This story is told from the Demon Maid's perspective.
My name is Yasmin.
I once served as a maid at the Demon King’s Castle, but after a long series of events, I found myself working as a receptionist for the Adventurer Guild in Tower City.
Several months have passed since I, a demon, began living in this human city. I was still carrying on with my life here, but only because I hadn't a clue how to find the way back to the Demon King’s Castle.
It was unpleasant, and I was merely pretending to be human because I had no other choice. It certainly wasn't because I had grown fond of life here, mind you!
“Yasmin-chan, you’re as cute as ever today!”
“Ehe, you think so? Thank you very much!”
“Do you have a boyfriend? If not, why don’t you dance with me at the festival?”
“That’s a secret, and I’m really not interested.”
I was called out to yet again by a regular at the tavern attached to the guild. I had only just returned after parting with Alraune at the Lord’s manor, and the moment I thought I should finally put in some hard work, I was met with this.
The humiliation! To think that a noble demon like myself was being hit on by a mere human.
—But, "cute," they said.
That was a phrase I had never heard back at the Demon King’s Castle. Of course, those regulars told all the other receptionists they were cute, too. Even though I knew it was nothing but empty flattery, it didn't feel entirely bad.
That was precisely why it was so humiliating—and terrifying. If my true identity as a demon were ever exposed, these regulars, who made their living slaughtering the Demon Race, would surely kill me. They would butcher my corpse and sell off my organs as trophies.
This was the Adventurer Guild, after all. For a member of the Demon Race like me who couldn't fight, it was the most dangerous place in the world.
“Missy, give me a drink!”
“Coming!”
I didn't recognize this customer. It was rare for a woman to come here alone. I wondered if she was an Adventurer. As I set the drink down on the table, the woman—who wore her hood pulled down low—whispered to me.
“It’s a surprise to find a demon in a place like this.”
I felt my heart skip a beat. No way. Was my cover already blown?
“W-Well, our G-Guild Master is certainly as scary as a demon, but… are you talking about him?”
“No. I’m talking about you.”
I was a dead woman. What a tragically short life it had been.
“The spirits told me, so I recognized you at once. But don’t worry. I don’t particularly intend to threaten you or eat you.”
The female Adventurer lowered her hood and pointed to her ear.
“I’m an Elf, you see. I have no interest in the petty conflicts between humans and the Demon Race.”
Her ears were long. A real Elf! It was my first time seeing one. I had heard of them in fairy tales, but they actually existed.
“Tell me, Miss Demon. I don’t know anyone in this city. Would you mind keeping me company for a little while?”
It wasn't a busy time of day. I didn't know if I’d ever get another chance to speak with someone as rare as an Elf, so I decided it was the perfect time to slack off.
“Is the Elf lady an Adventurer after all?” I asked.
“No. I have an Adventurer’s license just in case, but I call myself a Botanist when dealing with humans.”
The Elf spread her right hand, and a single, lovely flower bloomed from her palm.
“If there is a specific plant you like, Miss Demon, you need only say the word. There isn't a single plant I cannot create.”
A Botanist? That was incredible. I wasn't sure if it was a magic unique to Elves, but I had a friend named Alraune, so perhaps this woman researched plants like her.
“The plants in this city are quite strange,” the Elf continued. “Every one of them does nothing but whisper that they want water.”
“I don’t really understand that, but did you come to this city to research them?”
“I’m only stopping through. I’m on my way to see a dear friend.”
So she was traveling to meet someone. Even among the Demon Race, Elves were known for being an exclusive, reclusive people. I assumed her friend must be another Elf.
“Well then, you must be looking forward to the reunion.”
“Yes… I wanted to meet her and talk with her just one more time, at the very least.”
The Elf gazed toward the south with a distant look in her eyes.
“Now that I’m going to the place where my dear friend died, I must return her soul to the earth.”
It seemed her friend was no longer of this world. As she spoke, I realized the friend had been a human, not an Elf. I had heard that Elves were neutral and didn't mingle with other races, but I suppose there were exceptions.
“Because of the fetters of my kin, it took a long time to get here, but that wish will finally be fulfilled. I want to set that girl free soon.”
I didn't know the specifics, but perhaps that was just how Elves viewed the world. It was a completely different philosophy from those of us in the Demon Race who worshiped the Goddess of Darkness.
As I continued my chat with the Elf, an Adventurer came charging into the building.
“It’s a disaster! Witches are attacking the city!”
A tremor of panic rippled through the guild. Every Adventurer in the room stood up as one. Simultaneously, the bearded Guild Master emerged from the back office.
“It’s an Emergency Quest! To the streets! Protect the city!”
“OHHH!” With a collective roar, the Adventurers scattered into the city.
The city had only just suffered an attack by the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King’s Army last year. Plus, Alraune had given us a warning, so we all knew another attack would come eventually. That was why everyone was able to mobilize so quickly.
“First a demon, then a Witch… what a strange twist of fate,” the Elf remarked.
“Why don’t you go help defeat them, lady? The Guild Master is going to be paying out generously, so you could make some good money.”
“We Elves have rules against lending a hand to Witches, the Demon Race, or even humans. My mere presence here puts me at risk of being misunderstood.”
The Elf stood up slowly and waved as she headed for the exit.
“Besides, I recently broke the rules and caused quite a bit of trouble for my kin, so I’ll take my leave now. It was a pleasure talking to you, Miss Demon.”
The Elf hurried out the door.
“She really was a strange one,” I murmured.
Watching her leave, I prepared to return to my own duties. I still hadn't finished my quota of lanterns for the festival. I was certain everyone else would handle the situation outside, so I figured I would just take my time with some manual labor indoors.
However, the Guild Master had no intention of letting me off that easily.
“Yasmin! You look like you’ve got nothing to do! Take these Recovery Medicines and distribute them to everyone!”
He shoved a bag stuffed with bottles into my hands. Apparently, they were supplies for the residents and the Adventurers fighting to defend the city.
“I smell something sweet coming from these?”
“That’s because the bottles are filled with Saint Nectar! Of course they smell sweet!”
Saint Nectar wasn't just a luxury; it was now highly valued as a super high-performance restorative, far more effective than even a High-level Potion. Some Adventurers earned money specifically so they could buy it; once they tried it, they simply couldn't quit.
I ran out into the city and began handing out the Saint Nectar to the wounded. Curiously, a strange, fishy scent was drifting through the air. I wondered what it was.
On my way, I ran into a Fairy and a Treant I recognized standing in front of a greengrocer.
“Why are there only normal vegetables here?!” the Fairy shrieked.
She was a subordinate of my friend Alraune, so I decided to see what the fuss was about.
“Ah, Yasmin! Since you’re a demon, do you know about any vegetables that grow in the sea?!”
I blinked. She was making no sense. I had never even seen the sea in my life.
“Fairy, why are you panicking?”
“The Sea Breeze is blowing in on the storm! At this rate, there’s going to be Salt Damage!”
I finally realized what that strange smell was—it was the scent of the tide. But I didn't see what the Sea Breeze had to do with plants. For that matter, what even was Salt Damage?
“Even seawater is falling from the sky! It’s a total disaster! If we don’t find a Salt-resistant Plant and get it to Alraune-sama immediately, the whole forest is going to wither!”
The Fairy was spiraling, crying about what to do, while the Treant rustled its branches anxiously. It seemed Alraune was in a real bind. And yet, all this Fairy could do was fly around uselessly. This was exactly why I couldn't stand Fairies.
Ugh, I couldn't just stand there and watch them fail!
“Wait, you two! Listen to me!”
I told them about the Botanist I had just met. She had said she could produce any plant imaginable, so she surely had what they needed. She had just left the guild, so if they hurried to the city gates, they could still catch her.
“I’m so grateful, Yasmin! You’ve actually got some good points for a demon!”
The Fairy and the Treant bolted toward the gates.
“I don't really get it, but I suppose I did a good deed,” I muttered. Alraune was my friend, after all. Helping her was only natural.
No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than a sudden, violent gust of wind slammed into me.
“Hyah?!”
My body crashed against the outer wall of a building. Someone had charged right into me.
“T-That hurt…”
I looked up to see a woman on a Broomstick hovering before me. The Witch looked down at me with eyes full of murderous intent.
“Adventurer supply clerk discovered. Sorry, but you have to die.”
The Witch unleashed a Wind Blade. I couldn't move. I couldn't escape.
“Kyaaaah!”
The Wind Blade tore into my flesh. Wait… was this my blood?
Blood was flowing. It hurt. It hurt so much. I didn't want this. Someone, please, help me.
Was I… was I really going to die here?
“I have no grudge against you, but die,” the Witch said, raising her staff and aiming directly at my head. She was going to finish me off.
It really had been a short life. At the very least, I had wanted to see the Demon King’s Castle one more time. I wanted to find a nice demon man, get married, and be happy. I was going to die without ever achieving the simple dreams of a typical demon woman.
“At the very least, I wish I could have seen Alraune one last time…”
I had never managed to build real friendships back at the castle. For some reason, I had no memories of anything that happened after I spoke with Vergissmeinnicht-sama of the Four Heavenly Kings. Alraune was the only true friend I had ever made.
“Like that Elf's friend… I hope you don't forget me either.”
I understood how that Elf's dead friend must have felt now. To have someone remember you even after you were gone—that Elf really was a wonderful, loyal friend.
The Wind Blade flew toward my head. I closed my eyes and braced for the end. It was the second time today I had felt the cold hand of death.
I'm dead. I'm definitely dead.
“Get down!”
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over me. A blue-haired Adventurer had thrown himself between me and the Witch. His Water Armor hissed as it deflected the Wind Blade.
“Good, it looks like I made it in time.”
I knew this man. He was the blue-haired human who had originally brought me to the guild. With a flick of his wrist, he manifested a Water Spear and restrained the Witch in an instant.
As expected of the Leader of the famous 'Crystal of Dragon Water.' It seemed his reputation as the city's only A-Class Adventurer wasn't just for show.
“Are you alright, Yasmin-chan?”
“...Y-Yes.”
He reached out a hand to me. As I took it, I found myself staring at his face.
“I’m glad you’re safe, Yasmin-chan.”
If I recalled correctly, this human's name was Drink Bar… no, everyone called him Holger. He was an A-Class Adventurer, one of only a handful in the entire Kingdom. And he was undeniably handsome. He was a bit too full of himself, perhaps, but he certainly had the looks to back it up.
Some of my fellow receptionists were openly trying to marry into wealth by snagging him. Even to a demon like me, he was a beautiful man.
That said, I was a demon. I had no interest in humans. No matter how much he helped me, whether it was acting as my guarantor or finding me a job and a home, he should have been an insignificant existence to me.
That was how it was supposed to be. And yet…
“...Thank you.”
I managed to whisper my gratitude. This human was the man who had saved my life. I was bleeding and I had just stared death in the face, so my mind was naturally in a whirl. That was the only reason I thought he looked cool.
I told myself that if I just drank the Saint Nectar from the bag and healed my wounds, the noisy heart that had been pounding like an explosion would surely settle down.
I pressed the Saint Nectar to my lips. As expected, my injuries vanished in an instant.
Instead, the throbbing in my chest only grew more intense, and my head filled with an inexplicably sweet sensation.
And so, that was the story of the Demon Maid. This was the reason why Kiri brought back the Ice Plant.
Next time: "Shall we dance?"