The Demon King Seems to Conquer the World

*Knock*

*Knock*

The door was knocked, and a woman appeared. Her skin was slightly dark, and at first, Adil thought she was from the Entak Dragon Kingdom. The people of the Dragon Kingdom had fought long wars on the Peninsula and during the long period of rule, northern blood mixed in. herefore, compared to the people of the Kururuan Dragon Empire, many had lighter skin or different facial features.

“Good day, Your Highness Adil.” (Eisa)

The woman greeted him in the Dragon Empire style. Her intonation had a slight accent, but it was fluent enough to be understood in Arn language.

“Please state your name.” (Adil)

“My name is Eisa Wichita. I am originally from the Papal States, but now belong to the Shaalta Kingdom. As I thought, you don’t remember me, do you?”  (Eisa)

“… Huh? Ah… yes, sorry.” (Adil)

Had we met before?

“Previously, when I came to the Dragon Empire for research, I was asked by the Empress to tutor you for one day. However, at that time, Your Highness was not even 10 years old, so it’s only natural that you don’t remember.” (Eisa)

“I see.” (Adil)

“I was a bit worried when I heard you were taken prisoner on the battlefield, but I’m relieved to see you safe.” (Eisa)

“Yes. Ah, please have a seat.”  (Adil)

When Adil said that, the woman who introduced herself as Eisa politely excused herself before sitting on the sofa with a straight posture.

“Is there anything inconvenient about living here? Though, there is not much I can do to help.” (Eisa)

“Um, let me see. Well, it’s inconvenient that I can’t go outside freely, and the language barrier is troublesome.” (Adil)

“Oh… is that so? I can’t help with going outside… but is the Telor language still difficult?” (Eisa)

“Yes.” (Adil)

Adil hadn’t skipped learning the Telor language in Dragon Palace. But even when he heard it, he couldn’t quite catch it or speak it well. The Shanti seemed to study Telor as their main foreign language, so no one here spoke Arn. Though many interpreters from the Dragon Empire spoke Telor, none could speak Shan. Apparently, there had been no contact between the two countries for a long time. Therefore, there was no one who could speak both Shan and Arnish. The responsible officials only spoke Shan, so when Adil needed to communicate, it had to go through Telor. From Arn to Telor, then from Telor to Shan. This two-step interpretation often caused confusion and took time, with meanings changing along the way. For instance, when he asked for fruit, strong fruit liquor was brought instead, and when he requested writing tools, art supplies for drawing were delivered.

“Hmm. I have a suggestion. One of my students has expressed interest in learning Arn. How about it? If I place her by your side, it could help her studies as well. Shall I talk to her?” (Eisa)

“Huh? Oh, really… hmm…” (Adil)

To be honest, he wasn’t very keen on the idea. The student would be a girl around his age, right? There were many women in the harem. However, except for his mother, most of the women in the harem hated and tried to harm Adil. His mother, Midia, was also hostile toward them and kept them away from Adil. There were many women who served as attendants or slaves, or as tutors like the one before him, but up to now, Adil had never had close interaction with a specific young woman.

“Alright, then, I’ll leave it to you.” (Adil)

“Yes… but, she’s from a noble household, so she’s not a servant. Please understand that.”  (Eisa)

“I understand. Either way, I have plenty of free time.”  (Adil)

“I see. Then, she might be a good conversational partner. Since she’s a student, I don’t have a master-servant relationship with her, so if she says no, there’s nothing I can do. But I’ll try talking to her.” (Eisa)

“… A student, you say?” (Adil)

“Yes, in Galilianin… oh, I should say Shantinion now, shouldn’t I? She wanted to learn foreign languages in the heart of Shantinion, so she came with me. Her Arn is still basic, but she can speak Telor almost perfectly. She’s very diligent in her studies.” (Eisa)

“I see…” (Adil)

Adil had never met a student his age. He had always been surrounded by tutors teaching only him in the harem.

“Yes… well, I’m sorry, but I must take my leave soon.” (Eisa)

The woman who called herself Eisa said hastily after checking her pocket watch.

“Are you busy?” (Adil)

“To tell the truth, that’s the case. Originally, I wasn’t planning to stop in this city, but when I heard that Your Highness had been taken prisoner, I decided to at least come and greet you.” (Eisa)

“I see, thank you for that.” (Adil)

“I apologize for the rush. Then, I pray for the peace of Your Highness’s heart.” (Eisa)

After saying that formal, old-fashioned greeting, the woman who introduced herself as Eisa bowed again in the Dragon Empire style and left the room.

—

“Hello.” (??)

That afternoon, a girl appeared who looked younger than Adil. Her skin was pale, and her long hair was braided. She was small in stature and held a thick book by her side. She was dressed in modest, plain commoner clothes, and didn’t give the impression of being the daughter of a noble Household.

“My name is Sher Marmaset.” (Sher)

She gave a brief bow of her head as a greeting. She was speaking in Arn, though it sounded somewhat halting.

“Pleased to meet you.” (Adil)

Adil returned the greeting.

“As I understand it, my role is to be a conversation partner to pass the time and to act as an interpreter for conveying your requests, correct?” (Sher)

“Yes, that’s right.” (Adil)

“Let me clarify in advance. As an unmarried woman, I will not be in the same room at night.” (Sher)

“I see.” (Adil)

Her Arnish was a bit difficult to understand, but she likely meant that she wouldn’t come at night.

“And there is one thing I’d like to ask of you.” (Sher)

“Yes?” (Adil)

What could it be? Perhaps a request like asking him not to touch her?

“If my Arn is incorrect, I’d like you to correct me each time. Both in terms of grammar and usage. If it’s left unclear, I won’t gain anything from the conversation.” (Sher)

“Huh… I see.” (Adil)

“Is that alright?” (Sher)

“Yes, well… would you like me to start by pointing out the mistakes in what you just said?” (Adil)

“Yes, please.” (Sher)

“The phrase ‘correct me’ is a bit off. ‘Do this’ is used by someone in a higher position toward someone lower, so pairing it with the polite term ‘correct’ feels awkward.” (Adil)

“… I see.” (Sher)

After saying this, Sher took a small, thin book and a pen from her pocket and jotted something down.

“This is educational. Please keep going like that.” (Sher)

“Got it, I understand.” (Adil)

It seemed a bit troublesome, but since he had nothing but free time, if it became tiresome, he could always ask her not to come anymore. Talking with foreigners was said to be enjoyable, and if it ended up being an entertaining way to pass the time, it would benefit both of them.

—

A week later, Sher’s Arn had noticeably improved. She would reflect on each word in their conversations, and not only did she fix the usage errors that Adil pointed out, but she also adjusted her speech to refine her intonation. Even after leaving in the evening, she seemed to study through the night, returning the next day with a mountain of questions and points of confusion. Her dedication was so impressive that, even in conversation, Adil couldn’t help but admire how she never settled for ‘good enough’.

“Sher, why are you so devoted to learning Arn?” (Adil)

At Sher’s request, Adil was speaking more casually, as she wanted to practice natural, informal conversation.

“To revive the house of Marmaset.” (Sher)

“It’s strange to use ‘da wa’ and ‘yo’ together.” (Adil)

“Would it be better to say ‘to revive’?” (Sher)

“Yeah.” (Adil)

The flow of the conversation had been interrupted.

Let’s continue.

“Eisa told me that you are from a noble household.” (Sher)

That’s what I recalled hearing.

“Noble household…” (Sher)

Sher murmured, her eyes looking distant for some reason.

“Well, yes. That’s not wrong.” (Sher)

“If you’re from a noble household, ‘revive’ sounds strange. A more appropriate word would be ‘prosper’.” (Adil)

Adil thought she must have misspoken. The word ‘revive’ was used when something that had flourished collapsed and was then revived. Unless it was a case where a once-great royal household had fallen to the status of a mere noble house, using ‘revive’ seemed incorrect.

“I’m not wrong. We’ve only recently become fallen nobles, so there are still many people who feel the prestige of our house. That’s why calling it a noble household isn’t incorrect.” (Sher)

“Then, is it a situation where they fell into ruin and it’s not very good?” (Adil)

“It’s more than just ‘not very good’. If I were to compare it with your country… it is similar to the family of the ringleader who started a rebellion against the royal family and was suppressed.” (Sher)

Adil’s mind went blank for a moment.

“What do you mean? If that’s the case, wouldn’t they all be… killed?” (Adil)

“My grandmother and mother were sentenced to death. My grandmother, her name was Izabo Marmasette, and she was quite famous.” (Sher)

“Sher, were you spared?” (Adil)

“I was a student and hadn’t been informed of anything, so I was not charged with any crime. By the way, my mother was charged with incitement to murder, and my grandmother, well, she was probably charged with treason. She moved her private army during the rebellion.” (Sher)

“I see… is that so.” (Adil)

Aadil couldn’t grasp it. He didn’t fully understand the crimes committed by Sher’s family, so he couldn’t comprehend the whole situation. Aadil wasn’t well-versed in the law, but generally, if it was a rebellion large enough to threaten the royal family, the entire family would be implicated and punished. The family would be wiped out, and even if someone survived, they wouldn’t be allowed to publicly use their family name.

Sher was here without any public issues, and she wasn’t hiding here like someone who had escaped the punishment she deserved. She used the surname Marmasett without any problems, and she didn’t sneak in by bribing the guards when entering this room. Adil couldn’t quite grasp the idea that the daughter of someone guilty of treason could live like this.

“Well, I can’t hold public office, become a bureaucrat and even if I were hired, I’d be stuck at the bottom, kept in a dead-end job. So, I’m working hard, looking for another path.” (Sher)

“Another path… what exactly are you aiming for?” (Adil)

“School.” (Sher)

“School?” (Adil)

“I’m planning to establish a language school in the royal capital and run it. In the coming era, there will undoubtedly be a demand for it.” (Sher)

“Are you planning to build a school, gather money, and eventually take revenge?” (Adil)

“Revenge?” (Sher)

Shel laughed it off.

“No, no. You wouldn’t understand since you don’t know much about our country, but my grandmother and the others were true traitors. I don’t hold any grudge against their purging.” (Sher)

“I see…” (Adil)

Adil still couldn’t fully grasp it. In the Dragon Empire, if a parent plotted a rebellion, the child would be punished as well, and if the child managed to escape after the parent was killed, they would vow revenge. However, that was a man’s world, and perhaps the story was different for daughters like Sher.

“If I were to ever seek revenge, it would probably be against Ravello Rube and Myaro Gudanvier. Ravello Lube killed my grandmother like an insect before the trial, and it’s humiliating that Gudanvier acts so high and mighty.”

Even as she said this, Sher didn’t seem particularly interested. Her primary goal was the establishment of the school, and she didn’t seem to be pouring her passion into revenge. It felt more like something she might address if she ever had the financial and time resources to spare.

“Well… it’s something that will probably have nothing to do with your life. It’s all something that happened at the western end of the world.” (Sher)

“Is that so? Well, maybe.” (Adil)

“Now, let me get back to studying. This sentence in this book, it doesn’t make sense in context. Could it be some kind of metaphor?” (Sher)

Sher came next to Aadil, opened the book, and pointed out the problematic sentence with her finger. She was endlessly diligent in her studies, and that day as well, she continued learning until evening.

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