The Pitch-Black Abyss (1)
Ultimately, the only way to resolve this issue was to schedule yet another audience with the 7th Legion Commander. That said, the situation left much to be desired. "Declaring war only to focus on internal affairs like this—how absurd."
"Well, it's not as if they'll be the ones to invade first, after all."
"Even so, won't they strengthen their defenses further?"
"With the Cezar's power, such things shouldn't matter. Besides, the longer their vigilance lasts, the more exhausted they'll become, and their wariness will gradually fade."
Several times a day, the urge to abandon everything and storm in to wreak havoc surged through me. Especially since the 3rd Legion, practically my own direct force, had Fade constantly reporting that they were ready to charge at any moment, which only fueled that impulse.
"You're right, Anima. So, how do you think the meeting with the 7th Legion Commander will go?"
"I've sent word, but there's been no reply yet. Generally, when messages are sent to her, replies often don't come at all—or if they do, they're extremely late. It might be far better to simply barge in unannounced."
"She truly lives up to her name."
"Yes, because she is Sloth."
Della Objet. I knew only her name; her true identity remained a complete mystery. Well, perhaps there was one thing I did know. During the coronation, I distinctly remembered her being much shorter than the other Legion Commanders. Beyond that… whether I knew the face beneath her armor, or recognized her voice. The same applied to the 4th Legion Commander Annie Witcher and the 5th Legion Commander Grid Rack, whose faces I'd never seen, but since I had little interest in them at the moment, information on Della Objet took priority.
"I can provide basic information on Della Objet. However, even the 2nd Legion Commander likely has no proper grasp of her personal preferences or personality."
"Why is that?"
"Because unless it's truly necessary, she never leaves her residence."
"…Does the legion even function?"
"Originally, it isn't a legion that relies on physical labor. You could call it a gathering of massive administrative soldiers. Though administrative soldiers who do no work is rather comical, isn't it?"
"…It certainly is amusing."
In short, it was a den of parasites. Or perhaps the headquarters of salary thieves? The more I heard, the harder it became to fathom why the 1st Legion Commander, Nobel Highness, had visited the 7th Legion or what purpose he'd had. It almost seemed as if he'd gone there to remind himself, 'I must never live like that.'
"Before I speak of Della Objet, there is one crucial piece of information you must know."
"What is it?"
"The 7th Legion, the Legion of Sloth, has not changed its Legion Commander even once in seven hundred years."
"Then how old is Della Objet exactly…?"
"That, too, remains unknown. Unlike other legions, the 7th Legion has never experienced a change in leadership due to internal power struggles. What is noteworthy is that even after the legion birthed a calamity, its commander was not replaced."
"Ah, wait. That's right. Just like with Anima, doesn't birthing a calamity strip a Legion Commander of all their power?"
"Yes, that is correct. Of course, it isn't irreversible. I should be able to recover roughly half of my original strength after about a hundred years. But if Your Majesty hadn't appointed me as your secretary, I would have been ousted by my subordinates long before then. After all, the loyalty of demons as a race is solely to power—not to the 3rd Legion, but to strength itself."
"I never had any intention of not keeping Anima as my secretary to begin with."
If not Anima, who would I have chosen? From the very beginning, all the Legion Commanders had been my enemies. I'd never seen their faces—only their armor. And there wasn't a single one I remembered fondly. I'd merely thought, 'Today it's the black one, today the red one, today the green one.' Of course, none of them had been a match for me either.
"What Anima is saying is that they have little interest in power itself."
"Yes, that's accurate. According to legend, the previous 7th Legion Commander simply passed away, and Della Objet, who was the next strongest, naturally took the position."
"How should I put it… they're like pandas."
"Pandas… Yes, one could see it that way. Though they're not exactly that adorable."
"That's rather blunt criticism."
Eat, drink, play, sleep, excrete. If they worked well but didn't work at all, should they be called competent or incompetent? They weren't the type to work just because they were told to, nor the type to be swayed by persuasion. It was a difficult situation indeed.
"So that's why you didn't recommend it."
"Yes. Honestly, rather than trying to make the 7th Legion work somehow, it might be less stressful for me and the Cezar to simply handle everything ourselves."
"Is it that bad?"
"Even if we somehow managed to make them work… they'd just slack off again the moment the task was done. Especially now, when we don't even know what the 1st Legion Commander discussed with them, it's an incredibly difficult matter."
"How complicated…"
"Yes. It is complicated."
But staying as we were wasn't an option either. Even if it caused stress, it wasn't impossible. If things continued like this, there would be no war—just drowning in paperwork. I had one great purpose. To make those who reduced me to this state suffer a crushing defeat. No—beyond that, to drag them into the abyss of despair and drown them in endless regret. I did nothing wrong. This wasn't merely an excuse born of selfishness. When I look back, I have not a single thing to be ashamed of before the heavens. Having been broken by their vile jealousy and greed, I will surely take my revenge. To that end, securing the 7th Legion's cooperation is essential.
"Ah, Cezar. Intri left something behind."
"Intri did?"
"He handed this over, certain it would be of help to Your Majesty."
What Anima received from Intri and passed to me was a single riding crop.
"…Does he mean for me to hit someone with this?"
"I don't know that much either. Shall I drag him here by the collar?"
"…Forget it. More importantly, Anima, you're merciless toward your subordinates."
"You flatter me."
"That wasn't a compliment…"
A riding crop. If Intri had given it, it must have some use. I had no choice but to believe that. Surely he wasn't mocking me.
**
Unlike the other legions, the 7th Legion was located in an ambiguous position. While the other legions, including the 'Demon King's Castle' where I resided, had established large facilities in the center of Tenebris, the 7th Legion stood alone, isolated. Each legion's territory was divided into a 'district' that somewhat reflected its nature, and races suited to that nature dwelled there. Thus, passing through such districts naturally conveyed their atmosphere. Walking through the 3rd Legion's 'Wrath District,' one could easily spot pedestrians grabbing each other by the collar and throwing punches. In the 1st Legion's 'Pride District,' tall figures in flamboyant attire walked with cold gazes, as if they were nobles. But the 7th Legion's 'Sloth District' was deathly silent, not a single sound to be heard.
"The Sloth District is desolate, so there's no need to look elsewhere. If you find the only relatively normal building in the middle, that will be Della Objet's residence."
Anima's words were easy to understand. Unlike other districts, the Sloth District had no properly constructed buildings. Most had been built half-heartedly, with roofs left unfinished, and not a single one had been painted. It truly… lived up to its name. Among them, there was one building with a pink roof that stood just a little taller than the others. That was likely where Della Objet resided, just as Anima had said.
"Finding it is surprisingly easy…"
My impression was… exactly what Anima had described, nothing more.
"Trivia."
"Y-yes?!"
"Stop dozing off and get up. It's time to start working."
"I-I'll pull myself together…!"
Today, I had brought only Trivia with me. There hadn't really been a need to bring her, but having decided to take in Trivia—who had abandoned her life as 'Miriam'—and keep her by my side as 'Trivia,' I intended to keep her with me whenever I didn't have to leave Tenebris, just in case.
"Cezar, we've arrived."
"Good work. Rest as you please."
"I shall obey!"
Leaving the driver behind, I headed toward Della Objet's residence. Perhaps because of her position as 'Legion Commander,' there was at least a wall and a gate. The problem was…
"There's no password or guards or anything?"
Was the security so broken that the door would open with a mere flick of the hand…?
"Sh-should we go in first?"
"No need. Just follow me."
With a deeply uneasy feeling, I stepped inside. Pitch-black darkness, like the black dome of Tenebris seen from outside, enveloped me. I couldn't tell if I was even standing on the ground or if my eyes were properly open. While my vision might adjust to the darkness given time, being in a space of complete darkness where I couldn't even see my own arm right in front of me was enough to make anyone uneasy.
"C-Cezar…! I'm scared! Uuu…!"
Trivia reacted immediately, clinging to me. Startled by the sudden added weight, I hurriedly caught her and held her in my arms. So this was why security wasn't needed? Anyone who entered wouldn't even be able to walk properly anyway. Fearing there might be traps, I was afraid to even take a step. As I stood still with my eyes wide open, trying to adjust to the darkness, a third voice reached my ears—neither mine nor Trivia's.
"Who? Ah, Cezar. Hello. What is it? Ah, I don't know. Go back."
Truly, a thin female voice dripping with unmistakable annoyance.