Thus, we welcomed the demon newly-weds. But is it really all right for the Demon King to stay here?
Wonât his subordinates be worried?
I asked him about this multiple times, but he always replied calmly.
âItâs fine. They deserve some fun every now and then.â
Iâd like to think the sinister vibe I get from his smile is only my imagination.
Anyway, the couple didnât think of their stay here as a honeymoon vacation and took the initiative doing labor.
The Demon King volunteered to hoe the fields while the orcs and I devoted ourselves into creating a kiln. Â I felt bad making the demon raceâs ruler do this kind of physical labor, but he said it gives him a good workout.
Mrs. Astres on the other hand is back to doing both farm work and hunting while also learning how to cook from me. If sheâs one of the Four Heavenly Kings at such a young age, itâs no surprise that she immediately mastered how to use condiments in cooking.
But since theyâre only found here and nowhere else, I donât see the point in learning about them if youâre eventually going to leave this placeâŠ
Oh, youâre going to purchase them from me?
Thank you for your patronage.
Someday, they will return to the capital and walk the path of a politician together. In the meantime, they can forget about this and enjoy the life they are living right now.
But as the royal demon couple, they mustnât forget their duties completely.
In between their work periods, I see the two of them taking lectures from Sensei from time to time.
It isnât even a metaphor to say that Sensei is a walking encyclopedia, what after living for over a thousand years like him. He knows most of this worldâs mysteries, so you can learn a lot.
Unsurprisingly, the magic he uses is also extremely potent, hence the two asked Sensei to teach them.
âŠ
Isnât the mere thought of a Demon King being coached by an undead king utterly ominous?
Inspired by them, I also began listening to Senseiâs lectures. It was helpful in enlightening me about this worldâs history and general knowledge, but when it came to magic, not as much.
It seems the skill gifted to me by the gods, âThe Hand of Supremacyâ, doesnât count as magic. And apparently magic in this world is something you do on your own, without the use of extra tools such as magic wands or grimoires.
âMagic has three main groups.â
Sensei gave his lecture in such a way that someone my level can understand it. Although, itâs a little embarrassing because itâs common knowledge for everyone else here.
âThe demon race uses alchemy, the human race uses thaumaturgy, and the mermaid race uses pharmaceutical magic. There are also other kinds of magic, but theyâre all sub-types that branch off from one of these main three.â
âSo, the only major difference is which race uses them?â
âCorrect. Itâs extremely difficult to learn and use the magic of another race because of their innate affinity. It is said that it is probably the difference in the gods that give divine protection. Magic is also manifested through our connection with the gods and spirits that protect us.â
Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon.
And just recently we met one of them face-to-face. It was quite the staggering experience.
âOf course, each and every magic has their own sets of characteristics. There are many things you can do with it. The magic group with the most diverse effects is alchemy from the demon race.â
âNot only is there a multitude of demi-gods residing in the underworld that protect the demons, they can also communicate with spirits. From Hadesâ perspective, who is also considered the god of the earth, the spirits here on the surface are considered his underlings.â
The Demon King offered a supplementary explanation.
âThaumaturgy on the other hand, is very restrictive. Given the right amount of training, any demon can become an alchemist. However, only clergymen such as monks and priests can use magic in the human race.â
It seems the effects it produces are also limited in various ways.
âAlchemy can be used in a wide range of situations; be it to attack, offer support, or even help in daily life. Thaumaturgy on the other hand, have very few spells and limited situations where you can use it.â
âIn short, thereâs not much you can do with it, right?â
âCorrect.â
The Demon King further elaborated on the topic by giving examples.
âUs demons were able to find the Saintâs residence thanks to clairvoyant magic. Itâs a kind of magic that borrows strength from Aeacus, a demi-god that also resides in the underworld and judges people in the afterlife.â
âIf we use it, we can see any place in the world as if it were right in front of our eyes whilst staying in one place. Of course, it has its own limits. And the userâs capacity largely affects it.â
I see.
So thatâs how they found Platy here and sent Mrs. Astres after her.
âAnd you canât do that with human magic?â
âPrecisely. Which is why itâs unlikely for them to come here, let alone find this place.â
Hearing that puts me at ease because things would be a disaster if the humans come now.
âIn summary, there are many things alchemy can do that thaumaturgy canât. But in exchange, they have a grand spell that surpasses even common folkâs intellect.â
Like summoning heroes, for example. The same magic that brought me to this world.
âDistorting the flow of time and space to connect to another world sounds amazing as it is, but knowing how to make use of it greatly depends on the userâs wit.â
âThaumaturgy tends to be as such. Rather than aiding the human user, more importance is put on those who demonstrates the authority of Zeus, the source of their power.â
Whatâs that supposed to mean?
âBy the way, if you abandon your ordinary life like I did, you get to acquire versatile magic that can rival even that of alchemyâs. The type of magic a Lifeless King uses is the same type during the time they were alive, but as they develop, they become more or less identical with the other.â
âThatâs a line only those who have reached the top can say.â
Sensei and the Demon King burst out in laughter.
Theyâre having such a sophisticated conversation.
âWith regards to pharmaceutical magic, I believe itâs best if we have an actual user explain it to us.â
âHuh, me?â
Sensei was talking about Platy.
âThe pharmaceutical magic we mermaids use is for making magic potions. This is what differentiates our magic from the other two races.â
âWithout exception, all the effects of pharmaceutical magic are manifested in the potions, but that is not magic in itself. Making magic potions is what characterizes mermaid magic.â
Everythingâs going over my head.
âMermaids mix magic into medicine when making potions. Thatâs how it becomes pharmaceutical magic. Even if humans and demons have the right herbs and knowledge, they can never make a magic potion out of it.â
Because mermaids are the only race that can use pharmaceutical magic.
âNone of us know why our god, Poseidon, gave us such complicated magic. People theorize that maybe itâs convenient to use considering our underwater environment, or that it prevents us from being haughty with its usage were it easy to handle, but weâll never really know the truth unless we ask He Himself.â
âShould I summon Him?â
âPlease donât!!!â
Sensei, are you starting to get hooked on summoning gods after what happened last time?
I donât want things to turn for the worse, so I better stop him now.
âAnyhow, that sums up our lecture on the basics of magic. I hope it helped you learn a thing or two, Lord Saint.â
Mm-hmm, I got it.
Itâs probably going out my other ear sooner or later, though.
Now, how about we stop studying here and get back to work?
âHold it!â
Veil came barging in.
âYou forgot to explain to Master one more important thing- our dragon magic!â
âYour magic is too grand for me to explain to them!â
âEven the dragon race itself is full of mysteries for the rest of us!â
Both Sensei and the Demon King made troubled faces.
âYouâre all so useless! Fine! Iâll explain it myself! Listen to this, Master! Iâll show everyone how amazing dragon magic is, the strongest magic there is! Then maybe youâll have a better opinion of us dragons!!!â