"I shan't be going."
"N-No way…"
I was stunned, so stunned that I collapsed and fell onto all fours. And it was all because asking Lefi out on a honeymoon had resulted in an indifferent rejection. I didn't have a mirror on hand, so I couldn't actually check to confirm, but I was almost certain that my expression was akin to that of someone experiencing the apocalypse.
"Y-You need not demonstrate such dismay," said Lefi. She approached me after being momentarily taken aback by the sheer extent of my disappointment. "It is not as if I wish not to accompany you. It is merely a matter of mismatched schedules."
"Mismatched schedules? What do you mean?"
"I-It is not a matter that requires your attention," said Lefi. "I shall accompany you the next time you wish to embark on an excursion, so I ask that you remain patient until then."
"Promise?"
"You have my word," said Lefi as she brushed one of her hands against my cheek. "So please, do get up off the ground."
I nodded, picked myself up, and began sitting cross-legged where I had collapsed. Lefi moved to sit down in front of me, but I grabbed her, turned her so she was facing up at an angle, and pulled her into my lap.
"W-What is it that you are doing!?" She looked up at me from her newfound position, flustered. Her cheeks had been dyed a shade of crimson.
"Well, I'm about to spend a bunch of time without you, so I'm doing myself a favour and pumping my tanks full of Lefium before I go," I said as I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her into a hug.
"Good grief…" she heaved an exasperated sigh before leaning back into my chest. "What even is this 'Lefium' of which you speak?"
Rather than answering her question, I buried my face in her hair and took in her familiar scent. In doing so, I immediately put myself at ease. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to put up with it for now. But don't think you're scot-free just yet, Lefi. Next time we go out, we're going to do so many date things that I'm going to be fully satisfied, and you're going to be stuck with your face as bright as a cherry for days.
Of course, not having Lefi come with me wasn't all negative. I couldn't deny that having her around would rid me of the last bit of anxiety I had. With her guarding it, the dungeon would be fine, even if the worst came to pass. I wasn't keen on asking my wife, the woman I had tasked myself with protecting, to keep the house safe, but the girls were here. Their safety meant far more to me than something as inconsequential as my pride.
"So you said you're gonna be leavin' tomorrow, Master?" Lyuu, who had been waiting for a chance to enter the conversation, finally judged that it was her turn to speak. Because she had been putting up with watching us flirt, the look in her eyes wasn't a pleasant one. It clearly described the fact that she was both fed up and unimpressed. "How long are ya plannin' to be in the demon realm?"
"Honestly, dunno," I said. "I don't really plan on staying that long, but I honestly don't know how much time it'll take for me to finish up all my business."
My uncertainty stemmed from the fact that I had no idea as to exactly what the demon king even wanted from me. I couldn't exactly make plans without figuring it all out first.
"I shouldn't be gone for any more than two weeks. I'll make sure to drop by and let everyone know if it seems like it'll end up taking any longer," I said. "Sorry girls, but I'm not going to be able to take you with me this time."
"Does that mean you're going to take us with you next time?" asked Illuna.
"Of course. You can count on it."
"Yay!"
Both the vampire and the slime that looked exactly like her cheered as they confirmed that they'd soon be able to go on a trip. Enne was the only one coming this time. I felt a bit bad because it almost seemed like I was playing favourites, but it wasn't really my fault. Enne was my primary weapon. Entering what could potentially be enemy territory without her didn't exactly seem like the brightest of ideas. Sorry girls, but I promise you can come next time. And that goes for the wraith sisters too.
"Are you certain you wish to go through with this, My Lord?" asked Leila. "The agent didn't seem to be offering you much in the way of benefits."
Unlike the others, the wiser of the two maids had been present when Agent McHoodface gave her spiel. She knew exactly what had been said in far greater detail than anyone else present.
"You're not wrong, but I was planning to visit the demon realm in order to settle a bit of business anyway."
The opportunity was convenient. It offered both a guide and a chance to chat with some of the big wigs. I wasn't about to pass it up for no reason. Leila was completely correct in her interpretation of the events. The agent really hadn't offered me anything but intel. There was almost nothing in it for me. But I didn't mind. Intel on the assholes I had tentatively marked as my enemies was all that I'd been after to begin with.
I had never expected them to offer me anything in the way of assistance in combat. I was already strong enough to get myself through basically anything. I knew that overestimating myself was a terrible idea, but having a bunch of weak, half-assed allies that couldn't pull their weight was only going to make everything worse.
As much as it irritated me to admit, I felt a certain amount of appreciation for the Douchelord. The idiot had used me to kill himself, which in turn granted me power and confidence in equal proportions. There was always the concern that the enemy would have some sort of incredibly powerful warrior in their service, but Leila had informed me that, at the very least, there were no demons capable of pulling off something as absurd as matching a dragon in single combat.
I wasn't going to have the dungeon's help this time around, but I felt like I'd be fine. I just knew that nothing I encountered this time around could possibly compare to my duel with the mentally deficient ex-dragonlord. Fighting anyone else would be like taking the difficulty down from hardcore to easy.
Moreover, the demon king was a king. I was confident that he had the means to pay me in more than just intel. I could almost smell all the gold, silver, and other valuables he'd send my way the moment I crushed the enemy's HQ. It was a great deal. I'd be able to destroy my enemies and get a bunch of stuff I could trade in for DP all at once. Heh. Sorry demon king dude, but I'm a greedy bastard and I'm getting my grubby little hands on as much cash as I can get.
***
Only now did Haloria Laylott finally understand the reason her king had insisted on making an ally of the demon lord known as Yuki.
The man was an abnormality. She was still one of the secret service's newer members. But, like the others, she had gone through a tough training regiment and completed her fair share of missions. And yet, despite all her experience, she hadn't noticed him. She didn't know when or even how he had gotten behind her. And that alone was enough to inform her that he was far removed from the norm. Hearing that he was willing to talk had brought her an indescribable sense of relief.
Strength aside, she hadn't thought too much of him at first. He had led her to a cave. And as such, she presumed that, like all other demon lords, he was an uncivilized brute, albeit a powerful one.
She was wrong.
Beyond the cave lay a magnificent castle. It bore a sense of dignity and overwhelming majesty. It was easily a match for the castle crafted for the king she served. The sight of it alone was enough to impress upon her that she had been mistaken. Only then did she truly learn just how wrong she had been, just how shallow she had allowed her thoughts to remain.
She recalled her king's words, the orders that he had granted her with a smile, "The person you're about to meet is most likely going to be someone special, someone outstanding. Do whatever it takes to make him our ally. And once you have, bring him to me."
At the time, she had doubted him. She hadn't thought that the demon lord would be anything but primitive. But she knew now that the king's judgement had once again failed to miss the mark.
She had to live up to his expectations. She had to make the demon lord known as Yuki side with them no matter what. Even if it meant offering herself up to sate his lust.
But before she could make him fall for her wiles, she first had to resolve the dilemma at hand.
"How exactly do I use this again…?"
Haloria stood frozen in front of one of the toilets installed inside the dungeon. Leila had taught her how to use it the night before, but as the method had slipped her mind, she ended up stiff as a board as she stared down the many buttons that decorated the high-tech tool's control panel. Proper use of the Japanese device proved to be one of the most difficult challenges she experienced that day.