Chapter 18

After finishing the hot milk and krill, I was left alone while the three captains continued their discussion. So, Bax took care of me.

He helped me clear away the empty cup, wiped my mouth, and kept me company.

"Yuri, do you know all the units of the Northern Demon King's Castle?"

"I don't know all of them."

"Have you heard about the internal and external units?"

"Yes."

Bax is really good at taking care of people. He would make a great father, really.

"There are fourteen units in total in the Northern Demon King's Castle. Four of them are external units. The four are: the Royal Guard, responsible for the Demon King's personal security; the External Security Unit, responsible for the security of the entire castle; the Mobile Unit, which rides magical beasts and reaches the front lines faster than anyone else; and the Magic Unit, composed of those particularly skilled in magic among the demon race. Although they are few in number, these four units make up more than half of the members."

"The External Security Unit is the combat unit, right?"

"Yes. How many internal units can you guess if you subtract four from fourteen?"

"Ten units."

Bax talked to me with a smile. My conscience was bothering me, and I was starting to find it increasingly difficult to pretend to be a child. But if I were to reveal my true self, I would just end up being a spoiled child, which is impossible. I have almost no confidence in being able to survive if I were to be abandoned. I have to endure and, like the protagonist of a certain manga, fully play the role of a child!

"You can do the math, that's great."

"Hehe."

I was happy to be praised and even had my head patted, but the content... well, you know. I can do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, of course, and I even have experience with an abacus, so mental arithmetic is no problem. I've been trained to do all sorts of calculations, like calculating waste rates and menu costs for managing the store's sales, without a computer.

"Then, let's talk about the ten internal units. How many do you know, Yuri?"

"Um, the food preparation unit, Elies' paperwork unit, the medical unit here... and then, the animal care unit for Letz, the weapons manufacturing unit! And... the cleaning unit that uses brooms as weapons, and the farming unit that uses vegetables as weapons!!"

These were the ones that definitely came up in the conversations with Dilnan and Elies. Counting them on my fingers, I listed seven units. What are the other three?

Thinking this, I looked up at Bax, who was trying really hard not to laugh. Why were the other three also slightly shaking their shoulders?

"…Dilnan Captain, Elies Captain, what kind of teaching method is this... hahaha..."

"Hehe, the weapons part is Elies' doing."

"…I was just giving examples. I didn't expect you to remember them like this..."

"Isn't it cute...?"

The four of them were grinning widely. I have no idea what they found so funny.

"…Huh?"

Tilting my head to check if it was okay, the four started shaking their shoulders even more. Just laugh already!!

"Ah, cough. You've been listening carefully to Dilnan Captain and Elies Captain, haven't you? It's great that you can name seven, Yuri."

After a while, Bax seemed to have calmed down and cleared his throat. The other three also cleared their throats and returned to the original conversation as if nothing had happened. If I were to worry about every little thing, I wouldn't be able to get through this, so I'll just let it go. I'm not hurt or anything, okay?

...No, I can't. I can't be cute or fun, and this is just too half-hearted.

"What about the other three?"

"The other three internal units are: the Page Unit, responsible for taking care of guests from the Demon King and other Demon King Castles; the Facilities Unit, which handles the maintenance and expansion of the castle and prepares various items; and the Information Unit, which manages all information."

I pulled myself together and asked Bax about the remaining units. I repeated the answers in my head to memorize the units of the Northern Demon King's Castle.

Honestly, I won't have anything to do with the Royal Guard or the Page Unit. I'm just a nobody, and I doubt I'll ever meet the Demon King, let alone get close to him.

"Do you want to meet the Demon King, Yuri?"

"Um? I don't think I'll be able to, so it's fine."

Oh, Bax, you really know how to jump in at the right moment. Well, I can't say I'm not curious, but a real Demon King sounds scary, and meeting him is definitely out of the question. Seeing him from a distance would be enough.

"…Is that okay?"

"Yes."

Of course it's okay. The "Demon King" is the "King of Demons" and is definitely a cheat. And I'm definitely a nobody. What are you trying to push on me, Bax? I know my place.

"You're a rare one, Yuri. Most people would want to meet the Demon King."

"Why?"

"The Demon King is not only incredibly strong but also incredibly handsome. Each Demon King from the East, West, South, and North has a completely different type."

I already have more than enough handsome people around me. An incredibly handsome person? What is that, super scary. It would blind me. Handsome people are to be seen from a distance, and good food is to be enjoyed up close. I feel bad for Bax pushing so hard, but handsome people won't fill my stomach.

"I prefer food."

"………Food over the Demon King…………?"

I accidentally let out my true feelings, and Bax's cheek twitched as he was speechless. I understand the reaction of being stunned. I get it. Unlike Bax, Dilnan and the others burst out laughing.

While this was happening, the IV drip finished, and the needle was removed. During this time, Bax kept muttering, "Food over the Demon King... unbelievable," but I don't care.