Chapter 2

Side: Amakashi Shou

In a tense atmosphere, it took an hour just to decide to start discussions. Even now, Princess Pritia still doubted the Demon Lord and wasn’t fully convinced.

Perhaps it was her experience. Filia, an elf of indeterminate age, acted as the mediator between the Demon Lord and Princess Pritia.

For the time being, both the Demon Lord and Princess Pritia refrained from attacking each other. Well, I guess they used that time to gather their thoughts.

“Demon Lord, why has the Hero grown younger?”

Hearing Filia’s words, I looked at the mirror in the room and was shocked.

Only I had returned to the form I had when I was summoned to the other world. The others remained unchanged, appearing as they did when we fought at the Demon Lord’s castle… But why have I alone reverted to the appearance of a first-year high school student, wearing the holy armor granted to me as a hero?

“Perhaps it was due to the primal magic? It might have malfunctioned, as it involved the summoned Hero. Normally, a Hero would be returned home when the Demon Lord dies. Since I stopped being the Demon Lord at the moment that primal magic triggered and the Demon Lord disappeared, the return magic activated, and we ended up here,”

The Demon Lord prefaced her words by stating it was all speculation. Filia seemed to accept it for now, as she stopped asking further questions.

There was a possibility that the Demon Lord was lying, but if we start doubting that, we won’t get anywhere. Filia, for her part, was likely gathering as much information as possible to figure out the future.

“Can we… not return home?”

“I’ve never even heard of magic that crosses between worlds. The Demon Lord certainly can’t use it. If she could, the Demon Lord would have left that world long ago,”

Sanctina looked anxious about returning, while Filia, with a look that seemed to apologize, affirmed the Demon Lord’s words.

It’s natural for her to feel anxious. I’ve also wanted to return to our world for a long time. If even the Demon Lord and Filia find it difficult, it’s probably impossible for them to return for now. The Demon Lord, though, doesn’t even seem to have the desire to return.

…Wait a minute.

If they can’t return, does that mean I have to take care of them?

The Demon Lord, along with the elite group of companions who had been handpicked? Honestly, during our journey to fight the Demon Lord, they were accompanied by numerous soldiers and servants.

I’ve never seen them cooking or anything, and I don’t even know if they know how to live ordinary lives.

But… well, whatever. I need to focus on what comes next.

Princess Pritia. She’s a princess with wavy golden hair. She’s 19 years old.

With her slender yet stunning figure, she can easily crush large men and braggarts with her bare hands. She possesses two of the highest-level warrior skills, “Unyielding Hero” and “Indestructible Diamond.”

Filia. An elf with long silver hair and distinctive elongated ears typical of her race. Her age is unknown.

She has a glamorous figure and can use all types of magic except dark magic. She has various skills, but I don’t know what they are, as she hasn’t shared them with me.

Sanctina. A petite saint with bright brown hair in a short bob. She is 20 years old.

She’s slim and always appears younger than her age. Her figure is almost that of an adult. She can use healing, defense, and support magic, and possesses skills such as “Divine Oracle.”

The Demon Lord, whose name is Noctia. She has long black hair that reaches her waist, and a demonic crest is marked on her face. I don’t know her age. In fact, I’ve only just spoken with her properly for the first time.

To be blunt, am I supposed to take care of these high-class people who only know life among the elite, back in Japan on Earth?

If time here has stayed the same as the day I was summoned, I’m still just a high school student.

“Hero, may I have something to drink?”

As I mulled over things, the Demon Lord looked at me with a smile. I hadn’t heard that she could read minds, but she seemed perceptive enough to know what I was thinking. She probably noticed that I was troubled.

For now, I decided to lead them to the living room on the first floor.

There’s barley tea in the fridge. That should be fine, so I poured it into glass cups and brought it to them.

I thought my companions had grown unusually quiet, but they were simply taking in the drastically different room from the other world.

“Thank you so much!”

Was she thirsty? Sanctina, the saint, drank it happily without complaint. Although she was born into a noble family, her training as a saint probably made her the most adaptable to changing environments.

“This is made by roasting barley and extracting it with water, isn’t it? I believe there’s a people in a water-rich region who drink something similar.”

As expected of Filia, she showed her thoughtfulness, keeping an eye on both the Demon Lord and the others while also showing concern for me. She’s always been calm and observant of her surroundings and the battle situation.

“I’d like to get some fresh air outside…”

Although Princess Pritia had agreed not to fight the Demon Lord here, she seemed a bit worn out by the rapidly changing circumstances. It’ll likely take some time for her to process and come to terms with everything.

But it would be troublesome if they went outside.

“You’d best stay indoors. The Hero looks like a commoner. If you go out with someone of high status, it’ll cause a scene.”

Before I could respond, the one who stopped Princess Pritia from standing up to go outside was, surprisingly, the Demon Lord.

“Aren’t we doing the right thing? Shouldn’t we act proudly?”

“Do you still not understand? Even in war, both sides believe their cause is just. Besides, in this world, the only person who can vouch for your status is the Hero. Would your country take a commoner’s word for it? In this world, you might be treated the same as demons were in your land.”

The tension between them rose again, almost as if another clash were imminent. Filia sighed as if to say, “Here we go again,” while Sanctina looked flustered.

Still, I could tell that Princess Pritia was at least making an effort not to escalate things by drawing her weapon. Though she understood, she couldn’t fully settle her emotions.

At this rate, leaving things to them would only make the atmosphere worse. I had to step in and mediate.

“Princess, I apologize, but as an outsider here, things could become complicated. Let’s come up with a plan first.”

It felt like a pitiful outcome, but I’ve worked as a Hero for a few years now. I hope they can at least trust me a bit.

Hearing my words, Princess Pritia made a resigned expression and sat back down on the sofa.