"Master Berne. There is a request for assistance from the adventurers. What shall we do?

Yes, sir. Please respond as much as you can. As for food, you can spend as much as you want. I'll think about weapons and armor a little more.

"Very well, sir.

　With that, the subordinate man left the room.
　The woman called Master Berne is the queen who rules the country of Latta.
　Most of what comes in to her is related to adventurers.

　It is unavoidable, as she puts a lot of effort into training adventurers, but even Bern gets tired when she receives so much.

"Master Bern, you're a master!　I heard that you have a lot of trust from adventurers!　I'm thankful to the gods that it was you who ruled the country of Latta!

"Thank you, Anna. Thank you, Anna. I'm glad to have you by my side.

"Be, Master Berne ......!　Thank you for your kind words to a maid like me. ......!　I'll follow you for the rest of my life!

　Anna, the maid, knelt to show her loyalty in front of the splendid queen.

　I'm just there for you.
　She could have taken anyone's place, but where could she find someone who cared for her so much?

　Doing something for Bern was the mission I had been given.
　That's what I thought with all my heart.

You don't have to ...... lie to me, Anna.

I never lie in my words!　I'm always thinking of you, Mr. Berne.

I'm just kidding. I know Anna better than anyone that she never tells lies.

"Dear Bern, ......!

　Bern strokes Anna's head.
　This is the only thing that can make Anna's heart beat faster.
　This is the first time I've ever seen such a thing.


"Well then, Anna. I have some important work to do, so can you leave me alone?

"Yes, ma'am!　Good luck with your work!

　After waiting for Anna to calm down, Bern instructed her to leave the room.
　One hour a day.
　One hour a day. One hour a day was all that was left for Bern.

　What is the queen doing?
　There were a number of people who were curious about what the Queen was doing, but no one knew the truth because of the unspoken agreement.

So, if you need anything, please call me right away!

Thank you. I will.

"Oh, Mr. Berne. May I ask you something, ......?

What is it?

　The question came out of nowhere, and Bern responded in a slightly defensive manner.
　It was unusual for Anna to ask a question in this way.
　The question was so unpredictable that it made her feel a little scared.

"Well, ...... why does this Latta country try not to interact with other countries?

"That's because ...... we don't want to dilute the traditions of the country. Another characteristic of Latota is its emphasis on adventurers. Anna wouldn't like it if there were fewer adventurers in Latota, would you?

"Oh, I see!　I see! You thought that much about it, Bern-sama!　Please forgive my foolishness!

"Don't worry, Anna. It was a good question.

　Anna bowed in satisfaction and left the room.
　Bern watched smilingly as she finished her act.


"...... Hmm.

　A deep sigh.
　When the door was completely closed and Anna's footsteps were no longer heard, Bern walked quickly to the bed.

　Then, following gravity, she fell into the bed.

I'm so tired. ...... Too much work!　You idiot!

　She buried her face in the pillow and blurted out something that had been building up inside her.
　The dignified queen was no longer there.
　She was a woman of her age.

I thought being a ...... queen was supposed to be a fun life. ...... I never thought it would be this much trouble...

　Bern's complaint continued.

"I thought I could live comfortably in the human world. ...... Why am I helping humans? ......


"Oh. Richt, there you are.

What?　What?　What? Why?

　A voice from behind you.


　The voice in the supposedly empty room filled me with more fear than impatience.

"Who are you?　I'll call someone!

"Hmm?　You're a demon and you need a human to help you?

"...... What?

　Bern's face turns pale.
　It's a secret I've been keeping from you all this time.
　I'm not sure what to do with it.
　The mere thought of himself standing on the decapitation table made his armpits sweat unpleasantly.

"Aria, are you sure this person is a demon?　It looks like a human to me. ......

It's because of people like ...... you that people are fooled.

How did you know who I was?　How did you find me in this room in the first place?

　How did you get into this room in the first place?" Bern came to his senses and questioned the girl called Aria.
　If you get weak at this point, you've lost the battle.
　The only way to avoid being licked is to play it tough.

　I'm confident in my acting ability.
　Just as I've fooled humans before, all I had to do this time was fool these two.

"Whoa!

"What?

　I felt a sudden rush of blood.
　If I hadn't been paying attention, I would have fainted.
　If it was just a movement, it would just be a girl holding up her hands. But that alone showed the overwhelming difference in strength.

"Oh, her tail is coming out. I knew you were a vixen.

　With a poof, a large tail appeared.
　It seems that he had been hiding it for a long time, but it popped out at Aria's threat.
　This was proof enough that Bern was a demon.

You're not really human. ......

That's what I'm talking about. Isn't that a pretty impressive tail?

Hey!　Don't touch it!

　Bern wriggled his body as if to resist.
　But he's too weak to resist, so he's left to his own devices.
　She's being fondled and tormented, but she can't even escape.

I'm a noble vixen, and I'm not going to let you get away with this!　I am a noble vixen.

I'm a demon king.

"Go to ......?

　Bern's words stopped in mid-sentence.
　It was hard to believe, but Aria had just said the word "Demon Lord".
　It's not possible for a demon king to be in a place like this - he knows that - but the atmosphere Aria has is pressuring Bern.

You can find a lot of people who are interested in this kind of thing.

"Okay, Richt. Clench your teeth.

"......E--

　This is a great way to make sure that you are getting the most out of your investment.