Volume 1 Chapter 16: Negotiations

Balor had sunk into a deep, peaceful nap, and while he appeared rather content, Nanashi—irritated by the sight—was causing a disturbance.

In front of the mansion gate, Ashvin quietly approached.

Her gait was remarkably refined, and by extension, the master she served must be held in equally high regard.

Even the messenger who had come to indict Balor couldn’t help but let out an admiring sigh.

“I am Ashvin, who serves Balor-sama. And you are?”

“I have come as Marcel-sama’s messenger. Please take me to Balor Apophis.”

At being addressed simply as “Balor” without the honorific, Ashvin’s eyebrow twitched ever so slightly. She quickly resumed her usual smile.

The messenger didn’t notice a thing.

“Then, state your purpose.”

“I have nothing to say to a mere maid. Take me to Balor.”

“But Balor-sama is rather busy, you see.”

“Tch. If the master is truly the master, then the maid is merely a maid.”

The messenger clicked his tongue in obvious displeasure. In the Apophis territory, it was rare to encounter a man who opposed Balor. Well, if he was one of Marcel’s kin, that was only natural. After all, it was Balor who had been granted the Apophis territory by the previous lord—while Marcel, on the other hand, had been given no rights whatsoever.

Noticing that Ashvin remained still, her smile unfaltering despite her sarcastic remarks, the messenger conceded.

“Very well. Marcel-sama’s guards have gone missing.”

“Hmm.”

Ashvin’s eyes widened in astonishment. To those who knew the truth, such a reaction was hardly surprising, but the messenger—thoroughly deceived by her act—continued.

“They were last seen conversing with Balor. It’s clear something is amiss—there’s even testimony that they were involved in a quarrel.”

It must have been when they were picking on a child. The dashing, kind-hearted Balor had even risked himself to protect the child.

Ashvin grew somewhat pleased, her nostrils flaring.

“In other words, are you claiming that Balor-sama has caused the death of those guards?”

“At the very least, Marcel-sama believes so.”

“Ara Ara🎶🎶”

It was so completely off-base that one couldn’t help but laugh. That kind-hearted Balor would never dare lay a hand on Marcel’s kin—even if it were his foolish younger brother. Covering her mouth with her hand, Ashvin feigned astonishment. Incidentally, Balor was a man who earnestly wished upon the stars that not only his guards but even Marcel himself would promptly disappear.

“If Marcel-sama’s men have been dealt with, it could escalate into a major confrontation. And Marcel-sama certainly does not desire that. He wishes to resolve this through dialogue.”

“I see. What exactly does Marcel-sama want, and what must be done to earn his pardon?”

For that nefarious man to even suggest negotiation… Ashvin, not trusting him in the slightest, pressed for compensation. At that, the messenger broke into a smile, as if he had been expecting it.

“It is a partial transfer of lordship.”

“Well, well…”

Only Ashvin could be so easily appeased by such a revelation. If Balor were here, he’d be fuming internally, and Nanashi would surely be rolling her eyes. That was how reckless and misguided… downright foolish Marcel’s demand was. After all, lordship was the proof of a noble’s status—a supreme right that only a lord may possess. In a sense, within his territory, a lord was akin to a king. He held sway over everything from tax collection to administering justice. To demand even a part of that was nothing short of disrespect.

“Marcel-sama is a merciful man. He does not ask for all of the lordship rights—merely a portion. Balor should, too, be willing to compromise.”

Among them, demanding a portion of the lordship was viewed as a concession. Ashvin fought the urge to sigh.

“But lordship is an immensely important matter. To demand its transfer is simply…”

“Balor did just that! Therefore, it is only natural that he should face retribution and make amends!”

With only a weak maid before him, the messenger pressed his argument forcefully—raising his voice and issuing a threat.

“Marcel-sama has already conceded. If Balor does not do likewise, there will be no balance! Could it be… do you wish for war?”

At the moment he uttered those words, the messenger believed he had won.
War.
It was, in every sense, a trump card.
He was sure that once Balor heard those words, his side would have no choice but to back down.
After all, there was absolutely nothing for Balor’s side to gain from this war.
For instance, in an offensive war, victory would yield the enemy’s lands and treasures.
But his lands and treasures were already his, and if war broke out, it would be a defensive battle.
Moreover, the enemy possessed no territory at all, so they couldn’t even demand compensation.
In short, even if Balor joined the war, he would gain nothing—and if he lost, he would lose everything.
Thus, by uttering these words, Balor was forced to concede.
And yet…

“Then, I shall answer,”
Ashvin smiled sweetly.

“–––––––If you’re going to babble nonsense, save it for your dreams, you idiot!”

“What!?”
He was dumbfounded.
Could a maid really speak so rudely?
Having been so polite just moments ago, the shock was all the greater.
And once his astonishment subsided, he was immediately filled with anger at being disrespected by a mere maid.

“I—I am Marcel-sama’s messenger, you know!? For you to spew such insults at me…! A lowly maid getting too big for her britches…!”
To be looked down upon by someone else—especially a maid—made his blood boil.

“In the first place, isn’t Marcel the one who holds no real power right now? A man with nothing but the blood of a former lord seeking supreme lordship—it’s infuriating. The subjects would never accept it.”

“Y-you insolent wretch! How dare you, a mere maid, insult Marcel-sama!?”

“Insult? Not at all… I merely stated the obvious.”
Her thin smile exuded an almost bone-chilling coldness.

“You’re no match for this discussion in the first place! Bring forth Balor!!”

“Such a trivial matter would never reach Balor-sama’s ears. Besides, I have one more thing to say.”
Ashvin smiled sweetly, and gracefully stepped closer to the man.
The gentle, sweet scent that wafted from her made his heart skip a beat…

“Gah!?”
The man’s body began to float gently.
It was because of the thin spear that had pierced his chest.
It struck his heart precisely, causing him to die in an instant.
Ashvin smoothly withdrew the spear, then looked coldly down at the man’s body as it collapsed onto the ground in a pool of blood.

“Don’t dare call Balor by his name without honor.”

Now, what to do…
What to do with this body?
Should we cut off his head and send it to Marcel?
That would be a declaration of war.
No—besides, we can’t just leave such a filthy corpse in front of Balor’s mansion.
To avoid sullying Balor’s reputation, it must be disposed of swiftly…

“Oh my—what an intense declaration of war, nya!”
Appearing with a little hop was Artemis, another maid.
Even when confronted with the gruesome corpse, she smiled nonchalantly.
Well, she had seen more of such things than Ashvin, so it was only natural.

“Artemis, are you ready?”

“Probably. I haven’t really done much of that; Izun used to handle it, nya.”
Artemis chuckled softly.
She could have been assigned the task, but since it was safer to leave it to Izun rather than her, Ashvin said nothing.
After all, Artemis would be needed to work in other areas.

“Then, splendid. Let Balor fully seize control of this Apophis territory.”
Ashvin believed in it—believing that what she was doing would benefit Balor.

“It’s war.”