Pandora-san’s suggestion to use stand-ins for the Ten Demons was something she probably shouldn’t have mentioned in front of me, but Alice just shook her head with a complicated look, even as she admitted the idea was tempting.
"I thought about doing the same thing. But it probably won't work... Honestly, Kaito-san’s flag-attracting constitution is at an abnormal level. Even if we managed to skirt around them for a bit, he’d probably just happen to run into them while he was out for a walk."
"I see. If this is an unavoidable issue, then it would be more beneficial to finish the introductions while we are in a position to handle matters easily. In that case, I will accompany Miyama-sama myself."
"Good. I’ll be following along in secret, of course. If I showed my face, dealing with the 'Loyalty Bug Group' would be a nightmare... Pandora, you know what to do, right?"
"Understood. Should any excessive behavior be observed, I will 'process' them as swiftly as possible."
I knew it. The flow of this conversation was definitely weird. Pandora-san just said she would "process" them. Given the context, she didn't mean a warning or a stern talking-to. Based on everything I’d heard so far, she definitely didn't mean it in a gentle way; she used it as a euphemism for "blowing them away" or "killing them."
As I watched their conversation with a conflicted look, Pandora-san turned toward me, seemingly having finalized the plan.
"Miyama-sama, I would like to act as your guide for these introductions to the Ten Demons. Would that be acceptable?"
"Y-Yes, thank you. I look forward to working with you."
I was nervous, but having a guide was a relief. Normally, Pandora-san would be the source of my anxiety, but she seemed reliable enough in her Serious Mode.
"Pandora, what order should we visit them in?" Alice asked.
"Following the rankings would be most appropriate, I believe."
"Makes sense."
"Rankings?" I asked, tilting my head. Was there some kind of hierarchy among the executives?
Pandora-san noticed my confusion and began to explain.
"The Ten Demons, the Phantasm King’s subordinate executives, are ranked by Shaltier-sama based on various factors, including combat power. There are exceptions, but generally, when multiple executives are assigned to a mission, the one with the higher rank takes command."
"I see."
"Since we have the chance, let me brief you on the members and their ranks. As you likely guessed, I am Rank 1. I serve as the leader of the Ten Demons and the General Manager of the Phantasm King's Corps... essentially, the head of the subordinates."
It made sense that Pandora-san was Rank 1.
"Next, Rank 2 is held by an individual named Pandemonium. She is the General Manager of Information for the entire Human Realm and serves as the sub-leader of the Ten Demons. She takes command whenever I am away. She is an exceptionally gifted individual whose abilities are more than worthy of her rank."
This felt like a rare sight. I could tell from Pandora-san's tone and expression that she held this Pandemonium person in very high regard. Aside from when she was praising me or Alice, I had never seen her speak so highly of someone. Was she really that incredible?
"I remember now. You and Pandemonium are quite close, aren't you?" Alice remarked.
"There is no reason to dislike someone so superior in both character and ability. I consider her a dear friend whom I can rely on both personally and professionally."
"Actually, I think Pandemonium is the amazing one for being able to smile while listening to your unhinged, rambling madness," Alice muttered.
Listening to Pandora-san's talk with a smile? That Pandemonium-san must be one hell of a person.
"So, if we're going in order, are we meeting Pandemonium-san first?"
Pandora-san and Alice exchanged a look. Alice gave a small shake of her head. Pandora-san nodded slightly and then turned to me with an apologetic face.
"My deepest apologies, Miyama-sama. Pandemonium is extremely averse to appearing in public. I do not believe she would wish to meet with you under these circumstances. I hope you can forgive her. Of course, if you order it, I will arrange a meeting, but..."
"Oh, no, that's fine! I don't want to force her into anything."
It would defeat the purpose of thanking her if I dragged her out against her will. Besides, Alice's subordinates were deep undercover, some even holding specific titles like Catastro-san. Forcing them into the light could be a security risk.
"Then, since I have a thank-you note and a confectionery gift box ready for her, could you deliver them for me if it's not a problem?"
"I understand. I shall see to it that they reach her personally."
I decided to let Pandora-san deliver the gift I'd prepared for each of them. It occurred to me that there might be others who wouldn't want to meet. I also realized I should probably check if anyone had dietary restrictions before handing out the sweets.
"Returning to our briefing... Next is Rank 3. The first executive you will meet is Gluttony. Known by the alias 'Predator of Subspace,' she specializes in space-time magic—specifically movement and information gathering. She serves as the General Manager of Information for the Demon Realm."
Predator of Subspace... That alias sounded so cool. It really appealed to my inner middle-schooler.
"Following her is Rank 4, an individual called Phantom. Phantom is a unique case. She does not speak and refuses to communicate with anyone other than Shaltier-sama. She is perfectly obedient to Shaltier-sama's commands and highly capable, which is why she holds the fourth rank, but even I don't fully understand her."
"I checked in with Phantom earlier," Alice added. "She says she'll accept your thanks, but she doesn't want to meet. She doesn't eat or drink, so she said to skip the gift box."
"I see. That's fine."
So there were even some who couldn't speak. Out of the first four ranks, I was only actually going to meet Gluttony-san... I was starting to get the picture. The Ten Demons were clearly all highly skilled, but they were also a bunch of eccentrics. I was feeling more and more uneasy about where this was going.
Bonus
"No! Absolutely not! I am not meeting him!" Elise shouted.
"It's not like your identity is guaranteed to be exposed," Alice tried to reason.
"It's a mathematical certainty! If I meet him in that form—a man who uses sheer intuition to see through your disguises, the same ones that fool the other Six Kings—it's game over! Don't you forget, the only reason I'm a member of the Ten Demons is the condition that no one finds out who I really am!"
"Yeah, yeah, I hear you..."