Tilea's Worries

Today, we are hosting a welcome party for the Demon King's army at a rented venue. Our troops are busy with the preparations, running up and down.

"Welcome, Demon King's army and entourage..."

Previously, Edim and Oru went as special envoys to the Demon King's army for diplomatic purposes. Now, the Demon King's army is returning the favor by sending their envoys. The delegation consists of around ten people, with the representative being someone called Zanza of the Six Demon Generals.

Oh boy, another one of the Six Demon Generals.

But at least this time, they’re not here to complain like Killer and Garm. We need to keep good relations with our circle friends.

So, to entertain Zanza and his group, we rented out a nobleman's mansion on West Street. It’s a charming mansion, perfect for a party venue.

Initially, I thought hosting the party in the Underground Empire of the Evil God Army would be fine. The Underground Empire is spacious. However, Dryas and the other executives opposed it. They didn't want our headquarters to be known to the enemy.

Well, officially, the Evil God Army and the Demon King Army are adversaries. I get their point.

Upon further reflection, I realized they were right. After all, I wouldn’t want things in Oru’s secret villa to get broken or stolen during a raucous party.

This place is spacious and clean, perfect for entertaining guests.

The troops are bustling about. I should probably help out too.

What should I do...?

Alright, I’ve decided.

Zanza and his team have already arrived. I’ll brew some delicious tea for them.

I head to the venue's kitchen to find some tea leaves. Opening the cupboard, I find some Masmatec tea leaves, a high-quality tea often used by nobles. These tea leaves fetch an eye-popping price on the market. And here they are, just sitting out in the open without a lock.

Oru’s wealth is truly astounding.

Basically, I have permission from Oru to use anything here freely. He even said that everything in this world is mine, so there’s no need for permission.

With such confidence, I decide to use the high-grade tea leaves.

Without hesitation, I put the tea leaves, worth hundreds of thousands of gold, into the teapot. I pour in hot water, letting the leaves steep while gently stirring them with a spoon to ensure an even flavor.

Perfect timing!

The aroma of Masmatec tea fills the air, tickling my nose. This is a professional touch that sets it apart from amateurs. It would have been perfect if I had used soft water.

I’d give myself an eighty-nine out of a hundred.

I load the brewed tea and freshly baked tea snacks onto a tray and head to Zanza and his group’s waiting room.

Hmm? As I get closer to the waiting room, I notice more and more troops stationed around.

There are two or three dozen troops on each side of the hallway, and guards are posted everywhere.

What is this? This is too much.

It looks like they’re transporting dangerous criminals. The security is over the top.

As I move through the overzealous troops, I run into Edim’s father.

He’s busy directing other subordinates about the security details, saying things like "add two more at the end of the stairs" or "the north side is under-guarded."

Are you a presidential bodyguard or something?

I want to say something, but I can't. Edim's father, due to the side effects of becoming a vampire, is genuinely aiming for the Evil God Army to take over the world. Even at a playful party, he is dead serious. As expected of a former military man, his commands are formidable.

The atmosphere is tense. I better not interfere.

“Excuse me.”

I try to pass by Edim’s father quickly, but he stops me.

“Tilea-sama.”

Sigh, here we go again...

Ever since becoming a vampire, Edim’s father has been constantly nagging me. “Behave more like a ruler,” he says.

It’s not as nasty as Jeje’s snark, but he’s persistent.

“Edim’s dad, I’ll listen to your lecture later.”

“Tilea-sama, I’ve told you many times…”

“Yes, yes, I understand. I understand. Behave like a ruler, right?”

I’ve just brewed the perfect tea…

If I dawdle, it’ll get cold.

I have no time to deal with him seriously. I’ll just agree to whatever he says to get him off my back.

I clear my throat and point at Edim’s father.

“Marano, step aside. I am in a hurry.”

“Phew. Again with that nonsense…”

Apparently, he didn’t like my attempt at speaking like a queen. Even though I tried to sound regal.

Fine, let’s try an old-fashioned noble speech.

I pretend to have a fan at my mouth and point at him again.

“I am in a hurry. Step aside, please.”

“…Enough already. We’ll work on your speech later.”

“Okay, next time. Now, please step aside.”

“Wait a moment. What are you doing?”

“Can’t you see? I’m bringing tea to our guests from the Demon King Army.”

Hearing my words, Edim’s father sighs deeply.

He’s been sighing a lot lately. It’s starting to hurt my feelings.

“Tilea-sama, I’ve told you many times…!”

“I get it. I get it.”

“No, you don’t! It’s unthinkable for a head of state to be serving tea! It’s an outrageous act, unheard of in history! Huff, huff, huff.”

“Calm down, Edim’s dad. No need to be so uptight. The Evil God Army is a unique, family-like group.”

“Such… Ugh, pardon me. Tilea-sama, even though we are in an alliance, the Demon King Army is the largest of our potential adversaries. Our reputation is at stake in this diplomatic battle. Your every action as the ruler impacts every aspect of our relations. Do you understand?”

“Yes, yes, I get it. You’re the boss.”

“You are the boss! I must say, Tilea-sama, your behavior has been excessive.”

Oh no, Edim’s dad is in lecture mode.

When he gets like this, it lasts forever. It’s like torture, going on for an hour or two.

Ugh, enough already. This is too much.

I’ll have someone else take the tea.

I instruct a soldier to take the tea to Zanza and his group. The soldier responds with “As you command” and carries the tray into the waiting room.

That’s one task done.

Even though Edim’s dad is still lecturing me, I decide to leave.

“Edim’s dad, that’s enough. I’ll be on my way.”

“Wait a moment.”

“Ugh, I have no more tasks…”

“Tilea-sama, I have something to ask.”

“If it’s another lecture, save it for later.”

“It’s not a lecture. I need to confirm something.”

“What is it?”

“The meeting with Zanza. Are you prepared for it?”

“Don’t underestimate me. I can handle a greeting.”

“That’s reassuring. But may I ask what you plan to discuss?”

“Well, I’ll ask things like ‘How’s Hidler?’ or ‘The weather’s getting warmer, isn’t it?’ or ‘It’s the season for delicious shellfish.’ Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of topics. Trust me, I’m great with guests.”

“Phew, I’m glad I asked first.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“…Tilea-sama, let’s start some special training. I’ll teach you the basics of being a ruler before the meeting.”

Edim’s dad grabs my arm, trying to drag me to another room.

Hey, the meeting isn’t until the day after tomorrow.

Training until then… Are you planning to lecture me for forty-eight hours straight?

You’re crazy. This isn’t a political campaign. Who has time for that?

“Stop, enough already. I’ll skip the meeting. I’ll leave the greetings to Timu. Timu is the governor, right? There’s no need for me to do it.”

“That’s true. If Camilla-sama handles it, there’s no problem.”

“See, exactly. Now, I’ll be on my way.”

“Ah, wait! We’re not done talking.”

Ignoring Edim’s dad’s voice from behind, I head for the kitchen.

“Perhaps Camilla-sama…”

Hmm? Camilla?

I hear some soldiers, Ouhon and others, gossiping about Timu. They’re whispering quietly.

Are they bad-mouthing her?

They usually adore Camilla-sama, but if they’re talking behind her back, I won’t forgive them. I’ll punish them myself.

I hide and listen to Ouhon’s conversation. I move closer, just within earshot.

Their conversation becomes clear.

“From the looks of it, Zanza hasn’t given up.”

“Yeah, as soon as he arrived, he kept demanding to see Camilla-sama.”

“That’s how obsessed he is with Camilla-sama.”

“Exactly. If Zanza had been around, he would’ve stopped Killer and Garm. In fact, without Zanza, the Demon King Army might have collapsed from internal strife.”

“If that had happened, the Evil God Army would’ve already taken over.”

Translating their chuunibyou talk:

Apparently, Zanza is a big fan of Timu and would’ve stopped Killer and Garm’s complaints if he had been around.

Zanza wasn’t there because he was “awakening” or something.

What does “awakening

” mean? Was he sick?

Anyway, Zanza seems like a supporter of Timu.

The conversation continues.

“Is Zanza trying to rekindle things with Camilla-sama?”

“Yeah, they were betrothed, you know. They were really close. Now, being on opposite sides must be hard for Zanza.”

What!? They were betrothed!?

I can’t ignore that. I burst out of hiding.

“You two, explain what you were talking about.”

““Tilea-sama!””

Ouhon and the others kneel immediately.

“Don’t worry about formalities. Just continue what you were saying.”

““Yes, ma’am.””

They continue their explanation.

It turns out that Zanza is Timu’s childhood friend.

Hold on, who is Zanza?

If he’s Timu’s childhood friend, I should know him. The town of Belga has a small community.

I ask Ouhon for more details, and they elaborate.

Apparently, Timu and Zanza were childhood friends thousands of years ago.

Oh, that explains why I don’t know. I wasn’t born then.

Well, that’s understandable, haha!

Wait, are you mocking me!? I’m seriously listening here!

I feel like giving Ouhon a Kamehameha, but I hold back.

…Fine. Dealing with chuunibyou patients means I can’t expect a straightforward answer. I continue translating their talk.

After some back and forth, I get the gist. It seems Timu and Zanza were officially engaged. Timu’s family and Zanza’s family arranged the engagement when they were young.

When did this happen?

I already have a good idea.

The answer is exactly what I thought. Timu and Zanza got engaged thousands of years ago.

Timu’s parent, Mamira…

There it is again, Mamira. She’s mentioned often in the troops’ conversations. It was Mamira and Zanza’s parent who arranged the engagement. The Mac-something family and the Zanza family heads decided, and the young couple agreed.

Alright, this is the “lovers from past lives” trope. It’s so cliché, it’s almost impressive.

No, it’s slightly different. It was before they were sealed by the gods. It’s a twist on the past lives trope.

Anyway, I get the picture.

Zanza met Timu through the Demon King Army game and fell for her at first sight. Whether it was genuine or calculated, he created a chuunibyou background and approached Timu. He probably spread the story that they were lovers in a past life. Their circle loves such chuunibyou drama, so everyone went along with it.

The couple was publicly recognized. Zanza must have been ecstatic.

But then Timu moved to the capital to attend the Magic Academy. The party was over.

Still, Zanza didn’t give up. In his mind, he remained Timu’s lover.

Timu is super cute. I can understand his feelings.

Now, Zanza sees this welcome party as his chance to rekindle things. He’s back to win Timu’s heart again.

Conclusion…

Zanza is a threat. There are many ways to confess love. This guy is using a chuunibyou setting, which works well with someone like Timu.

It’s bad. Timu might accept Zanza’s confession.

For most people, such a confession would be off-putting. But for someone like Timu, it’s highly effective.

Saying things like, “We fought together in ancient battles” or “Let’s marry after conquering a kingdom” or “Remember our anniversary massacre” would make Timu’s heart race.

I rush back to Zanza’s waiting room.

“Tilea-sama, what is it this time?”

Edim’s dad looks puzzled as he stops me.

“Move. I need to see Zanza.”

“What’s the matter? The ruler shouldn’t move so lightly.”

“It’s an urgent matter. It’s of national importance!”

“In that case, please inform me of the details. I will gather the executives for a meeting.”

“Meeting? Denied. There’s no time. This is urgent.”

“Tilea-sama, even if it’s urgent, you should delegate it to your subordinates. That’s how a ruler should act.”

I can’t waste time talking to him.

“Edim! Edim!”

I call out loudly for Edim.

One of Edim’s subordinates hears and uses their telepathic network to summon her. Within a minute, Edim comes flying down the corridor.

Amazing. Faster than a phone.

“Tilea-sama, I am here as summoned.”

“Edim, I need a favor.”

“Yes, command me.”

“Get rid of this old man.”

“Eh!? What do you mean…”

“He’s really annoying. Can you take him away? Ideally, I’d banish him from the capital, but for now, just get him out of this venue.”

“Yes. Marano, come with me.”

“W-wait. Edim, don’t pull me. I still have matters to discuss with Tilea-sama—”

Ignoring his protests, Edim drags Edim’s dad out of the venue.

Finally, he’s gone.

I enter the room where Zanza is waiting. Inside, Timu is chatting with a man with a scar on his face.

That must be him!

There are others I don’t recognize, but they’re sitting back. The man opposite Timu must be Zanza, the envoy leader.

He looks rugged, but inside, he’s a creepy chuunibyou patient.

You scoundrel! You’re probably reminiscing about your “honeymoon” with Timu. Captivating her heart with your tales.

“Zanzaaa—!”

I roar as I rush towards him.