It Seems the Demon King Has Returned to a World Where Gender Roles Are Reversed - Chapter 6

 Chapter 6 : The Red-Haired Girl

By the time Ragna had sorted out his thoughts and returned to the lodging, the sun had already dipped beyond the forest’s edge.

(Guess I’ve missed dinner with all this dawdling.)

With that thought, Ragna headed toward the lodging.

As he reached his spot, an old man sitting nearby let out a raspy chuckle. “Ho, finally back, eh? Kekeke… Had your meal yet?”

“…?”

The old man, still chuckling, handed Ragna something a bowl of oatmeal. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to quiet a growling stomach.

Why would this old man bother getting food for me? Ragna thought, eyeing him with suspicion.

“Kekeke, don’t give me that distrustful look,” the old man said. “It’s just neighborly kindness, you know, living right next to you and all.”

“You? Neighborly?” Ragna snorted, unconvinced. The old man’s demeanor didn’t exactly scream sincerity.

“Kekeke, don’t be so cold, kid. It’s not a bad deal, I promise.” The old man sniffed loudly and continued, “Word is, something interesting happened. I heard those wretched girls came looking for you at your work site. And one of ‘em was real chummy, clinging to you and chatting you up, eh?”

“How do you know that?” Ragna asked, narrowing his eyes. The old man had been working somewhere else entirely. How could he have heard about it?

The old man cackled. “Don’t underestimate the connections of a former kingdom official. I may be a fallen man now, but I’ve still got some sway around here. That’s how your little story reached my ears.”

Ragna vaguely recalled the old man mentioning something about his past. He’d claimed to have been a kingdom official once, hadn’t he? When Ragna had asked why he was so well-versed in old tales, the old man had grumbled about his hobby of reading stories from the days when men still ruled the world. Apparently, he’d been dragged here after being accused of insulting royalty or was it peeping on someone bathing in the nude? Ragna couldn’t help but think the latter might actually be true, given the old man’s character.

But that wasn’t the point right now.

Shaking his head, Ragna looked at the old man, who continued with a sly grin. “Good news, ain’t it? You’re not half bad-looking, kid. Maybe a bit too rugged to be a proper pretty boy, but some folks might be into that.”

“What are you getting at?” Ragna asked, his patience wearing thin.

“Simple. If you play your cards right, you might just snag yourself a juicy opportunity maybe even a slab of meat or two.”

Ragna shot him an incredulous look.

The old man chuckled. “Don’t act like it’s a bad deal for you either. Better to have your… ahem, *lower parts* worked than to be slaving away here for the rest of your life. Who knows? If you play it smart, you might even get out of this place.”

“Get out of here?” Ragna’s voice sharpened.

“Kekeke, thought that’d catch your attention. It’s not impossible. I’ve heard of a few cases like that. In a place where one or two people die every month, someone disappearing doesn’t raise too many eyebrows. If those girls pull some strings, it’s entirely doable.”

Ragna fell silent, processing the old man’s words.

“Hmm, but if you’re gonna make a move, you’d better act fast,” the old man added.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll figure it out the longer you’re here. It’s September now, and the kingdom alliance’s personnel transfers are coming up. In other words, if you dawdle, those girls might up and leave this place before you know it.”

Ragna’s expression hardened. In his current situation, the only person he could realistically talk to was Seria. If she left, it’d be a disaster.

“When’s this transfer happening?” he asked urgently.

“Eh, about two months from now, give or take. Could be as soon as a month. Things are getting hectic around here because of it. Everyone’s scrambling to meet quotas, squeezing the work sites dry. It’s ridiculous.”

According to the old man, the lumberyard’s production targets had skyrocketed recently. The quotas were already tight, but now they were outright absurd. He suspected the officers were rigging things behind the scenes to secure better postings during the upcoming transfers. This lumberyard, stuck at the southern edge of the continent, was hardly a prestigious assignment. Naturally, everyone was desperate to escape.

“Of course, it’s the workers who end up dying,” the old man said with a grim chuckle.

Ragna’s face grew serious. He didn’t care about the other workers’ exploitation that wasn’t his problem. What mattered was that Seria might leave the lumberyard soon. She was the only person he could approach, and if she disappeared, his plans would fall apart.

(No choice but to act fast…)

But what could he do? In his current position, he couldn’t just walk up to her. His only hope was that she’d come to him.

The old man, sensing Ragna’s predicament, didn’t seem to hold high expectations either. “Well, do your best, kid. If you need anything, just say so.” With that, he shuffled back to his spot, lighting a cheap cigarette and puffing out acrid smoke that filled the cramped space.

_______

_

Some time passed.

Ragna was growing anxious. Despite waiting, Seria hadn’t shown up since that day. No matter how clever a plan he might have, it was useless if she didn’t appear. All he could do was try to quell his impatience and wait.

Another day dragged on, much like the rest. It had been about a week since Ragna arrived at the lumberyard.

As he finished work and headed toward the lodging, a small stone rolled toward his feet with a soft *clatter*.

“…”

It didn’t look like it had rolled naturally. Ragna glanced in the direction it came from.

There, among a pile of discarded timber, a pale hand was waving at him.

(What, a ghost or something?) Ragna thought with a smirk, dismissing the idea. No ghost stories like that circulated around here.

The truth was obvious. Near the waving hand, he caught glimpses of red hair fluttering in the breeze.

Ragna scanned his surroundings, ensuring no one was watching, then slipped out of the crowd and headed toward the timber pile.

With light steps, he ventured deeper into the stack. There, waiting for him, was Seria, grinning broadly.

“Ehehe…”

Her smile was so infectious that Ragna almost laughed himself. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Uh, well… disguising myself?” she replied, scratching her cheek.

(Disguising?)Ragna stared at her, dumbfounded. She was still smiling, her expression practically a work of art. But the problem was her “disguise” a tattered rag, something you’d find in a trash heap, draped over her body. It was hardly the attire of a knight of the kingdom alliance.

Ragna sighed. “Why would a knight like you need to disguise yourself? This isn’t enemy territory or a battlefield.”

“Well, you see…” Seria’s expression turned sheepish as she scratched her cheek again. “I had no choice. If Karen caught me sneaking out, I’d be in big trouble.”

“Karen?” Ragna asked.

“You met her before, remember? That time…”

“Oh.” Ragna nodded, recalling the blonde woman who’d come to fetch Seria. Probably her superior or something.

Seria let out a small huff. “Karen’s just too much, you know? Sure, I mess up sometimes, but she’s so strict. Does she really have to be that uptight about everything?”

Ragna didn’t respond, letting her vent.

“Anyway, I went through all this trouble to get here, so you’d better be grateful!” Seria declared, laughing heartily.

Ragna watched her for a moment before asking, “So, why are you here?”

“Well, um…” Seria hesitated, her expression turning thoughtful as she let out a small hum.

Ragna watched her, his nerves creeping back. Their first meeting had been because she’d saved his life. The second was to check on him. But now? Why had she said, “Let’s meet again”? He swallowed hard, his mind racing with possibilities. Was she about to demand something outrageous? He’d been mulling over that possibility all week, torn between anticipation and dread.

Finally, Seria spoke, her lips parting like petals. “To be honest… I was just bored.”

“…Huh?” Ragna blinked, caught off guard.

Seria laughed awkwardly, scratching her head. “I mean, what else am I supposed to say? Everyone here is so much older than me.”

She had a point. The lumberyard was full of people older than both Ragna and Seria workers, soldiers, officers, and knights alike.

“So, I guess I just… wanted someone to talk to. You know, to vent a little,” she said, looking up at him with sparkling eyes.

Ragna instinctively took a step back, overwhelmed by her gaze. It was like staring into a pair of jewels.

“…Is that okay?” she asked, tilting her head.

Ragna let out a low groan, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his back. (What’s going on here?) His mind struggled to process the situation. Why would she want a friend her own age and a man, of all people? In a world where men were often at the mercy of women, as he’d witnessed countless times over the past week, a friendship like this seemed impossible.

And yet, Seria’s expression was nothing but sincere.

His mind raced. Then, taking a breath, he answered, “Alright. If you’re okay with me.”

Seria’s face lit up with genuine joy. “Phew, that’s a relief! Honestly, I was so nervous.”

“Nervous? Why?” Ragna asked, surprised.

“Well, it’s my first time talking to someone my age a guy, no less,” she said with a shy laugh.

“First time? Surely you’ve talked to a guy once or twice…”

“Nope! I mean, it’s not like it’s normal for everyone else, but… until a year ago, I was living alone with my dad in the mountains.”

Ragna nodded. That made sense.

“Even at the academy, I tried talking to guys, but they’re all so… standoffish. Like they’ve got this wall up, you know? They stick to their own group and act like they don’t need to talk to anyone else. I couldn’t bring myself to approach them.”

Seria sighed, and Ragna tilted his head, puzzled. “Guys at the academy? Is that such a big deal?”

“Well, yeah, it kinda is. They’re guys who can pilot golems. I heard it’s, like, one in a thousand who have that ability.”

Ragna’s eyes lit up. Men who could pilot golems? If he could figure out why, it might unlock the secrets of those powerful weapons.

“Miss Brandsburg,” he said cautiously, “if it’s not rude to ask, do you know why those men can pilot golems?”

Seria paused, thinking. “Hmm… I don’t really know.”

“What?”

“I mean, I’m just a first-year at the academy. I’m still a rookie, so I don’t know all the details,” she said, scratching her head with an embarrassed grin.

Ragna sighed inwardly. (Of course it wouldn’t be that easy.) He’d have to dig into the mystery himself.

“Oh no, look at the time!” Seria suddenly yelped, pulling out a pocket watch. The sun was already sinking behind the forest.

“Sorry! I’ve got roll call soon. I’ll come back tomorrow, okay?” she said hurriedly.

Ragna smiled. “No worries. I’ll look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

“Yeah! Oh, and one more thing!” Seria stopped mid-step, spinning around to point at him. “Just call me Seria.”

“Huh?”

“Not ‘Miss Brandsburg.’ Just Seria. And drop the formalities we’re about the same age, right? No need to be so stiff.”

“But—”

“No buts!” she said, her eyes sparkling as she stared him down.

Ragna sighed, relenting. “Alright… Seria.”

“Perfect!” she beamed, nodding enthusiastically. “See you tomorrow, same time!”

With that, she dashed off, leaving Ragna staring after her in a daze.

____

_

Seria practically skipped toward the plaza, her heart light and her face glowing with a satisfied smile. She hummed a tune, already thinking about tomorrow what to talk about, when to meet.

Her chest fluttered with excitement. Her first friend in this place. The first person her age she’d really talked to, besides her father. The thought filled her with uncontainable joy, her mind buzzing with ideas for what to do next.

She didn’t have much time left here, but she was determined to make unforgettable memories.

It was a pure, innocent thought, fitting for a girl who’d only recently left her secluded life with her father.

But because of that innocence, Seria didn’t notice.

She didn’t see the strange glint in Ragna’s eyes as he watched her. Or the way his gaze sometimes lingered, as if sizing her up.

That oversight might just be her greatest misfortune.

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