I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss, Vol. 4, page 22
“I am extremely calm. Now then, where shall I savor you first?”
“I am not food— Ouch! Please refrain from biting me! Wait— Don’t— Then what was this physical issue of yours?!”
“We can think about that later. Right now, you’re so precious it may drive me mad. You did say you would accept my everything, didn’t you?”
“A-at least hold back a little! Control yourself, please! I’m begging you, Master Claude…!”
He steals her lips, and her head reels. It’s no use, she thinks, I’m going to be swept away, but just then—
“Demon king! You wretch! What order did you give the water dragon?!”
Baal abruptly materializes over the bed, and Claude stops moving.
“Things were just getting good with Roxane, and that thing jumped in and ruined it! How dare you get in our way…!”
“…Can’t you see what’s going on here? You’ve taken the words right out of my mouth.”
“Ha! You got in our way, so there’s no need for us to stay out of yours!”
Laughing in the face of Claude’s anger, Baal folds his arms. He’s quite impressive. Claude gets up, moving with menacing slowness. Quietly, Aileen slips out from beneath him.
“It looks as if I really will have to settle things with you once and for all.”
“Bring it on. We’ll make it so you can never get in our way again.”
“And as I said, that’s my line!”
With that, swords begin to clash, and Aileen heaves a deep sigh.
“Wh-what is this, Lady Aileen?! Master Claude, Master Baal…”
“Let them be, Rachel. This palace is going to be demolished shortly, so have everyone evacuate, if you would. I’ll sleep in Lady Roxane’s room tonight.”
“I—I see… I-is that all right?”
“It’s fine.”
Behind her, the clang of sword blades are punctuated with the sounds of smashing windows and furniture. Angry yells and cursing fly this way and that, but it’s basically just a scaled-up children’s squabble.
Listening to the lively noise behind her, Aileen smiles, half in disgust and half fondly.
“After all, seeing Master Claude act like this is rather novel.”
Claude Jean Ellmeyer’s first achievement as crown prince was the restoration of diplomatic relations with the neighboring Kingdom of Ashmael, which had historically been unstable. There are many interpretations of his relationship with Holy King Baal, who is famed for vanquishing the fiend dragon. Some say they were good friends, while others say they were rivals in love. However, the water dragon presented to the holy king by Demon King Claude was granted the rank of holy dragon consort and became Ashmael’s constant protector through the years.
Subsequently, Ashmael’s harem was transformed into a garden of women who cared for the holy dragon consort. The child of Holy King Baal’s principal consort Roxane later married into the Ellmeyer Empire, and the two nations headed by the holy king and the demon king forged a steadfast relationship as friendly neighbors.
However, one fact has been neatly omitted from the records by considerate scribes: On the day the treaty that would serve as the foundation of all this was signed, the holy king and demon king were dragged to the table by their respective wives, looking very ragged indeed.
Encore
The Final Bosses’ Tea Party
“Our wife is adorable.”
As he says this, the holy king is resting both elbows on the table, his face deadly serious.
Bragging about his sweetheart, hmm? Claude frowns over his cup of tea. “What are you saying? My wife is adorable, too.”
“It’s a different sort of adorable. We don’t understand it, but she seems about fifty percent more beautiful than she did before. We can’t get enough of that awkward smile of hers. How can a principal consort be so precious? Isn’t it a crime?”
“I think the exact same thing about my wife. It seems that’s known as ‘love seeing no faults.’”
“It really is, then? But how can we say it… Even so, we don’t want to let other men see her.”
“That probably won’t be possible. As principal consort, no doubt she’ll choose to be in the public eye.” Roxane and Aileen are very similar that way. It’s likely they have the same type of strength.
Baal knows this. He rests his chin in his hands and sighs. “You’re almost certainly right. Good grief; we’ve fallen for yet another troublesome woman. But she is adorable.”
“Did you come here to go on and on about how lovable your queen is? Does the holy king have that much time on his hands?”
“Roxane is still insisting that we take it easy. When we told her we wanted to discuss things with you ahead of the conference in Ellmeyer, she allowed us to do that. It makes no sense.”
“What a coincidence. Aileen gave me permission to get out of bed as long as I was going to talk to you…”
Is it possible they’re both being neatly managed by their wives? The thought does occur to him, but Claude pretends he hasn’t noticed. He can’t have Aileen drenching him with holy water again.
“Still, what sorts of things does one talk about at a time like this? Should we mention the fine weather?” Folding his arms arrogantly, Baal jerks his chin at the garden around them.
Bright sunlight streams down into their surroundings. The pavilion technically isn’t suited to confidential talks, but a thin, membrane-like barrier has been cast to keep others from overhearing their conversation. It’s very sophisticated: Although their conversation won’t get out, sounds from outside can still filter in, so they are able to hear birdsong and the murmur of running water.
Whatever else, he is still the holy king, Claude thinks.
“Talking about the weather is an all-purpose greeting. I read as much in a book of some sort.”
“Hmm. Then let’s say we’ve gotten the greetings out of the way and get to the discussion. We were technically told to ask, in a roundabout way, how you would prefer we handled Sahra and Ares, the Daughter of God and the mastermind of the rebellion.”
“It doesn’t interest me. It wouldn’t be a decisive blow to the Queendom of Hausel in any case.”
“True. As far as we’re concerned, having the water dragon stop by our bedchamber every night to make a nuisance of herself is a bigger problem.”
“Take good care of her.”
“Fine. In that case, we’ll continue to make a nuisance of ourself after you’ve returned to Ellmeyer.”
“Let me ask again. How much free time do you have?”
“Have no fear, we’ll teleport. It will be instantaneous. Destroying the mood for you every single time will be a simple matter. By the way, is it true that you have a demon king’s castle there? Show us around. We’ve always wanted to see demons.”
The holy king could eradicate all demons, but his eyes are sparkling like a child’s. Finding that peculiar, Claude leans back in his chair. “As long as you don’t menace them… You’re a strange one. Demons don’t frighten you?”
“We are the holy king. Why should we fear demons? Even you, their king, are merely human in our presence.”
Logically, he understands it, but it just doesn’t feel real.
In the first place, I’m not sure how to treat a human who is my equal.
As that absent thought crosses Claude’s mind, Baal nods, looking smug. “You can’t believe it, hmm? Quite so; we can’t believe it either. To think that a human who was our equal existed in the world.”
“If it doesn’t feel real to you, either, why are you so confident?”
“Well, it’s entertaining, isn’t it? Come on, the holy king and demon king are having tea. Nothing good can come of this. Listen, will you be all right if you go back to Ellmeyer?”
When he hears that question, for the first time, it sinks in.
This is what it means to have someone who is his equal.
“Is that the main topic of discussion?”
“Of course. What in the world is going on? You lost your memories, your control slipped, and the fiend dragon ran amok. Hmm, yes, that’s understandable. But you also said this: Whether you had your memories or not, you were the demon king. In that case, something doesn’t add up.”
“……”
“We’ll overlook the fact that you’re deceiving your wife. That’s one facet of love. However, we won’t let you trick us, Demon King. Tell us everything. Who was it that slipped through your guard and released the fiend dragon? Does it have anything to do with the fact that the demon king was born into the imperial family of Ellmeyer, descended from the Maid of the Sacred Sword?”
“—Do you think a hopeless love is something one should carry forever?”
He’s derailed Baal’s interrogation, and the man seems irritated. However, he sighs, then shakes his head slowly. “Some loves can never be, and some never should. Certainly, giving it up is no easy task, but the love that is meant to succeed lies beyond it.”
“You’re right… I think so, too. At least the current me does.”
They’d wagered on the future that, one day, they were sure to be united. She and he, together.
“What…?”
“It’s a very common story. The demon king inherits power and memories. I suppose you’d call them memories of my past life. Before now, they were all someone else’s affair, mere knowledge…but it seems I’ve recovered some unwanted memories along with my magic.”
He looks up. Baal doesn’t look away.
“Holy King. I love Aileen, from the bottom of my heart.”
“…Yes. We know that.”
“However, the me from long-ago who loved the Maid of the Sacred Sword seems to consider it a betrayal.”
Once upon a time, there lived a pair of twin sisters.
The beautiful younger twin vanquished the wicked demon king with her sacred power, saved the world, married the prince she loved, and created a happy, prosperous country where humans could live.
“Hee-hee… Lady Aileen. This was the first and last time we’ll fight side by side. After all, in a game, one is supposed to enjoy the protagonist’s exploits, correct?”
From the Kingdom of Ashmael’s demolished clock tower, she can see the ocean. Far over the horizon is the Holy Queendom of Hausel. The next stage.
Her smile vanishes. Narrowing her violet eyes, the Maid of the Sacred Sword murmurs.
“You are the protagonist. And I am the player.”
The ugly elder twin had an affair with the demon king and plotted mankind’s downfall, but the Maid of the Sacred Sword defeated and killed her.
And the rest lived happily ever after.
Afterword
Hello, this is Sarasa Nagase.
Thank you for picking up my humble novel. The story of Aileen, the demon king, and their merry friends has reached Volume 4. I hope you enjoyed it.
This volume is based on the fourth section of the online edition. I’ve made some additions and corrections, and then there’s what I’ve termed an “encore” at the end: I’ve designed it to look like an aside, then used it to drop a bomb. I think I wrote about twenty pages of new material in all. The online version also has anecdotes that didn’t make it into this version, so feel free to read and compare both editions if you’d like.
True to the title, this is another story in which the villainess tames a final boss. You’d think we’d be close to running out of final bosses, but I’d like to keep plugging away for a while longer. I wonder how many final bosses I can create!
This was also a “couples’ installment,” so I worked with different combinations of characters than I usually do. Writing conversations (or rather, talk about love interests) between groups of all girls or all guys was a whole lot of fun.
And now for the thank-yous.
Mai Murasaki, who draws beautiful illustrations for every volume. Anko Yuzu, who draws the terrific manga version of this story for Monthly Comp Ace. My supervising editor, who gave me guidance. The proofreaders, the members of the Kadokawa Beans Bunko and Comp Ace editorial departments, the designers and marketing personnel, everyone at the printer, and all the people who were involved in the making of this book: Every one of you has my deepest gratitude.
In addition, I’m always encouraged by the kind words people send me in letters and on Twitter. Thank you very much.
Finally, to everyone who picked up this book: It’s because of you that this series has been released up to the fourth volume. Really, thank you so much. Please continue to give Aileen and the others your support.
Now then, with prayers that we’ll meet again…
Sarasa Nagase
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Sarasa Nagase, I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss, Vol. 4
