"Then let's move on to the next agenda."
I immediately changed the subject, keeping my tone flat.
In a crisis like this, I absolutely could not show a grimacing face or displeased expression. I had to act as if nothing was wrong and brush past it quickly, as if it were no big deal.
The more flustered I appeared, the more the Demon Lords would think our leadership was fractured. And remember this — there is no leadership that looks more incompetent than one that is visibly divided. A leader must always wear a perfect mask, never letting anyone see what lies beneath.
"......"
Unfortunately, Paimon didn't seem to know that.
Paimon was practically emitting lava from her eyes. She was glaring at Barbatos with murderous intensity, looking as though she might whip him to death at any moment. Meanwhile, Barbatos was smirking, glancing at Paimon as if to say, "What, you jealous?"
"......We will conclude tonight's Walpurgis Night here. Comrades, thank you all for your hard work."
In the end, the atmosphere remained tense until the meeting adjourned. The Demon Lords rose and began filing out in small groups. I couldn't make out their exact words, but it was perfectly clear what they were whispering about. Damn it.
I gave Vassago a nod and stepped out of the grand hall.
I was standing in the corridor trying to cool my anger when Vassago approached slowly. Without even looking at him, I muttered:
"What is your intention?"
"Barbatos came to me last night and told me to cast a dissenting vote."
Vassago leaned against the corridor wall and pulled out his pipe. He had never been a smoker, but at some point he had picked up the habit, following my lead. He blew out a puff of smoke with a soft exhale.
"I thought you had been passing messages through Barbatos indirectly. But seeing as you called me out separately like this, you clearly had no idea. How does it feel, our great Lord Dantalion? Getting stabbed in the back by your trusted lover?"
Vassago sneered.
I sighed.
"So you deliberately cast a dissenting vote in response to Barbatos."
Early in the meeting, Vassago had openly opposed Barbatos. Thanks to that, the two Demon Lords had successfully given the impression that they were not on the same side.
The reason Vassago cast a dissenting vote was simply that he opposed the "complete" abolition of slavery — that is, he opposed freeing not just Demonkin slaves but human ones as well... That was how others would interpret it.
Vassago nodded.
"Barbatos handed me a script. Oppose it at first."
"And then she would bring up the topic of human slaves herself?"
"Uh-huh."
We stood leaning against the wall, exchanging words quietly. Neither of us looked at the other — we both stared straight ahead into empty air. We both knew there was no need to resort to gestures or glances to intimidate each other.
"Vassago. You've made a mistake."
"Judging by the situation, it would seem so."
"I have always stated my intentions to you directly. Openly. To your face. No matter how much Barbatos may be my lover, I wouldn't have her relay messages to you on my behalf, would I?"
I ground my teeth.
"Barbatos is not my messenger, and you are not my subordinate. Did I strike you as so lazy that I would have my lover pass along my words for me? Did you think so little of me that I wouldn't respect you enough to speak directly?"
"I admit my fault."
Vassago spoke in a lowered voice. There was a tinge of anger in his tone.
"As you know, you're an insufferably arrogant brat. It didn't seem that strange to me to let Barbatos serve as a messenger, so I brushed it off."
"Then you should have picked up on the odd smell and told me ——"
"But you're at fault too, Dantalion."
I turned my head to look at Vassago. He was staring at me with more seriousness than I had ever seen from him.
"I honestly never imagined a day would come when you couldn't control Barbatos. You paraded your relationship with her around for everyone to see."
"......"
"Don't you dare say that's not true. Flirting shamelessly everywhere, strutting about like the whole world was their private chambers. Hmph, that's why people who stake their lives on love always end up regretting it."
I silently turned my gaze back to the floor. It was my acknowledgment of his point.
"......I didn't imagine it either."
"Didn't imagine what?"
"That Barbatos would do something like this without even telling me."
Silence.
I pulled a pipe from my coat. At that moment, Vassago flicked his finger. A faint flame sparked to life on my pipe without any effort on my part. I put the pipe to my lips and puffed without a word.
"The day I console you will never come. You're a worthless bastard, after all."
"......I know."
"But if you grow weak, I'm in trouble. Damn it all — I staked my entire political life on you. I lost three Spirit Kings to subjugate Agares. Three Spirit Kings I spent thousands of years cultivating, lost in one go."
Vassago spat on the ground.
"Brat. Don't you dare show weakness in front of me. It's so disgusting I can't stand it. If anyone in this world needs comfort, it sure as hell isn't you. What a foul taste......"
I couldn't bring myself to respond. Apologizing here would only make Vassago angrier. I knew nothing to do but stay silent. The only option was to change the subject.
"But there's something strange. Why did Barbatos drag you into this?"
"Hmm?"
"She must have known she'd be found out by me right away. And yet she deliberately involved you. There must be some other intention hidden behind it."
I stared into the empty air.
"Suppose Barbatos had cast the dissenting vote on her own. In that case, it would have looked like the Plains Faction was raising a solo rebellion. But if you, Vassago, were mixed into the dissent..."
"It would appear as though each had voted according to their own convictions. Indeed. So that was what she was after."
Vassago let out a derisive snort.
I nodded slowly.
"Yes. Barbatos wanted to cast a dissenting vote against me, but she didn't want it to look as though she was completely cutting ties with me. The reason she dragged you in was probably just that."
"So without even realizing it, I ended up being used in your lovers' quarrel. Damned nonsense."
Now only one question remained.
Why had Barbatos cast a dissenting vote against me?
Vassago offered his take.
"Could it be she was expressing her dissatisfaction with you? You've been manipulating the Empire however you see fit, and from Barbatos's perspective, that would add up."
"......Barbatos isn't a child. She wouldn't express dissatisfaction this way. If she had a complaint, she could have told me directly."
"Hmph, she is a child."
Vassago pushed himself off the wall.
"In appearance and in heart, she's still green. A girl who threw away her sword and became a dark mage just to save her subordinates. If that's not a child, what is? Well then, let the brat and the child keep having their little lovers' quarrel. I'm too bored to stick around and play along."
Vassago left those words behind and walked off down the corridor.
"......"
I stayed behind in the corridor and lit my pipe. I lingered there for a while, alone in the empty hallway, before making my way toward Barbatos's bedroom.
There was not a single guard visible in the corridor leading to Barbatos's quarters.
The Death Knights had become transparent spiritual bodies, watching over the area without a single gap. As I walked down the corridor, I could feel their cold stares boring into me. Those hopeless lolicon bastards.
It didn't matter whether the black knights glared or not. I didn't even bother knocking and threw open the door to Barbatos's bedroom. Not a single Death Knight tried to stop me.
The room was dark. There wasn't a sliver of light.
In the dim gloom, Barbatos sat on the windowsill, gazing up at the night sky. Without turning her head, she murmured:
"You're later than I expected."
"The shock was pretty big. I needed some time alone to sort myself out."
I sat down on whichever chair was closest.
"Barbatos. You betrayed me."
"I know."
"Betrayed. I never once imagined the word 'betrayal' would ever come up between us. Not once, not even in my dreams. What exactly do you want to say to me?"
Barbatos spoke as though she found it amusing.
"What do I want to say? Do you really not know? Dantalion. I knew you were stupid, but I didn't know your brain was this broken."
"I want to hear it from your own mouth."
I spoke in a low, deliberate voice.
So much anger was pouring out that even I could hear it.
"I don't know when we started hiding our thoughts from each other. Didn't we promise to share everything? Don't be a coward, Barbatos. If you have something to say, don't dump it on me — open your own damn mouth and say it yourself! Take responsibility for your own words!"
"The coward here is you."
Barbatos whipped her head around.
Even in the darkness, her golden eyes blazed with fury.
"This bill — you brought it out for Paimon's sake, didn't you?"
"......"
"Did you think I wouldn't notice? That I'd fail to catch on and let it slide? That the Grand Duke business was just an excuse and the whole thing was really about Paimon — did you think I wouldn't figure that out?"
Barbatos bared her teeth.
"The Demon Lords must be absolute... the Grand Dukes need to be taught a lesson... Every last word was an excuse. Did you really think I'd be fooled by the pretty words you lined up and nod along like a fool, Dantalion? Did you truly see me as nothing more than a joke?"
"Barbatos."
I groaned.
"The Grand Dukes do need to be put in their place. I wasn't lying about that."
"Hah. Then why did you argue that human slaves shouldn't be freed too? And you claimed it was an indispensable measure, just like you said?"
"......"
Barbatos rose from the windowsill.
She walked toward me and seized my collar tightly.
"The moment I heard about this proposal, I caught on. That you were moving on Paimon's behalf. If you had been honest with me from the start, fine — maybe I would have looked the other way just this once. But you hid the truth. And then you tried to smooth it over with some ridiculous lie...!"
Barbatos's face twisted into a grotesque grimace.
"Who was the first to betray our relationship, huh? Who was the first to hide their thoughts from each other? I told you dozens of times that I came first, that there was no way you'd ever value Paimon over me!"
You bastard, Barbatos thrust her face close to mine.
"Listen carefully. I'm not going to sit here and watch you play around with Paimon anymore. From the very start, it was your fault for trying to have me and Paimon at the same time! So choose. Choose me, or choose that woman Paimon. Tell me right now...!"
Tears glistened at the corners of Barbatos's eyes.
For a long time, I could not open my lips.