Neia gulped.
She bit her lip, desperately trying to keep a lid on her emotions.
“…How much trust can we place in those words?”
“Once you rescue the prince, the Zerns will respond by rising up in revolt from the inside, at which point retaking Kalinsha will be much simpler. It’s certainly better than a conventional siege, and we will be able to take more demihumans prisoner. The Zerns also say that they will ask around to see which prisoners have the knowledge you desire.”
“I’m not too sure about the details,” the Zern added on to Caspond’s words. “It seems you wish to travel to the Abelion Hills. If you rescue our prince unharmed, our entire species will be indebted to you. Who would refuse to share what they know with a benefactor? In addition, that knowledge is nothing special.”
The Zern’s argument was utterly irrefutable.
Refusing them would mean being disloyal to His Majesty. If I let a chance to be useful to His Majesty slip out of my hands because I’m afraid…
After calmly considering the matter, she felt that this was her best chance. However ― she did not intend to kill herself.
“Who else will be going on the mission to rescue the prince?”
Neia looked at Remedios, who had been silent all this time.
“I’m not going. I can’t infiltrate or anything.”
If you say that, then what about me? Neia thought, and then she looked silently to Caspond.
“…I asked her to go with you several times, but she kept refusing. Therefore, you will be accompanied by that captive… no, that collaborator.”
“Hmph. Captive will do.”
“…Captain.”
“It doesn’t matter. Vice-Captain Montagnes, can you bring her over?”
Montagnes left the room with a “Yes.” The Zern envoy left the room as well. It would seem they did not want to let others know that they were working with the humans.
Gustav returned before long, but he was not alone. He had with him a girl wrapped in layer upon layer of chains, a girl that Neia had never seen before. She seemed more petite, delicate and younger than Neia.
She wore a scarf that blended the colors of dark green and sand yellow in a complex pattern, as well as a strange maid’s outfit.
Her facial features were exquisite, and even the patch that covered one of her eyes did not diminish her beauty.
Neia suddenly remembered what Evileye had said, and while she was quite sure who this person was, she decided to ask just in case.
“My Prince, who is this?”
“…Haven’t you already guessed? She’s one of the maid demons who showed up in this city.”
Neia went stiff. She had thought as much, but it still startled her. She was difficulty rating 150. In other words, she was a monster among monsters. A being which humanity could not overcome now stood before her eyes.
However, Neia also sensed something else that startled her.
That was the fact that she could still feel such intense hatred with an unbeatable monster in front of her.
How could she hold on to such emotions when facing a creature that outclassed her so tremendously? Was it because this maid demon was not radiating an aura of fear, or was it because of her loyalty to the Sorcerer King?
Regardless of which it was ― Neia sank her hatred for the maid demon into the depths of her heart and did not let it show.
If she was careless, she would start berating her as one of the reasons why such an outstanding monarch like the Sorcerer King lost to Jaldabaoth.
However, while Remedios had her hand on the hilt of her holy sword, Caspond and Gustav did not seem to be doing anything special on their part.
Therefore, Neia could conclude that she did not pose any immediate danger. Otherwise, they would never allow her to stay in the same room as the prince.
“…Murderer girl. Do not be afraid. Right now I am not sworn to Jaldabaoth, but to Ainz-sama. I will not attack.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Ainz-sama. That term of address filled Neia’s heart with displeasure, as if she was trying to reject the fact that it had been said. However, the maid demon replied to her in a monotone.
“…You do not have to believe me. It is simply the truth.”
“Miss Baraja. It seems that His Majesty somehow managed to usurp control over her from Jaldabaoth during the battle.”
Neia’s eyes went as wide as saucers.
Had he actually managed to carry out a nonlethal tactic like taking control of her while fighting multiple opponents ― Jaldabaoth and the maid demons?
Neia did not know much about magic, and she did not know how difficult such a feat was. If one needed an example, it would be like trying to snatch equipment off a very powerful opponent during the middle of combat. If that was the case, then it must have been an incredibly difficult maneuver which only the Sorcerer King could pull off.
Neia came to respect the Sorcerer King more and more.
However, she had two questions now.
She wanted to believe that if the Sorcerer King had done it, then everything would be fine and she could accept that fact. But was the maid really under the Sorcerer King’s control? That was the first question. Could it be that she was not actually working for the Sorcerer King, but acting under Jaldabaoth’s orders to pretend that she was under his control?
And then, the other question was―
“I understand that you’re loyal to the Sorcerer King. But why are you here? Is it because of your chains?”
“…It’s not like that.”
The maid demon began to exert her strength, and the thick chains emitted a distasteful creaking sound.
“Stop that!”
As Remedios shouted in time with a wave of killing intent, the sound stopped.
“…Even I could break ordinary unenchanted chains.”
“Then why? Why haven’t you left this place and gone to His Majesty’s side?”
She had asked because she was hoping that demonic instincts or the abilities of a bound demon would lead her to the Sorcerer King. The maid demon flatly replied:
“…Because it’s an order. The last order I received from him was to help you. So I will do my best as long as it does not mean my death.”
“Eh!?”
Neia was stunned.
…The Sorcerer King came to this country to seize control of the maid demons. He came to obtain the maid demons, a tremendous fighting force that could make the Sorcerous Kingdom even stronger. In that case, his first order to the maid demon should have been for them to return to the Sorcerous Kingdom. But instead, His Majesty… What a kind person he is… Is there a king out there who is so compassionate to the people of another country? No, it can’t be, only the Sorcerer King is an exception. His Majesty really is justice! How amazing! I was right all along!
Neia struggled to keep the heat from spilling out of her eyes.
“In that case, what does “as long as it does not mean my death” refer to?”
“…If you ask me to fight Jaldabaoth I will refuse. It will be very difficult to escape if I face him.”
I see, Neia understood. Caspond had already verified the truth of everything she had said. That was why she had been brought here.
“So this demon will come with me.”
“Just so. While I thought of sending her to the Sorcerous Kingdom as an envoy, compared to that ― ah ― well, once that’s over and we learn information that we can trade, ah ― I was planning to have her join the search party we’re sending out. That’s because it’s dangerous… Those people you picked out haven’t found anything yet, so we can be sure that he landed in the hills.”
She did not know why Caspond’s instructions were so vague.
She peeked at the maid demon’s face and saw that it had not changed. She did not look worried.