An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 7 (Premium) Read online

  Prologue

  “Summer! The beach! Swimsuits! Today, the world is filled with LOVE POWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!”

  Zagan had no idea what Gremory was screaming about, but her voice was extremely annoying. His group was currently on a small, uninhabited island. It was just about large enough to snugly fit a town the size of Kianoides within it. The center of the island was filled with lush and exotic greenery not seen on the continent. The warm sun and cool sea breeze would surely make this a good island to develop. Even from a distance, the trees obviously had many fruits on them. It was the optimal place for a break, but...

  “...Hang on, why are you here, Gremory? No, wait, before that, isn’t it winter right now?”

  The Archdemon Zagan could do naught but let out an astonished voice. Gremory was in high spirits, as if heaven was right before her. He didn’t know where she had gotten it from, but the granny who had turned into a beautiful woman was wearing a glamorous black swimsuit. Even if he knew that she was Gremory on the inside, when she ran around like that... many things were swaying about, so he was deeply troubled.

  Where’s Kimaris? I want him to come drag this granny away already! Zagan reflexively prayed for his subordinate to come save him, and Nephy made a strained smile at his side.

  “It seems Miss Gremory has had this swimsuit prepared for quite a while.”

  As always, Nephy’s hair was a beautiful snow white and her eyes were azure blue. Her pointy ears were quivering about in a somewhat amused manner and her reserved lips were faintly smiling. It definitely wasn’t Zagan’s imagination that her expression had softened up even more lately. She wasn’t wearing her usual ultramarine one-piece dress today, but instead had on a pretty liberal swimsuit, which only covered her privates like underwear. She also had a pareo around her waist, giving her a mysteriously neat and tidy impression. The way she squirmed about from not being used to it was so adorable that Zagan couldn’t take his eyes off her.

  “I seriously thought I was going to die after slipping out of my teacher’s surveillance, contacting Comrade Manuela, receiving these swimsuits, and fleeing all the way to Liucaon, you know?” Gremory stated as she combed back her long hair and looked off into the distance.

  “Why was there a need to do all that to come here...?”

  “You say such odd things despite being my liege. This is a conference where races from all over the world gather. This may be my one and only opportunity to have so many varied maidens strike me down with their looks! Isn’t it obviously worth risking my life for!?”

  The granny screamed with a ghastly expression, which distressed Zagan immensely.

  If you keep risking your life over such crap, Kimaris’ body won’t hold out here... The one who usually served as Gremory’s brakes was the leonin Kimaris, but he was left with taking care of the castle while Zagan was absent.

  And just then, Zagan suddenly noticed something. Nephy looked at her own chest, then Gremory’s, and let out a somewhat relieved sigh. Was it possible that she was worried about the size of her own breasts? It was true that Gremory’s young adult body had breasts that were larger than Nephy’s, but...

  Huh? Why is she relieved when Gremory’s are larger? Zagan was taken aback by that.

  It had been half a year since Zagan met Nephy. And up until that point, Nephy wasn’t being given proper meals at the elven village. When she began living with Zagan, the quality of her meals increased drastically. Though, Zagan’s eating habits were so miserable that she ended up being the one making meals. And so, it was possible that her body was growing even more.

  I see... Nephy worries about it like that, huh? Zagan felt his face slackening up from discovering a new facet of Nephy.

  “Hm? I just felt a strong burst of love power...” Gremory turned to look at them with a seriously creepy look.

  Now if only this granny would keep quiet... And as Zagan scratched his head, another voice rang out.

  “Huh? It’s Gremory. When did you come?”

  The one who came rushing over with a bucket and shovel in hand like she couldn’t wait to get started was Zagan’s daughter, Foll. She was wearing a one-piece swimsuit decorated with a frilly skirt. Just half a month ago, she had a beautiful figure that rivaled Gremory’s, but she had since returned to her original form as a little girl.

  “Mmm! Mmm! That’s a sly level of love power there! Thank you very much for sending me off to heaven!”

  Even as Gremory collapsed onto the sandy beach, she used both her hands to form a window using the sand and set Foll down within it.

  “My liege! I just thought up some amazing sorcery! What do you think of using something like a mirror as a medium to preserve the image of a scene for eternity! Aren’t I a genius?”

  “Oh, if you’re looking to accomplish that, Master Zagan taught me a similar sorcery once,” Nephy said, clapping her hands together as she nostalgically recalled that.

  Aah, now that I think of it, I did create a sorcery like that huh? Zagan also recalled that fact and nodded, leading Gremory to jump to her feet and close in on him.

  “What!? Keeheehee, as one would expect of my liege. So you have already fully realized something that I could only think about just now? Then share your sweet memories with me!”

  “...Unfortunately, it’s defective, since it was something I put together on the spot. After teaching Nephy, I never even used it once.”

  “Huuuuuuh!? WHY!? How wasteful! Have you never even thought of recording the rare expression that Lady Nephy is showing right now!? Or the way she suddenly shows such charming behavior!? If I were you, I would be invoking the sorcery nonstop and fill an entire wall... No, that’s not enough, the entire castle with such images you know?”

  “S-Such shameless... No, mm. I get it.”

  After thinking about it carefully, it did sound like a wonderful proposal. Well, filling the entire castle with them was out of the question, but Zagan’s sorcery used paper as a medium. It wouldn’t be such a bad idea to keep it all in something, like a book.

  “Master Zagan, it’s troubling if you give it such serious thought.”

  The tips of Nephy’s ears turned red as she bashfully protested.

  “Hnnngh! So satisfying... Such a truly satisfying expression, Lady Nephy!”

  Gremory then formed a window with her thumbs and index fingers and peeked through them as if to capture Nephy’s expression.

  “...Hm? Now that I think of it, what kind of defect is there in the sorcery you made, my liege?”

  “It’s sorcery that projects a scene that you think strongly about. But it seems it doesn’t project your thoughts on the surface, but one that you are truly conscious of deep within you. You can’t select the subject.”

  “Huh? Then what did you project?”

  This time, Nephy’s entire face turned red. And seeing this, Gremory crept up on her like a starving beast.

  “Lady Nephy, tell me in detail. If it is I, such love power... no, I mean, I can carry that defect to its greatest extremes... I mean... I may be able to improve it!”

  Zagan didn’t even feel like retorting as Gremory’s hidden intentions easily leaked out. And before long, Nephy muttered out, completely beaten down by her persistence.

  “...Um, no matter how many times I used it... the only thing that showed... was Master Zagan.”

  “Hnnngh! Nice love power!” Gremory yelled as she pinned down her chest and squirmed around. Then, she said, “Keeheehee, I wonder just what sort of image of my liege was projected by you, Lady Nephy. I would have liked to see it.” />
  “Y-You can’t! It’s too embarrassing to show,” Nephy denied strongly, something unusual for her. However, precisely because of that, Gremory realized something.

  “Huh? You still have it?”

  “Uh, that’s, well...”

  Zagan had told her to throw them away, but Nephy had kept several dozens of those projections of him with great care. And, as she explained that to them... a blood red burst bloomed in the air like a flower.

  “Eek... Miss Gremory?”

  “Zagan, Gremory did it again...” Foll muttered. The white beach was covered in blood. And lying down in a pool of her own blood, Gremory had an unbelievable smile plastered on her face.

  “Ugh, to think I wouldn’t be able to catch it all... Such... love power...”

  And, as the granny let out a sigh, Zagan thought back over what happened the previous morning.

  Chapter I: We Were Out by the Ocean Anyway, so We Decided to Make Use of the Beach

  “How are you feeling, Foll?” Zagan asked his bedridden daughter. She looked back at him with a discontented look in her amber eyes. Her squishy-soft hands were those of a girl no more than ten years old, and though the two horns that peeked out of her green hair belonged to the race of ancient and honorable dragons, as both a dragon and a human, the fact that she was young was quite obvious.

  Sitting at her bedside, Zagan wore his usual robe with a crimson mantle as he brushed the girl’s head. His silver eyes gazed at his daughter and naturally swayed with a sense of kindness unbefitting of an Archdemon.

  They were currently in the city of Atlastia, which existed at the bottom of the ocean that divided the continent and Liucaon. It was an underwater city, but thanks to the power of the sirens, they were able to breathe as though above water as well as walk across the ocean floor.

  This land was now under Zagan’s rule, so they were able to borrow a private room for Foll. It seemed to be quite the fine room, and though they were in the ocean, the room was filled with air.

  Although, we’ve now gone three weeks without even seeing the sun... Three weeks had passed since the incident where Zagan’s and Foll’s ages were swapped. And including the time that it took to resolve the incident, they had been down there for half a month.

  Zagan completely regained his usual adult form, and Foll was able to return to the form of a small girl. They were able to dispel the curse that ate away at their bodies, but due to the excessive loss of mana at the time, Foll was still bedridden.

  “I’m telling you I’m fine...” Foll claimed as she puffed out her cheeks while lying atop her bed. Her clothes were scattered about in disarray as she rested in bed, wearing pajamas rather than her usual native dress. Her green hair was properly tied up in braids, and she kept insisting that she could get up and go play at any time. Left with no other choice, Zagan bopped her head.

  “Even if you think you’re fine, you’ve only recovered about half of your mana. It’s useless to tell me not to worry.”

  “But I’m bored.”

  “Hm... Well, there’s no helping that. I’ll read you a book later, so don’t pout like that.”

  “Will you read me at least three of them?”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  Foll still looked discontent, but her mood seemed to have recovered.

  But I guess this is about the limit in being able to deceive her... As the daughter of Wise Dragon Orobas, Foll’s mana was tremendous. That mana of hers wasn’t just simply expended, it was lost due to a curse. It wasn’t something that could be recovered just by resting, so she was recovering by being supplied with mana by the Heaven’s Scale Dragon Form that was charged with protecting the ocean city.

  That was why they were unable to leave. The problem wasn’t the treatment, but the fact that at this rate, her recovery would still take another two weeks.

  Foll was relatively docile, but it was unreasonable to ask a ten-year-old child to stay still and confine herself in a room for an entire month. There was a need for some sort of change of pace, immediately. And, as Zagan racked his brain over that, a small knock came from the door.

  “Foll, are you awake?”

  It was Nephy. When they came to the ocean city, Nephy was wearing an elegant dress, but now that they were forced to stay for a while, she wore her usual ultramarine one-piece dress with a pure white apron just like at Zagan’s castle. It also appeared that she was helping out with the chores at the temple because they were freeloaders.

  Incidentally, Zagan tried to help out as well because he wanted to spend time with Nephy, but the citizens of Atlastia refused vehemently.

  As Zagan looked over to Nephy’s face, his gaze was naturally drawn to her pink lips.

  We kissed... huh...? Zagan was covered in blood. Not only that, he was tiny at the time. Plus, it was done for the purpose of creating a path for mana, so it wasn’t like it was truly romantic, but nevertheless, the feeling of her soft lips pressed against his was not a sensation that he would ever forget.

  Perhaps having noticed his gaze, the tips of Nephy’s ears turned bright red and twitched about.

  “S-So you were here as well, Master Zagan... Um, there is something that I’d like to... consult you about,” Nephy said, trying to maintain her composure despite being flustered.

  Somehow, this is also refreshing... Zagan had often seen her flustered when she was trying to make a request of him, but there weren’t a lot of situations where she wanted to say something through her own embarrassment like this. However, Nephy was stealing glances over to Foll as she spoke.

  What’s this? Is it something she doesn’t want Foll to hear? Nephy’s troubled face was a favorite dish of his, but he didn’t actually want to trouble her. So, Zagan bopped Foll’s head one more time, then stood up and walked over to Nephy.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Um, lend me your ear...” Nephy urged him, and Zagan brought his ear closer to her.

  I wonder what this is? She smells sweet despite being in the sea... This room and the area around it were filled with air, but they were still within the ocean. As such, it plainly smelled of ocean water all over. After spending several weeks here, his sense of smell had been practically numbed to this fact, but that sweet, flowery smell was something like an oasis in the desert, quenching his parched heart.

  Nephy brought both her hands up to Zagan’s ear, then whispered to him.

  “In truth, Miss Lilith and the others suggested that we take a stroll on a nearby island to relax.” A somewhat ticklish sensation sent a shiver down Zagan’s spine. His face was loosening up from happiness with just that, but the meaning of what she was saying immediately got through to him.

  “An island?”

  “Yes. An uninhabited island. It is apparently quite lovely even during this season. Could we go up there together with Foll, I wonder?”

  “I see,” Zagan replied. He was thinking Foll required a change of pace, but it seemed Lilith also had that on her mind. She wasn’t a sorcerer, but she was still quite a capable girl. However, it was possible that Zagan was jumping to an early conclusion, so he whispered back that he wanted to discuss the matter further.

  “Is it close?”

  “I wonder? It seems to be a distance that can be covered by ship in a short time.”

  “Hm... Well, at that distance the supply of mana from the Dragon Form should still reach. Foll is also quite bored, so I think it’s a good idea.”

  And with that, Nephy’s expression brightened up in a flash.

  “Would it be alright to inform Foll immediately?”

  After Zagan nodded, Nephy went over to Foll’s bedside.

  “Foll, do you want to go play on an island outside?”

  “An island? Can I?”

  “Yes. Master Zagan also said that it would be alright.”

  Foll shifted her gaze over to Zagan as if she couldn’t believe it, to which Zagan nodded in return.

  “...So happy.”

  Unable to bear it, Foll hugged
Nephy.

  “Oh my.”

  And, while she brushed her head with a smile, Nephy hugged her back.

  ◇

  “From the looks of it, it’ll be a good change of pace for her.”

  Since they were going out, there was a need to make preparations. Well, Zagan was fine with just the clothes on his back, but that wasn’t good enough for girls like Nephy and Foll. As such, Zagan left the room out of consideration for them and found a girl waiting for him there. Her red hair was tied up to the side of her head, and her scarlet eyes had a gentle look to them. She wasn’t currently wearing her Anointed Armor, but was instead wearing a deep blue ceremonial dress with a Sacred Sword at her waist. She was Zagan’s sworn ally and an Archangel of the Church, Chastille.

  “What, you’re still here?”

  He was acting rather rude, but Chastille simply let out a single sigh and didn’t lose her composure at all.

  “...Good grief. You’re the same as always.”

  Seeing her calm reaction, Zagan realized that Chastille was in work mode. Chastille was an unparalleled crybaby in her private life, but she was quite talented otherwise. Both Zagan and Chastille had different reasons for being here, but they were allies. It seemed that she had come to ask him something that was on her mind.

  “Has that conference or whatever gone on that long?”

  Though they were guests, both an Archdemon and an Archangel had much they had to do. It had been about half a month since the two of them were able to meet face to face like this.

  “No, there’s no way we could keep the representatives of all the races here for that long. The conference itself has ended, but there are many duties for the church to carry out from sorting through the complaints and reports from each of the races to consulting with them in private. That’s why I haven’t been able to go back yet.”

  “Isn’t it fine to leave those affairs to civil officials?”

  “Well, I’m being helped out by Kuroka and Richard... Nephteros too.”

  In other words, she wasn’t just running around doing all the work on her own. However, in that case, it seemed all the more practical for her to return to Kianoides...