The Bet - 1
Nahen had secured Barbatos’s cooperation. In the end, this meant winning the support of the entire Equites Faction. In addition to the ones they had directly persuaded—Barbatos, Lerajie, and Jepar—the 18th-ranked Saleos, 22nd-ranked Aini, and 27th-ranked Berith would also lend their strength to the proposal.
Having perfectly accomplished his objective, Nahen was now enjoying a single day of relaxation before returning to Devata Castle.
“One problem solved, at least…”
All that remained was to present the proposal at the Demon Realm Assembly and win the Demon Kings’ approval. But before that, there was one thing he had to consider first: the faction most hostile to the Equites Faction—the Plebs Faction.
Led by the ninth-ranked Demon King, Paimon von Vog. Nahen did not personally consider her an enemy. However, Barbatos—whom he had just brought onto his side—shared an extremely hostile relationship with Paimon. Their rapport was nothing short of that between a dog and a cat.
‘Since I’ve already pulled Barbatos in, bringing Paimon over is impossible.’
If anyone could manage such a feat, they could be called a god and no one would dispute it. That was how terrible the relationship between the two Demon Kings was.
Therefore, Nahen had to think carefully. He needed to decide exactly how he would handle Paimon. She would undoubtedly launch every sabotage she could against any proposal backed by the Equites Faction.
“Given Paimon’s personality…”
As one of the highest-ranked Demon Kings, Paimon was a character who also appeared in the game. While she leaned more toward strategy than Barbatos, her combat ability was by no means weak. She was one of the rare balanced Demon Kings who harmonized both martial prowess and intellect.
That made her troublesome. If she had been overwhelmingly specialized in only one area, she would have been easier to deal with. But a Demon King excellent in both fields did not immediately suggest a clear countermeasure.
Of course, that only applied to people who did not know her well. Paimon was a Demon King who appeared prominently throughout Evil Queen Maker, and she was one of the figures who fiercely opposed the player’s forces.
Which meant…
“…I can think of several options.”
As a veteran player of Evil Queen Maker, Nahen had countermeasures ready. Several of them, in fact. He organized the ideas that had come to mind and mentally simulated which one would prove most effective.
‘The simplest one is probably that.’
What Nahen selected was a method that exploited the rage Paimon harbored. The root of that anger was unknown to others. It was a truth known only to Paimon herself and to Nahen, who had learned it through the game.
If he revealed that knowledge, Paimon would be greatly shaken by the sudden appearance of someone who knew her secret. The fact that another person was aware of the resentment she kept hidden in her heart, the secret she had never wanted to reveal to anyone…
“Anyone would be shocked.”
Nahen rose from his seat. Seizing someone’s weakness and shaking them with it was the most underhanded and lowly method. At the same time, however, it was also the easiest and most efficient way to obtain results.
From ancient times, the villains who appeared in countless stories had taken hostages to threaten others, exploited weaknesses to blackmail them… They had not done so for nothing. It was the simplest and most certain method.
Whether the opponent was human or a Demon King made no difference. As long as a heart and emotions existed, this approach remained the most efficient tactic across all ages and cultures.
Nahen’s eyes gleamed with a cold light.
“This time, it seems I must play the villain.”
Bang!
“Teacher!”
“Wha—?!”
Nahen jumped in surprise. While he had been muttering to himself and devising schemes, a visitor had suddenly arrived. There was only one person who could enter his room so casually.
“What were you doing?”
It was Seere, Nahen’s one and only disciple.
“I was thinking about a few things.”
“What kind of things?”
“Plans for after I present the proposal.”
“Huh?”
Proposals at the Demon Realm Assembly were usually decided on the same day. At most, the decision might be postponed until the next day. Since a verdict on any given proposal would be reached before the assembly ended, there was little room to employ elaborate schemes.
That was why Seere could not help but look puzzled by Nahen’s words.
“What plan?”
“We’ve brought the Equites Faction onto our side. Naturally, the opposing faction won’t sit quietly by.”
“The opposing faction…”
“The Plebs Faction. The one led by the ninth-ranked Demon King, Paimon von Vog.”
“Then shouldn’t we be taking action right now? Instead of returning to Devata Castle…”
“We also need to prepare for the Heavenly Demon Grand Tournament.”
“Ah.”
Seere nodded as though she understood.
“Then what do you intend to do?”
“I have a countermeasure. However, I cannot share the specific details right now.”
“Why not?”
“The fewer people who know, the more effective it will be. Please understand.”
Seere tilted her head. After thinking for a moment on her own, she asked Nahen,
“…Is it something like a secret concerning Lady Paimon?”
Nahen was slightly startled. To infer that much after only a little thought—she truly was a clever child.
“Yes. Now do you understand why I cannot tell you the contents?”
“I do. But what I’m curious about is…”
Seere narrowed her eyes at him.
“How does Teacher know a secret of Lady Paimon’s?”
“…Pardon?”
“A secret belonging to a mature female Demon King… It sounds rather suspicious.”
“I-it’s nothing like that!!”
Nahen hurriedly corrected her before the misunderstanding could grow any worse. Just what was this child even imagining?
He cleared his throat and continued.
“It is not the kind of secret that would warrant suspicion. For Paimon… it is closer to a flaw she would desperately wish to conceal.”
“How could you possibly know something like that?”
“…There are ways.”
“…Hmm.”
Seere tilted her head again.
“Archdemons really do know all sorts of things, don’t they?”
“W-well…”
“Are the other Archdemons the same?”
“Yes.”
This was the truth. The other Archdemons would know far more than the current Nahen, who relied on information revealed within the game.
‘…Though of course they probably don’t know the kind of secrets about Demon Kings that I do.’
Realizing Nahen’s words contained no falsehood, Seere spoke with clear interest.
“Are the other Archdemons as gentle as you, Teacher?”
“Gentle? Me?”
“If you aren’t the gentle sort, then who is?”
“Couldn’t we say your maid Secily is gentle?”
“That’s true, but… you are too, Teacher.”
Nahen reflected on his own track record. He had threatened Sitri, threatened humans, beaten Andromalius to death, slaughtered the vampire clan, subdued the Beasts of the Apocalypse… and most recently, he had even pummeled Barbatos.
‘Where exactly does she see gentleness…?’
From Nahen’s perspective, his actions could hardly appear gentle, yet Seere seemed to view him through a different lens. If she said so, then so be it. He nodded.
“…Yes. But the other Archdemons do not all share my personality.”
“I suppose that makes sense. If they did, the name ‘Hell’ would feel rather wasted, wouldn’t it?”
“By the way, Seere, what brings you here?”
“Just because.”
“Just because?”
Seere smiled brightly.
“You know, Teacher… Won’t you play a game with me?”
“A game?”
“It’s something Secily taught me. It looks like it could be fun.”
At the mention that it was a game taught by the kitsune Secily, Nahen’s interest was immediately piqued. The kitsune tribe was a race that had created and enjoyed all kinds of amusements among themselves since childhood. Since he had plenty of time and it had been a while since he last spent time with Seere, strengthening their bond did not seem like a bad idea.
When Nahen nodded, Seere’s face lit up with satisfaction.
“Then I’ll explain the rules.”
“Go on.”
Seere held up her open palm.
“We take turns asking questions. If the statement applies to you, you fold a finger. The first person to fold all their fingers loses. You must not answer falsely. Only the truth is allowed.”
Nahen’s eyes widened—not because the game was unfamiliar, but because it was all too familiar.
‘…It’s the image game.’
In Korea it had been widely known as the “Hand X Ho” drinking game. He had never imagined such a thing would exist in the Demon Realm, but when he considered that this was a world born from a game, it made sense. The developers would have known about drinking games, so there was nothing strange about its inclusion.
The absolute requirement to tell the truth also gave the game the flavor of a truth-or-dare style contest.
“How do you tell whether your opponent is speaking the truth or lying?”
“It’s left to their conscience.”
“Is it all right to be that vague?”
“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you, Teacher?”
Nahen’s shoulders twitched. Seere smiled inwardly at his reaction.
In truth, the game required one piece of equipment—a toy truth detector crafted by the kitsune tribe. The reason Seere had deliberately left it behind was simple: stimulating Nahen’s conscience would be far more entertaining and reliable.
If there was one thing Nahen took seriously, it was his role as Seere’s teacher. He constantly strove to fulfill that duty with sincerity. In that respect, he could not lie to Seere. Had she not pointed it out, perhaps he might have considered it, but now that she had called him out so directly, lying to her was impossible.
“You’re not a bad teacher who would lie to his precious and only disciple, right?”
“…Of course not.”
“Good. I trust you. So we won’t need any equipment, will we? You know I don’t lie to you either, Teacher.”
“I know that well…”
Since Seere also refused to lie to Nahen, they agreed to play the game relying solely on each other’s conscience, without any tools.
“May I ask first?”
“Go ahead.”
“Are you an Archdemon?”
“…What is this? Are you only going to ask things you already know?”
“It’s the first question, so I’m keeping it simple~.”
Nahen folded his thumb. Seere looked at him as though inviting him to ask her anything he wished.
He studied her for a moment, then asked with deliberate meaning.
“…Have you gained weight?”
“!!”
“Fold it.”
Seere puffed her cheeks out slightly. With no other choice, she folded her thumb. Lately her cheeks had grown a little rounder, so he had suspected as much… and it turned out to be true. Of course, it was not noticeable enough for others to see. Nahen had only caught it because he paid such close attention to her; anyone else would have missed it entirely.
“…My turn now, right?”
“Yes.”
“Anyone who has ever had a lover, fold a finger.”
“……”
Nahen hesitated. Did that brief romance he had during his university days truly deserve to be wrapped in the grandiose label of “lover”? Still, during that short period, she had indeed been his lover. They had not shared a love deep enough to justify such a grand term, but from an external perspective, it had been a romantic relationship.
Therefore, Nahen answered honestly.
“Yes. For a short time.”
“…What?!”
“Why are you so surprised?”
“Y-you said you didn’t understand love very well! You even said you had no dating experience…!”
“That is precisely why I said it was only for a short time. It never became a relationship deep enough to call an ‘experience,’ nor was it passionate enough to speak of love. It was almost embarrassing to even call it a romance. However, from an outside perspective it was indeed a relationship between lovers, so I answered truthfully.”
“Ah.”
Seere nodded as if she had realized something. So what Teacher meant was not a true romance, but something that existed in the space between love and friendship—more than friends, yet less than lovers. Of course the reality had been slightly different, but Seere, unfamiliar with modern dating culture, interpreted it that way.
“I-I see! Then please fold a finger!”
“All right.”
“…Hehe, Teacher. Now that I think about it, we haven’t decided on a prize for the game.”
“Oh, you’re right.”
A game naturally required stakes. Nahen acknowledged the necessity and asked,
“What should we play for?”
“May I decide?”
“Go ahead.”
Only then did Nahen realize he had made a mistake. He should never have left the decision to Seere.
“How about this? The winner gets to set a ‘penalty’ for the loser, and the loser must carry it out?”