"Your skill to ruin my plans never ceases to amaze me," Gabrielle noted. "I can't believe you did that, and in front of a huge audience, too. You'd better start strategizing."
Time froze as they left the courtroom, exhaustion crashing over Konrad.
And it only got worse from there.
"Wasn't that a waste of time?" he snickered, his body refusing to move. But at least he didn't fall over because of that. "You kept saying I should focus on my magic."
The angel shot him a glare that could've frozen hell over.
"That was before you took my father's challenge," she complained, picking at the frills of her dress. Her fingers trembled. "What were you thinking? You're up against Vargas, you know?"
Why, yes, Konrad was aware.
"If the Demon Lord arrives later, I would've had to fight him anyway," he noted. Not that he was confident. But— "You heard your dad. I had no choice. And he's right—"
"Meow, he's not."
Lily materialized in their little bubble.
Gabrielle took an assertive step towards Konrad, palm flat on his shoulders and back.
Like a jealous lover, although she didn't try to freeze the demoness this time.
"If anyone else could fight Meow Midori, I'd be the first one to put them in charge," Lily said.
She hooked her arms into Konrad's from the other side. He had to endure it, unable to move.
So far, only his lungs adjusted. He could finally breathe without Gabrielle breathing life back into him. But she didn't seem to appreciate it for some reason.
"I understand your reasoning, even if I still don't get all the details," he noted. "But others?"
They couldn't expect anyone to stand behind them after keeping everything a secret.
He had to prove himself to justify his 'greed' for the position—
Which was ironic, given how mad he was at the king for forcing that on him until now.
"What's done's done," the demoness said with a shrug, her slender body melting against his. She wore her skimpy tribal garb, which would've been unacceptable in the courtroom.
But nobody else could see her right now, and she took full advantage of it.
"Let's focus on the next steps, nya. Show me the map of that swamp you'll be fighting in."
Konrad's eyes narrowed—at least in his mind—giving her a curious glance.
"You want to help me with the planning?" he asked, confused. "Or are we going to cheat?"
"No cheating," the little ginger said, raising a finger to wave it at him. "You'll either win fair and square or lose like a man. I won't let your future wife intervene, either."
Her eyes looked like they could shoot lightning at Gabrielle if she said anything wrong.
But she didn't. The angel was trying her best to act nonchalant while leaning against Konrad. Her trembling body betrayed her, and he had no clue what was happening between those two.
It was obvious that their dynamic changed, but when, how, and why?
He was so busy these days that he lost sight of his surroundings.
Saying that he worked twenty-five hours a day wasn't even a joke anymore.
"And I should feel insulted," Lily noted, nudging his side with a big, fake pout. "You think I can't come up with a winning strategy? I've conquered entire worlds, you know."
He didn't even question her claim. But there was a slight problem with it.
"You used magic," Konrad pointed out. "I'd be less worried if I could do that, too."
Another pout, this time less fake.
"So you think I'm not smart?" the demoness whined, and he had no comeback to that.
She was powerful and gorgeous, but that specific word she used?
From her furrowing eyebrows, he could tell she was reading his mind.
He had to change the topic fast if he wanted to survive.
"Shouldn't we go somewhere else?" Konrad asked, glancing around in the busy corridor.
Gabby's bubble didn't stop time completely. Someone with a good eye could still see them flickering and moving way too fast. And with all the suspicion and interest in him these days—
"Mhm. Let's take a carriage," Lily scoffed, still playing offended. "One with the fluffiest pillows."
Before he'd nod—not that he could with his weak human shell—the world became a blur, and then, they were there. He couldn't even comprehend his first teleportation experience.
With the time dilation, the unfamiliar feelings needed a few moments to catch up.
And they were terrifying.
As if someone ripped his soul out, shredded his body, and yanked it all through a plastic tube that was way too narrow. Konrad thought that birth was rough, but this was ten times worse.
Even after the spell reassembled him, he wasn't sure if he actually survived.
"Please don't do this ever again," he gritted out, trying to keep the contents of his stomach down.
The pain kept increasing with every stretched-out moment.
Of course, Lily and Gabrielle seemed unaffected.
Playing with either time or space was way beyond his paygrade. Not to mention—
"Did we disappear in front of all those eyes now?" he asked, once the contents of his head no longer sloshed around like cold soup. "How am I going to explain this?"
"You worry too much," the angel noted, losing her patience.
"Besides, the problem is that they think you're not capable enough," Lily added. "Let 'em see you do some outrageous stuff, and they'll think twice before questioning you again."
The girls gave each other a quick nod.
And with them agreeing on something, Konrad felt a surge of terror.
"I still think that we should focus on your magic," Gabrielle said. "If you lose the next fight, we'll have to adjust our plans, but the world won't end right away. But if you lose to Maou—"
She let that sentence hang unfinished, but Lily picked it up right away.
"I'd destroy this world. And all the ones affected. Then tear that corrupted little angel limb from limb. And if your old man doesn't bring Konrad back from the eternal death, I'd—"
"Let's not go that far," Konrad tried to calm her. Pissing off the demoness was never a good idea.
Not that he could feel at ease, while they discussed his potential—and very final—death.
"Strategy first," he said to break the awkward silence. "I don't know what'd happen if I lost, but we can figure that out once we're there. Or, we can come up with a good plan to win tomorrow."
Gabrielle scoffed.
"I appreciate your optimism, but outsmarting Vargas won't be easy."
"Not with that attitude," he pointed out. "But since your father is also involved, his pride might help us on the battlefield. All my bad decisions in my previous life were emotional, too."
Lily raised an eyebrow at him, as if she took offense at that. Well, she should've.
"So, you plan to wait and hope they make a mistake? Original."
"Especially given how exhausted you are," the angel added. Oh wow, so she noticed?! It didn't stop her from working him to the bone. "You're more likely to miscalculate than they are."
"Well, how 'bout you let me rest a few hours, then?" Konrad Groaned. "Or a week. In this bubble."
To no one's surprise, both of his haremettes rejected that idea.
But they couldn't offer a useful strategy, either.