Chapter 45: Encounter in the Liner Kingdom

"This is the finest blend we’ve specially prepared for Lord Maor. Please, do have a taste."

Across the table, a beautiful woman spoke to the Demon Lord with a refined smile. She hadn’t so much as glanced in my direction since we sat down.

"Hmm. This is quite the flavor. Wouldn’t you agree, Ains?"

He sipped the amber-colored tea from his cup, casting a fleeting glance my way.

"I suppose so."

Since he’d asked, I just went along and agreed.

Apparently, the Liner Kingdom is famous for its tea, and this season is said to produce the best leaves of the year. But I’m no tea connoisseur—once it reaches a certain level of quality, it all just tastes “good” to me. Honestly, I can’t tell the difference.

"I’m honored it pleases you, my lord. By the way, Lord Maor…"

The beauty in front of us continued speaking earnestly, clearly doing her best to hold the Demon Lord’s attention. Her efforts were… kind of pitiful, really.

"I’ll take this cucumber sandwich. You can have the egg one."

"…Right."

As usual, the Demon Lord was completely oblivious to her subtle attempts at charm and simply did things at his own pace.

The sandwich itself was… average. Nothing to praise or complain about. What really stood out was the porcelain plate it came on—red and blue floral patterns so delicately painted that I found myself thinking, maybe I should buy one as a souvenir later.

We’d arrived in the capital of the Liner Kingdom—our destination—three days earlier than planned. The Sugarcreek delegation hadn’t arrived yet. Technically, their scouts had, but sneaking in among them would’ve been tricky. Since it was too soon to rendezvous, we decided to stay in the capital until they showed up.

Somehow, the Demon Lord had already managed to obtain entry passes for us to enter the city. Judging by how flustered the gate guards became when they saw those documents, they must’ve been very high-ranking credentials. We didn’t even go through a body check.

…Still, this is quite something.

I studied the elegant-looking woman sitting across from us. Supposedly, she was the daughter of the patron funding this journey—but let’s be real, she was clearly someone from the ruling class. And from her perspective, among everyone here, I was probably the most suspicious one.

I could feel the prying gazes of her attendants—each one silently sizing me up.

Incidentally, the Demon Lord’s usual silent retainers—those shadowy ones who’d been accompanying us—had vanished shortly before we entered the city. As if they’d never existed at all.

"Ains, I shall grant you the smaller half of this sandwich I’ve split."

"…Thank you very much."

The Demon Lord’s voice snapped me back to reality.

The young lady across from me still refused to meet my eyes. It seemed she fully intended to ignore my existence altogether. Maybe she simply believed people of lower status weren’t worth acknowledging.

That worked for me, honestly. The fewer chances I had to slip up, the better.

"Ains, you’ve been giving half-hearted replies for a while now. Are you tired?"

"Not exactly," I said.

…Though I was mentally exhausted.

"…By the way,"

The woman across from me suddenly glinted her eyes and finally turned her gaze on me. Despite her gentle smile and soft, graceful tone, her stare was sharp enough to pierce through me.

Looks like the battle’s begun.

"Lord Maor, may I ask—who might that lady be?"

There it is.

One wrong answer here and things could get very complicated later.

"Hmm? Ains? Now that you mention it, you two haven’t been introduced yet, have you? Well, this here is Ains—let’s just say she’s… useful to me, in her own way. And this is Olive, daughter of the Liner Kingdom’s ducal family. If I recall correctly, she’s also the current king’s niece."

"That is correct, Lord Maor."

Olive rose slightly and bowed gracefully.

Still, wow. The Demon Lord sure has connections in high places. Having a duke’s daughter—the king’s niece, no less—personally hosting him? That’s… intimidating, honestly.

The Liner Kingdom is a prosperous nation—agriculture, trade, industry—it’s all thriving. Its land and population are a bit larger than Sugarcreek’s, but not by much. We’re basically two acorns in the same basket.

"For now, we’ll be staying at Olive’s family estate until the scheduled meeting. You’ll be accompanying me as usual, Ains."

"Eh? Really?"

I’d brought more than enough funds for a few days of leisure, so I could’ve easily spent the next three days relaxing or sightseeing. I was actually looking forward to a bit of freedom.

"Will that lady be accompanying you as well, my lord?"

Though Olive’s tone remained polite and composed, there wasn’t a trace of warmth in her eyes when she looked at me.

"Yes. Treat her as a guest, too."

"…Understood."

Her voice sounded as though she were suppressing something—irritation, perhaps, or just resignation.

For my part, I wanted to laugh it off and say something like, “Oh, don’t mind me! I’ll just do my own thing!” But there was no universe where such a carefree remark would fly here.

So instead, I nodded meekly, like a borrowed cat pretending to behave, and replied in a small, obedient voice.

"Um… I-It’s a pleasure to meet you…"

For a split second, I thought I felt a murderous glare pierce me—but I smiled back as if I hadn’t noticed. Maybe I picked the wrong dialogue option?

Ugh… my stomach hurts.

And so, I was left alone for half a day.

If I wanted something, a servant would bring it instantly—but I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere except the courtyard. Going out into the city was forbidden.

Apparently, it was because there weren’t enough guards available to “ensure the guest’s safety.”

Yeah right. This was basically house arrest.

Still, if I thought of it as a “three-meals-and-a-nap” arrangement, it wasn’t so bad. I decided to change my mindset, asked for tea and biscuits, and enjoyed them quietly.

Delicious.

With nothing else to do, I asked to be shown to Lady Olive’s library so I could at least kill time reading.

From the shelves, I picked out two books that caught my eye—one on myths and another on the history of the Liner Kingdom—and brought them back to my room.

They were… moderately interesting.

With a biscuit in my mouth, a teacup in one hand, and a romance-filled mythological epic open in front of me, I started to feel like I was living the ultimate lazy life of decadence. But I decided not to think too hard about it. Thinking about it would mean losing.

…Knock, knock.

Just then, someone tapped at the door.

"Yes, come in."

"Excuse me."

A small boy entered the room—alone.

He looked refined, his posture impeccable, and the silk outfit he wore was clearly of high quality—far too fine for a servant. Which could only mean one thing: he was probably related to Lady Olive.

"Um, and you are…?"

"My apologies for the late introduction. I am Stein of the Shugat family, heir to the house of Liner. Lady Olive is my elder sister."

"Oh my. Then you must be Lady Olive’s younger brother. What a polite young gentleman. My name is Ains, from the Sugarcreek Kingdom. I serve as an attendant to Princess Sonia—my family are merchants, so really, there’s no need for such formal language with me."

"Not at all. It is our family’s creed that a man must always treat women with courtesy. And besides, Lady Ains, you are our guest—how could I ever treat you with anything less than respect?"

…Incredible.

Judging from his looks, he couldn’t be older than seven or eight, and yet he already had flawless manners and poise.

And that aura of refinement—pure, natural grace that seemed to radiate from within.

…Strange. I’ve met plenty of nobles in my life, but even among them, it’s rare to find someone whose dignity feels this genuine and unforced.

In that sense, this boy—Stein—was truly exceptional.

"Then, Master Stein, may I ask what brings you here?"

"…Yes. Though, if I may, it’s a rather impertinent question."

"That depends on the question. Please, go ahead."

To ease my tension, I took a slow sip of tea from my cup.

"I must ask this directly—Lady Ains, what exactly is your relationship with Lord Maor?"

Pffft!

I couldn’t help it—I spat out the tea I’d been drinking.

Cough, cough!

"A-Are you all right!?"

"A-ah, yeah, I’m fine."

I composed myself, crossed my arms, and tilted my head in thought.
Hmm… my relationship with the Demon Lord, huh.

"…That’s rather hard to define in a single word. I suppose we’re more or less… acquaintances?"

"Would an ‘acquaintance’ normally go traveling together?"

Stein’s eyes narrowed on me, sharp and probing.

Ugh.
What a clever little boy. Not that I dislike clever kids, mind you.

"Y-you’re right about that. The truth is…" —I leaned in slightly— "this is just between us, all right? I’m actually under a secret order from Princess Sonia herself. I was tasked with observing Lord Maor’s behavior and character. As for why Her Highness gave such an order… I’m afraid I don’t know. Only that it’s supposed to be of great importance."

I had, of course, just thrown all the responsibility onto Princess Sonia.
Behold—the ancient art of “The mastermind knows everything.”
With that, I now had a plausible reason for why I was accompanying the Demon Lord. Phew.

"! …I see. Then Princess Sonia must already understand the situation."

Stein nodded several times, as if deeply convinced.
Though what exactly he thought she “understood,” I had no clue.

Then, his expression hardened. He reached out, clasped my hand, and spoke with surprising gravity.

"Lady Ains, please—lend me your aid. I must stop my sister."

"Lady Olive?"

"My sister is cooperating with the Demon Lord’s army."

"…Wh—what!?"

I made sure to look properly shocked and horrified.
Of course, it wasn’t news to me—but to him, this must have been earth-shattering.

Oh boy… this just got complicated.

I could feel the muscles in my face tightening as I tried—and failed—to keep my expression calm.