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

Sagan stared at a piece of paper, muttering to himself.

The paper had strange patterns drawn on it.

That 'circuit' that looks like magic isn't actually one.

The pattern of a 'circuit' is based on straight lines and perfect circles, and its shape is simple and uncomplicated. A magic circle is formed by connecting several 'circuits' together, making them more complex.

However, the patterns recorded on this paper are all made up of snake-like winding lines, and many dots are used, but there are no straight lines.

At first glance, the pattern looks like a string of words, but even if it is words, it is hard to tell where to divide them, or even what constitutes a character or a word.

These patterns were all copied by Sagan from "something".

"Something" refers to the greatsword standing before Sagan.

On the imposing obsidian pedestal stood a sword, its blade an incongruous feature with the pedestal itself, its exquisite design striking. Blue and white patterns were etched onto the pure white blade.

That is the Holy Sword.

Legend has it that this sword once defeated the Demon King, the Demon King of the Demon Clan. It is the strongest fighting force of the Church, an organization that views magicians as villains, and a symbol of their power.

There are only twelve holy swords in the world, one of which has now fallen into the hands of the King of Magicians, the Demon King Sagan.

Once this news spreads, it will undoubtedly disrupt the balance of power between magicians and the church. This matter can not only be used as leverage against the church, but it can also be sold to those in power for considerable wealth; it is a treasure with the potential to shake the world.

And this magnificent holy sword lay on Sagan's table, being struck with a hammer without any respect. Watching the impact chip the blade, Sagan thought that, given its metallic strength, it was nothing special.

If a cardinal who worships the holy sword were to witness this scene, he might very well suffer a heart attack—even though that person is already in his grave.

As Sagan examined the holy sword, he constructed a magic circle to confirm the effect of the design, but no power was activated.

—Does it seem there's a specific writing order? Or is there some kind of ritual required for writing? Or is it simply that some special power is needed for writing?

He only identified the paint used on it and wrote with the same paint, but it seems that this factor is unrelated.

Sagan rubbed his tired eyes and looked at his right hand, where a magically engraved emblem was emerging.

The Demon King's Mark is a symbol of the Demon King that contains a great deal of magical power.

Sagan had only two objectives.

Find out how to kill the demons and how to destroy this "Demon King's Mark".

—If we can't destroy this thing, we can't kill the twelve Demon Kings.

The reason for investigating the Holy Sword is that its design is strikingly similar to the "Demon King's Mark." If the origins of both can be uncovered, a way to counter them can naturally be found.

Although Sagan thought so, he now had to admit that the research results were far from satisfactory.

Then he snapped his fingers.

"Raphael, are you there?"

"—My king, did you call for me?"

Illustration p017

Appearing out of nowhere was a butler dressed in a tailcoat, except for his left arm which was covered by armor.

He was already frighteningly good-looking, and with a deep scar running from his cheek to his brow, his appearance was like that of a fierce demon. Although he was over fifty years old, he had a straight spine and a body that had been tempered by countless trials, showing no signs of aging.

But this is not surprising. This man is the former Paladin Commander who killed 499 magicians.

Although he has been fitted with armor and a prosthetic arm after losing his left arm, his strength remains as formidable as ever.

He and Fael have been living in Sagan's town for almost a month.

Sagan pointed to the holy sword set on the pedestal and said:

"Raphael, you say you don't know the meaning of the patterns on this sword either?"

"I'm sorry, but it's true as you said."

"Let me see your strength for a moment."

Facing the former Paladin Commander who had annihilated the most magicians in history, Sagan made his demands without any hesitation.

So Raphael pulled the holy sword from its obsidian pedestal and spoke calmly to it.

"Respond—the Holy Sword <Medanzo>."

The holy sword emitted blue-white flames in response to the call.

That is the "Purifying Flame," which is said to have once slain the Demon King. Any magic that comes into contact with this flame will lose its original power.

And this effect is no exception, even when facing the Demon King.

The loyal steward gripped the holy sword firmly with both hands and swung it at Sagan without hesitation.

The tiny spark burst away with a bang, and the flame-smoldering sword stopped in front of Sagan.

Now that we've gotten our hands on the man and the sword, there's no reason not to make good use of them.

A delicate and complex magic circle appeared before Sagan.

"Hmm... It seems the power doesn't come from the sword itself, but from the words."

Although the sword is hard, it is just ordinary metal. What makes it a holy sword is actually the patterns and designs carved on it.

These are all known and indisputable facts, but...

Even knowing all this, one still cannot understand the principles by which power operates.

First of all, the patterns are not as complex as the circuits of magic; they are just simple sentences of less than a verse of a spell, but Sagan just can't figure out the underlying principles.

They went to great lengths to invite the holder to conduct a live demonstration, but the result was such a disastrous failure.

Sagan, after all, was the youngest to receive the title of "Demon King," and at this moment, his confidence as a magician was severely shaken.

Then, Sagan said with a sigh:

"You've worked hard. We can finish now."

"Yes, ma'am."

Seeing the distressed Sagan, Raphael spoke up:

"It seems even our King cannot unravel the mystery of the Holy Sword?"

"Yes. First of all, this should be some kind of 'writing,' but it has probably been completely lost because it is not similar to any existing writing system, and its structure and circuitry are different."

Since it has been lost, it means that there are no traces of it left behind, no one can describe it, and no records have been left. Although the Church manages the Holy Sword, even they probably don't understand the meaning of the pattern.

To restore lost materials, intellectuals must spend a long time gradually reconstructing them.

Although Sagan was the youngest magician to ascend to the throne of the Demon King, it was impossible for him to achieve this overnight.

He stared resentfully at the holy sword in Raphael's hand.

"To be honest, I think it's easier to understand this sword as a creature called the 'Holy Sword'."

Sagan was looking at the part of the holy sword that he had previously hammered with the iron hammer.

The sword, which was damaged at the time, is now perfectly intact, as if it had just been sharpened. This sword probably possesses the ability to self-repair.

"On that point, perhaps it is indeed as you say."

The butler nodded, then raised the holy sword high.

"The holy sword chooses its master. When I use this sword, I sometimes sense something like a will. And even the same holy sword can sometimes display different powers depending on the wielder."

"So, your holy sword emits flames, but when Shestie uses it, it seems to glow."

These two may not be superior or inferior to each other, but perhaps there is a concept of attributes, and what determines these things should be what Raphael called the "Will of the Holy Sword".

Since the Holy Sword possesses a will, it may have once been another being, which simply took the form of a sword.

—And since it has taken the form of a sword, it means that there must be 'someone' who forged this sword.

A sword is a weapon that people wield to kill enemies.

Since someone manufactures it, there must be a manufacturing process involved.

"It seems that investigating the manufacturing method might be more practical than analyzing the sword itself."

Of course, the investigation into the sword has revealed many facts.

Sagan, referring to the books he obtained from the former abode of the Demon King Magasi, learned that this script was once known as the "language of the gods." It was said to be the script used by the ancient gods, which was lost when they left this world.

That said, these writings and languages ​​are truly full of unknowns. Not to mention the meaning of the characters, Sagan didn't even know how they were pronounced, making it very difficult to obtain further information.

Raphael placed the holy sword back on its pedestal.

"Shouldn't I be about to return the holy sword to you?"

"My king, if you wish for us to wield our swords, please give the order."

As the two were discussing these matters, big and small, Sagan suddenly raised an eyebrow.

—Has the barrier of Khennoind been activated?

The barrier, which was set up beforehand to prevent damage to surrounding buildings during town battles, just activated on its own. Besides Sagan, the barrier can also be triggered by Neferpitou or Far when they are engaged in combat. But…

Sagan then stood up.

"We'll talk about this later. It seems something happened to Neffi and the others."

Neferi and the others returned to their city looking dejected, which happened not long afterward.

◇

"What happened?"

Seeing the two return made Sagan's expression even more solemn.

First of all, Nefer and Fael didn't appear to be injured. Perhaps due to the magic circle cast by Kiannoind earlier, their clothes were neither torn nor soiled. Both of them were not very expressive, so at first glance, they seemed no different from usual.

—My barrier can't heal biological wounds.

Sagan's magic has always focused on strengthening his own body, so he hasn't yet learned how to heal other people's injuries.

Recently, due to the sudden increase in the number of people he needs to protect, he is considering whether he should seriously start learning from scratch.

Although neither of them was injured, seeing Fa'er holding Nefi's hand tightly and refusing to let go, Nefi also looked haggard and drooped her ears, clearly indicating that something had happened.

Sagan waited for the two to speak, but it was Far who spoke first.

"Sagan, we..."