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

"If you're asking someone's name, isn't it basic etiquette to give them your name first... But I recognize you. You're Varrefal from 'The Undead,' right?"

Such an unusual appearance is unforgettable once seen.

If I remember correctly, this magician also attended the underground auction where Nefi was auctioned. His friend Barbaross had mentioned that he was also one of the candidates for Demon Lord.

Sagan ignored it at the time, never expecting to see him here.

Varefal extended his fingers, which were encased in armor.

"Sagan, the Demon King, I will defeat you and claim your power."

Such an honest and unpretentious statement is truly a pity for a magician.

But Sagan didn't even glance at him, only speaking with a murderous intent that seemed to instill fear deep within people's hearts:

"I'm still eating, you wait there for a moment."

"Hmm..."

Faced with the imposing Sagan, Varefal seemed to be intimidated and took a few steps back.

...while Sagan, holding a small spoon, continued scooping pudding.

—Since it's Nefi's pudding, we should savor even the last spoonful.

This might sound silly, but Sagan is very serious.

In addition, there was also displeasure at having his lunch disturbed, and the words, full of the majesty of the Demon King, made Varrefar kneel down as if he could not bear it.

At that moment, Neferpitou nervously whispered to Sagan:

"Mr. Sagan, if you like it, I'll make it for you again next time."

"Whether you cook for me next time or whether I put down my spoon now is a completely different matter."

Upon hearing his reply, Varefal gritted his teeth and spoke:

Don't underestimate me...!

Illustration p029

The masked monster raised his arm, releasing a magical glow.

He knew that Sagan was the "Demon King" and still challenged him, so it seems he's preparing to unleash his most powerful magic.

But then, nothing happened.

'...!'

I could sense a slight wavering beneath the mask.

"Before you invade the magician's territory, you should at least find out what your opponent is like. My title is 'Magician Killer,' magic has no effect on me."

Sagan's magic allows her to "devour" others.

As long as it's on his territory, he can suppress any kind of magic. No matter how powerful this strange man is, as long as he's still a magician, he has no chance of winning.

Sagan sighed as he scooped up some pudding. He wanted to finish his pudding properly, so he hoped the other party would be sensible and back down after seeing the difference in strength.

—If you can make a magician with a title give up in defeat, that is a declaration of power.

It seems that although the pudding was delicious, he did not forget his purpose because of the food.

But Varefal praised it first.

"I see. So even at your worst, you're still a Demon King."

As soon as the strange man finished shouting, his hands changed. His steel armor transformed into hard scales, and sharp, stake-shaped claws extended from his fingertips.

Its massive arms and claws suggest that even without magic, its strength is enough to crush rocks.

--This can't be magic, right...?

There was no flow of power resembling a magic circle. There were no incantations or spells used, and the flow of magic itself remained unchanged.

Besides humans, there are countless other intelligent races in this world, such as the orcs with claws and sharp teeth, or the winged people with wings.

The weapons of this race are not magic, so techniques for sealing magic are naturally ineffective against them. Varrefar's arm changes appear to fall into this category.

The strange man possesses the arm of a dragon.

Dragons, like elves, are mythical creatures sung about in legends. Like elves, they do not interact with the human world, possessing wisdom and magic surpassing that of humans, and even magical power exceeding that of elves. With the passage of time and experience, they can even become beings on par with gods or demons.

—But the man before me seems far too weak for a dragon. Could he be a magician who has mastered the power of dragons?

Regardless, the opponent possesses power that transcends the magic system, and it is precisely because of this that the monster dares to challenge the Demon King.

Varefal dashed into the restaurant, followed by a dragon's claw attack.

"I told you I'm having a meal. If you want to call, I can join you later. Can't you wait a little while?"

But Sagan stopped the dragon's claw with one hand. The spoon in her hand was in her mouth, while her left hand carefully protected the pudding.

Valefar, hidden beneath the mask, must be utterly dumbfounded.

Even so, the strange man was still not giving up.

How dare you look down on me!

The mask's mouth then snapped open, and beams of magic began to gather inside.

Legend has it that dragons can burn their inner magic and breathe out a breath of light.

Varrefal was just as the legends described; even someone as powerful as Sagan couldn't withstand the dragon's breath.

Sagan's face darkened, and he roared in anger.

—You idiot. I warned you!

"My lunch is going to get messed up! That's enough!"

Although his words on the surface and his true feelings seemed to be reversed, Sagan then released the hand that was holding the claw and used a push to forcefully close the mouth that was originally open on the mask.

The magic of the breath dissipated. The upward thrust from the palm shook the head and sent the monster's massive body flying into the air.

Nefi was startled and covered his face. Just as his azure pupils opened again in fear, the strange man collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The dragon-transformed limbs returned to their original armor, while cracks appeared on the mask.

It looks like the other person has been knocked unconscious.

Once he confirmed that the uninvited guest had stopped making a sound, Sagan snorted.

—My temper has indeed become much more restrained than before.

In the past, such thieves would have been completely obliterated. A month ago, he certainly couldn't have imagined that he would now know how to show mercy, only knocking the man unconscious instead of killing him.

It seems this is the subtle influence of living with Nefertari.

Sagan, still immersed in this miraculous sense of happiness, continued:

"It seems we need to strengthen the barrier again, otherwise there will be more scum like him in the future."

Although the victory was effortless, Varrefal was no pushover. Even if it were the old Sagan, a direct confrontation might not have been enough to secure a win.

Sagan is only able to win now because he has become stronger.

Besides the "Mark of the Demon King," he also inherited Magasiia's legacy. With magic, the more knowledge one has, the stronger one becomes. After inheriting the throne of the "Demon King," Sagan's power increased dramatically.

Just as she finished speaking helplessly, Nefie stood up with a slightly pale face, ignoring her half-eaten lunch, and went straight to the strange man's side.

"Nefi, let's leave him alone for now. He won't wake up until we finish eating."

"No, I suspect this person might not..."

Just as Neferpitou picked up the strange man from the ground, his limbs began to fall off with a clanging sound.

"──?"

This made Sagan turn pale.

--Wait a minute, I only hit him once, didn't I? I didn't tear off his hands and feet, did I?

He had just sworn never to tear someone to pieces in front of Neferpitou, but now he had inadvertently broken his promise.

Just as Sagan was getting anxious like a cat on a hot tin roof, Neferpitou said in a low voice, "As expected..." as he removed the shattered mask.

"Mr. Sagan, she's just a child."

What appeared beneath the mask was a childish face that looked to be around ten years old.

And it was a girl.

Her hair was like the pale green of tender spring shoots; because her eyes were closed, the color of her pupils could not be seen, but her long eyelashes were visible; her lips were a moist pink, and her cheeks were flushed, perhaps because she was wearing a heavy robe.

It turns out that the armor's hands and feet were just a facade, used for show. She seemed to be manipulating this outwardly strong but inwardly weak armor through magic.

At this point, Sagan finally understood what she had just done.

--Did I knock a little girl unconscious?

Why would a child possess the power of a dragon? Why would she learn these magicians' tricks? Is she really Varrefal from The Undead? Questions kept popping up.

But one thing is certain: now is not the time to be happy about improving her temper. To hide her panic, Sagan quickly said:

"Heh... wait, wait, don't panic, Neferi. If you care about her life or death, I'll allow you to heal her. By the way, I remember there's cold medicine in the castle. Speaking of which, she shouldn't be dead, right? She's still alive, isn't she? Shall we carry her to a bed first?"

"Mr. Sagan, please calm down. Cold medicine won't cure the injured."

Faced with Sagan, who could not hide her panic at all, Neferi finished speaking in a tone of admonition, gently touched her forehead, and then nodded.

"It's alright, she just fainted, she shouldn't be injured."

"Are you...are you sure? You're telling the truth, right? She's not dead, is she?"

"Yes."

Sagan finally felt relieved, while Neferi looked up at him with slight surprise.

"W-What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I just think that Mr. Sagan is indeed a kind and good person."

"Huh...?"

Sagan's eyes widened, while Neferi tried to pick up Varrefar. Although the other was just a little girl, it was still no easy task for the frail Neferi.

Although still confused, Sagan took Nefi's place and carried Varefal on his back.