The morning brought a refreshing atmosphere, with children playing around and everyone looking more rejuvenated than the day before. However, I couldn't help but notice that they were still affected by the curses. I wished I could find a way to remove those curses as well.
"Good morning, Diablo," Elisabeth greeted me with innocence in her voice, accompanied by a big smile. I noticed her slightly pointed and elongated ears, different from mine. Her clothes accentuated her perfect body shape, and her eyes sparkled with a touch of red and pink.
"Yes, good morning," I replied, returning her smile.
"Thanks to your kindness, everyone is able to work properly today. Those wounds were really painful," she expressed her gratitude.
"It's not a big deal," I humbly responded.
"Oh, by the way, did you come up with a name for yourself?" she inquired.
"Yes, I did. I've chosen 'Diablo'," I told her.
She appeared surprised by my choice.
"Diablo, huh? Do you know about Diablo?" she asked, curiosity evident in her voice.
"No, what about it?" I asked, intrigued.
"Well, in an ancient book I read, there was a Great Demon named Diablo. He was one of the good demons who wanted to stop the war, but the other demon lords teamed up and killed him," she explained.
I understood why she was surprised. But to me, it sounded like a cool name.
"Well, I think it's a good name for me. After all, I'm not a bad demon," I stated confidently.
"I guess so," she replied, still taken aback by my choice.
There were so many things I needed to learn about this world, about my own abilities. But testing my skills here was not an option. I required more space, somewhere safe.
"Is there any suitable place nearby where I can test my skills? I need a large open area," I asked Elisabeth.
"Well, in the south, there is a big ruined area. You can use your skills there," she suggested.
"Okay, then I'll head there," I decided.
Elisabeth seemed a bit curious.
"Can I come with you, if you don't mind?" she asked me.
"Of course, I don't see any problem with that. And with you by my side, I won't get lost," I replied with a hint of playfulness. I knew she was curious to witness what a superior demon like me was capable of.
We left the village and made our way to the south. I could see the ruins she had mentioned—old temples, it seemed. The inscriptions on the walls were in a language I recognized as Japanese.
"These are ancient languages," she informed me.
No, they were not ancient. They were completely Japanese. It was a good opportunity to learn more about this world, but the inscriptions were too worn out for me to read properly.
"Can you read these?" she asked.
"Yes, these are a language I know, but they are too ruined for me to read properly," I replied.
"Really? But those languages are very old, almost 20,000 years," she said.
What she said caught me off guard. Old? 20,000 years? But was that even possible?
"Are there any other temples or books with the same language written?" I asked her.
"Not exactly, but I think you might find some in Luzonian," she replied.
Well, that would have to wait. First, I needed to understand the extent of my abilities. If I could tap into my old skills, there might be a chance to remove the curses that afflicted the villagers.
I started using some basic skills: Water Blade, Fire Shot, Air Host, Sprite Attack. They all worked flawlessly, but I refrained from using any superior-level attacks. Those spells could cause immense damage, and I didn't want to destroy the entire forest.
Meanwhile, Elisabeth watched me with wide eyes, her excitement evident.
"You are incredibly powerful," she exclaimed, her voice filled with awe.
"Miss Elisabeth, I believe I can remove the curses, but I need to test it on someone. If you have faith in me, I can try it on you," I proposed.
"What? You can remove these curses?" she said, surprised.
"I don't know until I try," I replied.
"Okay, I believe in you. Please, just call me Elisabeth. And if you succeed in removing this horrific curse, I will bow to you and serve you for the rest of my life," she declared.
"Please don't say that," I responded, feeling a mix of emotions. Why would she offer to serve me? It puzzled me, but I couldn't find the words to express my thoughts. Besides, her beauty... I mean, her words caught me off guard. I was a man after all, and it had been a long time since I had been around someone so attractive. But I wasn't a pervert; I just had an appreciation for beauty. Ha ha.
Before attempting to remove the curses, I needed to understand their origin and how they worked.
She began to explain, her words filled with pain. "A few years ago, when the Demon Lord's royal soldiers came to our village, they demanded goods and women. But our village couldn't offer much, and my grandfather refused to give them the village's women. He fought against them and killed one of the great soldiers."
Elisabeth's voice trembled as she continued. "The other soldiers fled immediately, giving a false report to the Demon Lord. He believed their report and sent an army to destroy our village. My grandfather knew what was coming and told us to flee. He and a few village soldiers stayed behind while the rest of us escaped."
She paused for a moment, her tears flowing freely. "But the next day, we learned that our village had been destroyed. And as if that wasn't enough, we all suddenly collapsed. We heard the Demon Lord curse us, saying, 'As long as you live, you will suffer from a severe illness. Your bodies will crack, you will be unable to sleep, and the children born to your women will become monsters that will kill you after birth.'"
Those were the curses that had plagued them for years, resulting in the deaths of countless villagers and the birth of monstrous children. The suffering they endured was beyond words.
After hearing her heartbreaking story, I cast the spell.
[Unna Afflicted]
Elisabeth fell to the ground, surrounded by yellow particles. Her body emitted a soft glow, and her hair grew longer while her skin took on a golden hue. Her figure became more mature and her features more refined. After a few minutes, she calmed down and fell asleep. I cast a healing spell just to be safe. She slept for about thirty minutes before waking up. She looked different—more mature and undeniably cute. As she observed her transformed appearance, tears of joy streamed down her face.
"Thank you! Thank you! I will serve you for the rest of my life. Thank you!" she expressed her gratitude, overcome with happiness.
I didn't know why she was offering to serve me, but at that moment, I couldn't find the words to respond. Her beauty... I mean, her words left me speechless. But I assured myself that my intentions were pure; I was simply appreciating her beauty
as any normal man would. After all, I had been single for a very long time. Ha ha.
As we returned to the village, Elisabeth shared the news with everyone. Their eyes filled with gratitude as they looked at me. The village elder approached, kneeling before me.
"Please, Great One, remove our curses. We will serve you for the rest of our lives. If that is too much to ask, please at least remove the curses from our children and teenagers," she pleaded.
One by one, the villagers knelt and echoed the same sentiment. "Please, save us. We will devote our lives to serving you."
"Please, stand up. You don't have to serve me. I am simply glad to help you," I reassured them.
Then, using [Wild Cast] and [Unna Afflicted], I cast the spells on everyone simultaneously. It required a significant amount of magical power, but it was worth it. Performing the spells one by one would have taken much more time and effort.
Each person collapsed and fell into a deep sleep, just as before. But this time, when they woke up, they were overjoyed. Tears of happiness flowed freely, and one by one, they expressed their gratitude.
"Thank you! You saved not only me, but also my future child. When I learned that I was pregnant, I was horrified. I couldn't bring myself to kill my own child, so I had made up my mind to flee. But you came and saved us. I swear to serve you as long as I live, and I will never betray you. As a mother, I pray for your well-being," one lady professed, grabbing my hand.
Everyone followed suit, kneeling before me and pledging their unwavering loyalty. "Great Lord, we will serve you as long as we live. Please accept us."
I was taken aback by their sudden devotion. While I had experienced having servants in my previous life, it was still a thrilling prospect. If they served me, I could provide them with a better place to live. After all, with my knowledge of politics, survival, and management from my previous life as a prince and lord, I was confident in my ability to organize and govern even a small village.
"Okay, if you all wish to serve me, then I accept. However, I cannot make any promises," I declared.
"We do not require any promises. Thank you for accepting us," they responded.
"Then let us do our best," I encouraged them.
"Yes!" they exclaimed in unison.
[Demon Lord Gleen]
What incredible power I sense! This is no ordinary person.
She looked up at the sky, where a bright yellow light emerged from the south, illuminating the entire sky.
How did someone manage to remove the curses in one fell swoop like this?
Who is this person? It seems it's time for me to see for myself what is happening.
Chapter 3: Lifting the Curses