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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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Dorothea’s large tent was located in the innermost part of the Demon Lord’s army encampment.
One peculiar feature of her tent was the complete absence of guards, despite being the commander-in-chief’s quarters.
But this was understandable, considering the guardian stationed at the entrance: a Cerberus, the hellhound.
“Grrrr…”
As we approached, the Cerberus, which had been lying on its belly, suddenly rose, recognizing my scent from our previous encounter, and growled menacingly.
“What’s gotten into it?”
Dorothea’s adjutant, unaware of our past encounter, tried to calm the agitated beast, but this only made the Cerberus bare its fangs even more aggressively.
The situation was tense.
As I prepared to use magic, a languid voice called out from within the tent.
“Toto, stop.”
The Cerberus, which had been on the verge of attacking, whimpered and sat down.
The Centaur adjutant, relieved, cleared her throat and announced,
“Lady Dorothea! We have guests from the Demon Lord’s castle!”
A voice responded from within.
“Enter.”
Having received permission, the Centaur adjutant gestured for us to enter.
“Go ahead.”
We cautiously entered the tent, which was surprisingly luxurious for a battlefield encampment.
Decorated with animal hides, silk, and carpets, it resembled a Mongolian yurt.
Dorothea, clad only in a white sheet, sat on a wolfskin-covered bed.
While being naked in such a cold climate would normally be suicidal, the inside of the tent was warm, as if heated by a furnace, likely due to her abilities.
The witch, who appeared to be a young girl, scratched her messy red hair, seemingly having just woken up.
“What brings you here? I don’t recognize you.”
My body stiffened with nervousness, and I replied in a disguised voice,
“I am Patrasche, a Lich from the newly formed foreign legion under the Demon Lord’s direct command. I’ve been sent here by the Demon Lord to assist you in withdrawing the remaining troops from the Eastern Front.”
Dorothea tilted her head.
“A Lich? You don’t smell like one.”
“I use deodorant.”
Anticipating this question, I pulled out a bottle from my pocket.
It was Febreze, the most popular fabric refresher brand in the kingdom.
“Oh, I see.”
Dorothea seemed to understand and scratched her nose.
“Well, being under the Demon Lord’s direct command means you must be quite skilled. Welcome to the Eastern Front, Patrasche. From today onwards, you’ll be working under me, and you’ll have the opportunity to annihilate those vile humans.”
“It’s an honor to serve under the renowned Witch of the West.”
I knelt on one knee, and Dorothea hummed, then asked,
“So, what’s your magic level?”
I prostrated myself and replied,
“Fifth-tier.”
While it was a fabricated identity, it was still a respectable level.
Dorothea seemed impressed.
“You’ve studied hard, haven’t you?”
“I’ve focused mainly on grimoires.”
Just as there were only seventeen Archmages capable of wielding Hexa Spells in the entire continent, fifth-tier mages were also quite rare.
Considering that a single mage could change the tide of a battle, they were highly valuable assets.
The scantily clad girl giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Pfft… that’s funny. If studying grimoires was enough to reach the fifth tier, this world would be overflowing with mages.”
“But boasting of my knowledge before you, Lady Dorothea, who is far superior to me, would be like showing off wrinkles to a newborn.”
I flattered her and subtly raised my head.
The young girl, wearing nothing but the sheet covering her upper body, her copper-toned skin exposed, looked down at me with interest.
Dorothea Gale, the Witch of the West.
Rumored to be favored by the fire spirits, she was a witch born with red hair and red eyes.
Some even considered her an incarnation of a Salamander due to her fiery appearance.
She stared at my masked face for a moment, then grinned.
“I value competence. I’m not sure if you’ll meet my standards, but you’ve made a good first impression.”
She crossed her long legs seductively, propped her chin on her hand, and asked,
“So, is that all the Demon Lord wanted me to know? I have a feeling there’s more.”
I remembered the Demon Lord’s last request.
“He also asked you to visit the Demon Lord’s castle when you have time, as it’s been a while since you last saw each other.”
“I knew it.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s nothing.”
Dorothea waved her hand dismissively and gestured to the Centaur adjutant beside her.
“Eva will show you to your quarters. You can settle in after that.”
“…Aren’t you going to assign me any tasks?”
Dorothea grinned, revealing her sharp canines.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. I’ll work you until you beg for mercy. That’s the tradition around here.”
Dorothea dismissed us with a wave of her hand, and Eva, the Centaur, said,
“Follow me. I’ll show you to your quarters.”
I carefully rose and bowed slightly to Dorothea.
“Yawn~”
But she had already lost interest in me. She yawned languidly and lay back down on her bed, burying her face in the pillow and resuming her nap.
I guess I’ll have to try again later.
“Let’s go.”
“Alright.”
I had hoped to learn more about what she had been doing on the Eastern Front, but I decided to wait for a better opportunity and quietly left Dorothea’s tent.
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The quarters Eva showed us were in a tent designated for officers, not far from Dorothea’s.
Made of thicker canvas than the regular tents used by the soldiers, it offered better protection against the cold winds of the Vulcan Mountains.
A fire pit had been dug in the center of the tent. It must have been burning for a while, as the air inside was quite warm.
Eva brought us some blankets and said apologetically,
“I’ve tried my best, but this is all we can offer. I’m afraid you’ll have to share a tent.”
Camilla shook her head.
“I don’t mind. As a maid, I’m prepared for such situations.”
Eva seemed relieved.
“That’s good to hear.”
She placed the blankets on the bed and said as she left the tent,
“You must be tired from your long journey. Please, rest. I’ll come and get you when dinner is ready.”
“Thank you.”
Despite having only met her a few hours ago, she seemed like a genuinely nice person.
Well, it took someone with her personality to tolerate Dorothea’s antics.
I nodded in agreement and sat down on my assigned bed.
It was hard and cold.
Unlike a typical mattress filled with goose feathers, this one felt like it was made of packed dirt and sand.
Still, it was better than sleeping on the bare ground. I covered myself with a blanket and lay down, intending to take a short nap until dinner.
Suddenly, a dark shadow fell over me.
I opened one eye and saw Camilla looking down at me with her usual stoic expression.
“What is it?”
Camilla said in a serious tone,
“Please give me the sex education you promised.”
“What? Here?”
“When else will we have time?”
“But even so…”
I was taken aback by her lack of discretion.
But Camilla, as if refusing to take no for an answer, firmly placed my hand on her breast.
Squish
“They say well begun is half done. It might not be so bad once we start.”
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