Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou

Volume 2, 5 — The Cheerful Conspirator

Volume 2, Chapter 5: The Cheerful Conspirator

“I’m not sure what to think of this,” complained Akuto.

Peterhausen insisted Akuto should live here if he was the dragon’s master.

He was sitting within a room of the underground palace. The room was made to look exactly like a king’s audience chamber from a picture book. It was covered in red carpet and contained an incredibly tall chair. Akuto was sitting in that chair, but it seemed to make his butt itch.

“Also, from an outsider’s perspective…”

“From an outsider’s perspective?” asked Peterhausen in puzzlement.

“From an outsider’s perspective, I think I would look like a complete villain,” continued Akuto.

The tall chair was decorated with skulls. Akuto sat in it with his legs crossed. Someone was sitting on the armrest facing outwards while nestling up against Akuto. It was Fujiko who had sworn allegiance to Akuto after truly awakening as a black magician. Keena was sitting on Akuto’s lap and enjoying herself. Junko was standing next to the chair with a displeased look and her hand on her sword. The scene was rounded out by Peterhausen the 15 meter dragon curled up behind the chair and Hiroshi and Korone waiting at the bottom of the stairs leading to the chair.

“Looking like that, I can only assume you’re trying to conquer the world. Maybe I should snap a photo and put it in the school newspaper,” said Lily half in shock and half teasingly from where she was watching a bit away.

The three officers agreed with her suggestion.

“Please give me a break! I’m going to return to my dorm room! I want to have a normal school life!” cried Akuto.

“You really don’t know when to give up, do you?” said Lily with a shrug.

In one area of the imperial capital was a certain building. A man was within an office there. He was breathtakingly beautiful, but had an odd lack of disagreeableness. Instead, he gave off a refreshing impression that led anyone to believe they could speak openly with him.

The man, Yamato Bouichirou, looked out upon the japanese-style garden outside the window. He seemed to be contemplating something and it also appeared he had such a deep understanding of that garden that he could view it for hours on end without growing tired of it.

And then a figure rudely set foot in the garden. Bouichirou’s expression clouded over, but the girl who had so roughly entered the garden showed no sign of noticing. She opened the window, climbed into the room, and simply poured her feelings onto Bouichirou.

“Hey! You need to torment Sai Akuto and Hattori Junko!” shouted Eiko as she threw herself into Bouichirou’s arms while he remained seated.

“Tormenting someone is not a gentle way of doing things.”

“But they’re completely insane! They need to die!”

“That’s right. But Sai Akuto did not die in the end…” said Bouichirou as if recalling that fact.

“Yeah, that was odd. What was with that?”

“Predictions of the future are nothing more than predictions. When the issue grows too complex, those predictions can be wrong. However, this one was still a bit odd. After all, Sai Akuto should have died when he released the seal.”

Bouichirou brought a hand to his chin thoughtfully and Eiko vigorously agreed.

“That’s right! That’s what you said!”

“By the way, it seems someone else released the seal and Sai Akuto saved her. The secret to what changed the prediction may lie there.”

“What do you mean?”

Eiko climbed up onto Bouichirou’s lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Bouichirou stroked her head as he replied.

“He has grown in an unexpectedly short period of time. Also, mana control is strongly linked to one’s mental state. Something must have made him take everything more seriously.”

“Amazing! You really do know everything, don’t you!?” exclaimed Eiko like an excited child.

Bouichirou smiled bashfully.

“I have not lived for so long for nothing. Now, don’t you need to provide your family with a report on your job?”

With that comment, Bouichirou lightly smacked Eiko on the ass. She wriggled her body teasingly and then ran out of the office.

With Eiko gone, Bouichirou let out a long sigh. He grabbed a pendant from around his neck and toyed with it in his hand. The pendant was made into a locket. When he opened it, a holographic photograph of a beautiful blonde woman floated up.

He wiped off his lap as if Eiko had dirtied it by sitting there, adjusted his position in the chair, and gazed at the photograph.

“It has been so long… I am growing weary. It is about time I finally settled things once and for all with that demon king,” muttered Bouichirou to no one in particular.