A Helpless Smile
1075 Words
It was time for the morning assembly again. Though it was always referred to as the "morning court," it would be more accurate to call it a "council meeting," "audience," or "morning conference."
Previously, Ira had no seat prepared for him, but now, a chair had been arranged.
Vera patted the empty seat beside her, motioning for Ira to sit next to her.
Though he was unsure of her intentions, Ira was not accustomed to sitting with his colleagues. Instead, he pulled a reclining chair to the corner of the hall and sat against the wall.
From this position, he had a clear view of everyone present.
His strange actions caught the attention of all the demon leaders. However, Ira had no intention of explaining himself—he merely nodded in acknowledgment to everyone.
"Yawn~" As always, Satania sat upon the Demon Lord's throne, rubbing her eyes as she scanned the gathering.
She quickly noticed Ira sitting in the corner and tilted her head in confusion.
Just as she was about to ask, Vera—seemingly anticipating the question—interrupted with an explanation.
"Please don't mind him. Ira simply prefers sitting there. It's a privilege of his position as the Chancellor."
A privilege of the Chancellor? Did that mean all Chancellors could sit in the corner and observe the morning court?
There were only four corners in the hall—how many would have to sit there before it was enough?
Satania pondered this thought.
Noticing her confusion, Vera promptly elaborated, "Ah, I mean Ira's profession, Chancellor. The extraordinary vocation known as Chancellor comes from the position he held in the Empire."
"A Chancellor is a high-ranking official who manages state affairs, accountable only to the ruler and not to anyone else. If an official needs to be arrested, the Emperor’s permission can be sought after the fact—such is the authority of the role.
"Of course, this privilege was granted by King Youssef himself."
Hearing this explanation, those unfamiliar with the Empire were left stunned.
They had never imagined that Ira held such a position of power within the Empire.
If anyone else in history—no, if anyone besides Ira—had been granted such authority, it would have undoubtedly led to disaster.
Yet, Ira's subsequent achievements proved he was worthy of such privilege. In a way, it demonstrated Youssef's keen judgment of character.
"But still, what does being a Chancellor have to do with sitting in the corner?"
Satania questioned further.
Vera chuckled and continued, "Back in the Empire, if there were any traitors or those harboring disloyalty, Ira could immediately detect them just by sitting there."
Upon hearing her words, every leader in attendance—whether the golem-like construct or the insectoid figure—visibly tensed.
Their bodies stiffened, though not necessarily because they were traitors.
At times like this, there were only two possible reactions: those who became uneasy, hoping not to be mistaken for traitors, and those who remained calm, confident in their innocence.
Regardless, one could not discern the truth just by observation. Half of Vera’s understanding came from rumors, the other half from her own baseless speculation.
"Don't believe her. She's just making things up," Ira interjected.
Vera blinked innocently. "Huh? I’m not making it up! I heard it from a self-proclaimed Grand Mage on the streets back in the Empire!"
"You were a Royal Court Mage yourself! Do you really not realize whether the person you met was a true mage or just some fraud spouting nonsense?"
As Ira voiced his frustration, the usual morning segment—‘Things You Didn’t Know About Ira,’ narrated by Vera Yairmeniosetos—finally came to an end.
"Hmm… it's already this late…"
Satania, now aware of her growing hunger, realized that "morning" had long passed—it was closer to late morning.
As per routine, she asked, "So, does anyone have anything to report?"
This topic had already been discussed the previous day.
"The only vegetables left in the Demon Lord’s territory are carrots. The castle still has a supply of carrots and cloud greens, but the stock of meat, eggs, and dairy must be carefully rationed. The residents of the domain no longer have any surplus meat."
Lime’s report caused Satania to fall into silence. She turned toward the ghostly woman with glasses and asked, "When will the next trade caravan arrive?"
The ghostly woman seemed uncertain and looked toward the vampire girl…
"Five days from now," the vampire girl replied.
Much like how the ghostly woman managed the territory's finances, the vampire girl appeared to be responsible for trade and diplomacy.
She added, "However, the territories that have recently resubmitted to our rule will gradually begin their tribute payments. Once that happens, the food shortage may not be as severe."
So, they needed to hold out for five more days.
"Lord Demon King, I propose that we reestablish the hunting squads to supplement our meat reserves. This would also help clear out wildlife and prepare more land for farms and pastures,"
Shirina suggested, glancing at the Royal Black Knight and the Blackflame Headless Horseman.
"Starting today, we should select candidates for the hunting squad. By tomorrow, they can begin their hunts and distribute food accordingly."
The two armored figures showed no objections, simply nodding in agreement.
"Alright, I'll leave the hunting squad to Shirina. Anything else?"
With that, Satania swiftly approved the plan.
However, Ira found the process a bit too hasty.
Ideally, a designated person should have drafted a candidate list and then presented it to Satania for final approval—that would have been the more structured approach.
But at the end of the day, as long as Satania trusted her subordinates, and as long as they proved themselves worthy of that trust, a swift, decisive leadership style was, in fact, incredibly effective.
"We do!"
"Ira-sama!"
"The fertilizer…"
"Now…"
"Doesn't stink anymore!"
Five small fairies spoke in fragmented sentences.
The other leaders, who weren’t familiar with the fertilizer situation, turned to look at Ira in confusion.
Fertilizer? Hadn’t the trade caravans stopped selling it long ago?
"Ira?"
Satania inquired.
Technically speaking, as the ruler, she didn’t need to ask his permission.
Acknowledging this, Ira simply nodded.
Then, as he watched Satania enthusiastically explain the events of that day to everyone, he found himself at a loss for how to react.
But, in the end, a helpless smile was the only fitting response.
- Writer
