Vol 5 Chapter 4: The Demon Lord of Death

We rented three rooms in that inn. One was for me, Sherry and Felicia—the largest room the place got with the widest single bed, another was for Myrilla and Tira—glad Ms. Loner Mindreader is willing to share a room with another, and lastly was Tama and Theo’s room, where they had their usual lovey dovey nighttime action in private.

Where did my fairies go, you might ask? I dismissed them back to the Fairy Forest. They already had their taste of staying in cheap inns throughout our journey and they much preferred to just sleep out in the open. Or not at all.

Of course, I would call them back in the morning. I had promised them that after all. And now that they were permanently bound with me, they might as well be part of our family.

…No, not as mistresses! And not as daughters or sisters either! They’re just… my familiars, that’s all!

God, what am I doing? Why am I arguing with myself for no reason? I really had too much to drink…

Arriving in our room, I promptly let myself fall on the soft, fluffy bed.

“Urghh, I want to just sleep… My head is killing me…" I groaned.

"You really are a lightweight, Milord." Felicia smiled, taking off her coat and throwing it on the table before jumping to the bed as well. "Here. Let me help you change out of those stuffy clothes. And then, I'll give you a potion of mine that'll cure that hangover in an instant."

With a promiscuous smile, she began unbuttoning my shirt, going from the top all the way to the bottom.

Wow, she really can't wait, can we?

My eyes landed on her perky breasts—the same pair all those drunk perverts at the tavern ogled.

And only I was allowed to play with them.

Just before my hands jumped into action, however, a loud noise filled the room.

The noise of water hitting a metal bucket.

Sherry was doing her business right beside our bed.

"You… you shameless girl! Stop it! Go outside and do it there!" Felicia yelled.

She didn't say anything. She simply stared back at her with a defiant look, urinating into the steel bucket that was to be our chamber pot.

And here we go again with their rivalry. Gotta say, interrupting an erotic moment by peeing, that’s a new one.

Still, just how many glasses did she drink? And she doesn't look drunk in the slightest. It's her Izurd metabolism, isn't it?

When she finished, she stood up and pulled her panties and shorts in one move. Not before wiping using the handkerchief provided, of course.

Thinking about it, this is the first time I see a girl doing their business directly like this. And I gotta say, it's not as erotic as I imagined it to be. Kind of a letdown to be honest. It's far lewder to see Sherry gushing with her love juices instead.

Putting her hands on her waist, she kicked the bucket under the bed. "Stop playing around, you two. It's too dangerous to let down our guard now."

"Huh? Dangerous?" I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Those two skeletons… My instinct says they're far stronger than they look."

Felicia's annoyed look immediately vanished, replaced by a worried, almost fearful expression.

"And where do you get that?" Felicia asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Call it a warrior's instinct." She folded her hands under her chest. "Especially the male one. That one… he never let down his guard. Even while he told us about his dramatic adventures."

I exchanged a glance with Felicia.

"Should we leave then?" I turned my gaze back to Sherry.

She sighed, pausing for a moment before answering, "...I think we should."

"Then, go gather the others. I'll—"

"Oh no there would be no need for that."

I bolted off the bed, grabbing my staff. Sherry formed a sword with her hair before giving another to me, as the sword couldn't retain its shape for long. Felicia gasped, grabbing her staff as well.

For in front of the door, a pool of shadow had sneaked in, followed by a familiar figure coming out of it.

It was the skeleton we had been talking about. The one who called himself Rattlebone.

"Greetings once again." He cackled, giving a bow. "My name is, ah, I cannot remember. But you may call me the Demon Lord of Death."

"And I wish to speak with you, Buxom Felicia. As one necromancer to another."

…

My heart stopped.

A Demon Lord? The skeleton was a Demon Lord all along?

Before I could even accept what I just heard, Sherry flew forward, slicing the bone man into million pieces, using both her sword and her hair.

And just like that, she killed him. There was no way he could recover from being grinded down to literal dust.

“There.” She turned around with a proud smile. “That’s how you do it. You catch the enemy while they’re letting their guard down. Even if he’s a Demon Lord, if he can’t cast his spells, there is nothing he can do against my blade.”

“Oho, I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Flatchest Sherry.”

To her horror, the pieces she had just created began to reassemble themselves, back to its original, skeletal form.

I knew it. My life can't be that easy.

“I am immortal, you see. Endless. Undying. Cursed to wander this world for all eternity. Fitting, for the Lich of Liches." He cackled, now standing before us as a whole skeleton once more.

"Now, before you swing that thing again, let me tell you that I come here in peace. I do not hold any ill will towards any of you or your companions. I merely wish to have, like I've said, a conversation, between one necromancer over the other."

"So please, Flatchest Sherry. And you too, Womanizer Hugo. Let me speak to Buxom Felicia over here."

What happened next turned me speechless. He knelt down and lowered his head to the floor, an act completely unbefitting for a Demon Lord.

What the—he's prostrating now? Is this guy really a Demon Lord?

And what's up with all those nicknames? He's lucky Sherry didn't notice him calling her flat-chested.

"Fine." Felicia walked forward, still holding her staff. "We can talk. But, just so you know, I stopped being a necromancer a long time ago."

"Oh, really?!" He jumped to her feet, cackling. "That would be wonderful! Thank you very much, Red-Panty Felicia."

The ex-necromancer frowned, covering the slit on her skirt with her hand as she took a step backward.

“Please stop. Only Milord Hugo is allowed to peek at my undergarments,” she said in a chilly tone.

The skeleton stood up, cackling once more. “Ah, of course! Apologies for my rudeness, Buxom Felicia.”

“And you’re not allowed to call me buxom either.”

“A-ah, then, Beautiful Felicia—”

“...Fine. I’ll give you that.”

“Okay then! Beauutiful Felicia! Please, come with me to the outside! We shall speak and converse under the bright and beautiful night sky!” He raised his arms and one of his legs, as if he was doing some kind of interpretative dance.

"What? You can't just speak here?" Sherry interrupted, dissolving her sword back into her hair. "If you think you can lead us to an ambush—"

"Oh no no no no!" He waved his bone hands. "No ambushes. Just talk. Talk."

I exchanged another glance with Felicia. She gave me a quiet nod.

"Fine." I put a hand on my hip. "We'll go."

"Excellent! Now please, follow me!”

"Hold on!" I stopped him. "We want to bring someone else with us."

That person was, of course, Myrilla.

She could read minds. We'll be able to tell if he’s lying or not in an instant.

"Of course! Feel free to bring anyone you want!"

I glanced at Sherry and Felicia. They immediately understood what my plan was.

‎ㅤ

We quickly dressed ourselves back before exiting the room. I buttoned up my shirt while Felicia put on her coat. Sherry, however, was already ready to go. Lucky for her that Mr. Skeleton didn't barge in while she was changing.

"Oh! You're back, Rattlebone! Took you long enough!"

What awaited us outside was Whitebone, standing in the middle of the dark hallway, waving her hand towards us. If I didn't know any better, I would think it was a scene straight from a horror movie.

"You did it!" She ran to where we were, her steps echoing across the hallway. "You convinced them, didn't you?! I knew you could do it!" She giggled, her teeth chattering as she did.

"Well," Rattlebone turned to face me. "We'll wait outside. Wake up whoever you want. We'll be waiting~♡"

With a laugh, he skipped his way to the end of the hallway where the staircase was. Whitebone followed him, skipping along as well.

Once they were out of sight, I turned back to Sherry and Felicia.

"Wait here. I'll fetch Myrilla."

I knocked on the room beside ours, since that was where theirs was. After a few more knocks, the door opened, revealing a sleepy Tira in her nightgown.

Damn, she's cute. That white gown suits her perfectly. So many frills.

"Sir Hugo?"

"Can you please wake up Myrilla? We have something urgent we need her for."

"Something urgent?" She raised her eyebrows. "Wait, did something happen?"

"Oh, nothing you need to worry about." I flashed a comforting smile. "Just wake her up, okay?"

"Alright…"

She turned around from the door, allowing me to peek inside. The room was lit up by a candle, enough that I could see the bed decently.

…Holy shit!

Myrilla sleeps naked?!

The dark-skinned demoness was curled like a ball, with her arms wrapping around her legs. From where I stood, I could see her delicious brown ass.

I froze right then and there, too mesmerized by the sight. Despite her cold attitude (and the fact that she was sorta Alan's ex), my male brain couldn't deny her attractiveness. Sure, she didn't have Felicia's boobs or Sherry's butt, but she was charming in other ways. And I would lie if I never imagined banging an exotic,  dark-skinned girl before.

"Hugoooooo!"

"O-ouch! S-stop! You're going to rip off my ear!"

Sherry yanked me by the ear, pulling me away from the door.

"You really can't let your guard down with him." Felicia huffed, giving me a frown. "It's as if the world itself is conspiring to throw women at him. As his wives, we must be ever vigilant.

Sherry released her grip, finally allowing me to stand straight once more.

“Apologize to Myrilla later, got it?” She glared.

I could only nod.

ㅤ

Myrilla came out about ten minutes later, fully dressed in her usual brown robe with her staff in hand. And just by looking at her expression, I could tell she was terribly upset we disturbed her beauty sleep.

Only for that expression to switch rapidly into one of fear, as she read our minds.

“Tira.” She glanced at the elf. “Take the others away from here. Just in case.”

“E-eh? Why?” The elf replied, confused.

“No time to explain. Wake them up and run away as fast as you could.”

“Uhh, Myrilla, I don’t think there’s a need to—”

“Don’t be naive, Hugo Greenwood. When you deal with a Demon Lord, you have to assume the worst.” She scolded me. “And really, what is up with you and attracting trouble? I doubt this bad luck of yours is only because of that Goddess.”

Sherry tilted her head and furrowed her brows. Oh right, she probably already forgot by now about that shitty Goddess. She doesn’t have authorization to remember Her from Xaela after all.

“Now, bring me to him.” Myrilla continued with a firm expression. “Let’s see if he really is as harmless as you thought he is.”

ㅤ

Before we departed the inn, I summoned Kiri and Aria, ordering them to accompany guard Tira and the others. If I need them in combat, I can just bring them to my location in an instant.

Descending down the stairs, we left the building through the front door. Luckily, the inn had a 24-hour open policy, though the moth girl attending the receptionist table was snoring loudly on her table instead of actually doing her job.

I glanced at Felicia, trying to judge her expression. Hmm, she doesn’t seem to be that scared. How odd. Isn’t he the Lich Demon Lord she mentioned once? Who’s supposed to be hunting any necromancers that set foot on the continent? Well, she might have stopped practicing the art but who’s to say he wouldn’t punish her anyway for “stealing” his magic?

So why is he being so friendly towards us then? It might be a trap to let our guard down but I really can't imagine that cheerful, wacky skeleton to be that cunning.

But, you know what they say. Appearances can be deceiving. I should keep my wits around me.

Arriving outside, the skeleton duo was sitting on the road across the street, with Rattlebone already dressed back on his purple robe after Sherry torn it to shreds. Well, he probably got changed with a brand new one in our absence.

Seeing us, they both stood up at the same time, waving their hands excitedly like little children would.

“Good for you all to come! And you too, Miss…”

“Myrilla. You may call me Myrilla.” She looked at him with a narrow stare.

“Ah, of course, Sour Myrilla. Well then! Follow me! There’s a great hill to watch the stars just outside the town!”

Myrilla didn’t say anything in return. Judging by her unblinking stare, and the antennae on her head lighting up, she was giving his mind a good read.

"Ooo, so that's how a Nerthusian does their mind reading!" Whitebone giggled, covering her mouth. "How interesting!"

Rattlebone stood there scratching his skull, seemingly waiting for her until she finished.

"...You're right." Myrilla whispered under her breath, still keeping her stare at him. "He's not our enemy."

"But he's…" Her voice shook. "So old… Staring at his memories… it's as if staring into the abyss."

The skeleton cackled. "Oh no! You found my age! That's something a man would never want to say!"

"Oh, silly Rattlebone!" Whitebone giggled again. "You're not a girl! You're an old man who've lived far too long!"

Huh. That’s a surprise. He doesn’t seem offended at all.

This guy really is easygoing. Can a Demon Lord really afford to be like that?

Myrilla walked past me, closer to Felicia. She whispered something to her ear—something I couldn't quite hear. Felicia's expression did not change, however, so it probably wasn't something big.

We followed the two skeletons to the town’s gate. Thankfully for us, the centaurs had a lenient policy regarding its opening and closing hours. And by that, I meant it was always open 24 hours a day.

Still, a guard waited for us there. Surely, he wouldn't just let us through that easily.

…

He did.

He absolutely did.

What the hell? He just stood there and let us walk past him. He doesn’t see these two skeletons?

Alright, these skeletons must have bribed him or something. Or cast some sort of hypnosis spell. There's no way that's natural.

After going through the gate, the skeletons took us to the hill just to the east of the town. A short five minute walk was all it took until we were up there.

Wow, look at that!

When he said this is a good stargazing spot, he wasn't lying.

The night sky was decorated with a sea of stars, forming all sorts of constellations I wasn't familiar with. The full moon shone brightly as well though without overpowering the brilliance of the stars.

I wonder… Are those real stars and galaxies? Does this world have its own limitless outer space like my old world does? I can easily imagine hitting a dome once you go far enough. It's a fantasy world after all.

"Ah, beautiful, isn't it?!" Rattlebone opened his arms wide. "Gorgeous! Brilliant! Superb!"

"Let just cut to the chase." Felicia stepped forward, a resolute look on her face. "You want me, right? I am your necromancer. And I know how much you hate human ones."

The skeleton burst into a laugh. "I don't hate you, Necromancer Felicia. No. I came here to give you advice."

"Advice?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Yes! Advice!" He clapped his hands. Well, more like hitting bones with other bones. "I've been looking for you, you know. Ever since I heard a certain necromancer making her escape to the Demon Continent."

"What do you want?" Felicia snapped back. "I've stopped researching necromancy, if that's what you want me to do."

"The opposite, actually. I want you to continue."

Silence.

What had come out of his mouth took Felicia off-guard. Hell, it took me off-guard too. What he just said was the complete opposite of our expectations.

"W-what?" Felicia's jaw fell wide open.

"No kidding!" The skeleton laughed again. "I want you, Open Mouth Felicia," He pointed his finger at her. "To become a necromancer once more. Or, to be more precise, I want you to master the art of soul manipulation."

"W-why?! Why would you want me to—"

"Slow down, girl. Let us all sit down."

"I want to tell you guys a story. A story from an age long past. Well, from your perspective anyway." He chuckled, before dropping down to the grass, crossing his legs as he sat.

I exchanged a short glance with Felicia before sitting down as well. Sherry did the same soon after, crossing her legs like him. Myrilla followed soon after.

"Hey! I want to tell my story too!" Whitebone protested, jumping up and down.

"Alright then! You can start! I don't mind!"

"Yaayyy!"

With a skip and hop, she landed in the middle of our circle. Giving her body a good twirl, she spun around, her red cloak twirling with her. It lasted for a few, head-scratching seconds, until she abruptly stopped, giving a bow to our direction.

"Now! I will tell you all the story of Narcissa, the greatest human necromancer that has ever lived!

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤㅤ

A/N:

How fitting that Hugo meets the Demon Lord of Death in the fourth chapter :D

And sorry for the slow update. Work is killing me right now.