The Unveiled Veil (4)
The room was splendid.
Not quite up to the standard of the Demon King's Castle, but that was in a class of its own and shouldn't count. I silently marveled as I strode toward the window.
Three moons were lined up in the sky outside.
"Still daytime."
And not just any time—broad daylight.
Of course, there's no sun in the Demon Realm, but that doesn't mean there's no distinction between day and night.
You could tell just by looking at the three moons dominating the sky.
When the three moons stretch out horizontally, it's day. When they overlap to appear as one, it's night.
Right now, they were in a neat row—so it was day.
"So what if it's daytime. Day drinking has its own charm."
I tossed off the suffocating robe and gave a cursory glance over my clothes. Nothing special, just something that looked comfortable to move around in.
Should be fine going out like this.
At least, that's what I thought—too excited to remember one very important fact.
"No, you may not."
"This is a city that must be protected. Do you intend to turn it into a mess?"
That I had two damned stalkers following me.
…Damn it!
***
"So this is the commander of the 9th Legion."
"Yes, that's correct."
Jaykar looked down coldly at the corpse.
He was currently at the front lines.
Dispatched as reinforcements by the Demon King, who grew suspicious after losing contact with the 9th Legion Commander—only to arrive too late.
The commander was dead.
"So this is the 9th Legion Commander."
Calling the corpse this had its reasons, even if it once had been a living comrade.
So mangled it was hard to even recognize what it used to be.
It wasn't a body—more like a hunk of meat. Tossed into a hastily made, crude coffin.
"Killed in one blow—no, two—and then trampled by hooves, it seems."
"..."
"You lot couldn't even recover your commander's body? What were you doing?"
"…We're sorry."
Jaykar's face twisted as he looked down at what used to be the 9th Legion Commander.
It wasn't out of cruelty—he had done worse things himself.
Nor was it merely the loss of a major force. Though that certainly mattered, there was a bigger issue.
"Commander! The enemy is—!"
"…Again?"
A brutal offensive—far beyond prediction.
He let out a sigh.
There was nothing to prepare, so Jaykar simply secured the sword at his waist and stepped out of the tent.
Under the sunlight, he looked like a wreck.
Blood splattered across his body. Bits of flesh stuck to him.
He hadn't even had time to unpack his bags before diving into combat.
And despite swinging his sword like mad, all he managed to do was put out the biggest fires. The situation was still dire—another battle already loomed.
All of this was because of one human.
One of the Empire's prideful elite warriors—appearing on the battlefield without any warning.
Had it been anyone other than him—or perhaps anyone except the 0th Legion Commander—they would've been overwhelmed immediately.
Grit.
"…Request support from the Demon King."
His voice, low and eerie, sounded like he was barely suppressing his emotions.
He hated to admit it—but he had to.
He couldn't afford to lose more soldiers out of pride.
"A 'true hero' has appeared, and the 9th Legion Commander is dead."
There was only one thing he could do now: buy time until reinforcements arrived.
Until our joker showed up to wipe them all out.
As he thought of the 0th Legion Commander, Damon Arut—who should be in the city by now—Jaykar glared murderously at the out-of-place figure rampaging like a wolf among sheep.
***
Two days since I came here, and I still haven't had a single drink.
The reason's simple: not just one, but two ridiculously competent fighters glued to me, watching me like hawks all day!
Damn pests.
Tired beyond belief of Ed and Ben's obsessive stalking, I glanced at the cards in my hand with a dry gaze and muttered,
"I'm pretty sure I said to let me roam freely."
"Yes, we heard you clearly."
"The troops were delighted."
"And by 'freely,' I meant you two included."
"We were ordered not to leave your side under any circumstances."
"It's for your protection…"
Damn it!
I slammed the cards down irritably and scooped up the gold coins in front of me with a scowl.
The guy sitting across from me grabbed his head in exasperation—but I had long since run out of patience to care.
"Then why not have Ed leave?"
"I'm your escort…"
"Ben alone is enough."
Just go away already.
I can't breathe—I'm going insane. Do I not have any privacy?!
My insides burned. Definitely from frustration. I hastily shifted my gaze to the pile of gold coins next to me.
"Haa…"
I felt at peace again.
All of that was mine. I wouldn't need to worry about money for a while.
"Not that I was exactly desperate for money…"
Still, it's about the feeling.
I leaned back in my chair, crossed my legs, and admired the gold beside me with satisfaction, practically caressing it with my eyes.
By now, you've probably guessed—I'm at a casino.
Originally, I had planned to wash away my unease about the demonic creatures with a drink, but since I was blocked from doing that, I didn't have many options. As a form of small rebellion, I decided to visit a gambling house for the first time in my life…
"You won again."
"As expected of you."
Why the hell am I so good at this?
Honestly, I could probably quit everything else and just live the high life in this scene.
"…Should I actually quit my job?"
Apparently, I really had been winning a lot. The looks people were giving me had shifted from curiosity to something else entirely.
Especially the guy sitting across from me.
"How about we call it quits and just say I lost this round?"
Oh please. Let's call it what it is—you did lose.
But I didn't feel like picking a fight over something so petty, so I just chuckled and nodded.
With the game over, I began scooping the gold coins into a pouch Ed had discreetly handed me from behind, when the guy across from me slid into the seat next to me and held out a glass.
"You're seriously amazing. Did you use some trick or something? Ah, don't take it the wrong way—I'm just blown away by how good you are."
"I didn't use any tricks… This is…"
"Oh, I was saving this drink for myself, but since I lost, I don't really feel like drinking anymore. You did all the work, so consider it a thank-you."
"That won't be necessary."
That wasn't me speaking.
These damned stalkers…!
Come to think of it, Ed was still here. Why was he still here? Didn't I tell him to leave?
As I tied the pouch of coins to my belt, I raised my head and glared at Ed.
…Not that it mattered. As soon as our eyes met, I lost my nerve and looked away. Still.
"Ed, didn't I tell you to leave?"
"But… for your safety…"
"Safety? From what I saw, Ben fights very well."
Nearly at berserker levels.
Originally, I hadn't wanted to be left alone with him, but after two full days of being hounded by both of them, I'd changed my mind.
At this rate, I'd become the berserker. I needed to get at least one of them off my back.
"...I…"
Ed hesitated with his head down.
I glanced at Ben, who was now looking smugly at Ed with a triumphant grin.
This was my chance!
Casually, as if picking up a water glass, I grabbed the drink. And before either Ed or Ben could say anything, I jumped in.
"Ben's unavoidable, sure. But you can take a break, Ed. You've been through a lot. Take a little time to rest. Who knows when you'll get another chance like this?"
"..."
"Well?"
"…Alright."
Dejected, he turned and walked away with dragging steps.
A tall man walking off all sulky might've looked a bit pitiful, but…
"Pitiful, my ass."
It just felt satisfying.
It's not like he's a love interest or anything—he's a guy. What emotional impact is that supposed to have?
With a victor's smile, I lifted the glass to my lips.
'…?'
And paused.
Just before the liquid touched my lips, I froze.
At that exact moment, like he had eyes on the back of his head, Ed suddenly whipped around to stare at me. Caught off guard, our eyes met—and I froze mid-pose, drink still in hand.
"..."
"…Ha, haha…"
His gaze was cold, filled with disappointment.
Even Ben, who had been looking at Ed, turned his attention to me.
With their sharp stares flicking between my hand and my face, I had no choice but to sheepishly lower the glass.
"…I was just going to sniff it."
"Yes, I believe you."
"...."
"Still, just to be clear—again—we're here for the safety of the city. Please refrain from drinking as much as possible."
"Yeeees…."
Yeah, yeah, I get it—now get lost already.
Waving my hand dismissively, I tried to make that message loud and clear.
Maybe it got through, because Ed trudged off again with that same sulky look, and then Ben, who had been silent this whole time, decided to repeat the same tired line I'd heard way too many times already.
"You heard him, didn't you? So go ahead and push that glass away."
"Yeeees, I get it. I was planning on doing that anyway."
Sitting crookedly in my seat, I pushed the glass away with just the tips of my fingers, and his expression changed ever so slightly.
Like, 'What's gotten into you?' …Seriously, what kind of image have I built for myself?
That kind of annoyed me.
I turned away from Ben and looked instead at the guy who had offered me the drink.
He was staring at me with a confused look plastered all over his face. His harmless-looking expression stared back at mine, and with a sour look, I slowly spoke.
"I do like alcohol. But I'm not a fan of drugs."
"...!"
You thought the alcohol smell would cover it up?
I might not look it, but I can pick up the scent of drugs like a bloodhound.
Why? Because I've had plenty of experience with this crap.
So trust me—I can tell. There are two types of drug substances in this drink.
Probably some kind of sedative or paralytic. Something potent that happens to include controlled substances.
A drink like this is loaded with nasty side effects. And you were holding it like it was something you were planning to drink?
"You brought this just in case you lost, huh?"
"..."
His face went pale.
The noisy casino fell dead silent.
'Drugs' are a touchy subject. One whisper of it and this entire place could get shut down. Every single pair of eyes in the room turned toward us.
"Uh…"
The silence pressed down on him like a weight.
Sweating bullets under the pressure of countless staring eyes, he made his move.
"W-what are you talking about? Drugs? That's ridiculous!"
A terrible move.
Denying it with the evidence right in front of us—what an idiot.
As expected, Ben—who had been trembling with suppressed rage—delivered the checkmate with a cold, controlled voice.
"Then drink it yourself."
"..."
Game over. The guy could only bite his lip in silence, unable to come up with anything to say. I clicked my tongue quietly.
Idiot.
Then again, it's because he's that stupid that he thought he could drug someone who had companions watching out for them.
He probably planned to knock me out and steal my pouch while Ben carried me out—or maybe, if caught, he'd try to use me as leverage. But he picked the wrong target: the court physician of the Demon King's castle.
Actually, calling him a "physician" doesn't do it justice—let me correct myself.
He's the Berserker of the Demon King's castle. Just hearing that sounds impossible to mess with, right? Trying this kind of weak trick on him… I mean, come on. Laughable.
I pushed back my chair and slowly stood up.
I'd already made plenty of money, and I hadn't drunk the spiked drink. So I hadn't really lost anything.
I didn't want to escalate things further, so I quietly started gathering my things to leave—
CRASH!
But before I could, everything exploded into chaos.