Chapter 56
Life is too hard~
Pastel, with a pained expression, rolled around like a caterpillar wrapped tightly in a blanket.
Rolling this way and that.
Uwa uwa.
She moved noisily as if shaking off her troubled conscience.
"Demon! Demon! Isn't life imprisonment a bit harsh just for colluding a bit with the cult?"
It feels too much even if it's for revenge for retainers.
The demon looked down pitifully.
『No need to think naively. There are many suspicious circumstances in how Sinclair became trading company head. It's enough to confirm suspicions at the point he got involved with the cult. You did well making him pay for his crimes under other charges since it's difficult to find evidence for old matters. The victims will be satisfied in the afterlife.』
Pastel's feelings became complex and subtle. She felt a sense of crisis as her conscience's pain slightly faded from the demon's reassuring comfort.
Comfort that smooths the conscience.
Her rough conscience was pricking her heart, but demon came with sandpaper and rubbed slick slick to make it not hurt.
Slick slick.
Smooth smooth.
It really feels like a demon's whisper.
"Demon, do you perhaps not know about the presumption of innocence principle? I know it!"
『Hmm.』
The demon grabbed the blanket tightly wrapping Pastel and pulled.
Pastel rolled on the bed as the blanket was removed.
"Uwaat!"
『Don't suffer more by attaching reasons to things that have already happened.』
"Complete demon!"
『I am a demon.』
Huk.
Criticism doesn't work at all.
When she roughly sat down, the demon brought a glass bottle. When she received it, clear liquid sloshed. It was colorless, odorless poison.
『Try checking the skills of the Fregie Trading Company you merged and acquired. Since you failed trying to leave it to me saying it was arduous and boring and tedious, then acquired the company, they should have that much skill.』
Pastel flinched.
Uwat.
Feeling like I've been branded a bad child who pawns off my work to others after being caught sabotaging.
"I'm not that kind of child!"
I do all my work before playing!
"Just, just!"
What should I say, what should I say.
She flailed both hands then shouted her inner thoughts.
"I'm only like this with demon!"
Uwang.
The demon was extremely displeased.
『That's even worse.』
Huah?
Now that I hear it, that's right?
Pastel awkwardly whistled. She turned her gaze this way and that then needlessly examined the glass bottle.
The clear liquid sloshed slosh slosh.
Uwaa, how fascinating~
"Is this deadly poison that can kill a dragon with one drop?!"
Uwaa.
Super special deadly poison in my hands?!
The weight of death is heavy!
Tremble tremble tremble.
『Of course not. Poison that can kill dragons can't be bought even with a fortune. This is paralytic poison with nerve toxins added.』
Ing.
Slightly disappointed.
"Can I smell it?"
『Doesn't matter. And poison doesn't work on you anyway.』
"I didn't know my magic stone eating glutton body would be helpful."
She opened the glass bottle and smelled it lightly. No scent was felt at all. It really is colorless and odorless.
When she reached out her hand, magic stone knives flew over and were grasped. She was about to pour from the glass bottle onto the blade but hesitated since it seemed like it would gush gush gush.
"So this..."
The demon handed over a small brush.
Aha.
She carefully put the brush in the glass bottle and poked the liquid. It quickly became moist.
『Don't soak it too much. You need to rub it with a feeling of coating. It just becomes troublesome if it drips.』
"Okay."
Pastel lightly bit her tongue and brushed the knife like an artist.
Swish swish swish swish.
The transparent poison coated the blade.
She examined the knife that didn't seem to have changed much.
Pastel tilted her head.
"Is this the end?"
Completely easy.
『That's right.』
Ang.
Pastel stared intently at the poison knife then gradually trembled.
"Is it okay to kill people with such an easy method?!"
Can the weight of life be contained in such a simple method requiring no effort?
The conscience that demon smoothed with sandpaper is becoming rough again!
"O-other people don't usually use this method right?"
『That's right.』
Huk.
Pastel's mouth fell open.
Not using such a simple method clearly means a bit of conscience maintains a line.
"Then then am I doing something especially bad?! In a state lacking conscience a million times more than others?!"
My conscience is becoming rough again!
Prick prick poke poke.
Uwaa.
Don't torment my heart~
The demon pondered for a moment.
『It's not that they don't use it because of conscience, but because it's dangerous. Poison seems like an easy method but it's actually not at all.』
The demon's fingers folded one by one.
『It's troublesome to manage so accidents often happen while eating, it can't always be applied since there's no distinction between friend and foe so it's more cumbersome to use than expected. Moreover, it affects infamy so it's not easy to gather comrades. It's not that they don't use it but that they can't use it.』
Ah, those are the reasons?
My conscience is becoming smooth again from demon's passionate sanding!
Is this the feeling of corruption?
It might not be so bad.
Pastel was agreeing then startled greatly.
Huah!
I naturally fell for the demon's whispers!
Uwaa.
『Hmm.』
The demon bent down and carefully examined Pastel. Red eyes scanned the girl's condition.
『Seems sending the trading company head to prison had a bad effect on your mental and physical health.』
The demon's hand touched the girl's forehead to check her temperature.
『No fever.』
Pastel blankly looked up at the demon then rubbed her forehead.
"I guess so."
『Rest for a while. I'll tell them so skip the sky whale collection and rest well during the remaining vacation.』
The demon looked around the room while fixing his clothes. It was a temporary hut prepared on the sky whale's back.
『It might be good to return to the academy dormitory altogether.』
"Vacation's ending soon anyway."
『That's why I'm telling you to rest well. You'll feel much better if you change your mood.』
"Change my mood..."
Pastel muttered blankly.
The demon looked at her then turned his body toward the doorway.
『I'll tell them so rest well.』
"Change my mood...?"
How should I change my mood.
Pastel thought deeply then brightened.
Huk, that's right!
There's something I forgot!
To think I forgot this important thing!
How absorbed in revenge was I!
The demon turned around while opening the hut door. Then he spoke in a kind voice.
『Covering yourself with a blanket and sleeping soundly is also a good-』
"Demon! Demon!"
Pastel suddenly ran and collided with the demon.
Thud-!
A strong impact sound rang out. The demon made a choking sound and staggered at the sudden attack.
The girl hugged the tall demon's waist and looked up. Pink eyes sparkled.
"Sky whale! Sky whale!"
Her pink hair bobbed with her mood.
"A super big whale! A completely huge whale is here but what am I doing?! A sky whale, a really big whale is floating!"
Float float ding float float!
『Ca-calm down for a moment. Why are you suddenly like this.』
The demon was perplexed.
"A whale this~ big!"
Pastel spread both arms wide and spun around. Her hair hit the demon slap.
"Huk! 360 degree rotating whale! A completely huge whale!"
The demon spread both palms in a gesture as if telling her to calm down.
『First slowly exhale and say a proper sentence. So what about the sky whale?』
Pastel paused at the demon's words. She slowly exhaled.
Inhale, exhale.
Inhaale, exhaaale.
She calmly opened her mouth.
"The sky whale..."
The demon was relieved.
『I'm listening. Tell me.』
"The sky whale..."
Pastel was speaking then surprised herself and opened her eyes wide.
"This won't do!"
Complete emergency!
Emergency, emergency!
『What's-』
She grabbed the perplexed demon's arm and ran. When she pushed open the hut door, her vision cleared and a campsite with people and livestock mixed was visible.
"A super big whale is waiting!"
Need to see everything before school starts.
"Run! Run!"
The girl ran through the campsite pulling the demon. Beyond that, lush green nature spread out.
A huge bird cut through the blue sky and flew away.
#
Since Pastel is absolutely not a bad child who pawns off her work to others (really!), she met Leonard and friend friends to check on the sky whale collection situation.
Various leather sacks were full of collected medicinal herbs, mushrooms, and animal bones safely picked up while walking around.
"Everyone's working hard!"
Satisfied.
Leonard was displeased.
"What were you doing again."
"I acquired Fregie Trading Company! Friend friends can now fill the student council budget even if you rest! Good work!"
"No, you unexpectedly did work?"
Ahem.
She met the head of Grace Trading Company and handled Fregie Trading Company related matters. Though she swallowed it almost for free thanks to making it easy to acquire, it was also in the form of taking on various debts Fregie Trading Company had, so additional fund injection was needed.
"In the end it'll be resolved when the smuggling fleet sent to the demon realm returns."
"That's right."
A very important time for Melissa's role who was sent to do the smuggling in my place.
To think my entire fortune is in someone else's hands!
Tremble tremble tremble.
But as a close friend I believe in Melissa!
Melissa will surely have an aptitude for smuggling!
Though she heard news of experiencing a difficult journey with the sky route twisting several times due to migration of flying creatures and frequent encounters with pirates, Pastel slept soundly without worry.
Melissa, I believe in you!
Snooze snooze.
Zzz.
After handling work matters, she walked around the sky whale's back sightseeing.
"Uwaa, whale blowhole!"
She climbed into the blowhole easily exceeding the size of a volcano crater and looked inside.
"Uwaa, wing storm!"
She watched the storm created by wing fins from a distance where her clothes and hair fluttered roughly.
"The wind is so strong! It feels like I'll fly away! Flapping both arms! I can really fly, uwaaak! Demon! Demon!"
『No.』
It's a secret that she really flew away and demon caught her.
After that she spent time saying real goodbyes to the baby birds and such.
―Peep! Peep!
"Me too peep! Peep!"
―Peep.
"Eh, what's wrong? As if I cursed in bird language?"
―Peep.
"Huk, really?! Did I learn curses first in bird language?!"
Shock.
Shooock.
This and that.
Time passed and vacation ended.
The season of studying began.
Uwaa.
Studying she says...!
What to do, what to do!
Ah right!
I didn't study originally?!
Phew.
Relieved.