229
I Killed the Demon King. It Was a Mistake.
Chapter 229
Belial watched from afar as a Pegasus crossed the Eagle valley.
"They stayed at the Succubi's castle for quite a while."
One of the devils calculated the dates and spoke.
"They seem to have stayed for about nine to ten days."
Belial doesn't trust hunches or intuition.
He tends to draw conclusions based on rational and logical evidence.
To begin with, what we call intuition is an imperfect biological signal created by the emotion of 'anxiety'.
So rather than trusting such meaningless intuition, he believes it's better to act based on the most concrete evidence.
"We lack information. We don't know why Caesar stayed at the Succubi's castle for so long, or what conversations took place."
"They don't know about our plans either, do they?"
"No. We've been constantly caught off guard by being that careless. How long are we going to keep being led around?"
Belial spoke while looking at the newly transformed doppelganger hanging from the tree.
"I want to know what Caesar is thinking. Is that possible?"
"Don't worry about that. My brethren are already within Caesar's unit."
"What are the chances of Caesar discovering them?"
"They're well hidden, so don't worry. And even if they're captured, none of the doppelgangers know your strategy."
Belial found it difficult to trust these doppelgangers.
Those who spoke eloquently rarely had any substance.
Still, it was quite ironic that Belial himself had no choice but to trust them.
"If you're going to do it, do it properly."
"We will."
As the doppelganger flew away, Belial narrowed his eyes and said.
"Keep a close watch on those doppelgangers. Those types always cause big accidents."
The devils bowed their heads and answered in unison.
"Yes, Lord Belial."
***
"I have much to say, but I'll stop here."
Jerry's nagging finally ended.
Even though I just listened quietly, it felt like my soul was being threshed.
Caesar understood Jerry's feelings.
After all, the unit commander who said he'd meet with the beast people briefly disappeared for over ten days, leaving only a letter saying his adjutant had been kidnapped and he wouldn't be back for a while.
If Caesar were in Jerry's position, he would have either unleashed a torrent of curses or turned the unit around to defect to the Allied Forces.
Honestly, he had to be grateful that Jerry trusted him until the end.
"Please don't go anywhere alone anymore. Always move with other unit members, and try not to leave the unit if possible. If you must go out, send trustworthy people. Don't we have Sir Gideon and Sir Messio?"
This might break the promise with Agatha.
He was supposed to go to Agatha alone.
"I understand for now."
"Not 'for now,' but absolutely. No more individual actions under any circumstances. Do you know how anxious the unit members were while you were gone?"
As Jerry was about to start nagging again, Caesar waved his hand.
"I got it. I'm sorry. I won't do it again."
"Huh... Alright. Then let's start with the unit's current situation briefing."
"Wait, there's something I need to say before that."
Caesar stood up and scanned the staff members.
There didn't seem to be any doppelgangers here, at least.
Even when using the Path of the Wind, there was no sense of eavesdropping nearby.
"Raven, put up a sound block."
After Raven put up a sound block in the command tent, Caesar spoke.
"What I'm about to say is top secret. No one outside of the people in this room should know about this content. Understood?"
The staff members, including the knight commanders Gideon and Messio, all nodded.
"This is information from Demon King Agatha, that there are doppelgangers wandering around in our unit."
Raven looked at Caesar with puzzled eyes.
She seemed to be saying 'That's you, isn't it.'
"...Doppelgangers, you say?"
"Yes. There's a group of doppelgangers that opposes the Demon King, and they're walking around freely in our unit gathering information."
Gideon raised his hand and spoke.
"Does this mean the demon race has split?"
"Yes. What's worse is that these anti-Demon King guys have joined hands with the devils."
Gideon glanced at Gloria while speaking.
"Is this kidnapping of Gloria related to this matter?"
"We can't say there's absolutely no connection."
"Then what are your plans going forward?"
"First, I plan to find the doppelgangers within the unit with the Demon King's help."
"Since demon races can instinctively detect doppelgangers, it should be easy to find them."
"Yes. I've already requested cooperation from the Demon King, so we just need to share the details."
At that moment, Jerry raised his hand.
"Can we trust the Demon King? I'm worried there might be some hidden agenda."
"Unlike the previous Demon King, this one wants to negotiate with the Emperor. And since we're giving them a chance to catch anti-Demon King doppelgangers, there's no reason for the Demon King to refuse."
"Hmm... I see. But won't the troops be anxious if succubi enters the unit?"
"It won't be succubi finding them, but a doppelganger."
"...A doppelganger?"
"I plan to bring in one doppelganger who cooperates with the Demon King to secretly find them one by one."
Raven gave Caesar a meaningful look.
The message 'That would be you' could be heard from here.
Yes, that's right, it's me.
"So create a fake identity. And only the people in this room should know about this identity."
Then, the quartermaster Gavin raised his hand.
"Um..."
"What is it, Gavin?"
"How... Do we know there isn't a doppelganger among the people here?"
Sharp one.
But Caesar already had something in mind.
"I've already heard from that doppelganger that there are no doppelgangers here."
Everyone except Raven felt like thunder struck their heads.
"So you're saying there's already a Demon King-allied doppelganger in the unit?"
"Yes. They're already active."
That's you, isn't it...
Raven's voice seemed to echo again.
"Then is there any need to create a fake identity? They seem to be operating secretly just fine?"
"When we capture and interrogate the doppelgangers whose identities are discovered later, they might try to implicate them, so we're deliberately revealing their identity. Also, wouldn't you feel more at ease knowing who your definite ally is?"
"Well... That's true."
Caesar looked at the personnel officer and said.
"Le Aidim?"
"Yes, your orders?"
"Create a fake identity and bring it to me. It would be good if it's a position that can freely move around within the unit."
"If that's what you're looking for, I have quite a suitable position."
"Oh, what is it?"
"Waste disposal soldier."
Pfft!
Raven spat out their tea.
Caesar's mind went blank for a moment.
"...Waste disposal soldier?"
"Yes. There are temporary toilets at each guard post, and there's a position for collecting and disposing of the waste from those toilets."
"Why is there such a position? Isn't that usually done in rotation?"
"Originally regular soldiers did it, but since two years ago, we couldn't leave injured soldiers who couldn't hold guns idle, so we created this position specifically. Usually, it's filled by soldiers who've lost a hand or have hearing disabilities."
"So you want to assign the doppelganger to clean excrement?"
"Isn't it not bad? They're not our soldiers to begin with."
So you're telling me to clean excrement now.
What should I really do about this?
"Isn't there anything else besides that? Like soldiers who deliver letters?"
"The mail carriers have nothing to do right now, so there's no reason for them to move around. They only deliver letters when the regular ship comes in, and it hasn't arrived yet."
"Is there nothing else besides cleaning excrement?"
"Nothing comes to mind right now. What other position allows you to move around every corner of the unit while drawing less attention than a waste disposal soldier?"
...I see.
Now that I hear it, that makes sense.
I remember old folks used to say if you don't study well, you'll end up cleaning excrement...
I never dreamed I'd be doing it myself.
"Alright... Let's pass that along for now."
"I'll create the fake identity using information from one of our deceased soldiers. How should I provide the personnel card?"
"Pass it through Gloria."
"Yes, understood."
Caesar stood up and said.
"It's important to round them all up when the doppelganger points them out. And absolutely don't kill them all. The succubi need to cast charm magic on them to find out clearly what information they leaked and what plans the devils have."
"Yes, understood."
"And don't trust any soldiers besides the people in this room. Act as usual, but the exact locations and plans of key commanders and staff, including myself, must not be revealed."
"Yes, understood."
Caesar looked at Raven and said.
"And Raven, let's talk separately for a moment."
***
Gloria lifted the tent flap of the private quarters.
"I'll wait outside."
"No, go get some rest."
"As an aide, I should be where Lord Caesar is."
"Then wait inside the command tent. Don't stand in the rain."
"That's fine. I can just wear a raincoat."
"...Fine. How can I break your stubbornness? Wait outside."
"Yes."
Raven used sound block magic as soon as Gloria went outside.
"Gloria, is she really okay?"
"You noticed?"
"To others she may appear as a loyal knight, but not to my eyes."
Raven examined the magic waves Gloria left in the room.
The magic waves were sharply focused toward Caesar.
"Her obsession with you is immense. You know that?"
"Yes. I probably occupy over 90% of her thoughts."
"Did you fail?"
"No, that was the best outcome."
"What exactly happened to make things this way?"
Caesar pointed to the cot.
"It's a long story, so sit down there."
***
Raven organized her thoughts before speaking.
"So you intervened in resolving Gloria's trauma, and because of that, Gloria developed a strong unconscious tendency to rely on you?"
"And after the interview with Agatha, it evolved beyond simply relying on me to wanting to become someone I need."
"What kind of interview could have led to this?"
"Agatha said she advised Gloria that she needed to overcome her obsessive feelings for me. Then suddenly it developed into believing she must become someone I need."
"What kind of thought process is that?"
"When I read it with psychometry, it seems Gloria wants me to rely on her too, not just her relying on me one-sidedly. In other words, she wants us to have a relationship where we rely on and help each other."
"Is that why she's being so formal?"
"Yes. She thinks I can trust her if she does well in her duties as an adjutant."
Raven thought deeply for a moment before speaking.
"Then it's not exactly a bad situation?"
Becoming a relationship of mutual reliance.
If that's the direction of the relationship Gloria is pursuing, isn't it quite healthy?
Though of course, it's problematic that it's excessive.
"Well... I suppose so."
Raven noticed through the magic waves that Caesar was hiding something.
"You're hiding something. Tell me everything."
"...How should I put this?"
"Why? What is it?"
"Gloria and I are lord and subordinate, but we're also a man and a woman, right?"
Raven frowned as if encountering a troublesome problem.
"I think I know what you're trying to say. That Gloria might see you as a romantic interest?"
"She already half sees me that way. That's why it's burdensome."
"Hmm..."
The word love rolled around uncomfortably like a grain of sand in Raven's mouth.
Love is a very difficult emotion for Raven to find answers to.
What is love to Raven?
Raven recalled the people she had loved.
The first to come to mind was, naturally, family.
And that family disappeared without leaving even ashes, engulfed in flames.
The memory is still so vivid that even seeing a burning bonfire makes her chest tighten.
So for Raven, love was loss and pain.
But it was thanks to Barre that she first thought love might not be just painful.
When Barre's thick hands gently covered Raven's eyes and covered the sound of burning fire with ridiculous fairy tales, Raven felt secure.
Raven looked into Caesar's eyes.
In those red eyes was Barre with black eyes.
What is Barre to Raven?
A comrade to lean on anytime?
Of course, he's more than that.
It would be better to describe him as family.
Then what about as a lover?
While Raven had never clearly expressed her feelings, being a wizard who couldn't honestly express her heart, she definitely had feelings for Barre.
That's why she disliked when Barre called her a 'girl'.
Because it felt like he saw her as a child rather than a woman.
But how about now?
How does she feel now that she knows Barre and Caesar are the same person and a doppelganger?
Raven couldn't find the answer.
But when Caesar fell into Raum's 'nightmare' and couldn't regain consciousness for a while, she was certain her chest felt like it would tear apart from pain.
From that perspective, Raven thought she might love Caesar.
"How do you feel about Gloria?"
Raven carefully observed Caesar's magic waves.
The magic waves flowing from Caesar's body were sharp and pointed.
Those sharp magic waves seemed to be eating away at Caesar's body.
"She's precious to me. But not as a lover."
That's guilt.
Although Raven strongly felt like she would regret it, she slowly dug into the cause of the guilt.
"Why? Because her way of thinking seems young?"
"No."
"She's not lacking in looks, so why do you dislike a woman who only looks at you?"
"I don't dislike her."
"You don't like women who are obsessed with you?"
"That's not it."
Caesar suddenly revealed the truth before Raven could prepare herself.
"I already have a partner."
"...A partner? Wait, could it be..."
Caesar shrugged and smiled.
"Somehow I ended up in that kind of relationship with Agatha."
Raven laughed, not knowing how to react.
It would be nice to add a word of congratulations here, but Raven found that one word difficult to say.
She just laughed and thought.
Love really is painful after all.