Akatsuki Translations

“Am I being transferred?” -Mirage

Mirage uttered these words, his voice echoing with incredulity in the office of the Demon Lord’s Castle.

Before him, the top commander of the Demon Lord’s army, which aims to unify the demon race, the Demon Lord Lilith, narrowed her eyes and wore a mischievous smile.

“Yup, ya’ are. As much as I enjoy keepin’ ya’ within my reach, there’s a sayin’ in tha’ East that ‘if ya love yer children, send ‘em out into tha’ world’ ain’t there? I thought it might be good fer you to leave the Demon Lord’s Castle ‘n get roughed up by the world a lil’.” -Lilith

With these words, Lilith offered Mirage a piece of paper, pinched between her index and middle fingers. Mirage cast his gaze down to read its contents. It seemed to be an order detailing his transfer. It stated, in large letters, that he would be working under one of the Four Heavenly Kings ruling the eastern side of the demon territories.

“Her Majesty is always so abrupt,” Mirage sighed heavily, as he always did. Originally, he had enlisted as a mere soldier in the Demon Lord’s army, but his ability to handle teleportation magic had drawn Lilith’s attention. He often found himself being put to convenient use.

Before he knew it, he was stuck in a position that was neither menial labor nor bodyguard duty, nor secretary to the Demon Lord. Even within the castle, he was recognized as a being difficult to handle, and in simpler terms, an outlier.

Though his tendency to hide his face behind a mask and wear a black cloak had made him conspicuous since his enlistment interview, it went without saying.

In the middle of reading the document, Mirage paused at a particular point and, pointing at it, asked Lilith,

“Um… Your Majesty, the date written here is today. This must be a mistake, right?” -Mirage

It was inevitable for someone within the organization to be transferred, but it was unheard of to be told to work in a different place starting from the very day.

If it was a transfer within the Demon Lord’s Castle, that might be understandable, but this time, it was in a distant land in the East. Mirage thought it natural to point out what he believed to be Lilith’s mistake, but his voice trembled slightly, perhaps with a bad premonition.

Although Lilith often appeared laid-back, she was in fact the top authority of the Demon Lord’s army. She would never make such a trivial mistake. Plus, she had a bad habit of enjoying toying with Mirage.

“Nah, it’s ain’t a mistake. With yer teleportation magic, it’s a piece ‘a cake, right? I understand it’s a bit sudden, but please tolerate it, considerin’ how cute I am!” -Lilith

Mirage watched as Lilith tilted her head cutely, stuck out her tongue and playfully tapped her head, and wondered who could believe that this was the Demon Lord who ruled over the demon race.

Lilith’s fluffy, fox-like tail, of which she was particularly proud, could be seen happily swaying from side to side behind her head.

“Ah…I’ve mostly gotten used to Your Majesty’s jokes, but please don’t always assume I can just use teleportation magic. There’s a limit to my magical power, you know.” -Mirage

Though there was a limit to his magic, it was largely a façade, but Mirage took this chance to drive this point home to Lilith. The ability to move freely with teleportation magic was as much a threat as it was a convenience, which was why Mirage believed he was being favored by the Demon Lord.

“Did ya’ just ignore my wholehearted pose just fer you? Really, what’s with phantom demon men? Can’t ya’ be a lil’ more flustered by my cuteness?” -Lilith

“Please don’t generalize about phantom demons based on me. I don’t even know much about phantom demons besides my family. Besides, Your Majesty is more charming when you’re not doing unnecessary things.” -Mirage

Lilith pouted like a petulant child, but Mirage responded with a cool-headed rebuttal.

Describing the characteristics of the phantom demon race was difficult due to their extremely small overall population, making it challenging to gather statistically significant data for credibility.

Whether it was influenced by individual personalities or inherent racial traits could not be determined without numerous examples to draw from.

“Ha! Ya’ act indifferent towards women but whisper sweet words… Who raised ya’ to be such an oddball? I’d love to see yer parents’ faces!” -Lilith

I’d like to see my mother’s face at least once too, Mirage thought to himself.

Since his father, who was a demon, passed away during his childhood, he lived alone in a house deep in the mountains. He only had occasional interactions with others, such as visiting nearby villages or towns for shopping.

No matter how one might speculate about his upbringing, the truth was that he had spent years engrossed in books, leading a reclusive life. He was even unfamiliar with one side of his parent’s face.

However, Mirage never shared such circumstances with anyone. Especially if the fact that his mother was not a demon were to become known, it was easy to imagine the treatment he might receive.

Concealing his true identity and avoiding discussions about her past had become the way Mirage, perceived by others, was evaluated as a demon.

“Isn’t it a good thing to get children to read books? Knowledge is an invaluable treasure after all.” -Mirage

“If getting’ children to read books results in someone like you, it’s tha’ end of tha’ world! Now, git on goin’ ‘n teleport! They’ll be expectin’ ya from the mornin’ over there, yer extremely late!” -Lilith

“Sigh… The main cause of my lateness is Your Majesty… Well then, excuse me. Gate.” -Mirage

With a heavy sigh at the unreasonable demands, Mirage opened a gate and vanished.

The space where Mirage had stood moments before was now empty, and Lilith stared at it sadly, murmuring in a faint voice,

“Really… I wonder who ya’ take after. Yer so difficult tah handle.” -Lilith

Who, difficult, the meaning behind these words was unclear, but it was evident that Lilith held some feelings for Mirage that surpassed those of a mere subordinate.

She narrowed her eyes and made a slightly troubled expression. Her cheeks flushed a little, but there was no one there to notice it.

Meanwhile, Mirage had teleported to one of the places marked with his magic rune, designated by Lilith. He was a member of the Demon Lord’s personal guards, but due to his abilities, he was also treated like a transporter in emergencies.

He could teleport to open areas in each of the territories divided into the east, west, south, and north. Mirage appeared at a training facility adjacent to the castle of one of the Four Heavenly Kings in the East.

“You’re late!” -Astarte

With the shrill voice of a girl, or rather a young girl, a blade was swiftly swung towards the nape of Mirage’s neck. It was the inherent weakness of teleportation magic – the magic rune, which indicated the point of emergence, was always a giveaway.

Anyone aware that the rune signified the use of teleportation magic could potentially ambush Mirage with harmful intent. However, recently, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Mirage has been mostly operating under the direct command of the Demon Lord, and there had been no direct attackers until now.

Therefore, Mirage, who had let his guard down, thinking he would not be attacked during teleportation, barely dodged the assault, but lost his balance and fell on his backside. Realizing his mistake, it was already too late, as a huge, curved blade was pointed at Mirage’s neck.

“…This is quite a harsh welcome, Astarte-sama.” -Mirage

“Harsh or not, consider it a ceremony to correct your spineless tardiness. Also, Mirage, there’s no need for formalities now that we’re both deputies. You can speak casually, but with your current situation, I wonder how long you’ll last.” -Astarte

“Understood, Astarte. About being late… No, it’s nothing.” -Mirage

The person holding a large scythe to Mirage’s neck and looking down at him with cold eyes was Astarte, the daughter of one of the Four Heavenly Kings who ruled the eastern lands, and also a deputy. Wearing a uniform adopted by the demon army, she wielded a scythe that seemed too big for her small body. She was famous for being as strict about discipline as her father.

In the transfer order handed down by the Demon Lord, it was stated that Mirage, like Astarte, would be appointed as a deputy to assist the Four Heavenly Kings. A deputy is a role that serves as an assistant or second-in-command to someone in a high position, and being a deputy to one of the Four Heavenly Kings is quite a significant position.

Even though the final decision lies with the Four Heavenly Kings, it is a role that effectively moves the army in their place, so it is naturally a significant responsibility. This transfer could be considered a promotion in a sense, putting Mirage on equal footing with Astarte, who until recently was in a superior position.

Mirage agreed with Astarte’s points and immediately corrected his speech. As a member of the army, hierarchies are absolute, regardless of age, gender, or race, and adherence to these hierarchies is an absolute law of the demon army. It’s probably because organizations with fuzzy command chains are fragile and prone to collapse that such rules exist.

“If you had started making excuses here, I would have sent you back immediately. Belzebuth-sama isn’t as lenient as me, so please be careful. Now, let’s get going.” -Astarte

“Sigh, how did it come to this?” -Mirage

Mirage followed Astarte, who had turned on her heel and started walking quickly, sighing deeply. Belzebuth was the name of one of the Four Heavenly Kings who ruled the eastern lands and the leader of the demon tribe with silver horns.

Mirage had heard rumors about Belzebuth, who was a famous demon, feared and known as either a wise king or a tyrant before he submitted to Demon Lord Lilith. The Four Heavenly Kings, each with their diametrically opposed titles, were not the sort Mirage wanted to get involved with. And the fact that he was even warned to be careful around Belzebuth’s real daughter probably meant that she was quite something.

Mirage had met Belzebuth a few times before due to work, but the treatment changed drastically between being a soldier affiliated with the Demon Lord’s castle and a subordinate directly under one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

In accordance with Demon Lord Lilith’s policy, the management of territories and the training of subordinates are left to the Four Heavenly Kings, and unless a special problem arises, the demon army is not interfered with. Since it’s difficult to set detailed rules when ruling over many species with various ways of thinking, as long as the demon army law is followed and the goals set by the Four Heavenly Kings are achieved, there are no penalties, no matter what is done.

It’s free to impose stricter individual discipline while observing the demon army law, or to govern loosely as long as the minimum is observed, and the eastern lands ruled by the Four Heavenly King Belzebuth fall into the former category.

“Astarte-sama, Mirage-sama, good work!” -Guard

“Good work. …Your collar is a little disheveled. If you’re going to wear a military uniform, wear it correctly. A disorderly appearance is disorderly conduct, remember that!” -Astarte

“Y-yes, thank you!” -Guard

The guard at the entrance from the training ground to the castle, standing straight, greeted them. He seemed to already know about Mirage. Astarte warned the soldier about his attire, but for some reason, the soldier thanked her instead of apologizing.

Mirage was taken aback by the thoroughness of Astarte’s attention to the soldier’s uniform and their subsequent exchange. He lost his voice and could only give a nod as he passed by. As they walked down the castle corridor and put some distance between them and the soldier, Mirage raised a question.

“Hey, Astarte, wasn’t that conversation with the soldier a bit strange?” -Mirage

“Demons who wear uniforms like me seem to be quite eccentric. They’re loyal to their duties, and their thanking isn’t so unnatural, so there’s no particular problem.” -Astarte

“Um, well, if you’re not bothered by it, then it’s fine. But I felt something, not loyalty, but something else.” -Mirage

“I don’t care much, but at least from now on, you’ll be working as a member of the same army as Mirage, so I think it’s not good to have too much prejudice.” -Astarte

Hearing that, Mirage forced himself to agree and continued walking. The transfer order didn’t specify a duration, so he didn’t know how long he would spend here, but he would have to work here for a while. The position of deputy to the Four Heavenly Kings is a high-ranking position that is not easily replaced.

Therefore, to view subordinates through prejudiced eyes is shameful for a superior. However, Mirage didn’t know about the gathering of demons who were devoted to Astarte, who was primarily composed of demons. And Astarte, the object of their admiration, seemed to only recognize them as slightly unusual subordinates.

“Well, this is Belzebuth-sama’s office. Let me remind you again, please make sure not to make any mistakes.” -Astarte

Mirage nodded to Astarte’s whisper. Whether she confirmed it or not, Astarte, nodding slightly, knocked on the office door and conveyed her business.

“Cough… Belzebuth-sama, it’s Astarte. I’ve brought Mirage, who will be joining from today!” -Astarte

“Come in~.” -Belzebuth

Contrary to Astarte, who raised her voice somewhat nervously, the words returning from the other side of the door were quite light. As Astarte opened the door and entered the room, Mirage moved his feet forward and raised his voice.

“I am Mirage, appointed as the deputy to Belzebuth of the Four Heavenly Kings from today. I apologize for being la-” -Mirage

Mirage, who was about to apologize for his late arrival along with his greetings, suddenly stopped speaking. He was faced with the same situation as before, a sharp blade being thrown at his neck, just like when Astarte had attacked him.