Chapter 9

It was a calm night back at Nordeux. Meline sat on the bench in the garden, looking up at the stars. Thanks to their connection to Linda, they managed to score a small, comfy home in a strategic location near the university, something that would normally be difficult.

She also had the money of her nation, but she's grateful she didn't have to use it.

Meline let out a sigh. The gentle night breeze blew on her skin.

“Meline…”

A voice she recognized called out to her. Kade was standing by the door.

“Am I bothering you?” he asked.

“Hmm? Not at all. What are you doing?”

“I sensed that you weren't in bed.”

“How peculiar.”

Kade could sense when strong emotions came out of her. The night before their first day of university, he could sense the anxiety welling up in her and her inability to sleep.

Since most familiars have no intelligence of their own, their masters used the magic linking them to control them.

However, Meline is an intelligent being. Outside her regenerative abilities, she's as human as him. It shouldn't be possible for him to make her his familiar.

As a result, a couple of weird things happened. Sometimes, he couldn't sense her feelings at all. Other times, he could feel it, despite the emotions being incredibly faint.

Tonight was one such case. Meline wasn't dealing with severe anxiety or any strong emotions, yet he could feel her sitting there.

“Is something on your mind?”

“Hmm… How about we take a night walk? The air is refreshing, I tell you.”

“Sure.”

They still have university tomorrow, so he's a bit concerned, but it's not like he never pulled all-nighters before.

I used to lack sleep back then…

He had been living comfortably these last ten years. His time on Earth felt so distant.

Meline stood up, and the two began their walk. Their first destination is the university building. The gates were closed, with a guard standing near the entrance. Beyond that, they could see the lights of the dorms shining in the darkness. Some of their classmates were there, resting.

“I wonder what would happen if we had taken a dorm room instead.”

“The only option would be for a single room.”

“Yeah… that would be embarrassing, won’t it?”

“Probably.”

“Well, we wouldn’t be able to roam freely, that’s for sure.”

The university had placed a curfew for students living in the dorm. Meline’s still the demon lord. There may be times when she needed to move during the night because of an emergency. She could use teleport, though, so she would be fine as long as she had her own room.

Since everyone sees them as normal students, it would be troublesome if someone saw them utilizing teleportation, an extremely difficult spell. It would bring unwanted attention to the pair.

After checking out the university, they moved on. The night was silent. Magic lamps shone brightly in the streets, painting the world with their yellowish glow. Meline approached one of them and reached out her hand. She could feel the heat emanating from within.

It was different from the lamps of demon land, which were mostly colored blue. The heat felt familiar, however.

“Say… is something bothering you?” Kade asked again. Meline let out a sigh and continued walking.

“Is it something I’m not supposed to know?”

“Not really. I was just thinking about today.”

The scrolls, the text, the magic that she couldn’t fathom.

“They feel like a warning, somehow.”

It wasn’t an easy thing to understand. It’s like something whispering in the back of her mind, warning her that the peace she enjoyed these last ten years wouldn’t last.

“If there is something I don’t understand, usually, someone else understands. If I don’t understand, you understand. If not you, then Linda, and if not her, Letosis. But, none of them understand it.”

The scroll was a complete mystery to some of the world’s most powerful people.

“And the fact that it was familiar to the hero’s sword, it’s unsettling in a way.”

There were many mysteries surrounding the hero’s sword. All she knew was that one day, the fateful moment would happen when the demon lord and the hero faced each other head-on. Fights between the two sides had happened in the distant past. Whenever one side asked for a fight, the other would gladly oblige, resulting in destruction and death.

But now, the hero did everything he could to avoid her. Why was that? What would scare him so much that the person chosen by the sword wouldn’t even look her in the eye?

“And maybe, the scariest thing of all… I can’t do anything about it.”

“Yeah…”

“It would be a different case if Linda or Letosis understood it, but they came out empty.”

“I wonder if they’re thinking about the same thing right now…”

Meline let out a chuckle. “They’re probably not.”

Just then, the sound of joyful music entered their ears. They had wandered into the shopping street. The shopping street was filled with people. While it sold regular goods like groceries and clothes during the day, it had turned into an entertainment spot at night. Various food stalls were set up, with their patrons enjoying the sound of music while drinking and talking with their friends.

“Whew… your little village was never this loud.”

“How about in the capital? What do people do during the night?”

Meline tapped her chin. “Now that you mention it… I rarely exited the castle during the night. I am now quite curious.”

As they began walking around, they spotted a figure sitting at one of the tables, a wooden mug in front of her. Her face was flushed, and her head was nodding back and forth. Meline instinctively stepped away, but before she could escape, the figure’s drowsy eyes turned toward them.

“Hey!” she called out. Meline let out a sigh.

“What is it, Linda?” she asked as they approached.

“It’s Miss Linda.”

“I told you- ah, quit it. I don’t have the energy for this debate.”

“How are you doing, Miss Linda?”

“Hmm? Kade as well?” She seemed surprised, despite knowing Meline couldn't be far from Kade. “You youngsters should be sleeping by now.”

“Speak for yourself.”

“Well, but you’re here anyway. Sit down.”

Meline glanced at Kade. The two shared a nod and pulled the chairs in front of her. Despite the table being able to seat four people, she was the only one there.

“Want a drink? My treat.”

“Drink? You, a professor, offer your students a drink?”

“There are alcoholic options.”

“You should’ve said ‘there are non-alcoholic options’.”

Linda raised an eyebrow. “What’s gotten into you, Meline? You used to be so sweet when you were young.”

“You never met me when I was young! Well, I still technically am, but that's besides the point!”

“How old are you again? A hundred?”

“Fifty! I’m fifty!”

Kade let out a chuckle. Meline often ping-pongs between her old age in years but her young age in human time. There was a thirty-year difference between him and Meline, assuming this body really was around twelve when he entered it, but it never felt that way. She felt just like someone around his age. That said, being a demon lord forced her to take responsibility from a young age, hence why she sometimes acted more mature than her peers.

As a result, Kade felt like he had befriended both an elder and a little sister at the same time.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Meline shot him a sharp glare.

“No reason…” Kade swiftly looked away.

“Anyway, please remember your profession as a professor. Please refrain from making such comments. Is it not good, I tell you.”

“...? Aren’t you also legally not allowed to drink?”

“What are you talking about? Demon land didn’t have such concepts, and as I said, I’m fifty! Both of us are legal adults, even by human standards! Besides, if you think that way, then don’t offer me a drink!”

“Breaking the rules once in a while is alright…”

“You’re a professor! Snap out of it!”

The alcohol had clearly messed with Linda’s mind. Meline let out a sigh. She knew this for a long time. It wasn’t the first time they ran into Linda while she was drinking.

“So… How was the university? Good?”

“It’s alright.”

“It’s great, Miss Linda. I’m excited to experience so many new things.”

“That’s such a textbook response, Kade. I’m not here to interview you.” Linda drank the remainder of her drink. She smelled like alcohol. The two of them wanted to get away from there as fast as possible, but she could be really persistent when she’s drunk. She would go as far as attacking them with magic if they tried to escape.

Yes, that had happened before, back in Kade’s village.

Considering how crowded the place was, attempting to escape would only create an even larger ruckus and risk innocents getting involved. Hence, the two of them were forced to sit down.

Linda raised her hand. “More, please.”

“Coming right up,” replied a waitress.

“Should you really be drinking this much?”

“You’ll understand when you get older.”

“I hope not,” Meline retorted. She’s the demon lord. She must lead by example. It wouldn’t do the Demon Lands any good if they saw their leader going around drunk.

The waitress arrived with a new mug not long after. She picked up the empty mug and left. Had she not done that, they would have been able to guess just how many drinks Linda had poured into herself. The last time they caught her drinking, the number wasn’t pretty.

“Ah, that hits the spot.”

“You’re a professor, Linda.”

“That hits the spot!”

“You also used to be a high school teacher. You’re drinking in front of your students. That’s irresponsible.”

“Only adults care about responsibility.”

“And you’re one!”

“Ah, I’m old!”

“Don’t act like that’s a surprise!”

She chugged down yet another glass of alcohol. On the bright side, she seemed to be nearing her limit. It wouldn’t be long before she collapsed.

“Oh, Linda…” Meline shook her head.

“You feel like my mom right now…”

“If I’m your mom, I would have dragged you home. Wouldn’t want you to be showing Kade this.”

“I’m fine with it, though…”

“A bad example is a bad example, Kade.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you!”

Linda rested her head on the table and let out a sigh. “Man… I miss my younger days…”

“You’re thirty.”

Linda was thirty. She was born a prodigy, trained to be a master at magic from a young age, hence why she was able to become a professor at such a young age.

“I dealt with adulthood when I was fifteen… How sad…”

Four years later, she would be recruited into the heroes' party and would end up running all around the world to fix issues that pop up. While certain problems could be troublesome, those times were exciting. She would often tell her time with the heroes to Meline and Kade, citing it as a great, well-deserved break from society.

“I can’t say I cannot relate…”

Meline’s parents died due to a disease when she was twenty-five. She served as the demon lord ever since. Her first task was dealing with the same disease that claimed the lives of her parents. She put her hand on her forehead. “Demon lord work is exhausting…”

Kade could only remain silent as the two let out collective sighs. He could offer no words of consolation. His past life wasn’t exactly easy, but it was nowhere near as troubled as the two.

“You know what? Fine.” Meline raised a hand, calling over the waitress.

“A mug of beer. Kade?”

“... Orange juice.”

“You're an adult.”

“I don't like alcohol…”

“Fine, whatever.”

“One beer and one orange juice, coming right up.” The waitress went back to the stall and brought their drink soon after. They talked about random stuff late into the night, sharing a couple of toasts along the way. The demon lord and a university professor, drinking their sorrows away, albeit Meline didn't actually get drunk, as she handled her alcohol well.

Eventually, Linda ended up falling asleep. Meline paid for her tab, and since they didn’t know where she lived, they took her home with them. Not the first time it happened, and likely, wouldn’t be the last.