“I always thought a demon lord would be a more robust and muscular man.”
For a moment, I thought that, but then I snapped back to attention. I mustn’t forget the insights I’ve gained from treating various monsters: judging by appearance alone is unwise.
“Lord Alaya, first of all, I would like to express my gratitude. I’ve heard that you took the lead in liberating our important companions—Agito, Gigi, and Forte. I sincerely thank you for that.”
“I am deeply honored.”
“Please, no need for such modesty. I’ve heard you are a rare and exceptionally skilled dark healer in the kingdom. The liberation was made possible because of your efforts. You should take pride in that.”
I bowed my head again in response.
I mustn’t get carried away.
I quietly awaited the demon lord’s next words.
“…I’ve heard that you wish to seek asylum in our Auguron. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
I answered clearly.
The demon lord propped his elbow on the armrest and rested his chin on his hand as he observed me.
“Auguron differs greatly from the kingdom in terms of ‘various circumstances.’ Is that acceptable?”
Various circumstances…
I considered the context of those words.
…This must not refer to obvious things like the natural environment or the nature of the citizens.
We are currently in a state of war.
No country would accept asylum seekers from an enemy nation out of sheer goodwill.
In other words, what the demon lord truly wants to determine is,
‘Can Kiwi Alaya truly become an enemy of the kingdom?’
I opened my mouth.
“I am a dark healer. The nature of healing the dark does not change, regardless of where I may be, so there is no problem at all. From now on, I wish to contribute to you, Your Majesty the Demon Lord, with all my spirit.”
“Hmm.”
The demon lord smiled and nodded.
…Alright, good communication so far!
How about that, demon lord? I can think on my feet pretty well, can’t I?
With my response, I managed to convey that I would be an ally of the demon kingdom and that I could be useful as a dark healer at the same time.
I hope this leads to, ‘What an interesting guy! Alright, you’re hired!’
“—Your Majesty the Demon Lord, do not be deceived!”
Suddenly, a hoarse voice echoed.
An old demon with a monkey-like face, who had been kneeling beside the throne, stood up and raised his staff at me.
“He is, after all, a human! We have no idea what malicious schemes he may have in coming here! He should be executed immediately!”
“Indeed, there is a possibility he is a spy,”
said the Dullahan next to him, clad in black armor, holding his head under his arm.
“First, I can’t think of any advantages to his asylum request at this point. The kingdom has likely seized the southernmost town of Elden, believing the war situation is favorable for them. Normally, one would want to ride the winning horse, wouldn’t they?”
The other demons did not voice their opinions but showed no sign of disagreement either.
The only one who spoke up was,
“Your Majesty, may I?”
It was Agito.
It seems he had been quietly waiting in line with the other demons.
“Agito, very well. Speak up.”
“Thank you.”
Agito glanced briefly in my direction before turning his gaze toward the demon lord.
“As we discussed just a moment ago, this argument leads to no conclusion. Without evidence that he is a spy, we should listen to Kiwi Alaya’s true intentions and decide his treatment accordingly, shouldn’t we?”
…I see. It seems that even before I was summoned, the demon lord and his executives had already discussed my treatment.
Among them, Agito seemed to be defending me.
I am very grateful for that.
“Your Majesty the Demon Lord, I am not convinced!”
The old demon with the monkey-like face continued to shout.
“It will be too late once something happens! We should eliminate any concerns immediately and reduce them to ashes!”
With a burst, flames suddenly spewed from his mouth for an instant.
However,
“──Be quiet for a moment, old monkey.”
A low voice echoed throughout the throne room, filled with irritation.
“Mugh!?”
Suddenly, the monkey-faced old demon’s mouth snapped shut as if it had been zipped shut. Looking closely, I saw that the demon lord, while seated on the throne, was manipulating purple magical energy with his index finger, seemingly performing some kind of magic.
He must have cast some spell.
Then, he shrugged his shoulders toward me.
“I apologize for my subordinate’s rudeness, Lord Alaya.”
“No, it’s a natural suspicion.”
“Given our past favors, I have no intention of harming you, even slightly. I have also heard your true intentions. I believe there is no falsehood in that. However, even after hearing it, there is considerable resistance from the executives. Now, what should we do…”
As the demon lord pondered, resting his hand on his chin, at that moment, the door behind me swung open with a creak.
And then,
“──Daddy~~~!”
The childish voice of a girl echoed in the throne room.
Entering the room was Amilta, the girl I had just spoken to in the courtyard.
…Hey, what are you doing, Amilta!? In such a solemn place!
As I thought this, Amilta, incredibly, turned toward the throne and exclaimed,
“Look, look! Mior is all better now!!!”
〔Mior~~〕
“You know, ‘Teacher Kiwi’ healed him!”
She shouted, holding Mior up with both hands.
The throne room froze in place.
I was racking my brain on how to help out when…
“Ehh~~~!? Is that so!? Daddy is surprised~~!?”
The one who responded in an overly excited, cat-like voice was none other than “that man.”
All the previous strictness and cold, shining eyes were tossed aside as the demon lord Rumak Auguron leered with a silly grin.
