Chapter 9 – Episode 9 — Land of the Blind (3)
Episode 9 — Land of the Blind (3)
But just then, Diobe appeared with a robe. When she saw the demon king’s robe that covered the princess’s front hem, she had a similar expression to the princess’s.
Dio Vega, who helped the princess put on the robe, vacated her office at the command of the demon king. Now that she’s calmed down a bit, the princess’s eyes come to life.
“I looked ugly. Grunent Les Merde of Merde Kingdom expresses gratitude to His Majesty.”
Roan glanced at her. Her off-white color hasn’t gone away, but she doesn’t seem to be comfortable with anyone watching.
Her sunken cheeks, her messy nails, and her hair that hadn’t been trimmed for a long time reminded her of her hardships.
Still, I’m glad I think I’m sane.
“How about eating or sleeping?”
“… Surprisingly.”
Princess Grünent answered in a small but powerful voice.
“Since you haven’t asked for months, I thought you didn’t care what happened.”
… Thank god. I’d rather do nothing.
Roan was relieved by the princess’ words.
“Basically, it sucks. They don’t see humans as humans here.”
However, it seems that the hurdles for relief were too low.
Most people are not satisfied with life attached to them. Especially if it was a princess.
“Still, I seem to be treated better than cattle. Thanks to my position, my life is not threatened. However, the ladies-in-waiting who came along…”
‘Uh?’
Roan’s eyes narrowed. Are there maids? Under what circumstances does her maid stay with her if she becomes a prisoner?
The royal palace has never been robbed by the demon king.
Even in a game, if an incident like that happened, the NPCs would have said something. Did the princess go to any border town and get her caught?
Without seeing Roan’s expression of discomfort, Grunent swallowed her saliva as if her throat was choking.
“Your Majesty’s orders are so absolute, he attacked my ladies-in-waiting like beasts but left me alone. Yes, it was fortunate that I was able to protect my life and chastity. When I first heard that I had to come as Her Majesty’s concubine, of course I expected a more comfortable life.
Shall I say thank you for giving my life?”
Concubine?
Cheo fishing?!
Roan almost woke up. Not a prisoner?
He barely concealed his surprise. However, he was the devil’s shell that was good at hiding his expression. Outwardly, he looked like a skilled demon king sitting with his chin resting on his side and listening to the princess languidly.
“Something… , It seems clear that there was a misunderstanding.”
The words that Roan barely came out were close to an excuse, but it seemed that Roan would not be able to bear it if I didn’t say that.
So, this demon king put the princess who came as her concubine out of prison. It must have been annoying. It wouldn’t matter if I died or not.
But I couldn’t tell her that.
“Misunderstanding… , Misunderstanding?”
Grünent’s blue eyes sharpened.
“If the master does not know that he misinterprets the master’s will, it is the master’s vice, and if he conveyed that meaning in the first place, the subordinates will only practice it as it is. That is also the master’s vice.”
“…”
The Demon King of Knowledge 40 had to keep his mouth shut.
You have to understand her logic to make her understand her in her words.
So Roan decided to listen to everything she had to say.
It was also the secret to earning the respect of the other shoulders when he was in the original world. Knowing what someone needs and responding to it.
“Even in prison, there are things I hear roughly. How terrifying your Majesty is, how strong an absolute being you are. However, even that power does not seem to fully reach the bottom of the prison after all.”
“… Princess.”
The demon king spoke quietly to restrain Grunent, whose voice grew stronger with anger, but she didn’t care.
“The loyalty that Your Majesty squeezes out with fear ends there. Even the guards in the same castle hide from their master’s eyes if they forget the horror in front of them, but are His Majesty’s troops far away following His Majesty’s orders properly?”
Regardless of her princess’s feelings, what she says will be close to the truth. Sitting in the library earlier, there was a part that Roan was worried about, so Roan decided to listen to her until the end in silence.
“I came here for the armistice. But that pact ended up being a façade. Nothing has changed. Your majesty’s ragtag army continues to invade the kingdom, ignoring your word. I’m afraid of your majesty, but it seems that the more fearful thing is somewhere else.”
The Demon King is overwhelming, but he cannot exist everywhere. That’s why his reign of terror has limits.
And the princess knew what would happen to such an army, and Roan also guessed.
Eventually, like that, it will collapse.
The princess smiled bitterly. The demon king has no mercy in the hands of those who say things they do not like.
Doesn’t matter. Since I was already abandoned in this country as an excuse, I was no different from a dead life anyway.
Her poison intensified as she watched the suffering and deaths of other maids in her prison.
I expected her to be at least a monarch who binds powerful demons together. His soldiers only had fear of the Demon King, but they had no will or loyalty to understand and follow his orders. A country like this won’t last long. What is the difference between a bandit and a bandit?
Unusually, Grünent, who revealed a little bit of his raw heart, looked at the demon king’s expression with a slightly refreshed mood. However, there is no change in that sharp and cold face. The Demon King, who had closed his eyes for a moment, looked at Grunent.
Feeling as if the amethyst eyes were revealing her heart, Grünent swallowed his breath.
“So you want to say I will fail? Princess Grünent.”
The corner of the demon king’s mouth went up. The princess’s heart grew cold knowing how hideous he was while smiling so beautifully.
“But don’t you know? That the world does not go as it should. If so, shouldn’t you, the first princess, be here? Grünent Les Merde. The jewel of Merde.”
“Oh…”
The princess, who was hit by the fact, groaned.
“Where is the king in the world who throws away the first princess, who is so wise and beautiful that he is called a jewel, like a throwaway card? Anyone can see that he is a foolish king. But Merde’s destruction doesn’t seem likely to come right now.”
The princess shrank as if the sharp truth was piercing her body. Seeing this, Roan spoke softly.
“I understand the princess’s anger. It may be strange that I carelessly use the word understanding. So I feel indebted to you. It would be nice if putting the poison on a horse and spitting it out would make you feel better. But that will be all.”
Grünent’s armies slightly distorted.
She wouldn’t know how much Roan is trembling with what the demon king has done so far.
But regardless of her expression, Roan continued with a relaxed attitude.
“Looks like we both know the truth.”
“… The fact that I am useless.”
“It would not have been the case for Merde. I made it that way.”
The princess is looking at the demon king with her pretty lips tightly closed. Princess Grünent is such a character. He suppresses all anger, sorrow, and worry, and when he finds it worth listening to, he listens.
And he wonders if he has anything to gain.
She hoped to become a good queen. However, she likes honest people and keeps them by her side. So she ended up falling into a trap. She must be a failed politician after all. But her political skills and knowledge are admirable.
Roan was relieved to see that the items already verified in the game were correct.
Even if she is bad, her candid words are much more likely to raise her likeability than sweet lies. Moreover, as she sides with her hero, her hero begins to gain the strength to stand up to her demon lord with much greater ease. Her political power is overwhelming, persuading party members, devising effective strategies, and getting what she needs from the city’s leaders.
Of course, her skills that her hero acquired from her were different, but that’s just her digression.
[Message: Ding dong deng! You have successfully guessed the skill you want to acquire. An additional buff is applied to the skill cast on the attack target.]
… I want to turn off that sound effect.
[Message: 1st Quest — Duplicate the skill ‘Politics’ from the 1st princess in the kingdom!]
Fixed quest message on top right. Roan, who had looked there for a moment, looked at the princess again.
“The Merde royal family did not like the ambitious princess and threw away her wisdom bag. It wouldn’t have made any sense whether you were helpful to the armistice agreement or not. And it didn’t really help. You know, and I know.”
“…”
“Idiots are originally not interested in justification. Because you can take it by force. The king of men has given me a cause, but unless you come and bring me something to eat, you are of no use to me.”
“… So, put me in jail…”
Roan was a little embarrassed by the princess’s muttered words as she opened her eyes thinly.
… No, it’s not really what I did… I don’t think the previous owner of this body thought too deeply…
“The confusion in the borderlands is old. Long before I became a monarch. No king has succeeded in completely sinking it. Both on the human side and on the demon lord’s side.”
I did that in game.
“Is my rule a failure just because there are places where my influence does not reach? So, are all the kings of demons and humans in the past successive failures? I guess not.”
Even if it’s a failure, it doesn’t matter. Because the demon king has the power to twist it.
“Anyway, if the king does not collapse, the country will not collapse. It’s not just the country of demons that I rule by force. Doesn’t the Merde Kingdom use that word to attract the loyalty of the people and nobles? I am the King who cannot fall.”
Until the warrior comes. However, the princess had no reason to know what Roan had swallowed. She looked at the demon king with strange admiration in her eyes.
It was the confidence that only a loser could have.
And at the end the princess raised her eyes.
“Nevertheless, I also deeply sympathize with what you said. It’s called loyalty squeezed out of fear. Okay. It’s shallow Fear would have blinded their eyes and blocked their ears.”
To the extent that I was beaten with the warrior party one-on-one.
To the point where she wouldn’t know if the warrior came and went from the castle right in front of her nose.
There was a limit to the rule that led to that much fear.
Leaning gracefully deep into the chair, the demon king lightly squeezed one hand that had been placed on the table. It was a small movement that seemed to make up its mind.
Roan once again felt the pleasant power of the skill enveloping his entire body.
“The princess’s point is reasonable. But I won’t fall I intend to change Me too, my saint.”
“… What are you saying… It’s not that easy.”
The words may have been brought out to shed a laugh, but the princess’s voice contained sincerity. In the end, those words sounded like worrying about the demon king’s decision.
Looking at the shabby princess in a black and loose robe, the demon king added with pity.
“I have to tell you that I feel sorry for the ladies-in-waiting. I will tell the lower ones to move you and your party, so take those you brought with you.”
And after a long silence, the princess bowed her head deeply. The princess’s voice trembled at the unexpected words.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
The value of Roan in her mind fluctuated greatly.
The Iron-Blooded Emperor was a notorious demon king, the one who imprisoned himself and his attendants.
Today, however, he appeared to be at least honest enough to admit his own lingering feelings, strong enough, and capable of refutating Grunent’s words.
In a sense, he seemed more like a conversational partner than the confined fathers and ministers of his homeland.
At the moment, along with the sound effect that broke the atmosphere, the fluctuating liking was displayed next to Grunent. Roan’s body trembled.
-60.
It rose by as much as 30.
