■ Turning Point □
“Looks like you two had a fun night, huh?”
The next morning.
We were teased by Gav during breakfast.
In fact, it was somewhat expected that the news of Ozma and me crossing the line would reach the ears of Gav, the master of the mansion.
As they say, birds hear daytime talk and mice hear nighttime talk; if anyone could get wind of the news in this grand mansion, it would be Gav.
Anyway, showing any signs of embarrassment here would be amateurish.
I calmly nodded while chewing on the brioche served for breakfast.
“Yes, Master Gavril, we enjoyed ourselves thanks to your leaving us alone.”
“Then maybe next time you can play with me too?”
“I’ll positively consider it.”
To an adult, ‘positively consider’ is a polite way of saying no.
But whether Gav didn’t catch on or was pretending not to notice, he didn’t press the matter further.
In contrast to our light-hearted banter, Ozma seemed half-asleep and barely said anything.
Well, considering how long I kept her up last night, she must be sleep-deprived.
For a first experience, we spent quite a long time together, so it wasn’t surprising that she was feeling fatigued.
On the other hand, thanks to my “sex education” with Camilla, which involved simulated sex, I was well-trained and unaffected even after several rounds.
This was because succubi’s bodily fluids have the effect of enhancing a man’s stamina.
After finishing breakfast and enjoying some sweet dessert, Gav spoke up first.
“Ozma, if you’re sleepy, why don’t you go back and rest a bit more? There’s still some time before the tribal leaders’ meeting.”
“Huh? Oh….”
Caught off guard by her name being called, Ozma, who had been absent-mindedly eating her dessert, startled awake and nodded dazedly.
“What is this Tribal Leaders’ Meeting about?”
I bluntly asked about the unfamiliar term.
Gav leaned his chin on his right arm resting on the table and explained.
“It’s exactly what it sounds like. The chieftains of each tribe gather to discuss important matters such as next year’s policies or the distribution of public resources. Surely you didn’t think the tribal exchange meeting was just for socializing without any purpose, did you?”
“I knew it conceptually, but I wanted to confirm.”
…I had simply assumed it was like a regularly scheduled sports day held once a year.
Honestly, it felt more like an amusement park.
But perhaps due to my impeccable poker face, Gav continued his explanation without any remarks.
“Traditionally, the Tribal Exchange Meeting lasts five days according to custom. And today happens to be the final day of the event.”
Saying this, Gav pointed at Ozma.
“Generally, the Demon King, as the supreme commander of the Demon King’s Army, cannot leave his throne. Therefore, Ozma, being the Demon King’s blood relative, came as his representative. It’s an important occasion, so there must be no mistakes.”
That’s why he told Ozma to rest if she was sleepy—because poor condition increases the likelihood of errors.
Now I finally understood the background of the story.
“I’m full.”
While we were talking, Ozma mechanically shoveled the dessert into her stomach, yawned widely, and stood up first.
“I’ll sleep a bit longer, so wake me up later.”
With those words, Ozma got up from her seat.
“I’ll come with you.”
I also tried to rise from my seat, but then an insinuating voice made me sit back down.
“Oh? Don’t we still have something to talk about, Grand Mage Caldlasth?”
“…”
Apparently, I gave away too much information.
Because Gav figured out that I am human and that Ozma calls me Caldlasth when we’re alone.
Deciding to stay in this uncomfortable seat a little longer for damage control, I asked,
“What do you want to talk about?”
At that, a crescent-shaped smile appeared on Gav’s lips.[[#]]Surprisingly, Gav didn’t use my weakness against me or demand anything.
Instead, he just rambled on about discovering the source of my strength and inquired about my master—who she was and how powerful she might be.
As Ozma had mentioned, he really was severely addicted to fighting.
Anyway, I barely managed to get through the crisis by throwing my master’s name into the conversation and returned to my room to pack.
Gav would undoubtedly offer for me to stay longer in the mansion, but staying too comfortable makes one lazy.
“Where should I put this?”
“Ah, put that in the side pocket of the backpack.”
Like a shadow, Camilla silently followed me around and helped pack without saying a word, meticulously assisting like a mother helping her child prepare for a picnic.
Thanks to both of us working together, packing was quickly done, and we decided to chat until Ozma woke up.
“By the way, what’s your relationship with Ozma, Camilla?”
I had known there was some kind of connection between them but hesitated to ask directly, so I had been putting it off.
Camilla hesitated for a moment before answering carefully.
“It’s complicated to explain.”
“How so?”
“Officially, there is no relation, but we grew up together in the Demon King’s Castle.”
“Grew up together?”
“Yes. At a young age, I lost my parents and wandered the streets until I was taken in by the Demon King. Initially, he intended to adopt me as his foster daughter, but I declined because I felt burdened. Then the Demon King offered me a job as Ozma’s personal maid. At first, our relationship was relatively good, but as we grew older, Ozma started to distance herself from me. I suspect it might be because the Demon King paid a lot of attention to me, but the truth is unclear.”
Her speculation was convincing enough.
After all, I learned from our previous conversations that Ozma deeply respects her father, the Demon King.
During the sensitive teenage years, having another person nearby sharing her father’s affection could lead to complex feelings.
Especially if that person could potentially become her stepsister, it would make things even more complicated.
Until we hear it from the parties involved, it will remain mere speculation, but I understood why Ozma might feel uneasy around Camilla.
So, I couldn’t help but ask,
“If you ever had a chance for a sincere conversation with her, what would you do?”
Camilla answered without hesitation.
“I’d like to apologize.”
“Would you?”
I thought I should create an opportunity soon for Ozma and Camilla to have a heart-to-heart talk.
That way, they wouldn’t fight even in bed.
Afterward, we enjoyed snacks while chatting about mundane topics.
Since we hadn’t spent much time together recently, we had a lot to talk about.
Thus, we exchanged stories until Ozma woke up.[[#]]The lineup of participants at the tribal leaders’ meeting that afternoon was impressive.
Even someone like me, originally from the human kingdom, had heard the names of these heavyweights at least once.
Among them were Gab, the Celestial Dragon and host of this gathering, Medea, the Queen of Succubi, Nick Iron, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, Gordolph of Illusions, and Stonekingking, the Gigantic Golem—a congregation of all sorts of named characters.
The main agenda of this tribal leaders’ meeting was the invasion of the human kingdom planned for next spring, during which my achievements were brought up, leading to some teasing.
Of course, securing the Hamburg fortress located in the Vulcan Mountains, which had completely blocked the route to the capital of Oz Kingdom, ensured the Demon King’s Army’s invasion route.
Naturally, discussions about launching a full-scale offensive followed.
After a bit of back-and-forth debate and deciding who would take responsibility for supplies, the tribal leaders readily agreed to contribute soldiers.
After all, ending the longstanding feud with humans has long been a cherished goal for the Demon Tribe.
For this cause, everyone seemed willing to compromise a little.
Thanks to the smooth progress of the meeting, the tribal leaders’ conference concluded in a better atmosphere than expected.
This marked the end of the five-day Tribal Exchange Meeting.
Though the closing ceremony remained, it didn’t seem necessary to attend.
Just as I was about to discuss with Ozma whether we should return to the Demon King’s Castle immediately or stay a bit longer in the Dragon Tribe’s village before heading back, suddenly a wyvern descended from the sky.
“A message from the Demon King!”
Curious about the matter, I looked on as a soldier hurried over and handed me a scroll.
…Not to Ozma, his daughter, but to me?
Something felt off, but without giving it much thought, I unrolled the scroll.
And upon reading its contents, I couldn’t help but stiffen my expression.
It read:
“The hero imprisoned in the underground dungeon has died. Return to the Demon King’s Castle immediately, Caldlasth.”
It was unexpected news.
