Having parted ways with the two, we resumed our march.
Our next destination was the castle's inner courtyard.
Soldiers of the Demon King's army were conducting training there.
As I watched them, a voice drifted down from above.
"Well, well. If it isn't Mr. Harvelt. You're looking well, I see."
A cheerful voice.
Looking up, I found Gwen there.
Seated in midair, she rested her cheek on one hand, a thin smile playing on her lips.
Grom showed a hostile bearing and rebuked her.
"Tentacle Demon King, come down from there. This is insolent."
"Oh, don't be so stiff. I simply enjoy high places."
Gwen brushed aside the admonishment lightly, then landed before us with a supple, graceful motion.
Her gaze met Grom's.
Between them crackled an intensity that seemed ready to spark.
Though Gwen, at least, seemed to find it amusing.
(I wish they would get along...)
Gwen was now one of the Demon Kings herself.
Known as the Tentacle Demon King, the world under her dominion existed in a uniquely peculiar state.
All of humanity had been processed down to brain-only form and stored away.
Their consciousness had been cast into a spiritual realm, where people were made to believe that world was reality.
There, they only feel happiness and revel in peace.
Occasionally, someone perceives the true nature of the world, and such individuals are brought into the real world.
They are then given a choice: acquire a physical body and join the demon army, or have their memories erased and return to the mental world.
For now, most seem to choose the former.
Those who discern the workings of the world are typically brimming with curiosity.
They probably don't have the temperament to obediently go back.
Gwen's demon army, in her world, largely had no battles to fight.
Their primary duty was managing and cultivating brains.
Consequently, it was composed mainly of scientists and researchers.
Overall, their thinking had abandoned all ethics and common sense.
Yet the people living in the mental world simply enjoyed uninterrupted happiness.
As long as they didn't know the truth, there was no problem at all.
No one fought, and everyone lived out a peaceful life.
This disregard for conventional methods is quintessentially Gwen.
I address her, as she seems to be in a good mood.
"I'm surprised. I thought you'd skip this one too."
"I was actually thinking of slacking off, you know. But I figured showing my face occasionally isn't so bad. Besides, if I keep skipping, someone somewhere will get angry."
Gwen says, looking troubled, and shifts her gaze with a meaningful expression.
She had been staring intently up at Grom.
Grom, grasping the meaning of her words, snorts in annoyance but offers a rebuttal.
"We are bearing the burden of the Demon King's throne. It is only natural that we fulfill our duties."
"As expected from someone of the second rank. I truly and sincerely respect you for that."
Gwen shrugged and responded in a flat tone.
It was abundantly clear she held no such respect.
"Well, since I heard everyone was participating this time, I read the room and showed up. You should praise me for being such a model student."
Gwen placed a hand on her chest, speaking in a half-joking manner.