“I asked him to lead you here… He’s a nice, mild-mannered kid.”
It was an unbelievable sight.
Without any kind of a leash or collar, he patted Type-2 on the head like it was his pet dog.
“……”
Zancock hurriedly knelt down, seeing which the soldiers also spontaneously knelt down, no longer waiting for instructions.
“Second Lieutenant….”
“What the hell?”
“This boy is probably the boy who was fighting the [Swamp Demon]…”
“What?”
The exchange of whispers between Hanam and Zancock sent a jolt through the squad.
If what Hanam was saying was true, then this boy was the one who had defeated the powerful and incomparable [Swamp Demon].
“Well, let’s start by introducing myself, like you had asked. I am the Demon Lord.”
Perhaps wanting to get to the point quickly, he introduced himself very simply.
The Demon Lord.
The [Black Demon King] came to everyone’s mind.
“Now, let’s continue our previous conversation….”
In response to the Demon King’s change in tone, the entire atmosphere changed.
Even the beautiful brown woman and the adorable maid broke out in a cold sweat.
Type-2 was also frightened, and lowered its head towards the Demon King.
“–Were you the ones who killed the villagers…?”
The simple question from the Demon King grabbed their hearts wildly.
It was easy to imagine that their answer to this question would decide whether they lived or died.
The callous eyes of the Demon Lord made them understand that.
The Demon Lord continued speaking expressionlessly to the men who wanted to press down onto their chests and calm their wildly beating hearts.
“You are Rahman’s troops, aren’t you? You are using the house in the village as your private property, but… No way… did you kill the villagers because you wanted to sleep under their roof?”
“No, My Lord. It’s a misunderstanding.” Zancock began to speak smoothly.
He had been training his ability to curry favor with his superiors, and his eloquence was unbelievable given his haughty nature.
He chose his words carefully, assessing the situation instantly.
For some reason, this Demon Lord seemed to be angry that they had killed the villagers.
Although it was too much of a sweet thought for someone who called himself a Demon Lord, he spun his words one after another accordingly.
“When we arrived to ask for the use of the house as a base for our top-secret mission… The villagers were already dead. The village seemed to be full of old people, and they couldn’t stand the intense cold…” Zancock clenched his teeth and drooped down as if in grief.
“…There were signs of life until recently, you know? There was even firewood there.”
“Well, that’s–“
“It seemed they had survived until a few days before we arrived.” Hanam replied, taking over from Zancock, who appeared to be faltering.
“They did have firewood, but they can’t survive the cold without food. We have searched the houses, but found no food of any kind. It must have been difficult for old men to hunt. By the time we got there, it was…. We were also disappointed.”
“….Yes. I thought it might have been you guys.”
Zancock has a good nose.
Judging from the Demon Lord’s nonchalant tone and unchanging expression, the Demon King still suspected them, so he took preemptive action just in case.
“Your Majesty, the Demon Lord. We’re a special unit under secret orders. Even assuming it was us who attacked the village, it was for the sake of the country. If His Majesty, the Demon Lord, in his capacity as King, were to get involved, it could become an international issue.”
In other words, he was suggesting that considering it was a matter pertaining to the Republic of Larman, it would be best if they didn’t get involved in each other’s affairs any further.
The Demon Lord crossed his gaze with Zancock silently.
“…Aren’t you going to kill these guys?”
“Not yet. Not now.”
“Wait for the Lord’s order.”
A beastman girl itched to pounce on us.
A lovely pink-haired girl clutched a cutlass while in a maid’s uniform.
A brown colored, black haired assassin carefully watched his troops and waits for her master’s orders.
All of them were stunningly beautiful, but their gazes were hostile.
Zancock was also keenly aware of the fact that this demon lord was well-liked by his men.
“It would be beneath the dignity of the Demon Lord to dispose of us without any evidence or benefit.”
“……”
The Demon Lord closed his eyes quietly. With regret….
“….Will you please pretend that this encounter never happened…?” Hanam gulped, and then fearfully began to speak.
…from his very core. He did not want to distract his followers, who were getting increasingly murderous.
“….I see…” The Demon Lord took a deep breath and let out a long exhale.
His murmur sounded very sad…. and somewhat apologetic.
The white breath that seemed to reveal his burning inner heart rose to the sky and disappeared… with regret imbued in it.
The beautiful women under his command bit down on their anger and stifled it.
This was it.
A rational master would not wield his power if he was persuaded by a good argument.
They were aware of this fact.
Zancock and the others sensed the Demon Lord’s temperament.
Somehow, they managed to almost get out of this situation.
But they still had a lot of work to do.
A mighty demon lord who seemed to be outside the realm of reason.
His loyal and talented subordinates who are enthralled by him.
And then there’s the Demon Lord’s handiwork, “Type-2”.
Zancock and the others already foresaw the national upheaval that will occur upon their return.
“…the sword.”
The Demon Lord suddenly looked at the sword on… Zancock’s waist and muttered.
“This?”
“It’s a nice sword.”
A casual conversation before parting.
“Oh, thank you! I never thought I’d be praised by someone of His Majesty’s stature!”
“Take good care of it. I’m sure a sword like that would have a good cutting edge.”
“Ha! Thank you for your advice!” Zancock happily replied upon receiving compliments about his new sword.
“The pattern on it is unique.”
“Oh, these… are some kind of characters, I can’t read them.”
“I see….” The Demon Lord said in a flat tone as he stared at the engravings on the sword.