The 12th Corps commander tended to cause accidents whenever he opened his mouth.
Some people may think it is not a big deal, but it is a problem that can become serious depending on the situation.
For example, let's say you said something like this when you had an audience with the Emperor of the Empire.
'...It's scary to even imagine.'
Especially since the Emperor is a tyrant, I guarantee that if Myers had been there, he would have been beheaded before he could last even a week.
And, absurdly, the demons of this demon kingdom see me as a person with similar tendencies to that tyrant Emperor.
How can I be so sure? Because the way they looked at me was very similar to the way the subjects looked at the Emperor.
That's why the adjutant was so shocked."Um... that."
I felt too sorry for Myers to say yes, so I postponed my answer. It already feels like I'm being tempted, so should I deny it now...?
Dahar's eyes narrowed as I hesitated, unable to confirm or deny.
He glared at Myers once and bowed politely to me again.
"I'm sorry, Demon. Please excuse me for a moment, Commander Myers."
Dahar strode out the door.
Myers, who was confused, until Dahar said, "Myers, you're not going to come out?" He then ran after him as if he had been burned by an angry voice disguised as kindness.
And beyond the closed door, I began to hear Dahar's nagging, starting with the lament, "I really can't survive... Didn't I tell you to keep your mouth shut? Commander Myers is the type of person who will get beaten up if he opens his mouth! Why did you open your mouth in front of Commander Demon when you could have just apologized? Did you want to die like that? Wouldn't you rather just ask the Demon King to kill you?"
The reticent concept was decided by the adjutant. Honestly, I think it was a very good choice.
It seems that the adjutant there is just as capable as this one. Still, if you compare it to Ed, I think Ed is much better. At least Ed doesn't use such painful verbal violence towards me.
'…Huh? Now that I think about it, I thought that this room was soundproofed? And with the Demon King's soundproofing magic that can never be broken through…'
Suspicions about the soundproofing problem did not last long. Because it was more fun to focus on the conversation coming from outside than to worry about that problem.
Before I knew it, the room was engulfed in silence, as if it wasn't just my thoughts.
Dahar didn't stop talking as if there was some kind of magic on his mouth, and Myers just listened in silence. Even though it was invisible, it was still sad.
Oh, sometimes Myers also protested, but…
"But Demon, he was asking a question…"
"At least before you answer, think about whether that is a normal answer... Ah, I see. I made a mistake. Because you can't distinguish between them, you end up having an accident like this. Just keep your mouth shut. Answer with gestures. I didn't correct your behavior for no reason."
The more I heard about him, the more amazing he is.
That disciplined, sharp, and serious behavior was all corrected by him.
Myers' voice disappeared, as if he had shrunk again. Tsk tsk, poor bastard. At that time, the Demon King, who was listening to the other side just like me, changed his posture and waved his hand in the air as if he had lost interest. Then the outside sounds were blocked.
"I forgot to put it back for a moment."
"...?"
"Because you didn't open the door, I temporarily canceled the soundproofing spell."
"Yes...?"
Originally, soundproofing magic was applied to many important places, including the Demon King's room and the Corps Commanders' rooms. The only sound that gets through is the knocking sound and the few seconds that follow—that is, just enough time to exchange business and permission.
"If you arbitrarily remove it..."
"Huh?"
"...No."
But the opponent is the Demon King. There's nothing I can say.
I turned my head shakily and looked at the Demon King.
Next to me, Hien was giving me a sad look, but the seed of an unknown plant in his hand looked so ominous that I looked away.
"What brings you here?"
"What? It's been a long time since you went out, so shouldn't I at least see you off?"
"Ah... there's no need for that..."
"That's right. There was no need for that. I never thought I would be shut out at the door."
Was the Demon King really this mean?
Even if I answered something, it would be like digging my own grave, so I couldn't answer and just rolled my eyes with a clumsy expression.
Is there any way to get out of this situation?
...No, there's none.
At best, all we can do is leave it to luck.
I became desperate to cough blood once again. I'm sure they wouldn't show their hostility towards a sick person.
How did I get the blood to come out? I think it came out even if my blood pressure went up just a little bit. So, with this boiling feeling inside...
"Demon…"
"Hmm?"
Oh no. I was so distracted that I answered without thinking.
Needless to say, my face turned pale as I belatedly recognized the owner of the voice.
I froze for a moment because I thought I was screwed, then slowly rolled my eyes and checked where the voice came from.
As expected, Hien was there with a bright smile on his face, as if he was happy that his voice had finally reached me.
With a smile on his face, he held out 'something that didn't look pleasant at all' in his hands.
"Demon said he was going out, so I brought seeds of plants that can be used for self-defense."
"…Is this a man-eating plant?"
"Yes, not only that, but it is also very powerful and can eat demons, too..."
Oh, it's rises. My blood pressure is rising.
I can feel a fishy scent from deep inside my body. I knew from past experience that this was a symptom before vomiting blood. I quietly covered my mouth.
Sure enough, something hot rose up my throat. The moment my lips parted and I was about to spit it out.
"Huh…."
Bam!
"Demon!"
"…Cough?!"
Ben appeared, carrying a visiting bag.
What's happening so fast?! Oh right. My doctor said he had some kind of magical device. Was it a magic stone?
How can he be so capable? He was so capable that I almost wanted to cry.
***
Thanks to the competent doctor, the situation was brought under control before it even broke out.
Still, I don't think it was a real loss since I was able to use the excuse of not being well to drive Hien away and send back the 12th Corps Commander Myers and his adjutant who were having a fight outside the door.
However, if there is one thing I regret, I tried to use this as an excuse to cancel this mission...
"This mission..."
"Huh? Ah... Even at this point, you're obsessed with the mission.."
What kind of bullshit are you talking about.
I frowned without realizing it. It was an expression that clearly said, 'what kind of nonsense is that?', but the Demon King sighed and shook his head as if he couldn't see it.
"Don't worry. There will be no cancellation of the mission. Instead, make sure you take your doctor with you wherever you go."
"..."
"I know there's no way you could die from something like this. But you still know, right? You're weakened from the aftereffects, and it might be a little dangerous if someone attacks you while you're off your guard. Even if you're careful, it's dangerous if someone attacks you. Even the strong demons would know that that's dangerous."
Ah, what a pain in the ass.
"Huh?! Commander Demon! What about your blood pressure status?"
"...It's no big deal. Let's go."
Ignoring Ben's worried look, I took a deep breath and headed for the door.
Actually, this wasn't my move. My capable and loyal adjutant was standing firmly in one place, waiting for me to come out, and his eyes were so stinging.
"This way."
Ed opened the door as if he had been waiting and led the way to the place where the corps members would be waiting.
It seems like there has been a long delay due to unexpected events, but I'm sure they won't cause me any harm from making them wait that long…?
Ah, I just thought about it. I don't want to go anymore. I tried to move slowly, but I had to chase after Ed, who was moving forward with great strides, I soon arrived in front of the first floor entrance.
There are corps members waiting behind that door. They must be angry because I'm late. They are vicious even when they are still, so how cruel can their angry eyes be?
I felt like I would die of a heart attack if I opened the door unprepared, so I hurriedly called Ed who was trying to open the door.
"Just a moment."
"Yes?"
"...I will open it."
Ed tilted his head and then retreated without saying anything.
I walked slowly, stood in front of the door, and took a slow, deep breath.
"Commander Demon, your heart is beating strangely fast. Are you okay?"
"…Is something like that even measurable?"
"Yes. Isn't it natural to measure it if Commander Demon's health depends on it?"
"..."
I glared at the strange jewel hanging around Ben's neck.
I want to take that thing away and destroy it right away, but I can't. But what can I do since I don't have the strength to do so, and I also don't have enough strength to break the jewel in the first place? I was helpless, as usual, and resigned myself to putting my hand on the door.
"Are you sure you're okay? The speed at which your heart is beating..."
"..."
"Aren't you looking at Commander Demon too weakly? There's no way Demon could be hurt just from that."
Yes, that's exactly what I wanted to say. No matter how weak I am, there's no way a fast-paced could be that dangerous.
Also, Ed. How can you know exactly how I feel and represent me like this?
I was cheering hard on the inside, but Ben, who I thought would calm down by this point, instead started going wild, saying, "How can a guy called his adjutant be so indifferent?"
It was truly a terrifying force.
"That's ridiculous! If you're not careful, it could be really dangerous! Do you know what Demon's current physical condition is?"
"How is it?"
I was moved by the momentum!
"It's like a cracked glass that might break at any moment! In fact, the aftereffects are so bad that it can be seen that they are eating away at Commander Demon's body!"
"That can't be possible!"
Um... was my physical condition that bad...?
Once again, I felt fortunate that I had a great excuse of aftereffects for my poor condition.
Once again, I want to make it clear that I have no aftereffects. In other words, my current physical condition is something I was born with...
I should not let this fact be discovered, even if I die. It's not only dangerous, but it's also too embarrassing.
While I was making a promise to myself, Ed came towards me with a white face and started examining my complexion.
"Are you sure you're okay? Your face looks pale."
"It was always like this..."
"Your lips seem to be redder than usual too... I wonder if you were biting your lips to endure the pain."
"It was always like this, too."
I felt so embarrassed. Stop.
I turned my back to him, silently telling him not to say any more.
And without giving the two of them a chance to say anything more, I opened the door.
Cold air passed by my cheek, and the three half-overlapping moons shone brightly on the ground as if telling me to come out.
And there. The corps members lined up motionless─
If only their eyes weren't on me.
When the door opened, they didn't make any movement and just looked at me. It was a sight that would have been enough to scare an ordinary person like me.
I stopped in place to hide my shaking legs.
Ben said from behind, "Oh, another fast heartbeat!" I heard a low muttering, but did I hear it? Ah, I don't know. I feel like my mind is going blank.
"..."
"..."
Cold sweat was running down my spine. Sweat was also running down their foreheads.
Perhaps the sweat on their foreheads meant something different from my sweat.
Yes, if you stayed in that position until I came out, I can completely understand why you were sweating.
However, there is a possibility that it was sweat coming out of anger...
Thinking that if I was not careful, I could be killed as soon as I left the castle, I began to desperately think about what I should say to survive.