A Deeply Sinful Conversation

“…That is all.”

“Hm. Looks like there were no major problems.”

“Yes! And that is only because Your Majesty deliberately left the gate thinly defended and did not block their escape route! When I heard the plan, I never imagined you had read this far ahead…”

I could only admire him. Saying that, Karmos bowed deeply.

I was receiving a brief report from Karmos in the castle’s reception room.

Apparently, in the few days before the mana collection device was installed, he had cleaned up the acting lord and everyone tied to him in one sweep.

Public beheading, it seemed.

No—I knew it as knowledge, alright? That public executions could be entertainment… Honestly, I wasn’t confident I could enjoy that, but people often carried that kind of beastliness, that sadism, don’t they?

It wasn’t born from pent-up resentment… they were simply amused to see someone who had been lording it over others lose everything and fall. Maybe it wasn’t all that different from people enjoying celebrity gossip.

Sure, in modern society, openly showing glee at life and death would be considered wrong, but I thought the essence was the same.

‘Other people’s misfortune tastes like honey,’ as they said.

“If your work became easier, then there’s nothing better than that. By the way, I don’t particularly mind you taking the acting lord’s head, but… is your daughter alright?”

“My daughter…?”

“Even if it was a political marriage, they were still husband and wife. And there might have been children, no?”

For a moment Karmos blinked in confusion, but at my follow-up he seemed to understand. His expression turned grave, and he bowed his head.

“…I am grateful for Your Majesty’s consideration. It is true that my daughter and that man were married, but there was no affection between them, and they did not have children.”

“Hm. Is that so.”

I’d heard stories where love grew after a political marriage, but Karmos’s daughter’s marriage had apparently been ice-cold. Given it was more of a takeover than a mutually beneficial arrangement, that was only natural.

“Well… when I was forced into that political marriage, my daughter resented me quite a bit.”

“Political marriage… not something we hear of in our country, but I do understand the thinking—making a house larger and stronger through blood ties.”

Also… none of my kids were married, right? I never made that kind of setting… Wait, Arandor was pretty old—was he single? Crap… did I do something cruel to him?

No, no—he was fine. Arandor was one seriously cool old man. Rugged and handsome beyond a Hollywood star… he could get married whenever he wanted from here on out.

“My daughter has a somewhat difficult temperament, you see. She could not bear being treated as a tool of politics. I did not wish to treat her that way either, but at the time there was nothing I could do…”

“I have no children, so I cannot understand your hardship… but it seems parents truly do suffer.”

“Yes. I cannot place myself alongside Your Majesty… but when you have children, I suspect even Your Majesty will have hardships.”

Karmos said that with a wry smile… Yeah, children aside, the bigger issue was the partner.

Come to think of it, when I first arrived in this world, I’d thought I might be able to live in decadent luxury… And, well—if you asked whether I had absolutely none of those feelings now, I’d have to say no. Absolutely no. I deny it.

I was surrounded by girls ranging from cute to beautiful… and they were all the type who seemed like they’d do anything I asked.

More than once, my hand had almost reached out on its own… but still! Was that really okay? Was it okay for an Overlord to make a move?

Honestly, “nighttime Overlord play” sounded like an incredibly heavy burden…! I didn’t want to say it in detail, but I lacked experience in that sort of thing…!

If someone told me, “Nighttime Overlord-sama is basically a foot soldier,” I’d be so shocked I’d be bedridden…! And I’d never be able to give speeches in front of everyone again!

And besides… with my position as Overlord, sharing a bed with those girls would feel like… workplace harassment, wouldn’t it?

Therefore, I wanted my “little Overlord” to keep holding the castle for a while longer, if you get my drift.

“An heir… I still can’t even imagine it. By the way—what sort of person is your daughter? From what you’ve said, she sounds strong-willed.”

“Well… she is not the kind of tomboy who runs out to war, but since childhood she often assisted me. This may be a parent’s bias, but if she had been a son, she would have become an excellent lord.”

“If she had been a son? Hm. Do the nobles of the Lumoria Kingdom practice primogeniture?”

“Yes. Therefore, if I could not have a son, my daughter’s child would have become the next viscount and taken the lord’s seat.”

“I see. That is why the count’s house arranged a marriage through adoption as a son-in-law. The man who married in could not inherit the viscountcy himself.”

“Yes. In the Lumoria Kingdom, the paternal bloodline takes priority, so only my son—or my grandson—would have inheritance rights.”

“I see. Well, now it doesn’t matter. Have your daughter inherit the Fivro name.”

“Y-you would allow that?”

Karmos’s eyes went wide.

“Of course. Gender has nothing to do with inheriting a house. What matters is whether they have the ability to inherit. And the one who judges that isn’t the state. It’s you, Karmos.”

“…It’s so different from the values I’ve known that… I can’t quite keep up.”

“Heh… Karmos. Look at those who serve me. Male or female doesn’t matter… no, aren’t there more women, if anything?”

I mean… there were clearly more girls. That was the Overlord dream—being surrounded by girls.

Because, you know, if you’re making characters, it’s more fun to make girls than men… things go better in all sorts of ways, right?

“…Indeed… you are correct.”

See? Even Karmos said so. Wait—no, he didn’t.

“If your daughter wishes, you could have her work under Kiriku or Ilmitt. If she shows promise, we could even entrust her with a magistrate post somewhere.”

“My daughter… as a magistrate…”

“If she wishes, that is. At the very least, in your eyes she is capable, yes?”

“Yes! She is my pride.”

“Then speak with her once.”

“Your Majesty’s generosity… I will never treat it lightly!”

“I’m expecting great things.”

Karmos bowed deeply, extremely formal.

Well, you could argue my actions made his daughter a widow… Karmos said there was no affection, but I couldn’t know the truth… some aftercare was necessary.

And if she felt, “I’ll never work under the man who killed my husband!” she’d refuse the proposal… and if she was secretly aiming for revenge… Kiriku and the others would see through it.

Just as the conversation settled, there was a knock at the reception room door, and Lynferia’s voice came through.

“Fels-sama. I have brought Viscount Assen.”

“Let him in.”

At my permission, the door opened, and Lynferia, Viscount Assen, and Jōsen entered.

Viscount Assen strode in with dignified bearing, then stopped directly across from me with the desk between us.

For the record, I was seated in the position farthest from the door—the “seat of honor”—and Karmos sat to my right.

Lynferia moved at once to stand diagonally behind me, and Jōsen remained by the door.

For Viscount Assen, it was about as away-game as it got, but he was a prisoner, so it couldn’t be helped.

“Viscount Assen, I’m glad you came.”

“Hmph. As a prisoner, how could I refuse!”

“I thought I’d granted you freedom to the extent of house arrest. Were you dissatisfied?”

“…I am grateful for the generous treatment that does not befit a prisoner. But if you believe I will be softened by such things, allow me to say your misunderstanding is outrageous!”

Viscount Assen was lively… He looked far too confident for a captive.

“I admire your pride, Viscount, but I’m not trying to soften you. Even if we crossed spears, must you keep directing hostility after the battle is over? I consider this treatment appropriate for a prisoner.”

“What nonsense! Yes, we lost that battle, but even as the defeated, I am your enemy! The Lumoria Kingdom will bring all its strength to punish you!”

“I see. It’s true—we are still at war with the Lumoria Kingdom.”

As I said that, I flicked my gaze toward Karmos beside me.

Viscount Assen sensed my look and turned to him with suspicion.

“By the way, why is Viscount Yōntsu here as well? What business do you have with us?”

“The one I have business with is you, Viscount—no one else.”

“What do you mean by that?”

As Viscount Assen’s frown deepened, Karmos rose and bowed once.

“It has been some time, Viscount Assen. I am relieved to see you well.”

“Viscount Yōntsu. I too am relieved. Since that battle, I could not even see you… and though I came as reinforcement, I was only useless.”

Viscount Assen’s face twisted with frustration.

I see—like Karmos had said, he didn’t seem like a bad person. Despite his arrogance, he felt straightforward.

“Viscount Assen. I feel gratitude toward you for coming as reinforcement. I have no intention of doing something as shameless as holding resentment. And please—call me Karmos. I am no longer Viscount Yōntsu.”

“What… does that mean?”

Viscount Assen’s expression shifted from frustration to a puzzled, almost childlike look.

“I am no longer a noble of the Lumoria Kingdom. I am now one who swore loyalty to His Majesty here—and to the nation called Einheria.”

“W-what!? You, head of the historic House of Yōntsu, would draw a bow against the Kingdom!?”

“Yes. I had no room to choose, but I do not regret submitting to Einheria. No—rather, the more I learn of what Einheria is as a nation, the more certain I become that this decision was not mistaken.”

“…Why would you go that far…? No—what do you mean, you had no room to choose? Don’t tell me you used the people as shields…!”

Viscount Assen bared his teeth, turning an angry glare on us. He was pretty hot-blooded… was that acceptable for a noble? My image of nobles was smiling politely while completely hiding their true feelings.

Also, I hate to say it, but the “using the people as shields” part was dead-on…

With a dragon as a nuclear deterrent, we basically went “listen up and comply.” If we failed to defeat the dragon, we’d be in serious trouble.

While my thoughts ran wild, Karmos continued speaking to Viscount Assen with a calm smile.

Yeah—Karmos fit my “noble” image perfectly. He was scary.

“Viscount Assen… I have taken a liking to your straightforwardness. Therefore, I will hide nothing and tell you everything.”

At Karmos’s words, Viscount Assen never took his glaring eyes off me.

Well, yeah—he might as well have said we took the people hostage, so I understood. By the way, I’d already given Karmos permission to say whatever he wished here.

“Viscount Assen—do you know where this castle stands?”

“…No. After I came here using that strange device, I have not been permitted to go outside.”

“Have you seen the scenery beyond the castle?”

“Yes. It was grassland as far as the eye could see.”

As I’d said “house arrest,” Viscount Assen wasn’t in a jail cell, but in a room of the castle.

He couldn’t leave the room because guards were posted, but he could certainly look out the window.

“The grassland around this castle… that is the dragon’s lair.”

“D-don’t be absurd! Viscount Yōntsu—what are you saying!? Th-this is… the dragon’s lair!?”

Dragon’s lair… So that was what it was called, huh. Not a Ground Dragon nest.

Also, whether he panicked or did it on purpose, he’d reverted to calling him Viscount Yōntsu…

“Yes, without question. I have gone outside and grasped the positional relationships. This is forbidden land—the dragon’s lair.”

“S-such… nonsense…”

In the next moment, Viscount Assen’s legs gave out and he collapsed.

From my seat, the desk blocked my view, so I couldn’t see his fallen form.

Seeing that, Karmos hurried over, supported Viscount Assen, and helped him stand.

“Please, keep yourself together, Viscount Assen. For now, please sit here.”

Jōsen, who had been standing by the door, brought a chair, and Karmos did his best to seat Viscount Assen.

During that time, all color had drained from Viscount Assen’s face, but then, as he regained emotion, his face rapidly flushed red. Yeah—he didn’t look embarrassed.

There was a chance Karmos putting an arm around his shoulder made his heart flutter, but… Viscount Assen had that “nice middle-aged man” vibe, and Karmos, though advanced in years, carried a vigorous, cool dignity…

Was this pairing… a thing?

It was a deeply sinful world, after all… I didn’t know.

No—well. I didn’t think that was what they meant.