■ Tribal Exchange Meeting □
“Escort?”
It was a completely unexpected suggestion.
When I asked back with a bewildered expression, the Demon King nodded and asked again.
“Is it too much for you?”
“No, it’s not that, but…”
It’s a bit awkward for me to say this, but would you normally entrust such an important task to someone who has only been a traitor for about two months?
If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to entrust such a task.
When I mentioned that and openly asked if he wasn’t worried, the Demon King laughed heartily as if he had heard an amusing story.
“If the one in charge doesn’t trust their subordinates, who in the world would work for the country? Especially if that person has proven their abilities, there’s even less reason to reject them.”
As someone who has experienced the hierarchical and irrational organizational culture of the Oz Kingdom, the Demon King’s values were truly groundbreaking.
No, is this really something that could come from someone living in the same era as the stiff-headed nobles of the kingdom?
Could it be that a CEO from Silicon Valley reincarnated?
When I looked at the Demon King’s face with a suspicious gaze, he rubbed his cheek as if puzzled.
“Is there something on my face?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
“How dull.”
After saying that, the Demon King stroked his long beard like Guan Yu and said he would entrust his daughter to me.
Thus, I was naturally persuaded and accepted the escort mission for Ozma.
[[#]]After the fifth sex education session, while quietly watching Camilla take off her stockings stained with semen after masturbating, I asked.
“Camilla, do you know what exactly a tribal exchange meeting is?”
“…Are you referring to the exchange meeting?”
Camilla, who always wears stockings and rarely shows her bare legs, tilted her head with her white legs exposed.
“The exchange meeting is an annual gathering of the demon tribe. Since the Demon King’s Army is a coalition of various races scattered across Doom Land, and they don’t usually interact, it’s an event to get to know each other. It disappeared for a while during a period of intense conflict between tribes but was revived during Nero’s reign.”
“Do they fight there too?”
“Yes. Since the basic nature of the demon tribe is to respect the strong, they hold martial arts tournaments for young demons. Usually, one of the Four Heavenly Kings sponsors the tournament.”
Probably, the fight Ozma mentioned refers to this martial arts tournament.
Considering it’s an annual event, with a total record of 34 losses…
It seems Ozma is much older than me.
Even considering she’s a demon, it’s embarrassing that they all look much younger than their actual age.
Why are they all older?
“…I should start applying sunscreen from today.”
If I get any older, people might think I’m out for a walk with my daughter when I date a demon girl.
I wanted to avoid that situation.
[[#]]Two days later, the group consisting of me, Camilla, and Ozma headed to the location of the demon tribe’s exchange meeting.
Since winter was approaching, we hurried to avoid difficulties on the return trip.
Barnett, the captain of the Demon King’s Guard and Ozma’s escort, was very reluctant to see Ozma off but was also happy that she wouldn’t have to play the role of a subordinate for a while.
…Well, she should show that kind of emotion when the person isn’t around.
Although Barnett delayed the departure time a bit by being scolded by Ozma, nothing else happened.
It wasn’t really a long journey.
The Dragon Mountain, where this exchange meeting was held, was only about four days away from the Demon King’s Castle.
‘Dragon Mountain… it sounds like a place where a lot of dragon-like people live.’
Normally, when the Demon King’s daughter travels, you’d expect a large escort, but surprisingly, there was none.
Ozma herself dislikes special treatment, and moving in a large group would attract more attention.
It was better to move in a small, elite group without leaving traces like we did now.
“Camilla, I’ll be counting on you during this trip.”
“Yes. Leave it to me, Ozma.”
The two, who didn’t seem to get along well, surprisingly had a normal conversation now that they were in the same group.
Although there was still some awkwardness, I could act as a buffer between them.
We left the Demon King’s Castle early in the morning and ran tirelessly towards the large volcano visible beyond the horizon.
Of course, since the horses had their limits, we took breaks every hour, but apart from that, we moved diligently without much conversation.
…Honestly, it was torture.
Camilla was naturally quiet, but even Ozma, who usually talked well, kept her mouth shut, so I had no choice but to remain silent.
After moving for about five hours, we stopped by a suitable riverside to have lunch.
“Then I’ll go fetch water.”
As we divided roles, Camilla naturally left, and I dug a pit to build a fire for cooking.
“Um, Ozma? What’s your relationship with Camilla that you’re so cold towards her?”
At that, Ozma, who was putting branches into the pit, momentarily stopped her hand.
“Nothing… special.”
Her face told a different story.
I thought about probing further, but since she didn’t seem willing to talk, I decided to let it be.
I thought it might just stir up trouble.
Meanwhile, Camilla returned to the camp with a leather water bottle filled with water.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
Normally, I would have left the cooking to Camilla, but this time, to set the travel mood, we decided to take turns cooking.
Actually, seeing how bad their relationship was, I came up with this rule on the spot, but the reaction wasn’t bad.
I put washed rice into a pot and chopped fresh vegetables brought from the Demon King’s Castle kitchen.
I poured the chopped potatoes, onions, and carrots into a pot, added an appropriate amount of water, and some yellow powder I always carried in my back pocket for emergencies.
Even without adding starch, the potatoes already contained enough to make the curry thicken nicely after boiling.
I secretly added finely chopped jerky for flavor.
Jerky, which is usually tough, comes alive with its unique texture and flavor when added to curry.
Finally, I poured the finished curry over freshly cooked rice.
“Here, try it.”
As I handed over the freshly made, steaming curry, Ozma looked at the bowl with a curious expression.
“What is this dish called?”
“It’s called curry. It’s a convenient dish often made by humans during camping trips.”
Hearing my explanation, Ozma, intrigued by this unknown food, boldly scooped it up with a spoon.
“Hmm.”
She first smelled the curry before eating it.
Then, she visually enjoyed the dish before finally putting it in her mouth.
“……!”
Ozma’s yellow eyes widened.
Well, if it’s her first time eating curry, it’s natural to experience a culture shock.
The unique flavor of curry, made with dozens of spices, is something you can’t experience in any other dish.
It might be a bit spicy, but Ozma didn’t show any sign of discomfort and quickly ate the curry on her plate.
Smiling contentedly, I then looked at Camilla.
“Neee─”
She was cooling her tongue in the water with her tail wagging under her skirt, her face red.
Unlike Ozma, the curry was too spicy for her taste.
When I asked if she was okay, Camilla nodded with a tearful, expressionless face.
“…It’s fine. A maid like me can’t afford to be picky just because it’s a bit spicy.”
Saying that, Camilla swallowed the curry, which was a bit more than her usual portion, and finished it.
Touched by her effort, I thanked Camilla and handed her some chocolate I had saved for when I felt down.
“Thank you.”
Even though the curry was spicy, she pretended it wasn’t and seemed to really enjoy it.
After finishing lunch, we rested for a while before continuing our journey.
