Not long after the Primordial Demons Jonne and Viole arrived, their subordinates also reached the truce grounds.
Just as Blanc had Confidant, the secretary, and me,
Jonne had brought along a cute girl who looked like a delinquent student, along with an elderly gentleman wearing a sword at his waist like mine,
while Viole had brought an old butler with an impressive Kaiser mustache and large horns, as well as a horned young man dressed in a chef’s uniform.
"All right, shall we begin?"
In the least damaged part of the fractured space, Blanc summoned a long table, then gracefully took a seat and lifted a teacup.
"Hmph, is teatime important right now? Hurry up and tell us the information."
"I agree with Viole. I would like you to quickly tell us this information, Blanc."
At Blanc’s leisurely attitude, Jonne and Viole, both almost entirely lacking in patience, immediately began to show their irritation.
"Hehe, you two seem awfully fierce. Well, all right."
Effortlessly brushing off their killing intent, Blanc continued as she pointed at me.
"Let me ask you directly. Don’t you sense anything strange about this child behind me?"
"...?"
...Why am I suddenly the topic of discussion here...?
I sent Blanc a look that conveyed exactly that, but she merely smiled with her eyes as though telling me to just accept it.
"Huh? Now that you mention it, I’ve never seen him before."
"...Hmm~ His face isn’t bad. He looks fairly strong, too."
Jonne’s eyes widened roundly as if she had discovered something fascinating, while Viole narrowed hers as though admiring a work of art.
"But I don’t see anything particularly strange about him?"
"Hehe, don’t just look at his appearance. Look at his soul."
Blanc answered Jonne’s question with a deep smile, as if she already knew what kind of reaction the two would have next.
"...! What?! His soul has no color?"
Viole noticed it a step ahead of Jonne.
"Huh? Why doesn’t his soul have a color? Even dead lifeforms have soul colors... And besides, he’s an Arch Demon. He should have a color corresponding to his lineage, shouldn’t he?"
Jonne, too, promptly succeeded in sensing my soul.
"......"
The subordinate demons standing behind Jonne and Viole also stared at me as though I were something strange.
Their eyes seemed to ask, What kind of mutant is that thing now?
I don’t know either... No matter how hard you stare, I still don’t know...!
As I protested inwardly, Blanc, seated before me, propped her chin on her hand and opened her mouth again.
"The reason I interfered with you two last time was because the place where your subordinates were fighting just happened to be where this child was staying. I had no intention of interfering with your fight, either, but I couldn’t simply stand by and watch my retainer’s residence be destroyed, could I?"
"...That place was his residence? It was far away from the land you rule, though?"
"This child isn’t the type who enjoys fighting as we do. Since he dislikes unnecessary conflict, I made a special consideration and allowed him to live outside my territory."
Blanc toyed with the two demons, artfully blending truth and lies.
"But what does that have to do with the information you said you would tell us?"
Unlike the straightforward Jonne, Viole’s skeptical gaze did not waver as she shot back her question.
However, she was not a demon capable of winning a verbal exchange against Blanc.
"Oh my, haven’t I already told you the information? The very fact that this child exists is practically the same as exposing one of my important cards, isn’t it?"
"......No. That alone isn’t enough."
At Viole’s refusal, Blanc’s smile deepened further.
"You ought to change the look in your eyes before saying something like that. Even now, I can see that you two are looking at this child as though you want to have him."
"......"
Demons were the race most closely connected to souls.
More than True Dragons, the supreme spiritual lifeforms; more than the angels who dwelled in Heaven; more than spirits, the wills of natural energy—
they were the race that studied souls more than any other lifeform and held the greatest interest in them.
That was what demons were.
Viole and Jonne could not help but be intrigued by his soul, one they had never seen even once since an era close to the creation of the world, and desire to possess it.
After all, they were tyrants who would not be satisfied until they obtained whatever they desired.
"...Tch, fine, fine—I want him, just as you said. A soul like that is surely worth researching."
"Same here. I want to test whether I can dye his soul with my own color."
Viole, with an annoyed expression but shining eyes, and Jonne, grinning fiercely, fixed their gazes upon me.
...Damn it, I’m seriously screwed.
Those demons’ obsessions are no joke...
As I silently listened to the three of them talk with that thought in mind, Viole suddenly directed a question at me.
"So, what should I call him?"
"...Are you referring to me, Lady Viole?"
"Yes, that’s right. Or do you have a name of your own?"
"...No. I do not have a name. You may... call me Hairo."
As I answered as calmly as possible and bowed my head, just as I did when speaking to Blanc, Viole began to grin.
What is with her? That’s scary...
"Hehe~ Interesting. Would you like to become my butler?"
Just as she had in the original story, Viole, concealing her cruel true nature, leaned forward with a cute smile.
"Well..."
She looked up at me with an expression like a child begging an adult for something, and she was so stunning that I almost felt compelled to grant her request.
That was, if I had not known her true nature.
"Hey, Viole! Don’t cut in line!"
Jonne pushed Viole’s face aside.
Then she thrust a fist toward my chest.
"You, join my ranks. I’ll make a special exception and teach you my Nuclear Magic."
She was laughing boldly, and her beauty rivaled Blanc’s, but Viole beside her had erased her cute expression and was radiating venomous magicules. So rather than considering the offer, I was simply terrified.
...She really looks pissed off...
This had been explained as a truce ground, but the atmosphere felt as though a real fight might break out at any moment, and I could not stop cold-sweating.
...If it comes down to it, maybe I should run...
At that moment, Blanc, who had somehow moved to my right side, wrapped herself around my arm.
"Hehehe, that won’t do. This child swore that he would serve only me. Isn’t that right?"
Squeeze...
...!?
B-Blanc? Those ladies’ stares just got even scarier...?!
For a moment, I lost myself in the soft sensation I was experiencing for the first time in my life. But the instant I felt the combined stares of three queens capable of effortlessly destroying an entire nation, the bliss of that softness quickly vanished.
"Hmph, there’s no need to follow a woman as selfish as her. Becoming my butler would be much more entertaining, wouldn’t it?"
"Hey. The only things you’ll get under those two are a few poison spells and curses. My Nuclear Magic is obviously better, so join my subordinates."
"Hehe, ignore those children. You only need to remain my retainer."
All three of them made their proposals as though they had rehearsed them in advance.
Each wearing a chilling smile.
"......"
...Why are they only doing this to me...?
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