episode_0088

After Meruru and Aruru reunited as sisters.

I decided to stay a few more days at the demon protection center so that Meruru could spend more time with her sister.

Aruru, being a demon, couldn’t leave the demon protection center, and Meruru was set to return to her receptionist job at Kubele.

I was worried that Meruru might throw a tantrum about staying at the demon protection center with her sister, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Aruru convinced Meruru, “Now that you’re on the continent, don’t be tied down here, live your own life.”

Even considering the fact that she was her older sister, Aruru was much more mature in her thoughts and words than Meruru.

And the attitude of glaring and not wanting to speak when looking at me softened to a level where conversation was possible after meeting Meruru.

“Come to think of it, there’s something I want to ask.”

Seizing the opportunity when Aruru was alone, I approached her and started a conversation.

“Eek…”

Aruru swallowed her breath and covered her stomach with both hands as if protecting it when she saw me.

Although communication was possible, her habit of covering her stomach when looking at me was still there.

No matter how inevitable it was, I felt a bit sorry seeing that trauma engraved on her body.

“Can you stop covering your stomach like that since I won’t hit you? I feel like a villain every time I see you.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just a reflex when I see you.”

“Anyway, I have a question.”

Aruru nodded her head while still covering her stomach with her hands.

“How did you end up receiving demon blood?”

Not only Aruru but the other demons being protected here were the same.

They didn’t intentionally walk into the demon realm to receive demon blood, so why did they become demons?

One of the reasons I visited the demon protection center was to find out the cause of demonization near the kingdom.

“I don’t really want to talk about it…”

Aruru refused to answer, avoiding my gaze.

Could it be that someone in the kingdom is intentionally spreading demon blood?

But the numbers were too small to say it was intentional.

If I came to the kingdom with the intention of demonizing its people, there would have been plenty of ways to spread demon blood.

So, is it natural?

No, that seems a bit far-fetched.

Becoming a demon only happens when one receives demon blood.

“Aruru didn’t want to talk about why she became a demon because she didn’t want to talk about her life before that.

From the moment she set foot on the continent to becoming a demon, her life was harsh.

Furthermore, she didn’t know the exact reason she became a demon.”

At that moment, the narration said something very concerning.

Aruru herself didn’t know the exact reason she became a demon?

How is that possible?

I wanted to ask more, but seeing Aruru’s expression showing she didn’t want to be asked questions, I stopped.

“Um…”

As I was about to leave Aruru and go elsewhere, Aruru suddenly called out to me.

“I heard that Meruru has been taking care of you since you first came to the continent.”

“Well… that’s true, but Meruru also helped me a lot when I was in trouble. We helped each other.”

“And that kid?”

Aruru looked slightly surprised at my answer.

“If it weren’t for Meruru, I wouldn’t be here either. We’re indebted to each other.”

“Surprising, I thought she was just a kid.”

“Your sister is also living her life diligently in her own way.”

“…I see.”

Aruru looked thoughtful as she stared at the ground.

Her thick tail, similar to Meruru’s, swayed slowly back and forth.

However, even in such a situation, I didn’t give up covering my stomach with both hands in front of me.

After hearing a lot from Meruru, Aruru now understood that it was inevitable that I had to punch the ship to capture her.

But regardless of that, the fear ingrained in my body didn’t easily disappear.

It couldn’t be helped, I did hit her hard after all.

“Hey, Yunoa… right?”

“Yeah.”

“So… anyway, thank you for taking care of Meruru and letting me meet her……”

Aruru faced only me, her eyes looking elsewhere, speaking in a voice that gradually faded away.

What is she trying to say?

“G… G… G….”

“What?”

“G……”

“……”

“G… G…… grateful.”

Aruru said that and then backed away with a rustling sound.

It seemed like she was trying to say thank you, but……

She must not be good at expressing gratitude.

An unexpected sense of embarrassment that didn’t suit her overflowing wildness.

Although the words were a bit strange, I didn’t feel bad.

Aruru’s feeling of gratitude was clearly conveyed to me.

* * *

“What are your thoughts on staying at the Demon Protection Center?”

The supervisor’s office of the Protection Center.

As it was time to leave this place, Mirabel, the supervisor of the Demon Protection Center, and I sat down for a chat while having a drink.

Meruru made sure to spend time with her sister until the very end.

It would be realistically difficult to visit this place again once we return to Kuber.

The distance is too far, and we each have things to do.

As for my thoughts on the Demon Protection Center……

Honestly, I thought it was much better than I had expected.

Mirabel and the people helping out here seemed to make an effort not to have prejudices against demons, and they paid a lot of attention to various welfare measures to ensure that the demons who couldn’t go outside didn’t feel too lacking.

However, no matter how much investment was made in the environment of the Demon Protection Center, whether the demons here were in a happy situation was another issue.

The demons here, who were practically deprived of their freedom in life all of a sudden, had nowhere to go once they left the Demon Protection Center.

It’s difficult for them to live in the Demon Realm since they weren’t originally demons.

But they can’t live in the kingdom either.

They have to live apart from their families like Aruru, and it’s unclear how long the Demon Protection Center will be stably operated.

“It’s hard to define it in one word. I’m glad that the Demon Protection Center is running better than I thought, but it’s only a temporary measure.”

“As you said, the operation of the Demon Protection Center is just a temporary solution.”

Mirabel nodded slightly as if it was obvious in response to my answer.

“Do you have any idea why demonization is happening near the kingdom?”

I asked Mirabel a question about the unanswered question.

Except for Aruru, who didn’t want to talk about it, I met and talked with other demons.

As a result, I was able to find a common point among them.

The demons here didn’t know exactly why they became demons.

Many demons answered my question, but according to the person who gave the most specific answer, it was like this.

It was when they were facing death at the hands of a monster, unable to move.

When nothing was visible and their strength was gradually leaving their bodies, a voice was heard.

Would they give up on life like this, or would they be reborn as demons and live a second life?

The moment they answered that question, they lost consciousness, and when they woke up, they were already demons.

They didn’t know who shared the demon’s blood with them in such a desperate situation.

That’s the kind of story it was.

“Someone in the kingdom is suspected of sharing the blood of the demons. However, there is no clue as to who it might be. If someone is intentionally spreading the blood of the demons, it is impossible to guess their intentions and purposes. For now, all we can do is gather the new demons found in the kingdom and bring them to the shelter for protection.”

“I see.”

I nodded my head while absentmindedly picking up and putting down the empty teacup.

Listening to the stories of the demons being protected here, it was clear that those who spread the blood of the demons did not have the indiscriminate goal of increasing the demon population.

It felt like a last salvation offered to those who were struggling for some reason…

A strong feeling of urging those on the brink of death to become demons.

Aruru may have experienced something similar.

But why?

The more I thought about it, the deeper the questions in my mind became.

No matter how much I pondered here, it seemed like the answers would not come.

“Yunoa, and… about Algot.”

As my head was getting muddled with various thoughts, Mirabel spoke up.

“Yes, do you have something to say?”

“Are you curious? Why did Algot create this demon shelter?”

“Well… honestly, I am curious why he would take on such a risk and spend so much money on this.”

I honestly expressed my doubts.

In a society where demons are thought to be killed without exception, how did Algot come up with the idea to create such a place?

Knowing that she wouldn’t give a proper answer if I asked her directly, I listened to Mirabel’s words.

“Algot had someone he promised to marry. They were both adventurers.”

“He had a lover.”

“Yes, but that lover suffered a serious injury during a solo mission and ended up receiving the blood of the demons.”

“Ah…”

“At that time, there was no demon shelter like this… It was a very difficult situation. Algot went to look for his lover who didn’t return and later found out that his lover had become a demon.”

“Then is that person also being protected here?”

A lover turned into a demon… If that was the reason, it made sense for Algot to create a demon shelter.

Unable to live openly in the kingdom as a demon, they could only meet in secret.

But Mirabel shook her head at my words.

“No, he died. The guild noticed his existence and issued an extermination order.”

“I see…”

“Algot felt that something was seriously wrong when he heard about his lover being exterminated like a monster. Even though he had become a demon, he said that he looked just like his normal self as he knew him.”

“Hmm…”

Did Algot also feel that demons were not much different from humans like me?

Even though the process was terrible.

Demons were not monsters.

They were no different from other races like humans or lizardmen.

But the history and social atmosphere in the kingdom made it difficult to understand this simple fact.

Algot… He seemed like a person who enjoyed teasing others on the outside, but he had gone through such an experience.

“Could the person who turned Algot’s lover into a demon be the same person who turned the people here into demons?”

I asked Mirabel.

“Well, no one knows for sure.”

There were too many uncertainties.

But the narration remained silent.

At times like this, it would be nice if something was revealed, I thought, but at that moment, I was already wrong.

Why do humans and demons have to be enemies like this?

As someone who came from a different world, I don’t really know.

“No one knows how long this demon shelter can last.”

“….”

“But Mr. Algot has done his best to protect this place. No one knows what will happen in the future, but at least I hope to contribute a little to prevent the tragedies Mr. Algot experienced from happening again in this place.”

Thanks to this place, Meruru was able to reunite with her sisters.

Regardless of what Algot ultimately wanted, creating this place, even if it was forced, was a meaningful thing.

But still, if the fundamental issue between humans and demons is not resolved, it will only be a temporary solution.

“Anyway, thank you in many ways. You guided me well.”

Finishing the conversation, I stood up from my seat.

It was time to start preparing to return to Kuberlo.