After I gave Ruru the name Ruhe, I lost my magic power and Demon Lord powers. Due to that, I decided to once again reside in the carriage near the First Tree rather than remain in my estate. It didn’t seem like there was much need for me to be physically present in my estate anyway.

And speaking of the carriage built by Rorono, it was very comfortable to live in. Each day though, she would add something new to it. To be honest, I thought she was already going overboard. What is that girl thinking? Does she intend to fight with this thing?

“Master, you’ve already recovered. You’ve recovered much sooner this time than with Duke-san, don’t you?”

Aura the Ancient Elf said so after giving me medical treatment.

“It goes to show how much outside of the norm Duke is. Well, Ruhe is outside of the norm too, just not as much. Compared to when I named Duke, I felt a very tiny bit lighter this time.”

After naming Duke, I knew full well what naming another monster would entail.

However, even with those inherent risks and also the risks of naming at this timing, I decided to go ahead and name Ruhe to repay her for all of her service thus far.

“Just please refrain doing anything too absurd. If you fall, Avalon would too.”

“I understand. I’ll keep the absurdity to acceptable levels. Anyway, now that I’ve recovered enough, let’s go to the next step.”

I said so and reached for the [Creation] medal I put in my pocket.

It’s finally your turn.

I had already decided on what kind of monster I was going to make next, and today was the day I was going to make it.

“You’re going to go out this afternoon, right, master?”

“Yeah. Take care of things while I’m gone.”

“Understood.”

Aura answered so and then smiled before clearing her throat.

“Ahem, actually, master, I have something else to report. A while back, I have undergone a powerup of my own which has allowed me to raise and sustain another golden-apple-producing tree. In fact, the new tree is ready for harvest by tomorrow! Please have a look at it some time.”

The increase of trees that could bear golden apples was definitely good news.

We had many potent and useful potions that couldn’t be made without the golden apples, after all. Not only that, even when eaten raw, they were delicious, good for the health, and provided a slight but noticeable enough strengthening effects.

“I’m looking forward to it. We could never have too much golden apples, what with it being used for my and Stolas’s recovery as well as the wine being given weekly to the [Time] Demon Lord. Our production of golden apples doubling surely is a great boon. Great job, Aura.”

I had always wanted another tree that could bear golden apples. Unfortunately, for an apple tree to be able to bear golden apples, it needed to be nourished with a specially concentrated version of Aura’s [Water of Life] which consumed large quantities of magic power to make. Try as she might, she could only make enough of the specially concentrated version for one tree. Until recently, that is.

Now that we have another tree, we could make more high-grade potions. This increase in production would most likely lead to an improvement to our war potential.

“Glad to hear you’re pleased. Kuina-chan’s excited about it too.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right. Well, I want her to evolve as soon as possible too, preferably before I graduate from being a new Demon Lord. So, to that end, do help her by making high-grade potions that will accelerate her magic power recovery rate, alright?”

“Of course. Of late, I have been preparing for her some apple juice; she seems to like it. I’m also studying the book titled Curaga, so I should be able to come up with a new and more potent magic power recovery potion soon!”

After leveling up, Kuina unlocked a skill she had obtained when she became my [Monster of the Covenant]. It was called [Aether Fox Tribute Ritual]. As its name might suggest, it would allow her to evolve from being a Celestial Fox into an Aether Fox by first offering up 9999 tail furs’ worth of magic power.

Kuina who was already the strongest of my monsters would certainly play an even greater role once she evolved.

However, meeting the condition of that skill was easier said than done.

Each of the furs in her tail could store magic power and the most it could contain was equal to the magic power of a mage-type B rank monster. Without a doubt, gathering magic power worth 9999 mage-type B rank monsters was a tall order.

At her current pace, Kuina wouldn’t be able to save enough magic power in her tail furs by the time I become a young Demon Lord. With the help of ample potions though, she just might make it.

“Let’s talk again when I come back. It’s time I head off.”

I said so and then went outside. After collecting Kuina, who was to be my guard on this trip, and the crow monster, whom I was bringing to transport us via its [Transfer] ability, we departed for Marcho’s dungeon.

◇

Upon arriving, we were met by one of Marcho’s monsters and were guided to a special room.

There, we were greeted by Marcho who was wearing clothes that were fluttery and cute. Needless to say, her current clothes were truly unusual for her.

All those frills and ribbons, is that what they call sweet Lolita fashion?

“How is it, Procell? Does it suit me?”

“I think more mature clothing suit you better.”

Even though [Rebirth] had made her appearance be younger—as though she was in the latter half of her teens—she was still the tall and cool type of woman. She was more beautiful than she was cute.

This kind of clothes just didn’t suit her.

“Aww, how mean. At times like these, even if it’s just flattery, you should praise the other person. You really don’t understand a woman’s heart, do you? But then again, I should have taught you these things as your parent. Oh, how I have failed.”

Marcho was once again teasing me.

To be frank, being treated like a child somewhat hurt.

“Anyway, why are you wearing those clothes?”

“Oh, I was just trying to please you. I know you’re a lolicon, so I thought, why not appeal to that side of yours. So, how is it? Does it do anything for you?”

Marcho said so and then twirled around, the frills on her skirt fluttering along.

“Oh, shut up. Like I’ve told you a million times before, I am not a lolicon”

What an awfully false accusation. I have very healthy preferences. I am absolutely not a lolicon.

“So you say, but look at your monster’s form right now.”

Marcho said so while looking at Kuina.

At the moment, Kuina looked like she was 12 or 13 years old. This was despite that until recently, she looked like a girl in the latter half of her teens.

“Oto-san doesn’t have anything to do with this! It’s to conserve energy!”

Apparently, her younger form consumed a bit less energy. So, to expedite her evolution no matter how little, she was staying in that form.

“You sure?”

“For crying out loud, Marcho, what do you take me for?”

To be completely honest, I did feel more at ease with Kuina’s younger form.

For one, hugging her in her younger form just feels better. Secondly, I don’t get off balance as much whenever she jumps at me for a hug. Her adult form’s fantastic, but I just think this form is better… crap, I got sidetracked.

“Well, anyway, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?”

“I have something I’d like to ask: can you still make medals with your [Demon Lord Powers]?”

Upon hearing my question, Marcho smiled.

As I thought.

“Yup, still can. Naturally, I’ll give you all I have since you became my master. However, for those I’ve obtained before that, I’ll ask this just in case: will you accept them?”

“No. Much like the DP you’ve saved up before you became my monster, I will not accept those medals.”

“I thought you’d say that. And like I’ve said before, I like that determination-to-the-point-of-stubbornness of yours. It’s kinda childish, but I like it.”

Again, she’s treating me like a child again. I have to prove to her I’m adult one of these days.

“Then, why didn’t you tell me you can make medals last time I was here, when I was collecting DP?”

If she had told me then, I didn’t have to come back here and do extra effort.

“The answer to that is, well, if I had told you then, you wouldn’t have come back here again. The next time I would have seen you was going to be next month, when I have another medal. That’s kinda lonely, so I deliberately stayed silent. I thought that if I did, you’ll meet with me one additional time to ask me about it. Call it the wiles of a woman’s heart.”

She explained so and then roguishly smiled.

As I thought, I am no match against her.

“Then, I promise that from now on, I will find, no, I will make the time to meet you whenever I can. Besides that, you’re always welcome to visit me whenever you want. I’ll always be happy to see you.”

When I said so, Marcho snickered in response and then proceeded to hug me.

Because she was taller than me though, my head became buried between her chest.

“Ooh! Such an adorable thing to say! You were actually a mother-con all along weren’t you?”

“Stop. It hurts.”

I was at her mercy.

If I have fully recovered, I might have been able to separate us peacefully. However, at the moment, I was left no option other than to let her do as she liked until she was satisfied.

“You’re so cute, Procell. Oh, before I forget, here, the [Beast] medals I have. Come pick up another one next month, alright?”

“Thank you. Now I can make a new monster.”

“Also, just an fyi, I can make [Beast] medals, sure, but the medals I’ve been able to make because I’ve broken their Demon Lord’s crystals, well, I can’t make them anymore. It seems like the [Demon Lord Powers] I have is limited to that of the [Beast] Demon Lord. I can’t buy imitation medals anymore either.”

“I’ll make note of it. Then, see you next time.”

I gave my heartfelt thanks to Marcho and then left her dungeon.

With all the necessary medals at hand, I could finally create the new monster. If all went according to plan, I would have a monster that could act in the other dimension and also use [Transfer].

◇

After I parted with Marcho, I returned immediately to Avalon.

At the moment, I was in the laboratory of my estate, trying to focus my mind.

In just a few moments more, I was going to make the new monster.

This time, I had no intention of using [Person].

I had used it for all my previous [Syntheses] involving the [Creation] medal because it allowed me to make a monster that I could converse with and that was close to my own form.

I didn’t need those qualities for this monster though. All I needed it to be was to be an extremely useful addition to my war potential.

When they heard I was going to make a new member of our family, Rorono, Aura, and Ruhe came along. Kuina haven’t left my side since our trip to Marcho’s dungeon.

“Kuina’s so excited for our new sister!”

“Mhm. I have to ascertain what kind of weapon will suit them.”

“Yeah, and I’ll feed them lots of delicious apples”

“Patron, remember your promise, you hear? You said the child you’re going to make next was one who can fight alongside me in the other dimension!”

Though they said different things, each of them felt just as excited.

“I know, I know. But anyway, once it’s born, you all shower it with a warm welcome, okay?”

I said so as I grasped tightly the three medals—[Creation], [Beast], and [Time]— in my palm.

“[Synthesis]”

As soon as I said that word, the medals became particles of light and intertwined with one another.

Countless possibilities then came and went in my mind.

For a while, I kept searching the possibility that I wanted, the one I wanted the new monster to become. When I found it, I smiled and grasped that possibility.