More powerful demons were generally able to take a more perfect humanoid shape. The demon in front of me looked so perfectly humanoid that if I wasn’t so deep into the demon territory, I would have passed him off as a normal human. Hence, I knew he had to be ridiculously strong.

Me: Are you Maou?

I didn’t know whether I was the stupid one who asked the demon lord an affirmation for his identity or he was, for answering.

Maou: I am.

Truth.

Maou: And I assume you’re a summoned Hero?

Me: I am.

I just looked up at him while hugging my knees. There wasn’t even a point of putting up a fight. He’d most likely kill me before I could even blink.

Maou: Interesting. I can somehow tell you are telling the truth.

Me: I have a Title that lets higher beings feel my sincerity. It’s probably due to that.

Maou: Higher being? I like the sound of that.

Truth.

He laughed and sat down in front of me.

Me: Aren’t you going to kill me?

Maou: Do you want me to?

Me: No?

Maou: And you’re not going to try and kill me?

Me: I don’t see the point of that.

He was most likely way too strong anyway.

Maou: Then I don’t see a point of killing you either.

Truth.

Me: But I have killed a lot of demons.

Maou: So?

Me: Are you not their king? Shouldn’t you protect them?

Maou: The demon realm is not the same as how humans work. Having fought and killed so many, as you claim, you must know how strong each demon is. As such, demons are much more independent, in contrast to humans who form communities to survive. As for my post as their king, it’s a namesake, sort of. Or you can think of it as a tradition. The title of demon lord is held by the strongest demon. I often have strong demons come and challenge me for it.

Truth.

I had a weird feeling then. How come he was being so truthful when everyone around me had lied to me so much? Did he have a way of deceiving my Skill? I tried to think of something to which he would have to lie to but couldn’t come up with anything. We passed several moments in silence but he just sat there patiently.

Me: Could you lie to my next question?

Maou: I have been lying to you all this time already.

Lie.

Me: …

Maou: Okay, that was actually a lie. I thought since you could somehow have others feel your sincerity, you might be able to do something similar and wanted to check if I had a way of subverting your Skill.

Truth.

He scratched his head.

Maou: Oftentimes, I tend to overestimate my opponents. It's a bad habit.

Truth.

Me: I have a Skill called Dragon Sight. It is different from the one that lets others know if I’m being sincere. This one lets me detect whether any statement you make is truthful or not.

For some reason, I felt like I wanted to tell him the truth. And I wanted to tell him more.

Maou: Ah, so I was right. And I suppose that Skill of yours is the reason why you’re here alone?

I nodded. I wanted to tell him more but something restricted me. It was those eyes Mark looked at me with before he asked me who I was. Or that steady gaze with which Mark2 had told he did love me once.

Me: Are you strong?

Maou: I am.

Truth.

He smiled.

Me: I’m weak.

Maou: Didn’t you say you killed a lot of demons?

Me: There was one whom I could just barely scratch. He called himself a high-rank demon.

Maou had been smiling most of the time but for the first time, his eyes opened wide in surprise.

Maou: You managed to scratch a high-rank demon?

He asked incredulously. I nodded.

Maou: Then you’re definitely not weak.

Truth.

He told me about the ranks of demons and that most of those I had been fighting were low-rank and occasionally mid-rank.

Maou: Most heroes who come to fight me have only just barely won against mid-rank demons and they think they’re strong and come to challenge me. Seeing as you're alive after meeting one, I would say you’re lucky to have met a high-rank demon in the first place. It really helps put you heroes in your place.

Truth.

Maou: If you hadn’t met him, you probably would have believed just like all the others that you’re strong and come challenging me to a fight.

Truth.

Was it like that? It really was. Meeting that high-rank demon had changed my life in so many ways.

Maou: I don’t mean to brag but I can kill hundreds of high-class demons instantly. It’s even a bother for me to consider them as strong.

Truth.

The demon that day had indeed been telling the truth in his mockery of me.

Maou: Unfortunately the scales are very hard for you to judge since you’re a human but in reality, having massive power gaps between individuals is normal.

Truth.

Me: I know. I realised that when I was saved from that high-rank demon by a dragon.

Maou raised his eyebrows in surprise. Somehow I could tell he wasn’t so used to being surprised.

Maou: Damn. Even I haven’t met a dragon before.

Truth.

He sprawled his legs and pouted. The sight of a grown man complaining that he was jealous inadvertently brought a smile to my face.

Maou: Ha! You finally smiled!

Truth.

I immediately stopped. I hadn’t smiled ever since I separated from Rhaegal.

Maou: Ah, I should have kept my mouth shut.

Truth.

He stood up and dusted off his pants, almost explicitly to show me what he was wearing. That’s when I finally noticed he was wearing pants. And a shirt. And he had black hair. I hadn’t even looked at him properly all this time!

His human appearance was fair, almost handsome. He was slightly on the shorter side, but still taller than me. His pupils were dark black. His smile reminded me of Ms Dragon’s attitude; prideful and condescending. But it fit them, both of them. He wore a white shirt on top, tucked in his pants with a belt, complete with formal shoes. It was like he was going for an interview.

I looked back at his face and his smile had changed. It had a mischievous suggestion to it.

He extended his hand towards me who was still on the ground hugging my knees.

Maou: Fancy joining me for a tea inside?

I inadvertently extended my hand to grab his but stopped at the last moment and retracted, wrapping it around my knees again.

Maou: What are you so afraid of?

He didn’t retract his hand. I just stared at it.

Me: Can’t we just sit here?

Maou: I can assure you the edibles will be to your liking.

Truth.

Me: I’m scared.

I told him the truth. There was no point lying, he could feel my sincerity anyway.

Maou: What are you so scared of?

He repeated his question.

Me: Of being deceived. Of being hurt again.

I answered truthfully and buried my head in my knees not wanting to look at him.

Maou: You see, I have a huge castle but the only people who live here are me, my five-year-old son and my butler.

Truth.

The Skill worked even if I couldn’t see him.

Maou: Demons age slower so from human standards, you can even say he’s around one year old. He doesn’t even know the meaning of deceit. My butler, well, he’s really diligent and doesn’t bother anyone so you don’t need to worry about him. The only person here that you may need to be wary of is me and I swear on my name as the demon lord that as long as you do not bring any harm to me or my family, I will not hurt you, emotionally or physically, as long as you’re in my castle.

Truth.

I looked up at him for his wild claim. He still hadn’t retracted his hand and had his characteristic smile on.

Maou: Does your skill tell you I’m telling the truth?

I nodded.

Maou: Then what are you so afraid of?

He asked a third time.

I took his hand and he jerked me up.

Maou: Now that’s like a good Hero! Now come on in. I would love to hear your encounter with the dragons.

Truth.

Me: You’re still jealous about that?

I smiled back as I followed him through the big golden doors. I briefly wondered how many heroes had come through here, never to come out.

Maou: Does your Skill also tell you that?

Me: Call it a woman’s intuition.

I smiled further. I never imagined out of everyone in this vast world, the ones I would be comfortable with would be a dragon and the other a demon lord.

Maou: Argh! That’s one Skill I have no hope of acquiring!

Truth.

It seemed Dragon Sight wasn’t very good at distinguishing jokes. I stared at the man’s back I was following. I almost forgot he was a demon and this most likely wasn’t even his true form. I almost forgot that I was a Hero and he was a Demon Lord. Long had it been since I followed after a man. I was always at the front in the party in the kingdom and the men followed me. It was the same in the village. That made me feel like a Hero. This made me feel like a woman.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

I noticed how badly his shirt was tucked in from the back. I ended up laughing. He looked back at me as if I was crazy and turned to the front again. I reached out my hand to grab his shirt. I don't know why I did that but I just felt like it. I knew he could tell I was up to something but he neither stopped me nor did he around. Once I had grabbed it, I laughed again. He didn't turn around this time.

Me: You know you’re just like them. The dragons I mean.

I started a conversation out of nowhere. The insides of the hall were huge and we were walking very slowly.

Maou: Is that so?

Me: Yup. They don’t care about the opinions of others.

Maou: I’m not sure if that is a compliment.

Truth.

I smiled back at him. Just like the dragons, he was probably so strong that lying was a bother. It was easier to be blunt.

Me: Other than a cute dragon named Rhaegal, I have never been this comfortable with anyone else.

Maou: There were so many things in what you said that I want to comment on.

Truth.

Me: I don’t know whether this Skill of mine is a boon or a curse.

Maou: Dragon Sight?

I nodded.

Me: I’m sure it’s a boon.

Truth.

Me: It’s the reason why I was outside your castle looking so pathetic.

My mood turned gloomy again.

Maou: The alternative is being stupid. Which will most likely have resulted in you being dead.

Truth.

I knew he was right but I had mixed feelings about it.

We finally reached the end of the huge hall to a narrow passage where an old man stood in a butler uniform.

Maou: This is Buer, the caretaker of the palace and a high-rank demon.

Truth.

My body trembled when he mentioned a high-rank demon and my hand instinctively reached for my sword. But it stopped as I was grabbing onto something else. I realised I never let go of his shirt and it was starting to come out of his pants due to my pulling. I looked at him in shock. Somehow I forgot I was still holding on to him, but surely there was no way he wouldn’t have known?

Buer: Master, are you sure it is wise to lead a Hero into the depths of the castle?

He asked respectfully to the man in front of me. My trembling stopped when I realised how subservient he was to the demon lord. Maou took a quick glance back at me.

Maou: She should be okay.

Truth.

Me: …

I didn’t know what to say back. I just removed my hand from his shirt. A feeling of helplessness returned but it wasn’t a bad one. It was just like when Ms Dragon was taking me. It was simply a whim of one who couldn’t be bothered to care about my opinion. It was a simple whim that she let me live with her and eat alongside. They are really so similar, is what I thought.

Maou: Prepare something special for today.

Maou gave orders to the old butler demon and he disappeared.

Me: You don’t need to go to any extra lengths for me.

Maou: Don’t worry about it. I just feel like it.

Truth.

He led me to a dining area where we sat down around a large table.

Maou: This is the first time I’m letting anyone come this far inside the castle since I became the demon lord.

Truth.

Me: Are you sure this is okay?

Maou: That, only time will tell.

Truth.

He asked me my story of how I made it here. I told him everything, down into explicit details of several events. It went on for several hours. I must have made all sorts of expressions. I never knew I had been so wanting to let it all out and he listened to me patiently. At some point of time, the high-rank demon brought over some dishes that looked and tasted very similar to the ones I used to have back on Earth, even though the ingredients were definitely very different. I gorged it down in a very unladylike manner as if I had been hungry for days. And I indeed had been. Ever since I got out of the kingdom, I barely ate anything. This food that tasted so similar to Earth’s reminded me of my mother whom I had left behind. And my father. Even my idiot of a brother.

Surely, this incredibly strong being would know of a way to send me back! I would do anything for him, anything, if he could just assure me that I could go back home.

Maou: There’s none.

Truth.

Maou: It’s not that it is impossible. More along the lines of, impractical.

Truth.

He first explained to me about spells and how they were different from Skills.

Maou: Since this is the demon lord’s castle, and naturally, the strongest demons were also the ones most proficient in using spells, this place has the finest library for spells on this entire planet.

Truth.

Maou: The first few years I became a demon lord, I thoroughly searched for such a spell but I didn’t find one. I have even heavily studied dimensional and spatial magic to try and create such a spell but it's next to impossible. I also took help from Buer who is from a species of demons that specialise in spatial magic by nature.

Truth.

Maou: The problem with such a spell is that you can't know if it works. If you can see some kind of result, even if its a failure, you can try to correct the spell. For example, if I had to summon a human and an apple came, I can get an idea of what went wrong. But there is no way to get feedback from the spell that sends things away. Therefore, though it is theoretically possible to create such a spell, it is next to impossible to practically execute it.

Truth.

Somehow I wasn’t even sad when he said that. Wasn’t it just how my entire life had been since I came to this world? It was like the universe enjoyed watching me suffer. It would give me hope and then take it away.

Maou: You have the eyes of someone who has lost all will to live.

Truth.

I gave a dry laugh. Dragon Sight was such a bitch.

Me: Maybe it would have been better had I stayed foolish and you’d killed me.

Maou: Maybe.

Lie.

He lied for the first time. I looked up at him, and he had the same smile on his face.

Me: You just lied to me.

Maou: I swore that I wouldn’t let any harm come to you, emotional or physical but I guess I failed already.

Lie.

Me: You’re trying to hide your first lie with another one.

I normally wouldn’t speak like that to anyone, much less the demon lord but in the moment I forgot that. Maybe I had come to expect something of him now that I’d told him my entire story.

Me: You lied when you agreed that it was better had I been stupid and killed by you.

He let out a sigh of resignation.

Maou: You have some really troublesome Titles.

Truth.

Maou: Your question is ‘why I think so’ instead of ‘why I lied’, I presume. That’s because I know someone who went through similar stuff as you. There was a point of time when he had the same dead eyes but he overcame it and I know he’s happier today. So yes, I don’t think it would have been better had you died.

Me: Are you talking about yourself?

Maou: I’m not.

Me: ..

Maou: Somehow even I feel as if I’m comfortable around you but with the kind of life I have led, I naturally find it hard to trust people. I’m sure, of anybody, you can relate.

Truth.

I knew exactly what he meant. I only got comfortable with him because I knew he was telling the truth in most of his statements. So it was the same for him as well.

Maou: I haven’t really trusted anyone since my wife died.

Truth.

There was a pinching in my heart knowing he had been married to another woman.

Maou: Though it wasn’t the same kind of marriage you humans do. Demons don’t have a similar custom.

Truth.

Me: What kind of woman was she?

He looked at me funny as if he was trying to discern the reasoning behind such a question.

Me: I.. I just thought that I would ask you something personal since I told you about myself.

He smiled.

Maou: You said your Title also lets me know if you’re being insincere, right?

I knew what he meant. I myself don’t know why I asked that though.

Maou: She was an amazing woman.

Truth.

He answered without finding out the real reason behind my question. Truth be told, I was subconsciously hoping he would pester me like I did him.

Maou: And the previous demon lord.

Truth.

Me: What?

To say I was mind-fucking-boggled was an understatement.

Didn’t the demon lord have to defeat the previous demon lord for the title!? He killed his own wife!?, is what I thought.

But I refused to believe it. There had to be a catch!

Me: ...Isn’t your title kratocratic?

Maou: What’s that?

Me: Uhh… Rule of the strong.. Sort of.

Maou: Oh.. That’s a useful word. I’ll remember it.

Truth.

Maou: Ah, I get what you mean. It’s a weird story.

Truth.

He scratched his head.

Maou: She kind of raised me to be strong because she was bored of being the strongest. And I ended up defeating her and took the title. Though I didn’t really want to be the demon lord so we didn’t announce that she lost. She was against it, but since I was the demon lord, I commanded her to take my place. I just wanted an easier life.

Truth.

He shrugged.

Me: So you didn’t kill her?

I just ended up blurting it out and realised later what I had said.

Maou: ...

Me: No, I mean--

He started laughing.

Maou: So that's what I've been feeling. The effects from your Title are a little ambiguous at times.

Truth.

Maou: My wife died 2 years later, at the hands of a Hero. I killed the hero immediately afterwards but the demons don’t know such details because it’s bothersome. So I pronounced that I beat her instead.

Truth.

Me: Are you okay with telling me?

He had a complicated past as well. I was happy he was telling me about it but I couldn’t understand why. Surely, it wasn’t simply because I told him and he felt guilty without reciprocating?

Maou: Don’t think too deep into it. I just felt like telling you. Your Title that lets me feel your sincerity certainly has a lot to do with it.

Truth.

Me: Then could you tell me more?

I wanted to know more about him. I wanted to know much much more.

He just smiled. I didn’t know what he was feeling from my Title’s effects.

Maou: Maybe tomorrow. It’s getting late and I should tend to my son. You are more than welcome to stay the night here. We have way too many rooms with no idea what to do with them.

Truth.

Me: Could I meet him, your son?

Suddenly his face turned serious. In the entire conversation we had had till now, he would be amused but right now he just looked at me. No, it felt like he was looking into me.

Me: I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds! I just feel weirdly comfortable around you and want to know you more. I swear I have no ulterior motives!

He just kept looking at me.

Me: You kind of remind me of Ms Dragon so I thought maybe I could get along with your son like I did with Rhaegal.

He finally smiled again. Oh, was I so glad to see those pretty lips curl up!

Maou: No outsider has ever met my son.

Truth.

Maou: And I have a tendency not to trust anyone completely.

Truth.

Maou: I think I'll let you be an exception. Come.

Truth.

You have obtained a new title!

Title

Trusted by the Demon Lord(Hero version)

Description

To be trusted by the Demon Lord is said to be as hard to be trusted by the Dragons. Yet for a Hero to be trusted by a Demon Lord is unheard of.

Effects:

1. Unintelligent demons will be amicable.

2. Intelligent demons won't dare attack you for they fear a Demon Lord's wrath more than any natural disaster.

Added effects due to Hero version:

1. Skill Demon Sense

You have obtained a new skill!

Skill

Demon Sense(passive)

Mana cost

N/A

Description

You have developed an affinity for detecting demons.

Effects:

1. Can sense if demons come within 50 meters of the user.

----------------------------------------------------

Me: And that’s how I met you, Dom.

I finished my story for Dom. He would call me his aunt but I liked to think of him like a son from another mother. Maybe someday I will be able to get him to call me mama.

*clap* *clap* *clap*

Dom gave a round of applause for the story. I know he wouldn’t have understood much of it but it was a burden off my chest, even though I did exclude a few gruesome events and some parts of my discussion with Maou.

*yawn*

As a powerful demon, Dom sleeps a lot. Not as much as Rhaegal though who would sleep for several days at a stretch. And thanks to Maou I can now go meet him whenever I want, though he doesn’t know the details himself, fufufu.

Maou: Let’s put you to bed, shall we?

Dom raised his hands with sleepy eyes, indicating he wanted to be carried. Maou readily picked and carried him off. I loved how doting of a father he was.

I naturally started following after him. He would never let any other Hero know the extent of his castle, especially their sleeping chambers. From that first time I came here to this day, I remain the only exception. I may have been the most foolish Hero in history, but as a result, I was also the most trusted.

Dom had already slept in Maou’s arms. I suppose my story wasn’t exactly suited for a child of his age. I could now see why Maou had been reluctant before when I asked him if I could relay it.

Me: I'm sorry I forced the story on him.

Maou: It's okay. Normally I wouldn't have let you but since I've started teaching him properly, I've been wanting to get him to learn some hard things as well. I won't live as long as him after all.

Truth.

I was following behind him so I could only see his back but I knew he would have had that characteristic smile on him. He had accepted that his life span as a human was going to be much shorter than Dom who was half-demon. He had accepted it but it would always pinch my heart.

Me: The offer is still open you know. You know I would be a good mother to him.

He didn't reply.

Me: It was funny what happened afterwards in my story.

I changed the topic.

Maou: Yeah. You went psycho.

Truth.

Me: Fufufu.. Anyone would have lost it if they knew your Class.

I'm also the only exception who knows his true Class but that was a happy coincidence. I'm sure he wouldn't have told me even now, and for good measure, if I didn't end up knowing due to the Title I received at that time. It is part of the reason why he refuses to trust other Heroes even more. That class of his and its effects are just plain bullshit. Everyone else thinks he changed his Class from Hero to Demon Lord but that's actually a Title.

Me: Also then the Skill Demon Sense I got from Trusted by the Demon Lord could detect Dom as a demon but not you. I just couldn't understand what was going on.

Maou: A lot of Heroes actually keep items with the same effect as Demon Sense, though their range is much shorter than yours.

Maou tucked Dom in bed and we left towards a different room. It was a norm that I would stay the night whenever I'd come. The breakfast that Buer cooked was to die for.

Maou: You never told me what effects you got from the Title you received due to my Class.

Me: Fufufu.. I told you it's a secret. I promise it's the only secret I've kept from you. And you know the condition for finding out.

Maou: You always keep pestering me for the same thing.

Me: We both want it. I'm telling you Dom wouldn't mind either!

Maou: You know it's not just about Dom. I can't have you living in the demon territory. I already failed to save one woman I loved here and you're nowhere near strong enough as her.

It was a bitter truth. The only one I couldn't refute. I had tried convincing him otherwise several times but he had always blamed himself for not being able to save her and nothing I say would convince him otherwise.

We sat down beside each other. I put my head on his shoulder and grabbed his hand, linking our fingers. In all the time we have known each other, he would never touch me by himself but would only sometimes reciprocate when I would touch him first. And today I was feeling extra greedy, probably because of the story.

Maou: So a unicorn this time?

Me: Oh yeah. Or a griffin.

Maou: It’s not very hard to see the relation between all these legendary beings and my Class. I’m really curious to know what effects that Title gives you.

I opened the description of the Title from my Status.

You have obtained a new title!

Title

Trusted by the Legendary Hero(Hero version)

Description

The Legendary Hero who has defeated a Demon Lord is said to be the single most powerful class. To be trusted by a legend is also stuff of the legends.

Warning: You will lose this title and associated effects if you become a legendary being.

Effects:

1. Skill A Glimpse of the Legend

2. Curse Undying Loyalty to the Legend

Added effects due to Hero version:

1. Skill Bonds of the Legend

You have obtained a new skill!

Skill

A Glimpse of the Legend(Passive)

Mana cost

N/A

Description

For each Legendary being that trusts you, you gain a small passive bonus as a part of their strength.

Effects:

1. Legendary Hero: All stats x2 (applied after all other bonuses)

2. Demon Lord: Unintelligent demons can be tamed.

3. Dragon: Priceless gems and artifacts can be smelled within 10 mile radius.

4. Hydra: HP regeneration x20

5. Phoenix: One full day after dying, you can come back to life with 1/100 stats

6. Earth elemental: 50% less mana required for Earth based skills

7. Water Elemental: 50% less mana required for Water based skills

8. Fire Elemental: 50% less mana required for Fire based skills

9. Lightning Elemental: 50% less mana required for Lightning based skills

10. Ice Elemental: 50% less mana required for Ice based skills

11. Wind Elemental: 50% less mana required for Wind based skills

You have been cursed!

Curse

Undying Loyalty to the Legend(Dormant)

Description

With great trust comes great responsibility, especially if the ones who trust you are powerful enough to crush you under their feet like bugs.

Activation Condition

1. Betray a Legendary being

Effects:

1. Permanent loss of all titles, skills, class and stat gains.

2. Stats will be temporarily frozen until you make amends with the legendary being whom you betrayed.

You have obtained a new skill!

Skill

Bonds of the Legend(Active)

Mana cost

1000 MP

Description

You have to reciprocate the trust that a legendary being puts in you and voluntarily go to their aid should they need it.

Effects:

1. Teleport next to a legendary being that trusts you.

Me: Fufufu.. I told you it’s a secret.

-------------------------------------------------------

Supplementary teachings:

Lyca: I’m enjoying my moment with Maou so no supplementary teachings for today! Bye bye!