Tilea's Worries

[TL notes: I would be happy if you gave `The Mysterious Child: An Adventure Tale Beginning with Numerology` a read, pretty fun story :D]

Darf, Cas, Milio, and Jin knelt down on one knee, surrounding me. With that idiot Ortissio busy trying to recruit more soldiers, now was the perfect time for a secret meeting.

“Darf, there’s no way we can let that idiot attend the meeting.”

“I agree with you, Edim-sama. This morning alone, Ortissio was a nightmare.”

“What happened?”

“We were trying to persuade him to let you rest, but he got angry and broke Milio’s ribs.”

“What!?”

“Thankfully, we managed to calm him down before more damage was done. But we were very close to being wiped out by him.”

“That idiot is hopeless.”

“Indeed, he knows no restraint. The blow he dealt Milio could have easily been fatal.”

No wonder Milio didn’t look well. He was holding his ribs and breathing heavily.

“Milio, are you alright?”

“I’m grateful for your concern… but please don’t worry about me. I’m fine. I will give my all for you, Edim-sama.”

His words were sincere. Milio would indeed give his life for me. His loyalty touched my heart deeply.

I grew increasingly disgusted with Ortissio for harming my loyal subordinate.

“Ortissio has been worse than expected. Absolutely intolerable.”

“Edim-sama, why is such an idiot our ambassador in the first place?” Cas asked the obvious question, and both Jin and Milio nodded in agreement. Darf had a pained expression, understanding the reasoning of the upper echelons of the Dark God Army.

“Cas’s question is valid. But the truth is, Ortissio was the only choice.”

“Why? I understand that Tilea-sama and Camilla-sama are out of the question, but there must be other suitable candidates.”

“Yes, it’s unthinkable for our leaders to be the ambassadors. But if the position is too low, we risk being underestimated by our enemies.”

As a vice-ambassador, my position was just right.

“Then what about Dryas-sama, Nielsen-sama, or Myuhen-sama? They would be perfect.”

“I thought the same. But we’re dealing with the Demon King’s army. This is an unprecedented diplomatic negotiation. There’s a real risk of losing our lives. If we send someone too valuable, it would be a significant loss if they were killed.”

“Ah, so Ortissio was the only disposable option.”

“Exactly.”

We sighed collectively, sharing the frustration.

“So, what do we do?”

“We use the final plan.”

“You mean that plan?”

“Yes, we have no other choice.”

“What about Ortissio’s subordinates?”

Cas brought up a good point. As a former adventurer, Cas had a practical mindset and was skilled at identifying risks.

Indeed, Ortissio’s subordinates were a problem. They were fiercely loyal to him and skilled fighters. Persuading them was impossible, and they would definitely interfere with our plan, causing considerable damage.

“Darf, any suggestions?”

“Well, we’ve already sent one subordinate back with the loot. We can create a pretext that the Demon King’s army might try to reclaim it and convince them all to return home.”

“That’s a great idea. Darf, make the arrangements.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Darf set about sending Ortissio’s subordinates away while I and the others prepared for the final plan.

After a while, Ortissio returned to the room, looking sour. It seemed his recruitment efforts had failed, as expected.

“Ortissio-sama.”

“What is it now? More trouble? I’m already annoyed with my recruitment failure, and all you ever do is hold me back.”

Right back at you.

But I forced a smile.

“No, it’s not that… I’ve arranged a feast for you.”

I showed Ortissio the lavish spread of food and drink. The table was laden with dozens of dishes, from familiar fare to exotic delicacies. There were various types of meat, wines from different regions, and an assortment of rare treats.

Ortissio had been busy trying to recruit more soldiers, so I asked Po to help prepare the feast. Despite my worries, Po had kept his word about treating us as guests, and the spread was exactly as requested.

There were enough dishes to feed over a hundred people, more than Ortissio could ever consume.

“Hmm. This looks quite extravagant.”

“Yes, I prepared this to show my appreciation for all your hard work, Ortissio-sama.”

“Oh ho, Edim, you’re finally starting to understand my greatness. It seems you’re maturing as a demon.”

Ortissio, in high spirits, sat down and started eating. He grabbed the chopsticks and began devouring the fresh fish and venison while boasting about his achievements. It was tiresome.

My irritation grew, but the plan was working. Ortissio’s guard was dropping.

The real work was just beginning. I needed him to lower his guard even more.

I took a sake bottle and moved closer to Ortissio.

“Ortissio-sama, please enjoy some sake.”

“Hmm.”

Reluctantly, I poured him a drink. I needed to get him drunk.

“Here, have another.”

I poured more sake.

Ortissio drank it down eagerly.

“Phew! This is good stuff. A fine sake indeed.”

“Yes, it’s a special brew from the Demon King’s army.”

I had asked Po to provide the strongest liquor available. Even demons would get drunk on this potent brew.

“Ugh… If I knew there’d be a feast, I wouldn’t have sent my men back.”

“It couldn’t be helped. We can’t risk losing the treasures we’ve acquired.”

“True enough. Haha, pour me another, Edim!”

“Yes, right away.”

Ortissio urged me to pour more.

Ugh!

After several rounds, Ortissio got overly familiar, putting his arm around my shoulder. Was he hitting on me?

Gross.

“Ortissio-sama, this is…”

“Huh? Oh, my mistake. I got carried away, thinking you were one of the courtesans from the capital. Haha, confusing you with them was a mistake.”

Ortissio laughed heartily.

I will kill you. I swear I will.

But I held back. Not yet. I had to wait for the right moment.

Ortissio continued to eat and drink until he was thoroughly inebriated. His eyes glazed over, and his speech slurred.

It was time.

“Ortissio-sama, would you like more?”

“Of course! I’m not done yet. Bring more!”

“Actually, we have a special dish for you.”

“A special dish?”

“Yes, a legendary fish. It’s all for you.”

“Oh, I can’t wait.”

“Bring it in!”

On cue, Darf and the others brought in a massive fish, over three meters long.

“This looks impressive.”

“Yes, but first, let me prepare it.”

I reached into the fish’s mouth and pulled out a rope.

Then…

I pounced on Ortissio, tying him up tightly.

“What!? Edim, you traitor!”

“Now! Kill him! Beat him to death!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

We attacked Ortissio with all our might. It was a coordinated assault by the strongest members of the Vampire Corps.

“Gah!”

“Don’t hold back! Hit him with everything you’ve got!”

Under normal circumstances, we couldn’t defeat Ortissio. But we had the element of surprise, and he was heavily intoxicated. Our chances were good.

“Darf, tie the rope to the pillar!”

“What strength!”

Jin was shocked. Despite being bound, Ortissio was incredibly strong. Using only his legs, he managed to twist Jin’s arm. We struggled to bind him further as he resisted with his entire body.

He’s really strong. It felt like my arms would be torn off. But I couldn’t back down now. I channeled all my strength into subduing him.

Take that! Full power!

"Buhhh, untie meee!" roared Ortidiot, veins bulging as he struggled.

It was futile. The rope was a divine artifact, the Rope of Heaven. Legend says it could even bind the god Hercules. Not even Nielsen-sama could break it. Although, Tilea-sama snapped it easily...

After a fierce struggle, we managed to bind Ortidiot to a pillar.

"Darf, what's our status?"

"Cas has a wrist injury, Jin's right arm is hurt, and my ribs are broken. Milio seems to have internal injuries and is unconscious."

"I see."

Even with the element of surprise and our intent to kill, the strongest of the Vampire Corps couldn't defeat him easily...

"You! Untie me! I won't forgive this! You'll pay for this, all of you!"

Ortidiot continued shouting curses. He was still so full of energy. Pure demons were terrifyingly strong.

"You'll regret this, Edim! Switching sides to the Demon King's army is pure folly. I'll carve your betrayal into your body!"

"Huh? Who said anything about betrayal? Do you know how much I adore the Dark God Army?"

Ortidiot's misunderstanding made me snap.

"If it's not betrayal, how do you explain your actions? Binding a high-ranking officer of the Dark God Army like this? Clearly, this is treason!"

"High-ranking officer? I'm doing this to ensure the success of this diplomatic mission."

"Fool! How can it succeed without me? You can't do it. Untie me!"

"No way. You're staying here until the meeting is over. Don't move, don't speak. Honestly, I'd prefer if you just died, but you're as stubborn as a goblin."

"You half-demon! Someone like you can't handle such an important task. This is a job for a true demon like me!"

"Hah. True, some demons like Camilla-sama are magnificent. But you're just an idiot."

"What!? An idiot!?"

"Oh, didn't you know? You're that stupid? You're a parasite on the Dark God Army, a burden."

"Bl-bl-blah blah blah!"

Ortidiot fumed, spewing curses. He was furious, straining against the ropes and gnashing his teeth.

It was futile. He was tightly bound. There was no way he could move.

Hah, serves him right. Finally, I could vent my frustrations.

"Edim-sama, we've come this far. Capturing him is too lenient. We should kill him to avoid future problems."

Cas had a point. The plan was to capture him, but on second thought, this idiot was a liability. Killing him now was best.

"Alright, let's kill—"

"Wait, Edim-sama!"

Just as I was about to give the order, Darf intervened.

"What is it?"

"A messenger from the Demon King's army is approaching."

I could hear footsteps heading towards our room.

"Darf, what do we do? Should we cover him with a curtain—"

"Edim-sama, it's too late."

As Darf said, a demon from the Demon King's army entered the room. The demon glanced at the bound Ortidiot, then approached us.

"Um, can I help you?"

"Governor Hidler has arrived. You are to come to the hall immediately."

"Right now?"

I wanted to deal with this idiot first.

"Are you planning to keep Governor Hidler waiting? That would be disrespectful."

"No, no, we'll come right away."

Damn, there's no time to kill Ortidiot. We need to get to the meeting immediately to avoid making a bad impression on Hidler.

"Oh, you, untie me! These traitors attacked their ambassador!"

Ortidiot desperately shouted at the messenger.

"Um, well, this is..."

"Sigh, infighting at a time like this? Foolish. Governor Hidler is waiting. Don't be late."

"Of course, we'll be right there."

The messenger seemed exasperated. Understandable, given how messy the room was with our internal conflict.

"Hey, wait! Where are you going?"

Haha, Ortidiot, your plan failed.

This is an internal matter of the Dark God Army. The Demon King's army wouldn't interfere.

The messenger ignored Ortidiot's plea and left the room.

"Wait! Damn it... Hey, you, open that cabinet!"

"What!? Are you insane?"

Has he lost his mind?

The cabinet held the corpse of the Demon King's soldier that Ortidiot crushed. We hastily stuffed the body inside during the cleanup.

Damn.

We should have used fire magic to burn it. But it would have taken time, and the smoke might have alerted the Demon King's army.

Damn it, leaving evidence was a mistake. We should have risked suspicion and burned it.

There's no use regretting it now. We need to deal with this crisis.

The messenger stopped and looked at us suspiciously.

"What's in the cabinet?"

"Nothing. Don't listen to the idiot. He's had a mental breakdown and talks nonsense. That's why he's tied up."

I tried to deflect, but the messenger walked towards the cabinet.

This is bad. Really bad.

Oh no! Blood is dripping from the cabinet!?

"Wait, about the meeting..."

I grabbed the messenger's sleeve to stop him.

"Let go!"

The messenger shook off my grip and opened the cabinet.

"What!? What is this?"

The messenger was horrified. The crushed soldier's body fell out. No wonder he was shocked.

"Uh, well, there's a reason for this."

"This is a serious issue. I need to report this to Governor Hidler—guh!"

"Haa, haa, haa... Secret Technique: Blood Magic."

In a flash, I cut the messenger's carotid artery. Blood gushed like a fountain, and he collapsed.

"Edim-sama, what now?"

"First, let's deal with this idiot—"

'Wait!'

Darf interrupted with a telepathic message. I quickly switched to telepathic communication.

'Darf, what's wrong?'

'Edim-sama, there's a problem. Look at the pillar Ortidiot is tied to.'

I looked at the pillar.

What!? It's about to break!?

'Edim-sama, the rope is indestructible. But the pillar is a different story. Ortidiot's brute strength is causing it to crack.'

This is bad.

Even now, Ortidiot is a handful. If the pillar breaks and he gets free, he'll kill us all.

'Darf, any ideas?'

'Luckily, Ortidiot is focused on the rope and hasn't noticed the pillar. I'll distract him with conversation to keep him from noticing.'

'Good plan.'

'Yes. I'll steer the conversation to keep him trying to break the rope.'

Darf could handle the idiot with his words.

'Okay, Darf, you deal with Ortidiot. Cas and I will go to the meeting.'

'Understood.'

'Jin, take care of Milio and support Darf.'

'Yes, ma'am.'

'We'll deal with Ortidiot after the meeting. We'll kill him swiftly.'

'Yes, ma'am!'

Killing two soldiers of the Demon King’s army. Containing a potential explosion.

Despite all the issues, I had to proceed with the meeting with Governor Hidler.

I, Alhas Edim, vice-ambassador of the Dark God Army, was about to face the longest day of my life.

Beep, beep, beep... 23:59... 24:00... Beep.