The Demon Lord's Bride (BL)
Chapter 416: You should make sure you’re alone before calling your long-distance boyfriend

Chapter 416: You should make sure you’re alone before calling your long-distance boyfriend

"Let’s go, let’s go!" Aina whispered to me in the middle of the party, and we slipped out of the festivities with determination.

Honestly, the party itself was more for the citizens of the country who were finally freed of the mana pollution’s threat. Rather than doing it in the Capital, the party was done in the city meant for tourism, not far from the last purification site.

Perhaps because of the impromptu festival that happened in the town before, the Regent had already arranged for a real festival in this tourist town, even while I was in the middle of work. People came from around the country, as far as the news could travel. Bards and messengers, as it happened, were working hard to spread the news of the purified land.

And so, while I adamantly didn’t want my identity to be exposed, was still got caught up in the celebration. Thankfully, our small group had our own party in one of the inns, and everyone seemed to let themselves loose. Well...they were people who had been involved with this civil war--or rather, in ending the civil war--after all. Fatia was an obvious case, but it seemed like even the Hero and Ian had become attached to the people here.

Zarfa...well, she just liked to have fun was all. She could never do too much before--just like me--because of her heart condition, so she liked to have fun whenever she could now, which was fit for her outgoing disposition.

I guess I knew now what Aina meant by they rather go for the ’real’ festival.

So there I was, watching my friend get wasted from the atmosphere--even though she only drank like...a glass of wine. I wondered if she would get drunk during my wedding too...

Of course, Ignis had been giving me a stern eye to not touch the alcohol that ’came from who knows where’, according to the Salamander.

Phew, what a strict bodyguard this one is. But I knew enough that I had a low tolerance, so I already rejected any drink that came my way, even from Zarfa. In all of this, Aina became my best partner, as she didn’t like the taste of alcohol, and thus never touched it during the party. Together, we dragged Zarfa away from the hall and escaped the party.

"Phew..." Aina threw a blanket over the whining drunk girl and turned toward me. "Should we do that now?"

"Yup," I nodded, and snapped my hand at Ignis, who created a barrier around the room. Aina locked the door once more, just to be sure, and scurried over to the table where I put her masterpiece on.

Jade flew around the clear ball curiously as I poured mana inside. Thanks to the increase in proficiency through the last two attempts of purification, the work today was easier. And since I did it leisurely, I still had a lot of energy left to power up this inter-realm communication device that was almost as greedy as Shwa.

This was why I couldn’t try it on the first or second night--I was too wary of the mana consumption. But I wouldn’t need to expend any mana tomorrow--just touring a little bit before going home--so trying it now was doable.

Aina gripped her fist tight. As the creator, she must be the most eager for this to work. And indeed, if it worked, Natha would buy a lot of it himself, as well as sell it to the realm of nature. Profit for him, profit for her, everyone will be happy!

"Hmm...how many mana stones would it need to get activated?" I wondered as I kept pouring mana inside. Of all the skills I had, conversion was not one of them. Perhaps Lesta would know, since he was good with calculation.

"I don’t know, but I know it’ll be impossible if they’re not rich," Aina laughed. "Oh, at least Zarfa might be able to do it once in a while."

"Wouldn’t it work to power it from just one side?" I asked. It’d be fine if I was the only one providing mana, right? It wasn’t like I had a place for this abundant resource of mine to go to.

"It could work if you handle the burden of both devices," Aina shrugged. "Normally, both devices need a separate source of power, but well...you do have a lot of mana, so...ah, but..." she glanced at the mumbling drunk girl on the bed. "That means she will have to wait until you contact her first, but knowing her..."

"She would want to contact me first whenever she could," I laughed, recalling all the times Ceci would run to my room during her hospital stay despite the nurses telling her not to.

She said it was because my room had the biggest television and a nicer couch, but I knew it was because we both got lonely easily. She would blabber all the things she saw in her dreams and write them down to be a novel.

Ah...I wondered if the Goddess showed her the visions because she was my only friend there, and the only one who could relay those visions to me.

Eh--didn’t matter now.

"Oh, it’s connected! It’s connected!" Aina gasped and exclaimed and shook my shoulder hard, prompting Jade to give her a surprised look.

But the little bird got more surprised by the static sound coming from the clear orb--that was no longer clear now. It had turned red, just like the normal communication orb.

"Hello?"

[This is quite an ungodly hour, isn’t it?]

[Nightmare’s voice!] Jade gasped and tapped the orb with its wing. [Nightmare’s voice come from this!]

I could hear Natha’s smile in that reply; even through the sound of Aina’s sudden shrill voice as she ran laps around the room. "Wheee!!" she was as excited as Jade during the flight with Vrida. I was worried about Zarfa, who was sleeping, but she just mumbled incoherently and curled her body beneath the blanket.

[I see the ma..er is ex..ted]

"Oh, the sound is not so clear," I patted the orb, and Aina gasped again as she lurched to the table.

"Can you hear me? Can you hear me Big Boss?!"

[I c-n; sto...shouting. Wait...bit]

We heard a slight buzzing sound as the red color got even deeper. "Oh! Are you injecting your mana?"

[Hmm? Yes. Can you hear me clearly now?]

"Oh! Oh! So it’ll be like that without sufficient mana!" Aina clapped her hand and ran again toward her bag on the other bed, rummaging for her notebook and swiftly writing down stuff.

Hmm...I guess mana worked like a signal, then?

[Nightmare, Nightmare! Can Nightmare hear Jade?]

[Did the brat say something?]

Of course, the little bird fumed. [Jade already tell Nightmare that Jade not a brat!]

"Jade asked if you can hear--hmm...Natha can’t hear your thoughts from that far, Jade," I patted the fuming little bird and held it because it was just a shy away from kicking the communication orb in annoyance. "He can only hear your chirping."

[Oh...so Jade have to turn into human first to speak with Nightmare through this?]

"Yep," I nodded. "This will be expensive, huh? I mean, just the activation cost if using mana stones."

[Hmm...probably about a third needed to activate a portal. But isn’t that an expected amount for this kind of distance?] Natha said. [Considering the strategic importance, it isn’t so bad]

Of course, it wouldn’t be so bad for a multi-billionaire like you, huh?

[Besides, I’m sure the inventor will try to raise the efficiency even more, no?]

"Yes, Big Boss! Don’t you worry!"

[So she said. But what are you doing this late, sweetheart?]

"Oh, they made a party downstairs," I told him, and added swiftly when I heard him shifting on the other side. "But I slipped out with Aina, and I didn’t drink any alcohol--you can ask Ignis."

[Alright, good. You know you’re kind of...dangerous when you’re drunk, don’t you?]

"I know," I grumbled, eliciting a peal of laughter from the other side.

[You can drink whatever you want here, when you’re safe]

"...really?"

[But it’s not like you like to drink in the first place]

"But you know...during a celebration, you kind of want to...don’t you? It’s like...the vibe, or the atmosphere!"

[That’s true] I heard another rustling sound, followed by his gentle voice. [So, when are you going home?]

Mmh...if he asked me like that, I wanted to just go home now. But...

"I’ll go around the place for a bit, to look for souvenirs while sightseeing," I told him. "I promised Ceci--I mean, Zarfa--that we will have a date tomorrow."

[I see...a date, huh...]

Suddenly, I remembered what Zarfa said before, that Natha used to get jealous of her back on Earth. "I...it’s not that kind of date! Don’t misunderstand!"

Surprisingly, what I heard from the orb was another laughter. [I know that much, sweetheart] he said. [Don’t worry and have fun as much as you want tomorrow before going back]

"...oh?"

[I better not hear you regret not doing this and that and ask to go back before our wedding]

Pfft--I was the one who laughed this time, and oh...I would have kissed the orb if I was in my own room.

"Umm...I won’t be long," I whispered to the orb. "I’ll just go around a bit and come back after luncheon."

[It’s fine even if you take your time] Natha said softly. [Just be safe and have fun with your friends]

"Hehe...okay!"

[But stay away from that Hero or whatever]

Ugh...

[Alright, you should go to sleep now if you want to play tomorrow]

Oh, must I? I let out a sigh and tapped on the communication orb. Well, I guess I should, since it was already past midnight, and I hadn’t got any sleep since...uhh...yesterday?

I heard a soft knock from the other side, and an even softer voice. [Good night, sweetheart]

"Good night..."

[I love you]

Ngggh! "I love you..."

Slowly, the red hue of the orb got fainter and fainter, until it became clear again, reflecting my downturned lips. "Haa..."

[Master? Master alright?]

"No..."

And then I heard a giggle. "People in love are always interesting to watch..." Aina covered her mouth while curling her eyes teasingly.

Ah, damn it! I should have done it in my own room!