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]

An envoy from a great nation does not bow to the king of a small nation.

The difference in strength between the Evil God Army and the Demon Lord Army isn't significant, but I must have the resolve of a great nation’s envoy. I’m replacing that idiot as the envoy. Failure is not an option. I must ensure we aren't underestimated and that our demands are met.

With my spirits high, I head towards the hall where Hidler is waiting.

When I arrive at the hall, I find an even more luxurious magical palace. It's like a temple out of a fairy tale.

Beautiful. And how majestic it is.

The hall is filled with a rich variety of furnishings, and the ceiling is adorned with colorful stained glass windows that harmonize beautifully. Many of the items here alone could be national treasures. It's a stark contrast to the royal palace of the Kingdom of Arcdas. It truly rivals the treasure troves of the Evil God Army.

Of course, the grandeur of the room isn't the only impressive aspect.

Lining the hall on both sides are exceptionally powerful demons. These aren't just grunts; each one is a top-tier fighter. Among these high-ranking demons are two particularly notable figures. On the left front row stands Po, one of the Six Demon Generals, and on the right front row is a man with a sword scar, likely Zanza, another of the Six Demon Generals known for his exceptional sword skills.

And at the center of the hall...

A creature sitting on the throne, clad in armor. The aura it exudes is overwhelming, easily surpassing everyone present.

Commanding these extraordinary demons with an imperious gaze.

This is Hidler, the right hand of Demon Lord Zorg. The strongest entity in the Demon Lord Army in the Demon Lord's absence.

This... this is Hidler...

I'm overwhelmed. The Supreme Commander of the Demon Lord Army is no joke. Even Po, who treated Bakatisshio like a child, seems small compared to this man.

"Welcome. I am Hidler, Supreme Commander of the Demon Lord Army."

"…"

"Hey! Respond to the words of Supreme Commander Hidler!"

"S-sorry. I am Alhas Edim, envoy of the Evil God Army."

A small man next to Supreme Commander Hidler scolded me, making me hastily respond. This small man is likely Yoze, head of the Demon Lord Army's intelligence division. His appearance matches the information I received from Lord Nielsen, so there's no mistake.

"Kneel."

"Eh!?"

"What are you spacing out for? This is Supreme Commander Hidler's presence. Show respect."

What should I do?

If I obey completely, the face of the Evil God Army will be utterly disgraced. I'll be under their thumb in the ensuing diplomatic negotiations. I need to show a strong stance here.

I gather my courage and glare at Hidler.

"A-an envoy from a great nation does not—eek!"

I ended up bowing and kneeling.

Just as I was about to say "small nation," Hidler released a terrifying killing intent. My body trembles uncontrollably.

I can’t... I can’t show any more defiance.

"Very well."

Yoze nods with satisfaction.

I’ve been completely outmaneuvered.

For now, I'll present the letter and gauge their reaction.

After getting permission from Hidler, I lift my head and deliver my speech.

"S-Supreme Commander Hidler, I bring a letter from Lady Tilea of the Evil God Army."

"Very well, approach."

Upon Hidler's command, I stand up and approach the throne.

My legs feel heavy as if I’m walking on a bed of nails, but I muster the courage to move forward. When I reach a few meters from the throne, I look at Hidler.

Seeing him up close is even more intimidating. I swallow nervously. Hidler’s aura feels like it's scorching my entire body.

I hand the letter to Yoze, who is standing beside Hidler. Yoze takes the letter and presents it to Hidler.

Hidler reads the letter in silence.

Is he angry?

I can’t read Hidler’s expression. Objectively, the letter's contents are highly favorable to the Evil God Army. It wouldn’t be surprising if he’s angry.

Is he angry? Or not?

Hidler remains silent.

The silence is terrifying.

I can’t decide how to proceed if I don't know whether he’s angry.

After a while, Hidler finally reacts.

"Kukuku, hahaha!"

He suddenly bursts into loud laughter.

"Supreme Commander, what is it?"

"Yoze, look at this."

Hidler, smiling, hands the letter to Yoze. Yoze reads it intently.

"What!? This is..."

Yoze is speechless. Unlike Hidler, he doesn’t hide his emotions. His face shows that he finds the terms unbelievable.

Just as expected.

No matter how unreasonable the terms, I must continue the negotiations. That's the mandate from the Evil God Army’s upper echelons.

"Do you understand the contents? We wish for a prompt agreement..."

"Are you mocking us!? How dare you present such absurd terms!"

Yoze shouts, his face red with anger. The demons on both sides of the hall start murmuring. Even without reading the terms, they can infer the gist from our reactions. The demons glare at me with murderous intent.

I must not falter. No matter how intense the hostility, I cannot back down.

"I’m not mocking you. Lady Tilea is furious with Kouan's actions. Her wrath has split the earth and killed thousands. Entire towns have been razed to barren wastelands. Even now, in her rage, she’s destroying one or two cities."

Although a bit exaggerated, it’s true that Lady Tilea was enraged by Kouan’s actions. And with her power, such destruction isn’t far-fetched. I must press on, even with lies.

"Lady Tilea’s tantrums have caused this much damage. Imagine her fury directed at the Demon Lord Army. The thought alone chills me."

"You dare threaten us!"

Yoze screams, visibly shaken. The other demons are also disturbed.

"No, no, I would never dare. I’m merely stating facts. In reality, thousands of our subordinates have perished trying to calm her. Only after such sacrifice did she agree to these terms. If you refuse, I can no longer restrain her."

"Mmm, that is..."

The demons look troubled.

It seems Tilea’s defeat of the Evil God Trio has greatly influenced them. According to reports, the Demon Lord Army was nearly annihilated by the trio. That such a powerful entity was defeated by Tilea has instilled considerable fear in them.

Time to push harder.

"Is that alright? Lady Tilea is still furious. She’s tearing apart all living things, from winged dragons to ground dragons. If her anger continues, there will be no living creatures left."

In reality, she’s just making pancakes, tearing dough and tossing it into the oven, but it’s all the same with her power.

"I understand the power of the Evil God. It must not be underestimated. Thus, we shall consider this treaty."

"Supreme Commander, are you serious?"

"Of course, accepting all these terms unconditionally would disgrace the Demon Lord Army. You understand this as an envoy, don’t you?"

"W-well, yes, but..."

"Indeed, accepting these terms would be akin to unconditional surrender. We cannot dishonor Lord Zorg."

"Are you sure? Lady Tilea might come here."

"It cannot be helped. We have our pride. No matter how formidable the enemy, we cannot yield. Let us face them with the entire Demon Lord Army!"

Damn. Pushing further might be risky.

I need to aim for the best possible outcome, getting them to accept as many of our terms as possible.

"Understood. As an envoy, it’s my duty to make this diplomacy successful. Let’s reach an agreement that satisfies both parties."

"Very well. Firstly, about the first treaty clause..."

The first clause: The extradition of war criminal Kouan.

This is non-negotiable. We cannot let a war criminal roam free.

"There will be no compromise here. The extradition of Kouan is mandatory."

"Agreed."

"What!?"

Hidler agrees without hesitation. I didn't expect them to give up a comrade so easily. I'm a bit surprised, but as long as they agree, that's fine.

Hidler issues an order.

Soon, a man who appears to be Kouan is brought in a cage. His hair is disheveled, and his beard is overgrown, giving him a ghostly appearance.

I don't know Kouan’s face. I look to Casey. Casey knows Kouan’s face. My questioning glance asks, "Is this Kouan?" Casey nods. It seems he's the real deal.

Kouan, carried in the cage, looked haggard.

Had he been kept in prison all this time?

Despite his achievements in sowing discord and causing chaos within the Evil God Army, he was not treated as a hero.

"Why? Why am I being treated like this? I—why!?"

As expected, Kouan was ranting and raving.

"Kouan, you betrayed Lord Zorg."

"I-I'm terribly sorry. It was a momentary lapse in judgment. I was foolish. I repent. I will never make the same mistake again."

"Is that all you have to say?"

"I-I also caused discord and chaos within the Evil God Army. Please, let my achievements earn your forgiveness!"

"No. Betraying Lord Zorg, even once, is a grave sin. You must receive appropriate punishment."

"W-wait. Please, give me another chance..."

"Perish."

Hidler raised his hand, and the air around Kouan's neck twisted. A vortex of magic formed, enveloping him.

And then...

"Eek! Aaaahhh!!"

Kouan's screams echoed throughout the room.

What a brutal technique...

With my keen vampire vision, I saw it all clearly.

As Hidler swung his right hand, Kouan's neck twisted and then exploded. Blood showered the room.

"Is this satisfactory?"

"Th-the head..."

"What? Do you have any complaints?"

"N-no. None at all."

"Then the first treaty clause is fulfilled."

Though I couldn't bring back Kouan's intact head, it's clear he's dead. The higher-ups will have to accept this.

It's not because I'm scared of Hidler. Definitely not.

"Next, regarding the second treaty clause..."

The second clause: One trillion gold in reparations.

That's equivalent to the national budget of a small country. How much can we actually extract without any damages on our side?

Half... no, that's impossible. I’d be grateful if they agreed to even a third of it.

"Very well, we accept."

What!? I didn’t expect them to agree to the reparations so easily.

"You're really going to pay one trillion gold?"

"What do you mean? You've already taken it, haven't you? I have reports of you transporting our military furnishings recently."

Gah!

So they noticed after all.

I didn't expect them to play that card here...

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about..."

"It's pointless to feign ignorance. I can present evidence if needed, but do you really want to go through that trouble?"

I couldn't say a word. It’s better to admit it now than to worsen their impression of us.

"…Fine. We’ll consider those furnishings as part of the reparations. However, they still don’t add up to one trillion gold. You will pay the remainder, correct?"

"Our soldiers were killed."

"Ugh!?"

"We don't need weak soldiers in the Demon Lord Army. So, I don't seek revenge for those killed by the likes of you. But they were Lord Zorg's property. You'll pay for destroying his property."

I see...

They knew everything. Of course, they did. We caused a commotion right in the middle of the Demon Lord Army. It would be impossible for their intelligence unit not to notice.

This is bad. At this rate, we won’t get a single gold coin.

"Th-then we'll include the compensation for the soldiers along with the furnishings. But even so, it doesn’t reach one trillion gold, right?"

"The crimes of stealing our property and killing our soldiers can be addressed here."

"Ugh..."

"The second treaty clause is settled."

"Y-yes..."

Thanks to Ortidiot, I couldn't push any further. We essentially got no reparations.

"Finally, regarding the third treaty clause..."

The third clause: Defining the border between the Demon Lord Army and the Evil God Army. Exchange of Chishima and Karabuto.

We couldn’t secure reparations. This must succeed no matter what.

"Accepting the entirety of the third clause is difficult. Half of Karabuto already has our bases."

"I-I cannot concede either."

"Of course you’d say that. Here’s a proposal: how about exchanging the southern half of Karabuto? It’s still larger than Chishima and benefits the Evil God Army."

That's true. The initial terms were unreasonable, and thanks to Ortidiot, we owe the Demon Lord Army a lot. They’ve made significant concessions so far.

If we push further, things might get worse. It’s best to settle here. After all, they are the Demon Lord Army. Who knows what tricks they have up their sleeves. They might be planning a reversal at any moment.

"Understood. That will be fine."

"Good. However, I have one more proposal."

Here it comes!

No way the fierce Demon Lord Army would negotiate this easily.

"And what is that proposal?"

"How about we have a truce between the Demon Lord Army and the Evil God Army?"

"Do you mean an alliance? I can’t decide that on my own."

"No. We both aim for world domination. An alliance is unnecessary. But let’s focus on solidifying our territories first. It’s essentially a neutrality declaration."

A truce between the Evil God Army and the Demon Lord Army...

A neutrality declaration...

It seems fair at first glance, but it’s not. The longer this drags on, the more disadvantageous it is for the Evil God Army. They probably want to buy time for the Demon Lord’s revival.

Hidler, this was your true aim all along.

"Even a neutrality declaration is a major decision I can't make alone."

"Are you trying to disgrace Supreme Commander Hidler, who has made so many concessions? We could easily tear you apart if negotiations fail!"

The demons on both sides start making a ruckus. The intense killing intent from both sides makes me break out in a cold sweat. But if I agree to a treaty on my own, the higher-ups in the Evil God Army will kill me.

"No matter what you say, I can't decide on a truce by myself."

"Evil God Army envoy, this is where you show your skills. Go back and convince the Evil God. We don’t want to start a conflict if we can avoid it."

"But..."

"Are you a mere child’s messenger? We could boil you alive to start!"

"That's right. If you keep whining, we’ll eat you right here and now!"

The demons on either side shouted terrifying threats at me, probably because they think I’m weak.

I have no choice. I must rely on Lady Tilea’s authority again.

"If you kill me, Lady Tilea won’t stay silent. She will annihilate you all."

"Th-that..."

Mentioning Lady Tilea's name had an immediate effect. The demons quieted down. This is my chance. I’ll use Lady Tilea’s authority to steer the negotiation in our favor.

"I am Lady Tilea’s representative. Do not forget that."

"Damn. If only Lord Zorg were here..."

"Even if the Demon Lord revives, it's futile. Before Lady Tilea, he is like a baby."

"You’ve gone too far."

"Eh!?"

"I don't care what you say, but I won’t tolerate any disrespect towards Lord Zorg!"

"Eek!"

Hidler’s intense killing intent made me step back.

Oh no. I went too far.

Angered by the insult to his lord, Hidler’s terrifying aura surged.

I-I’m going to be killed.

Hidler stood up from his throne and approached me step by step.

Cas fainted from the intense aura. If I let my guard down, I might faint too.

"A-a-a..."

The fear was so overwhelming that it felt like my blood was flowing backward.

My teeth chattered, and my legs trembled uncontrollably.

Scary, scary, scary!

Hidler raised his massive arm. Even before he touched me, it felt like a knife had pierced my chest.

Eek!

I was so terrified that I wet myself. The golden liquid soaked into the hall’s carpet.

"Kukuku, Hidler-sama. It seems this one has wet himself."

"I see. He truly is like a child. Getting serious with a child would disgrace the Demon Lord Army."

Hidler lowered his raised fist and sat back on his throne.

"Little envoy. Take our response back. Understood?"

"Y-yes."

I managed to reply, then collapsed on the spot.