The NTR Hero Knelt Before the Demon King – Chapter 34

Wide Hallway of the Demon King’s Castle.

As I walked slowly through it, I surprisingly felt a considerable amount of intense tension.

“A meeting of the Demon King’s Army… I never expected the day would come when I’d attend such an assembly as a Hero.”

According to the rumors, the high command of the Demon Races was planning a massive counteroffensive under the Demon King’s Order.

The repercussions of the achievements that Eliza and I had accomplished earlier in Rob, where we had set ablaze the supply lines of the Racial Alliance, were already manifesting throughout the Alliance’s camp.

Immediately, the periodic offensives from those guys had suddenly ceased, and the atmosphere in the occupied territories had noticeably calmed down.

It was clear that, for the moment, they could not afford to engage in battle.

Additionally, another piece of news that recently reached me indicated that internal conflicts had unexpectedly erupted within the Racial Alliance.

This marked an opportunity for the Demon Races, who had been solely focused on defense, to strike back—an opportunity that might never come again. It was also a golden chance for me, who wished to achieve great merit for our Demon King sister.

“I need to show something decisive in this opportunity, just like in Rob. Especially since most of the other aides and generals will be participating this time…”

It might be a given, but there were still quite a few high-ranking Demon Races who harbored doubts about me.

I was determined to give my all in this operation to dispel as much of that suspicion as I could, and so I continued my steps toward the conference room.

At that moment…

“Huh?”

“A Hero? It’s been a while.”

As I turned the corner along the hallway, a familiar figure caught my eye.

A small Demon Race with silvery shining hair and a petite stature, who I had to look down at.

Seeing Eliza, with whom I had previously carried out operations in Rob, I felt a mix of awkwardness and slight joy, and so I spoke up.

“Long time no see, Eliza. Have you been well?”

Unlike her previous appearance fully clad in purple armor, she was now dressed in a pristine white uniform.

Honestly, her appearance gave off the impression of a little girl in cosplay, and I couldn’t help but find it somewhat cute.

While I was having that thought, Eliza showed a light smile on her lips and said,

“Well… I’ve managed just fine. But you, Hero, look like you’ve been doing exceptionally well, judging by how much better you appear compared to before.”

“…I can’t deny that. Thanks to Your Majesty, the Demon King’s grace, I’ve been living comfortably, way better than when I was with the Hero Party.”

“That’s only natural. In our Demon Kingdom, it’s a fundamental principle that capable individuals are treated appropriately. I believe someone like you deserves such treatment.”

Eliza spoke with an unexpectedly sincere tone, not laced with sarcasm.

Watching her, I automatically recognized that her attitude towards me had significantly softened compared to our first meeting.

“Well… considering we have fought back to back and even saved each other’s lives, it makes sense.”

To be honest, during our first mission, Eliza had felt more like a watchdog than a comrade. It was highly probable she had covertly been assigned such a task, but regardless, compared to then, I could sense that she now harbored a friendlier sentiment.

Without even intending to, I realized that Eliza’s fondness for me had slightly increased, so I began walking alongside her down the hallway toward the conference room.

“By the way, I heard that not only the four kings of the Elite Guard but also the generals will be participating in this meeting?”

“Yes, that’s correct. They have combat power on par with, or slightly inferior to, ours, but unlike us, they wield command authority over armies. While not everyone will show up, I expect most to attend given it’s the Demon King’s summons.”

“Got it…”

Listening to Eliza, I suddenly found myself automatically recalling memories from the past…

More precisely, I began to remember things related to what I had known from the original game.

The generals who had existed almost like mid-bosses of the Demon King’s Army.

According to the setup, there were supposed to be about five generals, but in terms of progressing through the story, I had only faced one of them.

Despite being an early-game boss, he had significantly troubled the Hero Party, who had been at a low level, showcasing immense power, wit, and ruthlessness, all while giving us users a taste of a “YOU DIE” meeting.

Even at the very last moment, he had barely managed to escape the Hero’s sword, radiating enormous hatred and vowing revenge, thus proving just how strong a Demon General could be.

Demon General No. 2, Elias.

Given the plot’s foreshadowing, I personally hoped to see him make another appearance, but he had stayed hidden until the very end without revealing his face. As I thought about that, I began to feel a slight sense of anticipation.

“This upcoming meeting… maybe here I’ll finally see Elias’s true form? He’s a character I’ve been curious about, even if it’s just in dummy data.”

The difficulty level had been quite high for a mid-boss, but it had left a strong impression.

As I pondered what Elias might actually look like, I felt that my curiosity might soon be resolved.

At that moment—

“Oh my… Eliza.”

A sudden female voice rang out behind us.

Eliza and I turned around immediately.

The figure that caught my eye a moment later was a female Demon Race in an outfit reminiscent of a black mourning dress.

She had a considerably tall stature, with red hair and brown eyes, and like Eliza, she bore a single horn on her forehead.

Her overall physique gave off a relatively slim vibe, and her face had an aura that radiated maturity along with a deep compassion.

She presented an impression of someone who could embrace everything, both generous and tranquil.

If I were to make a comparison…

“Mama!”

“Eh?”

In the next moment, Eliza brightly called out and jumped right into the embrace of the woman.

I couldn’t help but feel a bit taken aback at the sight of Eliza, who had just a moment ago displayed a semblance of ‘seriousness’, now tossing those feelings aside.

“Well, well… have you been doing well, sweetheart?”

The woman spoke warmly as she embraced Eliza.

Eliza buried her face in the woman’s chest, her eyes sparkling as she responded.

“Yeah! I’ve been well, but… I missed you, Mama. I worked hard while being apart from you, but honestly, it was pretty tough.”

“I’m sorry. Mama has been very busy, hasn’t she? I should’ve sent letters more often than I did. I’ll make sure to be more considerate in the future.”

“Hey… you’re making a promise, right?”

“Yes, I promise.”

Honestly, looking at just the image, the moment didn’t feel out of place.

However, the fact that this person, who had just been standing before me as a serious member of the Demon King’s Elite Guard, was now engaging in such a cutesy conversation really left me feeling quite strange.

“Well… it’s not always that people have the same image inside and outside, but this gap feels a bit too much… By the way, ‘Mama’? That doesn’t sound like a simple title; could she actually be Eliza’s real mother?”

Her hairstyle had a slight difference in color, yet she bore a striking resemblance to Eliza.

Seeing her, I began to think that it wasn’t just a simple term of endearment, and it was highly likely this woman was indeed Eliza’s mother, so I cautiously approached the two.

At that moment…

“…Oh my… who is this?”

“!”

In the next moment, the woman slowly released Eliza from her embrace and turned her gaze toward me.

The warmth that had been present just a moment ago vanished as she fixed a fierce stare onto me, her expression shifting to one of sheer intensity.

The unmistakable shine of enmity was evident.

This sudden turn of atmosphere left me instinctively on edge…

Then she spoke in a chilling voice, sharpening her tone.

“Well now, isn’t that the Hero? The filthy blade of the Racial Alliance. What exactly are you doing in this place?”

The contrast between her previous warm smile and this utterly chilling demeanor was jarring.

I could tell her pure fighting power was likely below mine, but nevertheless, the unfiltered enmity I sensed from her made me furrow my brow slightly.

But then…

“Don’t do that, Mama. Even if he looks like this, he’s acknowledged as an ally by the Demon King, isn’t he? Plus, fighting in a place like this is prohibited.”

“…Haah…”

“Then Hero, well… although it’s technically a reunion, let me introduce you.”

With Eliza’s remark, ‘Mama’ began to dampen her ominous presence.

Eliza was about to formally introduce her, and I could feel a slight sense of relief as the atmosphere calmed down.

But then…

“This is my mother, and the Second General, Elias.”

“Ah… is that so? This person is… what?”

Following Eliza’s words, I could only feel as though I had just been struck with an enormous hammer, the shock surpassing even the ominous aura from before.