■ Fourth Request □
The next day.
I slowly opened my eyes to the familiar sensation of sunlight creeping in through the corners of my eyelids.
Last night, Camilla had left me utterly exhausted in a way that was hard to believe it was my first time—so much so that I only managed to fall asleep late in the morning.
I don’t know how many hours I slept for.
But judging by the sun high in the sky, quite a bit of time must have passed.
“I should probably skip meditation today.”
As I pulled myself out of bed with a tired body, the spot beside me was already empty.
It seemed Camilla had woken up earlier and returned to her own room.
Stretching with a yawn, I looked outside the window.
The world was blanketed in white, likely due to the snowfall overnight.
Click—
“Have you awakened?”
Just as they say, “Speak of the devil,” Camilla entered right on cue, opening the door.
“Ah.”
I was pleased to see a tray with a simple meal laid out before me.
Indeed, the perfect maid, Camilla, knew exactly when I would wake and brought breakfast accordingly.
With light steps into the room, Camilla suddenly sniffed the air, frowned, and said,
“After breakfast, I’ll need to clean up. The smell is quite strong.”
“Huh? I don’t notice anything.”
Maybe because I’d been inside all this time?
Scratching my head in confusion, I glanced at the tray she placed on the table.
There was bread, sausage, baked beans, fried eggs, and bacon—all my favorites.
Given that I needed protein replenishment anyway, I roughly combed my messy hair and sat down at the chair.
“I’ll eat well.”
After mumbling this, I hastily started eating. Camilla, meanwhile, poured water into my empty glass and spoke.
“Listen while you eat.”
Chewing on the bacon fried in oil, I nodded.
“I won’t be able to accompany Lord Caldlasth on the journey to the human kingdom this time.”
Clang!
Startled by the shocking news, I accidentally dropped the fork and knife in my hands.
Seeing my reaction, Camilla took a small breath before beginning her explanation.
“To apologize, it’s because of my insufficient personal power that the Demon King did not permit my company.”
Certainly, logically speaking, bringing Camilla to the human kingdom would be dangerous.
Not only does her striking appearance stand out, but given the Succubus race’s characteristics, any man without resistance to mana would likely be enchanted unintentionally.
This could attract unwanted attention despite the necessity for covert actions.
However, understanding something intellectually and accepting it emotionally are entirely different matters.
“I’ll talk to the Demon King. I can protect you somehow if you come along.”
But Camilla shook her head.
“No, I’m fine. With Lady Barnett away for a while, there will be no one to attend to Lady Ozma, so I plan to support in that area.”
“…Is that so?”
Camilla seemed to have already made up her mind.
Trying to persuade her further would be futile, so I decided to respect her choice.
The hearty breakfast I had been devouring just moments ago suddenly lost its flavor.
With my appetite gone, I pushed the barely touched bowl toward her.
Camilla slightly bowed, collected the dishes onto the tray, and exited the room.
Sitting back on the bed, I stared pensively at the spot where she had lain last night.
[[#]]
It had been a few days since Camilla told me she would stay behind at the Demon King’s Castle.
That day felt like a distant memory now; we treated each other as usual, as if nothing had happened.
After all, it’s not like we’re parting forever—it’s just a matter of me going to the Oz Kingdom for a short while.
Though I’m unsure how long it will take, I aim to wrap things up within half a year.
Otherwise, the Hero might invade us instead.
Under the full support of the Demon King, the assassination plan targeting King Oscar is finally starting to take shape.
Here’s the basic plan:
A small elite assassination team consisting of me, Dorothea, and Barnett infiltrates the Oz Kingdom.
Before spring arrives, the Demon King’s Army declares war, drawing the kingdom’s forces toward the border.
Afterward, we penetrate the relatively weakened defenses of the capital and infiltrate the Royal Castle.
At the right timing, we kill the old raccoon, King Oscar, and provide internal assistance for the Demon King’s Army to seize the capital.
In short, the success of this operation hinges solely on me.
Though the pressure isn’t nonexistent, well, success is the goal.
“Hey! Caldlasth!”
“Huh? Oh.”
Lost in thought, I snapped back to reality upon hearing Dorothea’s voice.
“Throw me that broom over there!”
Sitting on the training ground bench, I tossed her the broom as she requested.
The broom then moved on its own, almost as if alive, heading straight toward its owner, Dorothea.
Satisfied with her control, Dorothea explained to Ozma nearby,
“At this level of mastery, you can manipulate objects purely with mana. It requires advanced control skills, which most find difficult.”
“…Is it like this?”
Ozma copied Dorothea’s action exactly.
Both Dorothea and I were astonished by this unbelievable feat.
In martial arts terms, this was akin to ‘air-grabbing,’ an ability requiring deep comprehension of mana that Ozma performed effortlessly, as if breathing.
‘Really becoming a monster.’
Since returning from Dragon Mountain, Ozma has become even more immersed in magic, eventually breaking through the 4th tier barrier.
People who spent their entire lives studying magic couldn’t reach the 4th tier; they’d die of envy seeing Ozma’s talent.
Her abilities truly defied norms.
Eventually, our training session ended with marveling at Ozma’s insane talent, leaving both Dorothea and me sighing as we watched her rapidly grow stronger.
“She’ll probably reach the 6th tier by next year, won’t she?”
“Nah, surely not. I’ve never heard of anyone reaching the 6th tier at such speed, even if they’re a genius.”
It took me seven years and Dorothea three to achieve what we did; looks like those records might soon be broken.
“Hm?”
While planning tomorrow’s training schedule during lunch, we suddenly noticed a shadow looming over us and looked up.
There stood Barnett in her usual full armor, looking down at us.
“Caldlasth, the Demon King is calling for you.”
“Alright.”
I apologized to Dorothea and prepared to get up, but Barnett gestured for her to wait and also beckoned Dorothea.
Only then did I realize what was happening.
There was only one reason all three of us would be summoned simultaneously.
Finally, all preparations for the operation were complete.
I exchanged a meaningful glance with Dorothea and began following Barnett, who had started walking ahead.
[[#]]
Barnett wasn’t heading to the study but to the audience chamber.
This confirmed my suspicion: it was an official summons.
Although Barnett often appears scatterbrained, today she carried herself with noticeable tension.
She didn’t greet any passing servants, marching forward silently until finally reaching the entrance to the audience chamber, where she briefly turned around and said,
“Caldlasth, I don’t know why you chose me.”
Hearing this, I was about to explain why I chose her, but Barnett continued faster than I could respond.
“But I’ll prove your choice was the right one.”
Smiling confidently, she pushed open the tightly shut doors of the audience chamber.
Creak!
As the large iron doors swung open, we saw the Demon King seated on the throne and his steward, Seneca, standing beside him.
Apparently, his vacation had ended.
Did he rest well at his family home in his hometown? His black fur glistened with vitality.
As the three of us knelt together before the throne, the Demon King spoke in a solemn voice.
“Partarth, I shall give you your orders.”
“Command me.”
Standing up from the throne, the Demon King dramatically extended one hand while his large cloak billowed behind him.
“Go to the human kingdom and slay their king, Oscar! And spread the name of our Demon King’s Army across the world!”
“Yes! I accept the command!”
Reading the atmosphere, I shouted loudly, prostrating myself.
“……”
“……”
An awkward silence filled the audience chamber.
Glancing up, I saw the Demon King clear his throat and said,
“Well, let’s move to the study and have a cup of tea while discussing details.”
“Shall we?”
I quickly got up and dusted off my clothes.
Next to me, Dorothea asked incredulously,
“What just happened?”
“A formal greeting. The clerk needs to record it, doesn’t he?”
“Oh.”
Dorothea finally understood and nodded.
