A few days later, Elisabeth and I were ready to search for new residents. Elisabeth mentioned that there were a few small villages in the south, so we decided to start our search there.
I activated my aura absorption, making us appear no different from other travelers. "Well, these Wild Horse monsters are really something. We've traveled a long distance in just a few hours," I commented to Elisabeth.
"Yes, I was surprised when you tamed them the other day. You already knew how to ride a horse," she said, looking at me.
"Haha, I guess it comes naturally to me. Let's take a break here, it's a nice spot," I suggested, realizing how hungry I was.
"Sounds good," she replied.
We set up camp near a river and I used some magic stones to create a small magic barrier, offering protection against wild animal attacks. "Wow, your Storage magic is really something. We can carry a lot of food and supplies without any problem," Elisabeth remarked, impressed by my magical abilities.
"Yes, it's very useful," I said with a smile.
I walked over to the nearby river and used my passive skill to ensure there was no danger. It seemed like a normal river, so I decided to take a bath. "It's been a long time since I've had a bath. I think I'll take a quick dip in the river," I mentioned to Elisabeth.
"Why not? I guess I'll join you too, Diablo-sama," she said.
"Join me?" I asked, surprised.
"I can't?" she asked, touching her breast and hair.
"No, no, of course you can," I replied, feeling a bit flustered. "I'm sorry for interrupting our sweet time earlier," I added.
"It's not wrong to look. I don't mind, you know," she said, moving closer to me.
She was very close, and I felt incredibly embarrassed, but I couldn't miss this opportunity. I turned to face her and glanced at her breasts. She covered her nipples with her hand, but when I continued looking, she seemed embarrassed and removed her hand, revealing her whole body. I couldn't take it anymore; I wanted to touch her, to tease her nipple. But before I could do anything, someone shouted from nearby.
"Ahhhhhhhh, Ahhhhh," the voice echoed.
Both Elisabeth and I quickly dressed, and I used my passive skill to analyze the situation. I saw three people being chased by wolf beasts—they were humans?
"You stay here and guard the camp. They are humans. I'll go help them," I told Elisabeth.
"Okay," she agreed.
I ran towards them and appeared in front of them. Startled, they shouted, "Demon!" There were two girls and one boy. Were they adventurers? I used Firebomb and killed the wolf chasing them with a single blast. They were still scared of me, so I considered leaving them behind, thinking they wouldn't want to talk to me. But then, one of the girls spoke up from behind me.
"Wait, you're a demon, right?" she said.
[She had red hair and a cute face, resembling Lusi from my second life. I was certain she would grow up to look like her when she became a teenager.]
"Yes, I am a demon, but you don't have to worry. I won't harm you," I reassured her with a smile.
The girl and boy looked at each other, seemingly unsure.
"Um, can you help us find our village?" the girl asked me.
"Your village?" I inquired.
"Yes, we got lost while hunting, and suddenly those wolves started chasing us," she explained.
The other girl woke up and was still scared, but the red-haired girl explained the situation to her, and this time she didn't faint, although she remained scared of me.
"Well, this isn't a good place to discuss. Why don't you guys come with me? My camp is near the river, and we can talk there," I suggested.
"Um, sure. Again, sorry for the trouble," she replied.
"It's okay. By the way, I am Diablo," I introduced myself, and we began walking. They followed me.
"Oh, sorry for the late introduction. I'm Lisa, the group leader. This is Sara, and he's Houkie," she introduced her companions.
"Hello," Sara and Houkie greeted.
I couldn't believe it. It couldn't be true, right? Not only Lisa but Sara and Houkie too. Now that they mentioned it, he really looked like Houkie, and she resembled Sara. I didn't remember her face well, but could it be possible? I stared at her.
"Wow, you guys surprised me. You all look like people I knew many years ago," I told them.
They looked at each other, surprised.
"Actually, if we're being honest, we feel like we know you too. But how is that possible? We've never met before, and you're a demon," Lisa said.
I suspected it wasn't just a coincidence, but for now, I decided to keep my past lives a secret from them. We arrived at the camp, where Elisabeth was cooking. I informed her about the newcomers.
"Oh, welcome, my lord, Diablo-sama," Elisabeth greeted us. "Oh my, they're humans, right? I thought all humans were afraid of us. I guess I was wrong," she teased them, still a little upset about our interrupted private moment.
"We're sorry about that, but honestly, we can't help it. We've never encountered demons who don't harm us before," Lisa explained.
"Ah, yes. Nowadays, all high demons are like that. It's rare to find demons like Diablo-sama," Elisabeth said, serving Lisa some food. Elisabeth had a kind heart, and I admired her personality.
"But trusting a demon in the first place... you guys are really different from the humans I know," Elisabeth continued, serving food to the others.
"It's not like that. If he wanted to kill us, he wouldn't have shown us hospitality in the first place. And if he wanted to make us slaves, we wouldn't have had a choice to refuse, would we? Besides, we've met some good demons recently. To tell you the truth, our village has a contract with nearby demon villages. We provide them with food, and in exchange, they help us fight against wild monsters or animals," Lisa explained, her eyes still fixed on her food. The others nodded in agreement.
"Well, here's your food, Diablo-sama," Elisabeth handed me my plate.
I took a bite. "Mmm, it's delicious. Eli always cooks the best food," I complimented her cooking.
"Thank you, Diablo-sama," Elisabeth replied, looking happy.
"You guys don't have to wait. Eat while it's hot," I told them.
They looked at each other, still uncertain.
"Um, can you allow us to take this food with us to our village? Actually, recently all the monsters in this forest have been acting strange, and during this season, we can only find a few fruits," Lisa requested.
"But this food is only enough for one person. Even if you take it, it won't fill everyone's hunger," I pointed out, glancing at Elisabeth
.
"I know, but in our village, there are little children who are really starving," she said, her eyes welling up with tears.
I understood their situation. I had come here to find demon refugees, but I couldn't turn a blind eye to them.
"Don't worry, eat up. We have plenty of food. I'll give you enough for the whole village," I offered to Lisa.
"You don't mind, right, Eli?" I asked Elisabeth.
"Of course not. We know the pain of starving, and helping them is the right choice," Elisabeth said, offering Lisa some water.
"Thank you, thank you. Not only did you save us, but you also want to give us food. We are forever grateful," Lisa expressed her gratitude, kneeling down.
"Don't worry about it. Actually, we've built a town a few months ago. If you guys want, you can live there as residents. We can offer you much more. I guarantee that I can provide you with food, shelter, and a place you can call home," I offered to Lisa.
"Really? You demons would allow us to live in your town?" Lisa asked, surprised and serious.
"Yes, not only that, but you can also live there as normal citizens. We won't make you servants or anything. Demons are strong, but we can't do everything. Things like paperwork, making proper clothes, agriculture, or smithing are specialties of humans. So you guys can handle those aspects of running a town," I explained, sharing why we needed them. It also helped Elisabeth come to terms with the situation.
"Do you have any problem with inviting humans to our village?" I asked Elisabeth.
"Of course not. It's your town, you're the lord. We will follow you no matter what," she said, smiling.
After that, they expressed their gratitude and began eating the food. Using my search magic, I located their village, which was 100 meters to the north. I, along with Elisabeth and the newcomers, set off for their village. When we arrived, Lisa and the others spoke to the village elder about our arrival. Before, the villagers were frightened of us, but now, with the food we provided, they seemed more accepting. The village elder came to me and expressed his gratitude, and the villagers started cooking.
"Lisa, can you tell me where the other demons live? What were you discussing earlier?" I inquired.
"Yes, I can take you there," Lisa said, sounding happy.
So, I, Elisabeth, and Lisa went to the nearby demon village and spoke with them. It was easy since we showed them our demonic marks. Initially, they were scared of us, but after we explained our plans and provided them with food, they understood and wanted to join us.
After a day, all the demons arrived at the human village. I stood in front of everyone, sitting down as Elisabeth spoke on my behalf.
"I, Elisabeth, the minor attendant of the great Diablo-sama, shall convey his message to you. 'I want to create a nation where demons and humans live side by side, helping each other. If you all wish to live without fear, join me and serve under me, not as servants but as citizens of my town.' If you wish to serve my great Lord, please say so. And if you don't, we won't ask you again. That's all," Elisabeth delivered her speech, which was well-received. However, I never considered her an attendant.
"We want to serve under the great Diablo-sama. Please accept us," everyone shouted.
After they gathered their belongings, I gathered everyone and used a teleportation spell. They were amazed, muttering, "Is that the great spell? The legendary travel spell? Wow, it's amazing." Elisabeth seemed proud for some reason.
We teleported to our village, and everyone was astounded by the sight. Elisabeth talked with the village elder about my intentions, and they didn't seem to mind. I built more houses and assigned them to the newcomers. Now, we had over 1,300 residents, including 100+ humans. I organized their work, and a few of them already knew how to make clothes, so I provided them with a shop and materials. As for the materials, I manipulated mana particles for the time being.
Now, our town began to take shape. Everyone worked diligently, and at first, the humans were hesitant to work with demons. However, as time passed, they grew accustomed to it and started making friends with the demons. I changed the name of the new demon clan as well.
I trained a few demons and humans who showed potential as magic users, forming the city's security team.
After a few months, I sat on the roof of the guild, observing the town. Suddenly, I sensed a great power approaching. Shoulders ran towards us.
"What's happening?" I asked one of them.
"It's Demon Lord Gleen, the most powerful demon lord. She's here," he informed me.
The most powerful? Why was she here? I started running towards her.
Elisabeth stood frozen in fear; she couldn't move.
So she was Demon Lord Gleen—long, golden hair, red eyes, a single horn, and a well-built body. Her left arm was covered in dragon scales. Her magic power was intense; I was certain that even when I tried to compress her magic, her true power was unimaginable. She wasn't a four-marked demon; her demon mark was on her neck and glowing. She had come with a few shoulders, and I couldn't sense any murderous intent. Maybe she wanted to talk.
"Hello, I heard you're the most powerful Demon Lord Gleen," I greeted her.
"How dare you address the Great Lady like that?" one of her shoulders interjected, but she silenced her.
"Nice to meet you. Yes, I am Demon Lord Gleen, but I can't claim to be the most powerful here," Gleen replied.
"Pardon me, I am Diablo, a regular demon, and also the supervisor and leader of this town. May I ask why you're here today?" I inquired.
"I came here to judge you. I came here to duel with you," she answered.
"What?" I exclaimed, surprised.
Chapter 5: New Resident is Human?
Next Time: Demon Lord Gleen vs. Diablo—who is stronger?