"Your Majesty's deputy, Hermes Cano, will answer honestly and without hesitation.
Ha!

　In the hall of the mansion, I was kneeling in front of Lina, who came over.
　Lina was dressed in the garb of an inspector, with a number of noblemen's clothing, presumably attached behind her, as well as an attendant.

　This was the official occasion, and Lina's tone was more serious than ever.

I have received word that the Queen of Karamba and the Demon King have teamed up to attack only the Kanoh territory. Answer me what happened.''
"Your Majesty.

　I knelt down and answered with my head bowed.
　Right now Lina is the representative of His Majesty the King.
　In other words, she's in front of me, she's as good as the king, and I have to respond to her properly.

　By the way, there are those who came with Lina in the hall, as well as people from this side, Mimis and other vassals, but while Lina is asking me questions as the acting king, no one else is allowed to interrupt her, and it would be impolite to do so.

　Maybe that's why they all listened to my answer with serious faces.

''Queen Karamba and I have become friends by chance. It's a similar story to the previous demon king. I believe that Queen Karamba and the Demon King got along well with each other and joined hands with each other because they both wanted to have me.
Which one of you approached the Demon Lord first?
'It wasn't from either side, but when the Demon King entered Cano territory, we ran into each other and hit it off on the spot.

　Lina nodded slightly at my answer.

'Did each of you hear what I just said?
Yeah, well, it's just like that demon king.
And His Royal Highness the Caramba. He uses all means to achieve his goals. Just as he did when he ascended the throne.

　It seems that the nobles in charge of maidservants were convinced.
　I wondered if it's okay to be convinced now.

''Since the Demon King is involved, we have no choice but to leave him alone.
You're right. Fortunately, the Demon King never touches another human being. It's an absolute bargain that hasn't been broken in hundreds of years.
Again, I would advise Your Majesty to have Lord Cano do something about it.
""No objection."

　Like me and Lina's, the nobles who served as chaperones had a somewhat theatrical way of saying it, too.

　So, after a short discussion, the nobles left the hall.
　Since the nobles, who are more prestigious than the Cano family, were lurking around, Mimis hurriedly chased them out and had them entertain the maids.

　Then, me and Lina were the only two left in the room.
　I stood up and lightly paid off my knees with a 'phew'.

''Good work, Master.''

　Lina's tone changed and she was apologetic.

'Thank you,'
So, here's a message from His Majesty.

　A message.
　Lina continued with the nuance of a message between two disciples of the same disciple, rather than words on behalf of the previous one.

You can't blame them for that, they can't make any treaty or promise to you, they are the most powerful creature in the world living at will. You don't have to worry too much about it.
Thank you. That's very helpful.
What do you think, Doctor?　I'll send a squadron of guards to Pindos if necessary--
'Don't do that, it's getting too big a story.

　I refused to interrupt Lina's words.
　In response, Lina huffed.

''Your Majesty said that's what the doctor must have said,''
You're a reader, and I appreciate it.

　With a message like that, His Majesty the King would be convinced and take a sideline position in this one.
　I was most afraid that Aegina's army would officially send reinforcements.

　If it was just Erica and Kaori, they could wring their brains out and put together a secret story, but if Aegina's regular army came as reinforcements, it would instantly turn into a 'war' between Karamba Comotolia and Aegina.

　I was the one who caused it--and without a doubt my name will be written in the annals of history.
　I don't want to stand out like that.

'But Master, it was hard work. To be spotted by that Queen Karamba.
'You know about this?　About her.
I'm famous.
Well, she's the queen.
'Yes, but that's not all.
Yeah?

　What do you mean?　He tilted his head and asked Lina back.

'Are you the master?　How much do you know about that man?
'Well...'
What happened around the time of the coronation?
I don't know about that.

　Lina nodded, "I see.

'Erika Rica Kalamba. In a word, I'm a lycamania.
'Lycamania?　Is this Rika the old queen's Rika?
''Yes. I was so fascinated by this Rika I, that when I was a princess, I created a faction called the 'Holy Queen Faction'.
"Yeah, you do pretty things.
As that saintly royalist faction, he forced all the hostile factions to tread on him, eventually executing all of his brothers and sisters and ascending the throne.
'It wasn't pretty at all!　I'm scared, what are you doing!
By the way, she was only 12 years old at the time.
What are you doing, kid?

　Erica's past, as we were told by Lina's mouth, was tremendous.

'The more I get to know her, the more I am amazed and yet convinced that her behavioral principles are consistent. All in order to imitate and get closer to the Rika I, whom she worships. She will do everything possible to achieve that, by any means necessary.
Okay, so you're a lycamania.

　I'm pretty sure he talked about Queen Rika at every turn, even when he was with me.

　She was happy to talk about the Garden of Roses and all that stuff.

'That Queen Karamba would get so much into one man... Master is amazing.
You can't do this. I'm in trouble.
But are you sure?
What?
'I'm doing this now. My master doesn't seem to have made any moves against the alliance between Queen Karamba and the Demon King.
Oh, that.

　I gave a small nod.

'I figured it was best not to do anything. If I try to do something from us poorly, it's going to make the conversation bigger... and that's definitely what we've been doing so far.
'Huh...'
'If they come from the other side, we'll deal with them quietly. For example, you can manage to fool Kaori if you go one-on-one with her. As for Erika ... well, it's a matter of when. That way, we'll be able to keep the damage, or rather the story, to a minimum.
'Yes, but...'

　I was sure that Lina would agree with my answer, but she looked reluctant... or maybe she was having a hard time thinking about something.

'What's wrong?'
"No, as I said before, Queen Karamba is a woman of means to an end--

　Lina, who was about to say it, and a light flooded in front of her.
　The empty air suddenly began to glow, followed by a single letter, the whole envelope spinning around in front of her.

''This is...''
'Transference magic...?　This magic, Kaori!
Are you the Demon King?

　Lina is surprised, too.
　I stared at the envelope that was circling in front of me.
　I knew it was, and it was strongly imbued with Kaori's magical power.

'A letter from the Demon King to his master, is it?'
No, that's for Lina.
'What?　To me?
Yeah, that kind of magic.

　Just like a normal letter with the address and sender written on it, I can see that the envelope in front of me is also the one Kaori sent to Lina from the magic power.

'Why, to me ... what shall I do, Master?'
'At any rate, the letter itself does no harm. Or rather, Kaori can't harm a human being.
Oh, yes, of course.

　Kaori's mother, the rules imposed by the previous Demon King are quite famous, and Lina remembered that as soon as she was told by me.

''Then we'll see.''

　Lina picked up the envelope and carefully opened it, taking out the contents and opening it, even though she knew there was no danger.

　Then she slowly skimmed through the text.

　She waits until she's read it all the way through and then asks her.

'What's it about?'
Master.....
What's going on?
This one is from Queen Kalamba.
"Huh?
Perhaps Queen Karamba made him the Demon King.
Huh ... so what's the content?
Yes, simply put, you've been selected by the jury to join the Garden of Roses and serve your darling with us.
What the f*ck is he doing?

　I chuckled.
　The Garden of Roses, the Queen's harem of roses, for the Queen of Calamba to offer the whole thing to the man she loves.

　Erica had recruited Lina into that queen's harem.

　The moment she felt Kaori's magic, what would she do with the Demon King's power?　I braced myself, but it was far more modest than I had imagined, and it made me laugh a little.

'Are you sure?　Master.
Huh?　What?
No, the letter...

　Lina looked uncomfortable.
　What do you mean?

It was probably sent to every woman in the world who has met the criteria.
Huh?
"Queen Karamba is inviting the whole world to join her master's harem.
What are you doing?

　His voice flipped back, a scream echoed.

　If I had let Erica go free to keep things from getting too big, it would have turned into a global story.