“Haaah! That was nerve-wracking!!”
That was Ivern’s first line after returning from the meeting with the Demon Tribe Nation.
“Oh, good work.”
When I offered him words of appreciation, Ivern gave me a sidelong glance.
“What?”
“No… I mean, isn’t it honestly unbelievable that a regular guy like me is having a meeting with the Demon Tribe Nation King? They were like, ‘Who is this?’ but I’m thinking the same thing.”
When Ivern said that, I placed a hand on his shoulder and shook my head.
“What are you saying, Ivern? Everyone starts out unknown. From here, Ivern’s name will spread throughout the world.”
When I said that grandly, Ivern’s shoulders slumped.
“This guy… he’s totally planning to keep putting me on the front lines…”
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to push yourself. I’ll go directly next time.”
“No, it’s fine with me. No, let me go! Please!”
I felt bad about putting all the burden on Ivern, so when I said I would go next time, Ivern desperately stopped me.
“No, no, it’s fine. I feel bad about putting all the burden on Ivern. From now on, I’ll talk directly.”
When I said that, Ivern placed his hands on both of my shoulders with a ‘thud!’
“L-l-listen! I’ll handle it from now on! The Demon Tribe Nation’s target is Meileen-san and Leon! Can you stay calm with those kinds of people!?”
After saying that, Ivern looked startled.
“Hmph. So, the Demon Tribe Nation’s target is Meileen and Leon after all.”
“…Haa.”
Ivern closed his eyes with a ‘I messed up’ look, then let out a small sigh.
“Well, there’s no point in hiding it, so I’ll be honest. The Demon Tribe Nation suspects that Meileen-san is highly likely to be alive here. And they also seem to have a hunch that you have a child together.”
“Oh, they said that?”
When I asked if the Demon Tribe Nation had been that blunt, Ivern shook his head.
“No. They asked me something else instead.”
“Something else?”
“Yeah. They asked if Kenta has any intention of conquering the world.”
The moment I heard those words, I understood the Demon Tribe Nation’s intentions.
In short, a child who is of the Demon Tribe Nation’s Royal Family blood, like Meileen’s child, could be made a figurehead to establish a new Royal Family.
They’re worried that I might be planning to raise Leon up and conquer the world.
How…
“What a stupid story.”
In the first place, why do the rulers of the world want to conquer it?
Do they want to make all of humanity kneel before them?
“Well, I told them that Kenta wouldn’t do anything so troublesome. But I don’t know if they took it seriously.”
“That’s fine. Even so, if they’re worried about Meileen and Leon, does that mean that guy thinks Leon might threaten his throne?”
“That might be it. He seemed like a great military commander, but as a king, he seemed kind of stupid.”
When Ivern said that, Meileen, who was listening nearby, burst out laughing with a “pfft.”
“Hehe. Ufufufu. I understand Ivern’s impression very well. That’s right. He’s good at being used by the king as a military commander, but he’s not good at moving people around himself.”
The fact that Ivern’s impression after a short time and Meileen’s impression after being siblings for a long time were the same, just how easy to understand was that guy?
It’s making me curious.
As I was getting interested in the Demon Tribe Nation King, Yulia, who was sitting next to Meileen, was looking worriedly at Meileen’s face.
“What’s wrong? Yulia?”
“Um, Meileen, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“If, just if, okay? If everyone couldn’t stand that silly younger brother of yours being king, would you become queen if they asked you?”
Ah, indeed, it’s quite common to hear that someone is good as a military commander but not as a king.
But well, that’s just Yulia’s needless worry.
“That won’t happen.”
“…Really? Even if the people of the Demon Tribe Nation are in trouble and they desperately ask you?”
“Even then.”
Meileen started talking while stroking Leon’s head, whom she was holding.
“Those guys, they drove me out. They called me incompetent and useless. And no one protected me. No one stood up for me. Only Mona here helped me escape. That’s why I allow only Mona to be here. The others? I don’t care what happens to them.”
After saying that, Meileen gently covered Leon’s face with her hand, making it so that she couldn’t see him.
And then…
“They should just die.”
Meileen, who said that with a thin smile, was beautiful, and very scary.
When Meileen gently removed the hand that was covering Leon’s face, she was already wearing her usual smile.
“So, there’s no way I’m going back to the Demon Tribe Nation, so you don’t have to worry, Yulia.”
“I see. Then that’s a relief!”
Ivern, who saw Meileen’s cruel smile, was completely freaked out, but Yulia was very happy that she had received confirmation that Meileen would not return to the Demon Tribe Nation.
It’s good that she doesn’t seem to mind Meileen’s two-faced nature.
“By the way, now that Meileen and Leon’s existence has been exposed, do you really think the Demon Tribe Nation will back off?”
I’m not familiar with political matters, so I asked Ivern, who is somehow knowledgeable about such things, and Meileen, who is a former queen.
“Well, I wonder. Based on my impression, it seemed like they wouldn’t have a problem as long as they didn’t come out into the public eye.”
Ivern’s opinion was that there was no problem, but Meileen’s was different.
“You should be careful.”
When Meileen said that, tension filled the room.
“I don’t think there’s anyone who is satisfied with my brother’s rule, so I think there will be voices calling for a different king. At such times, this child will be a perfect figurehead.”
Leon, who was being stared at by Meileen, tilted his head with a puzzled look.
While smiling at that, Meileen continued to speak.
“Mekido… my brother might think it’s fine as long as Leon doesn’t come out into the open, but he doesn’t know what the people around him think. It’s better to stay vigilant.”
“Got it.”
Come to think of it, there were forces who were dissatisfied with the current Demon Tribe Nation Royal Family.
I heard that those forces were annihilated, but there’s no guarantee that there’s only one such organization.
As Meileen says, it’s better to stay vigilant.