Unemployed (GXG) (GIRLXGIRL) (GL)

32

“Right, next!” Merle said.

“This is the first time we’ve met, Demon King. I am Yusina, I govern a desert town, and this is the daughter of a farmer, Mika,” he said as he gestured to the young woman next to him.

She looks away with a disgusted look on her face. Yusina notices and orders her to lower her head and kneel.

“Our town is surrounded by sand and is completely barren. Therefore, we can’t produce anything of note outside of the rainy season and we offer this young woman from our town as tax.”

Merle only got more and more frustrated as Yusina spoke. Using women as tax payments was an outrage. As a fellow woman and the Demon King, she wouldn’t stand for it.

As Merle was about to speak out in anger, Mika screamed: “Demon King! Please return me to my village! I have a fiance there! If you take me…”

“What are you saying in front of the Demon King?!” Yusina snaps. “This ungrateful child…!”

Lucille stops his fist mid-strike. Even if she was a succubus, she was still a demon, her inhuman strength makes Yushina’s arm creak.

“Lucille, enough,” Merle said. “Mika, can you tell me your story?” she said as touched the crying Mika’s cheek.

Beside her, Yusina silently glares at Mika, wordlessly tells her to keep quiet as Lucille continues holding his arm.

“… I’m the daughter of a peasant. I fell in love with my childhood friend who’s been with me for many years and we got engaged about two months ago. But as was said, our town is barren at the moment. He has no job so he went to find work for the marriage expenses but hasn’t returned yet. In the meantime, we heard that the government had changed and I was offered as tax by Yusina’s orders.”

“Ah, so that’s how it happened,” Merle said.

“Please, please send me back!” Mika cries. “If the Demon King requires something of me, I will pay it! So please, send me back!”

“I’ll honor your request but I have a request in turn for your release,” Merle said. “Lucille, bring me the crown.”

Beads of sweat formed on Mika’s forehead, she was tense and anxious as she waited for Merle’s next words.

What is she going to say? She just asked the Demon King to her face to return her to her village without paying taxes. If she was furious, Mika would pay for it.

A short while later, Lucille brought the crown. It’s dented but the gold is brilliant and studded with jewels in places.

Mika wondered how much it was worth, though even a single jewel must have been worth a fortune.

Merle removed one of the jewels and threw it at Mika. “Pick it up,” she said.

“… Of course,” Mika said as she did. It was an expertly cut diamond and an over-sized one at that. Her hands shook as she held it; it was worth far more than a farmer would ever earn in their lifetime. Holding something so expensive, Mika anxiously waited for what Merle was about to say next.

However, Merle wasn’t angry at her at all. “It costs money to get married, yes? The ceremony, guests, food, the venue. The jewel is a gift from me. Sell it and make money off it.”

It sounded too good to be true. “Is it okay to sell such a thing?” Mika asked.

“Yes,” Merle replied. “I don’t need a crown nor jewels. My request is for you to be happy. I hope your fiance returns soon. Right, next.”

Mika stood up, speechless; instead, tears fell down her cheeks.