Oh, I remembered now.
The Corps Commander who was in charge of hunting monsters together with the 6th Corps Commander Belitan. His name was probably 'Myers'.
I heard he was recuperating from an injury... is it okay for him to move like this?
Why did he come here?
'Oh, no way...'
Are you angry at me for taking away your job?
It is not an unfounded thought.
Jobs like paperwork may be frowned upon, but jobs related to combat are quite popular among Corps Commanders.
So, the moment I decided that it was a very promising idea, I quickly responded.
"No."
"Yes? Are you...rejecting it?"
"Yes."
Since ancient times, it has been said that safety comes first.
When I nodded with a stern expression, Ed looked at me quizzically for a moment and then walked toward the door as if to express his refusal.
Then he opened the door slightly and said,
"Sorry Myers, but...?" A pause. "Why are you here..."
"Demon..."
"..."
"..."
What is it, who else is here?
The room is large, and out of consideration for me, he whispered softly so I couldn't hear him.
The good news is that the conversation ended sooner than expected.
"...I get it."
With a short answer, Ed closed the door again to block sound and sight, and turned to look at me.
His face showed a hint of an undesirable emotion that he seemed to be trying to hide, but could not.
"Commander Demon."
"Yes."
"Gardener Hien came to visit...."
"The 12th Corps Commander hasn't gone yet, right?"
"Yes? Yes."
"I will meet the commander of the 12th Corps."
Ed, who had a puzzled expression on his face at the immediate answer, soon nodded with a smile on his face. For some reason, he had a cheerful expression on his face, but even so, I had such a complicated mind that I didn't pay any attention to it.
What day is today? Why does Hien keep coming back?
'...What day is it? The day I go to die.'
I don't know why Hien came, but it wouldn't be a good thing. Because it's always been like that. It's not that Hien's intentions are evil. He always treated me with pure intentions.
However... with that guy, even if I came back without any problems, it felt like my lifespan had been drastically shortened.
So wouldn't the Commander of the 12th Corps be much better than that crazy gardener?
Moreover, since he was injured, even if he tried to harm me, I would at least be able to avoid it.
I don't know anything else, but I'm confident in one thing: avoiding it.
While I was lost in thought, Myers entered the room and stood in front of me, bowing with a somewhat stiff look on his face.
"It's been a while, Demon."
It's a very stiff face. My face also hardened as it seemed like it was announcing the end.
'This... is dangerous, right?'
Myers, Commander of the 12th Corps. His main weapon was a spear. His characteristic is that he was very quiet.
Of course, when he needs to, he says what he wants to say, but he usually keeps his mouth shut to the point where one wondered if he couldn't speak, so there were rumors going around among his attendants that he had his tongue cut out in some kind of incident in the past.
Of course, I have heard that precious voice a few times during meetings...
'Isn't now the time to speak up? Why don't you talk?'
I didn't come here just to say hello between us. After saying hello, let's get to the point.
The silence got longer. I felt like I was suffocating in the tense atmosphere and tried to speak, but I ran into an unexpected difficulty.
'What should I say?'
And what kind of expression should I make?
Smile? No, if I do that, he might punch me and ask me if I want to get sick. Then, expressionless? Even though I just said hello, people might ask what kind of expression I had on my face.
"...."
"...."
As time passed, Myers' expression became more determined.
Sensing that my life was in danger, I sent a look to the competent adjutant, pleading for help, but Ed took a step back, as if he was truly oblivious or just pretending not to notice.
He was a truly capable but useless adjutant.
I'd rather bleed, but the blood that normally flows out like an open faucet seems to have become completely clogged at this time and doesn't show any signs of coming out.
In the awkward atmosphere, I secretly regretted it.
'If this is going to be the case, Hien might have been better...'
As I looked back at myself, who seemed to have forgotten my past experiences, or rather, was glorifying even those past experiences, and was once again realizing how treacherous the human heart is, I heard a coughing sound.
"Ed?"
"Hmm, 12th Corps Commander. If you come, I'll tell you..."
Thank you for saying what I wanted to say, but what if this offends him even more?
I carefully raised my head and made eye contact with Myers. When our eyes meet, his pupils trembled slightly.
He clearly looked angry. Should he apologize...? But I didn't really do anything wrong? To be honest, this is something that I want to be angry about.
Now, because of who I am, I was entrusted with a dangerous mission.
Of course, I didn't have the courage to say my thoughts out loud, so as I was trying to decide what to say, Myers bowed low. It was a disciplined and sharp action.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience."
"...Yes?"
"I felt like I had to tell you this."
I stared blankly at the top of his head.
Next in view was his shoulders, which are clearly visible through his clothes due to the angle. The white bandages that started from his shoulders and went down to his upper body clearly showed that he had suffered quite a few injuries.
Uh... then that posture wouldn't be very good for the wound.
"Straighten your back."
"Yes!"
I was just worried about him getting injured, so I told him to straighten his back, but he straightened his back as if he were bending it like a rapier that had been snapped. I wonder if it was as I heard an loud popping sound.
For a moment, I was worried that if he did that, the wound would get wider, but Myers frowned slightly as if he was pained.
I turned my head, trying hard to pretend not to see the pained eyebrows and the white bandages turning red again.
'Anyway, you're not angry, right?'
On the contrary, since he is apologizing to me, I don't think I will get hit even if I don't know what this is. That means there's no need to be so nervous.
Now that I've put my mind to rest, it's time to listen to the explanation.
I invited him to sit on the chair at the table in the middle of the room, and I sat across from him.
"What should I do if you apologize so quickly without any further explanation?"
"What should you do... uh... I think you should receive an apology."
"...I wasn't asking how to do it just now...."
"I'm sorry."
"No... First, straighten your back..."
"Yes."
I looked at him blankly, then quietly turned my gaze to Ed, who was standing to one side.
I can't handle him. How can you not do it for me?
'...What if even you are shocked?'
A look of astonishment appeared on his clean-cut face. My face probably looked similar. Who would have thought that the famously quiet commander of the 12th Corps would have this kind of personality?
'I think it's a good thing you just kept your mouth shut.'
That concept is very good. Just push on like this. If you open your mouth carelessly, you'll get in big trouble later.
I quickly adjusted my expression and remembered the purpose of the conversation before I got caught up in his words and actions.
"I asked why you apologized."
"Ah..."
He laid the board down, so now all he had to do is explain it.
But why is this kid falling like this?
The table shook violently due to the distance between the legs. If there had been a teacup on top of this, the tea would have overflowed and spilled and made a mess.
It was the moment I, who couldn't wait, wanted to say something. Before I could even open my mouth, the guy jumped up from his seat.
"Look at that deputy...!"
"...?"
Whoosh.
A strong wind blew.
When I looked back, Myers was already gone.
As I looked around to see if I was hiding somewhere, Ed quietly approached me and said, "I went out."
"...Huh?!"
"I think he went to call his adjutant, but I don't know when he will return, so why don't you go down first?"
I nodded and headed for the door.
I was curious as to why he apologized, but my life wasn't at stake and I didn't mind not hearing an explanation.
And more than anything, I don't want to wait. It's uncomfortable to face him again.
Without thinking, I put my hand on the handle. Soon the door opened and—
"...."
Boom.
—Closed again right away.
"Demon! I have a plant to give you before you leave...!"
"Demon?! I came out to meet you, but aren't you treating the Demon King too harshly?"
"I am the adjutant of the 12th Corps Commander Myers! Regarding Commander Myers' rudeness..."
The knocking sound doesn't seem to stop.
Fortunately, it didn't turn into a banging sound, but it was still so loud that I covered my ears.
Ah, another voice was added to the voice heard from outside.
"This is Myers..."
"It's Myers!"
This was a dream. It must be a dream.
The world was going crazy.
Eventually the door opened. In the first place, it was impossible to hold out forever when the Demon King was standing outside the door.
What does it mean that the door is open?
Yes. I am now surrounded by these terrible demons.
The first person to step forward was Myers' lieutenant. He pushed aside the people who were fighting with each other and took Myers' hand. He politely politely opened his mouth with a voice that was as neat as his actions.
"Hello, Demon. I am Dahar, the adjutant of the 12th Corps Commander Myers. I'm sure you must have been quite uncomfortable with the sudden visit, but thank you very much for being so lenient. And I apologize for this rudeness. I'm really sorry."
Dahar bowed deeply and stabbed Myers' waist with his finger.
Then Myers, who was standing restlessly next to me, lowered his head.
"Sorry."
"Oh yeah..."
What is this?
"Despite my rudeness, there is a reason why I came to visit so suddenly. Due to the injury of my boss Myers, I heard that Commander Demon has taken on his role in the monster subjugation."
"Well, that's right."
I was just about to leave for that.
I quietly glanced at those surrounding me.
Starting with Hien, who was holding a seed of an unknown plant, the Demon King looking grumpy as if he is dissatisfied with the fact that the door was not opened for him, and even the 12th Corps Commander Myers and his Deputy Dahar are in front of me.
"You must have felt uncomfortable and bothered since you took on an unexpected task. To apologize for that, I kicked Myers out... No, Myers came to visit..."
Dahar glared at Myers.
"...You made a huge mistake..."
Oh, the words come out in a blur.
The low voice that sounded like gritted teeth is quite eerie. I remained silent, and Myers bowed his head in shock every time he stopped speaking.
Today, I seemed to be seeing a lot of new aspects of the Commander of the 12th Corps that I wasn't even curious about.
I made a subtle expression for a moment, but then I hurriedly shook my head because I felt like I was really going to see the 12th Corps commander getting ripped off by his adjutant in front of me.
It would be difficult and insignificant to make such a fuss in front of me... I think it would be better to protect the honor of the taciturn 12th Corps Commander.
"If you'll excuse me... I think you're referring to his outrageous remark, but it really wasn't a big deal..."
"Yes?!"
Oh, I guess I guessed wrong.
I felt a bit sorry and was looking at Myers, but Dahar suddenly raised his head and said that as if he was shocked.
"Oh my god, not only did you run away, but you also said something outrageous?! What on earth did you say?"
...Also?