The party hosted by Megiddo-san continued on in a lively manner.
Only the people who collected the most stamps on the first day and Megiddo-san's subordinates participated in this party, so Kuro and Alice weren't here. Well, I guess they could easily join if they wanted to, but it seems like they read the mood around here and probably won't barge in.
As I was thinking about this, Megiddo-san loudly put down his cup and shouted.
[...Speaking of which, oi, you b*stard! Ozma!!! For only your place to have an 80% pass rate, what does this mean!? Look at Agni's place, she hasn't let anyone but Kaito through!!!]
[Ah~~ You see, everyone was working so hard to win against me. "I" can't just ignore their hard work~~]
(T/N: Ozma usually refers to himself as "Ojii-san/Uncle", but he uses "Ore/I" here.)
Responding with those words, Ozma-san, holding a small cup in one hand, looked as lax as ever as he approached us.
Even so, it seems that he would still use honorifics when talking with Megiddo-san, and his tone has changed but...
[Hahh... You never change... You're still always drinking cheap alcohol...]
[Well~~ I don't really like the taste of expensive alcohol... Hey, Miyama-kun. Good work out there.]
[Ah, yes. Thank you very much!]
Calmly calling out to me, Ozma-san then sat down across from Megiddo-san.
[It seems like Master is having fun. Isn't your drinking pace faster than usual?]
[Yeah, today's match was fun. The alcohol afterward is also great!]
[Well, that's great...]
Looking as if Megiddo-san's happiness was his own, Ozma-san snapped his fingers and made a giant bottle of alcohol appear.
Then, leisurely holding it in one hand, he poured alcohol into Megiddo-san cup, to which Megiddo-san drank without saying a word.
Filled with a somewhat friendly mood, or perhaps, a gentle atmosphere, I suddenly wondered about something and voiced out my question.
[Ummm, Ozma-san?]
[Unnn? What is it?]
[Only Ozma-san calls Megiddo-san "Master" instead of adding "-sama" in his name, is there a reason for that?]
[Hmm~~ Well, it's just an old habit. There isn't any deeper reason for that.]
[Ozma has been my subordinate the longest. He became my subordinate before I was called the War King, so I guess that's why he's calling me that.]
It seems that Ozma-san was Megiddo-san's first subordinate.
[Hehh... Speaking of which, I'm sorry if this is something I shouldn't ask. Why did you become Megiddo-san's subordinate, Ozma-san?]
[Oi, oi, Miyama-kun. There's nothing to be gained from knowing about Uncle's past, you know?]
[I'm sorry. It's just that I thought that the atmosphere around Ozma-san was different from the other Five Generals...]
[Hahaha, you're being told off, Ozma. You gotta have a bit more ambition.]
[N- No, I'm not saying that much though!?]
It certainly is as Megiddo-san said, Ozma-san doesn't seem to have any ambition... Or rather, I don't think I feel the "fighting is the best" thinking that the other Generals have.
This is the same reason as to why it feels easy for me to talk to him though...
[Ahaha, no, well, Uncle was also quite mischievous back then. That's also the reason why I ended up punching Master Megiddo the first time I met him.]
[Eeehhh!?]
[Well, I got really beaten up after that though... I completely lost.]
[How the heck can you say that after "we fought for seven days and seven nights"...? I think "we were evenly matched", you know?]
[Well, I still lost in the end. Master is strong, and I was weak.]
Eh? He fought Megiddo-san evenly for seven days and seven nights? Ozma-san is that strong!? Eh? Where the heck did being the weakest of the Five Generals go? N- No, well, I never really thought Ozma-san was any weaker than Kong-san either... Could it be that the strongest of the Five Generals is Ozma-san...
[In those days, the Demon Realm was much bleaker than it is now. An era where losing meant death. However, Master Megiddo didn't take the life of this defeated Uncle, but asked me to become his subordinate.]
[Ahh~~ That brings back memories.]
[But back then, I guess you could say that Uncle was experiencing his youthful folly, but anyway, I had quite the bad temper back then. Even when Master asked me to be his subordinate... I snarled at him, saying "Don't you dare insult me! If you take me in as your subordinate, I will make sure to cut your head off the moment you turn your back towards me!" or something like that.]
[O- Ohhh...]
Ozma-san scratched his cheeks, looking somewhat embarrassed, and talked about what he had told Megiddo-san a long time ago.
[What do you think Master said in response? Looking like he was really having fun, he told me "Ohh, that makes it fun! Then, I'll leave my back to you!".]
[H- How should I say this... That's just like Megiddo-san.]
[...I feel like I was being reminded how big my heart is.]
Saying that somewhat happily, Ozma-san took out a cigarette and held it in his mouth. Calmly lighting it, he looked at Megiddo-san with a respectful gaze, as if he was feeling somewhat nostalgic.
He hates doing surprise attacks on others, but he likes when he is surprise attacked... That's certainly like Megiddo-san.
[Ohh, speaking of which, you still haven't stabbed me from the back yet, have you? When are you going to do it?]
[Ahaha, I don't feel like doing it anymore. I was charmed by Master Megiddo's way of life. I just want to watch your figure from behind... For me, the only king is Master... When I die, "it will be while protecting Master's back". That's what I decided before Master even became the War King.]
[...I see.]
[Well, things have become so peaceful these days that it seems difficult to die. Well, that's why I will just leisurely serve Master in moderation until the end of my life...]
[Good grief, that last part was unnecessary... You're still the same lazy bastard.]
[Ahaha.]
Whether it was Megiddo-san who told that in an amazed manner, or Ozma, who laughed while scratching his shaggy hair... Both of them looked somewhat happy, and I could tell that they had strong trust in each other.
Dear Mom, Dad———— I was able to learn a little bit about Ozma-san's past, even though he had left out a lot of details about it. As he said that Megiddo-san was the only king for him, Ozma-san's expression looked radiant, while Megiddo-san seemed happy to hear what he said... Somehow, of all the master and servant relationships I've ever seen———– That was the most dazzling scene I've ever seen.
**********
{Afterword}
With the exception of the people within Kuro's family... In short, other than the Demons that were guided by Kuro, Ozma is the strongest. But since the battle with Megiddo, he hasn't fought seriously, not even once.
This time is Shiro, whose character rough draft appeared 7th.