My name was Anne Rochell.
I served as the Director of the Galgard Noble Academy.
I was also the Demon King’s wife.
While I felt for my husband, I couldn't help but feel a certain dissatisfaction with that title. It wasn't that I had intended to marry a Demon King; it just so happened that the man I married eventually became one. He even went as far as changing his name.
Still, there was no sense in dwelling on what couldn't be changed. For the sake of my beloved husband, I did what I could.
We had discussed our situation countless times. In the end, we settled on living somewhat separate lives. I accepted this arrangement; he visited me frequently, and since I could see him whenever I wished, I was never truly lonely.
If I felt any loneliness at all, it was for our only daughter, Yuri. I still thought of her as a child, yet in the blink of an eye, she had graduated from the academy and headed off into the workforce. While I wanted to celebrate her growth, I couldn't entirely hide the void her absence left behind.
One day, my husband invited me on a trip. He called it a day trip, explaining that Count Chrome would provide transportation via teleportation magic. It was a tempting offer, but the timing was poor. It was summer, and the academy was in the midst of frantic preparations for the Founding Festival.
However, I figured that if I pushed myself, I could manage a single day off.
I told my husband as much, but he countered by saying that even for a day trip, I would likely need two days of rest afterward to recover.
Just where on earth did he intend to take me?
Regardless, a three-day absence was a tall order.
When autumn arrived, my schedule was packed with the duties of seeing off graduates. Generally, students graduated at fixed intervals, but I was required to be present whenever a student had to leave unexpectedly. Such sudden departures usually involved a student needing to inherit a noble title or enter into a marriage. A single day’s delay in their graduation could alter the course of their entire life, so I made it a point to remain at the academy, refusing to make them wait.
As it turned out, staying behind was the right choice. Over a dozen individuals requested sudden graduations.
One in particular came as a shock. I couldn't believe she was actually graduating. Had she truly found a partner? I worried it might be some kind of scam. I had heard that people were more prone to falling for such things when they were impatient. I asked if her partner’s identity was reliable, but she just smirked at me. Seeing my old friend like that made me anxious; I kept picturing her returning to me in tears.
Furthermore, the academy instructors—specifically that troublesome trio—caused enough problems to require my personal intervention twice. Again, I was glad I had stayed.
Finally, in winter, I managed to secure three days of rest.
I began my preparations with a smile. I packed my outfits and several changes of clothes. Even for a day trip, one could never be too certain. My husband mentioned we were visiting a village where he had acquaintances. I wondered if the scenery would be beautiful or if there would be delicious food to enjoy. I was truly looking forward to it.
However, I couldn't allow myself to be careless. Being the wife of the Demon King meant I was a potential target. I refused to be a burden to my husband, so I ensured my preparations were absolute.
On the day of our departure, my husband brought along even more clothes for me. Was the destination really that filthy? I also noticed three familiar beastmen joining us. I had a nagging sense of foreboding, but it was far too late to back out. I offered my greetings to Count Chrome, and our journey began.
As expected, his teleportation magic was masterful. We arrived just outside the village. My husband and the Count were apparently on close enough terms with the residents to teleport directly inside, but since it was the first visit for me and the three beastmen, they observed proper etiquette by landing us outside.
The village was quite large. The fields looked vast, and I couldn't help but wish it weren't winter so I could see them in their prime.
"By the way, dear..."
The moment we arrived, every single one of the seven protective amulets I carried was instantly destroyed.
My husband had a look on his face that suggested he'd simply forgotten to warn me. He claimed the amulets were useless here and that carrying them was a waste of effort. What could he possibly mean by that?
Furthermore, I sensed an extraordinary, almost overwhelming presence emanating from both inside and outside the village. I didn't believe my husband would ever harm me, so I wondered if Count Chrome had betrayed us. The three beastmen were also acquaintances of the Count, but before I could process the thought, they went sprinting toward the village.
A man and several women were there to greet them. Among the women, I recognized a few faces—specifically, my daughter Yuri and Count Chrome’s daughter, Fraurem.
In that moment, a memory resurfaced. I remembered the day those three beastmen first arrived at the academy as students. The letters of recommendation they carried had been sent by Yuri and Fraurem. I recalled that Yuri was supposed to be working as an administrator in Village Five, and I’d heard Fraurem had been appointed as a magistrate somewhere.
In that case, was this Village Five?
No, that didn't make sense. I had heard Village Five was a town built on a small mountain. This was clearly a village, and there wasn't a mountain in sight. There were mountains surrounding the distant horizon, but—wait.
Was that the Sun Castle floating in the sky? And in its ancient form, no less?
Just where had I been brought?
I turned to Count Chrome first. He hadn't led me into a trap, which was a relief. That left my husband. I demanded an explanation immediately.
I had so many questions, but I started with one.
"There are two dragons fighting in the distance... is that quite all right? Or is this a hallucination that only I can see?"
No one else seemed to care in the slightest.