Aftermath of War
Kain was stunned. They had barely dealt with Andromalius and secured the 70th floor, and now Nahen was offering to hand over the Demon King’s castle? It was a decision he could not comprehend. What Kain did not know was that Nahen had even credited Sitri with the achievement of defeating Andromalius. Even young Seere could not understand why Nahen was going so far.
“Teacher.”
“Hm?”
“Why are you giving everything to Lady Sitri? Aren’t we the ones taking all the losses?”
Though her voice was innocent, the question struck at the heart of the matter. Nahen found himself genuinely impressed by the insight of a mere seven-year-old child.
“That’s a good question.”
“Really?”
“The reason I’m giving Sitri all these things is an investment for the future. Also, because we don’t need them right now.”
Unable to grasp what Nahen meant by “not needing them right now,” Kain asked, “Taking Andromalius’s castle means we have conquered the 70th floor. Handing it over to Her Majesty Sitri is the same as giving away the entire floor, is it not?”
“Officially, yes.”
At those words, Kain realized Nahen had another plan in mind and fell silent, deciding to hear him out. Pleased by Kain’s attitude, Nahen smiled faintly and continued.
“Officially, Sitri becomes the ruler of the 70th floor. So if something happens there, who will bear the responsibility in the eyes of the world, Seere?”
When he posed the question to her, Seere looked up at him with bright, sparkling eyes and answered confidently, “Lady Sitri!”
“We did make an agreement to receive half the territory and half the assets. But that contract exists only between the 71st and 72nd floors and is not known to outsiders.”
“Yes.”
“Suppose something goes wrong in the territory we received. Who would have to take responsibility for it publicly?”
“Umm… Lady Sitri?” Seere replied with a puzzled expression. Nahen nodded in approval.
“It probably won’t happen, but even if we mismanage the 70th floor and cause an incident, Sitri will be the one held accountable. Likewise, since Sitri is now the ruler of the 70th floor, the defense between the 70th and 69th floors also falls to her. There’s no need for us to spend military funds on border security.”
Kain let out an admiring exclamation, finally understanding Nahen’s intent. “So you had all of this in mind from the beginning?”
“Did you think I was a fool who would hand it over for nothing? I’d like to keep everything too, but thinking ahead, this way is far more convenient.”
“When you say ‘thinking ahead’…”
“For a while now, we need to focus on internal affairs. We should also concentrate on Seere’s education.”
The territory and funds they needed immediately had been secured through the conquest of the 70th floor. With that money, they could replace the outdated equipment of their soldiers and establish routes to continuously generate more funds. They could not rely forever on Sitri’s support and the spoils of conquest. They needed to create a cycle of wealth.
I have something in mind, but…
While he was thinking this, Kain asked another question. “But Lord Nahen, if you handed over the Demon King’s castle, what happens to our original goal of securing a safe base?”
“That’s not a problem. We gave up the castle, but we didn’t give up the territory. We can just use the portal.”
“Ah, I see.”
They might not be able to move in right away because they had surrendered the castle, but if they opened a portal connecting the 70th floor to the 72nd floor’s castle, they could cross over immediately if anything happened. And at that time, Sitri’s 71st floor would once again serve as a shield.
Nahen had already thought that far ahead.
“By the way, Lord Nahen, how were you so certain you could win over Aron Raiders?”
“Ah, that.”
It had been one of the events in the game. Though not a guaranteed main event, one of the many sub-events was Aron Raiders betraying Andromalius.
“We got lucky.”
In Evil Queen Maker, the event had only a five percent chance of appearing, but perhaps because it had become reality, the conflict between the two had shown up in the reports—and even earlier than scheduled.
“Luck… you say.”
“Yeah. It was luck.”
Kain nodded, but inwardly he did not believe it. He knew Nahen had moved with absolute certainty.
I always thought he was extraordinary, but… he’s terrifyingly formidable.
Kain made a silent vow. He would never allow Nahen to turn his back on Seere’s faction.
“I’ll also tell Sitri that we’ll be focusing on internal affairs for a while. She’ll have plenty to do now that she’s secured the 70th floor, so she won’t complain.”
“Understood. I will assist you with all my heart.”
“Thanks, Kain. Keep up the good work repairing the gates.”
“Ah… Yes, understood.”
Nahen entered the Demon King’s castle carrying Seere and headed for his office. Along the way he passed Secily diligently scrubbing bloodstains, but he pretended not to notice. Once inside the office, he sat down in his chair and placed Seere on his lap.
“Seere.”
“Yes, Teacher.”
“Now that the immediate crisis is over, I’m going to focus more on your training and lessons from now on. Just like before, you’ll also learn about the work by my side. The ruler of this place isn’t me—it’s the Demon King, Seere von Devata.”
Nahen lightly tapped Seere’s forehead with his index finger.
“It’s you.”
Seere looked at him with pure, innocent eyes. Seeing that childlike gaze, Nahen smiled faintly.
“Was that too difficult to understand?”
“Everything you teach me is fun, Teacher.”
“Really?”
Seere grabbed both of White Gomi’s hands and lifted them high. “White Gomi likes it too! So I’m going to learn everything you teach me!”
“…Is that so?”
Nahen smiled. He had not shown it outwardly, but he had been worried that his teaching methods might be wrong. He had also felt anxious that Seere might not enjoy them. This world was no longer a game. It was not a simple simulation where one raised characters by pressing a few buttons. There was always the possibility that his methods were mistaken. Hearing Seere’s words brought him relief—and a sense of fulfillment. His chosen path had not been wrong.
Nahen spoke with genuine sincerity. “Thank you for liking it.”
When Nahen smiled comfortably, Seere beamed back at him. There was nothing quite as healing as seeing a pure smile from an adorable child. Nahen felt as though all his accumulated fatigue had melted away.
“Alright then, shall we start clearing the backlog of work?”
“No!”
“Hm?”
Seere grabbed Nahen’s hand just as he reached for a pen. Startled by the tiny protest, Nahen looked at her.
“Secily said that after you work hard, you have to rest! She always says that proper rest is necessary after proper labor. Since you just came back from fighting on the 70th floor, I think you need to rest properly.”
“Take a nap with me!”
“Seere, I’m not really one for naps…”
When Nahen tried to refuse, Seere puffed out her cheeks. He sensed that refusing any further would genuinely upset her.
I guess there’s no helping it.
He was a little tired, after all. With a resigned sigh, Nahen picked Seere up and stood from his desk.
“Then how about we nap for a bit and look at the work together afterward?”
“Yes!”
“Alright, let’s do that.”
As Nahen carried Seere toward her bedroom, he encountered Rea, the head maid. Rea greeted Seere first with proper respect, then bowed to Nahen. Nahen asked, “Rea, could you bring a cup of warm tea to Seere’s room?”
“Of course.”
“Ah, and you weren’t hurt anywhere, were you?”
Rea lifted her head slightly, surprised by the sudden question. “…No, I’m fine.”
Through that exchange, Rea realized that Nahen already knew every detail of the castle’s forces—and that he knew Kain had not handled the attackers alone. His insight is remarkable.
Rea bowed and quietly passed by. Seere tilted her head and asked about Nahen’s odd question. “Teacher, did something happen to Rea?”
“Hm? No, I just wanted to check, just in case.”
Nahen chuckled lightly at Seere’s puzzled expression. He entered her bedroom, laid her down on the soft bed, and placed the whale plushie he had bought her by her pillow. He was about to set the bear plushie beside it as well when Seere spoke up.
“I’m going to sleep hugging it.”
“You are?”
Apparently she slept hugging the bear too. After tucking her in snugly, Nahen gently stroked her hair. “Sleep well.”
“Teacher, sleep with me too!”
“I can sleep in my own bed.”
“Eeeh!”
Like a child throwing a tantrum, Seere refused to let go of Nahen’s arm. Seeing her like that, Nahen felt a twinge of pity.
She’s clinging to me because I’m taking the place of her father who left too soon.
It was understandable. After the previous Demon King’s death, Nahen had been the first person to provide Seere with both physical and emotional stability while teaching her new things.
“Alright, alright. Let’s sleep together.”
“Yay~!”
Seere scooted over while tightly hugging White Gomi. Nahen had no choice but to lie down beside her.
I’ll just stay until she falls asleep.
With that thought, Nahen patted Seere’s side over the blanket. Seere seemed delighted at the idea of someone sleeping beside her and smiled happily. But that excitement did not last long. Lying on the fluffy pillow in the warmth, her eyelids gradually grew heavy. Seere blinked slowly, then drifted off to sleep.
Mm…
Nahen was the same. He really had been exhausted.
I’m getting sleepy…
Forgetting his resolve to stay only until Seere fell asleep, Nahen surrendered to the rising tide of drowsiness.
The bedroom door creaked open quietly. Rea had arrived with the tea Nahen had requested. She stepped inside, smiled faintly at the sight before her, and quietly withdrew.
“They’re sleeping soundly.”
Seere was fast asleep, one hand clutching the bear plushie and the other holding onto Nahen’s sleeve. Nahen had also fallen deeply asleep beside her. Rea gently closed the door and murmured softly, “May you have peaceful dreams.”