Chapter 17

Called by my revered superior, I sighed and said,

"Commander, I already told you so many times not to call me suddenly, as there might be times when I’m in the bath or the toilet—"

My words stopped, a pure sign of my innocence.

It wasn’t me in the bath, but the Commander.

She was half-submerged in the bathtub.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the steam obscured her, but she didn’t seem to mind at all,

"Could you please wash my back with that brush over there?"

she asked.

"…Why don’t you ask a familiar to do it?"

A magician of her rank could summon multiple familiars at once.

"Fool, relying on magic for everything is a sign of a second-rate magician," she said.

"Is asking a disciple to do such a chore a sign of a first-rate one?"

"No—"

The 7th Legion Commander, the Black Bane Witch Sefiro, shook her head.

"It’s a sign of a top-notch one."

She said this definitively and then laughed,

"Hehehe."

"Get on with washing my back, or I’ll send you to solitary confinement."

She threatened me.

With no choice, I turned away and washed her back with the brush.

"What are you blushing for? I used to give you baths when you were a child."

"…That was when I was a child."

"To me, you’re still a child."

"You’ve been alive since the time of the previous, previous, previous Demon King."

"………………"

Even though I was facing away, I could almost hear the sound of her glare.

It seems that asking a woman about her age is taboo in any world.

I could feel the murderous intent from her back, as if to say, "If you touch me, I’ll kill you."

With my high danger perception, I quickly changed the subject.

"Anyway, Commander, I have some information I’d like to share."

"What is it? Did you peek at my underwear again?"

"I’m being serious. It’s an urgent matter."

Hearing my serious tone, she seemed to switch out of her playful mode.

"What is it? Speak."

She said, now serious, or so I imagined, since I couldn’t see her face.

"Yes. It seems there might be an informant within our legion."

"An informant?"

"Yes."

"What’s your evidence?"

"During the recent defense of Ivalice, enemy troops entered through a secret passage that only our kind knew about."

"Hmm, you managed to handle it well."

"Well, it’s impossible to move a large army through a secret passage. It was unexpected, but we’re not that weak."

"Hmm, you sound quite confident."

"Thanks to the military strategies you taught me."

"Flattery won’t get you anything."

Sefiro said this and then urged me to continue.

"However, being attacked from the inside was unexpected. If I hadn’t left the Kobold unit behind, it could have been dangerous."

"Hmm, I see. So, you weren’t prepared for an inside attack, but you won the battle outside, so it turned out fine."

"Basically, that’s the summary."

"If you had been struggling with the White Rose Knights, the worst-case scenario could have been that the infiltrated troops incited the residents and led to your defeat."

"…In the worst case."

"Hmm, that’s a serious issue. So, the one who revealed the secret passage is within the Undead Legion?"

"Probably."

"What? You have no evidence? Suspecting allies without evidence will cause discord within the ranks, which is exactly what the enemy wants."

"No, I have evidence."

I said this definitively.

"Hmm, what kind of evidence?"

I explained in detail.

After hearing my explanation, Sefiro nodded slightly in agreement.

"You had a magic-powered detection device set up along the secret passage?"

"Yes, the one you made."

"Oh, that one. It’s impossible for humans to disable it, let alone even detect it."

"Upon inspection, the device was perfectly disabled."

"I see, so the possibility that the secret construction was discovered by the residents is also ruled out."

"Also, the possibility that the enemy discovered the passage by chance can be ruled out."

"So, you suspected the existence of an informant. I see, a reasonable judgment."

"…I don’t want to suspect my allies, though."

"Don’t be so naive. You know that demons aren’t a group of friends."

"Humans aren’t either."

"Exactly. There’s no organization in history that hasn’t had internal conflicts."

"I wish our legion could be an exception…"

"There are no exceptions in this world."

Sefiro stated this definitively.

Well, that’s true.

In my original world, the situation was the same.

There’s no such thing as a monolithic organization.

Especially with demons, who have been in constant conflict and vying for dominance since their inception.

It’s impossible for all demons to unite.

"However, the problem is who and for what reason they betrayed us."

"The reason is obvious. To ensure our legion’s defeat."

"That’s correct. But there must be a reason for wanting to cause our defeat."

"Well, there are plenty of legions that envy ours. In that case, all the other six legion commanders are suspects. Most likely, one of them sent a spy to my legion to hinder the 7th Legion."

As I stated my thoughts, my superior, Sefiro, laughed, "Hehehe."

"…What’s so funny, Commander? Did I say something completely off the mark?"

"No, it’s just that your assumption that the traitor is a spy from another legion is very much like you."

"…I don’t want to suspect my colleagues."

"But don’t give up on thinking. Your grandfather used to say, ‘The one who doesn’t give up thinking until the end will be the ultimate victor.’”

"However, to be honest, I don’t remember doing anything to make my subordinates hate me, and I think I get along well with the other legion commanders of the 7th Legion."

"That’s where you’re sharp but sometimes incredibly naive."

Sefiro stated this and continued,

"Indeed, our 7th Legion is relatively united compared to the others. There are fewer who try to hinder other legions, thanks to my education."

However, she pointed at me with her finger and said,

"There’s a limit to everything. What about your recent achievements? How many enemy armies have you defeated, and how many human fortresses have you captured? And with minimal losses to your allies, and hardly any enemy casualties, all done brilliantly."

"Ah…"

I couldn’t help but give a foolish answer, not understanding what she was getting at.

Seeing my reaction, Sefiro sighed and said,

"You’re really a fool. The point is, consider the possibility that the other legion commanders are jealous of you."

"Am I in a position to be envied by the other legion commanders?"

She pointed to a map of the continent on her desk and then moved her lips slightly, as if casting a spell. When she finished, the map began to glow.

"What is this?"

I understood its meaning without asking.

The eastern third of the continent was painted red.

This indicated the area currently occupied by the Demon Army.

Sefiro confirmed this,

"This is the current occupied territory of the Demon Army. And—"

Then, about one-seventh of the red area began to glow.

"What is this area?"

There was no need to ask. It was all familiar names of fortresses and cities.

"All these areas are ones you were involved in occupying. A single legion commander of a single legion has been involved in the conquest of so much territory and has played a major role. And you’re a young man who just became a legion commander not long ago."

"…I see."

Indeed, what she said was true.

Since becoming a legion commander, I don’t recall having any particular conflicts with other legion commanders, but if I put myself in their shoes, I can understand why they might be envious.

I sighed and thought about the faces of the other legion commanders.

So, who among them tried to bring me down?

Was it the Troll known as the War Demon of Annihilation?

Or the Dragonkin legion commander?

In the 7th Legion, including myself, there are ten legion commanders.

That makes nine suspects—.

I tried to avoid preconceived notions as I began to narrow down the list of potential traitors.