Shin and the room fell silent. Everyone has pulled away because I have called myself the Great Demon King. It is so quiet that you can almost hear the sound of their breathing. I keep my voice low and my manner as arrogant as possible, and continue my story.
"It's been a long time since I've been back to my castle, and I've found it in ruins. You have killed my people. You will pay for your crimes. Yes... I will exterminate the people of your land. I had my men kill all those who invaded my castle and did violence, but that was not enough. Hey, you!"
I point to a man, a sorcerer, who is being held as a prisoner of war.
"Go back to your country and tell them. The Great Satan will reduce your land to ashes. I will give you some time. Prepare yourselves with all diligence. Will you not entertain me? It would be boring to destroy it immediately. My men are getting bored because the men who invaded the castle were so boneheaded. We'll make a bloodbath of them and then head for your country. Go quickly, will you? Otherwise, I might get there before you, you know? Hmph, hmph."
The man is completely bloodless. His face is pale.
"Use the horses outside. Go!
The man fell on his buttocks and crawled out of the house.
"...Is he gone?"
After a while, I asked around. The room erupts in laughter.
"Why did you say you are the Great Demon King? You scared the hell out of me."
"No~, I was just wondering if the Lamarong army would be upset."
It was a bit of a stretch to aim for that, wasn't it?
"Really? It was a good play, wasn't it?"
Linos can't act.
"Really? I think it was a good performance. I mean, he just ran out of the room.
The Marquis's theatrics are deceptive, and so are the deceivers.
Knogen, that's a terrible thing to say.
No, no, Knogen is right.
We're having a great time, leaving the prisoners of war alone. Matkal and the others are looking like pigeons that got hit by a peashooter.
"Ki-ki-ki-what are you...?"
"Yeah, I'm just a big devil king."
"Nanchatte?"
I'm not a demon king. I'm not a demon king.
You tricked me! You're dirty!
There's nothing dirty about fighting. You're not the kind of men who can speak for others, are you?
We're...
"Don't tell me you were ordered to do this by your superiors. The Kingdom of Juka is a land ruled by the resurrected Great Demon King, and the humans who live there are his servants, so they should all be killed. It's you and that full-fingered bastard there who agreed to such an idiotic idea and planned and carried out this operation, isn't it?"
"..."
"And you, you full of shit, are even more of a prick, aren't you? After successfully annexing the kingdom of Juka, he has arranged for himself to receive a portion of its territory. On condition that he takes the children of the nobles as his vassals. From the Crown's point of view, the interest of this bastard and the Crown are aligned, since he can send the second and third sons of the nobles who are skimming off the bottom of the food chain to the Jukha.
"So then, the Lamarong Kingdom... has decided... to share its lands with the children of the nobility in the Kingdom of Juka..."
"Ah, it means that the Heedata Empire and I had the same problems."
"How shallow..."
"That's not all. The Lamarong Kingdom has been suffering from poor harvests for the past few years. If nothing is done there will be a famine. We need to get our hands on fertile land before that happens. So they turned to the Kingdom of Juca. If they could annex this kingdom, they would not have to worry about food for the time being. However, they did not want the people of Jukha to revolt, so they dared to discourage any rebellion by a harsh policy of occupation.
"This is occupation policy at its worst."
"Oh. They think only of the immediate future, that's why they come up with such a stupid plan. If I hadn't come, how would you guys have kept this country going? I'm talking about you. You thought that if you waited, food would come to you from home. That's naive. How can we expect any food to arrive when the two armies of Heedata and Ramallon are staring at each other near the border?
"My empire will crush Heedata! The food should be arriving soon!"
But I don't see any movement on either side.
"Then, when the news comes that the Demon Lord has returned and that all 3000 of Ramallon's elite have been slaughtered... it will definitely cause upheaval in the army.
"I hope so, but I hope it won't be a very small army.
No, I don't think so. We have occupied the capital of Juka for only ten days. An elite force to occupy the capital of a country in such a short period of time can be wiped out in a single night with as many as 3,000 men. That must be very frustrating for them.
"Well, it's none of my business. If we are in a hurry, Ramallon will lose. If not, we'll think of the next plan. That's all."
I look around at the prisoners. All of them are pale.
"These women are very important prisoners of war, so we will treat them with respect. Don't worry. We are not beasts like you. We will ensure your safety. You can relax here in King's Landing for the time being.
Then he turns to the next one, Leirik.
"You're in for a big spanking. You can look forward to it.
I grin. The full-figured guy was incontinent with fear.
It's getting late in the evening, so Knogen takes care of the POWs and we get ready for the cookout. The evening cookout was a great success. The people of Wangdu ate so much of the curry that it became difficult for Knogen and the others to get enough for dinner. The delicious food seemed to make people feel at home, and smiles were seen on people's faces.
Since the soup kitchen was only serving curry, we were dismissed early because another person would suffice. We return everyone to the house and tell them to get some rest for tomorrow. Tomorrow, a large amount of food and seafood will be delivered from Krumphal.
It is now just me, Rico, and May. I prepare another transfer ward and the three of us ride in it. We arrived at the south gate of the capital.
We walk eastward, trying not to show the corpse dump in the plaza. This place must have been abandoned for quite a while. Almost all the houses were haunted. Rico and Mei were scared. We walked down the street holding hands.
Soon we arrived at our destination.
"... It's a big tree..."
"That's what they're trying to make it look like. Now I'm going to break the warding."
"...a mansion?"
"Yes, this is the house where I spent my slavery days, that is, the house of the Barthams."
"So this is the place..."
I really wanted Rico and May to see the house where I grew up. I thought they would understand the character of the Bertham family if they saw this house. I hold their hands as we enter the house. Dusk is falling, so I use the magic of the light to brighten the room. The dining room and the kitchen are all that remains, but everything is still as it was back then, clean and well preserved. I miss it.... Looking at them, I vividly recall those days.
Elsa is eating her meal with elegance. Eating one dish after another, Eril eats faster than I can finish in time. Master Falco and the maids boasting about their old women as they guzzle their drinks.... The many glamorous parties held here.... I was anxious, but there was such an intense time that I didn't have time to feel it. Those days come back to me like a running light.
>.
Suddenly, I thought I heard such a voice. It was Erza. I involuntarily get down on one knee and put my hand on my chest.
"Master, Erza-sama. I've been away for a long time. Linos, I'm back... I'm back..."
I can't stop the tears from welling up. There was a hand gently holding my shoulder. It was Rico and May. I involuntarily hold their hands. Their hands are soft and slightly warm.
Liko smiles at me, bends his knees, folds his hands in front of his chest, and bows his head. She bows her head, as if she is praying to the gods.
I am Lycoretto, wife of Linos. I am a little inexperienced, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your kindness.
May saw this and struck the same pose,
My name is Meirias, also my wife. I know I still have a lot to learn, but please watch over me.
"Thank you, Rico, May."
They both praised each other with a very gentle smile. The goddess was there.
She accompanied them out of the house, and put up the warding again. When they turned around to go back to the house, they saw a beautiful full moon in the sky.
"Beautiful..."
"It's true, Rico-sama."
"Rico, Mei, it's really beautiful..."
I hugged the two goddesses tightly in the moonlight.
Five days later, a messenger arrived at the Ramallon army camped near the border of the Heedata Empire. His hair was disheveled, his cheeks were hollow, dark circles were under his eyes, and he looked as if he had been running without rest or sleep.
"The Great Demon King... is back... Matkal ... is dead. The Empire... the Demon Lord... has attacked.
With that, the man sagged. This report was kept secret by the upper echelons of the government, and was strictly hushed up, but needless to say, the upper echelons of the Lamarong Imperial Army were in a state of intense turmoil. Later, this report would have unforeseen consequences for the Lamarong Empire, but that is a story for another time.