Just as monsters were demonized in the mouths of humans, humans naturally weren't good things in the eyes of monsters either.
Greedy, cunning, sinister, doing whatever they want... These were all synonyms for humans in the eyes of monsters.
So at first, Airu was so nervous and cautious, afraid of angering this bad-tempered guest.
"Then... Ai, did he recognize you just now?"
"...No. Even though I remembered his scent."
At the mention of this, Ai's originally fluttering ears immediately drooped down, looking a bit listless.
"But it's okay."
"He didn't even recognize the Demon Lord."
...
The next day, Lister found that he had woken up very early.
As mentioned earlier, the demon realm is a place where polar night phenomena often occur, making it difficult to determine time and direction. The monsters living here usually judge time based on the surge of magic power at different time periods.
But obviously, Lister, who didn't have this special organ of monsters and was a mortal, didn't have this ability.
So when he got out of bed, changed his clothes, opened the door and saw the empty Demon Lord's Castle, he realized that he had slept a bit too early yesterday.
However, this was also a good opportunity to take a look around this castle.
Lister began to wander aimlessly.
The entire castle probably had four floors, with his room assigned on the third floor, and the council hall where Priscilla took him yesterday was on the fourth floor, while the first and second floors were mostly where the servants of the castle rested and received guests.
However, Airu and Ai's room happened to be right next to his... It should have been deliberately arranged for him.
As he wandered around, Lister came to a room that looked a little different in its furnishings.
At the entrance of the room, the words "Exclusive Kitchen" were written in the demon race's language.
"..."
Lister stopped here.
According to his previous research, apart from some specific races, in general, most monsters' recipes have a relatively high degree of overlap with humans. What humans can eat, monsters can basically eat too. Of course, the reverse is not true.
He still remembered that when he was at the border of the demon realm, he specifically studied the dietary structure of monsters and had quite a bit of gain.
"...Mr. Lister?"
Just as Lister was recalling, a familiar calm voice came from behind.
Lister turned his head and found the succubus head maid Anko quietly looking at him, her heart-shaped membrane tail elegantly standing beside her.
"Ah..."
To be honest, it was a bit rude for a newly arrived visitor to be caught wandering around by the host.
But Anko didn't seem to have this intention. After bowing, she came to Lister's side and looked in the same direction as Lister.
"Mr. Lister, are you interested in the kitchen?"
"Sort of. I woke up a bit early today and had nothing to do, so I wanted to take a look around..."
"Is that so? If you want, I can give you a tour later."
Anko replied politely, and Lister also noticed the black drink she was holding in her hand.
"Miss Anko, may I ask what this is in your hand..."
"We call it Mokanato, it's a drink that can restore energy. Her Majesty likes to have a cup after finishing work."
"Finishing work..."
Lister frowned,
"You mean... Priscilla... no, the Demon Lord didn't rest last night?"
"Yes."
Anko glanced at Lister, then continued,
"Although Demon Lord didn't say it explicitly, I guess she probably wanted to finish today's official duties in advance... to squeeze out time to spend with you."
"..."
Lister was a little silent upon hearing this.
To be honest, he really didn't know why Priscilla still attached so much importance to him.
Didn't he clearly express his intention not to become her aid yesterday? If it were a rational leader like Aurola, she should have already understood that she couldn't squeeze out any value worth treating him like this from him.
'What exactly was she... doing this for?'
Lister sighed, then looked back at this kitchen.
No matter what she was doing it for, Lister always felt that he was unworthy of this preferential treatment, whether it was the room that replicated his preferences, the cute cat maids, her promise that he could be a freeloader, or what Anko just said.
Before coming to this world, Lister was a person who didn't like complicated and unclear interpersonal relationships very much. Even though he did a lot of these things for Aurola later, this personality had never changed.
So... Lister wanted to try to repay Priscilla's kindness in other ways.
And the only way to repay kindness... was naturally with kindness.
"Miss Anko, can I take up a bit of your time?"
"Please go ahead."
Lister and Anko entered the kitchen. Lister looked around at the ingredients, some of which were commonly seen in the human world, and some he had never seen before, unique to the demon realm.
But... it was enough.
"Miss Anko, does Demon Lord have any dislikes in food?"
Lister asked Anko behind him while picking out ingredients.
"...Excuse my presumption, Mr. Lister, are you planning to cook?"
"That's right. Her Majesty hasn't rested all night, she should be a bit hungry when she wakes up... Although dragons probably won't get hungry so easily, it's always good to be able to eat some hot food."
"I understand... Please don't worry, Demon Lord, like most subjects in the demon realm, accepts any food that can be eaten."
"Good."
According to the recipe in his memory, Lister began to process the ingredients in his hands.
This was a dish he often made during his time at the border of the demon realm.
Suddenly, Anko put the drink in her hand beside Lister and showed him a very faint smile.
"If you personally deliver the meal you made and this drink to Demon Lord, I guarantee she will be very happy."
...
In Priscilla's memory, she never had a very good impression of food.
Before becoming the Demon Lord, her tribe lived in a barren desert area where food and water were scarce resources. Neither the dry meat of sand beasts nor the sour wild fruits and roots had the luxury to be properly cooked.
After becoming the Demon Lord, the physique of a giant dragon made her eating even more boring, and there were too many things to do, leaving her no thought of wanting to taste food properly.
However, between these two periods, there was a special time.
That was the only time Priscilla had a formed impression of "deliciousness".
"Demon Lord?"
A faint voice came.
Later, she had tried many times to replicate that taste in her memory, but no matter what, she could only get nine-tenths close, always with a one-tenth difference that she couldn't grasp.
"Not awake yet..."
That taste, that taste, it was...
Priscilla slowly opened her eyes.
In front of her, there was a plate of stew with a red color and fragrant aroma.
And beside her, that person who was crucial to her life was quietly looking at her.
"Sorry, did I wake you up?"
Priscilla remembered.
The familiar taste, the familiar person... 'Ah... What a nostalgic time.'
Back then, she slept under the light of the twin moons, resting on book papers, accompanied by soft lamplight.
At just the right time, the man in front of her would shake her awake.
'He didn't mind my claws and scales that had once hurt him, smiling and handing me warm food.'
'He shared his knowledge with me, telling me that all life in the world was equal, and the pursuit of freedom and happiness was the innate right of every species; telling me that all leaders were the most realistic idealists, so while harboring dreams, she also needed a calm and clear mind.'
She had never forgotten his words, but his figure had long been lost.
She once even dreamed of embracing him with her own hands.
Now... Should the dream end?
No, now, the dream has come true...
"Eh, eh? No, you..."
Priscilla threw herself straight into Lister's arms.
The giant dragon's body was softer than imagined, her hands carefully crossed together, her back cautiously not touching Lister's body.
As if those parts seemed to have something sharp that might hurt the person in front of her.
"Good morning, Mr. Lister."
She opened her sleepy eyes, with a hazy consciousness, smiling at Lister who was a little caught off guard.
"...What did you just call me?"