Dorothea's large tent was located in the deepest part of the Demon King's army's base.
Her tent had one peculiar characteristic: despite being the Commander-in-Chief's quarters, there wasn't a single guard posted nearby.
However, in a way, that was only natural.
The one guarding the entrance to her tent was none other than Cerberus, the Hellhound.
"Grrrrrrr-"
As we approached, Cerberus, who had been lying belly-down on the floor, seemed to recognize my scent from a previous fight, as it suddenly sprang to its feet and menacingly growled.
"What's gotten into it all of a sudden."
Dorothea's adjutant, unaware of the situation, tried to calm the agitated beast, but the more they tried, the more fiercely Cerberus bared its teeth.
It was a tense, hair-trigger situation.
As I prepared to use magic, seeing the beast looking like it would pounce any second, a languid voice drifted from inside the tent.
"Toto, stop it."
Then, Cerberus, which had been acting like it was about to charge at me, whimpered and slumped to the ground.
The Centaur adjutant, showing relief, cleared its throat with a "Ahem, ahem," and shouted towards the tent.
"Lady Dorothea! We have a guest from the Demon King's Castle!"
A reply came immediately from inside.
"Come in."
Upon receiving permission from their superior, the Centaur adjutant glanced at us.
"Please, go ahead."
Following her, we carefully stepped inside, and the sight of the tent, decorated luxuriously unlike a battlefield, filled my vision.
The tent was lavishly adorned with all sorts of animal hides, silks, and carpets, much like a Mongolian ger.
And there sat Four Heavenly King Dorothea, draped only in a white sheet over her naked body, on a bed covered with wolf pelts.
Living naked in such a cold region would surely lead to freezing to death, but perhaps due to her abilities, the inside of the tent was as warm as if a boiler had been turned on.
Perhaps she hadn't woken up long ago, the witch, appearing as a young girl, scratched her tangled red hair and spoke.
"What business brings you here? I don't recognize your face."
I stiffened with tension and replied in an uncharacteristic voice.
"I am Patraash, a Lich belonging to the newly established Foreign Legion directly under the Demon King. By the Demon King's order, I've been assigned to assist you, Lady Dorothea, in withdrawing the remaining troops from the Eastern Front to the rear."
Dorothea tilted her head curiously.
"A Lich? You don't smell rotten for one."
"That's because I always spray myself with deodorizer."
It was an expected question, so I took out a pre-prepared item from my inner pocket.
It was Febreze, the most famous fabric deodorizer brand in the kingdom.
"Ah, if it's something like that, then sure."
Dorothea, her expression clearing with understanding upon seeing the actual product, scratched the bridge of her nose and said.
"Well, being directly under the Demon King means you must possess considerable skill. Speaking as the Commander-in-Chief, welcome to the Eastern Front, Patraash. Starting today, you'll work as my subordinate and gain the opportunity to annihilate those wicked human scum."
"It is I who am honored to serve you, the renowned Western Witch."
As I knelt on one knee, Dorothea let out a "Hmm-" sound and asked.
"So, what's your magic level?"
I replied, lying flat on the floor.
"I am rank 5."
Although it's a disguised identity, this level of skill is nothing to be ashamed of.
Perhaps sensing my thoughts, Dorothea showed a slightly surprised expression.
"You must have studied quite a bit in your previous life."
"I merely focused my studies on magic tomes."
Just as there were only 17 Archmages capable of casting Hexa Spells across the entire continent, 5th-tier mages, the stage before that, were also quite rare.
Considering that a single mage could change the tide of war, they were literally the elite of the elite.
Perhaps knowing this fact, the scantily clad girl giggled, covering her mouth.
"Pffft… That's a funny thing to say. If one could reach the 5th tier just by glancing at a few magic tomes, mages would be falling out of the trees by now."
"But boasting knowledge before you, Lady Dorothea, who is far superior to a mere wretch like me, would be like showing off to an expert, wouldn't it?"
Flattering her like that, I subtly lifted my head.
The beautiful girl, whose slim figure was completely revealed except for the sheet covering her upper body, exposing her bronze skin, looked down at me with interest.
The Western Witch, Dorothea Gale.
Rumored to be favored by fire elementals, she was a witch born with naturally red hair and red eyes.
Perhaps because of her appearance, which resembled blazing flames, some people considered Dorothea the incarnation of a salamander.
She gazed intently at my masked face, then smirked and said.
"I tend to value capable individuals. I don't know if you'll pass my demanding selection criteria, but your first impression gets you passing marks."
Saying that, she gracefully crossed her long legs, propped her chin on one hand, and asked.
"So, is that all the message the Demon King wanted you to deliver? I'm sure there was one more thing."
Only then did I remember what the Demon King had asked me to convey last, and belatedly added.
"He said it's been quite a while since he last saw you, Lady Dorothea, so he asked if you could visit the Demon King's Castle when you have time."
"As expected."
"Hm?"
"No, it's nothing."
Dorothea said that, waved her hand, and pointed to the Centaur adjutant beside her.
"My adjutant, Eva, will show you where you'll be staying from now on. After that, you can manage on your own."
"…Are you not assigning me any tasks?"
Dorothea grinned, revealing her pointed canines.
"That's quite a cheeky thing to say. I'll wear you out until you're groaning later, so just lie low for now. That's the tradition here."
As Dorothea dismissed us with a nod of her chin, the Centaur, Eva, who had been waiting nearby, spoke.
"Then please follow me. I'll show you where you'll be staying for the time being."
Following her words, I carefully got up from my prostrate position and gave a slight bow to Dorothea in front of me.
"Haaaawn~"
But her attention seemed to have already shifted away from me, as she yawned languidly and lay back down on the bed covered with wolf pelts.
Burying her face in the white pillow, she began to sleep soundly again, so I couldn't converse with her any further.
'Looks like I'll have to give up for today.'
"Let's go."
"Yes."
I had intended to probe further, curious about what she had been doing on the Eastern Front, but regretfully, I quietly left Dorothea's tent, promising myself another time.
The place Eva guided us to was an officers' tent not far from Dorothea's quarters.
It was made with fabric twice as thick as the tents used by ordinary soldiers, so it was quite effective at blocking the cold winds of the Vulcan Mountains.
A fire pit had been dug in the center of the tent, and whether it had been lit for a long time before we arrived or not, a rather warm air greeted us as we entered.
Eva, who brought a few blankets for us to cover ourselves with, said apologetically.
"I tried my best to prepare things, but this is all I could manage. We're not exactly well-off, so it seems the two of you will have to share one tent."
Camilla, hearing her words, shook her head and said.
"I am fine. As a maid, I had already anticipated such a situation."
Eva, looking relieved, let out a sigh of relief, patting her chest.
"That's a relief then."
She placed the blankets she was holding on the nearby bed, then said as she exited the tent.
"You must be tired from the long flight, so please rest inside. I will come to call you when dinner is ready."
"Thank you."
Although we had only met a few hours ago, she seemed like a really good person.
Well, if someone with that kind of personality wasn't around, Dorothea's hysterics would be unbearable.
Convinced, I nodded and sat down on my share of the bed.
It was hard and cold.
Unlike typical mattresses made with goose down, it felt like it was crudely made by hardening mud and sand.
Still, it was better than sleeping on the bare ground, so I covered myself with a blanket and lay down on the bed to catch a few winks before dinner, when suddenly a dark shadow fell over my head.
Wondering what was happening, I quietly opened one eye, only to see Camilla looking down at me with her usual stoic expression.
"What is it?"
Camilla replied in a serious tone.
"Please give me the sex education we promised."
"What? Here?"
"Isn't this the only time we have?"
"Even so…"
I couldn't help but show my flustered reaction to Camilla's request, as she seemed to lack any sense of time or place.
However, Camilla, with a resolute attitude as if refusing wasn't an option, grabbed my hand and placed it on her chest.
Thump-
"Isn't it said that starting is half the battle? If we try it, it might turn out surprisingly well."
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