The Lazak Royal Castle was filled with an unexpected argument between the scribe and the head priest of the Holy Order.
“It's a dog!”
“It's a cat, okay?”
“Dog! A dog! Dogs are great!”
“I said it's a cat! Do you really not know?”
Naturally, Liana de Grantz, the Thunder King, had nothing else to do before her next deployment, so she had no choice but to watch this bizarre quarrel.
Cats or dogs?
What a strange conversation to have in a place like this.
“Hey! I'm not doing anything, so why do you two keep fighting and dragging me into it?!”
Reinhardt, who was in between the two, seemed ready to grab their collars as his face turned pale.
He had just returned from scouting the allied army's garrison.
"...What are you guys doing?"
Liana approached and asked the flushed-faced Olivia and Harriet.
"Liana! What do you think?"
"Think about what?"
Liana tilted her head at Harriet's question.
Olivia answered.
"Ha, she'll think the same. Obviously, it's a dog. Dogs are better. She'll agree, right?"
"It's a cat, I tell you!"
Harriet exclaimed with a grin.
Olivia and Harriet both stared intently at Liana.
Reinhardt tried to ignore the situation, not wanting to hear any more about it.
Dog or cat.
Liana's dilemma didn't last long.
"Well, maybe dogs are more edible?"
"!"
"Wh-what?!"
At her brief answer, Olivia gaped, and Harriet was aghast.
Reinhardt, too, tried to ignore the situation but couldn't help turning blue. Liana shrugged at their reactions.
"Weren't we talking about which one would be better to eat during a food shortage?"
"You're crazy..."
"Li-Liana..."
"...You should stop taking depressants. Your condition is getting weirder."
Liana started giggling at the horrified reactions of the three.
"Of course, I'm joking."
Liana's taste for humor was deteriorating.
"You transformed into a cat?"
"...Yeah."
After hearing the details, Liana crossed her arms and fell into thought for a moment.
Reinhardt had transformed into a baby black cat.
He had returned after receiving a lot of affection at the Royal Class garrison.
"You've gone up a notch."
Liana pretended to feel sick, as if she was about to vomit.
"I didn't want to do it!"
"Then did someone force you?"
"No, not that... but! That's not the point! The original plan was... never mind. There's no point in explaining."
"So Olivia thinks dogs are better, and Harriet thinks cats are better, and that's why they were fighting?"
"Yep. Obviously, it's a cat."
"No wonder you like a creature that doesn't even know loyalty. You're just like the animal you admire."
"Ah... so you're saying you’re a bitch... right?"
As Harriet laughed while covering her mouth, Olivia's face turned bright red.
"What?! Bitch... You've said enough!"
"You said it yourself!"
"Stop it! Both of you! It's my fault for transforming into a beast! Can you please just stop?"
Reinhardt couldn't bear to watch their bickering anymore and shouted, his face flushed.
"Hmph!"
"Tsk!"
Both turned their heads away, clearly not wanting to look at each other.
"Dogs or cats..."
Liana began to ponder, crossing her arms as if she was troubled.
"Actually, dogs and cats are too common."
"...I chose it because it's common."
"I want to try raising a reptile."
"...?"
"How about a snake? If not a snake, then a lizard."
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"But you've had cats and dogs! Why can't you have a snake?"
"That's why I said no!"
Reinhardt firmly refused in the end.
"Ha, while pretending not to be interested, you never plan on changing when it comes to not receiving cuteness. You devious creature."
"It's not like that!"
Finally, Reinhardt exploded.
Having been tormented all day by Liana, Harriet, and Olivia, he couldn’t visit Charlotte until late at night.
The debate between dogs and cats is age-old, but Liana suddenly wanted to see a reptile and made a bizarre request.
Of course, since Liana appeared, there had been no transformations.
If it's shown too often, it becomes a habit.
However...
To be honest.
'Here we go again.'
Somehow, it felt like it would be necessary to transform into a cat and visit the allied forces' base.
Although it was unclear, it seemed like the cat played a role similar to a nerve-calming agent for Ellen.
If that's the case, wouldn't the time spent in animal form become greater than in human form if it's shown to others out of guilt for only showing it to Ellen?
What is this?
It wasn't about finding dignity as a king, but what is this pet-type demon king who can transform into any animal?
It's horrifying.
I've dug my own grave again.
In the end, it was after sunset that Charlotte could be visited.
Charlotte, who was in charge of Edina's rule, was incredibly busy.
She was stuck in her office until midnight.
"Ah, Reinhardt. I heard you returned."
Wearing a black dress, Charlotte stood up from her seat and smoothed her clothes as I knocked on the office door.
Strictly speaking, there was a hierarchical relationship, but acting too much like that was, well... a bit...
Strange.
Anyway, she didn't hear about my animal transformation, did she?
"Are you busy?"
At my words, Charlotte shook her head.
"Not really. I've finished my work today, but there are some things I need to think about."
It's fortunate that she didn't seem to have heard.
I wouldn't have been able to refuse if Charlotte also asked me to show her.
Since she had finished her work, she looked at me quietly, as if asking me to state my business.
Black hair and devilish eyes.
Honestly.
The appearance of a demon comes to mind, but...
It's not as cute and lovely as before.
Now, she emits an atmosphere similar to a queen rather than a princess.
Seeing it repeatedly, this appearance of Charlotte isn't too bad.
It's somewhat...
Strange...
Well.
"I have something I need to discuss."
"Discuss?"
At that, Charlotte tilted her head, as if asking what I could possibly have to discuss with her.
And then.
-Gurgle
The sound came not from my stomach, but from Charlotte's.
She said she finished her work, but did she not eat?
"...You should eat while you work."
"Th-that's true..."
Charlotte's face turned red, and she vigorously nodded her head, looking sorry.
"It's not a secret, so let's talk while eating."
"Th-that... Um... Yes."
Charlotte silently followed behind me.
Edina Castle was not initially a lavish or grandiose space.
The structure itself is not a palace, but a castle. It does not have grand banquet halls, court orchestras, or galleries.
Compared to the imperial palace, Edina Castle is practically a humble dwelling.
"Is it uncomfortable living in a place like this? Did I ask you too late?"
As I walked alongside Charlotte, she vigorously shook her head with a dismayed expression when I asked her.
"No, no, really. It's fine, really. Don't worry about it. You know I don't care about such things..."
Her words trailed off, and I couldn't help but notice Charlotte's expression die.
Ever since being kidnapped by the demon king, Charlotte became indifferent to not only food but also sleep.
Unknowingly, and without either of us realizing it, we touched upon each other's vulnerabilities, and Charlotte fell silent.
After my true identity was revealed, I couldn't properly converse with Charlotte.
Why did I have to do it? Why did it have to happen? Charlotte never heard my story, and it was not a situation where I could explain it to her either.
But with only the truth that I genuinely wanted to prevent this situation, we spent the past two years unable to share any conversations.
It was the same now.
Charlotte felt guilty towards me, and we only apologized for it, but we never revisited everything that happened since our first encounter.
Why did I deceive her?
Did I deceive her from the beginning, knowing she was a princess?
About the truth of her abduction.
About the days of exchanging letters.
It occurred to me that we still haven't talked about anything.
In the face of major events like the Gate Incident, matters that determine the fate of the world, managing a single country – are these small conversations supposed to be buried?
Do we not need to have those conversations? Since Charlotte buried her questions in guilt, do we not need to talk about them?
I walked in silence with Charlotte, head down, towards the dining hall.
Let's eat something first.
We'll talk while eating.
No matter what.
"You want to... do it yourself?"
As I intended to enter the kitchen myself instead of calling someone, Charlotte looked at me with an incredulous expression.
"There's no rule saying the demon king can't hold a knife, right?"
"Well... I suppose..."
I barely recognize myself as a king, and I have no thoughts about the discipline or dignity I should maintain as one.
And, to be honest, after a long time, I wanted to make something with my own hands for Charlotte.
If I were to seriously consider it, although I have a hierarchical relationship with them, I don't know if they regard me as their ruler, but to me, they are merely friends.
I have limitations in doing things alone, so I seek help from my friends.
I'm not sure if it's right to think this way as a king, but my mindset doesn't change from this.
Also, the fact is that after training with swords at the temple, the next thing I've held the most is a kitchen knife.
I've made countless meals and eaten them just as tirelessly.
Before breakfast and after evening training sessions.
Together with Ellen.
Sometimes with Harriet and Charlotte as well.
"..."
I couldn't help but pause when I recalled my days at the temple.
I thought about the things that had changed.
Moments that could never be returned to come to mind.
Even back then, I had thought about it.
That someday, everything would change.
I knew it had to be that way.
Even in those moments, I kept thinking that a day would come when I would reminisce about those times, and those moments could never be eternal.
Those thoughts had ultimately become reality, and I had no choice but to live in the present, unable to return to that moment.
But just because I knew it would happen, and even if I expected it, it wasn't as if I could easily accept it when it truly came to pass.
Moments I couldn't return to.
Relationships I couldn't turn back.
I found it infuriating, unfair.
And, sad.
It was somewhat amusing that the kitchen there couldn't provide the same environment as a kitchen of a mere school operated by the Empire, but the Empire was inherently on a different level.
It wasn't quite the environment of the Temple, but it was still the King's castle.
There were ample food supplies, and since it was late and Charlotte didn't eat much, I made a light sandwich.
A cup of water and a sandwich.
"Thank you, Reinhardt."
"It's nothing."
"Still..."
Despite it being nothing special, Charlotte seemed touched, her eyes shining as she began to eat the sandwich.
Since I made one for myself too, I ate a sandwich as well.
"When do you think we'll set out next?"
"Well... That depends on the movements of the Allied Forces, not on my will. We'll have to keep a close eye on their actions."
"Right, I suppose so."
The decision of the Allied Forces' advance wasn't up to me. Therefore, due to the nature of our work, which required us to follow the movements of the Allied Forces, we couldn't know when our next departure would be.
When the Allied Forces advanced and dispatched their vanguard to secure the route, we would strike a more advanced position.
"It's fortunate that nothing's happened. The other units should also be without incident."
"Probably. We've all agreed that if our strength is insufficient, we'll retreat immediately. There's no need to push ourselves."
The number of personnel deployed was small, so the loss of personnel would be devastating. As long as the Vampire Lords followed instructions, there shouldn't be any major problems.
Maximize restraint in engagements with the Allied Forces.
Retreat immediately if personnel loss is expected during a battle.
As long as these two principles were adhered to, there should be no major issues for the other units either.
On reflection, there was something I needed to tell Charlotte.
It wasn't crucial information for Charlotte, but still.
"By the way, we destroyed a Gate. It was a small one, though."
"I heard about that from Harriet. But I'm worried that destroying a Warp Gate is a bit reckless..."
"We didn't push ourselves. To be precise, it was pretty much all done by that girl Liana."
Although we were a mere five-person squad, excluding Liana, the four of us didn't even have a chance to exert ourselves.
She summoned a massive blizzard, turning the area into a virtual snowfield. Flying monsters crashed, a considerable number of creatures froze to death, and the remaining monsters either suffocated or were crushed under the snow.
"Still, it's best not to rely too much on that method. We can't know how long it'll work."
Charlotte, who had already received a report from Harriet, nodded quietly.
"You're right. But I think this will be a pretty important card for our strategy moving forward."
"Yeah, I guess so."
It was a strategy to reduce the number of monsters by exposing them to extreme cold, and once we tried it, we realized it had considerable side effects.
As I said, monsters are diverse. If we want to kill them with the environment rather than direct attacks, we need to employ various methods.
There are creatures similar to ordinary living beings, but there are also entirely different ones.
That's why, various types of death were required.
Death by poison and falling.
As I was considering those, I could also see the effects of suffocation and being crushed.
I confirmed that a blizzard could be quite a versatile weapon.
Of course, the fact that there were monsters that survived in such extreme conditions could be seen as even more horrifying.
"With just us, we should be able to advance by dealing with small gates like this. I'm not sure about medium or large gates, and we certainly can't handle super-large ones on our own."
While a blizzard is a very useful weapon at the moment, there will come a time when it will not work against certain enemies.
"When the allied forces arrive, they'll be quite bewildered..."
"It doesn't seem like the snow will melt by the time they arrive, but, well, we'll figure something out."
With Heinrich present, a bit of fire magic would make the snow melt quickly.
If that doesn't work, Liana can step in again.
Technically, it would cause large-scale environmental destruction, but it's not like I care about nature. My priorities lie elsewhere.
After finishing her sandwich, Charlotte gazed at me absentmindedly.
Right, we agreed to discuss something.
Somehow, sitting together like this, eating something we made late at night, I feel like just chatting about various things.
Perhaps I should say that it makes me feel sentimental.
Even though I know this is not the time for it, it's been so long since I've felt sentimental that it feels rather strange.
Still, I must do what needs to be done.
I don't know everything.
And there's a lot I can't do.
That's why there are many people around me.
People who can think about what I don't know, and people who can do what I can't.
They are all precious to me.
"Do you know about the Schwarz royal family?"
"Are you talking about Kernstadt?"
"Yeah, that's right."
Charlotte tilted her head, as if she didn't understand why I was asking.
"I know as much as I need to know."
It's not some minor country; it's the second-ranked human nation.
In other words, number two among the human countries.
That's why Charlotte knows as much as she needs to.
That phrase was quite interesting.
Not "I know as much as I do," but "I know as much as I need to."
It means that she knows not just the commonly known knowledge, but also the knowledge a princess must possess.
In other words, she has knowledge about the undisclosed details as well.
"You know Heinrich, right?"
"Yes, Heinrich von Schwarz. He was our classmate. I know that he's been quite active since the Gate incident."
"I think he's likely to be assassinated by his own siblings soon."
"…What? Assassinated?"
It was natural for Charlotte to react with disbelief.
