87 – The Demon King of Destruction and the Captive Saint

――――(Before Brad appeared in the throne room)

Before infiltrating the Kingdom of Burnak, Megumi and the others and I had gathered to plan our strategy…

“Breaking through a fortress of that level would be simple enough. But if someone called Nemoto has been captured inside, we can’t exactly do that.”

“Brad, do you have some kind of secret plan—?”

“Ah, look at that.”

I pointed at a wagon. On the canopy was the same crest of the Burnak royal family that was on Prince Ares’s cloak and his retainer’s banner. Most likely, it was something Ares and his men had abandoned when they fled.

Returning lost property to its owner—that was a specialty of mine.

“No matter how great you are, Brad-sama, sneaking into the cargo bed without being noticed… that’s impossible…”

“Kukuku… my loyal retainer, who said anything about riding in the cargo bed? Even if I could, the wagons are inspected at every station. Leave it to me.”

That was how, hiding behind the wagon, I infiltrated Burnak’s royal palace…

And when it comes to infiltration, you think of cardboard boxes. And when you think of cardboard boxes, you think of infiltration. None can deny this truth.

Somehow even my way of speaking was starting to sound like Brad’s.

I held my breath, scanning the area from the shadows. I searched for a cardboard box… but there wasn’t one.

Instead, what I found was a wooden crate that had been used for storing apples and other fruit.

Like a hermit crab that had found a new shell, I hurriedly climbed inside the crate.

Ahh… this cramped space felt strangely comforting. In my previous life, when I could no longer bear the workplace harassment of my boss Ichinose, I often hid in cardboard boxes to endure it. Cardboard had been both my benefactor (?) and my comrade-in-arms.

The Burnak palace was quite spacious.

I waddled forward in a duck walk while hidden inside the crate, slipping past the eyes of the guards. But it was no hardship at all. In fact, it was enjoyable because I could train my duck walk while infiltrating.

In Brad’s body, I’d once tested how far I could duck walk. I’d easily managed 42,195 kilometers.

As I waddled along, I reached the stairs leading down to the underground prison. There, some palace guards were chatting.

“To think we finally defeated Liebenlasia, who’s made us suffer for so long. What a triumph!”

“Idiot… you actually believe what the higher-ups announced? Don’t be so gullible.”

“Hah? What’s that supposed to mean? You got some real info then?”

“Of course. Otherwise I wouldn’t be lording it over you. Rumor has it the Demon King appeared in Liebenlasia.”

“What? Demon Kings are fairy tales. Are you mocking me?”

“I’m not mocking you. The fools are in Liebenlasia. Their idiot prince supposedly offered up his own body as a sacrifice to revive the Demon King…”

“Then that means Burnak’s great victory… was a lie?”

“No, not a lie. They really did destroy Liebenlasia’s royal palace. But then the prince became Demon King Brad and completely crushed them.”

“If Demon King Brad comes for revenge against Burnak… what happens to us!?”

“We’ll die, obviously… the world is already finished.”

Uh… about that Demon King Brad you’re talking about—he’s right here.

“Wait, was this crate always here?”

“Beats me, never saw it before.”

One guard pointed at the crate I was hiding in. Just as I thought I’d been found out, the other guard plopped down on top of it and lit a cigarette.

“Man, if Burnak gets wiped out, I’m going back to the countryside and farming.”

“Lucky you. I was born in the capital. If it’s gone, I’ve got nowhere to live.”

“Then I’ll hire you at my place.”

“Me, your servant? Don’t be stupid.”

“Haha! Yeah, true.”

When they finished their smoke, the guards left their post without even waiting for relief to arrive.

Normally, that kind of lack of discipline would be appalling, but for me it was a stroke of luck.

I stuck just my legs out from under the crate and shuffled down the stairs. Iron-barred cells lined both sides of the passageway.

Not a single prisoner inside.

According to Ookin, one of Megumi’s classmates named Yokota had seduced Prince Ares, and Ares had executed anyone who opposed him.

Wasn’t that exactly what Brad had done in Fortune Engage? I couldn’t help but mentally point out the parallel.

As I trudged along, wondering if anyone was left in the cells, I ran into a bespectacled girl in a school uniform.

Ah, this must be her.

Megumi had shown me a picture on her phone, introducing her bestie “Nēpon.”

But of course, she had no idea who I was.

“Eek!? M-Monster!? D-don’t eat me! I’d taste awful anyway. I’m the kind of girl everyone hates…”

“Kukuku… did you mistake me for a Mimic? You’re wrong. My name is Brad! Prince of Liebenlasia!”

“Eek!? D-Demon King Brad!? Why are you here in front of me!?”

Ah right. I still had the crate on. At this rate, she’d think the Demon King was some weird guy wearing a box.