Chapter 16: Don’t—Mess—With—Me!

Seriously, I can’t take this anymore.

Every time that Sloth skill gets shown off, my stress levels skyrocket.

The only thing I’ve figured out is that this Demon King has advanced his class to a level worthy of being ranked third.

And the fact that should’ve been a source of joy for me only keeps chipping away at my confidence as a demon.

I had no clue how much desire I’d need to satisfy in order to obtain a nonsense skill like "Turn Back Time." To be precise, it’s supposed to be a skill that severs and erases accumulated experiences, but honestly, who cares about the details?

Compared to Wrath’s straightforward offensive skills, Sloth’s abilities are absurdly freeform, their effects incomprehensible, and honestly… it just feels sickening.

Because it’s rarely used, the damage when it is used hits like a truck. Lazy-sama is definitely trying to kill me from stress. Probably conspiring with everyone else around here.

This workplace is insane. …My stomach literally hurts.

Now I really get why the previous demon who ruled over Sloth threw in the towel. If a fellow Sloth demon gave up, there’s no way Wrath like me can endure this.

No matter how much anger I hurl, he stays perfectly calm, so my stress never goes away.

Caught between Kanon-sama’s expectations and this hellhole of a field assignment, I’m completely stuck in the middle.

Still, if we’re talking pure workload, there’s no easier posting than this.

After all, even without supervision, these guys will never actually revolt, and even if I don’t lend a hand, somehow it’ll all turn out fine in the end.

…Or so I thought, until this nonsense happened!

Clutching my stabbing stomach, I glared at Lazy-sama, slouched deep into his chair.

"What… what did you just say?"

"…Nothing."

He turned his face away with an expression that screamed "Ugh, too much effort to explain." The fact that I can now read the expressions of this practically expressionless Demon King counts as some form of growth, I guess. Not that I wanted this kind of growth…

No good. He’s hopeless.

I took a deep breath to hold back my fury. Compared to when I first came here, my tolerance has definitely grown wider.

Control the rage… Even yelling at him would be a waste.

"…Do you remember the contents of the imperial command?"

"…"

Don’t—don’t close your eyes. Please, at least listen…

It’s fine. Calm down… If I get angry, I lose…

Deep breaths. I lowered my voice to make it easier for Lazy-sama to follow.

"I told you, right? This mission… the enemy is a Demon King."

"…Nah?"

You little…!

My fists clenched so tight my nails broke the skin, stabbing into my palm with a burning pain.

Is he mocking me? No. He’s not playing dumb. He genuinely doesn’t remember.

I told him! I absolutely told him! I was the one who received Kanon-sama’s orders, the one who went through all the trouble of delivering them to Lazy-sama, the one who warned him that since the opponent was a powerful Demon King, he had to deploy directly or we’d just be sending general-class demons to die for nothing!

I warned him because I knew he’d never take the initiative otherwise!

I forced down the Wrath boiling through my skull with repeated diaphragmatic breathing.

"Hey, hey, Sis. Don’t you think Riez-san’s gotten a lot calmer lately?"

"Quit fooling around and hold the corner properly!"

Aaaaaaaaaghhh!

The sisters, the ones who piss me off second only to Lazy-sama, had the nerve to comment like it wasn’t their problem.

Apparently, after hearing about Hiiro’s disgraceful display toward her liege, they’d started coming as a pair under the guise of "maid training."

So now I’ve got the combo of a bratty younger sister who deliberately talks loud enough for me to hear, and the slightly airheaded older sister who once killed me outright but now doesn’t give a damn about me. Thanks to them, my stress has doubled. This is hell.

The essence of the Arrogance lineage is absolute correction toward those deemed "inferior."

In short, if they think someone’s weaker than them, they’re absolutely strong against that person. But if they see someone as even slightly superior, they become absolutely weaker. That was their skill.

Because her older sister Rona revived, Hiiro apparently had to fall back to second place again. By rights, with the nature of Arrogance, once you’ve "surpassed" someone, that shouldn’t be overturned so easily. But the visible difference in their figures (mainly the chest) was enough to crush Hiiro all over again, so for now she seems to fear Lazy-sama a little and obediently listens to her sister.

Well, whatever. That’s not the issue right now.

The problem is Hiiro, glancing at me while "making" the bed like she’s setting up a prank. With a nasty grin, she said:

"Riez-san doesn’t get angry at all anymore… Did she give up after seeing Lazy-sama’s power?"

"Of course she did. Honestly, it was insane of her to challenge the Demon King in the first place!"

Aaaaaaaaaghhhhhh!

Fuel dumped right into the Wrath ballooning to the brink of explosion inside my head.

Blood spurted from my palm, dripping onto the floor. I clenched too hard, cracking the tiles beneath me.

I poured every shred of willpower into holding back my emotions.

Stay calm… calm down, Riez Bloodcross.

It’s just childish nonsense…

Compared to this man, a king who never does anything himself—

Smile. Just smile.

"Ma… Demon King-sama? You… you do remember, don’t you? The opponent this time is that… the Gluttonous Demon King."

"…Who’s that?"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Somebody do something about this mannnnnnnnnnn!

There’s no way a demon serving under Kanon-sama wouldn’t know the name of Zebul Glakos, the Gluttonous one.

But no, this Demon King really doesn’t know. Yahoooo…

That’s why I explained it! I knew he didn’t know, so I explained it! I absolutely explained it!

Ohhh, Kanon-sama, please save meeeee!

As I banged my head against the bedpost, desperately trying to forget my rage, Rona watched me with eyes like she was looking at something disgusting.

This is your master’s faultttttttt!

"…The… the fifth-ranked Demon King who rules over Gluttony. He devoured the fifteenth and sixteenth-ranked Demon Kings in just three days. A truly… monstrous Demon King."

"…Is that impressive?"

"Guuhh… Y-yes, it’s impressive! Listen, fifth-ranked means he’s the fifth strongest among Kanon-sama’s Demon Kings!"

"…Stronger than you?"

Nooooooo!

Don’t compare a general-class demon to a Demon King!

I forced out the answer through blood and tears. Damn it, why do I have to suffer like this?

"Well… yes, I suppose so…"

"I see."

The indifference in his tone finally snapped something inside me.

If you don’t even care, don’t ask in the first placeeee!

Aaaaaaaaaaaghhhhhh!

"Wow… amazing, Riez-san. To stay quiet even after being told all that…"

"Of course. If anything, it was your way of speaking to Demon King-sama until now that was strange."

In my head, I’ve already killed him thousands, no, tens of thousands of times!
Aaaaaaaaah. This is bad… I could die.

Tears welled up from sheer fury. Why me…

"Ugh… th-that’s why, if Demon King-sama doesn’t go, it’ll be a disaster! Worst case, we’ll all be wiped out!"

Normally, when Demon Kings fight, it’s considered common sense that a Demon King faces another Demon King.
What’s more, we knew in advance that the enemy forces were personally led by Zebul.

Any ordinary Demon King would know this without being told. But knowing Demon King-sama, I thought he might not realize, so I said it!
Give me back my effort!

After listening to me rant at length, Demon King-sama yawned, his eyes heavy with sleep.

"…yo wa."

"If you let the army granted to you by the Great Demon King-sama be annihilated, you’ll absolutely be punished, you know!? Do you even understand that!?"

From the way things looked, maybe if it were Kanon-sama, he would forgive Demon King-sama unlike any other Demon King.
But of course I didn’t say that. If I did, he’d never step outside.

Why is it that, when the person himself isn’t thinking about anything, I—the one merely sent to keep an eye on him—have to think this far ahead!!

"…"

Mooove, already!!

I tugged on Demon King-sama’s arm as he silently closed his eyes.

It had only been a few hours since I heard from Rona that Deji and Media had gone out and pressed Demon King-sama about it.

We need to hurry, or they’ll be wiped out. No—by now, they might already be wiped out.

Honestly, he should have at least said something! Like, "Come with me!"

Just as I was about to give up on Demon King-sama, who showed no signs of moving, an unexpected savior appeared.

Hiiro, eyes sparkling with curiosity, tugged on his arm.

"Demon King-sama, I want to see it too! You fighting!"

…No, that’s not the point, you know?

Hiiro, even more brazen toward Demon King-sama than me, climbed right onto his lap and shook his shoulders.

Her sudden outrageous act sent her elder sister into a panic as she grabbed at Hiiro. But unfortunately, with her strength and abilities diminished over the years, Rona couldn’t fully pull Hiiro away.

"Hey, stop that! How dare you be so rude to Demon King-sama—"

"Huh? But, onee-chan, don’t you also want to see Demon King-sama fight, just once?"

"Eh—t-that’s…"

Rona hesitated for a moment at her sister’s blunt question.

So even she, who serves such a passive Demon King, had those feelings. Oddly, that made me feel a little relieved.

Noticing the change in his faithful maid, whom he had restored with time, Demon King-sama opened his eyes and spoke just a single word.
Truly, only a single word—the name he’d finally learned recently.

"Rona."

"Hiiro, enough! Demon King-sama is tired. Instead of troubling him, we should just do what we must!"

In an instant, Rona reversed her stance without hesitation. She seized Hiiro firmly with both arms and pulled her away from Demon King-sama.

Even as she dragged the struggling girl, she wore a blissful smile, bowed deeply, and looked up at Demon King-sama.

But showing no interest in that smile, Demon King-sama simply closed his eyes again.

From Rona’s arms, Hiiro cried out.

"B-but onee-chan! Every night, you get off to Demon King-sama—!"

…Huh?

The moment those words left her mouth, Rona moved with a speed far too sharp for one aligned with Lust, as if powered by some hidden skill, and clamped an iron claw onto Hiiro’s face.

Expressionless, she looked down at her sister. Her eyes weren’t smiling. That was the look of someone deciding how to prepare a fish laid out on a cutting board.

This was the awakening of a sleeping lion—proof of what happens when you anger someone usually so mild.

"Hiiro… if you say one more word, fufu… I might just awaken Wrath…"

"Hiii!? Y-yessss!"

There stood a sister genuinely ready to kill.

Realizing she’d stepped on a lion’s tail, Hiiro paled and nodded frantically.

Rona kept glancing at her master, face flushed red, but Demon King-sama was already back in full rest mode. He couldn’t have heard. And even if he did, he probably wouldn’t care.

But… I see, so that’s Lust’s Ruxeria for you. No wonder Hiiro called her such a lewd onee-chan.

Relieved that Demon King-sama hadn’t reacted, Rona let out a sigh of relief.

For the first time in a long while, I laughed from the bottom of my heart.

…But then again, it’s not just Demon King-sama here, is it?

I lightly tapped Rona’s shoulder. She turned, saw my smile, and instantly paled.

In her arms, Hiiro had already fainted, frothing at the mouth.

"R-Riez?"

I completely ignored Rona’s pleading gaze and spoke in a casual tone, as though making small talk.

"I see… who would have thought that behind such a serious face, you’d be up to that sort of thing… perhaps that’s what it means to be Lust’s Luxeria?"

"Wh-what…!?"

"I thought it surprising when I heard you were aligned with Lust, but to think you’d go so far as to use your master every night for your own—"

"Stop, stop, stop, stop!"

Rona grabbed my collar with an expression I had never seen before and pressed in close.

Even though she now carried a faint fragility, her fully-formed beauty seen at such close range was enough to make even another woman’s heart skip a beat.

Kukuku… Lust, Lust indeed.

I turned my gaze away from Rona’s tearful eyes.
What should I do—this is far too fun.

"Even for a demon of Lust, isn’t that going a bit too far? To think that beneath that stoic exterior, you’d be pursuing Luxeria’s path in that way… no wonder your little sister calls you a lewd woman. And every day, no less… Rona, you might just qualify to be the Demon King of Lust yourself at this point."

"Wait, that’s wrong, Riez! It’s not like that! This is all just Hiiro’s misunderstanding—"

She shook my shoulders frantically.
But what conviction could those words hold, spoken with her face flushed and eyes brimming with tears?

Whether it was the truth or a lie—it didn’t matter to me.

"If that’s the case, then instead of something so roundabout, why not just tell Demon King-sama directly, like Hiiro does? 'Please allow me to serve you in any way, even sexually.' I can just imagine his surprise if he heard that from you. Rona, the one who always prepares his meals and cleans his chambers, secretly harboring such thoughts…"

"…!!"

Rona let out a soundless scream.
I delivered the final blow, cupping her apple-red cheeks with my palm.

"Oh, if it’s too hard to say yourself, should I tell him for you? As an apology for killing you the other day. Fufu… Demon King-sama is truly blessed. To be so adored by Lust’s Luxeria and to have your 'first' given to him…"

"Hii… u-uh… no, that’s not—! I…"

Stammering, Rona collapsed into a sit.

Despite all this ruckus, Demon King-sama hadn’t so much as twitched.

I patted Rona’s trembling shoulder as she looked as though the world was ending. At this rate, she really might awaken Wrath.

"Hey, Rona. How about we make a deal?"

"A… deal…?"

She looked up at me with the eyes of an abandoned puppy. I told her plainly:

"I have my duty, and you have yours. To fulfill them, we could help each other. Kukuku… this is what mutual aid is all about, don’t you think?"

"…A deal?"

"That’s right, Rona. What I want is to see Demon King-sama fight. If I were to witness him slay Zebul Glakos with my own eyes… well, then everything I’ve heard today would simply slip my mind."

"Ghh… you damn demon…"

Now she protests?

Even when given a glimmer of hope, she still hesitated. Truly the image of loyalty. A mirror of devotion—though she’s the kind of lewd girl who pleasures herself to her master every night.

"Oh, if that’s too much, then you could even record his battle with an image crystal. Kukuku… that would make for some fine material, wouldn’t it?"

"F-fine! Fine, I’ll do it! Just stop already!"

At last, Rona waved the white flag.

Victory really is sweet. Even without drawing on Wrath’s Ira, I felt a refreshing satisfaction I hadn’t tasted in some time.

The only issue now was whether Rona could persuade Demon King-sama.
…Which might actually be the hardest problem of all.

Rona timidly tugged at the hem of Demon King-sama’s robe as he slept peacefully.

"Demon King-sama…"

"…"

Perhaps trained by the countless times she had woken him for meals, Demon King-sama opened his eyes instantly at a single call.

Face still flushed, Rona began her plea.

"Forgive me, but… I have one request…"

"No."

…So merciless, even to his maid.

But of course—that was only natural. Demon King-sama was the kind of man who, despite possessing the skill to resurrect, wouldn’t bother using it until Hiiro became too troublesome to deal with. Why would he treat Rona any differently?

Yet unlike me, Rona didn’t flinch in the slightest at his blunt response. She was used to this.

"Would you… please join with Riez to defeat the enemy Demon King, Zebul Glakos?"

"…Why?"

Why?
Why, he asks? Because it’s an order from the Great Demon King-sama!

I started forward, but Rona stopped me, instead meeting him with gentle eyes as she asked softly:

"Demon King-sama, is there anything you’d like to eat tonight?"

"…Curry rice."

"Then I’ll make curry rice this evening, with all my skill. And perhaps, if I may, a bit of exercise beforehand would be good for you as well."

"…Unnecessary."

"Then… how about dessert, Demon King-sama?"

"…Apple pie."

Childish.

"Then, shall we bake an apple pie as well? Lazy-sama, it will take some time. Perhaps some exercise in the meantime?"

"I hate it."

"And a fight?"

"I'm a pacifist."

So what the hell is a pacifist Demon King supposed to be?

"That is truly admirable, Lazy-sama."

"Especially if the opponent is strong. That just makes it even worse. Too much hassle."

"…Compared to the Demon King, it is but a trifling power."

No, no, that’s not true at all, okay?
The opponent is ranked Fifth, you know? And Lazy-sama only just recently rose to Third.
Sure, he’s above Zebul Glakos without a doubt, but whether he can win easily… that’s hard to say. Matchups matter, and I barely know anything about the skills of Sloth.

Lazy-sama turned his weary gaze toward Rona.

"…I see. Rona… are you really that desperate for me to fight?"

"…Yes."

"And for whose sake?"

"…For mine. Later… I will view it. I’ll have Riez… record it for me."

"Pffft—!"

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Rona’s face turned crimson like a boiled octopus as she glared at me. Her eyes were screaming that’s not what she meant, but from where I was standing, it could only mean exactly that.

Alright, alright! I’ll record it for you, so make as much of a side dish out of it as you like.

"…I see…"

"My apologies."

"…Sigh…"

"My apologies."

"…Ugh, I think I have a stomachache…"

The Demon King declared this with a completely unbothered expression.

Seriously!? That’s how far you’ll go to avoid fighting!? Lazy Slothdolls!

If you’re going to fake being sick, at least look like you’re in pain!

"…I am truly sorry, Lazy-sama."

Rona bowed deeply, her expression showing real remorse.

Lazy-sama, however, didn’t seem moved in the slightest. He just turned away and curled up.

There’s no way this is going to work…

"…Come, Riez. Lazy-sama has given his consent."

"…Eh!? For real!?"

This counts!? This actually counts!? Are we really doing this? Because from every possible angle, it looks like a flat-out refusal!

The Demon King shrank further on his chair. It was the right call to press the matter during bed-making time. If it had been bedtime, he would’ve already holed himself under the blankets without question.

And then Rona said something unbelievable.

"…Riez, take Lazy-sama with you. Even if you can’t do anything else, that much at least you can manage, right?"

…‘Even if you can’t do anything else’—excuse me, that’s extremely rude. Do you even realize how hard I’ve been working—

But fine. That part I can ignore. The real issue is… "take him with me"?

"…Wait. You mean… carry him on my back?"

"The Demon King must not be the one to move. That much is only natural."

Natural, my ass—he should walk!

For one, Shadow Palace sits in the center of the vast lands granted to Lazy-sama. We already have a rough idea where contact will occur, but carrying him all the way there…?

I don’t even want to imagine it. Even if I have the strength, does the Demon King’s pride really allow him to be piggybacked by a woman shorter than himself?

…Yeah, apparently it does.

The indignation rising inside me fizzled out into resignation. I don’t even know why I have to go this far, but whatever. Fine.

Yes. I will keep a generous heart—besides, it’s not even like we could walk there on foot. Well, we could, but it’d take too long. In the Demon Realm, the main means of transport is flying dragons anyway.

So really, when she says “carry him,” it’s only up to the dragon stables.

"…Fine. I’ll carry him then…"

"That will do. Now, Lazy-sama, forgive me but—"

"…The truth is, if I’m out of bed for more than an hour… I’ll die."

At this point, the Demon King’s shameless excuse stripped away the last remnants of his dignity.

And don’t just say that with a straight face! There is no such Demon King!

Besides, even riding a dragon, it takes over an hour one-way.

"…Even with a flying dragon, the one-way trip will take more than an hour…"

"Hah!? More than an hour!? You… you’re trying to kill me!!"

That was the loudest, most spirited voice I’d heard from him since I got here.

He really doesn’t want this, does he… this man. My stomach is in knots.

"Don’t screw with me! Fine—if I must fight, so be it. All I have to do is throw out some skills. But if you want me to fight, then bring that so-called Demon King enemy right here, into this room!"

"T-that’s impossible! Enough, let’s go!"

I yanked hard on the arm of the Demon King who was throwing a tantrum.

"Nooo! I absolutely refuse to work!"

"Hey, don’t be selfish! This is an order from the Great Demon Lord-sama!"

"Damn it… why am I stuck with this… I quit being a Demon King!"

This guy… he’s serious. He really doesn’t want to move at all.

And seriously, you haven’t even worked that hard to begin with, have you!

And at this point, Lazy-sama still has zero interest in the opponent.

"…Hey, don’t say something stupid! You can stay in bed until we leave!"

The only person who’s ever gotten such a concession out of me in a fit of rage is this guy.

"…Can I sleep during the battle too?"

Has this Demon King completely lost his mind?

No, seriously, you’d die! There’s no way you wouldn’t! The opponent isn’t just a general—they’re another Demon Lord-level Demon King!

Does he even understand that?!

"…This is hopeless. Tell Kanon to fight. You’re the one who has to battle."

He said it with eyes full of unnecessary confidence. This guy, facing a Great Demon King, shows no fear whatsoever.

If anyone from the Great Demon King-sama’s retinue saw this, it would be considered high treason.

"That’s impossible! And anyway, it doesn’t have to be a flying dragon! That’s the fastest option, yes, but warp or teleport or anything you like! You will fight! That’s your duty!"

"…Sigh…"

Lazy-sama sighed.

What a useless guy.

And his eyes… they’re screaming how annoying this conversation is.

Just as I was about to argue back, a sudden sensation of being thrown into midair hit me.

My vision changed in an instant.

"Huh…?"

Lazy-sama was hurled into the air and landed on the ground without even taking a defensive stance or letting out a sound.

I scrambled to steady my suddenly floating body and landed.

A barren dark plain stretched to the horizon. The pale blue moon cast its light over the desolate land, with not a single tree in sight.

"Huh? Wait… w-what?"

Am I seeing a hallucination?

We were just inside the castle a moment ago… so why are we here?

Compared to my total panic, the Demon King, suddenly thrown to the ground, showed no sign of worry.

The pitch-black soil, as if shaped from darkness itself, was the cursed soil of the Dark Prison Lands, saturated with the mana of death.

"…Zone… farther…"

"Huh? Wait…"

An ominous voice reached my ears.

The scenery shifted again.

From a featureless plain to a field reeking of blood, flesh, and fire.

Lazy-sama rolled pathetically across the ground.

In that instant, my instincts detected something.

A presence unlike Lazy-sama’s—but just as massive—was before us. A small shadow cloaked in black, absorbing even the blackest of light like a hole in the sky.

A small face with green hair stared at me, confused. Actually, I was more confused than she was.

Zebul Glakos.

The King of Gluttony. His appearance matched what the Demon King had described.

Impossible… am I dreaming!?

Ignoring my complete confusion, Lazy-sama staggered upright.

He walked with unsteady steps, like a newborn fawn, directly in front of Zebul Glakos, then collapsed on his back, letting out a silent sigh.

Without making a sound, his mouth moved, whispering complaints.

"…W-wait… impossible… this guy’s strong… no… I wasn’t told…"

My mind was immediately flooded with objections.

Wait… that’s your doing?!

Sure, I told him to teleport or do whatever skill he wants… but this!

Is this a Sloth skill? Perfectly fits his laziness, huh!

And he gives up so fast!

Lazy-sama glanced at Zebul Glakos and slowly shook his head.

My stomach churned with a strange, ominous pain. Feels like a hole just opened up.

Whatever the case… d-don’t ffff… mess with me!