Lord of Disease (JP-GL) 351

351 The Listrea High Council

I was attending a military council of the supreme commanders, as a supreme commander.

Seven of us were gathered in a circle in a corner of the grassland, the sound shielded by magic.

From the First Army, Lital, the Dragon Mother.

From the Second Army, Bringit Finis, the Blood Knight.

From the Third Army, Lathus, the Broken Fang.

From the Fourth Army, Eldritch, the Greater Wraith.

From the Fifth Army, Listrea, the Old One.

From the Sixth Army, the Lord of Disease.

And our Demon King, who led them all.

It was the first time that all six supreme commanders had gathered under His Majesty the Demon King, but there was nothing special about it, and the military council proceeded in an orderly fashion.

As you can see from the fact that even the vice-commanders were not present, it was not so much a military council as a notification of contact information. The basic things had already been decided.

We reviewed the plan, and then we shared the additional elements. The thorough dissemination of the fact that the dragons, led by Lital-sama, who had decided to participate in the battle, were our allies. And the decision on how to use the death knights of the Sixth Army, the Order of Disease, who had begun to be called by a grandiose name due to their immense power.

And my deployment.

“…Lord of Disease.”

His Majesty, who had been the only one sitting in a simple chair, except for Lital-sama, who was lying down because she was too large, called my name.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I am to be deployed to the front lines as a decoy.”

My role in a large-scale battle like this had been decided in a discussion with His Majesty. I would raise the Plague Banner on the front lines and serve as a decoy. Of course, since I was a decoy, a force would be deployed to intercept the enemy, and I was not a disposable pawn.

“About that… have you reconsidered?”

“…Huh?” I didn’t really understand what he had said, and I let out a foolish cry.

“You have already done enough. I will give you permission to withdraw from the front lines and to fall back. …Everyone, any objections?”

“Of course not. The Lord of Disease has achieved the feat of incorporating many dragons, who were once our enemies, into our First Army.” Said Lital-sama.

“None. Even without their leader, the knights of the Sixth Army will fulfill their duty.” Said Bridget.

“None. You can stay back with my Aithys.” Said Lathus.

“None. To have raised the knights I gave you to that level… that is the pinnacle of the undead…” Said Eldritch-san.

“If it is His Majesty’s words. I believe that with your achievements so far, it is enough.” Said Listrea-sama.

“That’s ridiculous. Who would wish to be left out of the loop at a time like this?”

—And I, the Lord of Disease.

“…Loop?” Bridget tilted her head.

“Bridget, do you not have the word ‘loop’?”

“A plant… a reed?”

“That’s different. —Um, it’s an idiom from my homeland. It means to be left out.”

“…You have completely fulfilled your duty. Is there any need for you to take any more risks?”

“Your Majesty. …I have looked up to a kind person as my king. But if you are a king, then I would ask you not to be swayed by a momentary emotion. —And all of you, too.”

I glared at everyone.

“I have completely fulfilled my duty? We have not yet won. I have no intention of telling only my subordinates to die. The Black Hound Barghests of the Sixth Army are under my command. And I am a decoy. A human with no power, to gain the position of a supreme commander of the Demon King’s army in this country, I have taken the name of the Lord of Disease. Until we win this war, until humanity is destroyed… until I am the last one, I have no intention of casting this name aside.”

“…This decisive battle is one that will involve the entire army. I intend to do my best… but I do not know what will happen.”

“That is the same for everyone.”

“I don’t think so. If you raise that flag… the Plague Banner… the enemy will swarm you. And besides, you’re not a warrior.”

“Lathus, I am aware of that. …I may not be a warrior. But I am a protector of this country… and I intend to be a soldier.”

It was a profession that was very far from me. And while the vacation system was different in each army and was not properly maintained, we were a regular army… and our operations were based on the premise of our own deaths. I had no intention of nodding to an order to die, but if it was a mission where there was a possibility of dying, I had ordered my subordinates to do it many times.

“Are you not… afraid of dying?”

“Bridget. …I am. It’s always scary. But to have something I can do, and to have it all end without me knowing… to think that if I had done something, things might have been different, that is what I am afraid of.”

I had not wanted to be a ‘guest’ in this country. I would have been given a room in the royal castle, and I would have been kept in the dark about the important things, and I would have been allowed to live, just by spouting my knowledge of Earth when asked. After all, I was just a human with no power.

But in that case, Liz would probably not have been by my side.

“…Your resolve has not changed?”

“Your Majesty, I will go, of my own volition.”

I had come this far, of my own volition.

“My hands are already stained. Do not treat me as special now.”

There were those who had been killed by my orders. And yet, they had all been killed for the sake of this country. And I had no intention of letting their deaths be in vain.

“…Damn it. You fool.” Lathus clicked his tongue and spat.

“I know that very well. But I don’t want to be a bastard who doesn’t do what he can.”

Lathus laughed, his wolfish mouth wide.

“—It’s a waste to keep you as an earless.”

“…Lathus?”

“All we have to do is to kill all the ones who are charging at this fool, and then to hit the weakened enemy’s main camp, right? —And we have the ones who can do that, right here.”

“…You say that so lightly. The enemy army is more numerous than us. Do not underestimate the humans. There are those among them who have changed our common sense.”

Hey, Bridget, are you talking about me?

“Oh? You’re not confident, Bringit?”

“—Do not underestimate the Dark Knights. We will do it. Or what? Are you picking a fight?”

“I’d rather go to war with all of humanity than to pick a fight with the Dark Knights.”

The two of them laughed, fearlessly.

It was reassuring, but the Second and Third Armies had also lost many of their elite and were now filled with volunteers. I wanted to think it was the same for them, but in truth, I didn’t know how much of their forces had been preserved.

“…I have no objection, as the Fourth Army. But personally… it will be dangerous.”

Eldritch-san placed a bony hand on his jawbone and seemed to be thinking.

“It depends on how much the Lord of Disease is hated…”

“I am confident in that. I will thoroughly incite their anger and hatred and rob them of their ability to make a rational judgment.”

Everyone’s expression was one of exasperation.

It was probably because this was a private setting. It was not an expression that a Demon King or a supreme commander should be making in a public setting.

After they had all exchanged a look, Bridget spoke.

“Hey. Do you know the word ‘risk’?”

“I know it well, Bridget. I’m the type to carefully consider the risks and the returns.”

“And your own safety? Is it a secondary concern?”

“That’s right. About second?”

I had disregarded my own safety before, and I would probably do so again. But this time, the first priority was to ‘serve as a decoy, to increase the enemy’s casualties, and to reduce our own.’ And the second was my own safety.

“Lord of Disease. …You are human, are you not?” Listrea-sama tilted her head.

“Yes, Old One-sama. I am human, through and through. —For some reason, I am often asked that.”

“That… such a thing… is the human spirit…?”

“—Yes.” I smiled faintly.

“To fight with your life on the line for what is precious to you is a matter of course. —No matter what race you are.”

I wished for a world where everyone could pursue their dreams without risking their lives. I wished for a world where you didn’t have to pursue a similar dream of peace, while killing and being killed by an opponent you might have been able to laugh with.

That was probably a bloodstained dream.

When I had come to this world, humans and demons had been pointing their swords at each other. Their hatred had become entangled, and it was a knot that no one could untie.

I looked at Bridget and smiled a little. Bridget, though with some hesitation, smiled back.

And yet, in such a world, there had been someone who had extended a hand to a different race. Someone who, if they had only thought of their own race, their own country, would not have had to feel any pain, had felt a pain in their chest, for having almost killed me. If she had killed me, no one would have blamed her. We, who had been summoned to this world… were not ‘things’ of this world. To Bridget, I was an enemy race. Since our countries were different, I was not strictly an enemy… but I was not an ally either. Even in Listrea, considering that they were grouped together by race for operational convenience… the fact that we were of different races was a heavy factor.

And yet, she had saved me… and now, she treated me as a close friend.

Bridget’s expression turned serious, and she looked at me.

“…Don’t die. That’s all.”

“Thank you, Bridget.” How much feeling was contained in those short words.

“…Lord of Disease.”

Lital-sama, in a voice as smooth as worn steel, called my name. A dragon’s voice, calling a human’s name.

The seven of us gathered here were of six different races. Aside from His Majesty and Bridget, who were both dark elves, we were all of different races.

“We will not forget that you have called us dragons your comrades. …And you, too, do not forget. Though you are human, you are also a comrade who belongs to the nation of Listrea.”

“…! —Yes.”

At Lital-sama’s gentle words, my throat tightened, and I nodded, looking down.

“Lord of Disease, you are a supreme commander of our nation’s pride, the Demon King’s army… one of the six I trust most. I will accept your loyalty and your resolve, King of Disease and Poison. Fulfill your duty. And be the last human.”

As if to drive the point home, His Majesty also smiled. —Everywhere I looked, everyone I looked at, I felt like, Wait, am I dead? There were only gentle smiles.

I had thought I had built up a tolerance, with Liz and the others, but while I had gotten used to hatred, perhaps there was no getting used to kindness.

Flustered, I pulled my hood down. I hadn’t had time to fix my hair, so it was a mess, but now, the gazes were more painful… no, gentle.

“B-Bridget, do something.”

“No. His Majesty is more important than me, and everyone else is of the same rank.” Bridget laughed, a little too loudly. Compared to when we had first met, she seemed to have become much more flexible. No, it was definitely not my imagination. What kind of a bad friend had been a bad influence on her?

And as I was distracting myself with such useless thoughts, Bridget approached me.

“Bridget? —Whoa?!”

My hood was pulled down, and my hair spread out. The part that had fallen over my face was brushed away, and for some reason, my head was patted. The feel of the leather gloves, and the faint sound of the metal gauntlets rubbing against each other. A gentle, but familiar, and not at all reserved, touch.

“W-what are you doing?”

“Well, it’s not often I get to see the heartless monster like this, so I just…” Bridget’s expression was serious, but her eyes were smiling.

“I’ll show you as much as you want, after the war is over!” I shouted, and Bridget’s mouth also smiled.

“—It’s a promise.”

And so, I was showered with gentle gazes.

If this military council were to be recorded in history, this part would have to be cut.