Chapter 21: The Lifted Veil (4)
Chapter 21: The Lifted Veil (4)
The room was splendid.
It couldn't compare to the Demon Castle, but that was an outlier from the start, so I set that aside. Inwardly marveling, I strode over to the window.
In the sky visible through the window, three moons were lined up in a row.
'Still daytime.'
And broad daylight at that.
Of course, the demon world had no sun, but that didn't mean there was no distinction between day and night.
You could tell for certain by looking at the three moons that occupied the sky.
When the three moons stretched long horizontally, it was day; when they overlapped and appeared as one, it was night.
Now they were lined up in a row, so it was daytime.
'So what if it's daytime? Day drinking has its own charm.'
I threw off the stifling robe and gave my current clothes a quick once-over. They were just ordinary clothes, seeming only convenient for moving around.
I could go out like this just fine.
But up until this moment, I was so excited that I'd forgotten one very important fact.
"No."
"This city must be 'protected.' Are you planning to wreck it?"
The fact that I had two goddamn stalkers.
......Damn it!
* * *
"So this is the 9th Legion Commander."
"Yes, that is correct."
Jeikar looked down at the corpse with cold, sunken eyes.
He was currently at the front lines.
He'd come as reinforcements urgently dispatched by the Demon King, who'd found it suspicious when contact with the 9th Legion Commander was lost—but the situation was already too late.
The 9th Legion Commander was dead.
'So this is the 9th Legion Commander, huh.'
There was a reason he'd called the remains of a once-living being and comrade 'this thing.'
A corpse so tattered it was impossible to even recognize its original state.
It was closer to a chunk of meat than a corpse, 'contained' in a crudely made coffin that reeked of haste.
"A single strike—no, on the second strike, his head was sent flying, and after that, trampled by hooves?"
"......"
"You bastards couldn't even retrieve your commanding officer's body? What the hell were you doing?"
"I apologize."
Jeikar's expression as he looked at what had been the 9th Legion Commander was far from good.
Not because it was brutal. He'd personally done far more brutal things plenty of times.
And not because a major asset like the 9th Legion Commander was lost. Although that wasn't without impact, the bigger problem was something else.
"1st Legion Commander! The enemy!"
"......Again, huh."
The enemy's fierce offensive was beyond expectations.
A sigh escaped before he could stop it.
With nothing to prepare, Jeikar strapped the sword he'd been holding firmly to his hip and strode out of the tent.
His appearance under the sunlight was a mess.
Blood splattered all over him, chunks of flesh stuck here and there.
He'd had to throw himself into battle the moment he arrived, without even time to unpack.
Even after swinging his sword in a frantic frenzy, he'd only barely managed to put out the most immediate fire. The state of the war was so severe that he had to fight yet another battle right now.
All because of a single human.
One of the Empire's proud trump cards, who'd appeared on this battlefield without any warning.
If any other Legion Commander—precisely, any Legion Commander other than the 0th—had been here instead, they would have been helplessly pushed back.
Crack.
"......Request reinforcements from His Majesty the Demon King."
A distinctly low voice oozed out, as if emotions were being forcefully suppressed.
He didn't want to admit it, but he had to.
He couldn't afford to lose soldiers to pointless pride.
"A 'true Hero' has appeared, and the 9th Legion Commander is dead."
From now on, his only job was one thing. To buy time until reinforcements arrived.
......Until our side's 'joker' came and swept them away.
Recalling the 0th Legion Commander, Demon Arut, who would be in the city by now, Jeikar glared murderously at that alien presence rampaging among the flock of sheep like a wolf.
* * *
On my second day here, I still hadn't been able to touch a single drop of alcohol.
The reason was nothing special. Two goddamn bastards, both of whom were beasts in a fight, were stuck to me watching my every move all day long!
Damn bastards.
Utterly sick to death of Ed and Ben's relentless stalking, I swept my eyes over the cards in my hand with a dry gaze and let the words slip out.
"I distinctly told you to freely enjoy yourselves."
"Yes, I clearly heard that."
"The legion members were delighted."
"So that means, that 'freedom' includes you two as well."
"We were ordered never to leave your side."
"I'm here as a guard...."
Goddammit!
Irritably, I put my cards down, swept up the pile of gold coins in front of me, and spoke with clear annoyance.
The guy sitting opposite me clutched his head, but I'd long since exhausted any tolerance I might have had for that sort of thing.
"Then at least you go, Ed?"
"The guard...."
"Ben alone is enough."
Please, just get lost.
I was suffocating. Don't I have any personal life?!
My insides felt hot. This had to be from anger. I hastily shifted my gaze to the pile of gold coins beside me.
'Haaah....'
My heart grew calm.
So that's all mine. I won't have to worry about money for a while.
'Actually, it's not like I'm that strapped for cash....'
But still, it's the feeling that counts.
I contentedly caressed the pile of gold coins with my eyes, leaned back in my chair, and crossed my legs.
As you've probably guessed, I was now in a gambling house.
Originally, I'd planned to blow away my unease about demonic beasts with alcohol, but since I was being restrained like this, there wasn't much I could do, so as a petty act of rebellion I'd come to a gambling house for the first time in my life....
"You won again."
"Truly impressive."
How am I so good at this?
Should I just quit everything and just run gambling dens? I'd probably eat well and live comfortably.
'......Should I really quit?'
It seemed I really was winning quite a bit. The looks from the gambling house patrons toward me had subtly changed from before.
Especially the look from the guy sitting across from me.
"How about we just call it my loss and end this here?"
Oh, look at that. Spoken right up.
Not 'call it a loss'—he just straight-up lost.
But there was no need to pick a fight over that, so I just smirked and nodded.
With the game over, I was sweeping the gold coins into the pouch Ed had quietly handed me from behind, when the guy who'd slyly shifted to the seat next to mine held out the glass he'd been holding.
"You're really something, aren't you? You sure you're not pulling some kind of trick? Ah, don't take offense, of course. It's just that you're so good I'm in awe."
"I didn't use any tricks, but... this is...."
"Ah, this was something I'd stashed away to drink myself, but I lost, you know? My appetite dropped right off, so just take it, a drink for your hard work, mister."
"No."
That last line wasn't mine.
These damn stalker bastards...!
Come to think of it, Ed, that bastard, still hadn't left. Why was he still here? Didn't I tell him to go?
As I tied the pouch of scooped-up gold coins to my waist, I raised my head and glared at Ed.
......Though the moment our eyes met, I lost the force in my gaze, but anyway.
"Ed, didn't I tell you to go?"
"But... for your safety...."
"Safety? On the way here, I saw you fight quite impressively. Ben fights damn well."
Practically berserker level.
That's exactly why I didn't want to be alone with just the two of them, but after two days of being pestered by the pair, my thinking had changed.
If this kept up, I'd become the berserker. I had to send at least one of them packing.
"......Well...."
Ed hesitated with his head bowed.
I glanced at Ben, who was looking at Ed with a smug winner's expression.
This was my chance!
As naturally as if picking up a water cup, I took the glass. And before Ed or Ben could pay attention, I quickly continued.
"Ben can't be helped, but Ed, you can get some rest. You must've had a rough time—why not rest a little, at least while we're here? An opportunity like this won't come again."
"......."
"Huh?"
"......Understood."
Dejected, he turned around and trudged away.
A tall, strapping man looking crestfallen might seem a bit pitiful, but....
'Pitiful my ass.'
I just felt relieved.
What kind of emotional impact is a crestfallen guy supposed to give, anyway? He's not even the opposite sex.
I smiled a victor's smile and brought the glass in my hand to my lips.
'......?'
And then I stopped.
Before the liquid could flow into my mouth, I briefly stilled my hand.
At the exact same moment, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, Ed whipped his head around and looked at me. Suddenly meeting his eyes, I froze in place with the glass still raised.
"......."
"......Ha, haha."
A gaze that had gone cold, as if with disappointment.
Ben's gaze, which had been on Ed, now swung around to me as well.
Under the stinging stares of those two, moving between the glass in my hand and my face, I couldn't help but awkwardly set the glass back down.
"......I was just going to smell it."
"Sure, I believe you."
"......."
"Still, just in case, I'll say it one more time: we came here for the city's safety. Please refrain from alcohol as much as possible."
"Suuure...."
Now hurry up and get lost.
With roughly that intent, I waved my hand dismissively.
Whether my meaning got through or not, Ed trudged away even more dejectedly, and Ben, who'd been quiet, dredged up that same line I was sick to death of hearing.
"Did you hear? So put that glass far away."
"Suuure, I got it. I was planning on doing that anyway."
Slouching crookedly, I pushed the glass away with my fingertips. His expression subtly changed.
As if to say, 'What's gotten into you?' ...Just what was my usual image?
My pride was wounded.
I turned my head away sharply, breaking eye contact with Ben, and looked at the guy who'd offered me the drink.
A face full of question marks stared back at me. Looking him straight in his innocuous-seeming face, I spoke slowly, with a sullen expression.
"I do like alcohol. But I'm not particularly fond of drugs."
"......!"
Thought the alcohol smell would cover it, huh?
I might not look it, but I can distinguish the smell of drugs with terrifying accuracy.
Why? Because I've had more than enough bitter experience.
So I can stake my word on it. This glass contains two types of narcotic substances.
Probably a sleeping agent or a paralytic. They likely contain narcotic components because they were only focused on potency.
It's a drink rife with aftereffects, with zero consideration for the one consuming it. And you were holding this to drink it yourself?
"You brought this to use it when you lost, from the very start, didn't you?"
"......."
A face drained white.
Silence fell over the rowdy gambling house.
'Drugs' were a sensitive topic that could make people stop coming to the place altogether. Everyone's eyes turned toward us.
"That...."
The silence pressed down heavily on the guy.
Under the attention of countless eyes, the man, who'd been breaking into a cold sweat, made his choice.
"Wha, what are you talking about? Drugs?"
In a word, it was a terrible move.
Denial when the evidence was right in front of him—what an idiot.
Just as expected, Ben, who'd been trembling with anger beside me, delivered an utterly ruthless checkmate in a tightly restrained voice.
"Then you can just drink it yourself to prove it."
"......."
The game was over. Watching the guy bite his lip, unable to say a word, I gave a small click of my tongue. Moron.
Well, only someone that stupid would've tried to feed something like that to a person with companions.
He probably planned to snatch the money pouch while Ben was carrying my collapsed body away on his back, or, if caught, to use me as a hostage to achieve his goal—but his opponent was the Demon Castle's personal physician.
Ah, saying "personal physician" doesn't quite make it sink in. Let me correct that: a berserker.
The Demon Castle's berserker. Doesn't that sound impeccably flawless just from the title? Trying such a shallow scheme against someone like him was laughable from my end.
I pushed my chair back and slowly stood up.
I'd already won a very tidy sum of money, and I hadn't drunk the drugged alcohol, so I'd taken no particular loss.
Not wanting to blow this up any further, I was quietly gathering my things to leave when—
Crash!
Even faster than that, an incident erupted.