Richt-kun. I'm sorry you had to come all this way.

"No, no.

　Richt and Arius were drinking at the table until the end.
　Dorothy and Rose had already finished eating and were on their way to the baths, while Camilla had gone to bed for her beauty treatment.

　All that was left were these two, who had been joking around and having a good time.
　With the help of alcohol, they had become friends and were able to talk quite casually.

I've been amazed by your story, Licht. I can't believe you were able to revive the Demon Lords all at once.

　We spent two hours talking together.
　In this time, Arius's interest has gone straight to Richt.
　Even a vampire with an immortal body can't revive someone.

　In terms of protecting Rose, he might be more dependable than the Demon King.

"...... Speaking of which. I'm not sure what to make of that.　I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

　What came out of Richt's mouth was something that had been bothering him for a long time, and something he had failed to ask Aria about.
　The demon king and the vampire - it is no exaggeration to say that they are usually rivals.

　In the first place, vampires themselves tend not to get along with other races, so Rose is in a very strange position.

I'll never forget my encounter with you, Demon Lord. She is also the one who saved our lives.

　Arius answered Richt's question with a nostalgic look.

Once, we were surrounded by over a hundred vampire hunters. I had to fight them while protecting my child, Rose, but I didn't last long.

　The lich gulped.
　Imagining being surrounded by a hundred vampire hunters, he couldn't find the right words to say.
　When Richt was captured in the human world, there were ten soldiers.

　The conditions of dealing with ten times that number of enemies while protecting his child, Rose, were too severe.
　If Richt had been in that position, there would not even be a fight.

We were trying to keep Rose alive, but the vampire hunters saw through that too. The vampire hunters saw right through us. They were probably trying to be more efficient by deliberately targeting Rose.

"......, then.

Yes. There is no way you can protect yourself.

　But," Arius added.

"Then the Demon Lord appeared. At first, I thought there were more enemies, but the Demon Lord was only attacking vampire hunters.

...... I think I know what Aria is talking about.

And then it was instantaneous. I couldn't see what the Demon Lord had done at all, but the next thing I knew, there was a pile of dead bodies in front of me.

　Aria and Rose's first contact.
　It was indeed a shocking experience that she will never forget.
　Saving a rival vampire was an act that Aria would have easily done.

　Whether it was on a whim or for a specific reason is unclear, but from the perspective of Rose, she is still a hero.
　It is also understandable that he shows overwhelming loyalty to Aria.

I'm sure you'll be able to understand why.

"Of course I tried to repay the Demon Lord. But there was only one request. I want Rose to be my friend.

...... Sounds like Aria.

"We were troubled, after all, she is our only daughter. If you're not sure what you're looking for, you may want to check out this website: ......

......It's just like Rosé.

　The two past personalities have not changed at all until now.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　There are only a handful of people that Aria would want that badly.
　He had seen the talent in young Rose at first sight.

　And she chose to work for Aria without hesitation.
　There was a deeper connection there than Richt had imagined.

"In the end, we respected our daughter's wishes. Now that I think about it, it seems like the right thing to do.

Yes, it was.


Father, ......?　What are you talking about?

　A familiar voice came from behind me, a voice I hadn't been paying attention to at all.
　A familiar voice spoke to Arius.
　They had been so engrossed in their conversation and drinking that neither of them had noticed the sound of Rose's footsteps.

　Her ponytail, slightly wet, swayed from side to side with the tilt of her head.

It's just a light old story. You know, Richt-kun ......?

Yes, .......

Oh, I see. I'm sorry for interrupting your conversation. Good night .......

　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's a bit nervous about the whole thing.
　It seems that she is very tired.
　I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it'll help.

I think we've had a little too much fun. Shall we call it a night?

"Yes, thank you very much.

　Yes, thank you." As Richt and Arius stood up.


　The maids began to clean up the dishes like hyenas after their prey.