“Mmm, this is difficult,” Auraniess grumbled.
Before her sat an object of a floppy, irregular shape. She had tried to build a castle by imitating Marius, but it had turned out completely different.
“Why…?”
“If simply imitating was enough, then ‘education’ would never have been invented,” Marius said with a smug look. It was a grand statement if he had thought of it himself, but it was merely secondhand. Still, it hit home for Auraniess at that moment.
“Mumu, I’ll be educated too!” Marius exclaimed, grabbing both of Auraniess’s shoulders firmly.
“You won’t refuse, will you?” There was no malice or hostility, but the pressure was more than enough, and Marius nodded almost reflexively.
“Alright, stop,” he pleaded. His shoulders, now released, were red.
“Lesson one: observe carefully. Look at the castle and memorize its shape.”
“Ooh!” Auraniess raised her right fist in response to Marius’s words. They were completely in the role of master and disciple.
“Are we needed?” Iris whispered to Sophia.
Ignoring their hushed voices, Marius addressed Auraniess. “Then, shall we return to our castle?”
“Ooh!”
And so, Marius and his party returned to Tuban Castle. Initially, Marius had disliked the name “Tuban Castle,” but since no alternative was offered, it had been decided.
Standing before the castle, Auraniess and the rest of the group intently observed its form, drawing curious glances from those inside and outside.
“What are they doing?”
“Who knows…?”
“But aren’t they always doing something strange?”
“That’s right, it’s normal for them.”
They whispered to each other and then moved on with knowing expressions. It was a clear illustration of how they were perceived daily. The fact that the country ran smoothly despite this spoke volumes about the caliber of those supporting the King.
It was then that El approached Marius.
“Master, may I have a moment of your time?”
“Yes, what is it?” Marius’s gaze shifted to the succubus. It was rather unusual for her to approach him like this, which is precisely why it caught Marius’s attention.
“Regarding the plan for Emma, Aina, and Remika’s canonization…” she stated casually with a composed face. The King, upon hearing this, burst out laughing.
“What are you talking about? I haven’t heard of this!”
“Because I hadn’t told you yet.”
The Scheming Succubus, who had rendered her master speechless with her retort, tilted her head cutely. “Is there a problem?”
“No, wait a moment. In fact, wait quite a while.” Marius uttered nonsensical words in his confusion. Realizing this, he placed a finger on his temple and pondered.
“Canonizing Emma and the others? Is that even permissible?” This was his immediate question. While Emma and the others were of noble birth, they were nowhere near comparable to royalty. If that were the case, they wouldn’t have become maids. Naturally, even if they were to marry, they wouldn’t be of the same standing as royalty. They could only be treated as concubines. Of course, if they were to be taken as legal wives, that would be a different story. In this current situation, Marius already had two royal consorts, so that would indeed be the case.
“…Didn’t I recall there being a limit of two legal wives?” Marius recalled what he had been told in the past. Otherwise, he would have had to marry women from every country on the continent by now. After all, those who were stronger tended to marry more partners, and in the case of nations, marriage was seen as a symbol of peace. Refusing a marriage could even be interpreted as a hostile intent. In other words, Marius only marrying the princesses of Filat and Ranleo meant he intended to conquer other nations… he couldn’t complain if that’s how it was interpreted. Without the unwritten rule that even a king of a nation was limited to two legal wives, it would have been so.
(How annoying.) Marius felt weary just thinking about it. Though indirectly, proposals from other countries were incessant, and in Catherine’s case, it was almost decided.
“That is correct, but it’s merely because there’s no precedent,” El said with a smile, uttering something rather alarming.
“Are you suggesting I become the precedent?”
“Yes.”
“If someone were to imitate it, wouldn’t that lead to all sorts of trouble?” Marius posed this question. While it was his genuine feeling, it wasn’t the whole truth. He intended it as a preamble to draw out El’s true intentions.
“Is it really possible to imitate defeating an Evil God and becoming a new god? However, if we set a condition, such as ‘only when one has become a god,’ then it will be resolved?”
“There are plenty of other things I’d like you to resolve,” Marius said with as much sarcasm as he could muster. El remained completely unfazed and offered a smile of the highest caliber.
“Of course, if you command me, I will do my utmost.” Marius found himself pondering how to interpret her words. Depending on the listener, they could be taken as a jab or sarcasm, but she might also be speaking her true feelings. Incidentally, though Marius was troubled, El’s words were entirely genuine. The fact that they weren’t understood was likely due to his usual display of cunning.
“Well then, I’ll give you an order, so please help me.” After much deliberation, Marius decided.
“As you command.” El bowed respectfully. Such an attitude was reserved only for Marius. However, this didn’t mean the conversation could end, which was the nature of being a king.
“I’d like to ask, do you really think I’m simple enough to be fooled by this?”
“You used to be, but recently you seem to have been trained and have become quite respectable,” El stated her assessment with an unabashed expression.
“I was trained by you… I’ve even wondered if you love me, but…”
“Oh? Do you believe that love doesn’t require strictness, Master?”
“I’m not saying that, but…” Marius realized he couldn’t win in an argument with her and faltered.
“If there wasn’t affection, I wouldn’t bother tormenting you. I would simply let you be destroyed silently,” El stated.
“…Like the Baron House?” El’s words reminded him of the “Baron House Scandal.” It was an incident where the noble faction that had viewed Marius with hostility and rebellion had vanished, and the succubus before him was the cause.
“Yes.” Marius still thought that incident was malicious.
“Even if you say there’s affection, I can’t read it at all. Well, if I used mind-reading magic, it would be solved, but somehow that feels wrong too.” Marius began to mutter. El gently took his hand.
“I have nothing to hide, so you are welcome to read it if you wish,” El smiled. It was not the terrifying darkness she usually exuded, but a pure, innocent gaze. Marius was defeated by its power.
“If you have nothing to hide, could you tell me?”
“You trust me. Thank you.” She gave a slight bow. It felt unsettling to have her thoughts constantly monitored.
(I’m likely giving her a similar feeling, aren’t I?) Isn’t that the fate of those who can read minds?
“Simply put, it’s about moving forward with a policy of human-demon coexistence. Frankly, there’s no need for such strong aversion. Auraniess and Lady Zofi are widely known and nearly accepted.”
“Regarding Auraniess, isn’t it just that people have given up?” Marius thought, but didn’t say it aloud. Instead, he voiced a different concern.
“My subordinates acting under me is different from being a maid, isn’t it? At the very least, I can’t entrust child-rearing to Auraniess…” El smiled at his emotionally charged opinion.
“As for Auraniess, that was a joke. She might be suitable for cleaning, however.”
“That’s true. When it comes to cleaning, she’s as good as Emma.” Would the tale of the strongest Demon Lord being good at cleaning become a laugh? At least the maids knew that it couldn’t be laughed off.
“If we incorporate Sophia and Iris, people will feel closer to demons. Entrusting them with roles like guardians might also be an option.”
“Guardians, huh…” Marius pictured Sophia handling such a role with ease.
“However, wouldn’t that alone not be enough to promote the policy?” El answered Marius’s doubt immediately.
“Nobles are creatures that imitate what the King adopts. Only you, Master, can control us, but demons can be employed as maids by nobles, can’t they?”
“…Isn’t that a rather subtle yet cunning move?” Marius felt uneasy. He had a nagging feeling that some terrible pitfall lay hidden. If there were no issues, wouldn’t Emma have objected?
“Is that so? However, it’s preferable for change to come from the top. At least, nobles wouldn’t adopt changes from below, would they?”
“I suppose so… but, what is it? Why does it bother me?” Marius couldn’t quite understand it himself and grumbled. Then, he finally arrived at one question.
“Why can’t human maids suffice?”
“If that were the case, they would be replaced each time you became intimate with them,” the succubus replied instantly.
“Why do you assume I’ll become intimate with them all…?”
“Why do you think I wouldn’t?” Marius was momentarily speechless when asked directly by El. Indeed, he had become intimate with all the maids he had grown close to: Emma, Aina, and Remika.
“Well, just because that’s been the case, doesn’t mean it will continue to be so…”
“That lacks any persuasive power,” El said sharply. Marius drooped his head. El placed a hand on her master’s cheek and peered into his face.
“I get jealous too, you know. I want to have your children too,” she said, her face bright red. Marius blushed. Given her usual demeanor, it felt like her words carried seventy percent more impact.
(In the end, was it jealousy of other women that caused this…?) Was El also a woman?
