Tilea's Worries

“Dryas-kun, what’s going on?”

I bombarded Dryas with questions as he made his dashing entrance. If he knew anything about this commotion, I definitely wanted to hear it.

“This disturbance is the work of the Demon King’s army.”

“What! The Demon King’s army!”

“Damn that Hidler. He’s finally making his move!”

Timu and the other leaders of the Evil God’s army began to stir.

Everyone seemed unable to hide their surprise.

I was shocked too.

The Demon King’s army—what a nostalgic name.

But I couldn't believe that Hidler-san would resort to such underhanded pranks.

“Dryas-kun, are you sure? Isn’t it a mistake?”

“No, there’s no mistake. We confirmed that Kouan, the instigator, secretly left our camp last night and defected to the Demon King’s army.”

“I see. But why would Kouan do something so horrible?”

“We’ve obtained the details. Kouan, who worked in the Second Division’s food supply unit, was punished with a whipping for the crime of delaying food procurement. Furthermore, Ortissio publicly humiliated him, which likely drove him to act out of resentment.”

As he explained, Dryas glared at Ortissio.

“That’s because he not only delayed food procurement but also made excuses that he was sheltering from the rain to avoid being robbed by bandits. It was a justified punishment!”

Ortissio retorted, refusing to back down.

“Tilea-sama, this is clearly due to Ortissio’s lack of managerial ability. The Demon King’s intelligence chief, Yoze, took notice of Kouan. He used Kouan to spread rumors that Ortissio was planning a rebellion in the underground empire.”

“What!? Are you saying this is my fault, Advisor?”

“Exactly. Your foolish actions drove Kouan to the enemy!”

Ortissio and Dryas began to argue fiercely.

Words like “whipping” and “beating” were flying around, but it seemed this commotion was due to a spat between Ortissio and Kouan.

Dryas, as expected, knew all the details. He wasn’t head of the Joint Chiefs for nothing.

Hmm, I see.

Kouan defected from the Demon King’s army and joined our Evil God’s army. But since he didn’t get along with Ortissio, he went back to the Demon King’s army.

Dryas’s explanation, in a nutshell, was like that.

Well, that’s fine. This sort of thing happens in clubs and circles all the time. Leaving because you don’t get along with someone isn’t necessarily bad.

However, Kouan badmouthed Ortissio to everyone before leaving.

That’s the problem.

He should’ve left without causing trouble!

“What a jerk.”

“You’re right, sister. He disrespected the Evil God’s army and you!”

Timu stood up, his anger evident.

“Kouan is unforgivable. And Dryas, we’ve completely fallen into the enemy’s trap!”

“Indeed. How will you take responsibility as the strategist?”

“Of course, as the strategist, I was aware of the enemy’s plans.”

“Then why didn’t you stop them!?”

“Exactly!”

The perverts joined in, agreeing with the other leaders.

Now the blame had shifted from Ortissio to Dryas.

Words like “strategy” and “conspiracy” were very dramatic, but everyone had a point. If he knew about the plan, why didn’t he stop this commotion? I wanted an explanation.

“Dryas-kun, everyone’s right. This is completely falling into the enemy’s ploy, right? How could someone as smart as you fall for such a scheme and leave it unchecked? I’m disappointed. A nation with a strategist with an intelligence of 90 or above wouldn’t fall for such a cheap trick.”

“Tilea-sama, it was possible to stop the scheme. However, the Demon King’s army is a mysterious entity. There’s much we don’t know even when we try to gather information. So when they made a move, we had to capitalize on it. This incident, caused by Ortissio’s poor management, was an opportunity. By pretending to fall for their plan, we could turn the tables on them.”

“I see. As expected of the Evil God’s army’s brains, Dryas. Well done.”

“Indeed. To deceive the enemy, start by deceiving your allies.”

Dryas’s strategic words seemed to convince everyone.

Of course, using their strategy against them—impressive, right? Or so you thought!

…Sigh… I’m speechless.

This issue involved a riot and Ortissio’s life.

Was this really worth it for a game of make-believe war?

Look at Ortissio—he’s trembling with rage at Dryas’s actions.

“Dryas-kun.”

“Yes?”

“Come here.”

I ordered Dryas to come closer.

He approached and knelt down beside me.

As soon as he lifted his head, I pulled his ear.

“Ow!”

Dryas groaned in pain, but I didn’t stop.

His delicate elf ear stretched out even more.

“Dryas, what have you done? I had no idea you were up to something like this. Do you understand?”

“Y-yes. That is…”

“Tilea-sama, please forgive me for interrupting.”

Bel, from the Fourth Division, suddenly spoke up.

Bel was Dryas’s subordinate. He must have something to say.

“What? You’re a co-conspirator in this reckless plan too, right?”

“N-no. Tilea-sama, Dryas-sama did not intend to disregard you. He distributed a proposal beforehand…”

“A proposal?”

Come to think of it, Bel did hand me a thick document a few days ago.

I meant to look at it later but forgot.

“…I didn’t read it.”

“I see. The entire plan was detailed there. We never intended to proceed without your consent.”

“So, you’re saying it’s my fault for not reading it? Bel, you’ve got some nerve.”

“Eek. N-no, that’s not what I meant…”

Bel paled at my threatening tone.

These guys thought giving advance notice was enough to justify this nonsense!

“Sure, I didn’t read the strategy document. That’s my fault. I apologize. But did you think I’d approve of causing a riot?”

“Yes. We had to pretend to be fooled to avoid detection by the enemy. The riot and Ortissio’s execution added credibility—ugh!”

I smacked Dryas on the back of his head.

Causing a riot is going too far. This isn’t just a game anymore.

By the way, Dryas even made poison.

What did the strategy document say about that? Were you really planning to use it?

That’s no joke.

“Dryas, you’re quite the fool. Don’t you know the difference between what’s acceptable and what’s not?”

“Tilea-sama, are you saying the strategy had issues?”

“It had lots of issues. Look, your actions almost set this underground empire on fire. Ortissio was on the brink of despair, about to die.”

“Tilea-sama, rest assured. Even if this underground empire burns, we’ll secure a new base. Far better than the shack Ortissio provided. Besides, there are plenty of officers like Ortissio. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Dryas-kun, there are so many things I want to say. But let me tell you one thing.”

“Yes?”

“You don’t have the right to burn this underground empire. If you’d let the riot go and caused a fire, it would’ve been a huge problem.”

Seriously, this underground empire belongs to Ortissio’s father. If they burned down a noble’s villa, we’d all be executed.

“You’re right. I don’t have the authority to decide the fate of this underground empire. I should’ve sought your approval, Tilea-sama.”

“No, it’s not about my approval…”

I don’t have that authority either. And if a fire breaks out, the owner would be punished regardless. So, what? If I approved, you’d burn it down?

What is it? You guys?

I looked at Dryas and the other members of the Evil God’s army.

Yeah, they have that look.

If I ordered them, they’d charge into even the most heavily guarded palace. Their loyalty level is over 95, with faces full of devotion.

I guess I underestimated you guys.

That’s why dealing with chuunibyou is tough…

Well, fine.

I’ll use their chuunibyou nature to my advantage.

I’m technically their ruler. They’ll follow my orders.

“So, my orders are absolute, right?”

“Of course. Tilea-sama’s words are our top priority.”

“Good. Then no more causing riots.”

“Yes. We’ll engrave it in our hearts.”

Alright, this should prevent further riots.

“So, sister. What will you do next?”

“Well, since this mess was caused by Kouan, I feel like complaining to the Demon King’s army.”

“Does that mean you’ll start an invasion?”

“Oh, will you finally rise up?”

“Banzai for world domination!”

“You guys…”

No, if I send these chuunibyou idiots, they’ll start trouble. I’d be causing trouble for Hidler-san.

Should I go myself?

No, I have a shop. I can’t go on a long trip.

But I can’t let Kouan get away with this. I want to give him a piece of my mind.

Hmm, I know!

There’s a way to send these chuunibyou patients without causing trouble.

“Listen, this is diplomacy. You can’t run a country thinking about war all the time.

 Domestic affairs, intelligence, and diplomacy come before war. You can’t be war-crazy like you are. Be a bit more rational.”

“Understood, Tilea-sama!”

“Good.”

“So, for diplomacy, should we demand compensation for the damage, extradition of Kouan, and boundary determination between the Demon King’s and Evil God’s territories?”

“Yes, something like that.”

“Understood. We’ll finalize the details at the Joint Chiefs. And who will be our envoy?”

“Of course, Ortissio will go as the involved party.”

“Is Ortissio capable of handling such an important role?”

Hmm, the Demon King’s army is in the Zarugi area, right?

There might be bandits or monsters on the way. Ortissio alone might be unreliable. He needs someone to watch over him like a first-time errand runner.

The best choice for an escort would be Edim, the strongest vampire.

“Yes, it’s worrisome to send Ortissio alone. Edim, could you support him?”

“What!? M-me?”

“You don’t want to?”

“N-no, it’s not that… But me, in the middle of the Demon King’s army…”

“Edim, you dare defy sister’s command? Disobeying her is treason!”

“No, no. Camilla-sama, I am a loyal servant of the Evil God’s army.”

“Then you know your answer.”

“O-of course. I will fulfill this duty with my life.”

Alright, this way Ortissio will broaden his horizons.

And with Edim protecting him, it’s a solid plan.