Volume 4 Chapter 89: The Black‑Hearted, Corrupt Lord Surrounded by Problematic Maids【Final Volume: Balor and Nanashi Arc】

Scratch, scratch—the pen glides over paper.

They were the sounds of Ashvin diligently working in one room of the Apophis manor.

Though the mansion is fairly grand, the number of servants employed there is extremely small.

This is because Balor hardly trusts anyone and finds it seriously painful to share space with total strangers.

As a result, the workload piles up on Ashvin and the others, but none of the maids seem to mind, so from Balor’s perspective there’s no problem.

Approaching Ashvin, who was buried in paperwork, came Artemis, walking with a light step.

“Ugh—how can you handle such a mountain of annoying work, nya? I just can’t understand it.”

“It’s no hardship as long as I remember it all benefits Balor‑sama. I couldn’t care less about the commoners, but Balor‑sama treasures them dearly.”

Without even glancing at Artemis, whose face twisted as she peered at the documents, Ashvin kept the pen flowing smoothly.

After reaching a stopping point, she set the pen down and looked at Artemis.

“Isn’t that why you’re on intelligence duty as well?”

“Well, yeah, nya. It’s just a simple job of infiltrating the Angel Cult.”

Thud—a stack of papers landed on Ashvin’s desk.

Of course, Artemis wasn’t the one who wrote the reports.

She had infiltrated the cult that worships the angels now definitively hostile to Balor and swiped whatever documents looked handy.

In other words, their contents hadn’t even been checked; plenty were probably worthless.

She knew it would be Ashvin, not herself, who would make that judgment.

One could say she’d simply dumped the hassle.

Ashvin, unable to perform infiltration herself, had no complaint about Artemis’s methods.

Though it did make her angry.

“Don’t get cocky and end up captured. I won’t be rescuing you if you do.”

“Wasn’t expecting you to, so you don’t need to say it every time, nya.”

Artemis laughed with a smug snort.

Silently wishing she’d fail someday, Ashvin muttered under her breath.

“…I wonder what’s going to happen from here.”

“If you’re scared, you can run, you know? Nya will protect Master and get all the lovey‑dovey affection.”

“I will never leave Balor‑sama, so don’t worry. I’m just curious about what lies ahead.”

The two glared daggers at each other.

Without Balor’s presence, they would probably be at each other’s throats in no time.

Artemis snorted, radiating absolute confidence in Balor, and spoke.

“It’ll work out somehow, nya. We’ve got Master, after all.”

“…True.”

◆

“Nuboh”

“Nuheh…”

Unlike the two diligently working, Izun and Konoha were taking it easy.

Actually, they’d crossed the line into downright lazy.

The way they sprawled limply all over the place was far from appropriate for maids.

Izun smiled at her fellow slacker, Konoha.

“Konoha’s lazing around too, ne! I’m happy to have company!”

“I worked hard, you know. I deserve a bit more time off. Nanashi might kill Balor‑chan at night, so I’ve been living a flipped day‑night schedule.”

“You were keeping watch, ne! Amazing!”

Izun giggled happily, kyak‑kyak.

Honestly, Konoha found her as hard to read as Nanashi, but she could sense Izun’s loyalty and respect toward Balor.

Because of that, Konoha didn’t really dislike Izun.

“…Are you allowed to just chill out here?”

“Mm‑hm. Izun’s job only happens when danger threatens Balor‑dono. Then I just kill the enemy.”

“Hmm.”

As she lounged about, she listened to this rather disturbing statement.

Still, killing Balor’s enemies was only natural for a maid, so she wasn’t especially surprised.

“Even so, I hate that she’s still near Balor‑chan. She might not feel like it now, but where I came from she killed Balor‑chan.”

That “she” referred to Nanashi, who had become a maid to kill Balor.

Konoha trusted her somewhat after she killed that angel, but Nanashi still couldn’t be taken lightly.

Hearing Konoha’s words, Izun stood and took her hand.

“Then let’s go see Balor‑dono! Izun’s running low on Balor‑dono content too!”

“Eh? Ah, wai—!”

◆

I was furious.

I resolved to crush the cunning, tyrannical Nanashi no matter what.

“You’ve done it now, Nanashi…!”

Nanashi, on the receiving end of my fury, shook her head with a weary sigh.

What’s with that exasperated attitude?!

I’m seriously angry here!!

“It’s been quite a few days now, yet you tell me the same thing every day, Master. My ears are getting tired.”

“If you’re that tired, stop lazing around on my bed in front of your master! That’s my bed!!”

“I made the bed.”

“That’s not a reason!!”

Don’t just sprawl on your master’s bed like it’s normal! It’s wrong!

Damn her…! Because she’s convinced she’s indispensable in the battle with the angels, she’s getting more and more brazen.

Show some restraint!

“Come on, give me a break. When will my peaceful, tax‑collecting life return? Troubles keep piling up one after another…!”

My shoulders slumped.

What the heck, angels coming after my life and all…

I haven’t even done anything wrong…

The root of all evil is Kainz, the one who created me. Blame him.

“Well, your origins are what they are. Give up. Neither you nor I can do anything about it.”

“How about you charge into Heaven by yourself? Once you’ve killed everyone, you can come back.”

“When that time comes, let’s depart together.”

“Don’t joke about that.”

I heaved a deep sigh.

Life really doesn’t go smoothly, huh…

When everyone around me is an idiot, nothing goes well even though I’m doing the right thing.

It’s seriously scary.

“Haah. Nothing goes right. Lately the evil god I thought I’d suppressed keeps yammering in my head… I wish someone else had to smash her down every single time—it’s exhausting.”

“My, my, that sounds tough. …Hm? Did you just say something outrageous?”

Nanashi shot upright and stared at me.

For some incomprehensible reason, the evil god Balor I crushed in my mindscape seems to have revived lately. Persistent.

Still, she hasn’t tried to hijack my consciousness, so it’s tolerable…

So what’s her objective…?

Also, I recently learned the evil god Balor is a goddess.

Not that it changes anything.

At any rate, I’d like her to stop whispering in my head—it’s plain annoying.

“Guess there’s no help for it. I’ll go look at the pitiful lives of my subjects to distract myself.”

Looking down on others and feeling relief.

That’s my daily life.

I rule benevolently, so my people live better than those in other lands, yet their lives are still below mine.

As the lord that’s only natural, but basically I just want to sneer at their humble lives.

That’s how I maintain my mental stability.

So with a spring in my step I headed outside—and then…

“Balor‑sama!”

“Balor‑dono!”

“Master!”

“Balor‑chan!”

The calamity goddesses swarmed toward me.

Ugh. I don’t want to see their faces.

I felt my expression stiffen all at once.

“Come now, Master. It’s time for that hypocrisy‑filled smile of yours.”

A soft whisper tickled my ear.

Nanashi…! You little…!

Once the angel business is over, I’m firing her for sure…!

Steeling myself, I greeted the maids with a pasted‑on smile.

“What is it, everyone? Could you speak one at a time?”

The Black‑Hearted, Corrupt Lord Surrounded by Problematic Maids — The End