437: A Supreme Commander’s Example
Liz continued, smoothly.
“It was you who taught me ‘reality,’ Lord of Disease. The training method for a Black Hound Barghest is, strictly speaking, still unknown, and the day it is completely understood—may never come. But that is that, and this is this. The fact that we can build a relationship of trust, as a reality, you have shown me, with your ‘magnificent behavior.’”
And she turned her gaze to the beastmen.
“Do you understand all of the magical beasts you are raising and training? Even a griffin is a legitimate ‘magical beast’ that can kill us if it wants to. Even a mere hunting dog can easily kill a person if it suddenly bares its fangs. And yet, we accept that. We are side by side with danger, and yet we can build a relationship of trust.”
And Liz turned and looked at me. Our eyes met.
“…That is what I have been doing.”
Her words had weight.
As expected of a vice-commander who had served a crazy supreme commander, with the final judgment entrusted to her as a ‘safety device in case of an emergency.’
While she was taking care of my personal needs as a maid—we had gotten along, we had built a relationship of trust, and yet, she had been prepared for an emergency. When that time came, no matter how close we had become personally—Liz would have surely killed me. If I had become an enemy of this country.
…I was truly glad that that time had not come.
“Then, please. ‘As you always do.’”
Liz smiled.
“…Hey, do I really have to? …In front of people?”
“…This is not a training. The magical beast species is a threat to the inhabitants of the Dark Forest. That perception is, even in the magical beast division… no, that is why it is so deeply rooted. Therefore, a method that shatters that image itself is effective.”
“The image of the Lord of Disease…” I had a feeling I was shattering it along with it.
“It is for the sake of the nation.”
Her words had weight.
As expected of a vice-commander who had served a crazy supreme commander at the closest distance…
I steeled myself. I cleared my throat and returned to my composed, supreme commander-like attitude.
“—As a supreme commander, I will show you an ‘example.’”
I pinched the hem of my robe and, with a few shakes, I released about ten of them from the shadows.
I was a supreme commander of the Demon King’s army. With that pride, I would cast aside all of my pride.
I spread my arms with a radiant smile and called to the Barghests.
“Come, you all!”
I, who had cast aside all sorts of things.
“Ah, you fluffy things!”
I hugged the nearest one and savored the feel of the fur on its neck.
“Two at once, you’ve learned a luxury. Well, I’m the one who has become the most luxurious!”
I, who was lying on my back, with two Barghests who had rolled over and were showing their bellies, was petting their belly fur.
“Mmm… warm… fluffy…”
I, who was buried in the Barghests who had gathered without a word, was sleeping soundly.
“…Lord of Disease. Isn’t this a little strange?”
Malinois’s exasperated voice, as if representing the voices of everyone behind me.
“It’s not strange.”
I, who had made up my mind. And I returned to my composed face and tone.
“—If you ask me, you’re the strange ones. You can pet these adorable black dogs to your heart’s content. And that’s an order, a job.”
“…With such a straight face… such a crazy thing…”
Malinois, her black eyes filled with confusion, her gaze wavering.
“You’re doing it, Lord of Disease.”
Catral-san’s voice. She was in her usual, neat navy military uniform, and her wavy black hair was also arranged. She was accompanied by Aithys, who was also in a navy military uniform.
Thinking it was a good opportunity, I beckoned to her, who was a composed, commander-like figure.
“You too, Catral-san?”
Pinch, I pinched the hem of my robe and lifted it, and the Barghests came out from under it, one after another.
“May I?!”
Her black cat ears twitched.
Almost at the same time as I nodded, Catral-san leaped at the Barghests who had come to her and hugged them. The black dogs, who accepted her without any sign of dislike, gathered around her, and Catral-san was half-buried and hard to see. It was a sight of zero restraint.
“See, Catral-dono is adapting so well.”
The members of the magical beast division, with an unreadable expression, shook their heads or looked away. And they said, one after another.
“Catral-sama is a little special.”
“Yes. Catral-sama is an extraordinary animal lover.”
“I won’t deny that.”
Catral-san, while petting the Barghests, brushed off their words with a composed, cool face.
She wasn’t denying it.
I pushed my way out from the pile of Barghests and stood up, and I looked at Aithys.
“Aithys, how are your injuries?”
“I told you this morning. It was a light wound, and I’ve had a proper healing spell cast on me, so I’m fine now. Just in case, I’ve been told not to make any strenuous movements.”
She smiled and answered. Her figure, combined with her military uniform, looked like a senior officer. In theory, the military uniform itself was not related to rank, and besides, there were no detailed ranks in Listrea. The simplicity of having the supreme commanders at the top and each army assigning a rank was, in a way, rational.
As a custom, it was mostly the commander-class who wore a military uniform. And the civilian officials. Perhaps it was because it was made of magic cloth and was custom-made, like a griffin rider’s flight suit, that it was a little expensive. It was only natural that the budget was allocated to the military attire of the battlefield, such as armor, and it was only natural that it was prioritized for the commanders, who needed to maintain their authority even after they had taken off their armor, and for the civilian officials, who had no such military attire.
“I want to see Leaf soon. They say his injuries weren’t serious, but.”
After the three days of training, Aithys was also to return to the mansion. Since Leaf was resting at the mansion, that would be when they would be reunited. There would probably be a change in their deployment, eventually. Until then, I would have to ask Lathus to be patient.
Then Aithys looked at Liz with an apologetic expression.
“…Ah, Liz. That, the flight suit… I’m sorry. I tore it to shreds.”
“No. What’s important is you, Aithys. And besides, if it’s just that much, I can re-weave the mana in the frayed parts and it will be as good as new.”
Liz replied gently, and Aithys’s face was one of relief. And she turned to Malinois and the others, who were still keeping a clumsy distance from their partners.
“Thank you, everyone. …For searching for me.”
At Aithys’s shy words, everyone smiled and nodded in silence. It was an exchange that conveyed a solid sense of solidarity.
Aithys turned to me and asked, casually.
“Hey. The coordination training with the Barghests—what are you doing?”
“The two of them came just as I was showing them an ‘example.’”
I put my hand on the neck of one of them, who had rubbed its face against my hand, and stroked it with the back of my hand. Aithys’s expression was one of confusion.
“Huh? I thought this was a break, in between the training.”
And she stared at me, who was surrounded by a few Barghests.
“…You look the same as always. Is there something wrong with my eyes?”
“They’re not wrong.”
Incidentally, whether you said that or not depended on the person.
