ââŠis what I think they left the Evil Godâs apostle alone. Probably?â Mirua told me her opinion while tilting her head.
âHuh? But itâs the apostle of the Evil God we are talking about here!â
âHer Highness isnât the type to care about stuff like that, you know.â
I was left speechless for a while when Mirua nodded as if what she said was inalienable truth. And after a dilemma, I had no choice but to agree with her. âI⊠I see.â
My opponent was the Imperial Princess. That woman who seemed to have fed her common sense to a dog and did all the nonsensical things without hesitation! She was definitely capable of leaving alone the Evil Godâs apostle that threatened the worldâs existence just to catch me.
âIndeed, if itâs Her Highness, she could very well be treating the Evil Godâs apostle as a useful siege weapon, instructor. It can easily smash through the annoying fortress walls on either side of the border and give her the pretext, too.â Mirua continued on with some persuasive arguments.
âThe more I hear you, the more convincing you sound.â
âWell, weâre talking about Her Highness here, after all.â
ââŠI guess youâre right.â
As expected of the team leader appointed by that hard-to-please Imperial Princess. Mirua sure knew that woman well, didnât she?
âIf itâs Her Highness, she wouldnât even bat an eyelid over a couple of kingdoms getting obliterated.â
âTrue, true.â
âNo, wait. Itâd be a relief if she didnât care, but I think Her Highness might have told the Crown Imperial Prince to go and take care of the ruined kingdoms instead. Searching for you will get easier by increasing the empireâs territories, you see!â
âHang on a minute, now thatâs a scary reason!â
Whatâs even scarier is that⊠what Mirua said is definitely possible!
âWaaait! The truth is! The demon king has already been defeated by Her Highness! And then! She might have told the demon king if it wants to keep calling itself that title, it must defeat the demon continentâs demon king first! And thatâs why itâs coming here!â
âWhat the hell? I know thatâs bullsh*t, but whatâs up with this persuasive power?!â
Miruaâs expression remained the same as usual, but her voice was gradually heating up. âOrrrr! Her Highness has already turned that creature into her slave!â
âHang on? How do you turn the apostle of the Evil God into your slave?â
âShouldnât it be possible by using a Geass roll like youâve done, instructor?â
âMm⊠No one has used a Geass roll on the Evil God before, so I canât be sure.â
The imperial court held some information regarding the Evil God, but it mostly talked about the general suspicion of how it was related to the demon race. When I compared that info with what I learned from the demons, though, that stuff was totally wrong.
The devils being summoned to this plane of existence was done through the medium of contracts and magic. However, the Evil God began as one of the deities that ruled this world. Three days and nights might not be enough to explain all the hypotheses involving that deity, but if I were to summarise them greatlyâŠ!
After the gods worked so hard to seal away the concept of âevilâ, a nameless god pulled a troll move and released it back on to the world. As a result, the thing that the Creator God didnât even create, âevilâ, spread to all corners of the world.
Some theories said that the world was already tainted by evil by the time the concept was sealed away. Then, a deity was hurt by humanity and released âevilâ as retaliation to destroy the world, etc, etc⊠Various stories floated around, but thatâs how they all ended.
Just like how a gathering of five people would inevitably have a trash among them, there was no guarantee that gods wouldnât have a trash among their ranks!
Sounds like youâre also victorious today! Oh, Sage JiXbo! [1]
Mirua suddenly said something. âI heard from Ria that Surtr was the first great devil to get scammed by you, instructor. Sooo, if itâs you, Iâm sure you can also scam the Evil Godâs apostle!â
Hey, whatâs up with your baseless confidence? Your trust in me sounds pretty absolute, but itâs still making me feel bad, you know!
âBesides all that, why does it feel like youâre being cheeky with me lately?â
Hoping to find an excuse to punish her, I zeroed in on her impolite, overtly friendly manner of speech. Sure, sheâd panic slightly and try to sound more polite every now and then, but almost everything she said to me sounded casual.
âEhehe~! I canât escape from here anyway, so I might as well get a job here!â
Huh? She wants to work in the⊠demon kingâs castle, of all places? Even though sheâs a human? To think that sheâd say that with a straight face! Yup, sheâs definitely got some screws loose in her head.
âOh, so you want to betray the Imperial Princess?â
âOh, no. Itâs not betraying, but more like Iâm already fired by her a long time ago. Something like that? Both Swinn and Ria prepared themselves before crossing over, but they are probably captured by Her Highness by now. Her Highness knows that you have captured me⊠Which means Iâm unemployed nowâŠâ
SniffleâŠ
Mirua pretended to cry⊠Actually, she even began tearing up while looking up at me, butâŠ
âYou know, the hero punk once told me this.â
âEh?â
âIf itâs too convincing with you, then youâre definitely faking it.â
âHiiiingâŠâ
Mirua now looked genuinely disappointed.
âWell, you did give me your opinion on the matter, so I shall uphold my promise.â While saying that, I pushed a plate of food slightly towards Mirua.
âGulp! C-can I really eat it now?â Mirua drooled messily as she stared at the plate of food before her. Her eyes were clearly burning in a gluttonous desire.
I wanna eat that! I wanna shove that food in my mouth right now! Although she hadnât said anything, I thought I could clearly hear her mind scream those words out loud.
âYes, you may.â
âThank you so much!â
Mirua resembled a puppy that couldnât eat the pet food in front of her and had to wait for the ownerâs permission first. She pounced on the plate of fried chicken.
âThis flavour is still an experimental one, so give me feedback on it later on.â
Mirua nodded with her mouth full of new product bravely put forward by the Chicken Department.
âListen to me while youâre eating. Got that?â
Mirua might not look like much, but she used to lead a powerful combat unit. And it was no ordinary unit either, but a gathering of elites within the elite-only army belonging to the Imperial Princess, revered as the strongest in the entire empire!
It meant that the Imperial Princess had acknowledged Miruaâs combat strength, intelligence, and ability to think on her feet. Not only that but she also amply demonstrated her ability by capturing me through the âAerial Transport By Wyvernsâ tactic at Belegreaâs behest.
Well, the crucial bit about that story was that Belegrea bribed Mirua with a dish of special cuisine, but thatâs the tale for another day. In any case! A plate of new, not-yet-released fried chicken was enough to get her opinion on the matter at hand.
âIf the Evil Godâs apostle and demons fight, who do you think will win, Mirua?â
âMm⊠I donât know the scale of the Evil Godâs apostle, so⊠Mm⊠I⊠canât tell.â Mirua replied while diligently chewing on the boneless chicken pieces. âGulp~! Honestly speaking, Iâve never seen this so-called demon king AKA apostle chosen by the Evil God, so itâs difficult to estimate anything. However, if itâs pure combat strength, I donât think the demon race with hundreds of demon kings would lose⊠Then again, I heard the apostle is leading an army, so their numbers must be huuuge, tooâŠâ
UrghâŠ
Judging by how Mirua stopped shoving fried chicken in her mouth and pondered the topic, I guessed that she was dead serious about this.
Since I found her grunting and racking her brain pitiful to watch, I told her the current information on the Evil Godâs army. âAccording to the latest information, the Evil Godâs army consists of over twenty thousand animals and monsters in the âberserkâ state. However, unlike the previous apostles that threatened the existence of our world, there are no evil dragons or spirits tainted by evil.â
Sure, this information wasnât reliable, and the unique trait of that Evil Godâs apostle allowed it to increase the armyâs scale. However, having the info was better than not having it.
âMm⊠I guess itâs winnable, then? As long as the enemy demon king isnât you, instructor.â
âHey, you. Just what do you think I amâŠ?â
Did this girl think I was at least an equal to the Evil Godâs apostle? No, wait a second. Before thatâŠ
âSo, you think we can definitely win?â
âYup. If the enemy army is only that much, even Her Highness couldâve won easily.â Mirua resumed gorging on the fried chicken as if there were no longer any problems to worry about. But her statement left me speechless.
Just how much power does that crazy b*tch of an Imperial Princess possess that she could look down on the Evil Godâs apostle capable of ending this world?!
ââŠWhat are you basing that on, Mirua?â
âMmmmm!â
âFinish eating that first, will you?â
Mirua got my permission, so she ever-so-lovingly chewed the chicken in her mouth and swallowed it down.
My daughter told me that bones had to be removed from the meat by hand until recently, but a new type of magic spell was developed to go around this stumbling block. However, I began wondering if magic really was necessary here.
To me, demons seemed 100% capable of munching through the meat, bones and all, and not worrying about any bone pieces getting stuck in their throat. As expected of my dear daughter! As expected of the Chicken Department! They were displaying the power of the No.1 budget allocation in all the government departments in the demon continent!
âSo delishâŠâ
âStop being emotional and tell me your basis.â
While staring at Mirua tearing up in awe, I sneakily pulled the half-finished plate of fried chicken in my way.
âAhh?! I based my opinion on the records of the Evil Godâs apostles appearing on the continent until now! There was precedence of a small kingdom withstanding an army of twenty thousand monsters for about a month, you see!â Mirua quickly replied, then reached with the speed of lightning to retrieve the rest of the chicken. She then lovingly held the food in her embrace.
I couldnât help but wonder if a certain crazy ârabbitâ from a popular webnovel was like this when she went berserk trying to protect her cake from the MC.
âWhat youâre saying is⊠The combat force of our demon kings will wipe out a small kingdom in around a month.â
âYes, instructor. My subordinates can do that much, you see.â
Ehem~!
Mirua replied with a haughty pride in her expression. In that case, how should I knock her down a notch here? How aboutâŠ
âHey, you. Didnât you get fired already?â
âHiiiingâŠâ
For now, let me point out her (presumed) firing first.
âTo think I got fired! Iâm an unemployed bum now?!â
Mirua made a depressed face while munching on the chicken pieces. I thought I saw a brief glimpse of my past self in her at that moment. Right, I used to be like her in my previous life. I worked my butt off to get hired by my first job, but my lack of ability got me fired on the first day.
Sure, my employer was not exactly a âprivate companyâ in the traditional sense, nor could I call that place a government department, but man, their pay was pretty sweet, wasnât it!
To think I got fired on the first day! I became unemployed as soon as saying, âIâm gonna do my best!â
The recollection of the painful past, something I havenât experienced in a while, helped me see Mirua in a more⊠âpityingâ light. Indeed, I was just like her once upon a time. If it hadnât been for my master who taught me how to use blades, I wouldnât have bought myself a home, never mind being able to pay rent every month.
The house prices back then might have been in the doldrums, but I was making less than a million in my day job, you see!
âHey. You want me to find new employment for you?â
âC-can you really do that, instructor?â
By now, Iâve lived in this screwed-up world longer than on Earth. It mustâve been my age at fault here since the past memories continued to rear their heads rather often these days.
Sure, this kidâs previous job title was the team leader of a bizarre organisation called Kidnap Ast Squad, but she was still my former disciple! As such, I should at least help her find a new job! Iâm none other than Instructor Naruan, guaranteeing you a 100% chance of employment after leaving my care!
âDo you have a department you want to work for?â
âYes! The Chicken Department, definitely! Iâll devote my life to assisting Minister Alice!â Mirua jumped up from her chair and rushed at me with the vigour of a runaway truck.
Now that I thought about it⊠This kid, sheâs a fervent worshipper of my daughter, isnât she?
The first time Mirua met my daughter, she began trembling and said some indecipherable things, such as âThank you, Iâm sorry⊠and I love you!â
I did get an explanation from her later on. Apparently, she was trying to say, âThank you for spreading the goodness of fried chicken. Iâm sorry for not eating your delicious chicken every day. And I love you, Lady Alice!â
As expected of my devastatingly charming daughter! I was left in awe of my daughterâs charms that could even enslave Mirua like this.
I slowly rubbed my chin. âThe Chicken Department, is it⊠Indeed, itâs one of the most popular departments to work for.â
The Chicken Department was a mysterious place filled with workers willing to do anything and everything my daughter told them to do. Her cuteness and charisma had utterly enslaved them, after all! As proof, look no further than how they managed to create a magic spell to separate bones from the chicken meat!
âVery well. If our demon kings donât lose in the battle, I shall have you assigned to the Chicken Department right away.â
âThank you so much!â
Mirua prostrated on the floor while still diligently hugging the plate of fried chicken. While looking down at her, I waited with bated breath on the report detailing how powerful the Evil Godâs apostle really was.
If it looked bad, I was thinking of fleeing with my daughter in tow, just in case!
And then, about a week laterâŠ
âSire. Our army has won,â said Belegrea.
âReally?â
The great war with the fate of the demon continent at stake ended oh-so easily in the demon raceâs favour.
âYes. Out of over thirty thousand enemy combatants, about twenty thousand have been killed, and the rest have retreated, sire. However, the Evil Godâs apostle never appeared during the war.â
âMm, thatâs rather concerning, isnât it?â
If Iâm being honest, killing the Evil Godâs apostle wouldâve cleanly ended everything, regardless of whether the enemy army had thirty thousand or a hundred thousand combatants. No matter the numbers, that army consisted of regular animals and monsters turned into mindless killing machines by the Evil Godâs apostle, after all.
As long as that apostle was not dead, the so-called Season of Evil, a fancy name for the impending world destruction, would not be over.
âCurrently, our demon kings are searching for the Evil Godâs apostle, but⊠Even the workers constructing the border fortress wall have testified that they did not witness the Evil Godâs apostle during the first engagement.â
I groaned. âIn other words, thereâs a chance that that creature hasnât even crossed over to this side.â
âYes, sire.â Belegrea nodded. Since she was the commander during the war and witnessed everything personally, it should be fine to trust her report.
âHowever, Iâve been burned by trust before, so no.â
âIâm sorry?â
My original prediction was that the Evil Godâs apostle wouldnât have crossed the border to enter the demon continent. However, my belief in that was already betrayed once.
âFrom this moment on, increase the defences of the demon kingâs castle to the absolute maximum! Then, summon Mirua and my daughter here right away!â
âSire? May I ask for the reason?â Belegrea was somewhat flustered by my sudden command.
In that case, I should tell her. âI have a bad feeling.â
âIâm sorry?â
âAnd whenever I get such a feeling, someone is definitely aiming for my life!â
âWhat are you even talking aboutâŠ?â
Belegrea looked dumbfounded by what I said, so I also told her to believe in the noble Demon Godâs will. Since Belegrea was a fanatical worshipper, she readily nodded away and began carrying out my commands without any further questions.
Unfortunately, my prediction turned out to be spot on. What I didnât expect, though, wasâŠ
âYouâŠ!â
The Evil Godâs apostle paying me a visit wasâŠ
âYes, I was also surprised,â said the Evil Godâs apostle with a bitter smile. âItâs been a while, instructor.â
âŠThe creature turned out to be one of my former disciples.
[1]: Again, this seems to be a reference to Jirobo, a character from Naruto.