Lord of Disease (JP-GL) 167

167: Regarding the Matter of the Heartless Monster’s Subordinates Gathering in the Basement Night After Night

Harken’s voice boomed as he entered the room.

“Everyone, the Lord of Disease is here!”

The spacious room was filled with… a horde of undead.

Skeletons and wraiths, in such a density that any ordinary person would be filled with despair. There was even a greater demon.

They were sitting at tables, surrounding them, in circles on the floor, and standing around them… and at the center of each group, they seemed to be playing… cards.

At Harken’s words, they all turned to me. The pressure of their gazes was immense.

“Um, Harken…?”

“You haven’t met them, have you, my master? Some were dispatched from the Undead Army, and some were awakened by Rebecca-dono, but they have all been formally assigned to the Sixth Army’s bodyguard unit.”

“—My… subordinates?”

“Of course, our master.” The single greater demon—Samarkand—stepped forward and bowed his head respectfully.

“What have you done?”

“…Is there… a problem?”

“You don’t understand?”

“I apologize.” Samarkand knelt on one knee.

“The first thing my new subordinates see of the Lord of Disease is me, in my pajamas, with a robe thrown on? That’s a problem!”

“…Is that all?” Harken tilted his head.

“Don’t say ‘that’s all.’”

“Let me assure you, no one here would laugh at the Lord of Disease, the master of this mansion, regardless of her attire. To wander the halls in such a state in the middle of the night… is a sign of your trust in us.”

“Well, that’s… true…”

“Then it is an honor for us.”

A sound, and I saw that everyone had followed Samarkand’s lead and knelt on one knee.

It was at times like these that I truly felt like a supreme commander.

I cleared my throat.

“—It is because of all of you that I can sleep soundly. I thank you.”

“Such kind words. It is a fortune to have a master who shows respect to her servants. A pleasant work environment is always a plus.” Harken laughed, rattling his jawbone.

“It is a fortune to have a master worthy of my service.”

A master worthy of his service.

Was I… that?

Until I came to this world, I had never thought of standing above others, of acting as an absolute ruler.

My orders killed people. Both enemy and ally.

The position was heavy. It was a burden.

—But it wasn’t bad.

To be able to sleep soundly, even in a world embroiled in a war of extermination between races, even as I was called a ‘heartless monster’ and the ‘enemy of humanity,’ the primary target.

To have people who believed in me, who would rejoice at a single word from me.

I smiled.

“At ease. I apologize for interrupting your fun.”

The tension in the room eased.

“…So? What is this?”

“As you can see, a break. Card games are a popular form of entertainment on the battlefield, as they require little equipment and can be enjoyed for a long time.”

“Are you gambling?” I glanced at the pile of copper coins on the simple table.

“We are only using them as markers. Rest assured, there is no money at stake.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say anything, even if you were.”

“My master is so tolerant.”

“A boss who meddles in their subordinates’ private lives is the worst.”

“…You say that with such conviction.”

“I may be a supreme commander now, but I was once a subordinate.”

—The kind of boss I wished I’d had… I was probably very different.

I thought of my own behavior—the inappropriate physical contact, the delusional statements—and I felt a pang of regret.

Aside from my perfect paperwork, I was the worst. And yet.

—The kind of subordinates I wished I had… were here.

I walked around the tables.

“…Lord of Disease?”

“It’s fine. I’m just watching.” I replied to the hesitant voice with a light tone.

Even though I knew the pressure of a superior’s ‘just watching,’ I still prioritized my own curiosity. A rather terrible boss.

As I walked around, I realized they weren’t all playing the same game.

It was reassuring that the rules of classic games, like poker, were the same.

Then, I stopped.

“…Old Maid?”

The suits of the cards and the hands of poker were the same, so it wasn’t surprising that it existed.

But here, in this fantasy world, this…

“…I-is something wrong?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. No.”

I had frozen, and the atmosphere had become tense.

“…It’s a game from my… distant… homeland. When I was a child… I used to play with my sister…”

A lump formed in my throat.

All I had left was a happy memory like this—a fragment.

Even though I couldn’t remember my name, or my sister’s.

The memory of a distant, peaceful happiness came back to me, so vividly, and with that vividness, it reminded me that it would never return.

Then, I heard the voice of a skeleton.

“—Then, would you care to join us?”

“Huh?”

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“Why not? —Our master says it’s a game from her nostalgic homeland. It would be a good opportunity to bond over a game of cards.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re about to lose.”

“W-well…”

The casual banter between comrades made me smile.

“Hehe… are you sure?”

“Of course! Right?!”

“Of course. I’ll get you next time.”

“Of course. I’ll beat you again.”

“Of course. Using our master as an excuse…”

One of them gave me their seat, and I sat down. The four of us were now gathered around the square table. Two skeletons, one wraith, and one—human.

I felt a sense of satisfaction, of belonging. No… it wasn’t just a feeling.

This was what I had gained.

“Ah, it’s been a while.”

I took the cards I was dealt and fanned them out.

“Just so you know, anyone who goes easy on me will be a toy for the Black Hound Barghests.”

“No need to worry. No one here would bring rank into a game.”

“Good.”

I nodded and discarded the pairs.

“Hahaha. I’m not so ambitious as to try to curry favor with my superiors by going easy on them in a game of cards.”

“Oh? You have no desire for promotion?” I bantered back and forth.

“No, it seems a bit too busy for me to be able to enjoy a game of cards.”

“What? Were you worried about that? Then you should follow my example. I play in between my duties.”

“Honestly, it would be nice if all our superiors were as frank as our master.”

A ripple of laughter spread through the room.

“But you will all regret this.”

The tension returned.

“…That… is?”

I smiled slowly.

“I’m good at this.”

A burst of laughter erupted.