Chapter 97

†† (Dairokuten Maō's Perspective)

After sending Ike as a messenger, the girl who is called the Demon King had a servant bring her some wine. She knew that Sefiro, her companion in conversation, was a wine enthusiast.

The girl then asked deliberately,

"Which would you prefer, noble rot wine or sake?"

"Sake?"

Sefiro subtly furrowed his well-shaped brows.

"It's the sake Ike brought as a gift. It's quite good."

"Is that the clear liquid?"

"Yes."

"I'll pass. I'm a wine person."

"I see."

She muttered this and laughed to herself.

Sefiro prides himself on being a wine connoisseur, but he is actually a taste-blind person. It's uncertain how he would judge the finest noble rot wine the servant brought.

However, in this regard, the girl is not much different.

The sake Ike brought is nostalgic, but if asked if it's delicious, she would hesitate. She remembers that the cloudy sake she drank in the warring states era was better.

Moreover, she only drank wine at banquets for the sake of company, so she has no right to criticize Sefiro.

The girl dismissed the subordinate who brought the wine and appetizers and took a sip of the sake poured into a small cup. The taste of her homeland spread in her mouth.

After briefly reminiscing about her past life, she asked deliberately,

"Sefiro, what do you think?"

"Wine is still the best."

Sefiro said something off the mark but quickly regained his serious expression and spoke as if trying to understand her true intentions.

"That sake, which is called sake, isn't to my liking, but Ike is doing a good job governing Ivalice, I think."

The girl nodded slightly in agreement.

"Ivalice is well-governed. Dwarves from all over gather there to collect weapons and crafts, which they export to enrich the Demon King's army. And, as represented by that sake, they are also producing unique local specialties."

"The mayonnaise was quite good. We've started distributing it to some of our troops, and it's well-received by both demons and monsters."

"It does go well with the food."

The girl ate dried cod and fried potatoes, which she learned from Ike. It was quite delicious. Sefiro and the girl continued to talk about Ike, using these as appetizers.

"However, where does Ike get his knowledge of sake, mayonnaise, and even matchlock guns?"

"Perhaps because he is Romburg's grandson."

The girl deflected.

Sefiro knows that Ike is human but is unaware that Ike possesses knowledge from his past life.

Perhaps she is the only one who knows this.

She feels a sense of intimacy and a bit of superiority from sharing this secret.

"Still, thanks to Ike, the Demon King's army is running smoothly. That's for sure."

"Yes."

"Ivalice is better governed than I imagined. The grains produced in that city are also feeding the demons in other troops. And by befriending the dwarf king Gunther, they are providing us with weapons. Soon, matchlock guns will be distributed not only to Ike's troop but to others as well."

"That will happen."

The girl agreed but added in her mind.

However, those powerful weapons will only be distributed to trustworthy troops.

If they were given to someone like Basteo of the Third Troop, it could become a seed of rebellion. The troops to which they are distributed must be carefully chosen.

"Anyway, Ike is doing well. It's good that you recognized his talent. Praise him."

Sefiro replied formally, "Thank you for your kind words," but added,

"However, it's Ike. Even if I didn't notice him, he would have eventually risen on his own and caught the Demon King's eye. If you want to praise him, praise him directly."

The girl silently disagreed in her mind but did not say it aloud.

Ike is indeed a remarkable man, but the one who recognized and nurtured his talent is the witch before her. Moreover, the contributions of Ike's grandfather, Romburg, are significant.

If Ike hadn't been taken in by Romburg, or if Romburg and Sefiro hadn't been friends, his fate would have been very different.

Thinking about what might have happened if she hadn't met Ike, she shudders.

At the very least, the Demon King's army wouldn't be in its current state, and peace envoys wouldn't have come. They might have already retreated from Rozaria and been cowering from human attacks.

"Indeed, fate does exist..."

The girl muttered.

In both her past life and this world, meeting a capable general is a matter of fate.

A farmer who was randomly noticed became a great general and a key figure in unifying the land, or a descendant of an immortal who lived in seclusion became an indispensable person in the Demon King's army.

Thinking about this, she began to believe in the existence of a god. Of course, she has no intention of relying on a god.

She has always respected deities but has never relied on them. She has always carved her own path.

She intends to continue doing so in the future.

However, to achieve this, she needs the help of many subordinates. Sefiro and the other troop leaders are necessary, as are the contributions of non-demon races, such as subhumans and humans.

To bring them together, the strength of a young demon with a human heart and body is needed.

"Ike, I'm counting on you."

When the girl said this, Sefiro nodded silently. The girl and Sefiro exchanged glances and silently thought,

"For a world without war—"

The girl and Sefiro, despite their different ways of thinking and preferences, share the same ultimate goal. Sefiro and Ike can share this dream.

Thinking this, they clinked their glasses together, a custom in this world.

The toast with a small cup and a wine glass was odd, but it felt natural.