Chapter 14: My Subordinates Are Too Competent, It’s Driving Me Insane

Ah, that’s right.

The corps commander who handled demon beast hunts with the 6th Corps Commander, Belitan. His name was probably ‘Myers’.

I heard he was recuperating due to injuries… is it okay for him to be moving around like this?

Before that, why did he come to see me?

‘Ah, don’t tell me….’

Is he angry that I stole his work?

It’s not an unfounded thought.

He might hate paperwork, but tasks related to combat are quite popular among the corps commanders.

The moment I concluded that this was a very real possibility, I quickly replied,

“No.”

“Excuse me? You’re… refusing?”

“Yes.”

As the saying goes, safety first.

I nodded firmly. Ed, who had been looking at me with a puzzled expression, started walking towards the door as if to convey his refusal.

Then, he slightly opened the door,

“Sir Myers, I’m sorry, but… ?”

A pause.

“Why are you here….”

“To see Demon….”

“……”

“……”

Wait, who else is here?

The room is spacious, and they’re whispering quietly, supposedly out of consideration for me, so I can’t hear a thing.

The only good thing is that their conversation ended faster than I expected.

“…Understood.”

With a short reply, Ed slightly closed the door again, cutting off the sound and view, and turned back to me.

His face showed a hint of displeasure, which he seemed to have tried to hide but failed.

“Demon.”

“Yes.”

“The gardener, Hien, has come to—”

“The 12th Corps Commander hasn’t left yet, has he?”

“Yes? Yes.”

“I will meet with the 12th Corps Commander.”

Ed, who had been looking bewildered at my immediate answer, now wore a bright smile and nodded. For some reason, he looked gleeful, but my head was already a mess, so I didn’t bother to pay it any mind.

What’s with today? Why does everyone keep coming to see me?

‘…What’s with today indeed. It’s the day I’m going to die.’

I don’t know why Hien came, but it probably isn’t good news. It never is.

Oh, it’s not that Hien’s intentions are malicious. He always treats me with pure intentions.

It’s just… whenever I’m with him, even if I return without any problems, I feel like my lifespan has been significantly shortened.

So, the 12th Corps Commander is much better than that crazy gardener, right?

Besides, I heard he was injured, so even if he tries to harm me, I should at least be able to dodge him.

If there’s one thing I’m confident in, it’s my ability to evade.

While I was lost in thought, Myers had already entered the room and stood before me, bowing with a stiff expression.

“It’s been a while, Demon.”

His face is stiff. The expression looked like it foretold the end of days, making my own face also stiffen.

‘This… this is definitely dangerous, right?’

12th Corps Commander Myers. His main weapon is a spear. His defining characteristic is his excessive taciturnity.

Of course, he does say what needs to be said when necessary, but usually, he keeps his mouth shut so tightly that rumors spread among the servants that his tongue was cut off in some incident in the past.

Of course, I’ve heard his precious voice a few times during meetings….

‘Isn’t now the time to speak? Why isn’t he saying anything?’

He wouldn’t have come all this way just to exchange greetings. After the greetings, it’s time to get to the point.

The silence stretches on. The suffocating atmosphere makes me feel like I’m going to suffocate, and I try to say something myself, but I run into an unexpected obstacle.

‘What should I say?’

And what kind of expression should I make?

Should I smile? No, if I smile, he might think I’m mocking him and throw a punch. Then what about a blank face? He might say, ‘Is that the face you make after I’ve greeted you?’

“……”

“……”

As time passes, Myers’s expression hardens even more.

Feeling a threat to my life, I sent a pleading look to my uselessly competent adjutant, but whether he really had no idea or was pretending not to, Ed actually took a step back.

Truly a competent but useless adjutant.

I wish I would even bleed a little, but the blood that usually flows like an open faucet seems to be tightly shut at this moment, showing no sign of coming out.

In the awkward atmosphere, I secretly regretted it.

‘Maybe Hien would have been better….’

As I reflected on how fickle a person’s mind can be, seemingly forgetting my past experiences, or even romanticizing them, I heard a cough.

“Ed?”

“Ahem, ahem, 12th Corps Commander. If you’ve come, you should say something….”

I’m grateful that he’s saying what I wanted to say, but what if this makes him even more displeased?

I carefully raised my head and met Myers’s eyes. As our eyes met, his pupils trembled slightly.

He definitely seems angry. Should I apologize…?

But I haven’t really done anything wrong? Frankly speaking, I’m the one who wants to be angry.

Who is it that put me in this dangerous mission?

Of course, I’m not bold enough to say my thoughts out loud, so I’m choosing my words when Myers suddenly bowed deeply. It was a precise and sharp motion.

“I apologize for the inconvenience.”

“…Yes?”

“I felt I had to say this.”

I stared blankly at the top of his head.

Next, my gaze fell on his shoulder, clearly visible through his clothes due to the angle. The white bandage that wrapped around his shoulder and upper body clearly showed that he had sustained significant injuries.

Oh… that posture probably isn’t good for his wound.

“Straighten your back.”

“Yes, sir!”

I just told him to straighten his back because I was worried about his injury, but he straightened up as if he was a rapier that had been forcibly bent.

So much so that I thought I heard a ‘crack’.

The worry that his wound might have worsened was fleeting as Myers slightly furrowed his brow, as if in pain.

I pretended not to see his pained expression and the white bandage that was turning red again and turned my head away.

‘Anyway, he’s not angry, is he?’

He’s apologizing to me, so whatever it is, I probably won’t get hit. That means there’s no need to be this tense.

Now that I’ve breathed a sigh of relief, it’s time to hear the explanation.

I gestured for him to sit on the chair at the table in the middle of the room, and I sat down across from him.

“How can you just apologize without any explanation?”

“How… uh… I think you can just accept the apology.”

“…I wasn’t asking for the method….”

“I’m sorry.”

“No… first, straighten your back….”

“Yes, sir.”

Crack.

I stared at him for a while before quietly turning my gaze to Ed, who was standing to one side.

I can’t handle him. Can’t you take over?

‘…Why are you looking so shocked?’

His once composed face was now filled with shock. I probably looked the same. Who knew the famously taciturn 12th Corps Commander would have this kind of personality?

‘You were right to keep your mouth shut.’

That concept is really good. Just keep going with it.

If he opens his mouth carelessly, he’s bound to cause a big accident later.

I quickly composed my expression and recalled the purpose of our conversation before getting caught up in his words and actions.

“I’m asking why you’re apologizing.”

“Ah….”

I’ve set the stage, now he just needs to explain.

But why is this guy trembling so much?

He’s shaking his legs so much that the table is wobbling. If there were teacups on it, the tea would probably be spilling everywhere.

Just as I was about to say something, unable to wait any longer, he suddenly jumped up from his seat.

“Plea, please get the adjutant…!”

“…?”

Whoosh.

A strong gust of wind blew.

When I came to my senses, Myers was already gone.

Wondering if he might be hiding somewhere, I looked around when Ed cautiously approached and said,

“He’s gone.”

“…Huh?!”

“It seems he’s gone to call the adjutant, but we don’t know when he’ll be back, so wouldn’t it be better if we went downstairs first?”

I nodded and headed towards the door.

I am curious about why he apologized, but it’s not a matter of life and death for me, so I don’t really need an explanation.

And more than anything, I don’t want to wait. It’s uncomfortable to face him again.

Without thinking, I placed my hand on the handle. Then the door opened,

“…….”

Thud.

It closed.

“De, Demon! Before you leave, there’s a plant I need to give you…!”

“Demon?! I came all the way to see you off, don’t be so rude to the Demon King!”

“I, I am Adjutant Dahar of the 12th Corps Commander Myers! Regarding Sir Myers’s rudeness….”

The knocking didn’t seem to want to stop.

Fortunately, it didn’t turn into banging, but it was still loud enough to make me cover my ears.

Ah, another voice was added to the voices outside.

“It’s Myers….”

“Speak louder! Louder! If Demon is angry, I’ll really quit being an adjutant!”

“It’s Myers!”

This is a dream. It has to be a dream.

The world was going crazy.

Eventually, the door opened. In the first place, the Demon King was standing outside the door, so there was no way they could hold out forever.

What does the fact that the door opened mean?

That’s right. I am now surrounded by these terrifying demons.

The first to step forward was the one who called himself Myers’s adjutant.

Pushing aside those who were engaged in a silent battle of nerves, he took Myers’s hand and stepped forward. He bowed smoothly and spoke in a voice as neat as his movements.

“Greetings, Demon. I am Dahar, adjutant to the 12th Corps Commander Myers. You must be quite displeased with our sudden visit, so thank you for your understanding. And I apologize for this rudeness. I am truly sorry.”

Dahar, who had bowed deeply, poked Myers in the waist with his finger.

Then, Myers, who had been fidgeting beside him, bowed his head deeply.

“Sorry.”

“Ah, yes….”

What is this?

“Venturing to be rude, there is a reason for my sudden visit. I heard that Demon has taken over the role due to my superior, Myers’s, injury.”

“Well, yes.”

And I was just about to leave.

I quietly scanned the people surrounding me.

Starting with Hien, holding the seeds of an unknown plant, to the Demon King, looking sullen as if he was unhappy that I didn’t open the door for him. And then there’s the 12th Corps Commander Myers and his adjutant Dahar in front of me.

“Since you’ve had to take on unexpected tasks, wouldn’t it be unpleasant and bothersome? Myers chased after you to apologize for that… no, Myers paid you a visit, but….”

Dahar glanced sideways at Myers.

“…committed a great discourtesy….”

Oh, the words are coming out in chunks.

His voice, which seemed to be squeezed out through gritted teeth, was quite eerie. I remained silent, and Myers flinched and bowed his head each time his words were cut off.

It seems I’m seeing many new sides of the 12th Corps Commander today, none of which I asked for.

I had a subtle expression for a moment, but then quickly shook my head, thinking that the 12th Corps Commander might really end up being scolded by his adjutant in front of me.

It would be troublesome if they made a fuss like that in front of me, and it would probably be better to protect the honor of the insignificant… I mean, the taciturn 12th Corps Commander.

“If it’s about… his strange remarks, it really wasn’t a big deal….”

“Yes?!”

Oh, I must have guessed wrong.

Feeling inexplicably sorry, I was about to check Myers’s reaction when Dahar suddenly raised his head and spoke in shock.

“Good heavens, not only did he run away without saying a word, but he also spouted more nonsense?! What on earth did he say?”

……More?