16-3 The Demon King × Raccoon Dinner Party

For now, I returned to the Beast-Ear Garden and told everyone that I was heading to the Empire.

After that, I asked the main staff to proceed with the preparations for the school performance.

Naturally, the person in charge was Aoi-chan.

“Well then, I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Okay, leave it to me!”

“Take care.”

Leaving things to Ars and Ed, I teleported to the border with the Empire.

I fluttered my Blazing Flame mantle like a passport substitute and leapt over the river in one jump.

During that time, I rescued five rafts that were being attacked by river snakes.

While thinking that flying through the sky in a fluttering red mantle and helping people in trouble made me seem just like that super guy.

And when I arrived on the opposite bank, at the national border guard station, the same platoon captain and his men were about to take a poor merchant into a corner, so I tapped him on the shoulder from behind.

He seemed to start saying something as he turned around.

“What do you wan—”

The platoon captain could not finish saying his line.

His complexion was quite blue too.

Anemia?

You have to eat breakfast properly, you know.

“Where are you planning to take that person?”

“Ah, no, well, he seemed unfamiliar with various things, so, um…”

“I see. I understand. I’ll take over from here. More importantly, use your captain’s privilege and let me through the border quickly. I’m in a hurry!”

By now, this man had been certified in my mind as my errand boy.

It might be the same in his mind too.

Do not worry. I will not make you run every day to buy fried-noodle bread for lunch.

I will just make rather unreasonable demands from time to time.

If that causes you to lose your place in the Empire, I will buy out your contract into the Albatross Kingdom, so rest assured.

Rest assured that I am only thinking a little about getting a slave who has no choice but to do whatever I say.

“Y-yes, sirrr!”

He dashed off with incredible momentum.

He yelled at his subordinates, pushed aside the other people waiting, and hurried the procedure along.

Yes, yes.

It seemed my bad name had properly thundered through the Empire too.

Otherwise, there would be no point at all in me coming this time.

Taking along the merchant I had declared I would look after, I leisurely crossed the border through a forced line pass.

The Imperial Capital of Bern, which I had become used to visiting, was practically like my own garden now.

After that, I cheerfully parted with the merchant, telling him to use my name if anything happened at the border guard station next time, then arrived in the Imperial Capital of Bern with a single teleportation spell, secured lodging for tonight first, and then headed to the Albatross Kingdom Embassy in the Bernstein Empire.

“Count Marius, it has been a while. I apologize for the sudden visit.”

“No, no. I have received word from His Highness Michael in the royal capital, so there is no problem at all.”

I see.

So even ordinary nations had communication methods with almost no time lag.

Was it magic, or a magic tool?

Perhaps it might even be something Takeshi had left behind.

If that was the case, would it be fine to give smartphones to His Majesty and the princes?

“Now then, how do you think I should stand out? Apparently, I am free to do as I like.”

“Let me see…”

The count pondered with amusement, then gave a fearless grin beneath his mustache.

“How would a ball tonight suit you?”

“Sorry. I can’t dance.”

“I am sure there will be no problem. If the young ladies see you, they will all flee on their own.”

This old man was casually cruel!

Well, I could not deny it, though.

Maybe I should go all out, wear a flashy skirt that looked the part, and dance some fake flamenco or belly dance!

With my current physical abilities, I could probably force something like that through.

Well, jokes aside, a ball would be a good place to stand out.

“That sounds good. Shall we go, then?”

I easily went along with his scheme.

I really do like this old man.

Apparently, there was an evening party tonight, so we were going to barge into it.

Since he had been invited as the ambassador, I would simply accompany him as a VIP from the home country.

If we were lucky, we might even meet the prince and his lot.

In a sense, this would be my first public appearance to them.

I had already peeked at them plenty from behind, though.

This time, if possible, I wanted to meet Balan.

Only so I could attach a marker to him.

That guy truly seemed dangerous.

Even though he held the rank of count, he probably would not show up at a soft event like a ball.

I thought he was that kind of man.

It was a shame I would not be able to meet him.

I came up with a little scheme, so I returned once to the Beast-Ear Garden with teleportation magic.

After that, we headed to the banquet hall—or rather, the ballroom—in the embassy carriage.

I was in a very good mood.

And there was someone with me who was in an even better mood than I was.

It was Fal.

Yes, Sacred Elion herself.

Actually, this country’s chief god was also Ross.

In other words, Sacred Elion was treated as a sacred being of the chief god Ross even in this Bernstein Empire.

If this were Earth, she probably held a position similar to Jesus Christ in Europe.

In the case of the Fals, the fact that they always existed in the present was completely different, though.

Was Ross around the position of Jehovah?

It might be a little different, but that was probably the sense of it.

The nations on this continent basically worshipped Ross.

In other words, that was what it meant.

Fal seemed to enjoy going by carriage and was in an extremely good mood, and naturally, I was in a good mood too.

I was thinking of letting Fal sing one song.

Ah!

Do not worry, it was not “that song” she sang in the bath.

Tonight looked like it would be a fun night.

Count Marius could not stop making a wicked face either.

A dinner party of a demon king and a raccoon.

I felt like this deserved to be animated under the title Demon King × Raccoon.

I would make sure to record the footage properly and upload it to the net under the same title.

While enjoying the splendid streets of the Imperial Capital of Bern, I headed toward the venue with Fal, letting loose together.