Child Rearing Hero and Children of the Demon King Chapter 42

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Aura's condition improved without any problems, so we had backtracked to the Capital.
I reported to His Majesty what I reported before.
Namely, about Demon King's death from illness.
His Majesty was stunned silly for a while. The silence permeated for a moment, and while thinking that it would be better for me to say something, His Majesty finally groaned.

「Truly, a death from illness……? That Demon King did…… that atrocious Demon King did…… from illness……」
「Yes. According to what I heard from his subordinates, the Demon King was sickly to begin with」

I conveyed what I heard from the twins and Pochi. The last boss had a weak const.i.tution. It sounds impossible, but that's the troubling truth.
The enemy who used many monsters to attack humans was, in fact, sickly. Moreover, his objective was a harem…… as expected, I don't want to say that.

「Are you telling the truth!?」
「That appears to be the case. I was told he usually stayed in the bed」
「Is that information truly reliable?」
「Yes」

I have faith in what the twins said. Pochi aside, the children wouldn't particularly benefit from lying.
The boss of the monsters had a weak const.i.tution. He was feeble. Sickly. Making up such lies to bask in fame is not possible for humans.
Rather, I would say that I am quite pitiful.

「Muu…… however, We have received a report that the Demon King's Four Heavenly Generals also disappeared…… We don't think that you are lying……」
「Ah, the Four Heavenly Generals were defeated by me」

When I exclaimed so, both His Majesty and Aura stared with their eyes wide open.

「Eh!? Eh, Yuuysan!? Really!?」
「Huh? Did I not tell you?」

The throne room in the Demon King's Castle was sealed with a complex magic that wouldn't open unless the monsters that called themselves the Four Heavenly Generals were defeated. I fought with the Four Heavenly Generals, defeated them all, looked for the treasury (defeated the Fifin guy on the way), and rushed to the Demon King's throne room.

「Nii~chan, you are amazing~! You defeated Ruby, Saphire, Onyx, and even Diamond!?」
「Eh, they didn't identify themselves with such names」
「Ah, those are names Ilya and I came up with ourselves~ Those fellows were red, blue, white, and black after all」

It seems that Iric called them as he pleased. The Four Heavenly Generals I fought were certainly red, blue, white, and black in color, so there's no mistake.

「These names sounded much cooler. Way cooler than El and Al or whatever their names were」

Said Ilya. The children thought that the original names of the Four Heavenly Generals were uncool, so they selfishly changed their names.
Did the Four Heavenly Generals had no human(?) rights? None at all?

「Four Heavenly Generals…… on his own……」

I heard the Royal Guards raising a commotion. It was certainly a fierce battle, but there, fortunately, was a Spirit Fountain in the castle's courtyard, so I somehow managed to fight until the bitter end while recuperating there.
I had no idea why there was a Spirit Fountain at the Demon King's castle.
Were the incompetent Demon King and Spirits actually on good terms, perhaps?

「You truly are deserved to be called a Brave Hero」
「No, not at all. What defeated the Demon King in the end was an illness, not me」

I did not do anything. When I arrived, the Demon King was already on the verge of death. He used up all of his strength to entrust his children to me and pa.s.sed away.

「However, We cannot name the illness a Brave Hero. You should be proud to have defeated the Four Heavenly Generals」
「Haah…… thank you very much」

The Four Heavenly Generals were certainly strong. The black one was an eminent zombie so he stank really bad, the white one was a skeleton, so he revived every time I cut him down, truly troublesome.
I have no intentions to act big, but it really was a troublesome battle, so I am happy to get praised.

Looking at the young man who didn't look the part of defeating the subordinates of the Demon King, the Four Heavenly Generals on his own, the King smiled wryly. A country-bred soldier…… the King liked the Brave Hero with no self-awareness.

「Fumu. We want to investigate in detail one more time after this, so We would like you to stay at the castle for a while. Is there something you need to urgently take care of?」

The inquired Yuuya replied naively honestly.

「No, rather than urgent…… I intended to look for a place to live with the children」
「Houhou. Now that We look, aren't the children too old for someone of your age. You act fast, don't you?」
「Nono! They…… they aren't my children. I was only entrusted with them」
「Hou? Then, the girl beside you isn't your wife?」
「Yes. She's a girl I made acquaintances with on my journey, she's aiming to become a Sage」

Aura jabbed Yuuya who declared so with her elbow.

「Gufu. Aura? That hurts, you know? Did I say something wrong?」
「No-! You did not!」
「…… Why are you angry then??」

The King grinned widely at Yuuya who tilted his head in puzzlement at Aura. The ministers and guards on the side were also smirking.

「How nice the youth is. We also had a time like that」
「Indeed. Youth…… umu, how nostlagic」
「How nice. Youth. Umu, umu, enjoy your youth to your hearts' contents. You are young only once after all~」

Yuuya couldn't comprehend the smiling King and ministers.

「Onii~san. You can not」

Ilya pulled on my hand.

「Onii~san is our guardian after all」
「Hm? Yes? Yeah, I am but??」

Aura elbowed Yuuya who absentmindedly nodded once again.

「Ouch. What's up with you since a while ago??」
「Nothing at all」

Seeing the Hero get his hand pulled on by a little girl and elbowed by a young lady, the King burst into laughter.

「Hohhohhoho. Being young is nice. How about We stir up the things a little more, the one called Yuuya」
「I'm sorry?」
「Our daughter is of your age, how about that?」
「Eh」