It Seems the Demon King Has Returned to a World Where Gender Roles Are Reversed - Chapter 14

Chapter 14 :

No matter what happens, morning always comes.

Even if the previous day was filled with turmoil.

With a groan, Ragna rose from his bed. His eyes were heavy with fatigue. Barely managing to sit up, he let out a deep sigh.

He hadn’t been able to sleep properly at all.

Healing the body with magic might sound like a simple way to mend injuries, but in reality, it’s not as impressive as it seems.

Magical healing works by infusing the body with mana to boost metabolism and accelerate regeneration. In other words, it’s far from true recovery.

And the effects of this process lingered in Ragna’s body.

“…It feels like bugs are crawling all over me.”

The sensation was like tiny insects gnawing at his entire body.

Because of this, even after returning to his lodging, he couldn’t get a proper night’s sleep.

Naturally, his condition was far from ideal.

“Yawn… Hey, what are you doing? Get up already.”

“…”

An old man lying nearby teased him with a smirk. Ragna sighed again, slowly pulling himself up. The old man glanced at him as he stood.

“Hm? What’s up with you?”

“…?”

When Ragna turned, the old man tilted his head, placing a hand on his own head as if comparing their heights.

“…Am I imagining things? No, you definitely look taller…”

“…”

Hearing this, Ragna realized something.

Just yesterday, he had been eye-to-eye with the old man. But now, the old man was looking slightly up at him.

“…Huh. So that’s it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, you know… there’s an old saying, isn’t there? They say a man grows taller when you peel back a layer or two. Heh heh heh.”

The old man grinned mischievously, clearly entertaining some crude thoughts.

Ragna shook his head with a wry expression and headed outside the lodging.

_______

_

It was the same routine as always.

Ragna’s daily task was to refine lumber with a saw and plane.

He trimmed stray branches and smoothed out rough surfaces.

To an onlooker, it might seem like simple work, but it required meticulous attention to detail and, surprisingly, a fair amount of physical strength.

Until now, Ragna had barely managed to keep up, relying on sheer determination despite his limited strength.

But that day, he noticed something strange.

“…?”

The tools in his hands felt unusually light.

Not only that, but the act of shaping the wood felt effortless compared to before.

Overall, it seemed that as his height had increased, so had his strength.

Pondering the reason, Ragna soon nodded as he figured it out.

It was because of the previous night the black mana that had flowed into him from Seria.

Unlike regular mana, black mana had a peculiar effect.

It caused gradual changes to the body of the person who accumulated it.

At that moment, Ragna recalled something from his past.

The moment he had gained the body of a Demon King.

As he began to store black mana in his body, horns had started to grow.

Not only that, but his body had gradually transformed, taking on a form that was no longer entirely human.

As a result, Ragna had acquired a physique befitting the title of Demon King.

Back then, he believed it was the manifestation of his desire to transcend his human nature.

And now, that same black mana was causing his body to grow stronger and more robust.

“Hm…”

Ragna flexed his hand, clenching and unclenching his fist.

If that was the case, what would happen if he poured even more black mana into his body?

Would he revert to the Demon King’s form?

It was both an exciting and troubling thought.

A Demon King’s body, with abilities far beyond those of a human.

If he could regain that form, rallying the demon tribes that once followed him would be easy.

But a body so far removed from humanity would likely draw suspicion and fear from those around him.

If that happened, he might need to secure a safe hideout beforehand.

With these thoughts in mind, Ragna returned to his work, steadily planing the wood.

After some time passed,

*Ding, ding, ding.*

The sound of a bell signaled lunchtime.

Ragna stopped working and walked toward the corner of the worksite where food was being distributed. But then, suddenly—

“…?”

He felt a sharp gaze piercing through the crowd, directed at him.

Who was it?

Who was watching him?

Ragna glanced around, searching for the source.

And then—

“…!”

His expression froze.

Among the stacks of lumber, he spotted the owner of that gaze.

It was none other than Seria.

Why was she here…?

Stunned, Ragna carefully slipped out of the crowd and approached her. Seria, who had been peeking out, ducked her head and slipped between the stacks of wood.

Ragna followed her. Finally, he caught up to her in a narrow gap surrounded by lumber.

“Gotcha~♪”

“Wait, no, what’s going on? Why are you here at this hour?”

“Ehehe… I just suddenly wanted to see you.”

“…”

Seria gave him a warm, almost dreamy smile. Wait a second.

“What about your duties? Shouldn’t you be working right now?”

Just as Ragna had his tasks at the lumberyard, Seria had her own responsibilities.

Namely, physical training and periodic perimeter patrols.

There was no way she should be here at this time.

“Well, you see… I said I wasn’t feeling great today, so I got the day off.”

Ragna tilted his head at her words.

“You just said you weren’t feeling well… and they let you skip out?”

It was a reasonable question. Seria was a trainee, so she shouldn’t be able to skip her duties so easily.

“Hehe, well…”

“…?”

“I mean, it’s, like… a woman’s secret? Something like that?”

Seria scratched her flushed cheek, avoiding his gaze. A woman’s secret?

“…Oh, that.”

Ragna nodded, understanding the implication.

Indeed, a woman’s secret. That was something unavoidable. Even someone as strict as Karen would have to accept it.

“Yup, so that means I get to spend the whole day however I want.”

With that, Seria started inching closer to him. Ragna swallowed hard.

“W-Wait! Hold on, Seria!”

“Hm?”

“I mean, this isn’t exactly the best place, is it? It’s dirty, and who knows when someone might show up.”

“It’s fine. People don’t usually come here, even though it’s a common spot, right?”

“Well, yeah, but… I was just working, so I’m covered in sweat and dust. This isn’t exactly the best state to-”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind the smell of sweat or anything.”

“…”

“In fact, I kinda like it! I love your scent, Ragna!”

“…!”

This was bad. Really bad.

Seria’s eyes had taken on a dreamy, hazy look. Her breaths seemed almost sweet.

Ragna felt a wave of panic. Was she always this bold? The thought crossed his mind.

No, it was probably the lingering effect of the magic from earlier that morning.

As he processed this—

“So, um, Ragna?”

“Yeah?”

“About that ‘next step’ we talked about last night… it’s okay if we do it now, right?”

“…Oh.”

“Eek!”

With that, Seria lunged at him, as if she’d made up her mind. Ragna caught her as they stumbled, collapsing onto a pile of discarded wood.

*Thud.* The impact on his back made Ragna let out a small groan.

“Hehehe…”

But Seria didn’t care, clinging to him even more tightly.

As Ragna looked at her—

“…Hey, did you hear something?”

“Huh? What noise?”

“…!”

The sound of voices nearby made both Ragna and Seria freeze.

Danger.

There were people close by.

Even though this was a secluded spot surrounded by discarded wood, it was still part of the worksite.

And right now, it wasn’t working hours it was a break time for meals.

It wouldn’t be surprising if someone wandered into this quiet area to relax.

*Step, step.*

Footsteps drew closer. Seria looked panicked, unsure of what to do. Ragna pulled her closer, hiding them among the stacks of wood. Then, a shadow appeared between the piles.

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