"Master!" A voice called as he rushed into the tent, high on the mountains near the plains where the elven forest lay.
"Hm?" A gentle, low voice answered. He turned away from the book he'd been reading and faced the entrance.
"It's… Haah… I… Just.." he panted, catching himself on his knees just inside.
"It's quite alright. Take your time," the gentle voice said, as the figure leaned back against his wooden, document-laden table. Reading glasses perched on his nose, a small smile on his face.
"You… I… Apologize. It's nothing TOO urgent. But… We may have a problem."
A pause. The figure remained unbothered.
"Go on," he said.
"T… The abomination batch this time around," he coughed, clearing his throat, "was obliterated."
"I understand," he replied, missing no beat. "Was it the human knight the Royal Capital sent yesterday?"
"N-no," the youth shook his head, "He was there, but there was someone else. Someone who cleared the whole batch in under 15 minutes."
The figure blinked. His posture straightened slightly.
"My," he said. "Is he affiliated with the elves?"
"I-I'm not sure," the youth shook his head again.
"Just now, the elven queen herself emerged. She seemed at her wit's end… But she took him and what appears to be a scholar he arrived with into the forest. Safe to say they're allies, or on the verge of becoming… It was unclear. He did injure Vaelthir."
The figure gently scratched his goatee, humming to himself as his gaze dropped.
"I understand," he said, rising from his seat. He walked over to the youth and tapped his shoulder once.
"I believe it's high time I went there myself."
"R-really?" The youth blinked up at him. "You'll go yourself…"
"Master Varlog?" the young demon breathed, looking up at the old man above him.
"My, do you question my capabilities now that I'm old?" He chuckled.
"N-no, I'd NEVER! You are the Demon Lord's second in command, I wouldn't dare to—"
"Ahh, I was merely jesting," Varlog tapped his shoulder once more, then clasped both hands behind his back as he walked out of the tent.
"But as our mighty general recuperates from his injuries, I believe it's only fair that I assess the situation myself."
He stepped out into the greater camp. Larger demons and beasts on all sides made way for him without a word.
"We have a war to win after all, hm?"
'What the fuck just happened?'
Van watched as they moved through the forest, surrounded by elves still throwing glances his way and at Takeshi, and more than anyone, at Sato, who walked ahead with the queen.
Blushing. Smiling at her like he'd forgotten how to be a person.
'This is not a light novel. How the fuck did he get the queen to—'
"Our queen wouldn't fall for some puny human. I can assure you that."
Vaelthir. Walking beside him now. Arms fixed.
"This is a fluke. A coincidence. Our queen felt playful. That's all it was." He spat, then glanced down at his own hands, opening and closing his fists slowly.
'Not only were they healed instantly and painlessly,' his eyes narrowed. 'I'm not even tired anymore. As if I'd slept a full year. The only thing it didn't do was replenish my mana.'
He looked up at Sato again.
'Just what was that potion? Am I dead? Is this just some delirious final dream? That would make the most sense, because that puny lord would absolutely waste the whole bottle on me.' He blinked.
'The only thing with comparable effects would be our own elixir. Though I'd never gotten to try it myself given its scarcity…'
"I broke your arms," Van said. "Why are you talking to me?"
"Psche! Don't flatter yourself, human." Vaelthir missed no beat.
"It is only thanks to our queen that I haven't introduced you to my dagger. Now at full strength, I can—"
"You're more than welcome to try," Van said, equally without pause. "Sir Maglodune can just… Hm, actually, don't. Pretty sure we're out of those potions."
"You..!!" Vaelthir growled.
'Huh.' Van glanced at him. 'Kazuya's way of talking really does work on everything, doesn't it.'
"Pfft." Takeshi snorted beside him.
'Damn, this guy's something else,' he thought, watching Van from the corner of his eye.
'Cold as hell. Where did Yukimura even find someone like that? And how'd he get him to follow along?'
His gaze drifted forward to Sato. Then to the elven queen walking beside him.
'Eh, whatever. Good luck, man. Go land that elf babe.'
"Shut your mouth, suicidal fodder." Vaelthir's glare snapped to Takeshi after he snorted. "This doesn't concern you."
"Ah?" Takeshi's head turned. "I'm the fodder? The one who was out there covering you while you hid in the treeline?"
"Hid? Covered us?" Vaelthir tilted his head, the picture of calm. "I had the impression I was simply granting a human his death wish. You're free to try a second time, fodder."
A few elves nearby smothered laughs.
"Fucking bastard—"
"ENOUGH!"
Every head turned forward.
"You're making my queen upset!" Sato announced. "And if my queen is upset, I'm upset!"
Van, Takeshi, and Vaelthir all went Moai.
'That's OUR queen, though…' The elves collectively thought.
Then the queen slipped out from behind Sato. Her fingers closed gently over his mouth as she leaned in, lips near his ear.
"Speaking in my name, are you?" she said quietly. "You're quite offensive. Even by human standards."
Vaelthir's smirk returned.
'Serves you right, you FILTH. Speaking to our queen as though you stand on her level. Now you'll taste her wrath—'
Sato's face went red. He looked sideways.
"N-... Not there, my queen…" he whispered. "My ear is sensitive…"
'Ah?' Vaelthir short-circuited.
"Hoooooo…?" A slow breath of warm air into his ear. Sato yelped; high-pitched.
"It is? Well, you SHOULD be punished for being so rude. Speaking for me, out of turn… Acting like some sort of adult when you're just a child that needs to be spanked…"
The Moai cracked simultaneously.
"My… Queen… Ah… Wait…" he muttered.
"You… R-..." She stuttered, her grip loosening. "Really should… mind…"
She let go.
Her body followed.
Flap. The ground caught her.
"MY QUEEN!"
Sato spun and dropped to her side. The elves closed in on all sides, every one of them on alert.
"MOTHER!!"
Lady Sylva, a splitting image of her mother, though not yet as tall or mature, came at a run and knelt beside Sato.
"What's happened to her?!" she demanded, as the queen's breaths came labored beneath her.
"S-... She just collapsed!" Sato said.
"Human." Vaelthir's voice was flat as he stepped forward, eyes on Sato. "Another potion. Give it now."
"I…" Sato swallowed. His gaze jumped to Van.
Who hadn't moved. Still. Watching.
'Makoto…! You said you had more. Why aren't you—' Sato shook his head.
"T-... The last one I gave to you!" Sato said to Vaelthir.
"Tsk." Vaelthir looked away.
'Only because I went and got myself hurt. And now our queen has to suffer for it.'
"You two," he pointed to a pair of elves nearby. "Carry her to her chambers. Let her rest—"
"N…" The queen raised her head from the ground. "Nonsense…"
"My queen." Vaelthir knelt. "You need to rest!"
"How can I rest…" She pushed herself up, slow, a smile finding her face despite everything. "When you're fighting? And hurting? And…" The smile faltered. "Dying…"
"Again, it is…" Vaelthir's voice dropped. He looked away. "Not your fault that…"
"Enough, Vaelthir." She was on her feet now. Barely, but on them. "We have guests. And ones that came to us for help."
Her gaze found Van. He hadn't moved.
"And ones that could help us in return, I trust?" she said.
"Y-yes, of course, I-We'll do anything we can to—" The queen's hand settled gently on top of Sato's head.
"I'm truly sorry," she said softly. "But I wasn't speaking to you. You understand, yes?"
Sato stopped.
Looked down.
"... Y-yeah."
"He called you Van Hellix, yes?" She stepped past Sato and faced Van directly.
"Let us talk."