If the word “laziness” could be made into a Demon King, wouldn’t it turn into the current Reinhild?
He wouldn’t have a single excuse, even if every demon in existence pointed fingers at him.
How did it come to this?
Xion’s house was unbearably comfortable.
It was the kind of place where you could eat, drink, laze around, and waste time every day without ever getting bored.
“At this rate, I won’t get out of here in three hundred years… no, even three thousand.”
Whether Xion, a human, would live for three thousand years was doubtful, but Reinhild didn’t have the luxury of thinking that far ahead.
He was still in shock over how his grand plan had collapsed into rubble.
“This won’t do.”
If things went on like this, he’d never escape.
At this rate, he’d be doomed to spend the rest of his days in comfort and warmth… peacefully.
Wait? Comfort and warmth?
Now that he thought about it, that didn’t sound so bad.
And wasn’t there no real reason he couldn’t live like that?
Come to think of it, he’d received this level of personal service even in the Demon King’s castle.
Granted, something about it did feel different… but that was probably because his attendant was a human and not a demon.
Aside from the comfort and warmth, so unlike the castle’s constant chill, life wasn’t so different now than it had been 500 years ago.
Then and now, Reinhild spent his days idling.
Back then, it was unbearably boring.
When he’d lazed away his life in the Demon King’s castle, there had been no joy in it.
The endless monotony had felt like a form of suffering, like he was going mad from boredom.
But here, he felt none of that.
If anything, the environment was so pleasant that he could imagine living like this forever.
What’s different now?
The only change was Xion’s presence, and the living conditions here were actually much worse.
In the castle, if he got bored, he could at least go harass passing humans. Here, there was nothing.
Still, I wouldn’t want to go back.
Perhaps it was because he’d built up such unpleasant memories of the castle, but he had no desire to return.
But disliking the castle wasn’t enough to explain why this place felt more comfortable.
Why did living with a human, someone who wasn’t even a demon, feel this way?
Guess this environment just suits me.
He brushed it off.
This satisfaction with life was just a fleeting feeling.
Eventually, he’d get bored and restless here, just as he had in the castle.
Back then, the visits from Hero parties had been a welcome distraction from boredom. But now, things were different.
The moment a Hero found him now, it wouldn’t break the monotony. It would send him to an early grave.
If I run into the Hero now, survival is out of the question.
If he left this place, all that awaited him was hardship, danger, cold, and hunger.
Reinhild liked those words well enough… but only when they happened to other people.
Experiencing them himself was no fun at all.
What if I just stayed here?
He slowly looked around the room.
A little cramped, but cozy, and always scented pleasantly.
A small but warm, soft bed.
The best meals, ready at fixed times.
No need to worry about the cold. Xion had recently stripped the entire back mountain of wood in preparation for winter.
Enough firewood was stacked out front to last not only this winter but at least the next five years.
And it was still early autumn.
But if I stay here, I have to wear these shabby clothes.
He tried to think of a downside.
In the castle, he’d worn fine, elegant garments and jewelry. Here, his wardrobe consisted of thin scraps of cloth.
Dull, drab scraps that made him feel gloomy just looking at them.
Still… they are comfortable.
The castle clothes were perfect for maintaining his dignity as the Demon King, but they were tight and constricting.
In the clothes Xion gave him, he could roll all over the bed without discomfort—though the bed itself wasn’t wide enough for much rolling.
It is fun here.
Just watching Xion kept him from feeling bored.
The human-written books he’d been reading for the first time in his life were interesting too.
And if he left, there wasn’t a single demon who’d welcome him back.
The more he thought about it, the more staying here seemed the smarter choice. Why should he leave Root?
He could probably stay for another fifty years…
“No! I’m the Demon King! I can’t let myself be brainwashed by comfort!”
He clutched his head in agony.
“Rein. The meal is ready.”
“Coming!”
At Xion’s call, he rushed out of the room.
“Wow, chicken!”
No, no.
He couldn’t let himself be seduced by this comfort!
He ate in silence, wearing a solemn expression.
The chicken was ridiculously delicious.
Xion always prepared dishes perfectly suited to his taste, and it was hard not to smile.
Whenever he felt himself relaxing, Reinhild tried to imagine a peaceful, happy humanity to dampen his mood.
Sensing the change in atmosphere, Xion asked worriedly,
“Bad dream, Rein?”
“Yeah. Dreamt the world became peaceful.”
“That’s a nice dream.”
Peaceful world, the worst nightmare imaginable.
Now that he was back, he’d have to find a way to fill it with screams and suffering.
If only he had the power… but he didn’t. And the Hero was still hunting him down. Nothing was going his way.
Ah. The Hero.
Come to think of it, staying here had never truly been an option.
The plan had always been to run before the Hero’s fully assembled party arrived.
For a Demon King whose life was under threat, settling down in one place was unthinkable.
What he needed wasn’t comfort. It was enough power to defeat the Hero.
Or at least enough to escape and hide.
And to run, I’ll need mana.
But here, all he’d done was eat, drink, and lounge around.
Of course his mana hadn’t grown at all.
This won’t do.
With a grim look, he bit into the chicken.
Xion watched him with a pleased expression.
“Will you be joining me again today, Rein?”
He had such a nice way of asking if Rein would come help with the work.
“Not today. I’ll stay home.”
“Very well. I’ll prepare your lunch in advance, then.”
While Xion readied lunch and prepared to head out, Rein finished his meal with the same serious expression though the food was, as always, delicious.
Alright, from now on, I’ll start gathering mana… huh?
He felt eyes on him.
Of course, they were Xion’s.
The man stood there, simply watching him.
Isn’t he going to work?
A pang of anxiety struck him. Had Xion somehow guessed his grand plan?
…Ah!
On days he didn’t follow Xion to the fields, he usually packed Xion’s lunch himself.
Couldn’t he have prepared both lunches at the same time?
Apparently, human brains were extremely inefficient.
Rein gathered the leftovers from breakfast and tossed them roughly into a basket.
“Here.”
Xion accepted the sloppy lunch with a happy smile.
It was just scraps from breakfast, thrown together without care, and yet he looked delighted. Perhaps he simply loved food.
Given the physical nature of his work, it made sense he’d be obsessed with eating.
“Well then, I’m off.”
“See you~”
The obstacle was gone. Time to put the plan into motion!
He waited until Xion was well away before slipping out of the house.
The moment he opened the door, a cold wind wrapped around him.
“Brr, cold.”
When he’d first arrived, the house had been warm only in bed. Somewhere along the line, it had grown warm enough to walk around in shorts.
When had that change started? Probably around the time he’d gotten used to sleeping in Xion’s arms.
Not that he’d noticed the connection.
“The Demon King doesn’t lose to a little cold.”
He strode forward into the wind only for the chill to slip under his clothes, freezing him to the bone.
“But I don’t need to win against it either!”
Why fight nature?
The Demon King’s enemy was humanity. The Hero, above all.
He abandoned his duel with the cold and darted back inside. The toasty heat melted his body instantly.
It was like cheese stretching on a hot skillet.
I just want to lie down on the bed…
No.
He didn’t need to fight the cold, but he did need to fight this comfort.
If he didn’t, the next opponent he’d face would be the Hero and that was far worse.
Throwing on one of Xion’s thick autumn coats, he marched back out the door.
Ah, I want to go home.
Three steps later, he already did.
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