Chapter 37

“…Alright then, let’s just say we never met. I’ll show up tomorrow in full villain mode in front of Rex again, so don’t slip up, okay?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“Thanks. Well then, goodbye.”

In the end, I decided not to tell Rex what Mino had muttered in her sleep. Partly because her final smile made me want to trust her a little—and more importantly, because Rex was terrifying.

Just being involved with Mino was probably enough to get me chewed out. If I told him I even helped her out, who knows what would happen. When Rex gets truly angry, he’s downright scary.

Mino and I are strangers. From now on, we’ll treat each other as enemies—on opposite sides of Rex. That’s the safest option, I figured.

“And… it was nice talking to someone like an equal for once. Everyone either flatters me or treats me like an enemy.”

That’s what Mino said quietly at the end, almost sadly. Maybe she said it to make me feel sorry for her. Or maybe those words just slipped out from somewhere deep inside.

“See you.”

“Yeah… we probably won’t meet again.”

With that exchange, I averted my gaze from her.

Once Mino was gone, I stood up and walked off in the opposite direction. What happened today—I’ll take it to the grave.

Late at night, in a vast and empty space. I dropped my gear with a thud and raised my sword squarely in the center of the training ground.

While mentally replaying my conversation with her, I brought my sword down in a single-minded rhythm. …I didn’t really get all that political talk, but one thing was clear—she genuinely cared about this country’s future.

In fact, she might be classified as a villain. She said so herself. She’s probably tricked people with underhanded tactics time and again, all for the nation’s gain.

…But maybe that was necessary to keep the country running. Someone had to do the dirty work no one else wanted to, to maintain peace for the people.

What is right? What is wrong? If someone willingly becomes the villain for the sake of national interest—can that not be called a good deed in itself?

…Maybe people like General Mino and Emma have already wrestled with those questions, gotten through them, and moved forward.

The world seen by civil officials must be completely different from the one I see.

“…Hah. Guess I shouldn’t try to do stuff that doesn’t suit me.”

So, I decided not to overthink it. After all, the only thing I’ve ever been good at is swinging a sword and cutting down enemies.

It’s a simple thing. People have different strengths. Leave the complex brainwork to Emma and Mino—“defeating enemies” is a job for me and Rex.

So I’ll just keep swinging my sword.

I dodged the imagined strike of Rex’s sword, slid in close with just footwork, and thrust toward a vital point. No good—too many wasted movements. Focus.

Try again. Step half a pace forward with the right foot, shift my weight smoothly and horizontally. Be mindful of follow-through. Never lose sight of the enemy.

Yeah. The sword really is deep. More. Even deeper. Focus more.

More… and more…

---

“…So. You were just swinging your sword all night?”

“More like—I’m surprised it’s already morning. Feels like I only just started training.”

“Liar! You’re drenched in sweat! Go wash off and sleep in a bed! What’ll you do if an enemy shows up now?!”

“Huh? I’m not tired at all. Actually, I feel great—super alert.”

“That’s just sleep-deprivation euphoria! Just go to sleep already, you idiot!”

…Who’re you calling an idiot? Zzz…

“Don’t fall asleep here, you moron!”

“Huh? I’m not… sleepy or anything… zzz…”

“Gah—cold! Don’t lean on me, Flatche! Now I’m soaked too!”

“Zzz… zzz… Rex… I’ll kill you…”

“Oh come on… I have to carry her back, don’t I? Seriously…?”

Suddenly, drowsiness overwhelms me. I can’t think anymore… zzz…

But what I can do is… swing a sword—

“…Wait. I have to be the one to change her clothes too?”

The blazing morning sun strips away my freedom. The cheerful chirping of birds paints a pleasant, dreamy haze.

This… is irresistible. Wrapped in cold, hard armor, I leaned into Rex’s body—and lost consciousness.

“She’s gonna catch a cold at this rate… Can’t be helped. Nope. Can’t be helped.”

I heard that oddly pink excuse from somewhere above as I faded out.

---

Picking up the crumpled note thrown in through the window, she scanned the words written on it. This was one of her daily routines.

“A covert ops order, huh.”

For Mino, reading the Demon Lord Army’s movements was never a burden.

“I see... As quick as ever. That bat demon always gets things done.”

Espionage and schemes were her forte. General Mino’s political prowess was by no means effective only against humans.

Some demons, out of self-preservation or to gain the upper hand in internal power struggles, betrayed their own and sought favor from the humans. Mino had no qualms about exploiting such conveniently placed traitorous demons.

“If that kind of order was issued, then the next target must be the fortress. Guess someone over there’s got a bit of a brain.”

Through negotiations with spies allied with the humans, Mino could learn the Demon Lord’s orders. If she wanted to, she could always be one step ahead of the enemy.

“But if I act on every bit of future intel, they’ll catch on to the existence of the spy. I’ll leave the fortress to Clarice and won’t send reinforcements. So then, the next move is... yeah, decided.”

There was no need for vague intuition when predicting enemy movements. Her strategy as a supreme general was to win the war of information—sorting through fact and fiction and acting on what was most credible.

War wasn’t about brute force. Nor was it a mere contest of military stratagems. In the end, war was a political game.

Military officers were just pawns in that game.

“In that case, Rex-kun’s going to have to get to work right away... Alright, let’s pay him a visit.”

Mino, the young schemer who supported the massive kingdom from the shadows, used her sharp intellect to always choose the best possible option at any given moment.

She was constantly afraid—afraid that her decision might not be the right one, that a better choice existed. The true correctness of her actions would only be judged centuries from now by historians.

But even with doubts, she never stopped moving forward. Rather than do nothing out of fear of failure, she chose to act—even if that action led to failure. That was her pride.

She was ready to be scorned as despicable. Ready to be remembered for a hundred generations as the war criminal who lost the kingdom in a political miscalculation. Because right now, the only one with the political skill to protect the kingdom was her.

If not her, then who?

Eventually, her feet stopped in front of the inn where Rex was staying. He had said yesterday, “Come if you have work.” So showing up the next day shouldn’t be an issue.

“...Pardon the intrusion! Rex-kun, sorry for the sudden visit, but I’ve got a job for you—”

With the lives and livelihoods of the kingdom’s people resting on her slender shoulders, General Mino barged into the room of Rex, the most feared swordsman in the land.

---

“...zzz”

“Ah.”

Whether her timing was fortunate or terrible was unclear.

Right in front of her, Sword Saint Rex was in the middle of undressing an unconscious woman—Flatche—in an otherwise empty room.

“...”

“...”

Mino’s smiling face paled. She was more shaken than she expected to be upon walking in on what looked like a textbook sex crime.

“Sexual assault...”

“It’s not what it looks like. No, really, it’s not!”

“Doesn’t look consensual to me...”

“W-Well yeah, because she’s asleep—”

“Undressing a comatose woman... without her consent... and she’s not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer either...”

In a blur of confusion, General Mino had stumbled upon what looked like Rex’s most critical weakness. Not that she’d planned for it.

“Y-You scumbag swordsman... Women’s enemy... You rapist...”

“I told you, it’s a misunderstanding!! And you! What the hell are you doing barging into someone’s room without knocking?! That’s just rude!”

“Ah, well. I am a villain, so, you know... not big on manners.”

“Right, forgot. You are a villain... You devil!!”

“Excuse me, but I don’t think you’re in any position to be morally outraged right now!?”

In front of the arguing pair lay the peacefully sleeping female swordsman, her flat chest exposed. No matter how you looked at it, it screamed sexual predator and victim.

“...Rex-kun, you need to report to General Penny and take responsibility for your crimes. I’ll come with you.”

“Screw that!! You just want me as your pawn the moment I’m in chains!! I’m not accepting this—I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Ugh, so pathetic...”

“I told you, I was just changing her clothes!”

The bickering between the Sword Saint and the General filled the room. Mino had never expected to get such a ridiculous hold over him. She didn’t need to bother with risky intel gathering now—this alone was enough to blackmail Rex to her heart’s content.

Frankly, in this moment, Mino was genuinely disgusted with him.

“This idiot stayed up all night swinging her sword!! Passed out drenched in sweat!!”

“Who’re you calling an idiot... zzz...”

“Why didn’t you ask one of your female party members to help her change? You’re surrounded by girls, aren’t you?”

“T-They were all out. She was soaked, and the Demon Lord’s army is on the move, and I didn’t want her catching a cold, so I just thought it’d be better to hurry and get her dry clothes...!”

“...For the record, I’ve never caught a cold in my life... zzz...”

In truth, Flatche had never once been aware of catching a cold since birth. Technically speaking, she just never noticed when she had one.

In other words, stupidity was—

“...”

“...”

“...How’s that, Rex... I win... bow before me... zzz...”

The half-naked girl, smiling in her sleep, mumbled dreamily as she slumbered. Defused by the sheer absurdity, Mino gently pulled the sheet over Flache and tucked her in.

She had work piling up. Any further attention on Flache was just a waste of time.

“Right. Here’s the deal, Rex-kun. We’re setting up near the western forest. I want you to follow along.”

“Huh? You’re going into battle?”

"Yeah. General Penny's on an expedition, and Mello is our trump card in group battles, so we can't risk moving him from the capital. Which means I've got no choice but to take the field myself. That said, I'm not confident in our overall strength, so I'd like you to come with us."

"...What’s the objective of this deployment?"

"Classified. What I can tell you is, we're expecting an intercept encounter."

"If you're going out personally, I assume you're confident in your read of the situation?"

"Well, compared to you—who doesn't even know the basics of warfare—I’d say I’m pretty confident, yeah."

General Mino's eyes glinted ominously. Rex, the Sword Saint, stared back at her as if sizing her up. Meanwhile, the female swordsman mumbled in her sleep, drooling, "Nyah-nyah, loser Rex... zzz..."

A tense air filled the room.

"If you pull anything foolish, I’ll cut you down. Remember that."

"Ooh, scary, scary. I'm a timid person, so please don’t scare me too much."

"You didn’t even flinch when I held a sword to your throat. Don’t give me that crap."

The Sword Saint pinched the cheek of the sleeping swordswoman and muttered bitterly.

"When do we depart?"

"The day after tomorrow. We need some time to prepare on our end."

"...That's soon."

"Yeah, it's a race against time."

And with that, General Mino had said all she came to say. She turned on her heel, her cloak swaying, and faced away from Rex.

"I'm counting on you, Sword Saint."

"You better not regret dragging me into this."

Those were their parting words, as General Mino quietly left the room...

"Minooo, see yaaa... mmph..."

A drowsy farewell floated over from the sleepy swordswoman.

"...Oi. You two know each other?"

"Eh? N-No, not really!?"

Sweat poured down Mino's forehead. It seemed she hadn’t considered the risk that a half-asleep Flatche might spill the beans about their relationship.

"You’ve got it rough too, huh... zzz..."

"What the hell is she talking about?"

"H-How should I know what someone’s dreaming about!? That girl’s your comrade, isn’t she? Shouldn’t you know better!?"

"Mino's boobs are so soft..."

"What the hell is this conversation!?"

And so, the swordswoman Flatche, still fast asleep, managed to throw both the greatest strategist and the strongest Sword Saint into total disarray.

"Rex’s di—ck is tiny... zzz..."

"Wait, she’s seen it!?"

"She saw it, damn it!"