The banquet hosted by Megiddo-san was in full swing, a rowdy and cheerful affair. Since this was only the first day, the guest list was restricted to those who had collected a high number of stamps and Megiddo-san’s own subordinates; Kuro and Alice were nowhere to be seen. I had a feeling they could have easily joined if the mood struck them, but they were both experts at reading the room. They probably wouldn't come crashing in tonight.
As I was lost in thought, Megiddo-san slammed his cup down with a resounding thud. "Wait just a damn minute, Ozma!" he roared. "What the hell is with your eighty-percent pass rate? Agni didn't let a single person through except Kaito!"
"Ah, well, you see... everyone was trying so hard," Ozma-san replied, approaching us with a small cup in one hand and his usual relaxed air. "Speaking for 'myself,' I just couldn't bring myself to be heartless."
His tone changed slightly when he spoke to Megiddo-san. It seemed that even Ozma-san used polite speech when addressing his King.
"Hmph. You’re the same as ever... always drinking that cheap swill, too."
"Well, expensive liquor just doesn't suit my palate. Oh, hello there, Miyama-kun. Good work today."
"Ah, yes! Thank you very much!"
Ozma-san greeted me in his characteristically gentle voice before taking a seat across from Megiddo-san.
"You seem to be in high spirits, Boss. Your drinking pace is even faster than usual, isn't it?"
"Yeah! Today's match was a thrill. It really makes the booze go down smooth!"
"Well, that’s good to hear..."
With an expression as happy as if he were the one celebrating, Ozma-san snapped his fingers. A massive sake bottle appeared out of thin air. He hoisted it effortlessly with one hand and poured a fresh serving into Megiddo-san’s cup. Megiddo-san drained it in one go without a word.
There was a palpable sense of mutual understanding between them—a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere. A question suddenly occurred to me, and I decided to voice it.
"Um, Ozma-san?"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"You're the only one who calls Megiddo-san 'Boss' instead of 'Lord.' Is there a reason for that?"
"Hmm, no, not really. It’s just an old habit from way back when."
"Ozma is my oldest subordinate," Megiddo-san cut in. "He joined up before I was even known as the War King. I imagine that’s why he sticks to that name."
So Ozma-san was Megiddo-san’s very first subordinate.
"I see... I hope you don't mind me asking, but why did you decide to serve Megiddo-san in the first place?"
"Now, now, Miyama-kun. There’s nothing to be gained from digging into an old man’s boring past, you know?"
"I’m sorry. I just felt like your atmosphere was a bit different from the other Five War Generals..."
"Hahaha! You hear that, Ozma?" Megiddo-san barked with laughter. "The kid says you’ve got no spirit!"
"W-Wait, I didn't mean it like that!"
It was true that Ozma-san lacked the intimidating drive of the others. He didn't radiate that "combat is everything" aura common among the War King's subordinates. Of course, that was exactly what made him so easy to talk to...
"Ahaha, well, this old man was a bit of a wild one back in the day. So wild, in fact, that I actually picked a fight with the Boss the first time we met."
"You did!?"
"Oh, I got thrashed. I lost quite miserably."
"You’ve got a lot of nerve saying that after we fought for seven days and nights," Megiddo-san grumbled. "We were evenly matched, weren't we?"
"No, no. I lost in the end, which simply means the Boss was strong and I was weak."
Wait, what? He fought Megiddo-san to a standstill for seven days and nights? Was Ozma-san really that powerful? What happened to him being the "Weakest of the Five War Generals"? I never thought he was weaker than Kong-san, but could it be that Ozma-san was actually the strongest among them?
"The Demon Realm was a far more bloodthirsty place back then," Ozma-san continued. "Losing usually meant dying. But Boss Megiddo didn't take my life. Instead, he told me to become his subordinate."
"Hmph. That brings back memories."
"But I was young and reckless. When the Boss told me to join him, I snapped back at him. I think I said something like... 'Don't insult me! If you make me your subordinate, I'll slit your throat the moment you turn your back!'"
"O-Oh..."
Ozma-san scratched his cheek sheepishly as he recounted his younger, more violent self.
"And do you know how the Boss responded? He looked genuinely delighted. He just laughed and said, 'Oh, I look forward to that! In that case, I'm leaving my back to you!'"
"That... that sounds exactly like something Megiddo-san would say."
"I felt like I’d finally seen the true scale of the man’s heart."
Ozma-san spoke with a fond smile as he took out a cigarette and placed it between his lips. He lit it with a practiced, calm motion, his eyes filled with deep respect as he looked at Megiddo-san.
He hates being blindsided, yet he loves the idea of someone trying to do it... It really was just like Megiddo-san.
"Oh, that reminds me. I haven't been targeted from behind yet. When are you planning to make your move?"
"Ahaha, I lost interest in that a long time ago. I fell in love with Boss Megiddo’s way of life. I just want to keep watching that massive back of his... To me, you’re my only King. I decided long before you became the War King that when I die, I'll die protecting the Boss’s back."
"……I see."
"Well, it's gotten so peaceful lately that finding a good place to die might be hard. So, for now, I’ll just keep serving the Boss in my own lazy way until my time runs out..."
"Good grief. You always have to add some nonsense at the end. You're as unreliable as ever."
"Ahaha."
Megiddo-san sounded exasperated, and Ozma-san just scratched his messy hair with a wry grin. Both of them looked genuinely happy, and the profound trust they shared was plain for anyone to see.
Dear Mother, Father—
Even though he glossed over most of the details, I was able to learn a little about Ozma-san’s past. The expression on Ozma-san’s face when he spoke of his King was so clear and bright, and Megiddo-san seemed so pleased to hear it. Of all the master-servant relationships I’ve seen so far, this one somehow looked the most radiant.