Bathesia growled.

Karos spoke with a serious expression and no hint of humor.

“It’s a Demon King you know. A Demon King you were close to. And you said it yourself. I spread rumors about you.”

“…I see.”

“All of it was the work of that Demon King, Bathesia. Borcania Barsiloph. The name you trusted the most.”

**** ****

Karos lay on the sofa, staring blankly into space. His head was pounding. Had he been using his brain too much lately? He pressed his forehead and got up, surveying the office.

“It’s a mess.”

Documents were scattered, and there were traces of destruction on the floor and ceiling. It was quite a costly affair, especially in a cave. Hopefully, it wouldn’t collapse. He clicked his tongue and began to clean up the disarrayed papers.

“Her Reaction was less than I expected.”

Initially, she hadn’t believed it. She had refused to accept it, causing a surge of magical power to sweep through. But after a few minutes of resistance, she seemed to realize something and left abruptly.

“Don’t lose your mind.”

He felt uneasy. The bomb could explode at any moment if he wasn’t careful. Karos thought to himself, trying to sort things out.

“Master, are you alright?”

“Master! Master! Master!”

“Fortunately. Help me with this. Ah! Don’t stick to me too much!”

“Understood.”

Lilith sat down and helped with the paperwork. After about twenty minutes, they managed to organize things roughly. Lilith looked up at the ceiling and muttered.

“This needs repairs…”

“Leave it. This place is supposed to be a demon castle. It won’t collapse. So, what’s going on?”

Bathesia was Bathesia, and work was work.

Karos looked at Lilith with a more tired expression. Soccu was rolling on his head. Lilith took two boxes out of her arms. Karos’ eyes widened.

“Is that…?”

“Yes. It’s the reward I mentioned earlier. Two Gacha boxes.”

“Great! This is the best news I’ve heard so far! Well done!”

“Yes. And there’s one more. It’s like a bonus, but I’m not sure what ability it has. It doesn’t seem to be a monster, though.”

“A bonus?”

Karos crumpled his face like a child.

“… Leave it alone for now, I feel that I will be greatly disappointed if I were to open them. So, what’s the news about Bathesia?”

“For now, she’s in her room, just staying put. What did you discuss with her?”

“It’s a secret. Well, with our main forces in this state, it’s troublesome.”

Karos looked uneasy, and within Bathesia’s room, strange waves of magic overflowed.

Bathesia stared at a gray crystal with a cold, rigid face.

“Hello. Long time no see, Borcania.”

“Indeed. Hehe. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you like this, Bathesia.”

A bewitching beauty was reflected in the crystal.

Borcania spoke.

“So, how do you feel?”

“I don’t know. It’s all a jumbled mess.”

Bathesia forced a bitter smile. Her closest friend wasn’t a friend at all, and the truth she had believed in was distorted lies. Everything had changed. But one thing she knew for sure.

“At least Karos didn’t insult me.”

“That’s true.”

“And you, you were never my friend.”

“That’s true.”

Borcania nodded casually. Bathesia held the crystal and spoke.

“Borcania, I bid you farewell. You are no longer my friend. When I see you next time, I will kill you without mercy.”

“Do as you wish. I may not survive until then.”

“Then, farewell.”

Crack!

The crystal shattered. Bathesia stood up blankly, then rushed out of the room and entered the office. Karos looked at her with a bewildered expression.

“What’s wrong? Why are you like this?”

Bathesia looked at him. Karos, the one she had trusted. The man she had always wanted to resemble. And she kneeled. She uttered the words she had wanted to say for a long time.

“Bathesia Conpretia, not as a Demon King, but as one of the demons, I speak. Karos, I acknowledge you as my one and only master.”

“What?”

Karos asked in bewilderment, but there was no response. She continued to speak resolutely.

“Your path is my path now. Demon King Karos, I will follow your command as your subordinate.”

It was the ritual of becoming a Demon King’s subordinate. A tradition that all monsters and subordinates went through. She should have done it too, but because she was a Demon King, she hadn’t. Karos had never mentioned it either.

But now Bathesia was swearing the oath of her own free will. Karos responded somewhat foolishly.

“…Fine, do as you wish.”

“Yes, as you wish.”

Bathesia smiled as she spoke. Her smile seemed brighter than before.

**** ****

“Here, have some tea.”

“Why are you acting so nervously?”

Karos asked Bathesia with an uncomfortable expression as she handed him tea. Bathesia laughed lightly as she set down the tea.

“What’s wrong with working as a Demon King’s subordinate?”

“It’s not that, but…”

It was good, but the sudden change in attitude made him uncomfortable. Karos drank the tea awkwardly. Lilith was watching them while organizing documents.

“Master, how will you handle the room?”

“Oh, right, the village chief is still here.”

Karos nodded. He was already short-staffed, and with the addition of more personnel, the village chief had been sleeping alone in the corridor.

“I have to do something. It’s difficult to increase the space here… If it’s okay, I’ll sleep in the corridor and let the village chief stay in my room.”

“…It’s scary, so stop it, Bathesia.”

Karos said with a tired face. Bathesia burst into laughter.

That’s too much change in a short time.

Karos sighed and sipped his tea.

“But what are we going to do now? We’ve subjugated the goblins. Are we going to attack the village?”

“Are you crazy? The punitive force will come and wipe us out. But there’s something we need to do before that.”

“What is it?”

“Assess our abilities.”

Karos tapped the box uncertainly with his finger.

Hyung_Otaku

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Pick Me Up! | A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! | The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!