Chapter 27: An Invitation from Zex

"It’s been raining for a long time, hasn’t it?"

"Indeed."

I replied politely to the silver-haired man with mismatched eyes standing beside me.

It was the season of endless rain.

Today, my father, King Merkuma, would once again depart for the forward base near the border to personally lead the defense against the Demon Lord’s army.

In the end, he had only stayed in the capital for about a month.

All of us affiliated with the royal capital stood along the castle walls to see him off.

The military band’s bold melody filled the air, and the soldiers in their polished armor looked gallant. Yet, perhaps because of the long rain, everything seemed faintly gray, and even the music carried a trace of melancholy.

"Once the guests and generals finish their greetings, it will soon be your turn, Lady Sonia."

"…I am aware of that, Lord Zexais."

I exchanged quiet words with Zexais—known as Zex—a refined, silver-haired representative of the Merchants’ Guild standing beside me.

Many important figures from the capital had gathered to see off the King, and Zex was among them.

His name hadn’t been on the guest list I’d received beforehand, so his presence was something of a surprise.

At some point during the ceremony—before I even noticed—he had naturally appeared at my side, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and began whispering to me like this.

"By the way, I don’t recall seeing your name on the guest list we were given earlier, Lord Zexais."

"Ah, yes. I had my name added at the last minute. The list had apparently been finalized months ago for security reasons, but… well, I have my ways."

Zex smiled as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.

Honestly, I couldn’t help but wonder how he could so casually insert himself into such an important ceremony.

Well, I suppose that’s what political influence looks like.

As our quiet exchange continued, the ceremony progressed smoothly. Words of encouragement were delivered one after another by the city’s dignitaries, followed by bold declarations of loyalty from the generals leading the departing knights.

"Heh. Everyone’s quite spirited, aren’t they?"

Zex spoke as though it were someone else’s concern entirely.

Come to think of it, he’d remained perfectly composed even in front of the Demon Lord. Maybe he’s actually strong?

Though, from appearances, he doesn’t seem like someone skilled in combat.

Then again, the Demon Lord doesn’t exactly look like a warrior either.

"By the way, Lord Zexais—have you ever served in the military?"

"Oh my. Has Princess Sonia taken an interest in me?"

"Ah, um… I just thought you were a rather intriguing person, that’s all…"

Well, that wasn’t a lie.

"Heh. I’ll answer that question… another time."

He dodged it effortlessly.

Before long, the ceremony reached the part where I was to take the stage—the main event of the day.

King Merkuma stepped forward to his designated position and stopped. I, too, stepped forward gracefully and knelt before him.

Honestly, kneeling in the mud was something I disliked—it dirtied my clothes—but this was my duty.

"We now march to the frontlines! As humanity’s shield, we shall battle the vile Demon Lord’s army! I entrust the defense of the rear to you all—let not the enemy find a single opening!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! We shall devote our lives to carrying out your command! Worry not for the safety of the rear, and fulfill your divine mission granted by the gods!"

I responded clearly, just as I had rehearsed from the script.

Perfect. I got all the lines right!

"Very good! May the blessings of the gods be upon us! Now—march, the entire army!"

At the King’s command, the soldiers began to move out, marching in orderly ranks even through the mud.

Merkuma leapt lightly onto the horse brought forth by his attendant.

"Please take care, Father."

"You as well, Sonia. Stay safe."

"May the gods watch over you, Father."

"Hmm. …Lord Zexais, I leave my daughter in your care."

"Of course, Your Majesty. You have my word."

Merkuma nodded once, turned his horse, and galloped off with the army.

After watching for the right moment, I raised my voice.

"Everyone, salute His Majesty!"

At my command, everyone bowed deeply.

Beneath the dim, cold sky, the King’s army departed—almost as if foreshadowing the hardships ahead.

…Ah, now that Father’s gone, I suppose my workload as acting monarch will increase again.

Well, it can’t be helped. That’s my role in this world.

I bowed my head, feeling a faint wave of gloom wash over me.

After the knights had marched far into the distance, I gave the order to dismiss the assembly.

Just as I was taking a breath of relief, Zex called out to me.

"…By the way, Lady Sonia, would you happen to be free later today?"

"Huh. Is this… a new kind of pickup attempt?"

Too bad for him—I’m already full on those.

I shot him a sharp look.

"If you have some free time, there’s somewhere I’d like to take you for a while. What do you say?"

Hmm.

Let’s see. I don’t think I had any particular plans for the rest of the day.

"Well, I don’t have anything scheduled after this, so I suppose I’m free… technically speaking."

Since I couldn’t read Zex’s intentions at all, I answered cautiously.

It’s one thing when someone like the Demon Lord acts on pure impulse without any ulterior motives—but with someone like Zex, who’s completely unreadable, that’s an entirely different kind of trouble.

"Heh. There’s no need to be so on guard, Lady Sonia. It’s nothing more than an invitation to a dinner party. However…"

"…However?"

"Well, to be precise, it’s a masquerade ball. The only condition for attendance is to participate as a pair—one man and one woman. That’s all."

"A masquerade ball, you say?"

Ah, so one of those parties where everyone wears masks and dances—in other words, a dance party.

When I danced with Prince Shilott of the Paptes Kingdom, I was a complete novice. But since then, I’ve taken proper lessons from professional instructors. I’ve trained diligently, and by now, I can manage a respectable performance.

Heh.

Very well then. Why not let me show off the results of my practice?

"Well, if that’s the case, I wouldn’t mind attending. But may I ask—what sort of people will be there?"

It was best to confirm the kind of crowd that would be attending.

Since this was Zex’s invitation, I doubted anything truly strange would happen—but still, it never hurts to be careful.

"Let’s see. You could call it a secret party I’m hosting. Officially, it’s a guild-sponsored event, but I’ve also invited several of my personal acquaintances. Quite a few notable—and perhaps surprising—guests will be in attendance."

I pressed him for details about who those guests might be, but he simply brushed it off with, "Various kinds of people."

Well, meeting a diverse range of individuals and gathering information wasn’t exactly a bad thing for me either.

After all, the broader one’s connections, the wider one’s access to information. And for someone like me—who isn’t particularly strong—that’s a crucial survival skill in this risky world.

"Just one last question. It’s not… um, one of those kinds of gatherings, right? You know, something indecent—like a witches’ sabbath or something?"

Since it required male–female pairs, my eroge-poisoned brain couldn’t help translating that into an… ahem, “adult” party. So I needed to make sure.

It’s not that, right?

"Heh. Nothing of the sort, I assure you. Though… since many young people do attend, there are always a few guests who get a bit too carried away each time."

Zex let out that same unreadable, quiet laugh of his.

His words sent a slight chill down my spine, but my curiosity toward this mysterious “secret gathering” ultimately won out.

"Then, I’ll be counting on you as my escort for tonight."

"With pleasure, my lady."

Zex bowed with exaggerated grace.

"Huh? A masquerade ball?"

A brown-haired young man furrowed his brow.

"Yes, Lord Behemoth. We’ve received an invitation from a collaborator in the ‘Autonomous Territory.’ They say many of the territory’s young elites will be attending—it seems an ideal opportunity for intelligence gathering."

"Hmm. I see, I see. Well, I guess it could be a decent way to kill time. Not that I expect there’ll be much there to catch my interest."

"Then, shall I confirm your attendance, Lord Behemoth? If you’re not going, I’ll extend the offer to someone else."

"Wouldn’t it be a bad idea to send too many of us?"

"Yes. It’s meant to be a covert appearance, after all."

"Right. Well, old man Zahhak wouldn’t bother using his ‘Humanize’ spell just to attend something like this. Beelzebub would end up seducing every man there. And Heishil’s a total idiot—not even worth mentioning. So yeah, I guess I’m the safest choice."

"We could arrange for members of the Senate who possess human forms to attend, if you prefer."

"Nah. If word somehow gets out that the Demon Lord’s not around, that’d be a real mess."

"Then—"

"Yeah, yeah. I’ll go myself, listen to what they’ve got to say. That way, everyone’s happy."

"Understood. I’ll have the ‘Ark’ prepared."

"Nah, don’t bother. I’ll go on foot. It’s faster that way."

Behemoth grinned, baring his teeth in a mischievous smile.