#43 The Return of the Demon Race

While I was already having enough trouble making clothes, a new one knocked at my doorstep.

It was Miss Astres; an alluring lady and a person of high position in the demon race’s army.

She has returned once again.

“You guys really are stubborn!”

As expected, even Platy is fed up with their persistence.

It was only recently when they experienced a complete loss after trying to invade us, after all. And now they’re back.

Except this time, something’s a little off. She doesn’t have several monsters accompanying her unlike last time, it was just her alone. Something about her appearance feels gloomy.

“Y-you’re mistaken!”

“We did not come here to cause harm to any of you today! Please, listen to what we have to say!”

The one who appealed to us wasn’t Astres, but two females who seemed like her aides.

Is it because their superior, Astres, is a female that the subordinates she commands are females as well?

“If something’s up, we might as well listen to them.”

…Veil. I told you countess times to stay in your human form. Stop showing off your flamethrower, too. Even I get scared.

“Are you sure, Master? If you let your guard down in front of these morons, they might take advantage of you.”

“You’re free to decide after we hear out their circumstances first.”

They’re not here for a rematch; I can tell that much from looking. They returned to the place where they were utterly defeated without the will to fight at all, so they must have a genuine reason for coming back here.

“We were actually...”

“...ousted from the army!”

We were baffled by the two aides’ alternate confessions without even understanding the reason behind it.

“...No, that’s not it.” argued Astres.

“I’m the only one who was driven out from the army. They simply followed me. Had they stayed behind, they could’ve been easily assigned to a new post, and yet...!”

“What are you saying, Miss Astres?!”

“We pledged to serve you throughout our lives!”

Her aides are pretty noble, but to put it simply, this means...

“You were fired by the army?”

“...”

“Is it perhaps because of us?”

We beat them up pretty badly last time, after all—annihilating all the monsters she brought with her, and dragon Veil tossing them in the middle of the battlefield and putting on an absurd show afterwards.

But isn’t it kind of peculiar for Miss Astres to take all the responsibility?

“I was called to court at the demon capital right after that incident...”

“Miss Astres was unilaterally censured by them. On top of failing to fulfill her duty, they said it’s wicked of her to be brought back by a dragon who caused chaos in the battlefield...!”

So Astres, former Heavenly King, now-turned exile, came here because she had nowhere else to go.

“Their decision is just too peculiar! Miss Astres has been working earnestly all this time for the Demon King’s army!”

“That court is weird, too! They handed down their verdict even before the Demon King was able to return from the front lines! It’s as if they were dead-set on getting rid of Miss Astres, no matter what!”

“I thought so, too! I bet it’s that Sir Ravillian who was behind that meeting!”

“He’s always plotting something, I’m sure he is!!!”

The more they look back on it, the angrier they get.

“No... It’s not anyone else’s fault. Prowess and ability are everything in the Demon King’s army. It’s all my fault for failing to accomplish my task.”

Astres may be condemning herself right now, but it’s definite that what happened last time is the cause.

I’m starting to feel bad for her.

“...Okay.”

“Master.” said Veil as she called out to me in a displeased tone.

It’s intimidating, sure, but I will not retreat, falter, or look back.

“Hard feelings aside, abandoning those who are in need is against my conscience. You’re free to stay here as much as you’d like.”

It’s as they say: Even a hunter cannot kill a bird which flies to him for refuge.

“But you’re going to have to play by our rules while you’re here. One, no bloodshed. Two, those who don’t work don’t get to eat. Three, pledge absolute obedience to me and my words. As long as you abide by these three rules, you’ll be treated like one of us.”

“Master, you’re being too naïve!”

Veil’s discontent is even more apparent now. Once again, it was I who couldn’t drive away terribly dejected humans (demons?) who came to rely on me.

“Understood, we shall follow your orders. We will be in your care from here onwards.” said Miss Astres as she pressed her forehead against the ground to bow.

I thought it was unnecessary of her to do that, but then again, she did invade us and tried to kill everyone last time. I suppose it is needed.

She’s been through so many hardships that she can’t even keep her pride anymore.

There’s no way I can keep my anger and hatred towards someone like her any longer, nor does she have the willpower to do anything reckless, either. I think it’s safe to consider her harmless.

“Lord Saint!”

“We have but one request!”

The two aides came rushing to me.

...I wonder what it is?

“Would you please excuse Miss Astres from nightly duties?”

“In exchange, we will do our very best to please you, Lord Saint, no matter what sort of play it is! Please, we only beg of you to keep Miss Astres out of it!!!”

Ah...

...

“That’s not what I meant by pledging absolute obedience!!!”