time in the day to study on his own.

  A knock came from the door, probably one of the Firebird Inn’s employees with their food. Rose, the Magimatic Maid, approached the door and opened it with a twist of the knob, only for her gaze to be met with a pair of bunny ears. It was a Grasswalker with reddish-pink hair and a friendly smile.

  “Yahoo, Diablo! It’s been forever!”

  She raised a hand to the air, waving it enthusiastically. Her outfit, if it could be called that, consisted of just a bit of cloth that covered her intimate parts, making her half-naked.

  “Sylvie!?” Diablo’s eyes widened.

  “Did you only figure out who I am because of my outfit?”

  Diablo felt his insides chill with stress as she directed a jeering glare at him.

  “H-Hmph... Spare me your nonsense.”

  Diablo was terrible at remembering people’s faces, despite being especially good when it came to memorizing game stories and trivia.

  “Master, this individual isn’t an enemy, correct?” Rose asked to confirm.

  “Yes, she’s no enemy. Though she’s not someone to lower your guard around either.”

  “Ahahaha... That’s mean, Diablo. We’re allies, aren’t we? You’re one of Faltra’s Adventurers, and I’m the Adventurer Guild’s Guildmaster, aren’t I?”

  Sylvie was a reliable fighter to have on their side, but she did oppose Diablo once before, during the incid
ent with Klem. Sylvie was a warrior fighting for the sake of the mortal races, but she was under no obligation to obey Diablo. This meant that, depending on the circumstances, she may end up opposing him.

  —It doesn’t look like she’s got any ill-will toward us for now at least, so what did she come all the way here for?

  Diablo didn’t know the reason for her visit, which made panic spring up within him. But he couldn’t let his Demon Lord act crumble even for a second.

  “Hmph... Since you’ve come all the way here from Faltra, I assume you must have some important news? Let’s hear it.”

  Sylvie walked into the room with an “Excuse me~” and hopped onto the sofa in a childish fashion.

  Grasswalkers naturally had childlike appearances, but Sylvie was apparently a veteran who had experienced the 《Fallen War》, the war between the races and the Fallen, 30 years ago, so Diablo had no idea how old she really was.

  It was then that there was another knock on the door, and this time it really was their dinner being delivered. Dishes of various sizes were set on the common room’s dining table, appetizing aromas wafting up from them.

  “Whoa...” Sylvie’s eyes sparkled. “Is today some kinda celebration or something!?”

  Rem shrugged. “...The meals at this inn are always like this.”

  “That’s amazing!”

  “...You’re welcome to join in if you want. Shera and Rose aren’t eating, so we have more than we need.”

  Rose was a Magimatic Maid, so she didn’t eat in the traditional sense of the word, and Horn’s portion was already carried to her room.

  “Now that you mention it, where is Shera?” Sylvie tilted her head curiously.

  “...She’s feeling unwell.”

  “Aww... Is it because she heard about her father?”

  “...So you knew.”

  “Collecting information’s part of being an Adventurer, after all~” Sylvie moved to the dining table’s chair as she spoke, picking up a fork and knife.

  Having traveled with Lumachina, Rem and the others had gotten used to praying before meals. Diablo waited wordlessly for Rem to finish, and they continued their conversation as they dined.

  †

  “Omnmnmn...”

  “Stop eating and state your business already, Sylvie!”

  “Hmng, aah... Phew! Don’t rush me, Diablo. I had to hurry all the way to the capital you know.”

  Sylvie licked her lips after downing a chicken skewer in one gulp.

  “...How did you find out we were in this inn?” Rem asked.

  “When you came to Faltra last time, you had the High Priest with you and said you were headed for the capital. So I went to the Grand Cathedral and asked her.”

  “...You make it sound so simple. I’m shocked. We hid Lumachina’s face so no one would pick up on her identity. And besides, you can’t just walk into the Church and ask to see the High Priest without making arrangements ahead of time.”

  “You shouldn’t doubt my powers of observation. And while arranging a meeting with the High Priest is usually difficult, they let me in easily once I mentioned your names.”

  “...That’s reckless! If we failed and the Church was still under the Cardinal Authority’s control, who knows what would have happened to you!”

  “Of course, and that’s why I did my homework and made sure the coast was clear before I went over. I’m going to have to keep my sources of information confidential though. You know how they say having a few secrets makes a girl more alluring?”

  Sylvie gave a childish smile. Diablo motioned for her to continue her story, and Sylvie downed a glass of grape juice.

  “Glug, glug... Phew! This bittersweetness hits the spot! Well, anyway... One of my reasons for coming here was to let you know about Shera’s dad, but you already know that.”

  “...Just to stay on the side of caution, I’ll ask: Your information is that Shera’s father—that is, King Greenwood—has passed away, correct?”

  “Yep. Her mother, the queen, is still alive and well, but she married into the family and isn’t of royal blood, meaning she has no claim to the throne. To be honest with you guys, if Shera doesn’t go back home, the royal bloodline will be cut off.”

  Diablo scoffed. “That’s no business of mine.”

  “Haha... I figured you’d say that. But doesn’t Shera wanna go back home at least once? Her dad died, so she should probably at least visit his grave and pray for him. You’re not against that, right, Diablo?”

  He hadn’t met with Sylvie that frequently when he was in Faltra, but somehow she’d seen through his personality already.

  “...If Shera goes back to her kingdom, would she have to become the queen?” Rem asked.

  “Well, I don’t know. I’m not that familiar with Greenwood’s customs. I think this is the first time an Elven king died leaving only women and children behind. But if you’re worried, you could just escort her there and keep an eye out yourselves.”

  “...That’s what we intend to do.”

  “Hehe... You’ve changed, Rem.”

  “Huh?”

  “You used to say you didn’t need any companions, and never got deeply involved with any party I set you up with.”

  “...That’s... Things have changed...since then.”

  “Did Diablo influence you?”

  “...I suppose that’s part of it, in some ways.”

  “And the other part is the Demon Lord that was sealed inside you, right?”

  “Wha!?” Rem rose to her feet, knocking down the chair as she did.

  —How did she find out about that!?

  Diablo was shocked as well, but maintained his cool façade.

  “Sylvie... Did Celes tell you?”

  “Celes would never tell a secret like that. You couldn’t get a Sorcerer to spill his beans no matter what. But fine, I’ll let you in on my trick... It was Klem. I gave her some world-famous, Rallybell-made almond biscuits and she told me all sorts of stuff for ’em.”

  Sylvie knew Klem was a Demon Lord, so Klem probably thought it was okay to tell someone who knew what she was about other things too.

  “Ngh...” Rem’s expression sharpened with hostility. “I knew you couldn’t be trusted!”

  “That’s cold, Rem. You’d have been better off telling me, that way I’d have been able to help you out better. So why did you keep quiet? I see all of my Guild members as family, you know.”

  “...Because I can’t trust anything you say...”

  “Well I’ll be damned, Rem. You should really reconsider. The biggest reason I came all the way from Faltra actually has to do with you.”

  “...With...me...?”

  “I understand you’re wary of me because of what happened with Klem, but this time, you should believe me ♪”

  Sylvie winked at Rem.

  “...I-It’s true...” Rem still seemed hesitant. “The Demon Lord Krebskulm was sealed inside my body. But that’s already a thing of the past.”

  “Is it really now...”

  “...How much do you know!?”

  Rem looked poised to burst out of the room at any moment. Her triangular cat ears flattened against her head, and her tail swayed left and right nervously.

  “Hey, hey, no need to stress out.” Sylvie raised her hands apologetically. “I’ll tell you everything I know, don’t you worry. But I can’t do anything if you won’t trust me.”

  “...I’m listening.”

  Rem took a deep breath and sat back down. Sylvie began speaking, as if relaying some olden tale...

  †

  In ancient times, God had defeated and sealed the Demon Lord. One of the pieces of the Demon Lord, the Demon Lord Krebskulm, was sealed within Rem’s ancestor. That piece was then passed on from mother to daughter... Thus, the cursed inheritance continued across the generations.

  God also left behind a method to remove said seal, for when the time came and a hero capable of definitively defeating the Demon Lord appeared... However, t
hat ritual was lost to the annals of time, leaving only partial methods of resurrecting the Demon Lord. One such method was that the girl who was the vessel of the Demon Lord’s soul was to die. The other was to provide the Demon Lord with a large amount of magical energy. Both methods would result in the seal’s destruction.

  Just recently...

  Diablo had resurrected said piece of the Demon Lord by pouring his magical energy into it. But the Demon Lord appeared in the form of a young girl, nicknamed Klem. The unsealing was incomplete, and Krebskulm’s power still laid dormant within Rem’s body...

  “And that’s about all I know.” Sylvie’s rabbit ears twitched, as if to say, “How about that, huh?”

  “...It’s...probably exactly as you say.” Rem nodded. “I’d even say you know more than I do.”

  Diablo was once again taken aback.

  —The Demon Lord Krebskulm is still inside Rem!?

  “What is the meaning of this?”

  “...I’m sorry, Diablo. I should have said something sooner... The Large Black Dragon we fought in your dungeon said so as well, but I didn’t know for sure.”

  “Hmm.”

  “...I know you may find it hard to believe when you had to find out like this. But really, I didn’t mean to keep it a secret.”

  “We’ve been together so long now, so I understand even without you having to explain it. You put Lumachina’s and Shera’s needs before your own, right?”

  “...That might be so, yes.”

  After the dungeon, they had to stop the Fallen invasion at Zircon Tower and reform the Church after. As soon as that was dealt with, they had learned of the Elven king’s death. Rem never had the leisure nor opportune moment to ask for help.

  He could check the flow of her magical energy to see if the Demon Lord’s soul was still inside her later, but...it most likely was.

  “Did Klem tell you that too, Sylvie?”

  “Yep.”

  “So, Klem’s aware part of her is still inside Rem then.”

  “Apparently, she noticed it when she almost awakened. But she prefers things the way they are right now, so she doesn’t really mind.”