The demon Grouces was on patrol in the forest when he suddenly received a mind communication, throwing him into confusion.
"Hmm? Something wrong?"
His comrades, the guard unit members, asked with concern, one after another.
Good-natured people, every one of them. Not one of them suspected he was a demon. Before he knew it, Grouces had come to feel as though they were truly his comrades.
"It's nothing."
He answered and put them at ease.
It was anything but nothing.
The contents of the mind communication he had just received: "Grouces! This is an emergency on our end. If something happens, handle future actions based on your own judgment! A battle is starting now. If we win, I'll contact you again. Until then, you're on your own!"
Something was definitely going on.
It was the first time he'd heard Demon Lord
Not knowing anything was agonizing.
What should he do? He had no means to seek guidance.
He tried sending mind communications back multiple times, but no one answered.
While being careful not to let his comrades notice his agitation, Grouces' heart was gradually consumed by anxiety.
— Demon Lord
Milim had been sent to persuade Carrion, but it had somehow turned into a battle.
That was fine. Certainly, the fewer troublesome Demon Lords who wouldn't do as they were told, the better.
According to the report, she had overwhelmed Carrion with overwhelming combat power, blowing away the royal castle along with him.
The reporter,
The other demons he had planted as spies all reported the same thing.
There was no room for doubt.
Demon Lord Carrion was dead. And he now possessed "absolute power" so great that even the mighty Carrion was no longer a concern.
The Ten Great Demon Lords who ruled the Demon World.
Among them, three—including himself—had united as one, and one had been eliminated.
Moreover, even using an absolute powerhouse as a threat, Demon Lord Carrion's demise would serve as excellent propaganda.
"Kukuku. Everything is falling into place. Just as planned."
"Oh my? Is that so? I'm glad to hear I've been useful~"
Frey stood up while offering her insincere words of agreement.
"I'm heading back, but what about Milim? She seemed wound up from the battle—one of the demons who tried to look after her was torn to shreds~"
Clayman scowled and glared at Frey.
"You should take care of her, shouldn't you? After all, you're her friend, aren't you? I'm entrusting her to you—please take her away. I can't have my castle destroyed."
Hearing those words, Frey shook her head with a resigned sigh.
"I don't want my home destroyed either, you know? But I suppose saying so won't make a difference~?"
"I'm glad you understand. You're free to go!"
That attitude made it clear he no longer viewed Frey as an equal.
It was the way one spoke to a subordinate.
Frey showed no displeasure at this. She cast Clayman a cold glance and departed.
Once Frey was gone, Clayman allowed himself a smile.
Everything was proceeding smoothly.
Everything was "according to his plan."
It didn't have the certainty of executing a prophecy, but events were unfolding in the right direction.
The original plan had been to designate the Orc Disaster as a new Demon Lord, then use that backing as leverage to control the other Demon Lords.
A plan designed to align interests and present a united front. Even if it failed, there would be no losses.
But when word came of suspicious monsters and the town they had built, he revised the plan to take advantage of that development.
The bait of aligned interests remained, but now the plan was to use those monsters as bait.
It was fortunate that the one who took the bait was the most powerful Demon Lord.
Clayman rose and sealed the area with a multi-layered barrier.
Then, as always, he delivered his scheduled report.
To the one he trusted.
To the true master to whom he had pledged his loyalty...
— Ever since joining the guard unit, Myulan's days had been exceedingly busy.
Her duties as a Sorcerer weren't that demanding. Occasionally, an enthusiast would ask her to teach them sorcery, and that was about it.
She would teach them simple curses. Before becoming a demon, she had been a witch. Teaching humans usable spells was easy enough.
What kept her busy was her other role—that of a strategist.
She felt there was something inherently wrong with a newcomer like herself serving as a strategist, but...
"(Trusting a demon? These people are too naive for their own good!)"
That was more or less what it felt like in words.
Issuing orders to the unit, coordinating with the town's monsters, filing reports with the captain—she handled everything.
It wasn't unreasonable to wish they'd lighten her load.
But alongside that complaint came a sense of fulfillment.
Interacting with people again had awakened emotions she had forgotten.
And then— "Myulan, come on! It's about time you gave me an answer!"
The man who had been pressing his advances. She looked back at Youm.
When she had first infiltrated the guard unit, she had felt his gaze on her.
She had been wary that he might have seen through her, but Grouces said he hadn't noticed anything.
Puzzled, she investigated and found that the gaze belonged to Youm. Their eyes met, and he awkwardly looked away.
But recently, he had gone beyond looks and started confessing outright.
He said— "I love you. Go out with me! I'll make you happy, I promise!"
He was completely direct.
Despite his usually frivolous demeanor, he was serious at heart. He still hadn't laid a hand on her.
Back when she was still a young maiden—that was over seven hundred years ago. She could barely remember those times. She had no memories of being with a man.
Honestly, romance was an unknown experience she had never gone through.
Her anxiety outweighed her happiness. Besides...
"(Even if he says he'll make me happy... My heart is in Clayman's hands.
How is that even possible?! And besides...
How could a human who'll die in no time ever truly love me?)"
In the end, she kept postponing her answer.
Her reason told her to just refuse, but for some reason she couldn't muster the courage.
It had been four hundred years since she became a demon. This was the first time she had felt so anxious.
To Myulan in this state, a mind communication from Clayman arrived.
For the demon Myulan, Clayman was not someone she held any loyalty to.
If the chance arose, she wouldn't hesitate to slit his throat. But she couldn't imagine that ever-vigilant Demon Lord ever letting his guard down.
She recalled how abnormally cheerful Clayman had become during the last report, and felt disgusted.
He must have hatched some new evil scheme. That was what she assumed.
Unfortunately, she had no way to defy him. All she could do was avoid openly opposing him.
Even if someone else's misfortune lay ahead, it wouldn't save her. Feeling disgusted was only natural.
Just then, a mind communication reached her.
"You seem to be doing well. Thanks to the information you provided, things are going very smoothly here.
You've done splendid work.
Regarding the heart I've been keeping for you—I've been thinking it might be about time to return it."
It was a sudden offer.
Myulan felt her heart lift. But she couldn't afford to get carried away.
Her counterpart was a Demon Lord—a vicious puppet master who deceived even his own subordinates without batting an eye.
"(Yes! Thank you very much!)"
She replied with a safe, measured response.
"You don't need to be on guard. I'll probably just ask you for one more job.
Until then, take it easy and enjoy your life. Well then, take care."
With that unilateral statement, the mind communication was cut off.
Was this a trap? But there was no way to verify.
As had always been the case, all she could do was obey orders.
But if she was truly going to be freed...
"(Could I accept him?)"
With anxiety and a faint glimmer of hope in her heart, Myulan resumed her activities as though nothing had happened.
— Sakaguchi Hinata awoke from a drowsy slumber.
Attending to her with devoted care, Nicolaus brought over a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
"Oh, you've awakened?"
Cardinal Nicolaus Spertus.
The only blade at the side of the Holy Pope of the Theocracy of Lubelius—the sole untouchable figure there—and the man who sat at the actual summit of the Western Holy Church.
Yet toward Hinata alone, he was unfailingly loyal, clinging to her like a puppy.
The night before, she had made him serve as her bed, and he had stayed with her all through the night.
Watching him tirelessly lick every part of her body, she thought— "(He really is like a dog...)"
He worshipped Hinata.
As if she were a goddess or a saint. What a fool, she thought.
"(I eat, and I excrete too. And when I age, it's only natural that I'll wither.
This body won't stay beautiful forever. This man is just chasing an illusion.)"
If he desired her body, she would give it to him. It was of little value.
She didn't think this body was worth much, but if he wanted it, he could have it.
To her, even her own body was nothing more than a tool for manipulation. It held no special value.
Naturally, she had physical desires. It wasn't as though she was frigid. But so what?
Letting her body be used by a man she didn't love didn't bother her. But she wouldn't give herself to a man she hated.
In other words— "(So it comes down to this—I don't actually hate Nicolaus, do I?)"
Even she didn't fully understand the situation. That was the truth.
"Come now, breakfast is ready. Won't you eat?"
A sudden sense of amusement welled up inside her.
No one could have imagined that Nicolaus would prepare breakfast for someone else.
Everyone who knew his usual self would describe Nicolaus as an arrogant and ruthless man wearing the mask of a saint.
"Sure, I'll have some. Thank you."
When Hinata said that casually, Nicolaus nodded with visible delight.
The two of them ate breakfast together.
It was the first meal in a while that she thought was genuinely good.
"Oh, right. I had something to report. This is information that just came in from our spies."
As they finished eating and relaxed, Nicolaus spoke to Hinata.
As if desperate to keep her attention.
Hinata gazed at Nicolaus while combing her prized black hair to each side with her fingers.
She picked up the round glasses sitting on the table and put them on, then— "Let's hear it."
she asked concisely.
Before him stood the beautiful woman who held the titles of "Head Knight of the Papal Imperial Guard Division" and "Commander of the Holy Knights."
Her face wore its usual composure and cold severity.
The time for leisure had ended.
The information Nicolaus had brought.
The disturbance caused by the monsters of the Great Forest of Jura, and the town they had built.
And the report that certain nations had begun trade with the monsters.
"What did you say? This would fundamentally overturn the Church's doctrine that monsters are a common enemy of all humanity..."
Nicolaus nodded at Hinata's murmur.
"Exactly. What shall we do?"
"Hmm... I see..."
Hinata pondered.
Crushing them would be easy. But without a righteous cause, the hearts of the people would turn away.
If only it had been before they started interacting with humans, she could have crushed them and been done with it...
"For now, all we can do is observe.
However, investigate the town's military strength and secure enough forces to destroy it!
As the Church, we can't act until we receive a request from somewhere.
Well... if no request comes, I suppose we'll just have to create a situation that forces one..."
She reached that conclusion.
Hearing her words, Nicolaus nodded.
"I'll have my trusted agents investigate!
Even if it means deploying the Church's 'Blood Shadow Berserkers'!"
The Blood Shadow Berserkers were fallen knights. They possessed high combat ability but were insane killers who would murder even civilians.
A handful of fanatics who pledged their loyalty only to God, the Pope, and the Church.
But their skills were top-notch, and even the Church had been unable to dispose of them.
To Hinata, they were contemptible, deranged beings.
For the pragmatist Hinata, blindly believing in God was nothing short of a symbol of foolishness.
That such a woman served as the guardian of divine justice was a grand irony.
"Is that so? Then I'll leave it to you. Just be sure not to go overboard—don't forget your discipline."
It wasn't the time to act yet.
She would leave the intelligence gathering to him. Besides, they might be able to create some kind of opening.
With that thought, she made her decision.
And so, as a result, the bloodthirsty mad dogs were set loose.