Bringing the Incident to a Close

Editor(s): Speedphoenix, Joker

It was late at night. The ball was over; the moon was already in the midst of its journey through the sky and most of Alshir's residents were tucked away in bed. Those that were up consisted mainly of the duty-bound, such as the holy knights that marched briskly through the halls of their headquarters. Each step taken was accompanied by the clanging of armour. Because it was not administrative work that they were in the midst of, but rather, work that was prone to requiring the use of force.

At the head of the group stood one Carlotta De Maya, commander of the Faldien Order. Despite having only recently finished a series of battles, she showed no sign of fatigue; her advance continued at full speed until she reached the door that led to her destination. Once her men got into formation, she wrenched it open without so much as a knock.

"W-what is going on!?" The man inside, whose pot belly was visible even beneath his loose, priestly robes, sat up from his bed as the noise wrenched him from his slumber. "C-Carlotta!? Why are you here? You are not permitted to enter my quarters! Leave imme—"

"I apologize for visiting you at such a late hour, but it couldn't be avoided." The knight cut off the high-ranking official with a smile. "Cardinal Afdol Dollmorral Lane, I hereby place you under arrest on grounds of treason."

"Treason? That's ridiculous!"

The cardinal appeared unable to grasp the situation. He found himself apprehended by a pair of paladins before he found his next words.

"T-there has to be some sort of mistake!" He shouted, before turning to the knights at his desk. "And stop that! Do not make a mess of my quarters, and stop looking through my documents! They are highly confidential!" Once he was done screaming at them, he turned to the troop's commander and shot her a glare. "Do you think you can get away with this!? This is injustice, blasphemy! Once the other cardinals hear of this, they will have you removed from your position immediately!"

"You've grown far too senile, Afdol," sighed Carlotta. "Do you truly think that I would've done something this drastic of my own accord?"

The paladin produced a sheet of parchment and held it just close enough for the man she'd arrested to read it, all while twisting her lips into a ridiculing sneer.

"I suggest you go over this carefully."

"What…? No…!" His eyes widened. "It can't be! Why have so many of them chosen to sign it!?"

It was an official letter, one informing him of his excommunication. And it was signed by every cardinal but Afdol and one of his closest friends.

"You are no longer considered a true man of the cloth, Afdol, and the church will no longer offer you any protection from the state."

"T-this can't be happening…!"

"It is, Cardinal, Former Cardinal. It is happening. Your time is over," said the paladin. "Take him away, boys!"

"Yes ma'am!"

A satisfied Carlotta watched as her men escorted the fresh retiree. She was thrilled to know that he would soon be placed in the cell that would become his new bedroom. Another individual came marching down the hallway before the cardinal vanished from her sight, an individual that she recognized as competent. Her vice commander. Upon arriving at the doorway, the veteran greeted her with a salute.

"Commander, I'm here to report that we've succeeded in detaining Cardinal Elgar."

"Excellent work. What of the order that works under him? Have they made any moves?"

"No, ma'am. They're willing to cooperate and obey all our orders."

"How strange…" the over-competent paladin furrowed her brow. "I was expecting there to at least have been some resistance."

"It certainly was a possibility, ma'am, but I'm fairly certain I know why," he said. "It's because we underlings don't get to choose our higher ups."

"I suppose that means I'll have to put more effort into bolstering my efficacy as a commander if I wish to retain your loyalty," chuckled Carlotta.

"If you did that, then you would be robbing every member of the nobility of the ability to sleep soundly, ma'am," said the vice-commander.

"Same goes for the military's brass," added another paladin.

"Don't forget the monsters. Everything in the area will end up running off with its tail between its legs," added a third.

"If you think that's bad, then just wait until the slumlords hear the news. They'd turn paler than a pile of sheets," laughed a fourth.

Their comments got the whole squad going. Before long, every knight in the room was cracking up with laughter.

"If you boys really want that much more work, then I'm more than happy to comply," said Carlotta with a bold smile. "You should've said something earlier. I've been wanting to work you to the bone for years."

Every man in the room, vice-commander aside, immediately scattered as would a group of startled cats. They picked up various objects and documents, staring at each intently in order to make themselves seem as busy as could be. This prompted Carlotta to force a bit of a smile, but she soon let it fade in favour of a more serious expression.

"We'd best get back to work. There are still many things on the agenda, and I would be far too ashamed to face the man that set this picture perfect meal for us by failing to consume it."

"You must mean the meister. Just who is he? The prince's uprising was the first I've heard of him."

"To be honest, I don't know. But I'm convinced that a continued relationship with him is to our benefit. He's shown himself to be not only incredibly capable, but also more than willing to work with us. Most importantly, I know for a fact that Nell both trusts and loves him from the bottom of her heart. And as far as I am concerned, that is all that matters."

"You always have been sweet on Nell," said the vice commander. "Though I suppose that I, or rather we, feel the same way." He directed his gaze around the room as he switched to referring to his coworkers as a collective. It wasn't just the members of their order that held Nell in high regards. Almost every paladin did.

"That should be a given," said Carlotta. "Unlike you lot, she's actually quite adorable. And she's always been something along the lines of a younger sister to us all."

"The first part of that comment was entirely uncalled for."

The vice-commander twisted his face in mock surprise, but Carlotta indifferently shrugged it off. With their appetite for humour now sated, both officers promptly returned to their work.

***

Several days had passed since the grand finale that was the ball. There was little that hadn't gone according to plan. Argus had been relocated to a dungeon, and Jaynor had been put under house arrest in order to prevent him from taking any further action. He had yet to be deprived of his title, but I was fairly confident that it would only be a matter of time before he was.

The only issue was that we had yet to discern the minister's true intentions. Neither the king nor I had been able to figure him out, so we had, after some discussion, arrived at a solution in which we intentionally loosened up security just enough to make it possible for him to attempt some more wire pulling. We even went as far as to ensure he was informed of the fact that both the king's men and Carlotta's were going around capturing Argus' close associates, that the faction he'd spent so much effort building was going to be rapidly deconstructed if he failed to react. We were sure that he would do something, despite being aware that it was all just a trap. But he didn't. He simply sat around and let it happen. We could have always loosened the reins even further, but there was no point. Hearing the horse's intentions directly from his mouth was a much better choice.

That was the line of thought that led me to my present situation. I was situated outside the manor that the minister was confined to. Many of the king's men were positioned along the property's perimeter. This naturally drew a great deal of attention, but all the curious onlookers that approached were shooed away before they could perform any sort of detailed investigation. One would have expected the whole property to be littered with members of the royal guard, but that was far from the case. They were not allowed to enter the premises because they had already completed their initial investigations. Any more of an intrusion on the minister's privacy would have been a breach of etiquette given that he had remained an authoritative figure.

To reiterate, he was sure to be stripped of his title in due time, but that had yet to happen. He had far too many sympathizers, and failing to provide an indisputable statement when issuing his punishment was grounds for the last thing the king needed: another potential coup. That said, I was planning on breaking and entering regardless. There were no downsides to be had if I didn't end up getting caught, and I'd even gone ahead and asked for the king's permission before heading out. He'd given the thumbs up under the condition that I was to avoid going overboard. Still don't get why he seemed so worried. Everything'll be totally fine. Totally.

After moving out of sight to pop stealth, I stepped onto the property and began trespassing to my heart's content. I waltzed right in both the front gate and the front door whilst ignoring all the guards, butlers, maids, and other workers I encountered en route. Unlike me, they were going about their regular duties, albeit a bit anxiously. But as that wasn't my problem, I paid them no mind and headed straight for Jaynor's current location. All the scouting I did had already ingrained the building's layout in my mind, so I proceeded through his residence with firm, confident steps.

I knew full well that there was no point keeping my face hidden any longer. I'd already revealed it to Jaynor—and just about everyone else while I was at it. Still, I made sure to wear my mask for nothing beyond the purpose of style. I'd taken quite a liking to the vizard, so I saw my current activity as the perfect excuse to take it for another spin.

Upon arriving at my destination, the old crow's study, I deactivated the spell that kept me hidden from sight and entered. The only warning that informed him of my advent was the creak that accompanied the opening of the door.

"I was expecting you, Meister," he said in a quiet, calm voice. "Give me a moment to wrap something up."

The aging man sat alone at his desk, which, like the king's was covered in all sorts of documents. When he said he had been expecting me, he had evidently been telling the truth. His actions contained not even the slightest hint of surprise. In fact, he didn't even look up. He did nothing but continue examining the papers in his hands as he spoke.

"Fine," I said. "Then I'll just make myself at home while you're at it."

I plopped myself down on one of his couches and crossed my arms. After a minute or two, he finally set everything down and looked my way. His face was the spitting image of calm; he wasn't even the slightest bit panicked or on guard despite the fact that his faction had already been effectively dismantled. And it wasn't just a front. My superpowered hearing informed me that his heartbeat was slow and steady.

"Thank you for waiting so patiently," he said. "So why have you come to see me?" His tone was one akin to that of a kind, older gentleman's.

"You seemed awfully laid back for a guy whose men are getting picked off." By contrast, my voice was filled with a cocky arrogance. "So I decided to stop by and check if you were still right in the head."

"Oh, why thank you. That was rather thoughtful of you."

His response to my blatant display of hostility was an aloof smile. I couldn't get a read on him, no matter what I tried. He didn't seem to be plotting anything or looking to aggress on me. Damned crafty old fox.

"Alright, fuck it. I'm just going to get to the point," I said, looking him right in the eyes. "What the hell is going through your head right now?"

"Hmmm… You want to know what I'm thinking?" He paused briefly before continuing. "Very well. I see no reason not to comply." The old man leaned forward as he clasped his hands together "I've called off all my plans because they are no longer necessary."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I've already decided to leave everything in both His Majesty's hands and yours," he said, in a casual tone. "Demon lord as you may be, I've come to understand that trusting you is what's best for this country, Yuki."

Hearing the minister state his knowledge of both my name and title caused my eyes to shoot open in surprise. My mask was the only thing keeping him from seeing the stunned expression that had come to decorate my face.

"Demon Lord? Who put that idea in your head?" After taking a brief moment to calm myself, I attempted to feign ignorance, but it was to no avail.

"My men, of course." Jaynor spoke with absolute confidence. "I know that, to you, I may not seem like anything more than another bump in the road, but as the Minister of Defence, the man in charge of the Allysian military and its affairs, I am at least capable of gathering enough information to deduce your identity." He briefly paused to give me a chance to speak and continued only after he was sure that I intended to remain silent. "You were first seen in Alshir, Governor Lurubia's city. You made a dramatic entrance and crushed a criminal organisation before leaving as quickly as you came."

That… sounds like it was probably the Illuna incident, the one where she got kidnapped.

"Your second advent occurred in the same city. You once again acted in a way that benefited the state by single-handedly overturning a plot conspired by a foreign agent. Your third appearance was the first in which you masked yourself and took on the pseudonym Wye, and it was the one that most clearly cemented your identity. You cooperated with the church to which the hero had introduced you and worked closely with it in order to not only save both remaining members of the royal family and prevent an all-out civil war, but also reveal that the prince's uprising stemmed from the work of a demon." He listed off each of my deeds in turn without the need for a reference sheet; the old man's memory was as sharp as a knife. "Your final appearance, outside of this most recent one, took place in the demon realm. I was never made aware of your precise activities, but I do know that you at least participated in a tournament to demonstrate your martial prowess."

Wait, he knows about that too? Holy shit, the king wasn't kidding when he said Jaynor was competent. Really wasn't expecting him to know about any of the demon realm stuff. The fact that he does is straight up concerning, if not terrifying. Hmmm… He must've heard it from one of the guys that accompanied Nell to the demon realm or something.

"Before we move on, I would like to explicitly state that there's no need for you to worry about me exposing your identity. I have no intention of making it a publicly-known fact. Doing so would lead to something far worse than a mere struggle for power or two. If other countries were to catch wind of the fact that a demon lord was heavily involved in our internal affairs, then we'd be subject to extermination by a joint military force backed by a just cause."

Well I mean… Yeah. Demon lords are more or less considered hostile to all other living things, so shit would probably hit the fan real hard if people found out that the king had willingly enlisted a demon lord's help.

"You're certainly more assertive than I'd like you to be, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about your tendency to resort almost immediately to force. But so long as you remain on good terms with our nation, we'll no longer need to have any concerns about our continued existence. If any other country is to invade and threaten to destroy us, then the hero is sure to participate in the war effort. And as her partner, you will do the same. The fact that you are here now is all I need to prove that you'll do exactly that."

It was impossible for me to reject his argument; he was right on the money. If Nell continued to play the part of Allysia's hero and shit began going south, I would be sure to jump in to offer her the full extent of my aid. Her country would then, by proxy, benefit and likely find itself free from whatever threat was plaguing it.

That said, I was unlikely to turn a blind eye to the state's troubles even if she wasn't a part of the equation. I felt indebted not only to the king, but also the old governor. Both men had done me a great number of favours and acted to further my goals. I'd also grown relatively fond of the princess. I felt much the same way I did about her as one would a younger cousin.

"…You do realize I'm a demon lord, right? Don't you feel that keeping me around, and getting me even more involved than I already am seems like a risk?"

"Of course I do. Demon lords are creatures whose natures are unknown to us. That's why I remained silent when Argus described his scheme to me. Though he thinks of almost nothing beyond moving up in high society, he is still an incredibly resourceful, capable man. I wouldn't have minded his continued assistance if he proved himself capable of eliminating the two of you from the political sphere."

I see… So basically, he didn't bother 'cause it was a win-win situation.

"Let me get this straight. You're telling me that you didn't say shit even though shitface's plans involved attacking one of your own cities? Were you really willing to sacrifice an entire metropolis just for something as dumb as a checkmark on some fucktard's resume?"

"Yes, that is correct." Jaynor didn't bother with subterfuge and instead got straight to the point. "But not entirely. You've somewhat misconstrued my goals and priorities. Argus wasn't the only individual whose abilities I wanted to test. I wanted to learn of yours and the hero's as well. I needed to know if you were truly worthy of protecting this nation. I had a strong suspicion that you were, that you would be able to be relatively successful in defending Sengillia from the horde. But I can't form strategies based on suspicion alone—and I would much rather lose a city than a war. The end results still defied my expectations, but in a good way. I never would've thought that you would be able to drive off such a large number of monsters without incurring a single casualty." He looked right at me. "I do have to give the hero my compliments. She's truly an outstanding individual. Leveraging her womanhood to ensnare a demon lord in a honey trap was a spark of brilliance. If she was any more willing to do my bidding, she would make for the perfect tool. I ha—"

I interrupted his monologue. I stomped my way onto his desk, grabbed him by the neck with one hand, and raised him up high so I could look him in the eyes, all whilst activating Sovereign Pressure.

"Call her a tool one more time and I'll tear your throat out," I growled.

"My… apologies…" The iron claw I had around his throat made it nearly impossible for him to speak. "That was… terribly… rude… of me…" It was impossible for him to breathe. The aura of oppression I emitted made him break into a spell of cold sweat. And yet, the tone he spoke in remained unchanged. My coercion had failed to affect his mind.

"Fuck you." I clicked my tongue as I let him go. "I know it was just a test. But still. Fuck. You." After snorting in displeasure, I plopped myself back down on the sofa.

I had to admit. Jaynor had balls. He went out of his way to poke the hornet's nest just to confirm another one of his suspicions.

"I'm glad to see that you really do love her." After coughing a few times and taking several deep breaths to refill his lungs with air, the crafty old bastard looked at me with a satisfied smile.

Arggghhhh! Goddamn snake ass motherfucker pisses me the hell off. I regret not strangling him already.

"I don't get it. Why go so far?" I frowned at him in near disbelief. He had once again put someone in danger for the sake of confirmation. But this time, rather than putting someone else's neck under the axe, he'd offered up his own.

"We are, in essence, quite similar, you and I." He once again put his hands together atop his desk as he spoke. "Like you, I'll go to whatever lengths are necessary to shield what it is I want to protect, morals and methods be damned. The only difference between us is that we hold different things dear."

I met his explanation with a moment of silence. As annoyed as I was by him drawing parallels between us, I couldn't find it in me to deny his words.

Because they rang true.

As much as I hated him, I empathized with his convictions and beliefs.

We really were alike.

Just as how I sought to protect my family, he sought to protect his country. He was willing to use any method available to him, no matter what the cost. And no matter what anyone else thought, he would continue to serve as his country's guardian even if he earned the ire of those he kept under his wing.

Once my anger faded and found itself replaced with reluctant acceptance, I looked back up at him. He nodded, slowly, as if to silently confirm my assumptions.

"I believe that should tell you everything you wanted to know about my intentions, so why don't we move on," he said. "What do you think about striking a deal?"

"…What kind of deal?"

"I'm all but certain that I will remain a free man. His Majesty is well aware that unjustly punishing me is a choice that runs the risk of creating even more conflict. He is unlikely to do anything beyond stripping me of my position. And I know that you will not be satisfied with just that. I suspect you'll likely decide to kill me after hearing his verdict." The minister frowned. "But allowing myself to die is one of the few things I can't do. That's why I would like to offer you an alternative, one that you're sure to take interest in given the way you feel about the hero. You aren't exactly keen on leaving her here with so few allies given the extent of the ill will this country bears towards her after all, are you?"

"Ughh…" I sighed. "Fine. Keep talking." I'd already lost interest in unreasonably refusing or antagonizing the minister, so I pressed him to continue.

"I already know that you can't spend every moment by her side, that, as much as you would like, you can't keep her shielded forever," he said. "If you accept my offer, then I'll contribute greatly to your efforts. I'll work behind the scenes to shield her from both the government's and the people's enmity. I can promise you that, with me at her back, nothing like the incident you just resolved will ever take place ever again."

"That's real rich, coming from you. You're the reason it even happened to begin with."

"I won't deny that, but we were able to leverage the incident to purge many of the less desirable elements plaguing our government system, elements that would only have continued to work against her if left alone."

I wanted to call bullshit. I really did. Emotionally speaking, I felt as if there was no way that his overly convenient claim could have been anything but a flat out lie—and that he stood no chance against the tide that was Allysia's malice. But that was wrong. And I knew it. Jaynor was a two-faced snake, but he was one that garnered a great deal of respect. Most if not all of the schemes and misleading information leaks would vanish into thin air the moment he gave the order. Argghhhhh… Cunning old bastard. I can see why the king is so goddamn wary of him now. Dealing with him is just… ugh…

The church was doing its best to change public opinion. And while it did at least have some effect, I didn't quite find it to be enough. If Jaynor was to contribute to the church's efforts, then I would be able to return home without having to worry nearly as much about Nell. His deal was one I couldn't help but want to take. Having him work to her benefit behind the scenes would be more than just good for her.

There was only one problem.

I couldn't trust him.

"Let me get this straight. Are you trying to turn me into a card to play? In spite of the fact that I'm not one of your people, or even human at all?"

"If it is necessary for the sake of this country's continued existence and prosperity, then I will use whatever means I have. In other words, yes, I am." He frowned and leaned forward in his chair. "Wars, like most other violent negotiations, are settled through quality, not quantity. Not even a countless stream of average, everyday soldiers can do much of anything to an unstoppable force. Our desire for such a unit was what led us to seek a hero in the first place. Pure power is what we require to resolve our current state of instability."

"Just putting this out there, I ain't going to be fighting your wars, asshole. And I won't stand for you dragging Nell into them either. The moment you start something is the moment I pick her up and bring her home."

"Not to worry, we have no intention of starting any wars. The king is no fool. He's far too prudent to engage in something so wasteful and unproductive. But the same can't be said of our enemies. The other countries in our vicinity have always been looking to invade us and claim our territories as their own," he said. "And frankly, you have very little say in whether she takes to the battlefield in the case of such a dispute. Do you really think that she would simply allow you to whisk her away if her motherland was to be engulfed in the flames of war?"

Ehh… probably not. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that I acknowledged his argument, so I remained silent and kept my opinion to myself. Nell's too kind to do something like that. She would probably volunteer to head off to the front lines right away in order to ease the burden on any others that might take to the battlefield. And I was sure to join her.

"But again, we have no intention of fighting any wars. Many of the countries interested in taking from us are much smaller states, states that lack the power necessary to force us to play our trump cards. We would likely have to ask for her assistance if we were to engage any larger nations, but a war against another great power is unlikely, even in the case of a major disagreement. There is no influential nation unaware of the fact that war brings far more harm than good. But with that said, while unlikely, a large-scale war is not impossible. It is not just our kingdom that finds itself in a state of instability, but rather this whole world." He sighed. "Whatever the case, I'm confident that you will ultimately get involved, one way or another, if the hero is to sortie. That is why I hope to 'use' you once the time comes."

Having said his fill, the old man raised his eyes and met mine, as if to await my response.

"I… fucking hate you," I said, after a brief delay. "You have no idea how badly I want to strangle you right now."

"Well, since you haven't, I suppose that means you can see merit in my proposition?"

I was annoyed. Both by the fact that he had chuckled, and by the cheerful, content smile that had settled on his lips. But again, he was right.

"Just so you know, if I find out you're lying to me, I'm going to come right back here and kill you," I said, after clicking my tongue in displeasure. "And if this country ever tries to treat Nell like some sort of tool ever again, or if it ever goes out of its way to endanger her, then I'll do everything in my power to completely and utterly destroy it."

"I'm well aware of that and will do my very best to ensure that my motherland does not ever invoke your wrath. I have no intention of seeing it destroyed, especially not by my own hand."

"Alright, fine." I sighed. "I'll do everything in my power to keep Nell safe while I'm with her, and you do everything in yours to keep the scheming retards away from her. Deal?"

"A deal it is," he said. "Thank you. I'd just like you to know that hearing you agree has truly filled my old bones with relief."

"Oh for fuck's sake… Shut up before I head over there and stitch your goddamn mouth shut." I stood up as I spoke, but I didn't bother following up on my threat. I instead moved towards the door.

"You're leaving already? Well, in that case, Yuki, farewell. I enjoyed talking to you, and I have high expectations for you going forward."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I hope you trip down a flight of stairs and break your legs, you crafty old bastard." After spitting out one last curse, I activated Stealth and made my way out of the mansion.

"The old bastard's a goddamn snake." I cursed Jaynor yet again after summarizing everything he and I had discussed for the king. "He's a fucking dirty schemer. Iunno about you, but me, I'd rather not deal with his crafty ass. Sounds like way more trouble than it's worth."

"The explanation he's given you certainly does explain his recent inaction…" The king pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded as if to express that he'd succeeded in internally rationalizing the information I'd presented him.

"Yeah, anyway, that's pretty much all my news. You got anything, or naw?"

"I do. I can state with confidence that the minister's faction has been dismantled. The individuals who participated in Argus' scheme have been detained, whereas those who did not have joined the royal faction. However, I have still failed you." He shook his head apologetically. "I've failed to find enough evidence to incriminate Jaynor."

"I figured that would happen. It looks like he knew about everything going on, but didn't actually participate."

"That seems to be the case," said the king with a nod. "According to the testimonies of those now under arrest, they were, in effect, functioning under Argus' orders. The shock of being abandoned by his superior has left the baron in a fairly cooperative state. He's openly answered every question posed to him, but the more he tells us, the more it seems that Jaynor had no part in his scheme.."

"Seriously?" I raised a brow. "Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

Only after voicing my doubts did I realize they were misplaced. The minister was far too clever to get caught. I was confident that he would have been well prepared for this exact situation—that he had arranged for everything that did happen to happen in a way that would allow him to remain free of guilt.

"Under more regular circumstances, yes, but the information Argus divulged revealed that he was the one to come up with both the attack on Sengillia and the assault on the castle."

"Uh huh."

"He did, at times, mention that he was working under the minister's orders and instructions, but further investigation led us to conclude that Argus was merely under the misguided impression that Jaynor was involved, when he was in fact not."

"Uhh… Just uh… wow."

Jaynor had not only divorced himself of all Argus' wrongdoings, but also made the other man shoulder every single part of the backlash. I'm almost starting to feel a bit bad for Argus. Almost.

…

Oh, who am I kidding? Fuck him. And fuck Jaynor too.

I knew that the deal the minister offered me didn't come from a place of goodwill. It was a decision made purely based on a detailed analysis of pros, cons, and opportunity costs, which meant I could at least probably count on him not to betray me. But still. Fuck him. I hope he gets a stroke or something and dies.

The headache that was dealing with Jaynor did prove worthwhile, however. Our agreement had made it so that Nell was effectively untouchable. She was now being endorsed by not only the king and church, but also the military, or at least the slimy bastard that ran it. Am I just imagining things, or does it kinda seem like I've basically just made a deal with the devil?

"It seems like we were right to choose the route of having him take joint responsibility for Argus' misdeeds," said the king. "And I'm glad you came when you did. You've once again helped us flush our ranks of any less than pleasant elements. I was under the impression we'd already removed most of them the first time around, but evidently not." He sighed. "And I assume that more will continue to surface going forward. But at the very least, they should settle down for the time being. Thank you once again for your cooperation."

"Ehhh, it was just something I ended up doing while I was doing something I was going to do for Nell anyway. If anything, I feel kinda bad for bringing so much trouble right to your doorstep."

"You didn't bring me any trouble," refuted the king. "It would be much more accurate to say that you merely exposed what already existed beneath the surface."

Thanks. That makes me feel a lot better about it. Man, I really do owe you one helluva debt. Riiiight… Speaking of… After taking a sip from the tea that the king's butler had presented me, I reached into my inventory and presented him with the package I'd retrieved.

"Oh yeah, before I forget, here, take these."

"Are these… necklaces?" he asked as he opened the box and examined its contents.

"Yeah, they're warp crystals. Channeling your mana through one will activate the circuit and port you straight to my castle. Only issue is that you can only use each one once, so make sure you save 'em for emergencies or something. There are five in total, so feel free to hand them out to people you'd prefer to keep safe. You know, like your daughter and whatnot."

The king wasn't the only one to receive a set of necklaces. Raylow, Knight Lady, and Mage Girl had all been subject to the same treatment. Carlotta was the only one of the bunch that wasn't aware I was a demon lord, so she was given a slightly different explanation than everyone else. As far as she was aware, all the warp crystal did was take her to my house.

Of the three non-royal recipients, Mage Girl was the one with the most exaggerated reaction. Like Leila, she seemed to be the scholarly type. She began carefully scrutinizing it with her eyes sparkling the moment she heard of its function. The absurd extent to which she'd started obsessing it had honestly been somewhat terrifying. Though I guess that's just kinda how scholars are.

"Did you just say that these are devices capable of teleportation!?" The king's gaze moved back and forth between me and the box I'd handed him several times before he finally sighed in acceptance. "You really are full of nothing but surprises."

"Eh… That is just what the demon lord do."

The joke prompted him to chuckle, albeit half in exasperation.

"Thank you. I'll gratefully accept. Do let me know if there's anything I can do for you in return."

"Dude, chill. Don't worry about it," I said. "I'm only handing you these 'cause I feel like I owe you. If you keep doing me favours, you'll just be putting me so far in your debt I'll go bankrupt."

"These tip the scales the other way." He stuck out an open palm and shook his head. "I couldn't possibly not do anything for you in return, especially considering the number of elixirs you've provided me."

You say that, but I've basically given you nothing but consumables. They're one time use and basically poof into thin air once you're done with them. Besides, neither potions nor warp crystals actually even cost all that much as far as DP goes anyways. Oh… wait. Idea get.

"Well, in that case, how about you give me some of the wine you sent me home with last time I showed up and we call it even? It was so good I blew right through it."

Well, more like Lefi and I blew through it. She's so cute when she's drunk.

"Then by all means, take as much as you'd like," he said. "But are you sure you'll be satisfied with something so inexpensive?"

"Iunno about inexpensive. It tasted pretty high class to me, so I'm sure it at least costs a pretty penny," I said. "Besides, personally, I'd place much more value on a good barrel of booze than some dinky necklace."

"…If that is how you truly feel, then I suppose I have no reason or right to say otherwise," he said, after a moment of consideration. "I will have several barrels prepared for your return."

"Sweet, thanks."

Woo! It's time for a good old drinking party! I'mma get totally plastered for the first time in like forever. I normally refrained from allowing myself to get anything more than just tipsy as to not poorly influence the kids, but that wasn't to say I never got shitfaced around them. Can't be too bad an influence if I do it in moderation, right?

Whatever the case, I was sure to enjoy myself. I was really looking forward to seeing my wives with their blood alcohol levels through the roof. I kind of want to see Leila get drunk too, mostly because she basically never does.

After spending a few moments with a smile on my face and my head in the clouds, I pressed my hands against my knees and pushed myself off the couch in the king's office.

"Alright, I gotta go. I kinda wanted to stick around and chat a bit more, but Nell's waiting with a carriage in tow, so I'll let you get back to whatever."

"A carriage?" he asked. "I was under the impression that you were not planning to return just yet."

"Yeah, I'm heading over to Nell's village so I can meet her mom."

The king blinked several times in surprise before breaking into a light chuckle. "I wish you the best of luck. I know full well that the experience is one that wracks the nerves."

"Yeah, totally. I'm so nervous right now I feel like my chest is about to explode."

"I was not aware that demon lords were capable of feeling that way."

"Yeah, me neither."

After one last lighthearted joke, I gave him a casual wave and headed out the door.