Barbatos raised his head.
"……Why are you the one going to meet the Queen?"
A playful edge always colored Barbatos's voice, but right now it sounded noticeably subdued. No—not subdued, exactly. It was more like he'd deliberately stripped the pitch from his words.
"Our objective was to execute Agares. That objective has just been fulfilled. By using that as our justification, we were able to block interference from foreign powers like the Kingdom of Bernicia. If we show the Queen no mercy whatsoever, the political situation could get troublesome on multiple fronts."
Winning is fine. But trampling the enemy too thoroughly would only raise the surrounding nations' wariness to unnecessary heights.
In this war, the Legion Commanders had shouldered nearly all the war expenses. It had already been three months since hostilities broke out. Concerns about costs were beginning to surface, and thoughts of recouping expenses through pillaging or levies were sprouting up.
If we ended the war now, it would be perfect. The demonkin soldiers were happy to receive proper pay for a war that hadn't been particularly dangerous. The monsters were happy to feast on plenty of human flesh. The Demon Lords were happy to have orchestrated the best possible outcome at minimal cost. It was a happy ending by every measure.
But Barbatos's expression was far from satisfied. The fellow came out with something unexpected.
"That's not it. I'm asking why it has to be you specifically."
"Hm?"
"If it's just about negotiating, there's no reason someone else couldn't go as envoy."
I tilted my head.
"That's because……I'm good with words?"
"I'm good with words too~."
Gamigin cut into the conversation. She flashed a beaming smile as she looked my way. For some reason, that smile looked especially terrifying.
"Dantalion must have accumulated quite a few grudges from taking the front lines in the war, hasn't he? I, free of any cumbersome grudges, would arguably be more suitable as envoy."
"……I'm sorry, but Your Excellency Gamigin is absolutely hopeless when it comes to the power dynamics of the Human Realm."
I was dumbfounded. Gamigin was indeed first-class as a negotiator. But that only applied when negotiations took place within the Demon Lord's army.
"Do you understand the relationship between the Kingdom of Bernicia and the Kingdom of Castilla vis-à-vis Bretagne right now? Do you grasp what roles the Frank Empire, the Emperor, and the Empress each play in that? And whether the Empress hails from the Kingdom of Sardinia—is that something you're even aware of?"
Gamigin shut her lips. Yet her smile still bloomed in full.
Something was off. Gamigin wasn't stupid enough not to realize that I was more suited as envoy than she was. Same with Barbatos. I couldn't figure out what their problem was.
"Well, if this weren't the Human Realm, I would have asked Your Excellency Gamigin. But given the circumstances, I'm the most suitable for this mission……"
"I do possess some knowledge of the Human Realm's international politics."
"……."
This time, it was Paimon who interjected.
"I was the one who won over the Batavia Republic. The Mountain Faction was formed with the express purpose of avoiding war as much as possible and gaining benefits through diplomacy. As the one who leads the Mountain Faction, I find it difficult to believe I'd be unsuitable as envoy."
You're the one who's terrible at negotiating!
I nearly shouted out loud. No, seriously—what was going on? Why were these ladies all taking such an adversarial stance? Did they seriously think sending me as negotiator was cause for concern?
It stung a bit. I'd always considered myself rather well-regarded when it came to the art of persuasion, even if I was the butt of the joke in every other department.
"Heh heh."
Laura stifled a laugh. The nerve—laughing while her lord was in a bind!
I glared at her in frustration. Laura met my gaze with a perfectly composed smile.
"What? Chief of Staff—don't look at me with such a terrifying expression. I believe the Legion Commanders are merely worried about sending the Chief of Staff into the heart of enemy territory alone."
"Huh?"
Laura spoke in a teasing tone.
"The Chief of Staff may have a razor-sharp mind, but his personal combat ability is negligible. Should the Bretagne forces harbor ill intentions, he wouldn't be able to resist even for a moment. The Legion Commanders are so worried—endlessly worried—about the Chief of Staff's safety that they'd rather go themselves."
"……."
I turned to look at Barbatos, Gamigin, and Paimon in turn. All three subtly averted their gazes as if they'd rehearsed it. These three—who'd tie for first place if you held a contest for the most selfish people in the world—were worried? About me? It had to be a joke.
"Ahem. It's not that I'm saying this out of concern per se……"
"It just feels like too much is being placed on one person's shoulders."
"I was merely pointing out that there exists another possible candidate."
None of them met my eyes.
"……."
……The mood had turned rather awkward.
Marbas cleared his throat with a deliberate "ahem." Sitri fidgeted, glancing left and right. Meanwhile, Vassago wore a perfectly sour expression as he stared at me—his pupils practically screaming "you worthless maggot."
I let out a sigh.
"Come now. Please, keep the jokes to a minimum, Vice Commander."
"Oh my, a joke? I always speak nothing but the truth."
"Then that's even worse. Surely the Legion Commanders wouldn't involve themselves in a matter that affects the entire army's fate based on personal feelings. If you're not careful, this could be interpreted as an insult to the esteemed Legion Commanders."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Laura hummed a little tune as she glanced around.
"So I've gone and dishonored the generals' reputations without due cause? I'd like to ask them what they think."
The shoulders of Barbatos, Gamigin, and Paimon all flinched.
Naturally, no one in the room would dare agree openly. Criticizing Laura—their de facto supreme commander—to her face was simply impossible. That was why I, as the one who served as her sovereign in a private capacity, had taken it upon myself to bear the brunt. Sure enough, all three said nothing.
Laura chuckled softly.
"They say silence is consent. Of course, in this case it's not entirely clear which question they've consented to."
"……Vice Commander."
"Heh heh. Very well. I was too hasty."
Laura rose from her seat and gave a graceful bow.
"My lords, I humbly ask for your forgiveness for my lapse. I am still inexperienced and struggle with interpersonal relations. I would be most grateful if you could overlook this."
Her gestures were as courteous as one would expect from a noble-born young lady, yet her voice betrayed not the slightest hint of genuine remorse. I felt somewhat annoyed. Even if Laura had never been the type to show deference in the original story, this was the kind of situation where a proper, heartfelt apology was in order. Tch—being a genius must come with an innate streak of arrogance.
"No, no. It's fine, Laura."
"……If anything, I was the one who overstepped."
"My sincerest apologies."
Fortunately, the Legion Commanders accepted the apology. All three Demon Lords were far more socially mature than Laura. But having been subjected to what amounted to an insult in front of everyone, there was bound to be some lingering resentment. I would have to visit them privately later to apologize again.
Anyway, let's change the subject before things got awkward again.
"My fellow comrades. Please entrust the negotiation to me. I am constantly in awe of the magnificent achievements you have accomplished in this war. I, Dantalion, swear to give my very soul to ensure that the efforts you have invested bear fruit and conclude in triumph."
The Demon Lords approved of me serving as envoy. Though, to be fair, apart from the three of them, there had never been any Demon Lord who opposed the idea from the start. Even Barbatos, Gamigin, and Paimon reluctantly cast their votes in favor.
In the end, what had the three of them been trying to say? I couldn't figure it out.
Henrietta would never be foolish enough to kill an official envoy. Doing so would only push already internationally isolated Bretagne even further into a corner. No—not even into a corner; she herself would die first, struck down by our army's vengeance.
There was a slim possibility, of course. If the other side truly snapped, they might resort to a scorched-earth strategy of mutual destruction. But I knew through Dungeon Attack that Henrietta was absolutely not the sort of person who would do that……
Hmm. No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't understand what those three had been on about. I'd ask them later when I went to apologize.
"Please follow me."
I accepted the envoy's guidance and entered the fortress.
The Bretagne forces holed up inside looked to be in rather poor condition. For one thing, soldiers without armor were quite rare to see—they were trying to keep their bodies as light as possible to preserve their stamina. In other words, they were at a level where even wearing armor drained them beyond recovery.
As I was escorted through the fortress, soldiers glared at us with hostile eyes. They were holding a siege while a plague spread among them. It was only natural for them to react nervously to an enemy envoy.
I raised my voice slightly and asked:
"I heard there's been an epidemic. Are the quarantine measures properly in place?"
"I apologize, sir. I do not have the authority to discuss matters related to the military……"
The envoy trailed off with an awkward tone. Well, even if he had the authority, he wouldn't have told me. That was only to be expected.
But I hadn't been expecting an answer from the envoy. I glanced sideways, observing the expressions of the soldiers nearby. What I saw were faces far from friendly—grim, haggard, and bristling with hostility.
If quarantine had been properly implemented, they would have at least smirked or shown some contempt. People who are lacking in composure tend to put on an air of confidence to intimidate the enemy.
The fact that they couldn't even manage that—and were openly hostile instead—meant the situation was truly dire……
'The healthiest soldiers they had must have been stationed here.'
I smiled.
Queen Henrietta appeared to be in quite a difficult position. For a negotiator, there was no better news than this.
"Here we are."
After passing through several layers of tight security, I arrived at the innermost core of the fortress. A wooden door stood firmly shut.
"My apologies, but—are you perhaps unfamiliar with the customs of the Human Realm?"
"Ah, it's fine. I am here as a representative of our forces."
The envoy nodded. He gestured toward a knight standing before the door. The knight called out in a loud voice:
"Your Majesty! An envoy from the Habsburg Empire has arrived!"
From beyond the door came a heavy thud—the sound of a guard slamming his spear butt against the floor. Then the massive, heavy door creaked open with a groan.
This was no place for lavish decoration or ornamentation. A red carpet lay before a bare table. Seven humans sat around it, engaged in quiet conversation.
Among them—as if a red spider lily had bloomed in full radiance—there was a woman with stunning crimson hair.
She gave a silent nod at the general's words. Then her gaze turned toward me. The moment our eyes met, I instinctively began to bow—but I paused, wanting to gaze upon her just one more time. Something vivid and alive was flowing quietly from her face.
Our gazes were locked upon one another.
How much time passed?
The woman's pale lips slowly parted.
"——If I'm not mistaken, you must be Dantalion."
Only then did I break free from the prison of her gaze and bow respectfully.
"It is my honor to meet you for the first time, Your Majesty, the noble Queen of Bretagne. As you have said, I am Dantalion—ranking seventy-first among the Demon Lords, a seat at the very bottom, granted the title of Court Count."
She was none other than Henrietta de Bretagne.
A hero of a turbulent age.