Demon Lord: Erotic Adventure in Another World - Chapter 693

693: The Instinct of a Father 693: The Instinct of a Father Two days had passed since Vivi started living with Nerim and Ryuji.

Thanks to the information gained from Vivi, Ryuji learned the method needed to enter the auction and the password.

After he destroyed her slave collar using demonic and divine magic, he set Vivi free.  However, rather than leaving…

she wanted to stay with him.  “It seems we need to alter our looks a little.” Nerim sighed while glancing out the window with narrowed eyes.

“Those thugs will likely be on the lookout for us by now, so as to avoid notice.

Let’s use disguises for now.” Nerim took out various outfits, different from her usual outfit.

It was a pure black outfit with a brown leather tunic.

She then took various things from her item bracelets, from a huge box of makeup to a chest filled with accessories.  “Come here, Vivi I will help you first.”  After bathing Vivi, her hair became bright blue, rather than the colour she dyed it, along with her skin, which carried a faint bluish glow.  Unlike Gretel, another oni who gained red hair and skin, the element and temperament of Vivi seemed quite different.

‘It reminds me of the old tale from my homeland…

the red and blue oni.’ Ryuji didn’t rush Nerim and instead sent a communication to Thorim, Logan and Zahir, who seemed to have enjoyed the market together and gone for a meal.

‘Although I would want more allies, these guys aren’t suitable for the auction.’ He remained quiet in the dark room, listening to the sound of water splashing and Vivi’s angry complaints about bubbles in her eyes.

The two women eventually came out of the spare room.  Vivi’s blue hair shimmered in the moonlight, while her face looked transformed after the caked-on dirt vanished.

‘It seems one wash wasn’t enough…’ She wore a simple white dress with floral patterns and frills, performing a spin with both hands on her hips.  He couldn’t deny she looked like a princess.  However, the biggest change was Nerim’s disguise…

Ryuji glanced at her as she stepped out of the shadows, her tanned skin glossy and smooth like caramel.

No traces of her bubblegum pink hair remained, now dark like midnight ink as her hair swept across her shoulder, revealing her delicate collarbones and modestly perky breasts.

Her scales and gills vanished, with two horns poking from her temples.  “You look like siblings now.” The only difference between the two girls was their skin colour, and that Nerim carried a fatal, seductive aura that even captivated the emperor of demons for a short while as he stared at her.

“Hm~ but how do I look?” Nerim winked, which made her long lashes appear to dance.

Vivi also mimicked the movements and actions of Nerim, which added an absurdity to the situation that allowed Ryuji to calm himself and the growing hunger he felt towards the beautiful mermaid.

“You look so charming I want to kidnap you right away.” “Eh?” Sometimes, the charming mermaid’s provocative actions and her mind seemed out of sync, especially when she tried to flirt or charm Ryuji.

But he found this to be appealing too.

The red hue of her cheeks, the beautiful brown skin shining in the moonlight, as her pupils shrank and dilated.

He enjoyed teasing her in this way.

Because of that, the poor mermaid constantly grew embarrassed and tried harder to charm him.

Unaware that her target was a demon of lust.

The worst enemy of a chaste maiden.

*** Not long after they finished their disguises, the trio left the inn using Ryuji’s magic after she told him of her past.

He also told Nerim about himself, not everything, as he needed to tell her the truth slowly over time.

Otherwise, she might flee.

And he refused to let her escape his net.

“This city never stops celebrating does it?” Nerim mumbled as they walked through the stalls for the second night running.

Vivi didn’t make trouble and instead held Ryuji and Nerim’s hands like a pair of adults and their child.

“It’s because of the auction, the city isn’t always this bright but for the festival time it’s pretty…” Vivi’s voice became quiet as she glanced at a floating balloon with a mermaid printed on it.  “Do you want one?”  After becoming a father, Ryuji soon gained a sort of sixth sense for what his children wanted, whether it be a sword, a hug or something special from Velvet’s stash.  “Eh?”  As if shocked, Vivi turned to Ryuji, her big eyes dilated, but she hesitated for a moment before nodding.

But she soon shook her head.

“N-No it’s okay…

Only kids want stupid things like balloons…” Ryuji’s eyes shimmered gold as he sensed her change in emotion.

‘She wants one, but…

I should learn why.’ Nerim, who wasn’t a mother and still a virgin, seemed to lack the motherly factors that his wives gained after motherhood, but she could pull off the big sister role just fine.

He chuckled bitterly when he realised how old-fashioned his thoughts had become.

“Welcome customer!” “Give me that one, and that one.” “Anytime, sir!” Ryuji knelt beside her and took one of the balloon’s paying for it immediately, with the extra fancy ribbon curled using a blade.

“Could you add the name Vivi to the weight?

Mmm thanks.” The two balloons glistened in the evening light.

Because of the short days, the nights started just after dinner in this region.

Ryuji didn’t know at first, but it was related to a magic experiment that went wrong in the distant past.  Because of that, the North and Northeast of the mainland only had sun for ten hours a day.

“Are these really for me?”  “You wanted them right, take them.”  Vivi didn’t take things from Ryuji or Nerim easily, although she would wolf down meals.

If they bought expensive stuff like cheese or meat, she would hesitate and always look at his face to gauge his reaction.  Her big eyes shone as the glistening balloons swayed in her hands.

The silver foil sparkled from the distant fireworks, causing Vivi’s face to glow in various colours.

“Hehe~ it’s the first time…

mom used to-” Her words instantly stopped, as she froze.  Suddenly, her breathing became difficult as she clenched the balloons tight.

Ryuji reacted before he thought, his arms wrapped around Vivi and hugged her close, before lifting her like a princess.

“Don’t worry, it’s okay, it’s going to be alright.” His body swayed slightly, with a subtle bounce.  He closed his eyes and began to hum a calming tune while walking away from the market, and even Nerim watched his back, surprised.  His soothing voice overwrote the loud noises and bangs in the distance, as Vivi clenched her eyes and buried her face in his chest.

“Hnng…” Vivi stayed rigid in his arms for several steps, every muscle tight as a bowstring.

The balloons knocked softly against Ryuji’s shoulder, their faint rustling the only sound until her breathing evened out.

He didn’t speak or press her and just hummed his mother’s lullaby gently.

The instinct to hold, to shelter, came as naturally as drawing breath.

Nerim followed a half-step behind, silent, watching and couldn’t help her heart from pounding and her eyes following Ryuji.

The market vanished, the sand and dirt vanished…

only his handsome face and humming existed.  She had seen Ryuji fight monsters, tear through enemies without hesitation, yet this sudden change felt strange and fascinating.

Yet for Vivi, it was magical and comforting.

The fear that made her tremble vanished under the warmth and strange aura that wrapped her body.

Her small fingers clutched the fabric of Ryuji’s tunic, while he grasped the balloon she almost lost.

Ryuji stopped under an awning far from the crowds and dim with lantern lights; the soft shadows and muffled festival noises added a nice ambience.

He shifted her weight slightly and tied the balloons to Vivi’s belt, keeping her close but allowing her the chance to breathe.

“You’re safe now,” he murmured in a voice low enough that even Nerim barely caught it.

“No one here will touch you.” Vivi swallowed and glanced at him with trembling lips, but struggled to speak.

Ryuji didn’t press her and just smiled back.

“It’s okay.” “…It was because of a balloon,” she finally whispered.

He didn’t let his reaction show; instead of a sharp or sympathetic look that might make her retreat, he kept his expression warm and calm.

The same look he used for Nyxielle when she wet the bed and couldn’t stop crying.

“We were running,” she continued, voice thin.

“Mom knew the slavers were close, so she told me not to stop for anything.

But I saw it… a balloon just like this one with a mermaid.

And I was so stupid.

I tugged her arm and begged for it.” Vivi’s breathing became ragged and excited as she tried to convey countless thoughts as once…

Ryuji gently stroked her back.

“Don’t rush.

Take your time.” Nerim watched from the side quietly as the tale continued…

it wasn’t something complicated, Vivi’s mother was extremely beautiful and a member of a rare and enticing race.

A local noble made a request, and thus their horrible fate started.

Vivi and her mother ran through village to village, town to town and eventually came to Francel.

But they avoided capture.

Thanks to that, they spent a short time in this city without worries.

They settled in and started living like normal people, despite hiding their horns and faces.  That’s when Vivi and her mother attended the festival.

The poor oni eventually fell asleep with tears staining her plump cheeks.

Ryuji sat near their target.

He watched the sleeping Vivi, who became upset and focused on the balloon after telling most of her story.

It was an unfortunate series of events.

The noble had already found his mother, and to avoid being noticed, they slowly closed a net around Francel…

It just happened that the night her mother bought the balloons, that noble took action, and the two of them suffered a tragedy.

“Can you take her back to the inn, Nerim?” Ryuji spoke gently as he brushed the silky blue hair of the young oni.

“I will finish business really soon.” “…Mm, of course I will.” Nerim’s atmosphere became gloomy after learning what happened, so Ryuji gently stroked her cheek; although invisible, he could feel the smooth, cool sensation of her scales.  “Don’t cry, Nerim.” “W-Who is crying…

I am just.” “Mhm.” He brushed a hand over her hair.

“You don’t need to be.

I will make everything right, for you and Vivi.

I promise.” His voice became husky and deep when speaking to Nerim, almost as if unconsciously trying to seduce her.

The mermaid’s cheeks darkened as she lifted Vivi and hurriedly turned away. “D-Don’t come home too late!

I’ll be waiting for you….

stay safe!” She blurted out before darting away from the market along the rooftops.  Ryuji’s expression darkened the moment she vanished from sight.

‘These greedy nobles killed your mother…’ Despite not being directly related, whenever things related to a mother, he lost his usual control or calm…

just like with Gretel.  Ryuji wanted to punish those who made Vivi’s life a mess.