"I think we can wrap up the hearing here."
Marbas, the moderator, spoke.
"The outcome of the hearing will be decided by vote, in accordance with tradition. The moderator, myself, as well as Paimon and Dantalion, will be excluded from the vote. All of you gathered here…."
"Wait a moment!"
Paimon cried out urgently. Marbas raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm? You have something more to say?"
"The girl still has matters to press Dantalion on!"
"Paimon."
Marbas removed his glasses and wiped them with a silk handkerchief. He wore a monocle.
"Though we may not be close friends, we have spent hundreds of years together. As you know me, so too do I know you. As the moderator, I really shouldn't say this, but if I were to speak my feelings…."
Marbas slowly put his glasses back on. He shot a brief glare at Paimon. His expression conveyed utter indifference.
"I don't believe you've been entirely honest about your intentions."
"The girl…."
"This is Walpurgis Night, Paimon. Walpurgis Night. A gathering that all Demon Lords once attended as a matter of duty has now lost its former glory and barely manages to draw a bare majority. Who am I? I am the fifth-ranked Demon Lord. Bael, Agares, Vassago, Gamigin. Where are the Demon Lords ranked above me, and what are they doing right now?"
Paimon lowered her head.
"I… know well how devoted you have been to us, more than anyone."
"I have no desire to let the Demon Lords who didn't attend make fun of us. If what you intend to press Dantalion on turns out to be trivial or absurd, I intend to end the hearing right here on my own authority."
"Please give the girl one last chance. I admit that I did not genuinely address the matter of Andromalius. For that, I offer my apologies to you, to Dantalion, and to everyone gathered here."
Paimon gripped the hem of her dress and bowed deeply in all four directions — north, south, east, and west — to offer her apology. The other Demon Lords seemed surprised, visibly taken aback that a high-ranking Demon Lord would apologize so candidly.
"Hmm."
Marbas nodded. It was a gesture telling her to go ahead and do as she pleased. Paimon drew in a breath. She no longer smiled or tried to appear at ease. From the very start, she faced me with a serious posture — far more intimidating than the false composure she had worn just moments ago.
'This is where the real battle begins.'
The first round was mine. Any fool could have won that one. Defending Andromalius had been a losing proposition from the start. What mattered now was the second round that was about to unfold.
"As many of you may already know, the girl retains the Kunkuska Trading Company as her advisory body. Given the girl's position, the company has assigned a senior executive as her dedicated liaison. That executive recently shared some rather astonishing news with me."
I had expected as much — and sure enough, Paimon broached the topic exactly as I had anticipated. She met the gaze of each Demon Lord in turn as she spoke.
"You are all no doubt aware of the catastrophe that has been sweeping the continent of late. The Black Death — that dreadful curse has been claiming the lives of humans, demi-humans, and Demonkin alike without discrimination. The girl's loyal subordinates have suffered no small amount of damage as well."
The Demon Lords nodded in acknowledgment.
By this point, the Black Death had spread aggressively across the entire continent. The only region that had suffered relatively little damage was the Kingdom of Sardinia. With its medical knowledge preserved, the kingdom had taken proactive measures in the early stages — isolating infected zones and burning them to the ground — thereby minimizing the toll.
In contrast, other regions where medical knowledge had become distorted, much like in the medieval era of the original world, suffered outbreaks in rapid succession. Cats were believed to be the source of infection, triggering a mass slaughter of felines at a time when no such culling was warranted — because the actual primary vector was rats. In other words, humanity had wiped out cats, the natural enemy of rats, and in doing so had only helped the plague spread further.
Black Herb had gained attention as a potential remedy, but since a single root cost several gold coins, only those of considerable wealth could even consider purchasing it. Commoners borrowed money from their lords, pledging next year's harvest as collateral. Those among the populace who did not even own farmland had no means of obtaining funds whatsoever. In the midst of a world-historical catastrophe, only the lords and the Apothecary Guild were raking in enormous profits.
Demonkin were naturally blessed with strong immune systems, meaning they suffered fewer casualties compared to the human races — fewer, that is, relative to humans. For the Demon Lords who remained stationed in the Human Realm, the devastation suffered by their monster legions could not be taken lightly. The Black Death was a matter of grave concern for the Demon Lords as well.
"Fortunately, even in the midst of this disaster, a cure existed. But do you know who discovered the fact that Black Herb could treat the Black Death? It was none other than Dantalion, right here. That is what the executive of the Kunkuska Trading Company informed me."
The Demon Lords murmured among themselves.
I struggled to maintain an expressionless face.
"How did Dantalion discover the specific remedy for the first epidemic in recorded history so quickly? The girl finds that difficult to understand."
"It was a coincidence," I said.
"I fail to see why such a matter is being brought up in a hearing. I have a personal interest in herbalism. When the outbreak began, I experimented with all sorts of herbs. Black Herb happened to be among them."
"Oh? That sounds quite different from what the girl has heard."
Paimon stared at me with a fixed gaze.
"According to what I've heard, you stockpiled Black Herb *before* the Black Death even broke out. Not only that, you correctly predicted what the cure for it would be. How do you explain that, Dantalion? It's impossible unless you're the one who spread the Black Death!"
The murmuring of the Demon Lords grew louder.
Paimon pointed at me with the tip of his fan.
"In other words, Dantalion — you knew when the Black Death would spread, and by no coincidence whatsoever, you also knew what the cure was. How can you possibly explain this? It's impossible unless you, Dantalion, are the very person who spread the Black Death!"
"..."
Heh. What a joke.
I glanced at a spot slightly to the left of the center of the ballroom. Standing there was Ivar, the chief executive of Kunkuska. His face had turned quite ugly.
Naturally so. Protecting clients' personal information was the most fundamental rule of commerce. Paimon had just declared that he received his information from an executive of the Kunkuska Trading Company. In other words, he had publicly accused the company of leaking client data at will. There was no greater humiliation than this.
But I was suspicious of Ivar.
"Whether that expression is an act or not..."
The scenario I had predicted went as follows:
The Kunkuska Trading Company and I had been engaged in a subtle power struggle due to the Andromalius incident. I had struck the first blow — threatening to expose that the company had stood by and watched the death of a Demon Lord.
In response, the company suggested that I take as my concubine the daughter of a powerful figure allied with their faction. The idea was to make me one of their own entirely, so they could eliminate the threat of my blackmail for good.
I refused the offer. However, by bringing along Lapis, a company employee, as my partner, I had made a gesture signaling that I had no intention of making enemies of them.
But from the Kunkuska Trading Company's perspective, there was no room to relax. The threat of exposure still lingered. So they had approached Paimon — the Demon Lord who championed pro-human ideals — and fed him the story that I, Dantalion, was the one who caused the Black Death.
The person the company had dispatched to Paimon was Torkel.
That old Goblin and I were on bad terms. He would have been more than happy to see me put in a difficult position. For Paimon, who championed pro-human ideals, the Black Death was a catastrophic event driving humanity toward extinction — and naturally, he harbored hostility toward the one who had spread it.
The Kunkuska Trading Company had used Torkel to incite Paimon. With the Andromalius affair as a convenient pretext, they intended to teach me a lesson.
I seethed with quiet anger.
How badly did they have to see me as a sucker to pull a stunt like this? Even if Ivar himself hadn't sold the information, the Kunkuska Trading Company's responsibility was painfully obvious.
'Whether you were directly involved or not, you will pay a steep price for this, Ivar.'
Of course, I didn't have the power to make him pay right now. Even if I won the hearing, the most I could get out of it was some meager compensation. But I would not forget what happened today — not for a long, long time.
The ballroom was in chaos. The Demon Lords were raising a commotion over Paimon's revelation. Some of them were even shouting at me, demanding to know if it was true.
Only Marbas, the host, maintained his same bored expression as always.
"Paimon, I trust you're aware that rumors have no place here."
"Of course, my Lord. This maiden is not speaking idle nonsense."
"How could an executive of a mere trading company possibly know that Dantalion prophesied the Black Death?"
"Because Dantalion, much like myself, employs the Kunkuska Trading Company as an asset. Dantalion used the Kunkuska Trading Company to acquire Black Herb, and through that, he reaped profits amounting to twenty thousand gold."
"Ivar."
Marbas called out to Ivar.
"Is this true?"
"...I humbly beg your pardon, Lord Marbas, but our company never divulges client information."
"So it's true."
Marbas was also a Demon Lord — he could apparently read at a glance whether someone was lying or not. It suddenly struck me that Ivar had been plausible all along. After all, no matter what he said, the Demon Lord would read his emotions. So all that talk about a merchant's duty and whatnot was just lip service.
Marbas turned his gaze to me this time. His cloudy but keenly perceptive eyes locked onto mine.
"Dantalion. Is this true?"
"..."
"For the record, you also have the right to remain silent. At a hearing, all Demon Lords are equal regardless of rank. You are under no obligation to answer Paimon's questions."
I met his gaze. The ballroom had gone quiet once more, waiting only for my answer.
If I refused to answer here, the hearing would fizzle out, leaving behind nothing but suspicion and misunderstanding about me. That was exactly what the Kunkuska Trading Company and Paimon were aiming for. I would end up in the position of being dragged around by the opposing side.
Therefore.
I decided to make a bold gamble.
"Your Majesty. Before that, might I be permitted to ask Ivar one question?"
"Permission granted."
"What I wish to ask involves rather sensitive matters. Would you allow me to speak with Ivar privately — a whispered conversation?"
"That is also permitted."
"Thank you."
I gestured toward Ivar. He promptly strode over to me.
He was quick to offer an apology.
"My deepest apologies, Your Majesty. It appears someone on our side has committed a grievous offense."
"It's regrettable that we must meet for the first time under such circumstances."
"We will certainly track down the perpetrator and deliver punishment."
"Is that so?"
The culprit was plainly obvious, yet here he was playing innocent.
"That is quite reassuring. However, I say this out of concern for Ivar, the Senior…"
I let out a faint smile and leaned in.
I brought my face close to Ivar's ear and whispered.
"I wonder whether your true self is still intact."
"…!?"
Shock.
The shock was conveyed vividly.
"Th-that—how did you—!"
"The blonde was quite beautiful. You'd best conduct yourself accordingly."
Having said only that, I straightened up.
The look in Ivar's eyes — it was the very picture of confusion. An expression of disbelief had welled up in his pupils.
Ivar Lodbrok.
There was no way I wouldn't know this man's true identity. He was the one and only demonkin who betrayed the Demon Lord and turned to the Hero's side in Dungeon Attack.
Ivar had once sincerely served a certain Demon Lord, but when he learned that Demon Lord regarded him as nothing more than a tool, he fell into despair and came to despise every Demon Lord on the continent. Using his specialties — puppetry and spirit invocation — he created multiple copies of himself, and he succeeded in hiding his true feelings, his treason against the Demon Lord, until the very end. At the decisive moment, he betrayed the Demon Lord's army and greatly contributed to the Hero's victory.
This was the reason I had been so shocked when I first learned that this old gentleman was Ivar.
Because the Ivar Lodbrok I knew wasn't a dignified old man — by all appearances, she'd barely be twelve years old. A complete little-girl character.
No point hiding it. I had gone through his entire dedicated scenario and his dedicated ending. I also knew that Ivar's true body was hidden somewhere in the snowfields of the Kingdom of Moscow. I just couldn't figure out exactly where that somewhere was.
Could this Ivar see through to those facts right now?
For some reason, the lowest-ranking Demon Lord knew a truth that no one else did.
Moreover, that Demon Lord had once predicted an epidemic before it happened.
Without a doubt, from Ivar's perspective, I must appear to be a terrifying Great Demon Lord right now. Every word I had said must have sounded like a threat — that I could destroy his true body at any moment.
"......"
A long silence followed.
Murmurs of protest from several Demon Lords echoed through the ballroom. They must have been frustrated — the silence dragging on during what could be the moment the true culprit behind the Black Death was finally revealed.
At last, Ivar opened his mouth.
"Your Highness Paimon's words are a lie."
At the very moment Paimon's delicate lips parted in shock, Ivar's statement detonated like a bomb in the ballroom.
"That bastard is lying!"
"You wretched bat-dare, how dare you spew lies before us!"
The Demon Lords erupted into chaos, each shouting whatever they wanted to say. Among them, some hurled profanities as though they were about to charge at Ivar right then and there. But Ivar kept his eyes closed, his expression perfectly neutral.
The uproar showed no signs of dying down. Even though Marbas had raised his hand to demand silence, the Demon Lords were too worked up to stop screaming.
"Hmph."
Marbas slowly raised his right foot.
— BOOM.
The entire ballroom shook. It felt as though a minor earthquake had struck.
The Demon Lords hurriedly fell silent. They weren't stupid enough not to realize that was a warning from Marbas. The fifth-ranked Demon Lord was powerful enough to send half of the assembled Demon Lords to the afterlife.
"Silence. Henceforth, no one may speak out of turn without the moderator's permission."
Marbas turned his gaze toward Ivar.
"Representative of Kunkuska. Do you have any idea what you are doing right now?"
"Your Highness. Forgive my presumption, but since the moment I set foot in this ballroom, I have not uttered a single lie. Not one."
"He's lying!"
Paimon shrieked.
"This man is lying, Marbas!"
"Your Highness Paimon. A Demon Lord's abilities are truly formidable, but I do not believe they extend to discerning every nuance of a person's emotions. It is true that His Highness Dantalion purchased Black Herb as a precaution against the Black Death. But to say that means he spread the Black Death... I know absolutely nothing of the sort. In this world, no one short of a Demon God could possibly achieve something of that magnitude."
Marbas stroked his beard as though lost in thought. He must have felt that what Ivar had just said was no lie.
I let out a quiet chuckle inside. Ivar had twisted his words quite cleverly. The phrase "but to say that means he spread the Black Death, I know absolutely nothing of the sort" was a masterclass in ambiguity. Naturally, Ivar only suspected that I had spread the Black Death — he hadn't actually witnessed me doing it. So saying he didn't know wasn't technically a lie.
The Demon Lords basically trusted their own abilities — the power to read another's emotions directly. Ivar had exploited precisely that point to shake free of the Demon Lord's suspicion. Impressive.
Marbas spoke as though spitting out the words.
"What Ivar says is not a lie. What is going on here?"
"...The young lady clearly heard it differently."
Paimon spoke.
"I request a witness! I request Torkel, the chief executive of the Kunkuska Trading Company, to testify!"