After I finished delivering the message to Ozma, Agni, and the rest of the War King’s subordinates, our next stop was Yugfressia. Between the Harmonic Symphony and the recent tea parties, it felt like I had been visiting this place quite often lately.
Since we were here, that meant the next person on the list was one of the World King’s subordinates. I knew Lilie was a certainty, but I wondered who the other one would be.
I had never actually seen the World King’s subordinates in combat, nor did I remember hearing who was considered the strongest among them.
"Hey, Alice. Is Lilie the strongest among the World King’s subordinates?"
"No, it’s not Lilie-san. There’s someone in her service who has been around longer than her and is actually stronger."
"Longer than Lilie-san? Wait, do you mean... Camellia-san?"
"Oh? You knew? Ah, you must have heard that from Lilliwood-san."
During the tea party, Lilliwood-san had mentioned that Camellia-san was her very first subordinate, followed by Lilie, so I was able to piece it together from Alice's mention of seniority.
Still, I had to hand it to Alice. She seemed to deduce exactly where I had gotten that information from that single remark. My exchange with Lilliwood-san back then had been conducted through Sympathy Magic without a single word spoken aloud, so Alice must have just made an educated guess.
"I didn't realize Camellia-san was that strong. I mean, I’ve heard people call her the 'Strong Fist of the Earth' before, but..."
"In terms of raw attack power, she’s at a level where it would be faster to count from the top even among the Count-class. Of course, that’s not to say she’s a glass cannon; as a spirit, she’s excellent at defensive magic too. Her overall combat level is incredibly high."
"Huh..."
It was hard to imagine the gentle, modest Camellia-san being such a powerhouse, but I suppose that was only natural for an executive serving the World King.
While we talked, we reached Lilliwood's Castle at the base of the World Tree. Right on cue, we spotted Camellia-san near the entrance, sweeping with a broom.
"Hello, Camellia-san."
"Oh? Kaito-san... and Shaltier-sama? Do you have business with Lilliwood-sama?"
"Actually, no. We’re here to see you this time, Camellia-san."
"Me? Um, what for?"
"Well, I could tell you here, but I’m a bit peckish. How about you bring us something to eat first?"
"...You..."
"Eh? Oh, of course. Please, come this way."
Despite having just gorged herself on sweets at Zwei-san’s office, Alice was claiming to be hungry again. I shot her an exasperated look, but Camellia-san simply nodded—seemingly swept up in Alice's pace—and guided us toward a reception room.
Since Camellia-san had admitted herself that she was weak to pressure, I guessed she just found it hard to say no when someone acted so erratically. I tended to get pushed around by others too, so I knew exactly how she felt.
"The only thing I could whip up on short notice was a tart, I'm afraid..."
"This is plenty. Sorry this idiot made such a selfish request, Camellia-san."
"N-No, please, don't let it bother you."
With a wry smile at my apology, Camellia-san set down black tea and an apple tart in front of Alice and me. This was my fourth cup of tea today... I wondered just how many more I’d be expected to drink before the sun went down.
Unlike Alice, I was already feeling pretty full from all the tea and snacks we’d had so far. The tart looked delicious, but its size was a bit daunting. Still, it was a kind gesture from Camellia-san, so I intended to finish every bite.
"So, Shaltier-sama... what was it you wanted to see me about?"
"Right. Camellia-san, as of today, you are officially promoted to the Duke-class."
"Huh?"
"So, do your best as a Duke-class High-ranking Demon from now on."
"Wait... what?! Wh-Wh-Wait a moment! I don't understand the situation at all! It’s not like I’ve suddenly gotten stronger recently or anything! Besides, if I become a Duke-class while bypassing Lilie-sama—our head executive—won't that cause all sorts of complications?"
Camellia-san’s reaction was incredibly refreshing. This was how it should be; normally, hearing you’d been promoted to Duke-class would trigger panic and a million questions.
Up until now, Funf-san and Zwei-san had already heard rumors from Kuro about the peerage review, and Ozma-san had fully expected his promotion. Even Agni-san, while surprised, had accepted it with stoic resolve.
"Oh, don't worry. Lilie-san is being promoted to Duke-class too. In fact, we’re doing a general adjustment of the entire peerage system. We’re raising several people from the other factions as well."
"...I-I see. So that’s how it is. B-But, is someone like me really suitable for this?"
"In terms of skill, you’re the most qualified person for the job. Besides, this is already a decided matter, so I won't be accepting any objections."
"Ah... I see. Understood."
Well... she certainly wasn't lying about being weak to pressure.
Serious-senpai: "It’s true, we haven't seen a reaction of pure, unadulterated shock like that until now."
???: "You seem pretty relaxed, Senpai-ssu."
Serious-senpai: "Well, yeah. It’s not a sugar chapter right now. Stop it! Don't look at me like you’re offended by my peace of mind!"
???: "I hope the sugar chapters return the moment the rank certifications are done-ssu."
Serious-senpai: "Take back that horrible curse!!"