Chapter 15: My Subordinates Are So Capable It's Driving Me Crazy (3)

As expected, the 12th Legion Commander was the type to cause an incident the moment he opened his mouth.

Some might have thought it was no big deal, but depending on the setting, it could have become a serious problem.

For example, suppose he had spoken that way during an audience with the Emperor of the Empire.

'... Just imagining it was horrifying.'

Especially since the current emperor was a tyrant, I guarantee that if Myers had been there, he wouldn't have lasted a week before his head was lopped off.

And absurdly enough, the demons in this Demon Castle regarded me as a human with similar tendencies to that tyrant emperor.

How could I be so sure? Because the way they looked at me was too similar to the way courtiers looked at the emperor.

So it was no wonder the adjutant was so horrified.

"Um... well."

Because agreeing would make Myers too pitiful, I delayed my answer. He already looked like he was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠getting chewed out; maybe I should deny it now...

As I hesitated, unable to affirm or deny, Dahareu's eyes narrowed.

He glared at Myers once, then bowed politely to me again.

"I apologize, Lord Demon. I'll be excusing myself with Lord Myers for a moment."

Dahareu strode out the door.

Myers, who had been dawdling, scurried after him as if burned by the voice that was anger masked as kindness: 'Lord Myers, aren't you coming out?'

And from beyond the closed door, Dahareu's nagging began with a lament, 'I can't live like this, seriously...'

"Didn't I tell you to keep your mouth shut as much as possible! Lord Myers, you are the type who gets beaten up the moment you open your mouth! You could have just apologized and come out, so why did you open your mouth in front of Lord Demon! Did you want to die that badly? Why not just ask His Majesty the Demon King to kill you? The Demon King would send you off more gently than Lord Demon would."

So the taciturn concept was set by the adjutant. Honestly, I thought it was an excellent choice.

That adjutant seemed to be just as competent as this one.

Still, compared to Ed, I thought Ed was far better. At least Ed didn't inflict such searing verbal abuse on me.

'... Hm? Wait, now that I think about it, this room is soundproofed. With the Demon King's soundproofing magic that can never be breached...'

My doubts about the soundproofing didn't last long. Because focusing on the conversation coming from outside was more interesting than worrying about that issue.

Perhaps it wasn't just my thought; the room was soon engulfed in silence.

Dahareu didn't stop talking as if some magic had been cast on his mouth, and Myers just listened silently. It was pitiful even though I couldn't see them.

Ah, occasionally Myers did protest, but...

"B-but Lord Demon asked..."

"At least think about whether it's a normal answer before replying... Ah, I see. I made a mistake. Since you can't distinguish that, you cause these incidents. Just shut your mouth. Answer with gestures. That's why I went to the trouble of correcting your behavior."

The more I heard, the more incredible an adjutant he was.

So those disciplined, sharp, weighty movements were all corrected by him.

Perhaps having shrunk again, Myers' voice disappeared. Tut tut, poor guy.

At that moment, the Demon King, who had been listening in like me, shifted his posture as if losing interest and waved his hand in the air. Then the outside sound was cut off.

"I had forgotten I'd only temporarily released it."

"......?"

"I temporarily dispelled the soundproofing magic because you wouldn't open the door."

"Yes...?"

Originally, soundproofing magic was placed on all important places, including the Demon King's room and the Legion Commanders' rooms.

The only sounds allowed through were the knock and the few seconds after—just enough time for a request and permission to be exchanged.

"If you arbitrarily remove that..."

"Hm?"

"Never mind."

But the other party was the Demon King. It was not something I could say anything about.

I turned my creaking head and looked at the Demon King. Hien was sending a pitiful look from beside him, but the unknown plant seeds in his hand looked too ominous, so I subtly averted my gaze.

"What business brought you here?"

"What business. Since you're finally going outside, shouldn't I at least see you off?"

"Ah... there's no need to go that far..."

"Exactly. There was no need to go that far. I never expected to be given the cold shoulder at the door."

Had the Demon King always been this petty about things?

Since any answer I gave would be digging my own grave, I couldn't answer and just rolled my eyes with an awkward expression.

What was there to do to get out of this situation?

... There was nothing.

At best, all I could do was leave it to luck.

Once again, I was desperate to cough up blood. Surely he wouldn't hold a grudge against a sick person.

How did I get blood to come out before? It seemed like just raising my blood pressure a little made it happen. So if I could make it feel like it was boiling up inside me...

"Lord Demon..."

"Uh, yes?"

Ah, damn. I had spaced out and answered without thinking.

It went without saying that my face paled when I belatedly recognized the voice's owner.

I froze for a moment at the thought that I was screwed, then slowly rolled my eyes to check where the voice came from.

As expected, there was Hien, his face lit up with a bright smile as if delighted that his voice had finally reached me.

With a smiling face, he held out the 'something that didn't look pleasant at all' that he'd been holding.

"Since Lord Demon is going outside, I brought some plant seeds you can use for self-defense."

"... By any chance, are these carnivorous plants?"

"Yes, and not only that, they're extremely powerful ones that eat demons too..."

Oh, it was rising. My blood pressure was rising.

A fishy scent rose from deep within my body. I knew from experience that this was the sign before vomiting blood. I quietly covered my mouth.

As expected, something hot climbed up my throat. Soon my lips parted, and just as I was about to spit it out.

"Urgh..."

BAM!

"Lord Demon!"

"... Urk?!"

Ben appeared, holding his medical bag.

What the—how had he gotten here so fast?!

Ah, right. My personal physician had some kind of magic device. A magic stone, was it?

How was he so competent?

'What am I supposed to do if he shows up before I even get out of this situation...'

It was enough to make me want to cry from how competent he was.

* * *

Thanks to a competent personal physician, the situation was resolved before it could even properly erupt.

Still, I was able to use my poor health as an excuse ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to chase Hien out, and even send away the 12th Legion Commander Myers and his adjutant who had been going at it outside, so I didn't think it was a loss at all.

However, if there was one regrettable thing, it was that I tried to use this as an excuse to cancel this mission, but...

"Um, this mission..."

"Hm? Ah... Even in this state, you're fixated on the mission..."

Fixated? What kind of bullshit...

I frowned without realizing it.

It was an expression that, by anyone's standards, blatantly showed 'What nonsense are you talking about?', but however he took it, the Demon King sighed and shook his head as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠if I was incorrigible.

"Don't worry. The mission won't be canceled. Instead, wherever you go, make sure you stick close to Ben."

"......"

"I know as well that there's no way you'd die from just something like that. But you never know, right? Since you've been weakened by the aftereffects, if someone attacks you while you're off guard, it might be a little dangerous."

Even if I'm not off guard, it's dangerous if someone attacks me. Maybe not for sturdy demons, but it's dangerous for me.

Ah, my neck was stiff.

"Eek?! Lord Demon! Your blood pressure status?"

"... It's nothing. Let's go."

I ignored Ben's worried gaze, took a deep breath, and headed for the door.

In truth, I wasn't going of my own accord. My competent and loyal adjutant was standing firmly in one spot, waiting for me to come out, and his gaze was so piercing.

"This way."

Ed, as if he had been waiting, opened the door and led the way to where the legion members were waiting.

Time seemed to have been delayed too much ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠due to unexpected events; surely they wouldn't commit insubordination because I made them wait too long, right...?

Ah, I had to think that. Now I didn't want to go even more.

I tried to walk slowly, but as I followed Ed who was striding forward, I soon arrived in front of the first-floor entrance.

So the legion members were waiting behind that door. Since I was late, they must have been angry. They were already murderous-looking bastards even when they were still, so how much more murderous would their angry gazes be?

I felt like I'd really die of a heart attack if I opened the door before I was mentally prepared, so I hastily called out to Ed, who was about to open it.

"Wait."

"Yes?"

"... I'll open it."

Ed tilted his head, then stepped back without a word.

I slowly walked over and stood in front of the door, then took a slow deep breath.

"Lord Demon, your heartbeat is abnormally fast. Are you okay?"

"... Can you even measure that?"

"Yes. Your health is at stake, isn't it only natural?"

"......"

I stared intently at the strange jewel around Ben's neck.

I wanted to snatch it and smash it right now, but would that even work?

But I didn't have the guts to do it, and I didn't even have the strength to break the jewel, so what could I do? Powerless as always, I resigned myself and placed my hand on the door.

"Are you really okay? Your heart rate is..."

"......"

"Ben, aren't you underestimating Lord Demon? There's no way he'd be affected by something like that."

Yeah, what he said was exactly what I wanted to say. No matter how weak I am, there's no way I'd be in danger over just that, right?

As expected of Ed. How did he perfectly understand my feelings and speak for me like this?

I was cheering inwardly, but Ben, who I thought would back down by now, instead started raging, 'How can an adjutant be so thoughtless!'

It was truly a terrifying force.

"Ridiculous! It could really be dangerous if you're not careful! Do you even know what Lord Demon's physical condition is like right now?"

"Uh, what is it?"

He was pushed back by the force!

"He's like a cracked glass that could shatter at any moment! The aftereffects are practically eating away at Lord Demon's body, to the point that you have to consider it quite serious!"

"That can't be!"

Uh, um... Was my condition that bad...?

I felt relieved anew that I had such a great excuse like 'aftereffects'.

Let me say this clearly once more: I don't have any aftereffects. In other words, my current physical condition is something I was born with...

As expected, I must never let this fact be discovered, even if I die. Not only is it dangerous, it's too embarrassing.

I was making a firm resolution when Ed, his face pale, approached me and began examining my complexion.

"Are you really okay? Your face seems pale."

"I've always been this way..."

"Your lips seem redder than usual too... Did you perhaps bite your lips while enduring the pain?"

"That's also normal for me."

How embarrassing. Enough.

I turned my back, intending to tell them to say no more.

And without giving them a chance to say anything else, I opened the door.

Cold air brushed my cheek, and the three overlapping half-moons brightly illuminated the ground as if urging me to come out.

And there.

The legion members lined up without a single movement—

'... It was a spectacle.'

If only their eyes hadn't been directed at me.

As soon as the door opened, they just rolled their eyes to look at me without moving a single muscle, a sight that would truly terrify an ordinary human like me.

I stopped in place to hide my trembling legs.

I heard Ben mutter behind me, 'Ah, another heartbeat spike!' or did I? Ah, I don't know. I felt like my mind was going blank.

"......"

"......"

Cold sweat ran down my spine. Sweat was also running down their foreheads.

Probably, the sweat running down their foreheads had a different meaning from mine.

Yeah, if they had maintained that posture the whole time I was coming out, I could fully understand them sweating.

However, there was also the possibility that it was sweat from anger...

At the thought that I might get killed as soon as I left the castle, I started frantically racking my brain for what to say to survive.