"This naked imbecile…"
I gritted my teeth and glared at Daisy.
I wanted to shout and slap that girl across the face right then and there. But anger could be vented at any time. What mattered first was figuring out how Daisy — nothing more than a slave — had interfered with my actions, and identifying the cause of this anomaly.
In that instant, three possibilities had already surfaced in my mind. My brain was undeniably in its prime — rather than panicking at the unexpected, it was practically rejoicing, running hotter and faster than ever before.
First. Ivar Lodbrok had cooperated with Daisy.
As head maid, Daisy could handle Ivar however she pleased. He didn't know how she had twisted him around, but there was more than enough chance that Daisy had obtained the dolls through Ivar. Ivar had hidden the fact that he was a puppeteer, but for Daisy — for that born-cunning viper — uncovering a secret of that magnitude would be easy.
No hesitation needed. I immediately checked the first possibility.
'Status Window!'
Daisy's Status Window flickered to life in blue.
As befitting a Hero who had surpassed a dozen cycles, an enormous stream of numbers cascaded into view.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Name: Daisy von Custos
Race: Human Master: Dantalion
Affiliation: Neutral(0)
Level: 69 Fame: 8133
Class: Adventurer(A), Swordsman(AAA), Assassin(S)
Command: 100/100 Combat: 166/166 Intelligence: 117/125
Politics: 95/95 Charisma: 100/100 Technique: 81/81
Affinity: 0
Obedience: 0
*Titles: 1. Legendary Adventurer 2. Legendary Mercenary 3. Dungeon Breaker
*Abilities: Tactics (A), Swordsmanship (AAA), Operations (B), Persuasion (S), Cavalry Arts (S), Elemental Magic (A)
*Skills: Mercenary, Thousand-Mile March, Lethal Damage Immunity
Current Mental State: Undisplayed due to the influence of Affinity and Obedience.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
My pupils rapidly scanned the Status Window.
'No good.'
I clicked my tongue softly.
Compared to Luke, who fell far short in every area except combat power and charm, Daisy had maxed out Command, Politics, and even Technique. Even Ivar wouldn't be able to turn a monster of this caliber into a puppet.
The girl raising a greatsword before my eyes right now was Daisy herself. No mistake about it. I immediately discarded the first possibility.
Along with the second.
The hypothesis that Daisy had used some means to sever the Slave Brand collapsed simultaneously.
The Status Window clearly showed that I, Dantalion, was Daisy's master. There was no room for doubt. I had theorized that she'd used some method to erase the Slave Brand, but it appeared I was wrong. Then...
"You lowly humans dare to cause a ruckus!"
That was when the Neutral Faction Demon Lords surrounded Daisy.
"You dare disrupt the sacred court and believe you'll survive?!"
The Demon Lords drew their weapons one after another. They showed no intention of forgiving the sudden intruder. The moment they tensed their legs to lunge at Daisy, I roared.
"This child is my daughter! Do not touch her!"
My piercing shout stopped the Neutral Faction Demon Lords in their tracks.
I was so deep in thought that I'd inadvertently dropped into casual speech. Even if I was practically a Demon Lord holding vastly superior authority over them, I still needed to show at least a veneer of respect on the surface. That's right. Let me sort out the situation first.
"...My apologies, comrades. My daughter has committed a discourtesy. Once this matter is settled, she will be punished as befits the weight of her offense. So please, grant me just a little time."
"Of course, Dantalion."
The Neutral Faction Demon Lords answered politely.
"We harbor not the slightest thought of displeasing you."
"Thank you. And..."
I turned around and bowed to the Demon Lords seated in the tribunal as well.
"I humbly request a brief reprieve from you, esteemed Electors. I, Dantalion, will absolutely take responsibility for this matter."
Marbas gazed at me with a grave expression. He studied my face as though savoring it, then gave a single nod. But that was all. He offered no verbal response — granting the reprieve implicitly and nothing more. So I, too, simply returned the courtesy with a bow of my head.
I turned away quietly.
"..."
"..."
A standoff formed between Daisy and me.
Daisy had positioned herself in front of me like a shield guarding Barbatos. The noise that had blurred my vision earlier had now vanished. Thanks to that, I could see Barbatos clearly. The white-haired girl — the proud Demon Lord — was weeping without end.
—A dry heave surged up from my esophagus.
I wanted nothing more than to vomit right then and there. But my fury at Daisy — the raw wrath at having my airtight plan and journey cut short midstream — barely managed to suppress the nausea. I spoke as though chewing every word.
"You. Do you want to die in a place like this?"
"I have never once wished for my own death."
Daisy replied without hesitation. Unless I was mistaken, she was smirking. That insolent behavior only added fuel to my rage. As if I needed the help — the nausea had vanished completely by now.
"The only thing you're wondering about right now must be this one thing: how she managed to defy your will. Do you know the answer, Father?"
"The commands that were given to you."
I let anger seep into my voice.
"You must have exploited the conflicts between them."
This was the third and final possibility.
The commands bestowed upon Daisy's Slave Brand were as follows:
Do not harm me.
Do not harm the people I hold dear.
Never turn a blind eye when they or I are in danger.
Obey my commands.
Prioritize my life over your own.
Always and absolutely comply with the above commands.
From this, one simple inference could be drawn: the command to "obey my commands" and the command to "never turn a blind eye when they or I are in danger" were now in direct conflict.
Daisy was not supposed to interfere with my will and my commands.
However, on the other hand, Barbatos was clearly the person I held most dear. From Daisy's perspective, she was forced to choose between "follow the master's orders" and "protect Barbatos."
"As expected of you, Father. As always, you make a splendid misjudgment this time as well."
An expressionless face. Yet at the corners of her eyes lingered a mocking sneer meant to insult her opponent.
Nine times out of ten, it was a bluff.
You insolent wretch. If you thought I would go easy on you just because you're you, you're sorely mistaken. I will make you pay for the audacity to insult me, Barbatos, and all the Demon Lords in a place like this.
"I hereby issue a new command!"
I shouted with conviction.
"From now on, Barbatos is excluded from all commands as an exception! Do not treat Barbatos as my lover in any order! So hand over the greatsword immediately, you fool!"
I extended my hand, waiting for Daisy to dutifully return Bael's greatsword.
But one second passed, two seconds passed, three seconds passed — and Daisy didn't move. Even though she should have been wracked with excruciating pain for defying a command, she didn't so much as twitch an eyebrow. Instead, she regarded me with an almost leisurely gaze.
"..."
Why.
Why was she acting like nothing had happened? Why was Daisy violating my command as though it were the most natural thing in the world?
Daisy said flatly.
"That's exactly what I told you. You're under a wonderful delusion, Father."
"You... Answer me. How are you defying a command?"
"Unfortunately, 'that command' happens to be valid against me."
The faint nuance in Daisy's voice was, as expected, mockery. She was provoking me. It was an obvious provocation, but at the same time, it was a deliberate one. I had to exercise considerable caution not to lose my composure.
Stay calm.
Daisy wasn't the type to provoke someone for no reason. She was trying to engulf me in rage, paralyze my judgment, and gain something from it. She had a hidden purpose. If I gave in here, I'd be dancing right to Daisy's tune.
"At first, it was the Farnese Military Secretary."
"...What nonsense is this."
"Laura de Farnese. The sheltered young lady you hold so dear, Father. Have you already forgotten?"
See? She was adding a mocking lilt to every sentence she spoke. The fool — it was counterproductive. Provoking me so blatantly only helped me regain my composure. I was exasperated that she'd forgotten everything I'd taught her and was acting so cluelessly.
But Laura? That was the one thing that puzzled me. Why had Laura's name come up? The colder my head grew, the deeper the mystery became.
"I wanted to test how far Father's commands actually held. Starting five years ago, I tried all manner of poisons and traps. However, I could never bring myself to use 'any means that would be judged harmful to Father.'"
That much I already knew.
Daisy had a habit of lacing my tea with harmful substances whenever she got the chance. The problem was that she only used drugs so weak they were almost embarrassing to call poisons. Besides, I was the Demon Lord. My constitution naturally neutralized toxins. I could consume the drugs Daisy slipped me thousands upon thousands of times without the slightest consequence.
"So I thought about it from the opposite angle. What if, rather than targeting Father himself, I shook up the people around him instead?"
"What…?"
"It's a basic strategy. When an enemy fortress is excessively powerful and well-fortified, you capture the surrounding satellite fortresses first. Wasn't that a strategy Father himself taught me?"
Daisy continued speaking at her leisure.
"Minister Lazuli had no opening to exploit. Master Jeremy didn't seem particularly important to Father. On the other hand, Military Minister de Farnese was the perfect quarry. Every time I was alone with her, I badmouthed Father."
"……"
"I had to be careful not to be too obvious about it. Whenever the topic of Father came up, I would slowly, steadily, let her know just how much I hated him. I also told her that I tampered with the tea I served Father every time."
Daisy's lips curved upward just slightly.
"Didn't you find it strange? The Military Minister had originally been fond of me. But at some point, she began to grow wary of me, started avoiding me, and tried to find fault with me whenever she could. Surely you didn't think the Military Minister would bully Father's adopted daughter without any reason."
Something hot surged up my spine to the back of my skull. The rage I had barely suppressed was surging back up again.
"You… don't tell me…"
"Yes. I orchestrated it. When Father collapsed after an 'unfortunate accident' at the Batavia residence, Military Minister de Farnese openly suspected me. She was worried that since Father had been unconscious for over three days, I might have tampered with something behind the scenes."
The curve at the corners of Daisy's mouth deepened.
"A short while later, the Military Minister summoned me and asked. Whether I had done something to the drugs. I was certain that this poor Military Minister had walked right into the spider web I'd laid. So I answered her. With a scoff, I told her right to her face."
"……"
"'Do you have any proof that I did such a thing' — like that."
Daisy finally let out a laugh. It might have been nothing more than a simple breath. She had maintained a cold expression the entire time. But to my ears, to my eyes, it came through as the clearest possible mockery.
"And then, that woman. She simply went mad."
"……"
"I truly wished you could have seen that sight, Father. With tears streaming down her face, she shamelessly wailed over and over like a broken music box — 'My lord, my lord' — without cease. Since that day, the Minister of Military Affairs has been torturing me... but honestly, his methods were so pathetic that all I could do was laugh."
My hand trembled with rage.
"So what do you think, Father? Isn't she a woman who is truly devoted to you?"