The Principle of a Philosopher by Eternal Fool “Asley”

Chapter 484: Serious Business

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~~ Early Morning, Thirtieth Day of the Seventh Month, Ninety-Sixth Year of the War Demon Calendar (First Year of the Holy Demon Calendar) ~~

The Devil King Asley, ruler of this land, was assigned a very large room.

Asley divided this spacious, empty room into two sections: a personal space and a laboratory.

Naturally, Pochi shared the same room. Since creating a laboratory was second nature to Asley, there were no arguments, but a few minor issues did arise.

“Check this out, Tifa! Fuyu! This is our room! Mine and Master’s!”

Tifa and Fuyu seemed to be happily indulging Pochi, but this was merely how it appeared to Pochi. Their true thoughts were different.

Tifa’s eyes were sharp as she examined the balcony and windows.

[Gotta map out my ways in. From my room, it’ll take… about one minute. The problem is finding a time when Pochi isn’t around… I know, I’ll call Pochi to my room and have Tarawo keep her occupied… that’ll work!]

[It’s a canopy bed — as expected of a king! If I set up a Teleportation Spell Circle on top of the canopy, I can get into the bed without any issues. The problem is finding a time when Pochi isn’t around… I know, I’ll call Pochi and Natsu to my room and say I need to use the restroom… that’ll work!)

Their eyes — their determination — were worthy of seasoned warriors.

“Oh, by the way! Over there is Master’s laboratory! I thought using half the room was excessive, but with this size, it’s not a problem at all!”

“Wow, that’s amazing!”

“Can we take a look?”

“Go ahead, go ahead!”

Tifa’s eyes showed no attention to the conversation whatsoever, and likewise, Fuyu’s eyes darted around.

They moved with their purposes in mind, each trying to outdo the other.

Though they seemed cooperative, both were determined to outstep their rival.

Standing before the laboratory door, Tifa nudged Fuyu with her right shoulder, and Fuyu nudged back with her left.

They glared at each other for a moment, then sighed in compromise.

“”…Okay, we’re doing this together.””

Tifa knocked with her right hand, and Fuyu with her left.

But there was no response from Asley behind the door.

“Huh? Is he not here?”

“That can’t be. I can sense Sir Asley’s arcane energy.”

“So can I… What gives?”

Both pressed their ears to the door.

They could hear Asley’s voice inside.

[“Hmm, this isn’t right. What else should I add? Maybe this herb? No, that’ll make it too unbalanced. Then what? I feel like I’m just missing one more ingredient…”]

Listening to Asley’s muttering, they tilted their heads.

Realizing he had not noticed them, they knocked harder.

“”SIR ASLEY!””

Their voices synchronized.

This finally caught Asley’s attention, and he responded from inside,

[“Hmm? Tifa and Fuyu, right? The door’s not locked — just let yourselves in!”]

He had been too focused to notice their approach.

Knowing this, the two exchanged glances and nodded.

As they opened the door, they were greeted by a disheveled Asley.

“H-hey. Welcome, you two.”

Asley had dark circles under his eyes, and his clothes were a mess — and moreover, a strange odor filled the laboratory.

Tifa and Fuyu recognized this as Asley’s typical research-driven lifestyle.

Yet, as mages themselves, Tifa and Fuyu could not help but be intrigued by Asley’s research.

“It looks like you’re working hard,” Tifa commented, peeking into the room.

“What exactly are you researching…?” Fuyu inquired, probing for details.

Asley froze at their questions.

After a moment, he turned his face away from them, looking uneasy.

“Well, it’s just… something,” he mumbled.

Tifa and Fuyu exchanged wide-eyed glances, silently communicating through their expressions.

[This is strange. Sir Asley usually would explain everything.]

[Is he hiding something? What could it be?]

They looked further into the laboratory, seeing only an array of beakers.

As their four eyes focused on two beakers containing a mysterious liquid, Asley moved to conceal them.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don’t look at these… okay?” he stammered, covering them with a nearby cloth.

Their suspicious gazes pierced Asley’s side.

Trying to divert the topic, Tifa recalled something,

“…Come to think of it, Sir Asley, you haven’t had much official work recently, have you?”

“That’s right,” Fuyu added. “I heard that Sir Leon has been handling everything more efficiently.”

“Ah, yeah, I guess that’s true…” Asley replied nonchalantly, scratching his head.

This only deepened their suspicions.

“Could it be that your current job is actually…”

“…Whatever this research is supposed to be?”

Their speculation was confirmed by Asley’s startled reaction.

Realizing it was indeed his work, they had no choice but to step back.

With a resigned sigh, they bowed their heads.

“”Sorry for interrupting your work.””

“Huh? Oh, no… you’re not interrupting anything, really… Hahaha.”

Though flustered, Asley could not send his visitors away without at least a little chat. Curious about their visit, he asked,

“So, what brings you two here?”

“Well, we came to check out your new room… But that’s just an excuse–“

“–We actually have a message from Bright.”

“Oh, really? What is it?”

Asley — and only Asley — wondered why Bright had not simply used a Telepathic Call.

Surely Bright had his reasons for entrusting the message to these two… considering that they had an interest in Asley.

Though the kingdom was small, Asley was still king — and he bore the title of Devil King and the responsibility of keeping it. No competent official would neglect to think of what would be best for him, and proactive measures were the mark of an exemplary bureaucrat.

[“You two! The next guests are waiting, so please hurry!”] Pochi’s voice called from beyond the door.

“…N-next?” Asley echoed, puzzled.

Tifa and Fuyu, though visibly displeased, sighed in resignation, understanding they could push no further.

“A-ahem. S-so… yes, a message from Bright,” Fuyu confirmed.

“Representatives from other nations will be arriving soon, so please prepare accordingly,” Tifa relayed.

“Wha–!? Is it that time already!?”

Asley panicked, but Tifa and Fuyu chuckled, denying it gently.

“Don’t worry, Sir Asley. There’s still time.”

“Huh?”

“Should be enough for… say, two more guests.”

“Two more?”

“Well, we’ve taken enough of your time. Excuse us, Devil King~~♪”

“Excuse us~~♪”

Asley’s confusion grew as Tifa and Fuyu made their exit, their cheerful steps echoing down the hall. He watched them go, baffled. Before he could ponder further, a knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

“Yes? Come on in~~”

[“Excuse me.”]

[“Good morning!”]

Their voices were familiar — the former was Haruhana, and the latter was Lina.

Asley glanced back to ensure his hidden work remained concealed, sighing in relief.

Regardless, their sudden visit puzzled him.

[Why is everyone suddenly coming here today?]

“Wow, your lab looks quite a bit different from what I expected…”

“Miss Lina, perhaps we should call it… His Majesty’s office?”

“Oh, right… Mm-hm! The Devil King’s office!”

“U-uh, so, good to see you both! What brings you here?”

“Well, we came to check out your new room… But that’s just an excuse–“

“–We actually have a message from Warren.”

“……Hmm?”

Asley felt a sense of déjà vu.

Indeed, a competent official would not neglect to think what would be best for the new Devil King — but the twin Black Emperors of the Holy Demon Kingdom were ones to take double, or even triple measures.

The double, or even quadruple, message from Warren and Bright created a misunderstanding of communication, which in turn caused Asley to have even more doubts.

After Haruhana and Lina relayed their message and left, Asley, now even more perplexed, decided to visit Bright.

“What is it, Instructor?”

Entering the Junior Minister’s office, Asley asked,

“Bright, couldn’t you have just used a Telepathic Call?”

“Actually, no, I couldn’t have.”

Bright dismissed the question with a wave.

“Redundancy in communication is essential, you see, especially for important messages like this. Besides, I believe in minimizing the use of Telepathic Calls whenever possible.”

“B-but why?”

“Because not everyone can use it. To lead effectively, one must set an example by doing what humans can do without magic. Excessive reliance on magecraft would be seen as neglecting our duties.”

“Huh… Really…?”

Asley, staring at the ceiling, remained unconvinced. Unable to persuade Bright, he headed to another room — the other Junior Minister’s office, of course.

“Ah, Your Majesty. What brings you here?”

“It’s about the messages just now…”

“Oh, I sent Lina and Haruhana to ensure there were no oversights. Apologies if it caused confusion. I’ll try to be more careful♪”

“Wouldn’t one person have been enough?”

“Actually, no, it wouldn’t have.”

Asley felt a sense of déjà vu.

“A single messenger might make a mistake. But two? They can correct each other if an error occurs. Do you understand, Your Majesty? Reporting, communication, and consultation are essential for all matters. Miss Irene, Sir Gaston, and Hornel from the War Demon Kingdom, Lady Kaoru and Lady Jun’ko from T’oued, and Miss Minerva and Sir Barun from the Northern Alliance are among the many notable figures visiting today. A mistake here could cost more than my head. Or do you plan to treat your subordinates’ lives lightly?”

Warren’s detailed explanation and undeniable logic cornered Asley.

“Ugh… You’re right. We can’t just rely on friendly relations anymore. Yeah.”

“Exactly♪ I knew you would get it♪ Still, I suppose we should address the earlier issue.”

“What do you mean?”

“Instead of two messengers, why not four?”

“……What?”

Before Asley could process this information, Warren shifted the conversation to another topic — an extremely blatant attempt to derail his thoughts.

“Anyway… how is the progress on that research? Given your arcane energy, I expected there to be no issues, but that doesn’t seem to be the case…?”

“Hmm? Oh, that… Well, it’s close. I can feel it, but it’s not quite there yet…”

“Hmm, I see…”

“But what exactly do you plan to do with it once it’s done? Are you going to use it, Warren?”

“Hahaha, no, of course not. It’s just a precaution. Publicizing the artifacts created by the Devil King will enhance our reputation. Eventually, I hope to establish a museum dedicated to your artifacts, you see.”

“A museum? What for?”

“As a tourist attraction. People won’t gather where there’s nothing to see. With the Kisaragi family’s help in decoration and curation, we can create something unlike any other.”

“Interesting. I hadn’t thought of that.”

“I’m glad you understand.”

While Warren had managed to outmaneuver Asley on the issue of the messages, his intentions regarding the artifacts were sincere. Asley, realizing Warren’s dedication, felt a deep appreciation.

Just then, a knock echoed through Warren’s office.

“Now then, Miss Lylia is here. Your Majesty, please prepare yourself.”

“Huh? When did you call her over?”

“Just now, via Telepathic Call.”

“…Hey, wait a second…”

The discrepancy between Bright and Warren’s stances on telepathic communication was evident.

But before Asley could dwell on it, Lylia, now the Captain of the Royal Guard, pulled him along to his chambers.

Back in his room, Asley began changing, leaving Pochi to sleep on the bed.

With Lylia waiting outside, he hurriedly got dressed, albeit while still feeling far removed from his title as the Devil King.

Deciding not to wake Pochi, who would no doubt rise when it was time to eat, Asley stepped out of his room and addressed Lylia.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Lylia observed him closely, noting how his appearance was reminiscent of the time he defeated Lucifer.

“…Hmm. This part of the collar is a little crooked.”

It was not crooked at all.

“And your hair is sticking up slightly.”

It was not.

“You should tighten your face more.”

Lylia gently touched both of Asley’s cheeks, but he failed to realize these were all just excuses.

“L-like this?” Asley asked, following her instructions.

When Lylia giggled, he tilted his head in confusion.

“Huh? Is it… strange?”

“Hehehe… No, it’s just the same as always.”

“All right. Cool.”

Relieved, Asley smiled back, prompting Lylia to turn her face away abruptly.

Asley, confused, watched her back as she walked ahead, trying to hide her embarrassment.

“Come on, let’s go. Everyone’s waiting…!”

“Right.”

What awaited Asley was his first ever diplomatic mission.

This day would later be remembered as the biggest, most extraordinary event in history — a monumental incident.

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