Chapter 50

The protagonist's perspective and content in chapters 26-27 are almost identical. If you don't like it, please skip it.

I sighed slightly as I checked the state of the field where the squad members had been screaming for the past two days.

The crops were growing exceptionally well, and the flowers were blooming vibrantly.

However, there were no unusual signs in any of the plants I inspected; rather, their condition was perfect. ...That, in itself, was the most unusual thing.

In the midst of this, I spotted three people walking through the field.

A beautiful woman in the paperwork squad uniform, a taciturn man, and a small child holding hands between them.

Despite the uniform, they all wore almost the same clothes, and their friendly walk resembled a family.

However, the two who seemed to be the parents exuded an unusual calmness that was unthinkable in normal circumstances.

The paperwork squad leader, Elies, and the deputy leader, Mars.

'The Ice Queen' and 'The Last Conscience of the Paperwork Squad.' Both were known for their terrifyingly calm and cold demeanor, representing the epitome of workaholics. When they were together, they were famous as a sharp duo. It was likely the child in the middle who was changing them. This was probably the child Dilnan brought back, about whom the temporary enlistment was discussed at yesterday's squad leader meeting.

When I couldn't help but call out to Elies, she returned to her usual state.

Seeing this, the child looked at me.

"Are you the kid who's temporarily enlisting? I've got some delicious toots, so have one."

Holding out a toot I had picked for inspection, the child's eyes were immediately fixed on it.

It seemed to be a favorite, as his eyes sparkled. The reaction was clear.

"Yuri, you shouldn't take things from strangers,"

But as Elies said this, she took the toot from my hand and placed it in front of the child.

This made the child cry out in distress, wiping away tears as he looked up at the toot in Elies' hand.

Unable to resist, I took it back and placed it in the child's hand, which he held carefully. It was a gratifying reaction as the maker.

"There, there, poor thing.

I'm Jean, the leader of the agricultural squad. Now you know me, so I'm not a stranger anymore."

"Jean-taicho? I'm Yuri."

"Here, have a bite. The toots from the agricultural squad are delicious."

Before Elies could complain, I introduced myself and, using a bit of logic, encouraged the child to eat the toot. When the child obediently followed, Elies let out a motherly warning, and I couldn't help but laugh inside.

The child, who had bitten into the toot, started to cry and his eyes, wet with tears, sparkled even more than when I showed him the toot. The reaction was very clear.

I stroked the child's hair as he ate, and I threw some toots to the bewildered Elies and Mars, who ate them without hesitation despite their sighs. The moment they did, their expressions changed, indicating they understood the quality of the toots I had given them.

"Jean, this is—"

"It's fine. This year, the crops are unusually good, and production is outpacing consumption. I'd rather you eat them than let them go to waste. I've already talked to Rois and Dilnan, and we're planning to send some to the cafeteria."

"Really that good?"

"Yeah. Especially in the past two or three days, the fields have been filled with joyful screams. That's why it's a special distribution."

I nodded in response to Elies' confirmation and assured her it was fine to take, which made both of them widen their eyes.

This field produces vegetables for the Demon King's meals.

Among the fields of the Northern Demon King's Castle, this one is particularly dedicated to the soil, with the amount of water and cultivation methods passed down by generations of agricultural squad leaders. That's why the vegetables here are naturally more delicious than those grown elsewhere.

However, this also means the yield is low. But now, they were growing in the best condition without any loss in quality, with yields comparable to those of ordinary vegetables.

The ordinary fields were also producing twice as much, leading to a shortage of manpower. ...I digress.

Despite knowing the quality of these vegetables, the two adults swallowed them without even savoring them.

I couldn't help but protest, but the child's reaction was unexpected.

"You don't need to worry so much, Yuri."

"That's right. You shouldn't be like that. Chew well and savor the food."

"Hey, who are you to say that? If you're going to say that, you should savor the cooking squad's meals first."

"You should show a bit more respect to your elders."

"What part of an elder should I respect? Those who truly deserve respect don't need to say such things, Jean."

I unexpectedly found myself in a verbal sparring match with Elies, but unlike usual, the conversation ended quickly.

We couldn't help but laugh at the mess the child made after finishing the toot.

"Kid, how do you manage to get so dirty?"

"Thank you."

I wiped the dirt off the child with a towel around my neck, and he smiled shyly while thanking me.

...It was a cuteness I hadn't seen in a long time, and it was heartwarming.

"...You're so cute."

"Huh?"

"Old man, I think I understand why Elies is acting like a mother."

I couldn't help but say that, and the next moment, the child surprised me with an unexpected response.

"...Elies-taicho isn't a mom. She's a cool big brother."

"Really? To you, Elies is a solid big brother?"

"Elies-taicho is a cool big brother. Dilnan-taicho is the mom."

Most of the squad members in the Northern Demon King's Castle would agree that Elies looks like a mother, given her appearance.

But this child, who had only met Elies for about three days, denied it.

Moreover, he referred to the handsome representative of the cooking squad, Dilnan, as the "mom" of the "Big Brother Squad."

"Don't be fooled by her beautiful appearance."

The child confidently denied any feminine qualities Elies might have, leaving me speechless.

Even Elies, who was the subject of the comment, blinked in surprise.

"...Hah!"

"Mars-fukutaicho, you can't hold it in, can you?"

In the midst of this, a voice burst out from behind the child.

Mars, who was usually calm and rarely showed any expression, was shaking his shoulders, trying hard not to laugh. But his efforts were in vain, and he started laughing uncontrollably, even coughing from the laughter.

Seeing Mars laugh so hard for the first time, Elies and I were left speechless.

"Fukutaicho, you have a good sense of humor."

Despite not knowing anything, the child summed it up in one sentence, completely unaware of the impact of his words.

This triggered a wave of laughter, and I couldn't help but join Mars in a fit of laughter. The laughter spread to Elies, who also started laughing out loud.

The child, who didn't understand what was happening, tilted his head but eventually joined us with a bright smile.

"Phew... It's been a while since I laughed so much."

After laughing to our hearts' content, I took a deep breath and looked at the child.

"Kid, no, Yuri. I like you!"

"I like you too, Jean-taicho."

Finding an unexpectedly interesting person, I began to see Yuri not just as a child but as an individual.

Yuri immediately responded with a smile, his lack of hesitation making me laugh.

"This is going to be interesting. Elies, what will you have him do?"

"He's already done it, Jean.

He aced the usual enlistment test, finishing it in a quarter of the time. His calculation skills far surpass those of most squad members."

"Ha ha! ...This is going to be a wild ride. It's been a while since I've had this much fun."

Elies' assessment of Yuri's practical skills confirmed that his intellect was exceptional, even for a child.

This meant I couldn't dismiss Yuri just because he was a child.

I stroked my stubble, imagining the chaos at the next squad leader meeting, and a smile crept onto my face.

"Before coming here, I met Rois on the second floor. He's not impressed with Yuri yet."

"That's to be expected."

Elies' information made sense.

Convincing the adjutant squad leader Rois, who is even stricter than us, is a tough task. It's unlikely that he would accept a child's enlistment after just one meeting.

"...Yuri, what did you think of Rois?"

I suddenly asked Yuri what he thought of Rois, and he tilted his head.

"Rois-taicho?"

"Yeah."

I was genuinely curious about how Yuri, who had read Elies' inner thoughts, perceived Rois.

"Um, he's scary, and he's a total Demon King loyalist!"

Hearing Yuri's response, I looked at Elies and Mars, suspecting they had told him.

However, their expressions, though slightly tense, suggested they hadn't. Their ability to control their expressions made it unlikely they had influenced him. Our long acquaintance allowed me to understand this.

Rois' outward appearance is even more pleasant than Elies'. He always wears a friendly smile and is calm and fair. Generally, he is seen as a perfectist.

But in reality, he is a total Demon King loyalist. Because of his deep devotion to the Demon King, he considers spending time on other matters a waste. Rois' judgment is based on the Demon King, and he acts with full awareness of this. He is likely one of the most distorted and biased people in the Northern Demon King's Castle. Only a few squad leaders, including those who know 'a certain incident,' are aware of this.

Yet, this child had clearly seen through Rois' inner nature.

"Yuri"

"Such a little one, and yet..."

I couldn't help but let out a part of my true feelings, and even Mars couldn't hide his pity.

Yuri's cute and childlike behavior contrasted sharply with his sharp insight and intellect. This duality was endearing but also a potential bomb.

If Rois learned that Yuri had seen through his inner nature at first glance, he would not leave Yuri alone.

However, as squad leaders, we had to inform Rois and the other squad leaders about this. At the same time, we couldn't tell Yuri about it.

The challenges Yuri would face were easy to imagine.

Thinking about the weight Yuri would carry after the next squad leader meeting made me feel heavy.