The Price

I lost.

"You've gotta be kidding me. I was sure the win was in the bag."

"There, there. So you lost, huh, Kehma. Ufufu, poor thing, poor thing～ ♪"

Rokuko had burrowed under the blanket and, for some reason in high spirits, was petting my head.

I'd been thrown toward Rokuko, and I thought I'd flatten her, but nothing of the sort happened; the blanket accepted her on its own, and the two of us ended up wrapped up together in the spectator seats.

And now Rokuko was clinging to me, and I couldn't get free.

"To think I'd actually lose… I was sure I had it won…!"

"Mm-hm. But isn't it a good thing, finding a new weakness? Besides, Aidi did say she'd teach us how to beat you."

"…Well, it's certainly a whole lot better than finding out my weakness in some life-or-death situation."

The Demon King style really is insane, or rather, it's a technique that drives you insane.

And the one who'd claimed victory over me with that insane strategy, Aidi, came over with Sebas in tow.

"Fufufu, my win, isn't it, Rokuko's Master?"

"…So you've dropped the 'Goshujin-sama,' huh, Aidi."

"I've already switched back."

As she said it, she glanced at Sebas.

…I see. So she had Sebas use his absolute command again.

"If you keep rewriting yourself that easily, aren't you going to lose track of who you really are eventually?"

"It's fine. Sebas holds onto the real me."

"My! What a wonderful bond of trust. Right, Kehma?"

I don't go rewriting Rokuko's mind or anything, you know?

…Well then.

I turned to face Aidi.

"Since I lost, I'll pass along the matter of the Divine Sword to Haku-san."

"Yes. Thank you."

Aidi nodded, satisfied. I didn't really get this Divine Sword business either, but I'd at least pass the word along for now.

"You're the one who brought it up, Rokuko, so you tell her."

"Oh my, but you're the one who lost, Kehma. Why don't you tell her?"

"Come on, please."

"Fine by me. Let's go on a date sometime, then. I heard a place called Eros Lane is fun."

"Anywhere but there, please."

Who the heck told Rokuko about Eros Lane? Did she overhear it at the bar? She can see and hear anywhere inside the dungeon, so there are way too many suspects…!

"Oh? Is it some interesting place? Take me along too, Rokuko."

"After I've gone with Kehma."

"I said anywhere but there, didn't I? I don't think women would even enjoy going there."

"But I heard there are shops women can enjoy too, and that couples can have fun going together."

"Hmm, I'm going to throttle whoever told Rokuko that, so can someone tell me who it was?"

"Now, who could it have been?"

Rokuko played dumb. Which actually means she knows perfectly well… Ngh, so the pure, innocent Rokuko of those days is gone for good…! Well, I mean, she is a parent with a kid now…? In a sense, maybe it's only natural…

"If you're going to throttle someone, I'll come along too. Sounds fun."

"Fufu, more importantly, I'll go ask Ane-sama about the Divine Sword. …There, I've written the mail. And… send."

She'd written the mail while talking with me somewhere along the way and sent it off to Haku-san. …The contents amounted to nothing more than: "It seems Aidi wants the Divine Sword. I heard you have it, Haku Ane-sama, so what do you want to do?"

"Hey, you do a bit of negotiating on your end too, Rokuko."

"Oh my, I said I'd only pass the word to Ane-sama, didn't I? Anything more will cost you extra."

"Mmm. Just having you relay it changes Haku-sama's impression, so I suppose that's enough as far as it goes…"

While we were talking, a reply arrived from Haku-san. An instant response, as always.

"Let's see… She says, 'I see. It's none of my concern.'"

"A flat brush-off, as they say… Couldn't we do a little better than that?"

"All right then, if you promise to do one round of mercenary work for me, I'll ask her to 'hear you out a little more.'"

"Understood. Do it."

Well now. Rokuko just casually extracted a reward there. She really has grown. It makes me feel all sentimental.

Then another reply came back.

"Hmm, hmm. She says, 'I'll hear you out in exchange for one round of mercenary work.'"

"Thank you, Rokuko. Understood. I'd like her to hear me out."

Yeah… just to get her to listen, Aidi's ended up signing on for two whole rounds of mercenary work with us, a supposedly rival faction, no less? And in the end, this promise stays valid even if Haku-san turns her down.

"It's a promise, Aidi. You'll do the mercenary work properly, right?"

"Yes. Even if my opponent were Grandfather himself, I'll fight for Rokuko and Haku-sama. One round each."

"While we're at it, could you swear it on something? I don't know about the Demonlands, but in the Empire that's how we seal a promise. And as collateral… let's see, maybe I'll borrow that Replica of yours, Aidi."

"The Demonlands have oaths too. Very well. I swear it on my sword, and I'll entrust you with my Replica."

Well, well. So until she does the mercenary work, we effectively hold Aidi's Replica. Like a mercenary-work redemption ticket. Put another way, as long as we never call in the mercenary work, the Replica stays in Rokuko's hands forever.

That's ruthless…?

And this is still only the price for getting her to hear us out, you know???

"Isn't that great, Aidi? Ane-sama says she'll meet with you and hear you out!"

"I'm so glad. Thank you, Rokuko. Asking you, my arch-rivalbest friend, was the right call!"

Was it really the right call, though?

When I looked at Sebas, he gave a good-grief shrug. He may hold absolute command authority and all, but it seems he's got no right to stop her. My condolences.