Chapter 306: Script (Patreon)

"Whew, what a rush! What a rush! As expected of the Seven Sages of Destruction, the strongest rising stars the Demon Race has produced in centuries."

The next place the impostor appeared was already at the Langwish family's desk. It tossed the unconscious mercenary onto the expensive teak floor and picked up the still-warm cup of coffee from the desk.

"A great Demon lurking in the Empire's shadows, with a thousand shifting faces and spells. Even the Seven Sages of Destruction, Demons with the power to destroy entire nations, were no match for it. What could someone like that possibly be after?"

"If you're trying to guess what I'm thinking, I'm afraid you're wrong."

Earl Skon Langwish, sitting at the desk with his red wine, wasn't the least bit surprised by the sudden arrival.

"I've never met anyone with mind-reading magic. Otherwise, I could see right through you. So how about it? Haven't you worn that old form long enough? Want to switch to a different maid?"

Wearing Alice's appearance, the impostor rose onto its tiptoes and spun once, short blond hair and maid uniform flaring together. It seemed to like its current look.

"Suit yourself. I only care about what thrills are waiting for me next."

Earl Skon downed another glass of wine in one swallow. There was a hint of reproach in his eyes, as if to say: you went out and had your fun, so where's my share?

"Don't worry. Everything in the script from here on is your part. I've already finished everything I had to do."

The maid gave him a harmless smile. It finished its coffee, then stepped forward on its own, picked up the bottle, and refilled Earl Skon's glass.

"Hmph. Then before the curtain rises, I'll humor you with a few more words."

Earl Skon drained the freshly poured glass in one go. There wasn't a trace of a smile on his face, only a cold, icy indifference.

"On the surface, you're egging me on to make a move against the free city of Gaderia. And I admit, deceiving the Magic Special Ops Unit and Gaderia did give me a bit of a thrill. You want to destroy Gaderia, to wreck that sliver of trust humans and the Demon Race have built."

"As expected of Earl Skon! So clever!"

The glass was filled again, and just as quickly emptied.

"I'm not finished. The truth is, aside from wanting some fun, every word out of your mouth is a lie!"

"Huh? Huh? Huh?"

"That's why I say nobles are fools. For a scrap of profit right in front of them, or some vague notion of honor, they listen to your whispers."

Skon rattled off a string of noble names as if reciting a menu. One of them was an Imperial duke.

"These are all nobles who died over the years in the Empire, for one reason or another. Years ago, decades ago, even centuries ago, you've been mingling in the Empire's noble circles, haven't you? Am I wrong, Demon?"

"What are you talking about? I don't quite follow~"

The maid poured another glass, expressing her "confusion" in a sugary, high-pitched voice that sounded very cute.

"All of those nobles' deaths trace back to you. Your real target isn't your own kind. It's us humans. You're weakening the Empire. The secret of the late king's death probably has something to do with you, too."

Earl Skon spoke in a perfectly calm tone, yet his words were staggering.

"Earl... you really are clever."

The "maid" dropped part of its disguise. It truly admired the human before it.

"What I can't figure out is this: if you wanted to destroy the Empire, you could do it without all this roundabout scheming. You seem wary of something. A 'devil' this powerful, afraid of something? Or maybe you simply enjoy what you do for its own sake."

This time the maid neither played dumb nor answered. It only topped off Earl Skon's glass again.

"The roles and the script you mentioned earlier. You must have planned everything out. Can you even use magic that foresees the future?"

Perhaps he'd had a few more drinks than usual, because Earl Skon was far more talkative than before. Paying no mind to how the great Demon before him might react, he said everything he wanted to say.

"I don't understand what you long-lived beings chase after. A long time ago, I met elves, too. They always stared into the void with that cold indifference to everything. One stare could last decades, even centuries. Demons are slightly better, but my impression is that they just keep destroying things with magic. A Demon with a personality like yours probably wouldn't turn up in less than a thousand years. The moment I met you, I felt a thrill like never before. That's why I let you use me. I'll be using you, too."

"Earl, aren't you afraid that, knowing so much, I'll treat you the way I treated those nobles?"

The implication was obvious: every one of those nobles had ended up dead.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! Because telling it all is a thrill! A living, breathing thousand-year-old Demon who kills people like cutting grass, standing right in front of me. Is there anything more fun than that?"

Earl Skon stood up, snatched the bottle from the maid's hand, and slammed the empty bottle down hard on the desk.

"Tell me, what do I do next?"

Looking into Earl Skon's glittering eyes, something in the maid's cold eyes thawed a little, and it smiled.

"As I thought, we get along well, human."

It had come to regard Earl Skon as a friend.

"The fortress city of Weise needs you to make a move."

"Macht of the Golden Land, huh? Interesting."

Earl Skon rubbed his chin. The great Demon's reaction made him want to add one more thing, something he might otherwise never have said. He was certain now.

"So... when are you planning to betray me?"

The maid's smile collapsed, as if the amusement it had been hiding inside had vanished entirely at Earl Skon's single remark.

"Nice expression. That's the one I was waiting for."

Now it was Earl Skon's turn to smile.

Perhaps it was keen instinct. He didn't fully understand the Demon's purpose, but he had roughly guessed what it would do next.

"I already count you as a friend, you know."

"Didn't your script cover my reaction?"

The Demon's attitude had given Earl Skon new information.

The maid's face fell completely, with a look that said, I lose, there's just no handling you.

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you the truth. We're nothing but bait. What I'm doing now isn't following the script."

"You jumped out of the script for your own amusement, so now, to get the script going again, you'll betray me to get back on track? Because there's something you fear."

In an instant, Earl Skon had untangled the whole thread.

"If the Empire's nobles were all as clever as you, I'd be in real trouble."

The maid sighed.

After a moment of silence, it slowly spoke.

"Actually, all I did was add a little more fuel to the script's fire."