232 The Deception Between Spider and Raccoon
[Shiro's perspective]
"Your Excellency, I do not understand. Might I hear further details?"
What—?!
T-This guy...
Of all people, expecting me to speak at length?!
Are you trying to kill me?!
I struggled to think, to deliberate, to speak before the teleportation just now.
W-What now?
[Argner's perspective]
He will not answer.
I had expected to exploit the opening of his mouth, but his defense is unexpectedly solid.
So the hand that arrived without my awareness was indeed genuine.
Yet, to kill him immediately upon opening his mouth would be premature.
If this girl truly is an emissary from the Demon King, then it will be me who is next to be eliminated.
Challenging an unknown spatial mage is dangerous enough. To win, only to make the Demon King an enemy, would be a disadvantage too great.
If only there were a way to gauge the girl’s strength, but the鉴定 stone lies within the desk.
Is there no way to sit without appearing unnatural?
Perhaps, as a test, I’ll provoke a reaction.
【Shiro’s POV】
“Cannot answer? Then I shall draft a letter to the Demon King. I will deliver it to him at a later date. In return, please write a formal decree and bring it back to me.”
What?
Agner calmly takes his seat, picks up paper and pen, and begins writing.
Hmm.
Send a message to the Demon King once?
That’s inconvenient.
I’d prefer the Demon King not realize I’m operating behind the scenes.
Especially in this matter.
A competition for the prey.
I do not know what transpired between the Demon King and Potimas, but the depth of their enmity is evident.
If I were to eliminate him, the Demon King might appear unexpectedly.
That would be unacceptable.
I am the one who will kill him.
That is my decision.
Therefore, I would prefer that matters concerning the elves remain confined to me alone.
— Damn it. There is no choice.
My thoughts are unformed, but I must speak.
【Aegner’s perspective】
“Not necessary.”
The response intensified my suspicion.
The girl appeared unaware that I have met the Demon King in this age.
She would not so easily trust a sudden stranger.
By feigning ignorance of the Demon King, I could test whether she would object.
At that point, I began to doubt her authenticity as a true emissary.
If she were genuine, she should have known of me beforehand, from the Demon King.
Though I have not met her since returning to the Demon King's domain, there should still have been dissonance in her speech.
The fact that she did not correct it—this raised suspicion that she was not authentic.
And she rejected my proposal outright.
As if contacting the Demon King were improper.
If my assessment is correct, this girl is not an emissary of the Demon King.
Then who is she? What is her purpose?
Double agent.
What does that term imply?
Could it be that the matter has already been exposed?
No, that is not possible.
I have been proceeding with caution.
Only trusted individuals have been involved, and progress has been kept secret, even within the inner circle.
Leakage to the outside is unlikely.
If it has occurred, it must be due to negligence on their part.
That, too, seems impossible when one considers that clever bunch.
What now?
I have the鉴定 stone at hand.
Something I picked up naturally while drawing out pen and paper.
Activating it would reveal the opponent's strength.
But doing so carries the risk of revealing that I've initiated鉴定.
If that happens, the exchange will shift from verbal deception to a matter of life and death.
Too early.
If I can buy time, someone may notice the anomaly and enter this room.
Until the opponent decides otherwise, I should speak—just enough to gain information.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I am the Demon King."
[Shiro's perspective]
What am I saying?!
Eh... um... uh...
Why did I blurt out something so incomprehensible?
I don't even know myself!
I don't know, but I've said it now—there's no going back.
I must push forward with this tone—no choice but to see it through.
"Ah. So you are the Demon King. I see. Then there's no point in writing a message. After all, the original is right before me. Pretending to be a messenger—how amusing. Then, allow me to ask again. What is the meaning behind your previous order?"
"Literal meaning. Since you're connected to the elves, investigate their inner workings directly."
【Argner's perspective】
Sweat crept down his back.
Why does this girl know this?
How did it leak?
No traitor among the insiders—no, that seems unlikely.
Only possibility: the elves are at fault. Yet, suspicion lingers. Can such a cunning race really act so recklessly?
Yet, here she is—exposing it.
And she is certain.
No pressure applied. Her demeanor confirms it.
What now?
Denial now would have little effect.
This girl—where she comes from is unclear, but she certainly holds undeniable proof.
Who exactly is she?
The moment she claimed to be the Demon King, that possibility vanished.
Yet her true identity and intentions remain unreadable.
Masterful use of spatial magic. The ability to reveal concealed information.
She is no ordinary individual.
Still, no known figure matches her level of existence.
Even the ability to wield spatial magic should have drawn some rumor—yet nothing has reached my ears.
If we continue like this, we will lose control.
There is no point in fabricating excuses. The narrative must be shifted. Control must be seized.
A forced approach, perhaps. But we have a countermove.
Even if balance collapses as a result, there is no alternative.
“You speak of impossible demands. A fraud claiming to be the Demon King.”
【Shiro’s perspective】
Bareteria.
No, that’s obvious.
I’m not the Demon King.
I never intended to say something like that.
It was just a reaction to panic—something I blurted out.
I’m not at fault.
“I’ve met the true Demon King. Did you think you could deceive me now that the Demon King’s existence remains hidden? Girl, who are you really?”
Huh?
You’ve met the Demon King?
“Of course. Since inheriting the title from the previous holder, I’ve maintained contact regularly. I’ve already had brief exchanges with Argner, an old-timer, and Balt, the current leader of the demon clan. Though, when I attempted to step into the public spotlight as the Demon King, someone launched an impossible attack, stalling everything.”
Ah.
I remember the Demon King saying something like that.
Oops.
What now?
No, even if it’s revealed, I truly am a contact of the Demon King’s.
あー、おー、あー。
だから人との会話なんてしたくないんだ！
ええい、こうなりゃヤケっぱちだ！
「いつからそれが魔王だと錯覚していた？ だとしたら目の前の私はなんだ？ お前の目に私は何に見える？ お前の目から見て、それとこれ、どっちがより魔王に相応しい？」
自分でも何言ってるのかわからんけど、とりあえず脅す。
目を開けて、ついでにオプションで分体を異空間からチョロっと覗かせる。
止めに笑顔のサービス付き。
【アーグナー視点】
なんだ！？
なんだこれは！？
おぞましき目。
弧を描く歪んだ笑み。
部屋の中に突如として現れた、目、目、目、目目目目目目目目目目目目目目目目目目！
まるで奈落の闇から覗き込まれるかのように、無数の赤く輝く目がこちらを凝視する。
我知らず、手の中にあった鑑定石を取り落とす。
だが、拾おうとは思えぬ。
No need to use such things—my strength and theirs are already known.
There is no possibility of victory.
Less than the Demon King I once encountered.
Cannot resist.
Resist and die.
Understood.
Forced to understand.
This one is the true Demon King.
A humble being such as I can only beg for mercy.
Otherwise, even this conviction, this resolve, will be forcibly destroyed mid-path.
"Aye. I comprehend. Henceforth, I shall revere you as the Demon King and act accordingly."
Now, I will bow at this knee.
Cower, and prostrate myself beneath this terrifying creature in the form of a young girl.
【Shiro's perspective】
I should have done this from the beginning.
Intimidation is so simple.