As the Demon King, I have married a slave elf. How should I express my love?

Not long after, Neferi returned wearing a second outfit.

"Look how it went this time."

"Whoa whoa……"

This time, Sagan also expressed her sincere admiration.

It was a pure blue dress paired with an apron with colorful lace, and her feet had been changed to boots that were easier to walk in.

It was just a servant's outfit, but Sagan genuinely thought it was quite cute.

Then, Manila, somewhat unconvinced, began her explanation:

"This is just a traditional maid outfit, but the dress and apron are made of silk. Some maids wear this as their uniform. Also, these boots are enchanted with healing magic to reduce fatigue from standing for long periods of time."

This outfit not only looks good, but it also seems to be functional. After hearing her say that and taking a closer look, the fabric of the skirt does indeed look like high-quality material.

"Neferi, what do you think?"

"I don't care what I wear, as long as it's given to me by my master."

"...Hey, if you say something like that, she'll change you back into that outfit again, won't she?"

A strange light gleamed in the eyes of the winged shop assistant beside him as he took out the belt outfit.

Nefertari quickly shook her head. This was the first time Sagan had seen her react so swiftly.

"I... I think I'll wear this one, Master!"

"Okay, then let's take this set."

Manila clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Where did this rude shop assistant come from?"

As soon as the bill was paid, the clerk leaned close to Nefi's face and whispered in his ear.

(Congratulations! You have such a wonderful owner who cherishes you.)

Sagan couldn't hear what she said, but Nefertari's eyes widened slightly.

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"……yes."

His expression seemed to carry a hint of joy.

After the two left the shop, Sagan finally asked:

"What did the shop assistant just say to you?"

"Yes. She said you are a good host."

"Right?"

That was probably just a polite remark, but Sagan didn't understand why he would say it in particular.

Sagan was puzzled, while Neferi, standing to the side, contentedly stroked his new clothes.

(Does my master cherish me...?)

The trembling voice, as if lost in confusion about whether to believe or not, vanished into the wind, never reaching anyone's ears.

◇

So, where should we go next?

After changing into her new clothes, Nefi walked much more lightly, and it seemed that going anywhere wouldn't be a problem for her.

Just then, he felt something catching on the hem of his clothes.

Looking back, she saw Neferi timidly clutching her robe.

This action seemed to be unconscious; she tilted her head and stared blankly back at Sagan.

—I understand. She was probably just harassed by the shop assistant, which made her very nervous about her surroundings.

Compared to her optimistic attitude of accepting everything yesterday, her amusing demeanor today made Sagan inexplicably happy.

Sagan didn't shake off her hand, nor did she let Nefi notice her actions, as she moved forward cautiously.

As they walked, they heard a loud metallic sound.

Looking up, I realized the sound was coming from the blacksmith's shop. Swords and armor used by knights and mercenaries, as well as all sorts of small metal gadgets, were piled up there like a small mountain.

Among those props were also many slave collars.

"Let's go to that shop."

"Yes."

Sagan went to the blacksmith's shop, with Nefertari following closely behind.

The shop also served as a workshop, with goods displayed on the walls and cabinets, and a man inside hammering red-hot metal.

When Sagan spoke to them, one of them jumped up in surprise.

Well, it's not surprising to have this kind of reaction when suddenly called by a magician.

The man turned around and asked cautiously:

"Is there...is there something you need?"

"Hey, I have something I'd like you to take a look at."

The man who arrived was a dwarf, but he didn't have a beard, making it difficult for Sagan to determine his age. He looked like a boy at first glance, but could also be a middle-aged man.

Dwarves have a natural talent for craftsmanship and are adept at creating exquisite carvings and mechanisms.

Sagan pushed Nefi forward.

"Could you take a look at her collar... do you know how to untie it?"

Upon hearing this, Neferpitou trembled, then turned around in disbelief.

--Huh? Didn't I tell her I'd help her untie her collar?

It seems not.

Even if she couldn't untie it in a short time, just knowing that he intended to help her remove the collar would at least ease her mood. Sagan couldn't help but feel disheartened again by his poor communication skills.

Neferpitou spoke in fear:

"Um, Master..."

"If you wear this ring, it's as if you're still part of Magasiia. You don't need it anymore."

Sagan nearly covered his face when he realized he had once again referred to Neferi as something else.

Unexpectedly, Neferpitou nodded slightly, her cheeks flushed.

"……yes."

"...Hmm."

He didn't understand what he was humming or groaning about; he only knew that even responding like this was quite difficult for him.

Then, the dwarf swordsman uttered a sound tinged with difficulty.

"Untie it? You mean this necklace?"

"Um."

"...Please don't tease me. Isn't this a magic prop? We can't handle this."

Nefair's shoulders slumped slightly upon hearing this, but Sagan had already anticipated this.

"I'd like to hear your opinion on this structure. Is there a way to unlock it through destructive means?"

When asked this question, the knifesmith began to examine the collar more closely.

Soon, he pointed to the lock attached to the collar. A metal block with a keyhole extended six axles, seemingly connected to the collar.

"Take a look at this lock. It's what holds the collar in place. If you can unlock it, the entire collar will fall apart. That's usually how it works."

The reason for emphasizing "general case" is that once a magic trick is performed, no one knows what kind of mechanism it contains.

Sagan nodded in response.

"Magic is a force that subverts nature, and therefore it also adheres to the original concept. Since it adopts this structure, the padlock shouldn't just be for show."

"And then, there's something I might not be able to say..."

The swordsmith looked reluctant to speak, as if he didn't want Neferi to hear. After putting some distance between them, he leaned close to Sagan's ear and whispered.

(I guess this thing must have some kind of mechanism in it.)

(organ?)

(That's right, if you don't follow the proper channels, the mechanism will be activated... In the worst-case scenario, this lady's neck could be in a very bad state...)

He didn't even want to think about what the so-called misery meant, and the swordsmith probably took that into consideration as well, so he didn't explain it too clearly.

—It seems that using brute force to destroy things is very dangerous.

In fact, if it were just a matter of breaking the collar, it would be effortless for Sagan.

But the collar left behind by the Demon King made him feel uneasy, and it seemed that such careful handling was indeed the right thing to do.

"The best way is to find the key from back then and help her unlock it."

"Yes, I think so too."

He knew this, of course, but unfortunately, the key wasn't in the hands of those people at the auction.

To be honest, he wasn't completely clueless...

But the current situation is that he has no way of getting his hands on it.

Anyway, having found out what she wanted to know, Sagan took out a few silver coins from her pocket. They were the change she had received when she bought clothes for Nefi.

"Thank you. You can keep this."

"No, I haven't done anything that would warrant charging you money. Besides, I can't possibly ask you for money."

"……?What's the meaning?"

With a wry smile, the dwarf swordsmith said:

"You saved my life before."