A6P1: Voices, new and old

„Urgh… my head hurts…“

„Zaru… your wings… you released them…“ Lizzie said still half asleep.

„Wh-Darling… your wings…“

„I know that… already… Yuki…“

„No, not that. You have two pairs now!“

„What?“

With those words from Yuki I woke up completly. I went of the bed stright to the restroom to look at myself in mirror. And there I saw that Yuki was right. Now under my wings was additional pair of smaller wings.

„How did… Identify“

Name: Zaru
Race: True demon lord
Class: Demon lord of assassination
Level: 1

HP: 10,000,000
MP: 150,000,000

Strenght: 25,000,000
Deffence: 15,000,000
Dexterity: 50,000,000
Magic: 75,500,000
Luck: 1,000,000

Skills: Kings order (Unique), Identify, Elemental magic, Demonic magic, summoning, Thread control, Hide presence, Sence presence, Assassination mastery, Long sight, Cancel temperature, Holy-demonic reversal, Fly, Daggers mastery, bow mastery, Price evaluation, Supreme alchemy.

„What?! All my skills are above ten million? Except luck again?!“

„Zaru… did you…“

„I evolved into True demon lord… but how? The hero was alive when I dropped him and he survived the… …fall… Those jerks! They kill him themselves and now they will drop it on me!“

„You mean that emperor and his wife?“ Lizzie asked.

„No-one else was there… So it kinda makes sence… but still, to kill their own pawn…“

„Zaru, do you think…“ Lizzie asked me.

„Yeah, everyone gonna be stronger now…“

„Zaaaaaaaaaaaruuuu!!!! You won’t belive iiiittttt!“

„Miira? You… you’re Archangel now?!“

„Whoa, she really evolved.“

Miira, same as me, now had two pairs of wings. She could hide them same way I could.

„That’s amazing… Did anyone else evolved as well? Hmm… Lizzie, do you know something about unique skill Kings order?“

„Oh, that’s… I don’t know… I will ask around the guild. I have appointment with guild master this afternoon.“

„Thanks. I will try to find out something about my current state in library… Something from that haunted mansion could help…“

„That was that quest from two years ago right?“

„Yeah… That time I had to work with guild master… that was something else…“ The memory send shivers down my spine.

I went to the library, but didn’t find anything about True demon lords. Only information I had was that any demon lord who kills a hero became True demon lord and those who serve him became stronger. So everyone who got name from me evolved? Interesting…

Another thing I was researching was about petrification curse lifting. Mandragora is one of the ingredients for petrification potion, but becouse it’s so rare, no-one found a way to make it. Only reason we know about potion like that existing is thanks to records of ancient civilizations, which was destroyed by demon lord of Greed, Valvonor. Only recipe for petification potion is in his hands and greed does not give anyone what is his.

„Lord Zaru! We have emergency!“ Fia run into the library.

„What is it Fia?“

„The pregnant elvish duo! They started giving birth!“

„What?! Carefully move them to my private alchemy lab! There are tools that can help you with delivery!“

„On it!“ Fia run out again.

„Whoa… it’s already here… who would have thought that they both will start giving birth at the same time…“

„That is surely suprising, but dear… You have tools to help with child birth? Where did you get them? Why I didn’t know about it?“ Lizzie started bombarding me with questions using quiet, calm voice.

„W-well… They were originally my fathers, who was doctor slash hunter in the village I came from.“

„Didn’t you tell me that you came from orphanage?“

„It was before that… Okay I will tell you the whole story, Lizzie, Yuki, Miira. You should know it becouse you are my wives…and Miira, you listen closely, becouse this story will also affect you. Don’t hate me after it okay?“

„„We are listening.““ Said Yuki and Lizzie together.

„It will affect me? Speak,“ Miira said quietly.

„Before I came to the orphanage with Miira I lived on borders between Mutasa kingdom and Holy empire. When I was six years old a basilisk attacked the village. Back then, the village chief thought that the monster was my doing and tried to scrifice me.“

„Why did he thought that? That’s crazy!“

„Well…“ I walked to the bed and opened my magic bag, taking out a statue of pregnant elvish woman.

„Zaru… don’t tell me…“ Lizzie looked with disgust.

„It’s my mother. As you can see, she is elf, same as my father was, yet a [Human] got born to them. In eyes of village chief I was cursed child. He wanted my parents to get rid of me, but they refused. My father even threaten that he would not help his wife with her delivery. So I got to live, but the villagers weren’t nice to me. The day the basilisk attacked, Village chief grabed me and tried to offer me to the basilisk. But the basilisk wasn’t interested in me. He petrified the chief and continued the destruction. When I freed myself from the statues grip, half of the village was destroyed. I run to my home, but I found my sister, Nia… father… …killed by poison at doors. When I got there, my father was barely alive and his dying wish for me was to live and to protect statues inside his magic bag. He told me that mother was already inside and that I should took as many people inside as I could. The basilisk kept destroying village and killing villagers as he pleased. As I looked at the destruction I was scared and I run away. The next morning, when basilisk left the village in utter destruction, I silently returned collecting statues that were still complete and there I found that guy… I… got angry and…“

„You destroyed the village chiefs statue,“ Yuki said.

„Yes.“

„But… what about me?“ Miira said.

„Miira… the truth is… you and I are the only survivors.“

„What? I was there? But…“

„I know what you are thinking. You want to know who were your parents. I knew them. It was the village chief and his wife.“

„What… that village chief? …so that means you killed my father? But… if you know that I’m his daughter… why would you save me?“

„I promised my father remember? That I will protect survivors, in other words, you.“

„I see. That explains a lot… why I had that Basilisk illness… and why we ended up in that orphanage.“

„Yes… originally I wanted to leave you there, you would be safe, and I would get to think about what I had done in the village… to the chief…“

„But, why did you stayed then?“

„Father Monday. He saw me and offered me a warm meal. Then we talked for hours and at the end, I decided to stay to look after you for few more years.“

„I’m glad… sniff… I’m glad you stayed…“ Miira started sobbing and sit on my lap. „If you left I wouldn’t have anyone from home… Zaru… I’m not mad at you for killing village chief okay? I didn’t even know him, but I know you. You fight for those you love, and you get angry when we are hurt or someone threaten us. I love you Zaru.“

„Miira.“

„You can always find a way to make us happy and always strive to improve our lives here. You always kept us safe, never giving us tasks we couldn’t do. I love you for that and many more things!“

„Lizzie.“

„You help without asking for anything in return from friends. You always give your best to us, you brought us together as family. I love you Zaru.“

„Yuki… thank you guys… I love you all…“

We all hugged and completly forgot what we were doing.

„We should get going! Miira you and me will help those twins!“ Lizzie said.

„Sure!“

„„„Don’t try to peek Darling!“““ they all said as they left the room.

„Sure you three…“

They run off to my alchemy lab and I had to say to myself: „But you could let me finish the story… oh, well. Maybe next time.“

I left the office and checked on Kesugi’s children to get some cloth from them, which I left behind doors to my alchemy lab.

And after three hours I got to see the kids and their mothers.

„Are they… Drows?“ I asked in low voice.

„Seems like it,“ Lizzie answered.

Drows, rare elvish variant also called Demonic elves. They usually have black hair and eyes, ashen skin and are the tallest of elves, while not being elves at all. Drows are actually sub-species of demons.

The kids before me, one boy and one girl, were breathing soundly next to their mothers.

„Congratulations you two. You did great.“

„„Thank you lord Zaru…““ mothers said quietly.

„Did you thought about names?“

„Lord Zaru… we never got to speak about names with our late husbands… so we thought that we would leave that to you… our lord…“

What?! I mean, sure I was the one who implated the story of their dead husbands to their minds but still… naming kids? This isn’t like when I name monsters, where first thing that came to mind can be used… these children will live with their names and will be influenced by them…

I look at the girl and she slowly opened her eyes and look at me. She had deep violet eyes.

„The girl… Lila.“

Next I looked at the boy, he had already short hair on his head and had crimson red eyes.

„For the boy… let’s go with Karmin.“

„„Lila and Karmin… sounds nice… thank you lord Zaru,““ the mothers smiled at me.

With smile and wave of my hand I left, shortly followed by Lizzie.

„You picked really nice names,“ Lizzie said and whispered in my ear: „I hope you choose some cute name for our kid as well.“

At those words I froze. Lizzie made few more steps and turned around with a big grin.

„We are counting on you, Papa,“ she said and continued walking while blushing.

„Wha—Y-you’re not joking… Woo-hoooooo!!!“