Chapter 81 – The Turning Point
“Looks like you had fun last night, didn’t you?”
Next morning.
We were teased by Gav at dinner.
In fact, it was somewhat expected that the fact that Ozma and I would eventually cross the line was heard by the owner of the mansion.
It is said that birds listen to words during the day and mice listen to them at night, but Gav, the owner of this gigantic mansion, will be able to hear the news.
Anyway, it is sewage that shows a puzzled look here.
I nodded very casually, chewing on my breakfast brioche.
“Yes, it was fun thanks to Gavril-sama’s absence.”
“Then, will you play with me next time?”
“Let’s review it positively.”
To a member of society, positive review means euphemistic rejection.
But Gav didn’t notice, or he didn’t know if he was deliberately ignoring it, but he didn’t slobber anymore and moved on.
Unlike us, who have moderate conversations, in Ozma’s case, he didn’t say much, perhaps in a daze.
Well, last night I must have been sleep deprived because I had been harassing me for a very long time.
It was a fairly long time for a first experience, so it was not strange to suffer from fatigue.
On the other hand, unlike her, I was tempered by having pseudo-sex with Camilla in the name of sex education, so I couldn’t nod with her three or four feet cheaper.
This is because the bodily fluid of a succubus has the effect of enhancing a man’s virility.
After breakfast was over, Gav spoke first while eating sweet dessert.
“Ozma, if you feel sleepy, why don’t you go in and get some more sleep?
“Huh? Uh…”
Then, as if she didn’t know that her own name would be called suddenly, she absentmindedly ate her dessert, and Ozma raised her head in surprise and nodded at her.
“What is the Chiefs’ Meeting?”
I directly asked about the appearance of unknown words.
Gav responded by resting her chin on her table with her right arm.
“It’s literally. It’s a place where all the chieftains of each tribe gather to discuss important issues such as next year’s policies or public distribution. You didn’t think that the tribal exchange meeting was held for friendship without any purpose, did you?”
“I know it with knowledge, but I asked just in case.”
… I just thought it was something like a sports meet held regularly once a year.
To be honest, it felt like an amusement park.
However, perhaps because my poker face was so perfect, Gav continued his explanation without pointing out anything else.
“Originally, according to tradition, the tribal exchange meeting is held over a total of 5 days. And today is the last day of the exchange meeting according to the schedule.”
As he said that, Gav pointed at Ozma.
“Basically, because Maou-sama, the commander-in-chief of the Demon King’s army, can’t vacate his throne. Ozuma, his blood relative, came as Maou-sama’s substitute. It’s an important position, so you can’t make any mistakes.”
That’s why he told Ozuma to sleep when he gets sleepy.
If you’re not in good shape, you’re more likely to make mistakes.
Now I feel like I understand the inner story of the story.
“I ate well.”
While we were talking, Ozma, who mechanically stuffed the dessert into her stomach, yawned and got up first.
“I’ll go to sleep some more, so wake me up later.”
After saying that, Ozma stood up first.
“Let’s go together.”
I tried to get up as well, but I had no choice but to sit down again because of the sly voice that I heard soon after.
“Huh? Didn’t we still have something to say? Archmage Kaldrash?”
“…”
I guess I gave too much information.
Because Gav found out that I’m human and that Ozma calls me Kaldrash when we’re alone.
I made up my mind to remain in this uncomfortable spot for a little longer to make amends.
“What do you want to talk about?”
A crescent smile crept across Gav’s lips.
***
Surprisingly, Gav didn’t ask for anything because he caught my weakness.
I just talked to myself about knowing what the source of my strength was, then I asked what Master was doing and how strong he was.
Ozma said it was a serious level of fighting addiction, but it seems that what he said was true.
Anyway, I barely survived the crisis by selling Master’s name, and returned to my room to pack my things.
I’m sure that Gav would say that it doesn’t matter if you stay in the mansion, but if you stay in a place that’s too comfortable, your body will naturally slow down.
“Where can I put this?”
“Oh, put that in the side pocket of your backpack.”
Camilla, who followed her silently behind her like a shadow, helped her pack her things.
It’s meticulous, like a mother helping to pack things the day before a picnic.
Since the two of us were together like that, the packing was over quickly, and we decided to chat until Ozma woke up.
“Come to think of it, what relationship does Camilla have with Ozma?”
I knew there was some kind of relationship between the two, but I was reluctant to ask directly, so I had been putting it off.
Then Camilla pursed her lips and she barely let her rhyme off.
“It’s complicated to explain.”
“How?”
“…We don’t officially have any relationship, but we grew up together in the Demon Castle.”
“Did you grow up together?”
“Yes. I lost my parents at a young age and wandered around the city before being taken in by the Demon King. At first, the Demon King intended to make me his foster daughter, but I refused because I felt burdened. I made her the exclusive maid of . At first, we had a good relationship, but as she grew older, she became reluctant to me. Perhaps it was because the demon king cared about me a lot. The truth is unknown.”
Her guess was convincing enough.
The fact that Ozuma greatly respects her father, Maou-sama, was what she heard while talking the other day.
At the height of her sensitive adolescence, it must have been a very complicated feeling to have another being by her side who shared her father’s love.
Even more so if she was a woman that might have been her own sister.
In the end, I understood why Ozma was uncomfortable with Camilla, even though it would only be a vague guess until she heard it from her party.
So she asked, just in case.
“What would you do if the two of you got a chance to have an honest conversation?”
Then Camilla answered immediately without much hesitation.
“I want to apologize.”
“Yes?”
I thought that sooner or later we should set up a place for Ozma and Camilla to talk.
That way we won’t even fight on the bed.
Afterwards, we ate refreshments and chatted about ordinary topics.
Since we didn’t have much time together for a while, there were a lot of things to say.
We talked like that until Ozma woke up.
***
The aspect of attending the tribal chiefs meeting that afternoon was quite splendid.
Because even I, who was originally a human from the Kingdom, was a parade of big names that I had heard of at least once.
It was a collection of all kinds of names, including the host of this meeting, Gav the Heavenly Demon Dragon, Medea the Succubus Queen, Nick Iron the Four Heavenly Kings, Gordolph the Illusion, and Stone King King King the Giant Golem.
The main agenda of the tribal chiefs’ meeting was to invade the human kingdom next spring, and in the process, my achievements were mentioned, and I suffered a bit of shame play.
Anyway, the one that completely blocked the road to the capital of the Kingdom of Oz was the Hamburg Fortress in the Vulcan Mountains, and by capturing it, the invasion route of the Demon King’s army was secured.
Of course, it was not strange that there was talk of an all-out offensive.
After a bit of an argument, and after it was decided who would bear the burden of supplies, the tribal chiefs were willing to give up their soldiers.
After all, it was a long-cherished wish of the demons.
To end the fight with the sickest humans.
The atmosphere was that it was okay for everyone to yield one step at a time for him.
Thanks to the meeting that went smoothly, the tribal chiefs meeting ended in a better atmosphere than expected.
With this, the tribal exchange meeting that lasted for five days finally came to an end.
There was still a closing ceremony, but it didn’t seem like there was a need to see it.
While I was talking to Ozma to discuss whether to return to the Demon Castle immediately or to stay in the village of the Demon Dragons for a while longer, a wyvern suddenly descended from the sky.
“It’s a scorpion sent by the Demon King!”
I looked up to see what was going on, and the soldier who got off there hurriedly ran over and handed me a scroll.
… Not to my daughter, Ozma, but to me?
I felt something strange, but I scrolled without thinking.
And as soon as I saw what was written inside, I couldn’t help but harden my expression.
That would be too-
「The hero who was imprisoned in the dungeon is dead. Let him return to the demon lord’s castle immediately, Kald Rash.”
Because it was written with completely unexpected news.
