Chapter 7

“Here you go. It’s yours.”

“N-No way! Lord Maou—”

“Fiona.”

“Lady Fiona, please keep it yourself! This is far too much for me!”

Just like with the previous healing potion, she tried to hand it over to me, and I instinctively raised my hands to refuse.

I’d only used up five magic points, and this item was practically made by Lady Fiona. I’m not thick-skinned enough to just take it so easily.

…Wait, would it be rude to refuse it? I really don’t know the right way to handle conversations with someone so powerful…

“You created this, so there’s no need to think of it as such a burden…”

Thank goodness. Reluctantly, it seemed, Lady Fiona gave up on giving me the resurrection potion.

Maybe I should at least ask about its effects, just in case. I mean, if she’s so casually offering it to a low-ranking demon like me, maybe it’s not as powerful as I’m imagining.

“By the way, what kind of effect does this resurrection potion have?”

“It fully revives any dead being, regardless of race.”

It was exactly as I thought…

Why would she want to give something like this to me…?

With this, I could even bring back fallen comrades… That’s right, I could resurrect the subordinates who were defeated…

“Other than you, Lady Fiona, didn’t the hero’s party defeat everyone? Couldn’t this potion bring them back?”

“Yes, if I can use the resurrection potion, I can bring back comrades and subordinates. But are you sure? This is your item.”

“No, it’s Lady Fiona’s item.”

“Thank you. Then, I’ll make use of it.”

Somehow, it’s ended up with me “owning” this resurrection potion, which will be used after all.

Come to think of it, the healing potion worked by drinking it, but what about the resurrection potion? Do you pour it over the corpse?

As I pondered this, Lady Fiona crushed the resurrection potion in her hand.

…What? Did I upset her somehow?

But that didn’t seem to be the case.

When she raised her hand, a disturbing mass of flesh appeared before us. The flesh reshaped itself like clay, gradually transforming into the form of a human.

“Uh, does the resurrection potion work even if you’re nowhere near the one you want to revive?”

“No, it only works if it’s used close to the person’s soul. However, I’ve already stored the souls of all the subordinates defeated by the hero inside me.”

I see, so with Lady Fiona using the resurrection potion, she can bring back any of her fallen subordinates.

As we spoke, the mass of flesh completely took on the shape of a living being.

She’s small… Well, actually, she’s young. Her clothes show a lot of skin, and she has horns like a demon and bat-like wings. Could she be a vampire?

“This place is… Lord Maou. I’m so sorry. I couldn’t defeat even a single one of the hero’s party. I failed you.”

“It doesn’t matter. The hero’s party has been completely annihilated.”

Even though she was just resurrected, the girl quickly grasped her situation and bowed deeply to Lady Fiona in apology.

Lady Fiona didn’t seem particularly concerned.

“Rey. This is Primilla, one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Her race is Abyss Demon.”

So, she’s not a vampire after all.

A demon. It sounds like something different from a regular demon, and the grandiose name probably means she’s strong.

Let’s touch her icon and check her status just to be sure.

Primilla

• Magic Power: 99
• Strength: 84
• Technique: 99
• Stamina: 120
• Agility: 87

…She has abilities comparable to the strongest beastman warrior.

She may look like a young girl, but judging her by appearance would likely end badly.

“Primilla, this is Rey. I’ve entrusted him with managing this dungeon. Thanks to him, we were able to revive you.”

“Lord Rey… Thank you very much.”

Primilla bowed her head to me without changing her expression.

She acted the same way towards Lady Fiona, so it’s not that she dislikes me—it’s probably just that she’s not great at expressing emotions.

But somehow, it feels like I’m getting credit, and I’ve been given the responsibility of managing the dungeon without realizing it…

“Rey, Primilla is an excellent subordinate. She will serve as your secretary for a while, so she’ll surely be useful to you.”

“Understood. Lord Rey, I look forward to working with you.”

“Uh, y-yes. Likewise, looking forward to working with you…”

It’s certainly reassuring to have someone so strong by my side, but is this really okay with Primilla?

She probably agreed without objection because it was Lady Fiona’s command, but someone as distinguished as her… Having her as the secretary of a new low-ranking demon like me…?

From any angle, it seems like an unfair role for one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

A secretary for a low-status demon with such poor stats…

“Huh?”

“Is something wrong?”

“Well, it seems like my stats went up a little bit.”

“That’s wonderful. But please, don’t overdo it, all right?”

“Yes… I understand…”

She warned me right away…

When I checked my status again, sure enough, some of the values had changed.

Izumi Reiko

• Magic Power: 7
• Strength: 4
• Technique: 5
• Stamina: 6
• Agility: 5

It’s only a small increase, but my maximum magic power going from 5 to 7 is a big help.

With that, I might be able to choose the 5-magic-point options without fainting.

“Lady Fiona, as long as I recover my magic power, I should be able to create treasure chests without passing out from now on.”

“Lady… Fiona…? Oh, did you really put in so much effort for my resurrection, Lord Rey?”

“Yes, Rey has a habit of pushing himself until he faints, so please make sure to keep an eye on him.”

“Yes, as the humble Primilla, I will be vigilant of Lord Rey’s condition.”

It seems like there’s been a misunderstanding, and now I have another person watching to make sure I don’t overdo it.

I hope my magic power recovers soon…

◇

“If you’re about to faint, I’ll be angry.”

“Yes…”

The mere thought of the Demon Lord’s anger is terrifying. I must make sure not to push myself too hard.

The treasure chest creation menu, which had been glowing faintly in a bluish hue, now shone with a strong white light.

This meant that my magic power alone was enough to activate this menu.

After estimating the recovery rate, I waited until my magic power was fully restored before proceeding to create the treasure chest.

If I can create a large amount of resurrection potions, the Demon Lord’s army can be rebuilt.

“Well then, here goes.”

Treasure Chest Creation: Magic Power Consumption – 5

There was a sudden feeling of something draining from my body. However, it wasn’t enough to send me into forced sleep.

It seemed that this time I managed to create the treasure chest without passing out.

“A real treasure chest… You did it splendidly, Lord Rey.”

“N-No, it’s nothing…”

All I did was select a menu option, so being praised this much makes me feel a bit self-conscious.

“Well then, I’ll continue infusing magic power. But since my magic power hasn’t fully recovered, I’ll infuse it bit by bit as it regenerates.”

“L-Lady Fiona, there’s no need for you to go to such lengths.”

“No, it’s fine. You’ve blocked the entrance, and even if something happens, Primilla will be here to protect us. So I can focus solely on infusing my magic power.”

Ah, so that’s part of the reason why Lady Fiona revived Primilla.

Given the amount of magic power required to create a resurrection potion, only someone like Lady Fiona could handle this task.

“Sorry to trouble you, but please take care of it.”

“Yes, leave it to me. I am the Demon Lord, after all. I’ll put in a bit of extra effort.”

With that, Lady Fiona continued holding her hand over the treasure chest, constantly infusing it with magic power without pause.

◆

“I am Primilla of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Lord’s army, an Abyss Demon. Those who oppose the Demon Lord shall perish here.”

“An… Abyss Demon!? I thought they only existed in legends!”

“Foolishness. I am alive and well. Come, hero’s party.”

She may look like a young girl, but the way she withstood every attack with that small body made it clear that she wasn’t lying about her heritage.

Don’t be deceived by her appearance. She’s an advanced demon.

“She’s so strong… Even her underlings are like this?”

“She’s wounded! Our attacks must be working!”

Even as she blocked the hero’s full-force sword strikes, bleeding, she continued her counterattacks with an eerie calm.

Their attacks were indeed having an effect. But seeing her move so effortlessly made them question if their attacks were really effective at all.

Nevertheless, after countless sword strikes, arrows, and spells, the hero’s party finally began to wear her down.

“Huff… Huff… What a monster. If we hadn’t gone all-out, we’d all be dead.”

“I’m out of magic power for healing… I can’t attack anymore.”

“I don’t even want to move for a while… How is she so tough, even though she’s so small?”

“Is that so? In that case, I’ll start fighting seriously as well.”

Their ears couldn’t believe what they heard. Before their eyes, Primilla appeared, now controlling a vast amount of water around her.

They had fought with everything they had, with no reserves left. That was the truth, as the hero’s party met their end, helpless, in the waters Primilla controlled.

◆

“Ugh! I knew she had a second form! What’s with this loli character?!”

“The constant super armor is just unfair. Her HP was going down, so maybe we should have focused on dodging and worn her down slowly?”

“She looks cute, but she’s brutal. Maybe we’re under-leveled?”

Staring at the “Game Over” screen, the young men put down their controllers and voiced their thoughts.

Primilla, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, renowned for her durability, relentlessly and methodically pursued the protagonist, eliminating several playable characters.

Even after clearing her first phase, her second form, shrouded in water, was far more aggressive. If a player’s level or skill wasn’t up to par, they’d find themselves facing the “Game Over” screen again and again.

Despite her cute appearance, which had gained her a bit of popularity among some players, the impression of her sweet looks would disappear entirely when they actually had to face her in battle.