I will get my wish granted

It was the first time in my life that I, Alice Ashglade, lost to a demon. Even though it hadn’t been an actual fight, but rather me chasing a demon who was trying to flee, I still considered the result a failure. Usually, I wouldn't try and remember demons I had encountered, but you're a special case. Not even once in my 17 years had I let a demon escape from my vision.

Even recalling just the sight of that demon's back fading on the horizon irritated me...

"He truly was a weird demon." Jean huffed with a small grin on his face.

Around 15 minutes had passed since the demon escaped from Esfar. During that time, my body had returned to its usual state, and I could confidently say it was definitely not an experience I ever wanted to go through again. Not only did I feel like some little kid, but I felt pain from a mere finger flick by someone whose strength most likely didn’t even exceed D-rank.

"Status."

When he had used his skill on me, I had only sensed a massive drop in my stats. My skill was therefore not affected, but if my stats were low, then I couldn't even make use of my skill.

I checked my status window and confirmed once more that my stats returned. Except for my B-rank intelligence, all my other stats were S-rank.

"Are you fine, Alice?" Zera asked shyly.

I let out a sigh to relieve myself from all the pent-up stress. Not only did we defeat the previous Demon King after a hard fight, but we immediately encountered his successor. Those two Demon Kings might have been classes apart in terms of strength, but the thought of dealing with two Demon Kings in a row had taken its toll on our minds.

"Yes, I'm okay now. Sorry for worrying you." I replied, flashing Zera a smile.

"Job's done for now, huh?" Sophia said as she also took a breather.

The new Demon King might have been able to flee, but my comrades appeared triumphant and tired.

"H-Hero!"

"And here they come..." Harald sighed with a wry smile.

From afar, a horde of people came rushing towards us.

"The usual then?"

He didn't show it on his face, but Jean was also not in the mood for what was coming.

"I'm too tired to listen to the same old speech about how thankful they are and that the hero is humanity's hope and savior..." Zera complained.

Obviously, I shared their sentiment. I mean, after a battle, there's only one thing to do!

"Ah! Alice, wait!"

Sorry, Sophia. But I couldn't. I was already running away.

"Guys, after her!" Sophia shouted at the others as she followed me.

I could hear the crowd behind us begging to stop and yet, neither my party nor I showed any signs of listening to them. 

"Hehe..."

I was often reprimanded for that mischievous laugh of mine because it sounded unladylike. And it wasn't like I was not aware of it. I just couldn't care about such stuff. Instead, I was aware of my empty stomach and the drool that was starting to leak from my mouth.

While basking in the rays of the setting sun, I grinned in excitement as I was about to declare my favorite time of the day.

"Guys, it's time for dinner!"

And after losing the crowd, we hit up a restaurant and stuffed ourselves with food that was enough to feed four families.

"No matter how long we've been traveling together, I just can't seem to get used to this sight..." Zera commented, being slightly taken aback.

"Hm? What's the matter, Zera? Already full?" I wondered genuinely.

"Uhm, I..."

"You barely ate anything! Here, let me get you some mea-"

"I-it's fine, Alice!" Zera responded hurriedly as she tried to stop me.

"You sure? If you don't eat enough, then you won't have enough energy, you know?"

"Leave her be, Alice. Not everybody can eat as much as you... and Sophia." Jean meddled in with his usual calm tone.

"He's right. If it weren't for you two, then we might have had a normal dinner without attracting any attention." Harald added, shrugging his shoulders.

I was only able to tilt my head in confusion. Was I really eating that much?

"..."

I looked over to Sophia, who didn't join the conversation and just continued clearing one plate full of meat after another.

"If another person is doing the same, then it won't be that weird, right?" I said with a grin.

Thus, I continued my quest to conquer the food on the table.

"That girl..."

I noticed Harald sighing in defeat, but I won't apologize for anything. Nothing can stop me from getting my food! Not the king, my party or a demon!

"Tch."

Demon....

Eating delicious food should make me happy, however, when I recalled demons, especially that new Demon King, I felt my blood boiling.

"H-hey, slow down, Alice..."

Sophia, who was usually only focused on her food as well, showed concern when the pace of my meat consumption increased. Or maybe it was because of the grumbling noises I made while eating.

However, the only thing that could brighten my mood was food. More food!

"E-excuse me! Can we get more meat, please?" Zera ordered in a loud voice.

While we continued to eat and celebrate, I took a moment to appreciate the sight of all of us enjoying each other's company and the happy and peaceful atmosphere in the restaurant. Truly...

This was truly one of the few moments when I could escape from my shackles and be just a normal girl.

"Haa..." I exhaled deeply the moment I jumped on my bed.

After we finished eating, we returned to our rooms at the inn where we were staying temporarily before heading off on our next quest.

"Nothing beats a hot shower and a comfy bed after a hard day!" I said as I stretched my limbs.

My vision slowly blurred while I stared at the ceiling. It was a sign of me getting tired, which I was thankful for.

If I could, then I'd like to spend my days without dealing with any dangers or demons and just enjoy life, however, it was for the better if I did exactly that. I needed to give it my all and work hard so that I could get tired at the end of the day. Once I got tired, it was easier to fall asleep. That way, I wouldn't spend much time thinking about that day.

It was always on days when I did nothing but relax that I suffered from a sleepless night. I guess that's also why I often had heavy eye bags the next day. Zera would always worry about me, whereas Harald tried to cast his holy magic on me to help me sleep. Unfortunately, there was no method that was actually effective, but I appreciated their efforts.

I was lucky that I had at least them on my side.

"..."

My eyelids grew heavier and I noticed how I was about to doze off.

"Next time I will get you... I swear..." I muttered half-asleep.

I honestly thought that today would have been the day when my wish would be fulfilled. Everyone did their best today... We went through all that suffering and managed to kill that Demon King... I believed that I could become free after that...

But rather than that, a new obstacle appeared. Wasn't I supposed to get my wish granted after killing the Demon King? Why did a new one appear?

Summoning a new Demon King was the last thing I would wish for.

"I will kill you... with my own hands..."

For everyone. For my family. And also for me.

If getting a wish fulfilled was a lie, then I had to go with my other plan: I just had to go ahead and kill every last demon.

This could turn out to be a very long journey, but I wouldn't have another choice. Instead of letting someone or something else make my wish come true, I had to make it true on my own.

"I will slay all demons and the Demon King..."

Should another Demon King appear again, then I will kill them, too. Until no one could take on that role anymore.

"And then..."