Welcome to the Special-Grade Guild! ~ The Beloved Elf Poster Girl Soothes Everyone’s Hearts ~
Chapter 152

152. Let’s Go To Demon Castle! (Part 3)

After that, we all enjoyed some tea and conversation. Kron-san’s homemade scones, with their not-too-sweet cream and jam, were incredibly delicious…! Good food makes my troubles go away, that’s how simple I am!

“Now then, Meg. I hate to do this, but I need to get back to work.”

As I was feeling all warm and fuzzy, sipping on my milk tea, the Demon King said this with a look of utter displeasure. He’s still as averse to work as ever. Kron-san’s eyes seemed colder than usual, glaring at him…

“I think I’ll go observe him for a bit… Kron, can I leave Meg with you?”

“My apologies, but then I wouldn’t be watching over Zahariash-sama.”

Oops, I’m in the way! I insisted that it was okay for me to wait alone, but that was immediately rejected.

“She’ll get lost.”

“She’s too cute, it’s too dangerous! We don’t know when someone might kidnap her!”

“Meg-sama went out of her way to come here, we can’t let her waste her time.”

They all had their own reasons, but the point was, it wasn’t okay. So what should we do? Kron-san then offered to ask someone else.

“He’s a bit old, but he’s kind, courteous, and someone I can trust to look after Meg-sama. He’s the prime minister.”

Wait, wait! The prime minister!? I-I can’t imagine someone like that having time for this! I heard from Dad that he’s basically the one running the country, since the Demon King tends to shirk his work… Whoa, is it even okay to have the prime minister babysit? No, it’s not!

“Meg, I get what you’re thinking. But you’re technically the next Demon King, so it’s good to be acquainted with the prime minister. He has a good personality, don’t worry.”

“R-Really? But… is it okay? I feel bad…”

I’m worried about troubling someone so important. Well, I do have the most important person in the country looking after me… But this is different! As I was shrinking back, a gentle voice called out to me from behind.

“It’s not a problem at all. Or rather, please allow me to give you a tour, Meg-sama.”

I turned to face the voice, and saw a gentleman with slicked-back orange hair. He was wearing a camel-colored suit, exuding a capable aura. This must be the prime minister. He didn’t seem to be old, like Kron-san had said. His posture was perfect, his demeanor that of a true gentleman! I couldn’t help but to stare at this handsome, older man.

“My apologies for the late introduction. I am the prime minister of this country, Huedlihi. Please call me Huey, Meg-sama. I apologize if an old man like myself is not to your liking.”

“N-Not at all! My name’s Meg! Nice to meetchu!”

I hurriedly greeted him, flustered by Huey’s playful wink. Ugh, old man? You’ve got to be kidding!

I was currently holding hands and being led around Demon Castle by Huey. It made me nervous! But he was incredibly kind and considerate. He made sure I didn’t get tired, giving me a detailed tour of the castle. It was a far cry from when Reki had given me a tour of the guild a long time ago, it made me nostalgic.

“Are you alright, Meg-sama? The stairs are a bit steep, but I’d really like you to see this place.”

“O-Okay! I’ll do my best!”

But those stairs were indeed steep! It was a spiral staircase, so I couldn’t see how long it was, and since it was steep, I was starting to get out of breath. I-It’s not like I’m out of shape!

“Here we are. Why don’t you open the door?”

We’d finally reached the top, and all I could see was a large door. I wonder what’s behind it? I slowly opened it and couldn’t help but to exclaim,

“Whoooa… so beautiful…”

The door led outside. It wasn’t that wide, but since it was circular, I could get a panoramic view. Beneath us, a beautiful cityscape, a little further out, forests surrounding the city. And beyond that, plains, and even the horizon.

This was the highest point in Demon Castle. Huey explained that it had been created so you could see the whole city from here. As I was enjoying the scenery, he spoke, his voice quiet.

“Meg-sama, this is a bit personal, but… my daughter was born a few years ago. At my age, you know? It was quite a surprise, but a happy one.”

“Really!? Congwatulations!”

He says “at my age,” but is he really that old? It’s hard to tell a demi-human’s age from their appearance. They do age, but he looks younger than Dad, so it doesn’t really click… But since he’s saying it himself, he must be quite old. I’ll refrain from asking. It’s a happy occasion!

“And I’m not the only one. Among those who work in Demon Castle, ten children have been born in the past 50 years. And even more if you include the castle town. Those numbers will only grow.”

Demi-humans have a much lower birthrate compared to humans, and the city where Ortus is located has a lot of rare demi-humans, so it’s easy to forget that… But that doesn’t mean they’re not being born. I was a bit moved.

“Of course, there are few who will live as long as Meg-sama and the other rare demi-humans. But it’s unlikely you’ll ever become alone, Meg-sama.”

Ah… I see. I finally understood what Huey-san was trying to say.

“Even generations later, we will continue to love you, Meg-sama. We eagerly await the coming of the day where you’ll think of our descendants as family.”

He knew what I was worried about. He must have known all along, since the Demon King. And maybe he’d been supporting the Demon King since then, reassuring him. It warmed my heart.

“I apologize if that was presumptuous.”

Huey said this with a worried look on his face, so I immediately shook my head.

“Nuh-uh! It makes me happy, and I feel so much better! Thanks!”

I’m not sure if I’m ready, but those words will support me in the future. I feel like I can look forward to the future, just a little bit!

We then exchanged smiles, and after enjoying the scenery a bit longer, we continued our tour of Demon Castle.

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