††† (Dylokten Demon King's perspective)

　After doing Ike to the messenger, the girl known as the Demon King has the servant bring her a drink.
　Because she was well aware that her companion, Sephiro, was a drinker.
　The girl asks him.

"Noble wine or sake?
Sake?

　Cephiro's shapely eyebrows collapsed slightly.

'Ike brought this drink as a hand-me-down. It's good.'
Is that the clear liquid?
Yes.
Let's leave it at that. She is a wine lover.
Okay.

　He laughs to himself.

　Cephiro is an avowed wine man, but he has no sense of taste. It's hard to know what to make of a servant's best wine of noble rot, either.

　But - and the girl is no different in that regard.

　I'm sure you'll find that the sake that Ike brought is also nostalgic, but if you ask me if it's good, I'd nod my head.
　I remember that the muddy sake that was drunk in the Sengoku era was better.

　It's not that I'm not a fan of this, but I'm not a fan of the fact that I'm not a fan of the fact that I'm not a fan of the fact that I am.

　The girl asked her subordinate, who had brought her sake and snacks, to step back and sip on the sake that had been poured into a bottle. The taste of home spread in her mouth.

　He reminisced lightly about his past life and asked him.

'Cephiro, what do you think?'
Well, I guess I'll have to settle for wine.

　Cephiro said misguidedly, but he quickly regained his seriousness and spoke up as if he could get the girl's true intentions.

'That sake, or sake, or whatever you call it, isn't my cup of tea, but I thought that Ike's guy was governing the city of Ivalice quite well.

　The girl nodded her head lightly in affirmation.

''The governance of Ivalice is quite good. I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot of people who are willing to pay for it. And it also produces unique specialties, as exemplified by its alcohol.

That mayonnaise is pretty good. Our corps has started to distribute some of it, and it's very popular with demons and demons alike.

Sure, it goes well with a drink.

　And the girl eats it with dried cod or fried potatoes.
　This is how Ike taught me to eat. It was quite delicious.
　Cephiro and the girl continued to talk about Ike with that as a snack.

'But like sake, mayonnaise, and even flintlocks, I wonder where Ike's guy gets his knowledge.

Because of Romberg's grandson, isn't it?

　The girl is deceptive.

　Sephiro knows that Ike is human, but he doesn't know that Ike also possesses knowledge of his previous life.

　The girl is probably the only person who knows that.

　I feel a sense of closeness and a bit of superiority sharing a secret.

''Well, but thanks to that Ike guy, the Demon King's Army is starting to run well. That's for sure.''

Yeah.

''Ivalice's governance is also beyond my imagination. The grains that come from that city also fill the bellies of the demons of the other legions. And they have the Dwarf King Günther on their side, and he has provided them with weapons as well. In time, not only Ike's legion, but other legions will be equipped with flintlocks as well.

I'm sure you will.

　The girl affirmed, but added in her mind.

　He said that he was only going to let that powerful weapon be deployed to a trustworthy legion.

　If they were to be distributed to people like Basteo of the 3rd Legion, they might become the spark of rebellion. The legions to be deployed should be chosen carefully.

''Anyway, Ike has done well. It is well done that he has found his talent. I compliment you.

　'Thank you for your kind words,' Cephiro replied formally, but added

But I mean that guy. Even if the mistress hadn't paid attention to him, he would have crawled up on his own sooner or later and caught the eye of the demon king. If you're going to praise him, praise him for himself.

　When the girl heard those words, she denied it in her mind, "No," but she didn't put it into words.

　The man Ike was a remarkable man, but it was the witch in front of him that had discovered and nurtured his talent. And a great deal of credit goes to Ike's grandfather, Romberg.

　If Ike hadn't been picked up by Romberg, if he and Cephiro hadn't been friends, his fate would have been very different.

　If he had never met Ike, one can shudder to think of it.
　At the very least, the Demon King's army would not be in the situation they are in now, and they would never have sent a peace envoy to visit them.
　Perhaps, but they may have long ago retreated from Rosalia and were frightened by the human offensive.

''After all, there is such a thing as fate...''

　The girl blurts out.
　In the past life and in this other world, but encounters with competent generals are fated.

　It's a good thing that you're able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　When I think about it, I'm ready to believe in the existence of a god.
　Of course, the girl has no intention of relying on a god.
　I have always respected God and Buddha, but I have never relied on them before.
　That's how I've made my way in the world.
　That's how he had and would continue to do so in the future.　

　However, in order to do so, he would have to rely on the help of many of his subordinates.
　Cephiro was the same, and he would also need the help of other legion leaders.
　In addition, the power of races other than the demon race, sub-humans and humans will also be needed.
　In order to unite them, the power of a young man of the demon race with the mind and body of a human is needed.

''Ike, I'm counting on you.

　When the girl uttered this, Cephiro nodded silently.
　The girl and Cephiro crossed their gazes and reminded themselves of this in their minds: "Everything is for the world without war--


'All for a world without war--'


　The girl and Cephiro, although their ideas and tastes are completely different, they have the same ultimate goal.
　Cephiro and Ike would share that dream.

　While thinking that, they bumped glasses against each other.
　It's a custom in this other world.
　The toast done with squares and wine glasses was strange, but strangely not uncomfortable.