Volume 2 Chapter 45: A Difficult Child【The Aristocratic Council Arc】

When Balor was deceiving the innocent Izun by saying things he didn’t truly mean.

In a room of the Apophis residence—now empty of its feudal lord and maid—two shadows appeared.

One was Ashvin.

She was the woman of the foreign race most despised in the kingdom.

The other was Artemis.

With ears sprouting from her head and a frilly, swaying tail, it was clear she was not human.

In that dim room, they exchanged words while poring over documents.

“Was this okay?”

“Yes. With this, even the center can no longer ignore Balor-sama. Even among the local nobles, he has become a figure apart—drawing the attention of the noble council.”

Ashvin smiled seductively.

Not everything had gone exactly as planned.

In the first place, sending assassins after Balor by Kelphine was never meant to be part of the plan.

When they heard that information, they were extremely alarmed—and even resolved to subject Kelphine to gruesome torture.

However, although the process involved various miscalculations, the objective had been determined from the start and was ultimately achieved.

Namely, Balor’s presence at the center.

It is the noble council that moves the country.
Only the court nobles—those without domains—may participate in the noble council.

Balor, who holds the Apophis domain, is not permitted to occupy a position crucial enough to steer the nation.
Admitting ordinary nobles into the council would undoubtedly provoke fierce resistance from the court nobles.

Then, they too would yearn for their own domains.
Ashvin had also considered that shattering such vested interests would be extremely difficult.

But what if the court nobles composing the noble council could be made unable to ignore Balor’s intentions?
Even without participating in the council, he could still wield influence.

Balor has expanded his control beyond the Apophis domain to encompass the entire kingdom.

“I don’t think Master really wishes for that sort of thing, nya.”

“Balor-sama is such a kind soul. Admittedly, using such a coercive method to bolster his influence might not be looked upon favorably.”

“Yeah, well, that’s true, nya.”

From Artemis’s perspective, Balor was exceedingly soft.
If one got too close, one would be melted into a gooey mess.
There might even be a side of lethal toxicity.

Thus, neither Ashvin nor Izun—and even that maid who wanders off aimlessly—can be accepted by Artemis.

The only one who could be said to be like herself was Nanashi.

Of course, she did not hate Balor.
Having been rescued herself, if she truly despised him, she would have swiftly killed him and moved on.
And she didn’t dislike his sweetness either.

However, she could not afford to entrust herself to him.
For if she did, Artemis would never be able to stand on her own two feet again.

Both Ashvin and Izun, if Balor were to lose his life, are the type to massacre the culprit and follow suit.

“(I really don’t want to be kept as a pet, nya)”

Even though she harbored such thoughts, she never doubted that staying under Balor’s wing for a while was tantamount to being kept as a pet.

“However, this country is best governed by someone truly capable, great, and wonderful. It is by no means desirable for those repulsive, base beings—like the four major nobles or the court nobles, those who crawl along the ground—to run things as if they owned everything.”

“Is that, Master?”

“Yes. That person rescued me—a foreigner—and even accepted Izun, 【Cursed Child】. It is precisely that generosity and kindness that befits one destined to stand at the pinnacle.”

“Hmm.”

Artemis turned her gaze away, seemingly disinterested.

It may seem that Ashvin and Izun, who have been ostracized until now, long to change this country.
But Artemis knows: these two merely want to see the one they love elevated to the very top.

Frankly, they likely give little thought to the fact that they are of the same foreign race—the same outcasts.
Their sole concern is how to elevate Balor to a position of great prestige.
They simply want the one they love to be cool—to be someone remarkable.
That may be natural, but Ashvin and the others take that ambition to an unparalleled extreme.

On the other hand, perhaps because of her line of work, Artemis never wished for Balor to hold a prominent position.
She’d be perfectly content if he could slack off at work, spend time sunbathing with her, and even give his head an occasional gentle pat.

“We should handle the dirty behind‐the-scenes work ourselves. When that time comes, I’d definitely like to have your help, Artemis.”

“Hmm…”

Ashvin fixed her gaze on Artemis with a cold stare.

Regarding the behind‐the-scenes work, among Balor’s maids, Artemis possesses abilities and aptitude equal to—or even exceeding—【Her】.

She is also very experienced.

Her abilities undoubtedly strengthen Balor.

“Myaa has already graduated from that sort of work, hasn’t she? She decided that when taking on the respectable role of Master’s maid, she’d leave that behind.”

However, contrary to expectations, Artemis showed reluctance.

This is relatively common among those involved in the shadows—growing weary of dirty work and striving to return to a proper, respectable line of work. Ashvin concluded that Artemis was of that sort as well.

“But this is all for Balor-sama.”

“Yeah. Well, if it were that kind of time, I might understand—but I’m not so laid-back as to nod ‘yes’ just because those brown boobs say so, nya…”

That kind of time would be when Balor himself makes the request. I don’t know what my fickle self might decide then, but I certainly won’t nod in agreement simply because Ashvin asks.

“…Are you planning to defy Balor-sama?”

Her voice was chillingly cold—a tone that exuded a menacing, almost vicious quality. A clumsy reply could very well get you killed; it carried a seething murderous aura.

Yet Artemis did not flinch in the slightest, fluttering her hand lightly.

“No, I’m not. Geez… Just like my white hair, my boobs are all pappaparapa, nya…”

With a sigh, she looked back at Ashvin. Ashvin, who exuded an aura so ominous that one might hesitate to meet her gaze, was met with Artemis’s own eyes as cold as ice.

“I’m telling you—I won’t obey your orders, boobs.”

“…Could you please stop referring to me as ‘boobs’?”

“Because they’re big, and it pisses me off, nya.”

In an instant, the swirling atmosphere of murderous intent dissipated. Before long, Artemis was glaring at Ashvin’s chest with a scornful, half-lidded look. Shaking her head nonchalantly as a subtle act of payback, she added:

“Anyway, that’s how it is. When Myaa does that sort of thing again, it won’t be when you order her.”

Turning her back, Artemis stopped at the doorway and looked back at Ashvin.

“It will be when the Master calls on Myaa.”

With those final words, Artemis left for good this time. Left behind, Ashvin sighed.

“…Really, such a difficult child.”