Chapter 9

Chapter 9, Kyou Kara Maou!, opowiadania, Shinou & Daikenja, It's him

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Chapter 9

The sage laughed as well. It isn't the first time that he was mistaken as the Maou. Humans are not really familiar with the demon king of the Mazokus, all they know is that The Maou has raven hair and black eyes. And now in this era that his friend created, everyone is getting familiar with the mazokus ad their kingdom. But there are still people who fail to recognize Yuuri as the Maou, and it happens quite a lot.

"No harm done, you are not the first one who thought of that. Well, I really don't look like a king." Yuuri smiled sheepishly, being humble as he had always been. It's not like he's telling a lie. His friend really looked like a normal teenager. Though Yuuri may not be that aware of it, but Murata knew for a fact that his friend gives an aura of royalty. A kind of royalty that is humble to his subjects and definitely belongs to a great person with such kind heart.

"That's why you are a wimp." Wolfram mumbled beside Yuuri. The teen heard it and pouted at his fiancé. The blonde didn't take the reaction seriously and ignored it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you King Yuuri." The teen bowed slightly and smiled at the Maou, finally overcoming his embarrassment earlier.

Yuuri, being not so good with formalities smiled softly. "Please call me, Yuuri. I'm not really comfortable with formalities. And besides it looks like we are of the same age." The human teen looked like hesitating. This is the Maou he is facing right now. The king of all Mazokus and not to mention the most powerful person on the land.

"But-"

"Please give it up, Your Highness. You cannot persuade him to do otherwise." Murata interrupted the human king. There are many human that have yet to get accustomed to the ways of his friend that are definitely far from the workings of the previous Maou that ever ruled Shin Makoku. And as the Great Sage and one of the self-proclaimed 'babysitters' of the king, it is in his duty to help people to adjust on Yuuri's carefree attitude. He smiled at the human kind in front of him, delivering a silent message that what he is experiencing right now is a usual reaction on those who have their first time on meeting the Maou.

The human king was stunned and tried to calm himself. "Then please call Edmund then."

Yuuri smiled at this and stood up from his throne and shook hands with the new comer. "It's nice to meet you Edmund."

"Same here, Yuuri."

Yuuri's retainers had an inner sigh of relief in themselves knowing that their Maou had made a new friend out of the king of Renzellia kingdom. More or Less they can finally call this meeting a success. Another human ally will join their plans towards the peace between Humans and Mazokus.

(~pagebreak~)

Murata was out taking his tea at the garden when a figure approached him. The sage was quite surprised when he was able to recognize the figure. It was none other than the king that visited Yuuri.

What could have brought the king here?

"Pardon me. Did I disturb you?" Murata put down the book he was reading before the king arrived and answered the smile that had been greeting him. It looks to him that the king was just taking a stroll around the castle and happened to find him out in the gardens, having his tea and reading his books.

"No. Not at all Your Highness."

"Would you mind if I ask for your name?"The king seem to have noticed that there is something wrong with what he just said, when he suddenly chuckled and sheepishly smiled, as if to apologize with something he has done. "That was rude of me. I was asking for your name yet I still haven't introduced myself yet."

Murata inwardly chuckled. He can clearly see some similarities between Yuuri and this guy in front of him.

"No need-"

The guy smiled and bowed slightly as he introduced himself. " I'm Edmund de Montfort III, 30th king of Renzellia."

"Murata Ken." For a while Murata contemplated on whether he should claim that he is the great sage or not. But the teen decided not to, knowing that the sage's memories will eventually disappears with him now that his tasks were fulfilled. Besides he claimed himself as an ordinary high school student just like Yuuri Shibuya. No more. No less. And he's contented with that.

The king didn't reply, his eyes showed amazement upon watching the sage. Murata could understand it. Soukoku are the rarest thing in this world. Even though they were treated as an ill omen, they are still those who prized Soukoku very much. Because they held enormous power, they are a threat as Mazokus, they are deemed as king of the demon race. Either way, it is not new for him to be looked at such way like the king of Renzellia does.

Of all the times I have reincarnated…

"Amazing."

Murata was stunned at the words spoken at high respect.

"It is quite surprising for a human to be fascinated to colors that signifies an ill omen Your Highness."

"Please call me Edmund."

"Huh?"

"To tell you quite frankly, I'm not really good with formalities too like King Yuuri. I often get reprimanded because of this but I really can't help myself but to be casual." The king gave a hearty laugh which only highlighted the point that he is quite embarrassed. How many kings in this world that is not fond of their great position?

The king was quite surprised to see the teen chuckling. "Sounds like someone I know."

Edmund found himself joining that laugh.

Edmund decided to take the empty seat just in front of the sage and accompany him. The king even asked some questions about Yuuri and some facts about the Mazokus.

After a while there came a comforting silence between them. Both having snacks while drinking some tea which Murata asked to bring over when he saw Sangria earlier.

He seems to be a good king. Murata thought.

By the numerous times that he died and got resurrected he already knew how to know people well. And based on his experience, the king of Renzellia kingdom really meant joining the alliance for the better relations of humans and mazokus. It was quite a bit surprising especially for a country that had been isolated for hundreds of years.

Murata continued the trail of thoughts while drinking his tea, observing the human king beside him. But the reluctant voice of the king decided to break the silence.

"Uh…"

"What is it your highness?"

"'Edmund'."

It took quite few seconds before Murata was able to comprehend what the guy was talking about. The king wanted to be called by his name and not by his title. Murata found it amusing and chuckled.

"C-can I ask you something…?" Edmund isn't looking at him. More specifically his eyes are concentrated on the tea he was drinking, hands slightly trembling at the nervousness he was trying to hide.

"What is it?"

"Wha-"

Before the king could finish his question one of his vassals came for him and announced that the meeting concerning the alliance shall be starting. Edmund looked like hesitating to leave, but also with the sage's advise the king had no choice but to get back inside the castle and get down to their business.

"You really should go, though Yuuri would not mind anything at all."

"But-"

"Your Highness!" His retainer had insisted, intending not to come back unless he had the king with him.

"Well, I also should be somewhere right now. We could always continue the talk some other time." Murata smiled.

"A-Alright…"

Edmund uttered his apologies and excuses as he stood up from where he was sitting and joined his soldier. Murata also didn't fail to notice the uneasy and malicious glare that had crossed the eyes of Edmund's soldier. Yet he paid no attention to it. The sage was quite used with such treatments from other people in this world. Not that he didn't experience to be killed because of his appearance in his past lives.

The king left with his retainer, having Murata alone once again out in the gardens. He closed the book he was reading and tried to prepare himself for going back to the Shinou temple. There are still questions that lingers in his head and he wants the answers right away!

"I am not really contented with his answers." Murata was about to go to Gunter and tell that he's going back to the temple when he heard an awfully familiar voice.

Awfully familiar…

"And whose answers will you seek for?" A small but deep voice reached the sage ears. And that voice is the one he quite knew well enough that even without looking he could easily tell who it was. The sage glanced at the table and his suspicions did not go wrong for the voice was none other than owned by the ever nosy Shinou.

"You really like being nosy Shinou."

Instead of answering the sage's 'compliment', the king rather jumped to Murata's shoulder and tried to check his temperature. The sage was quite surprised with the action but didn't move away from the touch. "What are you doing Shinou?"

"You didn't notice me coming, my sage."

The teen couldn't retort. Well, it's true. He didn't really felt the king's presence until he spoke, which is quite unusual for him. He was able to feel the king's presence and the first person to know that he has been revived again. But now…

The king's usually passive features were distorted by a frown that appeared on his face after checking the teen's temperature. It's obviously above the normal temperature, and obviously the king wont just let the topic slip away that fast.

"Do you actually realize that you have slight fever?" Shinou's voice is higher than usual, and his voice was laced with slight worry. And it didn't go unnoticed by the teen's sharp senses.

"I.. " but before the sage could reply he was again cut out by Shinou.

"You knew that you just had been confined in your room for days because of having fever and here you are going around, not being sure that you are all fine to go out."

"It was you who-" Murata was about to say that the king actually permitted his visit at the Blood Pledge Castle when he suddenly notice a thing. Moreover, he noticed an unusual thing for Shinou to do. Instead of completing his question, the teen stared at the small figure standing on his shoulder with the look of suspicion he could ever muster on his face. "Why are you here anyways? You were there when I said, I'll visit Shibuya here, and now here you are reprimanding me like I snuck out? Unusual."

With all the effort he has, Shinou tried his best not to stutter and looked normal in his acts as he answered the question in a way that his answers would dismiss the topic. His only hopes are that his sage would not be lucid enough to detect what he is trying to do. It is not hidden from him that Murata still inquires of the incident when he fell ill. And obviously his sage doesn't believe any word that he told him about that incident.

"I wanted to check out Yuuri's doings and it just happen that I saw you here with that 'guy'." Shinou looked away to hide the slight tinge of pink that is starting to show on his face. He just knew that his made-up reason is so pathetic, the teen might laugh at it.

"hmm..?" The king was eyed suspiciously.

"…"

"…"

"…"

After a few minutes of silence, Murata decided to drop the subject off. He just knew that the king would never admit whatever he is hiding right now. All he needs to do is find it out himself, without Shinou noticing him of course. Or…

Maybe what he's saying is true.

*sigh*

"Okay, let's meet Von Christ-kyou."

"Ah." Shinou agreed but there's still a question running inside his mind.

Who is that guy?

He didn't like that guy a bit. One of the reasons why he followed the sage is the feeling that surged him earlier. He just knew that something was about to happen. And right after arriving at the Blood Pledge castle, he immediately spotted his sage out in the gardens drinking tea while reading. He was about to show himself to his sage when he saw someone approaching. Though he didn't like it, he hid among the bushes.

No one should know that the first king of Shin Makoku is still alive. He was supposed to be dead centuries ago! The only reason he tried to be at the present time is to watch how the country he built prosper under the rule of its new king, Shibuya Yuuri and of course to be with his sage once more.

He didn't like the way the human king looked at his sage. He just felt something inside him rage. Some emotion that he couldn't name. He wanted to reveal himself right there and then, the rational part of himself prevented him from doing so. What good will it do if the king of a human country were to know about him? It would just begin a conflict.

He is supposed to be gone.

…

Dead.

…

Just a part of history.

…

A memory.

…

"For I already belong on the realm of the dead…" Shinou bitterly said to himself, not intending to be heard by anyone. But unfortunately his sage heard him even though is just like a faint whisper, though the latter didn't make any reaction, pretending not to hear anything at all.

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