■ Industry Awards □
I woke up after a good night’s sleep, and it was morning.
Confused, I asked Camilla, who had brought water for me to wash, why she hadn’t woken me up. She replied that I looked tired, so she let me sleep.
“Then, what about the mission completion report?”
“It was a task instructed by the Demon King. Since you must be exhausted from the journey, he told Lord Caldlasth to meet him slowly.”
That’s fortunate.
I thought maybe I had unintentionally caused some trouble.
As I got out of bed and was about to change clothes, I realized another fact.
“When did I take off my clothes?”
I clearly remember being too tired and falling asleep as soon as I entered the room, yet somehow my coat and socks were already off.
Wondering about this, I tilted my head when Camilla, standing beside me, said:
“I took them off for you last night since you seemed uncomfortable.”
Indeed, worthy of the perfect maid I acknowledge her to be.
I didn’t even realize she was taking care of me.
Living like this for nearly a month, I’ve started to take her care for granted.
After finishing a simple face wash, I asked Camilla:
“What’s the schedule for today?”
“After reporting the mission completion to the Demon King, you can spend your time freely. Since you’ve been on a long business trip, His Majesty will likely allow you some rest.”
It’s good that our superior is strict but fair.
Even while I was in the Eastern Front, I wasn’t overworked, but it’s still better to rest when you can.
“Is the Demon King busy this morning?”
At this, Camilla glanced at the grandfather clock placed in the corner of the room.
“The official work starts at 10 a.m. Before that, he has meals or spends time with his family.”
“Does the whole family live in the Demon King’s Castle?”
“Yes. The Queen and Lady Ozma reside in the annex of the castle. The Demon King makes sure to have at least one meal with his family every day.”
Perfect boss at work, kind father at home—how sweet does this Demon King plan to be?
While trembling at this unexpected fact, I saw it as a good opportunity.
“Camilla, do you think I could join their meal?”
“Huh?”
“Anyway, I need to eat breakfast too. So, I thought I might as well introduce myself.”
To win the favor of your boss, start by courting those around them.
This is a very common story.
But from Camilla’s perspective, my suggestion must have been quite unexpected because she blinked her eyes blankly and responded a beat late.
“I… will ask, but please don’t be too disappointed if you’re refused. It just means how much he values time with his family.”
It’s worth a try.
If refused, I’ll find another way.
“Understood. If refused, I’ll gracefully give up, so just ask.”
“…Then, I’ll be right back.”
Lifting the bronze basin filled with water I used for washing, Camilla left the room.
Due to the unnecessarily vast structure of the castle, it would take her some time to return with an answer.
In the meantime, I decided to meditate while waiting.
I should have done it immediately after waking up, but sometimes days like this happen.
Hooohhh…
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, I practiced the unique breathing technique of our school, feeling the mana in the air swiftly permeate my lungs through the blue breath.
The oxygen and mana supplied to my blood vessels were absorbed into the virtual magic circuits created between my lungs and heart via the carotid artery.
By the time I completed one cycle, nearly thirty minutes had passed.
Thinking about it, recently I’ve been frequently using mana until it’s depleted.
Repeating this process has slightly increased the absolute amount of mana I can store in my body.
“Hmm…”
Feeling a bit of growth, I was rejoicing when Camilla finally came back.
She walked in with a peculiar expression, and upon meeting my gaze, she shyly spoke.
“The Demon King has accepted Lord Caldlasth’s proposal. You may join the breakfast.”
“Great.”
For some reason, things seem to be going smoothly today.
Standing up from my seat, I opened the wardrobe to change out of my rumpled clothes first.[[#]] “There isn’t much prepared, but help yourself.”
“Yes.”
Apparently, the Demon King doesn’t eat steak for every meal.
I lost for words at the unexpectedly healthy breakfast spread before me.
Salad, salad, salad, salad.
No matter where I turned my head, the endless array of vegetables on the table made me feel dizzy.
There were two women seated at the dining table, so it wasn’t hard to guess that the Demon King, as the head of the household, had no choice in the menu.
As I forced myself to eat rice with the vegetable-heavy salad, surprisingly, the Demon King’s wife initiated the conversation.
“How does it taste?”
“Ah, yes. This is the best salad I’ve ever had. The tangy sweetness of the yuzu dressing is particularly nice.”
Upon hearing my flattery, the Demon King’s wife smiled bashfully and continued eating.
My stomach, which usually wouldn’t mind eating meat for breakfast, screamed for something tastier, but today was an exception.
‘Oh, shut up! Stay quiet.’
It’s a rare opportunity.
I couldn’t be satisfied with just exchanging a few words.
While chewing salad with a forced smile, the Demon King’s daughter, Ozma, spoke bluntly.
“You don’t have to act so fake. Mom doesn’t really think much about it anyway.”
“Tsk, Ozma. What kind of talk is that to your mother?”
“Am I saying anything untrue? I’m just preventing any misunderstandings.”
After saying that, Ozma stuck her tongue out at her father and resumed eating silently.
The Demon King, looking exasperated at Ozma, then gave me an awkward smile and said:
“But speaking of which, Caldlasth, I heard your performance at the Eastern Front was extraordinary. Bringing down the Sage of the Ocean, one of the two pillars of the Kingdom’s mage community!”
“That was possible only with the assistance of Dorothea, one of the Four Heavenly Kings. In truth, no matter how powerful he was, it would have been impossible for him to fight two mages of equal level consecutively.”
Magic is almost omnipotent, but the ones wielding it are biological beings with limits.
I exploited the opening created by that.
“But wasn’t it all due to your skill that you defeated him? Don’t underestimate yourself. Just defeating him alone is already a great contribution to the entire Demon King’s Army. Moreover, not only did you capture Hamburg Fortress, but you also assassinated the Lord of Hamburg himself. Thanks to you, we can now plan another invasion of the Kingdom next year.”
“If I was of help, I’m glad.”
“So, is there anything you desire? If there’s anything you need, I’ll provide it.”
It seems like he plans to reward me.
Unlike the situation with Dorothea, where it felt like picking the liver of a flea, whatever gift the Demon King offers will surely be significant, so rejecting it wasn’t an option.
With that in mind, I mentioned something I’ve been acutely aware of recently.
“I need a decent weapon. Casting spells bare-handed is inconvenient.”
Even though I’m a martial mage, using appropriate mediums enhances spellcasting significantly.
Like the short staff owned by Baron Betendorf or Dorothea’s ruby boots.
The staff I once had broke long ago, and I barely remember the last time I used one.
Seemingly understanding my predicament, the Demon King provided a clear solution.
“I’ll mention it to Seneca. After the meal, go to the treasure vault of the Demon King’s Castle. There, you’ll find collections gathered by past Demon Kings; you’re bound to find a weapon that suits you.”
“I am deeply grateful.”
“Haha, I never expected to hear such words from you. Living long enough brings surprises.”
The Demon King murmured reflectively while chewing bread.
Understanding his sentiment, I shrugged.
Truthfully, I never imagined I’d say such things to an enemy like the Demon King.
The court etiquette I learned as the proxy of my Master to deal with influential nobles and the old king finally found its true master.
Since I didn’t want to bring up work during breakfast, we quietly continued our meal afterward.
