“――So, that’s why I’m barely managing to hide the fact that I can’t fight women.”
“Why are you consulting me about this!? I’m your enemy!?”
I had come to the underground dungeon to consult with Mariaritte.
Mariaritte blinked in surprise.
The dungeon had been outfitted with the bare minimum of facilities under my orders, so it shouldn’t have been too uncomfortable, but fatigue must have been building up.
There were faint dark circles under Mariaritte’s eyes as she retorted.
I should probably get her a better bed.
As I was thinking this, Mariaritte lunged at me, practically shouting.
“Are you listening, Demon King!!”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m listening, I’m listening.”
“That’s what someone who isn’t listening would say!!”
I don’t know why, but Mariaritte reminds me of the completely aloof cat I used to have at my parents’ house.
She’s cute.
“So, what do you think I should do to fix my obsession with breasts?”
“Why are you asking me!? And don’t you want your subordinates to know about this!? What if I told Almena about it!?”
“Don’t worry. Even if you told them, no one would believe you. Besides, Mariaritte, you’re a sister, right? You can’t go around spreading people’s secrets.”
“Ugh!? H-how do you know that so well…?”
Because I used to be human.
I wasn’t sure if the common knowledge about sisters would apply in this world, but I took a shot in the dark and it hit the mark.
Mariaritte let out a sigh, either exasperated or just tired.
Then, she started seriously thinking about my problem.
“So, you can’t kill them, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Then why not change your approach and try not to kill them?”
Mariaritte clapped her hands as if she had come up with a brilliant idea.
“Not kill them? What do you mean?”
“Instead of killing them, why not just drive them away or defeat them? Fight with that mindset.”
“I see. Subtly guiding the battle to minimize human casualties through negotiation tactics. Impressive.”
“Not really… Wait!! No, that’s not what I meant!!”
Mariaritte hurriedly tried to explain herself.
But her suggestion was worth considering.
“It’s true that my body reacts negatively because I’m trying to kill them. Maybe I should try Mariaritte’s idea and fight with the intention of driving them away instead.”
“Huh?”
“Hm? Why are you surprised?”
“N-no, I just didn’t think you’d actually take my advice…”
“Well, I came here expecting nothing, but you gave me a surprisingly good idea. So, I should give it a try.”
Strike while the iron is hot.
I was eager to test it out, so I headed to the great hall, ready for anyone who might come for my head——
Then, I noticed something lying in the corner of the dungeon.
“What’s this? A pendant?”
“Th-that’s!!”
I picked up what looked like a pendant that had fallen from the table, and Mariaritte quickly snatched it from me.
“Ah, sorry, sorry. Is it something important?”
“…It’s… my mother’s memento. Please, don’t confiscate it…”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“Eh? R-really?”
“There’s no need to take it. Unless you’re planning to use it to escape or something.”
“N-no, nothing like that!!”
“Then it’s fine. Take good care of it. Things like that are important.”
As I turned to leave the dungeon, Mariaritte whispered softly.
“Thank you…”
Now, about Mariaritte’s suggestion.
Her strategy of fighting with the intention of driving them away instead of killing them worked.
I still occasionally messed up during battles because I got distracted by breasts, but I no longer lost without dealing any damage.
…Though sometimes I still unconsciously ended up groping them…
But at least I could now fight women.
Lately, I’ve even managed to get away with just groping them without taking their lives, as long as they let me.
This is the best!!
As time went on, six months passed, and around the time Almena started nagging me more often, the Demon King’s army clashed head-on with the united forces once again.
