Chapter 22

The next day, Angelica had placed a large leather bag by the entrance.

“Angelica, are you going somewhere?”

“Yeah, Demon King. I’m heading out on an adventure for a while. I’ve been idle since the fighting with the Demon King’s army stopped. I’m going to explore a dungeon infested with powerful monsters with my party so I don’t get rusty.”

“I see, I see. That is commendable, but just to be safe, tell me the composition of your party.”

Angelica made a dubious face.

“Why do I have to tell the Demon King about my party? It’s not like we’re going to raid your castle… Well, if we were raiding your castle, I definitely couldn’t tell you.”

That was true, but I couldn’t afford to back down here. I had to concoct a plausible excuse.

“It is not for my sake. It is for Lateia’s. Surely she is curious about what sort of friends her daughter is spending her time with.”

“Friends…? We’re comrades, not playmates…”

“You aren’t traveling with mercenaries hired with gold, so you’re basically friends. Tell me. Depending on the situation, I might even send something to their homes to thank them for looking after my daughter.”

“I have a lot I want to say to that, but fine, I’ll tell you…”

I felt like Angelica was listening to what I had to say more than before.

“First, there’s Selene, the female Mage. Apparently, she comes from a branch family of mages serving the Royal House.”

“A girl with a polite way of speaking. I see, so she has that kind of lineage.”

I immediately took notes.

The book I bought recently, How to Become a Good Employee, said that those who take notes immediately are the ones who get promoted. As the Demon King, I can’t be promoted any further, but my secretary Torualina always writes down even the smallest details in her ledger.

“Next is Naharin, the Priestess. She’s been able to use healing magic since she was a child; they used to call her the ‘Miracle Priestess’ in her hometown. She lives in a convent now.”

“A ‘Miracle Priestess’—so that friend is also a woman.”

“Yes, but we fought the Demon King once… don’t you remember?”

“Angelica, can you tell me exactly what you ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seventeen days ago? You cannot. That is how it is. Nothing stays in the memory unless it is extraordinary.”

“Um… we were the Hero’s Party… We were officially recognized by the Kingdom…”

Oops. I might have hurt Angelica’s feelings a bit.

“It is… well, when one is the Demon King, you fight adventurers so many times that the memories blend together. It’s not that I don’t remember because your party was weak…”

“We really were weak, weren’t we… I guess Naharin was right when she said we should have progressed more cautiously.”

Ah, I’ve fallen into the pattern where kindness accidentally hurts the other person! She has that wry smile people make when they have no choice but to laugh!

It can’t be helped. I’ll have to gloss over it and move on.

“And who is the fourth member?”

“Zenkei, the Martial Artist. He has the power to strike an enemy’s vital point and crush them with a single blow.”

“Zenkei. Is this a man?”

“Yeah, he’s a guy. Why are you so interested in their genders?”

I wrote “HIGH ALERT” in my notes.

“The gift might change depending on the gender. Don’t look too deeply into it. And, let’s see… the Thief?”

Yes, the one with the shady profession called “Thief” was mixed in there.

“Isn’t it weird that you remember there was a Thief even though you claim to remember almost nothing else?”

“It is not weird. Remembering vaguely means remembering parts of it. It is different from having no memory at all.”

“The last one is Jaunis, the Thief. Due to the nature of the profession, much of his background is a mystery, but I’d guess he’s around twenty. He always has to have the last word, and Naharin, the Priestess, doesn’t seem to care for him much, but he’s quite skilled at finding traps and scouting out the enemy.”

“Background unknown, you say? And prone to talking too much. I take it the gender is male?”

“Ah, yeah. That’s right… You’re really fixated on that, aren’t you?”

I wrote “HIGH ALERT ×2” in my notes.

As expected, this fellow is the most suspicious. Even if he’s respectable enough to be a registered adventurer, there’s a possibility he’s hiding a dangerous criminal record. There’s also the chance he fled his hometown after some sort of woman trouble.

This warrants surveillance.

It’s been a while, but I suppose I shall use my invisibility magic.

“Angelica, around what time will you be back today?”

“Actually, I’m not planning to be back for a few days. We’re going to focus on clearing a large-scale dungeon to the south. It’s just the right level for our current abilities.”

“An overnight trip? Very well. Even if it’s a hassle at the inn, make sure to separate the girls’ and boys’ rooms. If you’re constantly worrying about each other’s presence, you won’t feel like your stamina is truly recovering.”

“We already do that. Seriously, for a Demon King, you’re so fussy.”

“Also, some female adventurers wear perfume, but in narrow spaces like caves, that can lead to monsters detecting your location from afar. It’s best to refrain.”

“I don’t really use that either.”

“Good. That is wise.”

It seems she isn’t particularly interested in dolling herself up.

That said, there are men who prey on innocent girls, so she isn’t necessarily safe. Angelica inherited Lateia’s blood and is quite beautiful in her own right; one must be more cautious than usual.

“Ah, and one more thing—even in hot areas, do not wear clothing that is too revealing. Keeping your skin covered helps prevent minor scrapes and scratches.”

“There’s no end with you! I’m leaving! You’re being incredibly annoying!”

Angelica hoisted her pack and stormed out.

Now then, time for me to make my move.

I used spatial teleportation magic to head to my workplace.

My secretary, Torualina, was drinking milk or something similar. Her hair was tied back because she’d been out for a morning run or some such activity. Apparently, she does it to keep from getting rusty. She’s remarkably health-conscious.

“Torualina, I am taking a paid day off today.”

“Eh? I mean, there aren’t any meetings scheduled, so it’s not a huge problem, but this is sudden!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take some of the work home with me.”

“Um, strictly speaking, taking documents home is forbidden due to the risk of loss—”

“I am the Demon King!”

I teleported back home once more.

Angelica was walking along the highway toward the neighboring town.

Now, let the tailing begin.