Volu 2, Chapter 3: Acedia’s Neglect, Part 3: But that’s Definitely Strange
The Pillow is way too competent, that I’ve no chances of victory.
Results are sothing gained by victory in battle.
Even if the battlefield changes, that fact remains constant. I glared at the pillow Leigie-sama was putting to use, as I considered my ans.
The Lord of Sloth doesn’t give much thought to anything. That’s why whenever Leigie-sama looks at , all that cos to him is, ‘Ah, so she’s still here, is she?’
He probably doesn’t care about anything. That is his form of nihility.
His strength of heart to protect himself was unrivalled. Leigie the Depraved’s soul was always subdued, and it would never be moved by emotion. That’s why he reached the position no one else had ever attained, the lone Lord of Acedia.
Since I’ve been secretly trying to burn up his pillows while he’s asleep, I can say for sure. He doesn’t even care about those. If he’s thrown off of the bed, then he’ll just start sleeping on the floor.
But I don’t really care about that.
What’s important to , is that the current generation pillow is a pillow that can’t be burned. aning besides the rit that I had the capability of motion, that pillow triumphed over in every way.
Handed down by the Great Demon King, apparently.
A pillow forged of the down of infant Fire Dragons.
As a pillow, he didn’t have a na. But he was an article so fine, it wouldn’t be strange if he was granted one by his craftsman.
He was probably a compensation for all those tis Lize burned through his pillow. That’s why he won’t burn.
At present, Dragons were the only race living in the Demon World that possessed power rivalling Demons. Their characteristics were their high attribute resistances, and durability, and even from a General Class Demon’s powers, they weren’t so easily knocked down. However, they were small in numbers, and with that, the down of an infant dragon was more valuable than any average magical artifact.
Once the dragon grew up, its plumage would change to scales. In its feather state, it definitely didn’t boast the durability of scales, but still, it was much too great of an opponent for to face.
By the way, this goes without saying, but among the Dragon Race, the greatest threat is their fangs and claws, as well as the attacks fired off from their tails. But now that it’s beco a pillow it can’t attack or anything, so I’ve no need to worry over such matters.
“Damn you, Great Demon King… for you to get in my way…”
Even when I acted up in his bed alone, this lord showed absolutely no signs of giving a reaction. I’m not sure if he’s completely uninterested, or he’s truly sleeping.
Even when I lightly shake his body, touch his hands, or cling to him, he wouldn’t move in the slightest, and I believed him to be truly worthy of such a pillow.
How rude. Even when I’ve thrown away my pride to present myself as a pillow to him, Leigie-sama probably hasn’t even noticed sothing like that..
It was a major problem that shook up my dignity. And at the sa ti, it was quite futile.
While I was likely carrying out the most grueso battle in this cruel world, I heard footsteps approaching the room.
There were two sets. The ones who co here are severely limited. It seems that assassins used to co here as well, but since Heard took over the surrounding area, that hasn’t happened as of late.
In that case, I knew who would drop by.
Lorna or Lize Bloodcross.
I don’t know much about the woman known as Lize.
What I know is that she’s part of Kanon-sama’s personal knight brigade, and that she was sent with the intentions of observing the Demon Lord as a mber of the Order of Black.
I also knew she was relatively strong, but when you put it against Heard and Leigie, the stage was so different, that I couldn’t really feel that much strength from her. What’s more, the only chances she’s had to demonstrate such strength was when she burned up this man’s pillows. In a different sense than , she was a pitiful woman.
As expected, the two sets of feet stopped in front of the door. I felt they would beco a pain, so I dove my body deep under the covers, and clung onto Leigie-sama’s body.
I’m a pillow. A pillow that can move of her own will.
With a small sound, the door opened. In order to let the matter pass, I held my breath.
“Huh? dea isn’t here?”
As I thought, it wasn’t a matter for Leigie-sama, but one for .
Right, I’m not here. So please go away already.
There are Skills to conceal your body on the Sloth Tree as well. Right now, I’ve beco one and the sa with Leigie-sama, and they shouldn’t be able to sense my presence.
Lorna and Lize seed to be having a quiet conversation about sothing. I can’t really hear them. I want to use a Skill to listen in, but if I did that, then in all likelihood, Lize would sense it. Sloth Skills were made on the premise that their user wouldn’t be doing anything.
If I move just a little further down the tree, then I should obtain one that lets go about life without doing anything at all.
But unfortunately, my opponents are professionals at dealing with Sloth.
They are the brave heroes who have continued to serve one of the rare Sloth Demon Lords for many years on end. I doubt there’s anyone in this vast Demon World more adept at dealing with Sloth than these won.
The cover was town away, and I was bathed in light and cold air as I continued to cling to Leigie-sama.
“… There should be a limit to running away from reality…”
Lize sounded utterly fed up.
Fine. I’m fine with running away from reality, so please just leave be.
A hand was placed on the arms I was using to tighten my embrace.
“Now, dea. Separate. Yourself. From. Leigie-sama!”
It was a fearso display of superhuman strength. For an estimated Knight Class like Lorna, it should have been unthinkable for her to be able to pull a General like ’s arms away.
But by so divine providence, my arms were just barely being moved away.
“Look, Lize. You lend a hand as well!”
“… Hah… why do I have to…”
Despite her complaints, Lize’s hands were put around my torso.
Her power was probably over mine. If it ca down to pure power, I’d never win.
This is no joke. If I get dragged off now, I’ll get wrapped up in sothing troubling. There was no helping it, so I used a Sloth Skill.
“Unwork.”
My body instantly beca heavier, and the bed gave off a creaking sound.
My rising arms, as if gravity had suddenly increased, ca down on Leigie-sama once more.
The Unwork Skill increased one’s own weight, and among Sloth Skills, it was a rare Active. That weight increase wasn’t sothing on the asly level of two or three tis over.
But still, with the bed receiving enough force for it to begin to creak, Leigie-sama showed absolutely no signs of waking up.
Lize’s frowned.
“dea… for you to even use a Skill… how cruel…”
Shut it.
Even I can tell what’s cruel or not. I’m well aware of it. You don’t have to put it into words.
And at that mont, as I hid my face, Lorna’s voice entered my ears.
“dea… if you don’t separate yourself, then I’ll also use a Skill, you know?”
“… !?”
Chills ran up my spine, and alarm bells went off in my head.
Lorna’s voice had been the sa as normal. That’s why it was bad. Could it be I tread on the tiger’s tail?
No, wait.
Think about it calmly. Rank-wise, I’m above her. With the resistances I gained as Sloth, there’s no way Lorna, who hasn’t even had any combat training, would be able to separate .
My heartbeat was heavy enough that my chest hurt. As if to contain it, I increased my grip on Leigie-sama.
Lorna’s hand touched the nape of my neck. That’s all she did, but a sensation as if a sword had been pressed to my carotid artery ca down on .
No, this is an illusion. As a Demon of Envy, I can say for sure. Luxuria barely has any physical prowess. She won’t be able to do anything to .
Then just what is this fear encroaching on bit by bit?
“dea… make sure you say uncle when you give up, okay?”
“…”
“But perhaps you won’t even be able to speak at that point…”
“… W-what are you…”
The mont I opened my mouth, it happened.
There wasn’t a single wound on . There wasn’t any pain. But my instincts raised a scream.
My ntal Corruption Resistance Skill continued activating itself without end.
It was a painfully popular passive Skill among Demons. Even held by children, that Skill could identify any and every Skill ant to corrupt the mind, and render them null and void.
It was the Skill that made Luxuria the weakest, and once you reach General Class, it could invalidate almost one hundred percent of all things.
That’s why no matter how many Skills Lorna uses, I can’t think it will bring any effect onto .
The reason for my shocks was the contents.
The Luxuria Skill Tree was simple. ntal Corruption included, it allowed one to grant any and every status abnormality, and specialized in glamor.
On sothing quite repulsing, I unintentionally moved my head, and confird Lorna’s expression.
Because I intentionally made a movent, the Unwork Skill was undone, and my weight vanished.
With a calm expression, Lorna directed her deep blue eyes at .
“Wai… w-what are you trying to do to !?”
“…”
I could tell she had done sothing by instinct.
Again and again, without any signs of giving up, with numbers enough for to feel fear, the status abnormality she continuously tried to cast was the one that Lust was most suited in handling.
Its na was 『Heat』.
This is no joke.
Even if I know it won’t affect , I can’t take this as a joke.
“Take off your hand!”
“So you give in?”
But I don’t want that. I don’t want to feel like a loser.
In the first place, this is pointless. It won’t even work on a standard Demon, so there’s no way it would take effect on a Sloth like . Her Mana will be the force running out first.
At that mont, I felt a bad premonition cross my mind.
How many tis can she use it? How many tens? Hundreds? Thousands?
『Heat』 was the most basic ability of Lust. Even Demons who had just awoken to the Sin could use it. That ans it barely had even the slightest Mana expenditure.
For a Knight Class like Lorna, then it wouldn’t be strange for that to number in the thousands, or tens of thousands.
As if she had seen through my thoughts, she let out a gentle laugh. Her laugh was quite reminiscent of Hiero’s, and their figures overlapped for a mont in my mind.
I was sure of it now. That a little sister like that gave way to a girl like this. No, that’s the other way around.
“… dea. Just how much resistance will you put up? A thousand? Ten thousand? Kusu… my 『Rat Sleep』 may take a bit of ti, but… it will take effect on you eventually.”
In the end, Status Abnormality Resistance was but a resistance… nullification based on identification. It wasn’t complete nullification.
The probability of it getting through wasn’t zero. It was ridiculously low, but, there are tis when it would actually work. And at that ti, I have no ans of freeing myself from it.
Of course, the probability of it working wasn’t sothing high enough for to train for it on the battlefield. That’s why I didn’t pay it any mind before.
But if you look at it the other way…
Lorna gave out a declaration like that of a death sentence.
“I’ll keep at it as long as it takes. If it’s sothing on the level of 『Rat Sleep』… My mana recovery is higher than its usage.”
“!?”
aning she can keep this up forever.
No matter how low the chances, if she was going to keep at it uptil it worked, then that was no different from one hundred.
Lize looked at Lorna with a cramped expression. It was probably the sa as the look on my face at the mont.
“A-are you joking…?”
“…”
Even when she heard my chiding words, her smile didn’t chip in the slightest.
It was frighteningly ominous, and the information flooding into my head of how each and every attempt to resist the Skill had succeeded was uncanny enough to jolt my heart.
This girl… is serious.
“Just getting in heat isn’t going to…”
… Isn’t going to be of any rit to her… I think.
As I was about to say, that, Lorna held her fingertip to my lips to stop .
What was before was a single Luxuria Demon. Her pupils stained with lewdness seed to lick all over my body as they evaluated . That was the first sexual glance I had ever received since I started hiding in Leigie-sama’s bed naked.
“… Kusu kusu… an unworking dea… should just show off her unsightly form to Leigie-sama.”
“N-no, isn’t your intent changing…”
Thinking it bad, Lize offered so council to Lorna.
But in regards to that, Lorna threw out a carefree response.
“Lize, this girl’s Sloth is… just inactivity. It’s different to what Leigie-sama has.”
“Eh…?”
What’s different about it? That’s what Lize’s eyes were saying.
I was in complete agreent.
Just what’s different? Why not try giving an answer.
No, I’m still moving around a bit, so aren’t I more decent than…
At that point, from my ankle to my spine, a small impact raced.
It was simply too light, but the vividness of the sensation was enough to make my body leap without intent.
“Kusu kusu… look, it got you.”
“…”
The temperature of my body rose a little. A ticklish fever created a thin haze over my brain.
My thoughts begin to co apart. My body is hot. My heartbeat was resounding to annoying levels.
It got . In itself, it wasn’t a fatal status abnormality. In the end, it’s just a basic Skill.
Even without a recovery Skill, sothing of this level should go away given enough ti.
Sloth Skills cut off my senses. Because of that, the vision through my fevered eyes made it feel like I was watching the isolated events of another world play out.
I let out a hot breath, and directed up so words that were half putting up a strong front.
“… Hah… sothing of this level is…”
“… You don’t know when to give up… Kusu kusu, you know what this is, right? Luxeliaheart. At this point… it’s your loss.”
A small light burned at the tip of Lorna’s right index finger. It was a characteristically pink light. I could instantly determine it was sothing from a Skill. Even what Skill it was.
Luxuria Skills were short range, and most of them wouldn’t activate without direct contact. In the first place, even if they did go off, they would be put down by status resistances.
But these unsurmountable derits ca with unsurmountable rit.
Luxuria was a Skill Tree to affect the mind. You have to fulfill the conditions first, but once that’s done, it can exhibit unrivalled power.
With clinging onto Leigie-sama like this, I’ve no ans to avoid it.
『Rat Sleep』 had not activated itself yet. After my resistances had been ringing off alarms for so long, they had fallen silent. Lust had its stages. First, to light the fla, then to spread the fire.
And this presents the main problem, my status abnormality resistance wasn’t going off anymore. aning I would be out in a single hit.
As if to enchant , Lorna slowly brought her finger to my body.
Her slender fingers lightly brushed against the back of my neck. With just that, my mind, which was supposed to have been cut off from sexual passions, was thrown into disarray.
“I’ll make you bloom.”
I’m being driven mad.
That voice was filled with an ample amount of darkness. It wasn’t by much, but it was sothing I wasn’t able to stand.
At this rate, I’m going to have a ntal trauma for the rest of my life. Or perhaps I’ll awaken to yet another sin.
“U-uncle! I give, I give up!”
Lorna looked at my face, before nodding once. That was enough to make my beat to jump up.
I don’t even know what’s going on anymore. I might cry.
“… Where’s your apology?”
“I’m sorry.”
“… Leigie-sama’s mattress has been stained… I’ll have to wash it again…”
She took a fleeting glance at the place I had been before looking down at again.
The scary part was that I couldn’t see an emotion of anger in her. She was likely the type that could kill with a smile. If she had entered the army, then perhaps she would have beco a soldier much more prodigious than I.
“dea. Put on clothing at once, and take a seat. I have sothing to discuss with you.”
Her tone that didn’t ask for a yes or no, made straighten up my back as I sat up on the bed.
Her eyes were shining. If I didn’t bring out as much speed as physically possible, Lorna was going to break . That was the most repulsing, and unbecoming manner of a soldier.
“Y-yes.”
I lifted my still-itching body, and put on the clothes Lorna had prepared.
I pulled the undergarnts over my flesh, and draped the battle clothing I had often worn before over them.
They were made of a mass of dark materials, and they didn’t boast enough defensive power to block a direct blow, but they had a special magic carved into them to mitigate attribute damage to a certain extent.
Naturally, they were stiff, and they didn’t feel too good to wear. That’s the reason why, once I had a slight change in occupation to be a pillow, I’ve never once put my arms through those sleeves.
This is… a botherso scent tickled my nose.
I did take a quick look at the bed, but losing to Lorna’s smile, I reluctantly stood.
Honestly, I’m terrified. In the first place, I couldn’t even raise my head to look at her. She was an existence like a mother. I always feel like apologizing about this and that to her.
As I sat in a chair with good manner, Lize and Lorna stood before .
Their eyes were serious. Of course they were. Never once has Lize ever had any business with since I’ve beco a pillow. I’ll say this ti and again, but no matter how noisy it gets out there, the Castle of Shadows will always be at peace.
Could it be… I’m sacked? Just by spending a few months as a pillow? No, no, I an, that’s my job to begin with… and firing isn’t sothing decided but Lorna or Lize. That’s Leigie-sama’s job…
There were bags forming under Lize’s eyes. I’ve heard she’s been busy lately. Even a mont’s thought could make feel how heavy a responsibility it would be to work as Heard Lauder’s observing officer. My deepest condolences.
Lize hesitated, but soon started talking in the cold tone of a superior giving order to their subordinate.
“dea Luxeliaheart, there is a single job for you.”
… Don’t want to.
I wanted to answer that, but the glint in Lorna’s eyes kept silent.
The answer I gave a few seconds later wasn’t sothing by my own will.
“… What?”
Battle? That’s the one with the highest probability. I’m a forr General. If you look at it from another perspective, that’s pretty much the only thing I’m capable of.
If it was battle against, I guess I’d manage one way or another. Even if it be against another General, it would probably work out. As long as they weren’t a monster like that Heard Lauder.
I an, I have that thing I got from envying Leigie-sama, 『Miracle Wonder Lighthand』.
I can’t use the left hand portion of it, but for an average demon, the right hand was more than enough. Just as Zebul didn’t know of it, that Skill was an unknown entity that barely anyone had ever seen before.
It’s a pain, but if it will let evade those eyes of Lorna, then it’s unavoidable.
I don’t want it… being thrown into heat outside of my will is the worst. This is why Luxuria’s so wicked.
It’s also the reason that, when I envied that Lilith Luxeliaheart, I copied not her status abnormality Skills, but just her Skills to create illusions.
Taking away one’s free will is really the work of a Demon. No, that’s what I am, but…
But the words that ca out when Lize opened her mouth next were a bolt out of the blue.
And at the sa ti, they were the worst.
“In Leigie-sama’s stead, you are to answer Kanon-sama’s summons.”
“Eh? Why?”
I unintentionally blinked my eyes, and looked at the face of the Great Demon King’s apostle.
The fact that she looked apologetic for a second didn’t escape .
On the other side, without a hint of apologetics on her face, Lorna gave my answer.
“That’s obvious. It’s because Leigie-sama is busy…”
“Eh? What part of him is?”
I looked over at the bed.
As usual, Leigie-sama was sleeping, as if he were dead. Even when his surroundings are this loud, I have nothing to say about his ability to concentrate.
I wonder how Leigie-sama has lived a life this long… Recently, I’ve begin thinking about that reason once more, and I’ve no answer to it.
In the past, I thought that, since I wasn’t a Sloth Demon, I wouldn’t be able to fathom the answer anyways, but even after gaining Sloth, I couldn’t understand it.
Seeing like that, Lorna gave a brazen declaration.
“Do you have knotholes for eyes? Can you not see that Leigie-sama is busy taking his rest in peace?”
“No, that is…”
Yes, I can tell that.
I understand that, but that is completely irrelevant to being busy, is it not?
I’m not that free either, you know? Like thinking about how to better beco a pillow, or peeping in on other Demons, I’ve got quite a bit on my plate.
Of course, I won’t say that. It’s scary.
Lorna is a little off in the head departnt, so I helplessly looked to Lize. She was considerably the more decent of the two. And that’s exactly why she’s going through such troubles.
“… It’s a customary practice for Demon Lords, or representative General Class Demons to stop by Kanon-sama when she calls a eting. At this point, you’re the lone mber of Leigie-sama’s army, so…”
“That is…”
Exactly right. Leigie’s army of thousands has been reduced to a single pillow. But I don’t want to go.
This is where Leigie-sama should go. That is his duty as a Demon Lord.
No, really, its not just that I don’t want to go, if you think about it logically, isn’t that how it’s supposed to go?
As I tried to speak, Lorna interposed herself, and made an imposing argunt at Lize with just her eyes.
After a mont’s hesitation, Lize averted her eyes, and spoke.
“Not moving Leigie-sama is part of the Great Demon King’s will.”
“Eh? Isn’t that strange?”
What is the aning of this? Leaving that man asleep is part of the Great Demon King’s will?
She permits him to shirk off his regular obligations?
If the Great Demon King was to convene a eting, it could only be one thing.
『Demons Round』
A round table opened only when the Demon World was to face a ti of crisis. It’s getting noisy in the world outside, so it probably has sothing to do with that.
Demon Lords are generally self-serving, but there are few fools out there who would defy the Great Demon King. Those faces dispersed across the lands should all be gathered there.
And with it being a gathering of Demons who’ve raised their sins to their limits, it was an inevitable instance of putting the cart before the horse, where casualties were often reported.
So let declare it. If a General Class went out, they’d be crushed in an instant.
“… That is the Great Demon Lord’s will. dea, do you plan on opposing that?”
“… Eh? No… but still, that’s definitely strange…”
“By the way, up to now, Heard Lauder has always been the one going in his stead.”
…
Just how soft is everyone being on our Leigie-sama?
But I don’t want to go. I really don’t want to go.
Leigie-sama’s already the lowest ranking Demon Lord. You can’t just permit him to skip out. I get that if he was Rank Three, it may be permitted, but for the lowest ranked of them all to not even show up, I doubt there won’t be complaints. Right, there definitely will be. There’s no doubt there will be so political turmoil if the individual in question doesn’t step out himself.
Right. That’s right.
Within my head, my Mini-dea was crying out such things.
But reality wasn’t so kind. Lize strained her voice to a lethal level.
“Kanon-sama even ordered for you, dea, to be dispatched in his place.”
“… Eh? I was called by na?”
With unbelievable emotions, I looked up at Lize’s face.
I don’t get what she ans. Why must I…
“Yes, you were called by na. If Leigie-sama’s asleep when you get there, then be a dear and go drag dea out here, won’t you?”
“…”
I heard the sound of Lize’s arm being clad in flas. Her power was undoubtedly over mine.
Kanon’s figure ca up in my mind.
Back when I had just gotten here, the figure of the observer charged with Leigie-sama.
That woman… she’s favoring the man.
A hopeless reality was coloring the world beyond my eyes in black.
She occasionally called him ‘niisama,’ and she was always soft on him, so I knew it would definitely bring about sothing one of these days, but with this terrible timing…
I was sure she was impartial…
And on the other side, the maid who did with what she pleased landed in the finishing blow.
“dea, if you et up with Heard, make sure you ask him to let you join in his army, okay?”
“… Heard Lauder…”
I recalled the form of the man who detested Envy Demons like the plague.
This is bad. I’m so dead.
I hath been forsaken by all. And it all happened while I was asleep.
Did I even do anything bad? This is just too much.
“… Nn…”
In this situation where there was nothing for to do, I fell flat over the table before , and started crying to myself.
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