#083
The door to the carriage descending underground creaked open once more that next evening. Catherine slowly made her way along the silent darkness. As she walked the long corridor, she couldn't help but think how impressive it was that the demon king managed to stay sane in this confined space.
This place makes you lose all sense of time.
She used the key to unlock the iron-barred door. Hearing her footsteps, the demon king's head turned precisely toward her. As Catherine unwrapped the cloth covering his mouth, she greeted him.
"Hello. Today's orb is red."
Yellow yesterday, red today. The demon king meekly accepted the orb she offered and swallowed it.
"How is it? Does it taste different?"
Red, so maybe strawberry? After a brief moment of contemplation, the demon king offered his critique on the orb's flavor.
"If yesterday's orb tasted like dog shit, then today's tastes like cow shit."
"And how would you know what cow shit tastes like?"
The demon king seemed at a loss for words, his lips parting blankly before he finally replied.
"It's just a figure of speech. I didn't expect you'd latch onto that. Guess I won't make dung comparisons anymore."
"I was joking too."
So the orbs don't taste good, huh.
"Shall we pick up where we left off yesterday?"
The demon king's voice sounded genuinely pleased as he brought up the previous day's topic. Whether it was joy at the thought of using her or simple relief at having someone to talk to in his boredom, she couldn't tell.
I can't say Lilith.
Any great demon except Leviathan and Lilith. Catherine recalled a suitable substitute and answered.
"The demon I'm looking for is the Bronze Dominator."
The Bronze Dominator, Behemoth. They'd crossed paths twice in the Abyss already (one-sidedly, of course), so it was a natural third choice.
"May I ask why you're looking for him?"
Catherine shot it down flat.
"No. You can't do anything about it anyway."
The demon king slumped his shoulders, voicing his regret.
"I've wandered the world for over a hundred years since becoming the demon king. I could be of help to you."
"Sorry, but a hundred years probably won't cut it. So, where is the Bronze Dominator?"
The demon king's lips pressed into a thin line. But he soon flashed a soft smile and tilted his chin.
"Right in front of you."
In front of me...? The demon king continued.
"Not the man himself, but I am his contractor, after all. So, does that make you want to tell me why you're looking for my demon now?"
Catherine wasn't an idiot. She already knew better than to trust a word from the demon king before her. After a short silence, she shook her head.
"What an amazing coincidence. You're Behemoth's contractor. In that case, there's no reason not to tell you. The reason I'm looking for the Bronze Dominator is..."
The demon king's breathing went still. Sorry, but her answer was decided.
"It's late, so I'll tell you tomorrow."
She'd get an earful from the knight on the way out again today. As Catherine reached to cover his mouth with the cloth in her hand, the demon king tilted his head awkwardly and let out a long sigh.
"Ahh. You really know how to string people along. I spent all day yesterday waiting for you out of curiosity."
Whether sincere or not, if it was fake, he deserved the title of actor of the century. His voice brimmed with regret.
"At least tell me your name before you go."
"What for? We don't have many days left to meet like this anyway."
"That's exactly why I'm asking."
If she wasn't imagining it, there was a faint trace of loneliness in his tone, impossible to hide. She nearly weakened and blurted out her name right then.
"I'll think about it."
With that, she covered his lips. As she emerged outside, sure enough, the knight's scolding began: why had it taken so long? She understood his concern but let it go in one ear and out the other.
As the day before, Catherine went looking for Mars. But unlike usual, the area around the barracks was eerily quiet. What was going on? She grabbed a nearby knight and asked about Mars's whereabouts.
"Captain Mars? He's probably out on patrol. He often checks the subjugation team's perimeter himself. Such a diligent guy."
I see. So Mars was patrolling personally...
At least he's not running from me.
Every day was precious right now, though. After some thought, Catherine tore a page from the notebook in her bag and decided to leave a note. With the time difference between eras making it tricky to get Giovanni's help, going all-in on flirting with Mars seemed like the better bet.
To Captain Mars.
Hello, Captain. It's me, the demon king's feeding duty girl. You know, the cheerful, smart one with red hair. I heard you were out on patrol, so I'm leaving this note. Today's feeding orb for the demon king was red. I asked him what the red one tasted like, and get this—cow sh...
Pouring her heart into it, Catherine finished the note and secretly left it inside the barracks entrance before heading out. To think she'd be pen-pals with Mars now—something she hadn't even done with Chezare (one-sidedly, of course). Leaving her disappointment at not seeing him behind, Catherine returned to her quarters.
✽ ✽ ✽
The next day. The third orb fed to the demon king shimmered with a brilliant gold hue. From his reaction, it probably tasted awful. She wondered why they changed the color every day.
The iron bars creaked open. As she removed the cloth from his mouth, the demon king greeted her warmly, as if he'd been waiting.
"Hello, friend."
Friend? This demon king was talking crazy.
"Don't call me that. You trying to get someone thrown in prison for treason?"
"Sounds good to me. If you end up in the cell next to mine, at least I won't be lonely until my execution."
Casually talking about his own death. But Catherine couldn't just laugh it off.
If Mars hears this, I might end up buried under a rock pile like last time. He wouldn't brush off something like that with his personality.
Maybe telling him her name was the smarter move after all. Catherine fell into thought. Pros of exchanging names: chance he won't say anything reckless like "friend" or "comrade." Cons: it felt icky. Comparing them, neither side clearly won out.
Fine, whatever. Just tell him.
"My name is Catherine. What's yours?"
"Sharing such a precious name. What brought on this sudden change of heart?"
"It's just a name. No big deal."
"That's the opposite of yesterday."
"My name is Orzen. Call me your dear, lovable Orzen from now on."
Catherine ignored that smoothly and handed over the orb.
"Today's gold. Dog dung, cow dung—maybe goat dung this time?"
"Cold. And that was a joke, remember."
Crunch. Orzen chewed and swallowed the orb before asking her.
"I know you're about to bolt again. Before you do, tell me why you're looking for the Bronze Dominator."
"Why are you so persistent? Makes me think you've got an ulterior motive, so I don't wanna say."
His affability put even Demian to shame. When he casually nailed her current situation, it felt like witchcraft, but now it was like chatting with a comfy neighbor.
Maybe that's his real goal.
Was Orzen scheming away in his head like she was? She was curious about his true intentions. But the man before her seemed genuinely hurt by her suspicion.
"Sigh. It's lamentable that you don't see my usefulness, Miss Catherine. If I call it mercy before my death, will you buy it? You'll suspect me no matter how I phrase it."
"You know me well."
These past few days, seeing Orzen utterly immobile here had taught her something: expecting a meeting with Lilith through him was foolish. He was truly, purely allowed only to breathe within these bars. So prodding elsewhere was wiser.
"While we're at it, Orzen—about your Bronze Dominator. Is he proficient in magic that transcends time and space?"
Orzen, who had been eager to drag out every word, suddenly fell silent. Was it a tough question? But his expression wasn't stiff.
His mouth hung slightly open in a daze.
"What's wrong?"
At her question, Orzen belatedly shook his head.
"Hm. Hearing my name after so long feels strange."
A bittersweet smile, like nostalgia. Too nuanced for acting— it tugged at the heart.
If this is fake, he's not just the actor of the century; he's the greatest in human history.
Regaining his usual smirk, Orzen continued nonchalantly.
"But my friend Miss Catherine seems to be at the beginner level in magic studies. And yet a demon king like me... I've never met a mage more talented than you."
Strictly speaking, she wasn't a beginner. She'd studied basic magitech, so novice was more accurate. But to Catherine, it was a sensitive distinction.
Beginner and novice aren't the same!
"A genius at the beginner level! If my hands were free, I'd applaud without thinking."
"Stop mocking me."
Orzen snorted as if it were impossible.
"Mocking? You clearly haven't heard real mockery. Anyway, your question has a huge flaw. Magic that transcends time and space doesn't exist in the first place. So no demon would be proficient in it."
It was basic magic theory she'd learned long ago. That's why she'd asked on a whim.
Because...
I'm here.
If that theory was truth, she couldn't exist here. But it was truth. Yet Catherine...
Argh, my head hurts.
She wasn't cut out for head-scratching. Better to focus on finding Lilith like now. Misreading her silence, Orzen asked with a chuckle.
"You look disappointed. Did you come from a hundred years in the past or something, Miss Catherine?"
"Something like that."
No real gains in the end. Catherine slowly unwrapped the cloth and announced.
"Time to cover your mouth again."
That's when it happened.
"Wait."
Just before his lips were covered, Orzen leaned his head back far to stop her.
"Even for a moment, couldn't you show me your face?"
Yeah. Absolutely not.
...Really not?
He couldn't do anything even if he saw it. Lowering her hand, she said.
"Curious about my face?"