Akatsuki Translations

According to Astarte’s information, Roux had gone missing in the early hours of the morning. The Wolf Demon Tribe and the stationed Demon Lord Army were currently conducting a search for her.

The stationed Demon Lord Army was primarily composed of medical teams dispatched from the Demon Lord’s Castle for the purpose of researching the Black Skin Disease, along with troops mixed from Mirage’s and Rafale’s armies.

This was due to the geographical location of the forest where the Wolf Demon Tribe had built their village. It was nestled in the northeastern part of the demon territory, bordering both the northern lands ruled by Rafale and the eastern lands governed by Mirage.

The southern and eastern parts of the forest were monitored by Mirage’s army, while the northern and western sides were watched by Rafale’s army. Within the forest, the Wolf Demon Tribe conducted patrols and gathered food by hunting.

This arrangement was to continue until no new cases of Black Skin Disease were confirmed. If deemed successful, it would then be officially incorporated into Mirage’s army—a decision that had been made behind closed doors.

“Now that we’ve enjoyed our tea, shall we head to the Wolf Demon Tribe’s village?” -Mirage

“To be honest, I have some doubts about your prioritization, Mirage-sama, although I suppose it’s too late to bring it up now…” -Astarte

They had not immediately headed to the Wolf Demon Tribe’s village after hearing the news from Astarte, as Mirage had suggested. Instead, they had leisurely sipped their tea and savored tarts made from the Mirabelle fruit. It was during this tranquil moment that Astarte had voiced her thoughts.

Astarte, who had expected them to move immediately, was taken aback by Mirage’s laid-back attitude. Despite her mild protest, she quietly complied, charmingly stuffing her cheeks full of Mirabelle fruit tart.

Little did she know, Mirage’s unhurried demeanor was a small act of consideration for her. By deliberately taking it easy before heading to the Wolf Demon Tribe’s village, he was subtly diluting the impression that he was working on his day off.

If Mirage were to suddenly rush off, it might create a tense atmosphere, leading Astarte to feel guilty about her shortcomings. He was quietly demonstrating that their trip to the village was a casual extension of their day off—not a chore, but akin to a leisurely stroll.

Of course, the reality was that they were going to the village for work. However, small considerations like this were important, especially for someone as earnest as Astarte, who tends to fret even over minor issues. This was an essential technique to keep her from accumulating undue stress.

The best approach, arguably, would be for Mirage to work from morning till night, but it was too late to make that point now. After all, he needed to maintain his human activities during the day.

Having maintained this double life, Mirage, packed up the tea set they had used earlier into a magic gate, tidying up in an instant. Astarte approached Mirage in preparation for teleportation, tugging lightly on his cloak.

Observing Astarte’s action, Mirage felt a sense of relief. It seemed his decision to be mindful of her had been the right one. Astarte was known for her sharp tongue and aloof demeanor, but when she was emotionally unsettled, those traits became even more pronounced. When she reached her limit, her demeanor would suddenly switch, revealing a childlike side.

While this childlike demeanor was reflective of Astarte’s true personality, especially when she interacted with her childhood friend Rafale, she would undoubtedly lash out with a barrage of insults if anyone dared to point it out to her.

“Mirage-sama, is something wrong?” -Astarte

“No, nothing at all. Let’s head to the Wolf Demon Tribe’s village now.” -Mirage

Sensing Astarte’s gaze, Mirage responded in his usual tone, keeping his inner thoughts hidden. They he invoked the teleportation magic, their destination being the mansion of the Wolf Demon Tribe’s chieftain, Louveteau.

Mirage had scattered multiple magic seals even within the same area when he inscribed them, and this location was known only to a select few of the Wolf Demon Tribe, including Louveteau. The only publicly known magic seal was at the village gathering place, where the Demon Lord Army appeared from, as witnessed by the Wolf Demon Tribe.

Mirage had chosen to place the seal in a concealed location rather than in a public one for a reason.

“If you want to gather information, I think it would be more appropriate to go to the meeting place where the soldiers of the Demon Lord Army are staying. Are you planning to talk to Chief Louveteau-san first?” -Astarte

“Well, yeah basically. From what I’ve heard, I don’t think I’ll be very welcome.” -Mirage

Astarte tilted her head, puzzled at Mirage’s words. After all, Mirage was a hero who had saved the Wolf Demon Tribe from the dreaded Black Skin Disease. It was unthinkable that he would be unwelcome.

However, from what Astarte had told him, Mirage had deduced that there was some suspicion towards him and Astarte regarding Roux’s abduction.

Astarte’s information was a reiteration of the report sent to the Demon Lord’s Castle by the Demon Lord Army stationed in the Wolf Demon Tribe’s village, which was then relayed to the Illusion Castle.

Not even a day had passed since Roux’s disappearance, therefore it wasn’t yet a serious matter. However, one thing seemed off.

The investigation was being conducted by the Wolf Demon Tribe, and with their keen sense of smell, they should easily be able to track down Roux.

By doing so, they would quickly realize that Roux’s scent had suddenly vanished. As a logical step, they would inquire about the possibility of teleportation magic, which means they would naturally ask Mirage if he had any insights.

Even during his vacation, Mirage, who had the communication crystal, hadn’t received any contact whatsoever. Furthermore, the only information available was that Astarte was currently on the lookout. This suggested that information control had been established, likely from the point of the Demon Lord’s castle.

The implementation of information control implied that the conclusion could be drawn that the perpetrator abducted Roux while leaving behind evidence that would falsely incriminate Mirage and Astarte.

Ever since the appearance of demons in the capital, who mimicked his appearance, Mirage had anticipated that things might turn out this way.

Originally, it would have been a problem that only involved a missing child and wouldn’t trouble the Four Heavenly Kings. However, considering the characteristics of the Wolf Demon Tribe, the circumstances had changed.

“The idea is basically, because the Wolf Demon Tribe, who have keen noses, can’t find a single child after half a day, something must be wrong. For example, if she was attacked by a monster, wouldn’t it be strange if no body or traces were found after a day? But you didn’t hear that information, Astarte. And there’s a demon here who can abduct someone without leaving a trace. That’s what it means.” -Mirage

“T-That’s impossible! Why would Mirage-sama kidnap a child in the first place!” -Astarte

Mirage carefully led Astarte to the conclusion using only the information that she knew. While it might seem like an over-analysis, considering the characteristics of the Wolf Demon Tribe, it wasn’t unreasonable to feel that something was off.

The physical capabilities of Roux, who had gone missing, were clearly inferior to those of adult Wolf Demons. If she had run away from home, she would be caught quickly. If she had been kidnapped, they could track her by scent. Even if she had been attacked by a monster and killed, the scent of blood would remain.

Roux had been missing since early morning, and it was now late at night. Even without knowing about the imposters of Roux and Mirage appearing in the Royal Capital, Astarte could have realized that Mirage was under suspicion.

“Well, it’s okay if I’m overthinking it. For now, let’s go to Louveteau’s place. It seems he’s been waiting for us.” -Mirage

With that, Mirage began to walk, and Astarte followed with a solemn expression.

Louveteau’s residence was eerily quiet, just like the last time they visited. As the chieftain, Louveteau should have had many subordinates and servants around him.

Despite the abatement of the Black Skin Disease, allowing many people to move freely, the current state of the residence felt unnatural as if it was deliberately keeping others away.

In the silence, Mirage and Astarte arrived at the chieftain’s room, the wooden floor creaking under their footsteps.

“Louveteau-san, we’re coming in.” -Mirage

Mirage opened the door as if he knew who was waiting inside and walked in. Astarte, gripping the large scythe in her hand, followed cautiously.

The room was dimly lit, with only a few lit lanterns placed along the wall. However, for nocturnal demons, it was bright enough to see the room’s layout.

Louveteau, the owner of the room, was sitting in the center, sipping sake from a cup. It seemed that he had been expecting Mirage’s visit.

Numerous sake containers, called tokkuri, were scattered around Louveteau, indicating that he had been drinking heavily.

“Yo, Boss. I heard you were on vacation, but it seems you were quite dedicated to your work.” -Louveteau

“To be honest, I’m not very eager to work, but there’s something that’s been bothering me a little.” -Mirage

Louveteau spoke with astonishing clarity for someone intoxicated, and Mirage responded in his usual manner.

“You want to ask about my daughter, right? Well, we might as well sit down. There’s nothing like alcohol for an honest conversation.” -Louveteau

“Then I’ll take you up on your offer. Just to make things clear, Astarte doesn’t handle alcohol well, so please spare her. I’ll keep you company instead.” -Mirage

“……Excuse me.” -Astarte

Mirage, invited unexpectedly, accepted readily but with a single caveat. He settled himself in front of Louveteau while Astarte, following a few paces behind, took her seat. The diligent Astarte would never drink on duty, but it seems like Mirage prefers to err on the side of caution.

“I had hoped to have a beautiful young lady pour my drink, but I don’t mind. Here, take the cup. I don’t know about the customs of the Demon Lord’s army, but in our village, it’s customary for the underlings to pour the higher up’s drink. You, being my superior, should quietly let me pour.” -Louveteau

“I will follow the customs of the village. After all, ‘when in the country, do as the countrymen do’. By the way, we don’t have any particular customs about drinking. It’s hard enough to make sure common manners are observed among demons, so if there are any, it’s usually just the seating order at ceremonies and such. Even the way we greet each other is incredibly diverse.” -Mirage

Following Louveteau’s instructions, Mirage picked up the prepared cup and took a drink as he spoke about the inner workings of the Demon Lord’s army. Their laws were minimal, essentially emphasizing the traditions of each race.

Even Mirage, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, was expected to follow the local rules when visiting different villages. Of course, this did not apply in emergencies or situations where he would be disadvantaged, as the Demon Lord Lilith had strictly ordered to avoid unnecessary resentment against the Demon Lord’s army.

However, it wasn’t all bad. They had managed to incorporate the traditions of different races into the Demon Lord’s army. Particularly with the demon races that valued strength, it was common to subjugate them through duels with their chiefs, a situation Mirage had experienced countless times.

“Now that you mention it, I remember being told something like that. It seems like there are a considerable number of races in the Demon Lord’s army, and indeed, if they interfered with every minor detail, nobody would follow them. By the way, I heard your race, the Phantom Demons, were quite rare.” -Louveteau

“Yes, at least as far as I know, I’ve never seen any other than my parents, and as far as we can confirm, I’m the only one currently in existence.” -Mirage

Mirage was careful to refer to his mother and father as “parents”, not specifying his Phantom Demon father and human mother. He did not want to lie and create a discrepancy from his usual demeanor, which could manifest in subtle changes like eye movement or sweating.

Under normal circumstances, these minor differences would go unnoticed, but Mirage always tried to avoid lying as much as possible. Given the unexplained aspects of unique racial abilities, ancient techniques, and new types of magic, it wouldn’t be surprising if a method to completely see through lies was discovered.

Sometimes, people could discern a lie just by intuition, so this roundabout way of speaking had become a habit for Mirage.

“The Phantom Demons’ unique teleportation magic, outside of the Boss, it seems that no one else has been able to handle it properly so far.” -Louveteau

“Yes, at least as far as the records go. It seems to have been nothing more than a novelty.” -Mirage

As Louveteau’s statements grew closer to the heart of the matter, Astarte, who was waiting behind Mirage, held her scythe ready on the tatami mat, prepared to spring into action at any moment. Mirage, on the other hand, calmly continued the conversation while drinking his sake, pouring more into his now-empty cup.

Both of Mirage’s hands were occupied with the sake bottle and cup, and his weapon, the large scythe, was left as if it was unnecessary. Seeing this, Louveteau bared his sharp teeth and asked Mirage.

“By the way, Boss, aren’t you suspicious that I’m in wolf form? I was weak due to the Black Skin Disease before, but now I’m much stronger. Aren’t you being too careless?” -Louveteau

“Careless or not… I have no reason to be hostile towards you, Louveteau-san. I won’t do anything uncouth at a drinking party.” -Mirage

Despite the tense atmosphere enveloping the room, Mirage remained unflappable. The sweat trickling down Astarte’s cheek behind him suggested tension, but Mirage, with his mask-like face, seemed more composed.

Although Louveteau had not yet explained his intentions, it was clear that Mirage was suspected. In this situation, where Louveteau could attack at any moment, Astarte couldn’t take any action without Mirage’s lead. To ensure she didn’t miss any signs of an attack, Astarte’s eyes followed Louveteau’s every move.

“Hehehe, you really are terrifying. Our young’uns would be scared into silence if they were glared at, but you don’t seem to be disturbed at all. However, I don’t intend to suspect the savior of my life. Even if your smell was at the place where my daughter’s scent suddenly disappeared… After all, our noses are good, but not infallible. There are countless ways to leave or not leave a scent.” -Louveteau

“There are many ways to trick the sense of smell. One could cast some magic that affects the five senses on the subject, or cover themselves completely with wind magic so nothing leaks out. Another method could be to mix in strong smells to confuse it. Wearing an animal’s skin might be effective too.” -Mirage

Hearing Louveteau’s statement, Mirage realized that some kind of evidence must have been left. As soon as the imposter appeared in the royal capital, it was easy to imagine that evidence was prepared to frame the side of the Wolf Demons who had abducted Roux.

Leaving someone else’s scent is not that difficult. Anything Mirage had touched directly, from a cloth wiped with sweat, a practice weapon used for training, to a bedsheet, could be used. While the procurement route might be a little concerning, with the help of a partner in the Demon Lord’s army, it would be possible to obtain such items.

Even if an object had multiple scents, the Wolf Demons would only remember Mirage’s scent, which they had smelled before. Other scents could be deemed as having been transferred from Mirage himself.

“I agree with the Boss’s opinion. The fools who only believed in the remaining scent were suspecting you, so I shouted at them to stop joking around. However, I believe there’s a high possibility that teleportation magic was used, and the guys in the Demon Lord’s army probably share the same opinion. It seems that the Demon Lord has also ordered not to act hastily until the facts are confirmed.” -Louveteau

“There’s no reason why other Phantom Demons can’t use the teleportation magic I can use. Until I joined the Demon Lord’s army, nobody knew about me, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they were living hidden somewhere for hundreds of years.” -Mirage

At least for now, there is no one other than Mirage who could have kidnapped Roux, but that’s exactly what makes it suspicious. Consequently, even the Demon Lord Lilith refrained from hastily calling Mirage back and instead focused on controlling the flow of information to Astarte.

From the Demon Lord’s standpoint, with so much circumstantial evidence, they had no choice but to suspect Mirage. However, Louveteau’s demeanor clearly suggested that he himself doubted Mirage and was wrapped in an aura that contradicted his words.

The rage seeping out of Louveteau couldn’t be explained solely by his daughter’s disappearance.

“Well, regardless of what you say, the fact remains that my daughter is missing. Even though I understand it in my head, I can’t help but suspect the Boss. That’s why, before you arrived, I sent everyone else away from the mansion and have been trying to deceive myself with the power of alcohol… Can I ask you one last thing?” -Louveteau

“As long as it’s something I can answer, I don’t mind.” -Mirage

“…Why does the scent of my daughter emanating from the Boss seem stronger than before? Other people wouldn’t notice, but I am Roux’s father. I wouldn’t mistake her scent. My husband hasn’t been to the village until today, but could you please tell me where and when he met with our daughter?” -Louveteau

The sharp gaze in Louveteau’s eyes made it clear that depending on Mirage’s response, he might attack. The tension that had been building up until a moment ago grew even stronger, and the room was filled with Louveteau’s murderous intent. Without hesitation, Mirage heaved a deep sigh and looked straight into Louveteau’s eyes before speaking.