Chapter 184: Marriage Proposals for Demon King Minato
ㅤMy kart was sent flying after getting hit by a shell in the holographic game screen.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Whoa! I lost again!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Comeback!”
ㅤ
ㅤAs Almi and I were playing a famous kart racing game in the common space, the room’s chime rang.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes?”
ㅤ
ㅤ『It’s Shizu.』
ㅤ
ㅤThe one who answered was the terminal of Elminarsh, the Demon King’s Castle management system.
ㅤThat black octahedron was floating nearby.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Shizu-san? Let her in?”
ㅤ
ㅤI paused the game and spoke to Elminarsh.
ㅤI feel like I’m treating Elminarsh like a convenient smart speaker, but I’m used to it now.
ㅤIt’s not like Elminarsh hates it either.
ㅤ
ㅤThe door to the common space opened automatically.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Good afternoon, Your Majesties.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Good afternoon to you too, Shizu-san. It’s unusual for you to be here at this time.”
ㅤ
ㅤIt was daytime though.
ㅤIt’s not like Shizu-san came at an unreasonable hour.
ㅤHowever, Shizu-san should usually be busy with official duties at this time.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ah, I’ll make some tea.”
ㅤ
ㅤAlmi also put down her controller and went into the kitchen.
ㅤ
ㅤ『I could make the tea.』
ㅤ
ㅤ”Wouldn’t it be better to make it by hand?”
ㅤ
ㅤElminarsh and Almi exchanged such a conversation.
ㅤ
ㅤI offered Shizu-san the guest sofa and sat down opposite her.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Do you need something from me?”
ㅤ
ㅤSince Shizu-san came here at this time, that must be the case.
ㅤBut it doesn’t seem like an emergency.
ㅤIf it were an emergency, Elminarsh would have told me before Shizu-san arrived.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well, yes, that’s true, but…”
ㅤ
ㅤShizu-san said in an unusually hesitant tone.
ㅤ
ㅤOriginally, Shizu-san was the representative of the Thieves’ Guild branch office that was set up near the town of Loft.
ㅤShe came from a merchant family and was good at business, competent as a thief, and a capable guild staff member.
ㅤOn top of that, she was quite beautiful. Glossy black hair and a slender, tall figure. In modern Japan, she could probably make a living as a model.
ㅤ
ㅤCurrently, I’ve headhunted her to be the Prime Minister of the Demon Kingdom.
ㅤShe’s gotten a huge promotion, but because of that, she doesn’t seem to be getting married.
ㅤOf course, I think it’s fine for people to choose not to get married as a personal choice.
ㅤBut in Shizu-san’s case, as the one who appointed her, I’m worried that she doesn’t have the opportunity to find a lover because of her position.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Don’t tell me, Shizu-san, are you getting married?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eh, is that so?”
ㅤ
ㅤAlmi was surprised by my words as she placed the tea on the table.
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, it’s not that. It’s not like I don’t have any encounters at all… It’s just that I’m tired of so many men whose intentions to get close to power are so obvious. I’ve had so many cases where I’ve had their backgrounds investigated because they were too persistent, and they turned out to be spies from some country. I’m starting to distrust men.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ahh… If it’s that bad, should I give those countries a piece of my mind?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Please don’t. It’ll cause a huge commotion. If that happens, even the few decent men won’t be able to talk to me.”
ㅤ
ㅤI guess that’s true.
ㅤHow would the countries that have been given a piece of the Demon King’s mind treat those reckless pickup artists?
ㅤEven though they’re just pathetic pickup artists, I do feel a little sorry for them.
ㅤ
ㅤ”But actually, it’s about a marriage proposal.
ㅤThat being said, it’s not for me.”
ㅤ
ㅤShizu-san said after taking a sip of her tea.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eh, then for someone else? Who is it?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You, you. Demon King Minato-heika, you’re being flooded with marriage proposals.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Me?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Why do you look so surprised? I haven’t reported it every time, but there have been countless marriage proposals. I’ve had the Guardian Guild investigate their backgrounds and screened out those who are backed by countries, and there’s almost no one left.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I see. So it’s a political marriage.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”There were quite a few handsome men though… Are you interested?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Not really. I’m not really into people who propose with the backing of their country.”
ㅤ
ㅤIf they’re going to propose, I want them to do it as an individual.
ㅤWell, I don’t think there are that many men who would want to propose to the real me as an individual.
ㅤNow that I’m the Demon King, I live a life that’s half-NEET and half-hikikomori.
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s also a problem how to treat the Demon King’s consort. This world is, as Minato would say, 『male-dominated』. The moment they marry Minato, they might start acting like they’ve become the Demon King themselves.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ugh, that’s awful.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”So, you’re saying that it would be okay if it were a gentle man with no desire for power? But such a person would hesitate to become the Demon King’s husband, wouldn’t they?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s probably true.”
ㅤ
ㅤEven if I were a man, I don’t think I’d want to be the husband of a female Demon King.
ㅤIn my previous life, I feel like female Demon Kings were a moe point and had a certain level of popularity among men.
ㅤBut,
ㅤ
ㅤ（I’m short and don’t look like a Demon King. Those female Demon Kings are usually a*ult women with big b*obs, wearing revealing bondage-like outfits.）
ㅤ
ㅤThe closest one to that image in the Demon Kingdom is… Grunblin, I guess.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Minato, don’t you have any desire to get married?”
ㅤ
ㅤShizu-san asked, completely ignoring her own situation.
ㅤAlmi was sitting next to me by this time.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Hmm… I don’t really know. The couple I know best are my parents…”
ㅤ
ㅤMy parents had the worst relationship.
ㅤIn the end, my father beat my mother to death. And then he killed me too.
ㅤ
ㅤBecause of that, the image of “husband” and “father” in my mind has solidified into the figure of a man with bloodshot eyes, swinging a golf club and attacking me.
ㅤThis is more like a goblin or an orc than a “husband” or “father.”
ㅤ
ㅤOf course, I think that men who commit domestic violence are in the minority in the world.
ㅤ
ㅤ”You know about the cycle of abuse, right? People who were abused by their parents tend to abuse their own children in the same way when they become parents. That’s because the only way they know how to interact with their children is through abuse…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s a hopeless story…”
ㅤ
ㅤAlmi muttered sadly.
ㅤ
ㅤ”How does that relate to Minato?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Because the only kind of marital relationship I know is like that, I’m afraid that if I were to have a husband, our relationship would end up going in that direction.
ㅤNo, I’m afraid that the moment I try to choose a husband, I’ll unconsciously choose the type of person who would commit domestic violence without hesitation.
ㅤI have that kind of anxiety.”
ㅤ
ㅤIt’s the so-called “damned walker” thing.
ㅤThere are women who, of all people, only date violent men and always have bruises all over their bodies.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I don’t think Minato is that easily swayed by men.
ㅤOr rather, there’s no man in this world who could… uh, DV? …abuse Minato now.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”If anyone tried to do that, they’d be crushed to smithereens by the Demon King’s staff in an instant.”
ㅤ
ㅤAlmi nodded deeply at Shizu-san’s words.
ㅤ
ㅤ”What do you two think I am…”
ㅤ
ㅤ””You’re the Demon King, （aren’t you?）””
ㅤ
ㅤAren’t I?
ㅤ
ㅤI slumped my shoulders.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well, that’s why, please refuse the marriage proposals on my behalf, Shizu-san.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’ve been doing that basically, but… there are some proposals that I can’t refuse on my own.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”For example?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Like the nephew of Ms. Harriet, who leads the Oceanic City-States, the heir of the elf clan that we took in the survivors of Elvansrow, and the dragon prince from Escavelm’s tribe.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”W-wait a minute! Harriet-san and the elves are one thing, but what’s this about a dragon!?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”As long as they can use the Human Transformation Technique, there’s no problem in becoming mates, Escavelm said.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”…What about children?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”She said she was looking forward to seeing what would happen to the child of a Demon King and a dragon.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Could you please not do human experiments with human children!?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well, I thought that was a bit much, but… maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a formal marriage with a dragon…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”No way!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Anyway, if I refuse at my level, it might damage the face of the other countries.
ㅤEven if I refuse, I need to meet them at least once to save face.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Isn’t it more difficult to refuse after meeting them?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That might be true for the individual suitor, but to save face for the other country, it’s not good to refuse them at the door.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Sigh… Okay, I get it. In short, I just have to meet them, act disinterested to a reasonable extent, and ultimately refuse, right? Like, ‘I wish you all the best in your future endeavors （lol）’ kind of feeling.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s right. Well, they’re probably not expecting much, so just have a light chat with them. It’ll be a good opportunity for information exchange.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”…That’s your real purpose, isn’t it, Shizu-san?”
ㅤ
ㅤThat “light chat” is a high hurdle for me.
ㅤ
ㅤShizu-san stuck out her tongue.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Since I’m setting it up for you, I should at least get that much benefit, right?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I get it, I get it. Just don’t make it too grand.”
ㅤ
ㅤAnd so, I ended up having to go on arranged marriage meetings with suitors from all over the world.
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s a pleasure to meet you, Demon King Minato-heika. I am Ramdan Mihai, nephew of Harriet, representative of the Oceanic City-States.
ㅤI am extremely honored to have this opportunity to propose to you.
ㅤI understand that you are old acquaintances with my aunt. Thank you very much for always taking care of her. Thanks to you, both the Oceanic City-States and our trading company are experiencing further development.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe first one to start with a very formal speech was Harriet-san’s nephew.
ㅤHe was a young man with brown hair and blue eyes, with a sweet face, probably in his mid-twenties.
ㅤHe had a serious air about him and said he was currently working for his aunt’s trading company.
ㅤCertainly, his greetings and etiquette were impeccable.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Nice to meet you, Ramdan-san.”
ㅤ
ㅤI replied to Ramdan as we sat facing each other in the Japanese-style room I had built in the Demon King’s Castle.
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ…………。
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ”…Ah, is it over?”
ㅤ
ㅤAfter the greetings, Ramdan-san fell silent.
ㅤHe was trying to appear calm, but he was apparently nervous.
ㅤ
ㅤ”W-well, yes…
ㅤThen, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll introduce myself…
ㅤI’m currently learning the ropes at my aunt’s trading company…”
ㅤ
ㅤRamdan began to talk about his work.
ㅤ
ㅤBut it was boring.
ㅤTrading across the sea must have its interesting aspects, but Ramdan was too serious and didn’t embellish his stories or structure them to be engaging.
ㅤAs a result, I ended up listening to a long, monotonous report that sounded like a business report.
ㅤ”That concludes my report.”
ㅤ
ㅤRamdan ended his story with a line that clearly didn’t fit the situation.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ah, well… It sounds like a good job.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes! I’m confident that I can contribute to your company’s profits by utilizing my experience in the trading company!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”…But I’m not a company.”
ㅤ
ㅤWhy has this turned into a job interview? I DON’T GET IT.
ㅤAnyway, I’ll ask him something I’m curious about.
ㅤ
ㅤ”But if you were to marry me, you wouldn’t be able to work at the trading company, would you? The Demon Kingdom is also short-staffed in the trade department, so there would be work for you there, but…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Please leave it to me! I will definitely increase profits even more than now!”
ㅤ
ㅤRamdan said confidently.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Yeah, well, he seems like he can do the job.）
ㅤ
ㅤSince Harriet-san entrusted her trading company to him, he must be competent.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ramdan-san, what do you do on your days off?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Days off… you say?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yeah. I don’t think you have any, but if we were to get married, we’d be spending our days off together. If we had children, we’d play with them too… probably.”
ㅤ
ㅤI don’t really have any memories of that, but that’s how it should be in general.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Days off… Hmm, days off, you say. I usually spend my time checking the books.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I-is that so?”
ㅤ
ㅤThat’s not a day off, is it?
ㅤ
ㅤ”Don’t you have any hobbies?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Hobbies, you say… Reading, I suppose.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Hmm. Reading. What kind of books?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Management and investment guides. I also read reports from various places that come in from the trading company.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I-is that so?”
ㅤ
ㅤI was getting tired of this.
ㅤ
ㅤ（I don’t want to marry someone who’s like married to their work…）
ㅤ
ㅤWell, I kind of felt like it wasn’t going to work out from the first impression.
ㅤBut I still tried to continue the conversation, believing in a slight possibility.
ㅤ
ㅤ（This guy doesn’t even realize that I’m not interested, does he? Even if he did, I don’t think he’d understand why at all.）
ㅤ
ㅤAfter all, he’s the kind of person who kept talking about work like it was a report, oblivious to me trying to stifle my boredom.
ㅤ
ㅤI stood up from the tatami mat and approached the hanging brass instrument placed against the wall.
ㅤIt’s the one they ring on the public broadcasting singing contest.
ㅤI took the mallet that was hanging on the hook at the end.
ㅤ
ㅤClang, gong.
ㅤ
ㅤWhen I rang the instrument, the shoji screen opened and Shizu-san appeared.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ramdan-sama, you are disqualified. Now, please leave.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eh, why!? I should have proven my competence!”
ㅤ
ㅤShizu-san grabbed Ramdan’s collar as he protested.
ㅤ”Whyyyyy!? My resume will surely benefit the Demon Kingdom…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”…That’s the problem, Ramdan.”
ㅤ
ㅤI muttered to Ramdan as he was being dragged out by the scruff of his neck by Shizu-san.
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤAfter that, the haughty elf prince and the son of a Zamzaria nobleman came.
ㅤAll of them were dismissed after a few seconds of the singing contest.
ㅤThe elf blurted out, “You mere humans,” and the nobleman’s son mocked, “Women are…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Sigh… Maybe I shouldn’t have done this after all.”
ㅤ
ㅤIt’s only natural when you think about it.
ㅤAnyone who would propose to a Demon King they’ve never met is either an incredibly conceited person, an idiot who can’t see reality, a shameless ambitious person, or someone whose screws are loose. In any case, they weren’t going to be decent people.
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’m glad I prepared the singing contest gong.”
ㅤ
ㅤI’ll have them leave the moment I decide they’re not good enough, even if it’s within the allotted time.
ㅤI’m so glad I set that condition.
ㅤ
ㅤ”The last one is the dragon prince introduced by Escavelm, right?”
ㅤ
ㅤIt’s a recommendation from Escavelm, who doesn’t seem to understand human sensibilities very well.
ㅤI shouldn’t get my hopes up for this one either.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Excuse me, Your Magical Majesty.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe one who quietly entered the room was a beautiful blond boy who looked to be in his early teens.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Um, are you the one from Escavelm?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. My name is Ortolange. Please call me Orto.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe beautiful boy sat down in front of me and said politely.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Oh, he’s decent…）
ㅤ
ㅤSince all the other suitors were older than me, Orto, who （looked） younger, was a refreshing change.
ㅤ
ㅤ（I don’t think I was a shotacon, though…）
ㅤ
ㅤHis sparkling emerald eyes were cute.
ㅤHe’s the so-called “beautiful boy with a youthful face,” huh?
ㅤ
ㅤ”Nice to meet you, Orto. I’m being casual, but are you older than me?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, I’m still a young dragon of 15 years old.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”So you’re two years younger than me.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Escavelm-sama told me to let you treat me like a younger brother.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”But you’re here to propose, right?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well… I’m sorry. I can’t think about that kind of thing yet. It’s just that the adults around me want to build a connection with the Demon King, so…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I see. I’ll have to scold Escavelm.”
ㅤ
ㅤI said that as a joke, but━━
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eeeeeek! Please forgive me! Please don’t k*ll Escavelm-sama! Please don’t wipe out the dragon race!”
ㅤ
ㅤOrto prostrated himself, his head on the floor.
ㅤHis shoulders were trembling, and the blood had drained from his cheeks.
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, I won’t!?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”R-really?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Really, really.”
ㅤ
ㅤWhat is Escavelm telling everyone about me?
ㅤI need to meet her and give her a piece of my mind.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well then, how about this? To clear up the dragon’s misunderstanding, Orto can stay at the Demon King’s Castle for a while. I think it would be a good learning experience for you, since you’ll be an influential figure among the dragons in the future.”
ㅤ
ㅤI thought we could get along.
ㅤBut with him being so scared, I can’t even make a joke.
ㅤI sighed softly, stood up, and rang the singing contest gong.
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤI prepared a buffet for the suitors who had gathered.
ㅤThey were all important figures in this world, after all.
ㅤIt seemed that they were all meeting for the first time, and conversations were lively across various barriers.
ㅤ
ㅤI had opened this venue at the time of the arranged marriage meetings.
ㅤIt was designed so that you could watch other people’s arranged marriage meetings through Elminarsh’s holography.
ㅤ
ㅤThe men who had been rejected by me were greeted with warm applause from their comrades as they returned to the venue.
ㅤThey were encouraged to drink and forget the dark history of just a few minutes ago.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well, well. You’re all here.”
ㅤ
ㅤWhen the arranged marriage meetings were over and I entered the venue, the suitors greeted me with boos.
ㅤWho planned this?
ㅤ
ㅤ”Sorry for making a spectacle of you. Well, I have no intention of getting married for the time being. Please tell your countries that.”
ㅤ
ㅤMany of the suitors nodded with a wry smile.
ㅤThis whole event had turned into a grand prank, and everyone had been embarrassed in the same way.
ㅤLet’s all get along since we’ve all been through the same humiliation – there was even that kind of atmosphere.
ㅤ
ㅤBut there was one man who wasn’t convinced.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Why!? As the Demon King, wouldn’t it be more convenient to have a spouse!? If you’re not going to marry anyone, then marry me!”
ㅤ
ㅤIt was Ramdan who stepped forward and said that shamelessly.
ㅤHe seemed to have had quite a bit to drink, as the area around his eyes was red and black.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Marriage isn’t something you do because it’s 『convenient.』”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I don’t understand. Marriage shouldn’t be unrelated to profit and loss! It’s obvious that there are great merits to marrying me, so why do you refuse!? I want you to give me a convincing reason!”
ㅤ
ㅤRamdan said, staring at me with a fixed gaze.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Ugh, this is troublesome.）
ㅤ
ㅤPerhaps sensing the look on my face, the other suitors whispered amongst themselves.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh no, he’s going to be erased.”
ㅤ”The residents of Celesta won’t see tomorrow’s sunrise…”
ㅤ”The Oceanic City-States are finished…”
ㅤ
ㅤThey were having such rude secret discussions.
ㅤThey thought they were whispering, but I used to be a thief, so I could easily hear them.
ㅤ
ㅤI sighed and looked at Ramdan.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ramdan-san. Marriage is something you do with someone you love.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Isn’t that too romantic? There are countless couples who are united by economic interests. That’s more beneficial for both parties. I’m not going to enter into a contract that restricts my whole life based on vague emotions like love or hate.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Hmm? So you’re saying that your aim is my status and power?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”What’s wrong with that? If I lend you a hand, I can increase your wealth many times over! The current Demon Kingdom’s methods are too lenient! With this much military, economic, and technological power, we should be able to make all the wealth in the world ours!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I don’t want that kind of thing. The world belongs to everyone, not for me to do whatever I want with it.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re young, so you don’t know the meaning of power!
ㅤWhat king of any country would say such beautiful things!
ㅤI can tell that you seem to be saying that from the bottom of your heart!
ㅤBut the kings of the world, obsessed with the allure and terror of power, can’t possibly take your words seriously!
ㅤThe only way to realize your ideals is to seize their power and put them under our control before we’re eaten alive by those cunning snakes!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Your true colors are starting to show.”
ㅤ
ㅤThis might be more interesting than the job interview-like self-promotion he did during the arranged marriage meeting.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ramdan. What you’re saying is contradictory.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Where is it?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You said you wanted to get married for profit.
ㅤBut you’re also worried about my ideals.
ㅤIt seems like you want to believe in my ideals, at least a little. Which is the real you?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Th-that is…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’m happy that you share my ideals.
ㅤBut if that’s the case, I wish you had said you wanted to help me realize my ideals without hesitation.
ㅤIf you’re someone who acts out of self-interest, you’ll abandon me when you decide that siding with me is against your interests. And you’ll do it without much hesitation.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe moment he realizes that the profit he can gain is negative after checking the books, Ramdan will change his attitude.
ㅤSmart people who lack empathy don’t hesitate to trample on others with logic and self-interest.
ㅤ
ㅤHowever, in Ramdan’s case, it seems that he hasn’t developed empathy rather than lacking it from the start.
ㅤCompared to Cretias, who was a complete egotist, it’s not impossible that he could change in the future.
ㅤThere’s no doubt that he’s competent, so if he can develop human depth and empathy for others, he might be able to transform himself… maybe.
ㅤ
ㅤ（Harriet-san, you didn’t send Ramdan here to get rejected by me, did you?）
ㅤ
ㅤRamdan is reasonably good-looking and capable at his job.
ㅤHe wouldn’t have any trouble seducing women normally.
ㅤSo, maybe she sent him to me to make him experience failure while he’s still young.
ㅤ（That’s annoying.）
ㅤ
ㅤI’ll tell Shizu-san later and have her extract concessions from Celesta and the Oceanic City-States.
ㅤOf course, Harriet-san probably didn’t expect Ramdan to be this much of a “scumbag.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ugh… B-but what’s wrong with that!? Marriage is a contractual relationship, just like business! Just as I might abandon you, you have the right to abandon me! We join forces as long as our interests align, and we part ways when they don’t! That’s how I’ve been running my business!”
ㅤ
ㅤHe’s still arguing?
ㅤ
ㅤI made an openly exasperated expression and looked around at the other suitors.
ㅤ
ㅤEven the other suitors seemed speechless with astonishment.
ㅤThe other suitors had at least tried to whisper sweet nothings to me.
ㅤThey tried to sway my heart with flattering compliments. That’s how proposals usually go.
ㅤNo one else has ever come at me with just logic, saying, “You should marry me, QED.”
ㅤ
ㅤ（Okay, we’re done here, right?）
ㅤ
ㅤThere’s no point in seriously dealing with someone who keeps arguing after being rejected, saying it’s not fair that I rejected him.
ㅤHe’s smart, so no matter how much logic I present, he’ll come up with some kind of counterargument.
ㅤ
ㅤRamdan was about to say something else.
ㅤ
ㅤI cut him off and slammed the b*tt of the Demon King’s staff, which I had taken out of thin air, onto the floor.
ㅤThere was a loud bang, and radial cracks spread across the floor.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Grrrr! If I say no, it means no!
ㅤIt’s beyond common sense to propose to someone out of the blue and then argue that it’s not fair for them to reject you if they don’t have anyone else!
ㅤYou’ve already been rejected! Can’t you understand that I’m politely refusing you!?
ㅤIf you keep pushing it, I’ll turn Celesta to ashes overnight! I’m the Demon King!”
ㅤ
ㅤRamdan collapsed on the spot at my outburst.
ㅤPerhaps his legs gave out, as he couldn’t get up from sitting on the floor.
ㅤHis usually eloquent mouth could only gasp for air.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Think carefully about what you lacked with that smart brain of yours before you come back! And bring Harriet-san with you next time! I’ll hang you both up! Do you understand!?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Uh, guh, ah…”
ㅤ
ㅤRamdan’s mouth moved soundlessly.
ㅤ
ㅤPerhaps he finally grasped the situation, as he finally managed to utter something resembling words after a while.
ㅤ
ㅤ”G-g-got it… I apologize for my impudence.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I don’t need an insincere apology! You don’t really mean it, do you?
ㅤI’ll let Harriet-san know everything. Discuss it with her and come back to apologize when you can truly reflect on your actions.
ㅤIf you can’t do that, remember that not only your evaluation but also Harriet-san’s, Celesta’s, and the Oceanic City-States’ will go down. It’s that self-interest thing you like so much.”
ㅤ
ㅤWith that, I left the party venue.
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ugh… What the h*ll was that?”
ㅤ
ㅤI was drowning my sorrows in the common space with Almi.
ㅤWith milk, though.
ㅤCalcium is the best when you’re irritated.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Good work, Minato.”
ㅤ
ㅤAlmi said and warmed up a refill of milk for me.
ㅤThere was a microwave in the kitchen, but it was faster for me and Almi to heat it up with magic.
ㅤAlmi warmed up her own portion and drank hot milk with me.
ㅤ
ㅤ”There are no decent men, it’s depressing. Maybe I should just marry Bearnov or something.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Bearnov-san is already married, you know.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Right.”
ㅤ
ㅤHe got married recently, didn’t he?
ㅤTo a beastman from another continent who moved into the Demon King’s Castle.
ㅤ
ㅤThen, the room’s chime rang.
ㅤ
ㅤ『It’s Shizu.』
ㅤ
ㅤ”Let her in.”
ㅤ
ㅤI replied to Elminarsh, and the door to the room opened with a whoosh.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Minato, are you okay?”
ㅤ
ㅤShizu-san asked with concern.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve told myself a hundred times that it’s not my fault, and I’ve finally calmed down.”
ㅤ
ㅤI have low self-esteem, so whenever there’s trouble, I immediately think it’s my fault and blame myself.
ㅤOn the other hand, people with high self-esteem think that all trouble is someone else’s fault and act innocent. Like, uh, Rei something-san and Cre something-san.
ㅤ
ㅤ”What happened to the party?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well, I kicked out Ramdan, but the others are still drinking.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eh, it’s still going on?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”『As expected of the Demon King, she listened to the words of the misguided fellow, and when she realized that he couldn’t be reasoned with, she put him in his place. Magnanimous and bold. She’s not someone we can have as a wife.』 That’s what they’re saying, drinking together like they’re good friends.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Isn’t that just because they’re afraid they’ll be henpecked if they marry her…”
ㅤ
ㅤWhy does it feel like I’m the one who got rejected even though I’m the one who did the rejecting?
ㅤ
ㅤ”Thanks to that, exchanges have been created among the new generation of each country, and the momentum for peace and prosperity has increased.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s good to hear…”
ㅤ
ㅤI said to Shizu-san, who was looking very pleased, in a sulky voice.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh, and I’ve received a message from the Queen of the Mistradia Tree Country. About your marriage.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Now that you mention it, there weren’t any suitors from the Tree Country this time.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. Her Majesty sent a message saying, 『When can I see the wedding of Minato-heika and Almirash-heika?』”
ㅤ
ㅤAlmi and I spat out the milk we were drinking.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Come to think of it, it was the country of lilies and roses, wasn’t it…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”If we leave her alone, Her Majesty herself might propose to me next.”
ㅤ
ㅤIt’s possible. It’s possible with her.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Shut up! I’m not getting married until I meet someone I’m truly in love with! From now on, regardless of whether they’re important people or not, refuse all marriage proposals! This is an order from the Demon King!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”…Yes, Your Majesty, Minato-heika.”
ㅤ
ㅤShizu-san said with a laugh.
ㅤ
ㅤIt seemed that spring was still a long way off for me.

ㅤEND