Chapter 12: Hero, Conference, and... (3)
Chapter 12: Hero, Conference, and... (3)
The chaos was brief. The corps commanders, having quickly composed themselves, rose in unison.
The doors soon opened, and the Demon King and the 0th Legion Commander, Demon, entered.
Idelia stole a glance at Bellitan's expression.
As expected, it was a rotten expression. Frankly, it served him right. Who dared to mess with Demon? He was the most revered being in the Demon Castle after the Demon King himself.
The Demon King, lounging leisurely in the most luxurious chair at the head of the table, crossed his legs and waved a hand lightly.
"Everyone, sit."
Another round of perfectly synchronized movement followed.
The Demon King surveyed the seated figures, then looked at Deon, who sat closest to him, and lifted the corners of his mouth faintly.
"As you know, there was an intruder. The 0th Legion Commander here handled it excellently."
Everyone's gaze turned to Deon.
Given that everyone present was formidable in their own right, the stares should have been overwhelming, but he merely kept his eyes down, fiddling with a cube.
......A cube?
Glances began flying busily among the corps commanders.
'Hey, that's....'
'Yeah, it seems he takes quite an interest in this matter.'
'But that also means the outcome will be that much more certain....'
'It could be risky, so we'd better be careful.'
During wartime meetings, he always toyed with a cube while listening to the opinions of everyone present.
When the opinions pleased him, the cube turned smoothly and snapped into place. But when they didn't, it rotated so violently that the clicking sound filled the entire barracks.
Whether it turned violently or smoothly, the optimal conclusion always came with the cube's completion. The problem was that whenever it turned violently, something inevitably blew up spectacularly.
As a subtle tension hung in the air, the Demon King continued.
"The investigation revealed that it was no mere intruder. Of course, anyone capable of infiltrating the Demon Castle, much less the inner castle, couldn't possibly be ordinary. But this particular case was exceptionally special, even among those."
His gaze, tinged with a hint of hostility, swept over the seated commanders.
Even though his eyes were on the corps commanders, he wasn't truly looking at them. As if staring at someone beyond them, the Demon King spoke with a faint trace of killing intent.
"Because it was the dregs of a hero."
"......Do you mean a Hero?"
"Yes. They sent one of those the Empire has been scrounging desperately to gather as a sacrificial lamb here."
Thud!
A heavy sound rang out. The corps commanders didn't bother to lift their heads to find the source of the noise.
It was obvious whose doing it was without looking.
Resting his clenched fist on the armrest just as it was, the Demon King leaned forward.
A weighty pressure poured over the entire meeting hall.
"What could their aim be?"
"......."
"The Empire's movements are unusual. Moreover, we've recently lost contact with the 9th Legion Commander, who was on the front lines. There's undoubtedly some kind of trouble."
The Demon King was powerful.
He was so powerful that there was no need for him to use his head, so his decisions were always simple, yet each one carried immense weight.
This time was no different.
"1st Legion Commander."
"Yes."
"You will go."
He was thinking of waging an all-out war.
Jeikar was the Demon King's proxy. There was no fool in this room who didn't understand what it meant for him to go personally.
Jeikar, who had paused briefly, raised only his eyes slightly while keeping his head bowed to look at the Demon King.
That was only for a moment. Without any particular objection, he lowered his gaze again and answered calmly.
"Yes."
A faint air of impending battle began to permeate the meeting room.
It wasn't as though war was breaking out immediately, but under the tension that felt as if it could erupt at any second, the Demon King clapped his hands together as if to change the mood.
The silence shattered, and a much lighter voice followed.
"Alright, that matter seems to be roughly settled. Before we discuss the next issue, there's something we need to address."
"......?"
"What kind of reward should we give to the 0th Legion Commander, who single-handedly caught the dregs of a hero?"
The hand that had been ceaselessly turning the cube stopped.
The red eyes that had not once risen above the table throughout the entire meeting slowly lifted to meet his.
Meeting the pair of red eyes directed at him, the Demon King grinned.
"Having the person in question decide wouldn't be a bad idea either."
* * *
I hated the corps commander meetings. Hated them terribly. The reason goes without saying.
Because they were terrifying!
The corps commanders' private dining hall was bearable since some people didn't eat there, but nearly everyone attended the meetings. So how terrifying was that?
'I don't want to go....'
The reason I was late to every meeting was that I kept dragging my feet because I didn't want to go. If the Demon King hadn't come to fetch me, I probably would have been late this time too.
Ah, was I already late?
I was about to wipe my sweaty hands on the hem of my clothes... but stopped short. What was this?
'A cube?'
A cube. Of course, I did carry a cube around during meetings, but only when it was a 'meeting centered on me.'
Meetings ran perfectly well without me, so I always fiddled with a cube to avoid eye contact—in case someone asked my opinion—and to pass the time, but....
The meeting I was about to attend right now was a meeting centered on the Demon King!
Why didn't the Demon King point this out?
I wanted to go back right now and put it back where it belonged, but it was far too late.
"His Majesty the Demon King and the 0th Legion Commander are entering."
The doors to the meeting hall opened with a fairly loud and solemn voice.
With the feelings of a cow being led to the slaughterhouse, I hesitantly stepped into the meeting hall.
And not long after the meeting began, my thoughts about the cube did a complete 180-degree turn.
'Thank goodness I brought it.'
If I hadn't brought it, I would have been so awkward.
The atmosphere was terrifying, and since no one was looking at me, it was quite literally the perfect environment for fiddling with a cube.
I was mixing up the new cube, getting it about halfway solved, then scrambling it again, and repeating the process, when the Demon King suddenly said something completely out of the blue.
"Alright, that matter seems to be roughly settled. Before we discuss the next issue, there's something we need to address."
Up until that moment, I had thought it had nothing to do with me.
"What kind of reward should we give to the 0th Legion Commander, who single-handedly caught the dregs of a hero?"
Startled, I snapped my head up.
Brushing it off as a misheard statement was impossible, since the Demon King's gaze was so unmistakably directed this way.
And then he added, as if driving the nail in.
"Having the person in question decide wouldn't be a bad idea either."
A different kind of silence from before settled over the room.
When I didn't readily open my mouth, the corps commanders, who fell silent along with me, glanced back and forth between the Demon King and me. The Demon King rested his chin on his hand and stared at me, as if telling me to hurry up and speak.
In the silence, I rolled my eyes this way and that.
'So... he's telling me to say what I want, right?'
The things I wanted weren't many. They were only things that would be easy for the Demon King to grant from his perspective....
"Resignation...."
"Denied."
"Then alcohol...."
"Are you serious?"
"......."
"......."
......I thought there was nothing.
Even while cutting me off so firmly, his expression remained perfectly unchanged.
Still wearing a gentle smile, the Demon King waited for my next words.
His gaze, which followed me without a moment's break, was so pressuring that I tried to blurt out anything just to end this....
But I really didn't wish for anything else...?
"......I don't have anything right now, so may I defer it to a later time?"
"What kind of demand do you have in mind? This is already terrifying."
He chuckled and removed the hand that had been propping up his chin, straightening his upper body.
His eyes, which had swept over the corps commanders, rolled smoothly and captured Bellitan.
Sensing instinctively that he was about to move on to the next agenda item, the corps commanders stiffened rigidly. Under the thickening tension, I, unable to lift or lower my gaze, merely turned the cube furiously beneath the table, relying purely on touch.
Whatever the agenda was, it wouldn't concern me anyway.
"6th Legion Commander, I hear you have something to say about the demonic beasts?"
"Yes, I would like to request reinforcements."
"Hmm...."
The Demon King, who had been flipping through the report, pulled out a single sheet of paper. His expression, initially indifferent, gradually distorted the more he read.
Finally, having read to the last line, he let out a low sigh and spoke.
"Indeed, the matter is serious. Are you and the 12th Legion Commander not enough?"
"The 12th Legion currently lacks the capacity to conduct demonic beast hunts."
The Demon King's movements halted for an instant. His eyes, which had been directed at the document, rose vertically and fixed on Bellitan.
Watching his Inverse Eyes remain utterly unwavering—no, frozen was a better descriptor—I inwardly nodded.
He must have been surprised. It was only natural to be surprised. Because I was surprised too.
What else could those words mean? They meant the legion had suffered such great damage that it couldn't even hunt demonic beasts. The cause was undoubtedly the demonic beasts.
"Then the 12th Legion Commander's position being vacant is...."
"From what I heard, he is recuperating due to injuries."
"From mere demonic beasts?"
"Watch your words. Even insignificant creatures can become threatening enemies when they band together."
Small voices busily exchanged between the corps commanders.
It was understandable. The 12th Legion, done in by mere demonic beasts?
'Mere' demonic beasts. The failed creations referred to as 'monsters' in the Empire.
The Demon King's power gave birth to countless demons even without his intention. This was why the Demon King was so threatening, and it was also the critical reason that the Empire—nay, all of humanity—desperately sought to eliminate him.
But creating life was never an easy feat.
Among the demons born, only a mere 40% possessed reason and could truly be called 'demon-race.' The remaining 60% were insignificant creatures, slaves only to their own instincts, far too shameful to even be called 'demon-race.'
Since they were complete failures that would even try to devour proper demons, let alone be controlled, the Demon King had labeled them 'demonic beasts' and regularly cleaned them up for the safety of the demon-race.
'Huh, it all comes to mind so smoothly. Have I stayed here too long?'
How long had it been since I last saw sunlight?
A sudden wave of sorrow hit me, and I pointlessly glared at the innocent table.
Meanwhile, the Demon King's momentarily paused voice resumed. I had thought he might be somewhat shaken, but as expected of the Demon King, his voice was rather calmer and more composed than usual.
"There are limits to what a document can convey. Explain it yourself."
"At some point, the number of demonic beasts began to swell massively. By the time we learned of it and tried to respond, half of the small villages had already been trampled."
"'Half'... Then what happened to the other half?"
"We evacuated them to larger cities with walls."
I had thought Bellitan was an ignorant brute, but he had surprisingly good judgment...?
I'm sorry, I guess I had been underestimating you too much. Silently offering an apology that would never reach him, I quietly listened to his explanation.
"The problem is that the sheer number of demonic beasts is so great that they're even attempting to scale the walls. It's as if we're fighting a war every single day."
"......It seems we'll have to station corps commanders in the major cities as well going forward."
"Why their numbers suddenly surged...."
The Demon King's muttering, followed by the trailing words, sounded almost like a lament.
To that, the Demon King half-laced his fingers, rested his chin on them, and spoke as if it were nothing.
"It's because the Hero died. The balance was broken."
As he said this, the Demon King glanced at me once.
What? Why are you looking at me? It wasn't my fault. Wasn't it you who pushed the Hero to his death in the first place?
Yet, lacking the confidence to look directly into his Inverse Eyes, I subtly averted my gaze. Whether he had already turned his eyes away, the Demon King flipped through some unidentifiable documents and murmured offhandedly.
"There are four major cities... and if the 12th Legion is combat-incapable, it will certainly be difficult to defend them all."
"Yes, that is why I am requesting reinforcements."
"Let's see... surplus personnel...."
A foreboding sensation ran down my spine. I hurriedly lowered my eyes to hide my trembling pupils.
Though I realized it belatedly, beneath the table, the cube was spinning like mad.
I never even knew my own hands could move so feverishly.
Click-click-click-click-.
Why am I so anxious? Isn't it obvious?
When I hear 'surplus personnel,' who springs to mind? That's right, me. The epitome of surplus among surplus, who doesn't even do the paperwork that every other corps commander handles! The only things I ever do are burning down gardens and flipping over meal trays....
"Demon, you should go."
......Click.
My hands stopped. My breath stopped too.
'Gasp, no! I have to breathe!'
For a split second, I thought I saw someone beckoning me from across the river.
I hastily supplied my lungs with oxygen, and my head started working again. For the first time ever, I resented my quick-witted mind.
Clutching the now-completed cube tightly in both hands, I screamed internally.
I knew this would happen, goddammiiiiiiit!!