Translator: Nox

Chapter 46

46화

Among the demon race, only the handful of highest-ranking demons could disguise themselves as humans so naturally.

Even fellow demons who weren’t upper echelon often failed to notice their true nature. That was why Kiriel hadn’t caught on.

The man’s disguise was far more natural than even Bunny’s.

“What do you mean… From today onward, I’m Barian, hired as the young lady’s guard knight…”

Bunny blinked once.

Her pupils suddenly slit vertically, flushed red for a moment, then returned to normal.

『No. It’s you, isn’t it? Chef Holly Holly.』

At the fluent demon tongue spilling from Bunny’s mouth, Barian froze, then split his lips in a wide grin.

“Kukuk…”

His sharp fangs protruded, his eyes gleamed, and soon Barian’s gaze shifted to a sticky, blood-mingled crimson.

Beaming all the while, Barian locked the door and sauntered toward Bunny at a leisurely pace.

『I don’t know what this Holly Holly is, but yes, I cast an illusion spell on the chef. It was nothing but a simple game and prank. All to pay respects to you, Young Lady Bunny… no, to our great goddess.』

Barian strode forward and dropped to one knee before Bunny.

Hand pressed to his chest, he bowed his head deeply before her as she perched on the bed’s edge. Looming above his head were massive, pitch-black horns.

『Allow me to greet you once more. You, the fresh breath of the Demon Realm, its very core, the origin of the black night, our little moon. I am Belial, the fourth pillar among the Demon Realm’s seven pillars.』

『Hi. But I can’t go right now. Luriel said I have to become a fine adult here first to be the Great Demon King. So I can’t go.』

At Bunny’s words, Barian—no, Belial—raised his head slowly, hand still to his chest, and smirked.

『I know. I’ve been waiting for you here all this time. Until the day you grow into a king and reign beneath the night sky once more. This Belial will serve you as my lord and stand by your side.』

『Why?』

Belial merely smiled in response to Bunny’s innocent question.

Silently, he took her tiny hand and pressed a careful kiss to its back.

Bunny didn’t press further.

“Bunny pwetending to be human hewe fowwowing Wuwiel’s words. Fine aduwt, so no intewfewing.”

“Of course~! I’ll keep it secret and stay by your side as your human knight. And wow, you’re even cuter, softer, and more lovable than I heard. Haa… How are you this doll-like?”

Horns retracted, fangs vanished, Belial rose and scooped Bunny up danglingly as he spoke.

“Barian.”

“Yes, young lady.”

Belial set her down with a beaming smile, then crouched before the child to reply.

“You know Wuwiel?”

Belial paused at Bunny’s question.

A shadowed expression crossed his face, and he gave a faint smile before curving his lips upward and nodding lightly.

“Yes, I do. She’s the one who told me the little moon was here. She said to come and take good care of you.”

Bunny’s face lit up at Belial’s words.

He froze at the sight of her expression blooming like a flower.

“Hey, is Wuwiel heawthy? Bunny supew heawthy… Wuwiel heawthy too? When Bunny gwown-up, meet Wuwiel again. Tell her be heawthy too, ‘kay?”

“……”

Belial stared down at Bunny, eyes wide, for a long moment.

He drew in a silent breath, blinking slowly only after she tugged at his clothes once from below.

“Well… It’s been ages since I last saw her. She told me not to even dream of showing my face until I’ve made the little moon a proper king. Sigh.”

His expression softening as he crouched there, Belial let out a heavy sigh. Bunny nodded solemnly, as if to say it was fine.

“It’s okay. Bunny be fine aduwt soon. Be big Gweat Demon King.”

Belial nodded, a smile playing on his lips, at Bunny thrusting out her thumb.

“But fiwst, gotta win Sovereign Pwestige Waw.”

“Sovereign Pwestige Waw?”

“Yep. Divine beasts fight. Fiwst pwace, Bunny big win.”

Luri said life was one big shot.

Bunny would hit that one shot here too and climb straight to the top.

Bunny thumped her chest proudly. Belial watched her quietly before nodding slowly.

“Do you have a divine beast?”

“Yep. This Bunny’s divine beast.”

“…A chick?”

“Nope! Bwak Flame Dwagon!”

“Bwak Flame Dwagon…?”

Belial turned to eye the sparrow.

There it lay, chick-like, sprawled across the pillow in a starfish pose, snoring away.

“Ooh, Black Flame Dragon! Such a splendid, majestic name! With a master like you, it’ll naturally claim first against these idiots. And if not, this Belial will make it happen.”

Belial declared with a broad grin.

Bunny, nose held high, giggled and nodded at his words.

“You wouldn’t know, but little one, unimaginable hardships await you. So I have to change that. Someone this adorable going through such misery? Unthinkable.”

“…So that’s why you’re leaving?”

“You could get by without me, but you can’t without me. Sorry.”

A sudden memory surfaced, and Belial slowly lifted his head.

The crimson sunset beyond the window burned vividly into his eyes.

Three months until the Ranking Determination Battle.

Bunny resolved to begin special training.

* * *

“Go! Bwak Flame Dwagon!!”

“Peep!!”

Flutter, flutter.

The sparrow flew with all its might before slamming headlong into a small apple hanging from the tree. Thunk!

The apple swayed gently, but the sparrow went splat onto the ground.

The apple she meant to knock down stayed put, while her apple-sized divine beast plummeted instead.

Bunny’s eyes narrowed.

“…Bunny’s Bwak Flame Dwagon too weak.”

No way she’d snag first place like this.

“Oh, tastier than I thought. Figured it’d be bottom-tier grub, but it’s surprisingly decent. Ah, nice to meet you. I’m Kalbad Yudia, son of Klein Yudia, Captain of the Holy Knight Order.”

“A beast the family raised can talk? Never figured you’d get adopted… Uncle’s got quirks. Ranking battle beatdown wasn’t enough to teach you, huh.”

“Selling this trash food ‘cause you’re a bastard? Suits you. Squatting on the ground hawking wares.”

No beating that smug Kalbad like this.

“Little one, make this your lifelong motto: Get hit once, hit back tenfold.”

“Why?”

“’Cause that’s life. Better a rabid dog than a pushover. Woof woof. Got it?”

“Yesh!”

‘Maybe Bunny gotta be mad dog.’

Bunny was rubbing her chin gravely with her stubby hand when—

Crunch.

She whipped around at the brutal snapping sound. Allen’s massive snake had coiled around a tree far bigger than Daddy and was crushing it to splinters.

Bunny sneaked a glance back at her own divine beast.

“Peep!”

The phoenix thumped its tiny chest with its wings, as if to say trust me.

She looked up—the apple still dangled there.

“…Bwak Flame Dwagon weak…”

With a huge sigh, Bunny toddled over, scooped up the red sparrow tumbling through the underbrush, and plopped it back on her shoulder.

“Peep?”

“Dunno. Wuwiel’s notebook’ww make it wowk.”