Chapter 43

After being informed of my passing the exam, Elies explained that my job would mainly involve verifying calculations in documents. Dirlan also mentioned that the department handles a variety of documents, so there must be a lot of them.

Well, I guess I won't know until I try. The calculation work is supposed to start in the afternoon.

After receiving a thorough explanation, Elies and Mars left the room with two-thirds of the documents on the desk. When I followed them, they quickly distributed the documents to the team members in the office.

Half of the team members who received the documents were rolling their eyes subtly. They looked like their souls were about to leave their bodies.

"You took time off from your work to welcome Yurie. I won't allow you to say you can't handle this level of work."

Elies' cold smile made the team members, who were somehow still intact, almost cry. ...Is it just me, or did half of them look a bit pleased? (Sweat drop)

Separately, some of the team members who weren't assigned work by Elies and Mars were making eye contact with Mars and nodding slightly. It was telepathy.

"Alright, now that the documents are organized, let's take a walk around the castle as promised, Yurie."

Elies' smile, directed at me, who was slightly moved, had lost its coldness and was even shining. She's so skilled.

No, maybe I should be impressed by Elies' manliness in pushing work onto her subordinates as a form of punishment and calling it 'document organization.'

Can I just admire Elies' smile for ten seconds?

After leaving the document team's office with Elies and Mars, the first place we went to was the big staircase we climbed up.

"Before we move on, let me give you a brief explanation of the structure of the Northern Demon King's Castle."

At Elies' words, I looked up at her.

"This Northern Demon King's Castle is a fortress specialized in defensive functions. Unlike the other Demon King's Castles, it doesn't prioritize beauty or ease of use.

The demons in the Northern Demon King's territory have stronger fighting instincts compared to those in other territories, and even the lords are not entirely on the Demon King's side. Rather, they are more malicious because they constantly watch the Demon King's movements.

Furthermore, the Northern Demon King's territory has historically been attacked more frequently by the Southern Demon King's territory. The demons in the Southern Demon King's territory have a troublesome nature of never getting tired of fun things and putting their full effort into them, so attacks are likely to continue. This is the main reason why the Northern Demon King's Castle is a fortress."

I completely understand why the Northern Demon King's Castle is surrounded by thick walls and built solidly. It means that the surrounding area is always sharpening its claws and fangs, and the Northern Demon King's Castle, which is the center of the Northern Demon King's territory, is a favorite target for special attacks.

"Therefore, the deployment of the teams within the castle is also arranged in a way that is not seen in other Demon King's Castles. To minimize betrayal, it is not a fortress, and the number of personnel is less than one-tenth of other Demon King's Castles. That's why it's a meritocracy, and even administrative staff are called 'teams,' and individuals are required to have a certain level of combat ability."

The more I hear about the Northern Demon King's Castle, the more dangerous it seems. I can feel the danger to my life very strongly.

"Commander Elies, can I ask one question?"

"What is it?"

When I looked up at Elies with a question that suddenly came to mind, she smiled and encouraged me. In the dimly lit castle, Elies' smile was very dazzling.

"I don't understand the difference between 'fortress' and 'castle.'"

...

Am I the only one who doesn't understand? My heart is pounding.

"That's right... For Yurie, a fortress is an independent structure, while a castle is a form that includes a town within the walls. Since the Northern Demon King's Castle doesn't have a town inside the walls, it falls into the category of a fortress."

"Only the castle is a fortress?"

"There are actually more detailed differences, but that's enough for now."

It would be meaningless to delve deeper with my level of knowledge. I don't think I would understand even if I asked.

And when Elies says, "That's enough for me," it might be better not to ask too much.

If I accidentally learn a secret and something happens, I might be immediately disposed of.

"Commander Elies, are there rules for the internal layout?"

"There are some conventions, but you shouldn't expect them in the Northern Demon King's Castle. I'll gradually tell you the locations of each team as needed. Today, I'll just explain which teams are on which floors."

"Thank you very much."

The castle is so big. If I look at every detail, it would definitely take a whole day to walk through.

First, we'll take a basic tour.

"First, on the third floor, there are mainly the document team's offices, the library, and the archive. The rest are the intelligence team's rooms, the cleaning team's rooms and storage, and the meeting rooms."

Wait, isn't there one unusual team mixed in? Am I imagining things??

"...Because cleaning from the top makes it cleaner?"

"...That's part of it."

"...And mainly because of space issues."

When I asked just to be sure, Elies nodded with a smile, but there was a subtle pause.

I think Mars' muttered words were definitely the truth. Maybe their kindness is shown in not denying it.

"Alright, let's go down to the second floor."

"Okay."

But I won't push it. I'll obediently follow the longer stick.

No need to provoke the gods. I don't want to stir up trouble.

Alright, let's gather our spirits and move on to the next place!