she ended up being the catalyst for war. Knowing all that full well, Elisabeth frowned. As he rubbed his round belly, the Butcher offered his two cents. "If that's the case, then might I suggest taking this time to deal with any matters you've been putting off? I daresay your demon hunt kept you rather busy, after all." "Nonsense. I've no matters I've beenâ€”" Then Elisabeth's eyes gently widened, and she casually unwound her crossed arms. Clearly having thought of something, Elisabeth gnawed on her lips. Then, upon closing her eyes, she gave herself to her thoughts. Eventually, she opened her eyes back up. When she did, she leaped off the bed with great vigor. "It seems you have a point. I do, in fact, have something I've been putting off. I'm leaving." "Okaaaay, have fuuuuun!" Completely carefree, the Butcher gently waved her good-bye. The Torture Princess's silken black hair fluttered as she strode past the lounging man. When she opened the door, she did so with great force. Moving only his neck, the Butcher saw her off. Having left the door open, she soon receded down the hallway. Eventually, the Butcher let out a soft murmur. "Even in your short lives, people have a surprisingly great many things they must do, Madam Elisabeth, and many things they find themselves regretting if they fail to do so. One never knows how long this world will be around, after all." With the Butcher alone in the bedroom, silence quickly descended. But before long, he let out a loud belch. The following morning marked a blissful, tranquil, languid, sweet beginning. However, it was also hurried, and somewhat embarrassing. Kaito and Hina woke at the same time, as happy as could be. With nothing but the blankets covering their naked bodies, they turned to look at each other. Kaito was at a bit of a loss for what best to say. His heart was full to the brim, and he doubted his ability to hold a normal conversation. Hina seemed to be in the same predicament. It was unclear who was supposed to go first, but after wavering for a moment, the two of them decided to exchange their usual greetings. "Morning, Hina." "A lovely morning to you, Master Kaito." A perfectly charming smile spread across Hina's face. Not realizing he was doing so, Kaito replied in kind with his own. With that, the two of them gently pressed their foreheads together, causing their bangs to brush against the other's skin. It was ticklish, and the two of them laughed like children. Right when they were about to exchange kisses, though, they were brusquely interrupted. Without warning, the door burst open. "Ah, what a splendid day it is! I bid you good morning, Sir Kaito!" Lute had made his appearance. His face bore a wide smile. Kaito and Hina froze. Kaito timidly turned toward the door. Lute was standing in the doorway, his eyes snapping open and shut. With his gaze, Kaito silently begged Lute to read the room. As though to say he understood, Lute gave a meek nod. â€”Creeeeak, click. The door closed once more. Kaito and Hina sprang into action. Beastfolk weren't much for baths, and when they did take them, noble beastfolk would generally use large, public baths filled with flowers and fragrant herbs. However, the guest room Kaito and Hina were staying in had a small, tiled bathroom adjoining it, likely out of consideration for visitors of other races. Normally, they'd have to ask a lady-in-waiting to bring them hot water, but as they were in a hurry, Kaito elected to magically generate and heat the water himself. After quickly washing off their bodies, the two of them returned to the room and hurriedly got dressed. Then, once they'd finished, Kaito loudly cleared his throat. "We're, uh, we're decent." "Ah, what a splendid day it is! I bid you good morning, Sir Kaito!" "Pretending it didn't happen isn't gonna make it any better!" Kaito's voice was unintentionally strong, and Lute's ears drooped. "My apologies. We beastfolk rise earlier than the sun, so I just... In any case, it was wholly inconsiderate of me. I'm rather thoughtless, as you can see, but that excuses nothing, no." "No, no, it's fine. Honestly, it's our fault as much as anything. Sorry." Each of them spent a moment trying to insist he was to blame, and after a bit, Lute's ears perked back up. Starting over from the beginning, he handed a folded maid uniform to Hina. "I believe this is yours, Madam Hina. The court lady asked me to bring it to you." "Oh, why, thank you so much! Excuse me for a moment while I get changed!" As she did, Kaito and Lute stepped out into the hallway. There, they began discussing their plans for the day. The first matter on the agenda was meeting up with Vyade's private forces after breakfast. "At the meeting, we intend to go over our patrol routes going forward. We would have you attend, if you are amenable." "Yeah, of course. I'll be there." "And as far as breakfast goes, there was talk of having you sup alongside Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast. However, I'd thought you might be tired, so I arranged for you to eat separately. Would you rather I hadn't?" "Oh, geez, thank god! If we'd eaten together, I'd have been so nervous that all the food would've gotten stuck in my throat." "Ha-ha, I can sympathize! I, too, find formality stifling!" At that, Lute scratched at the copper fur on his head. His laughter was much friendlier than it had been in the past. Their breakfast was waiting for them in the council room, so that was where Kaito headed once Hina had finished changing. The three of them proceeded through the castle's grand interior. The halls of Vyade's castle were crafted from stone. But they, too, were decorated with all manner of live ivy, flowers, and embroidered tapestries. Apparently, each member of the imperial family had their own unique insignia. All of the beast hides used to cover the windows were rolled up, allowing golden sunlight to stream in at a slant. Man, that's pretty... Wait, huh? Just then, Kaito realized that the jewel with Vlad's soul in it was rattling around in his pocket. Kaito reflexively went pale. Now that he thought about it, he'd forgotten to toss his upper garments far off to the side the previous night. And ever since he'd first run mana through the jewel, Vlad had been able to perceive its surroundings. Man, he, uh, he's gonna be all up in my business, isn't he...? As Kaito squeezed his forehead, he and Hina continued following after Lute. The breakfast menu consisted of thin, flat bread, a soft cheese spread, and a chicken-vegetable stew. None of them had a particularly strong flavor, but salt and other spices had been prepared for them as well. Apparently, the palates of the beastfolk who lived near the demi-human border differed from those of the rest of their kind, and their cooking often featured a characteristic set of spices that reminded Kaito of the fried rice he'd once seen being doled out from a stand. Humans rarely cared for the exotic cuisine, though, so their meal had been prepared more in line with the mainland beastman customs. The dishes favored at the imperial court were rather involved, so those had been avoided as well. As far as Kaito was concerned, that was probably for the best. After taking his meal atop the council room table, Kaito finished eating. A lady-in-waiting made her appearance quickly, clearing away the dishes before promptly bringing out some tea. For a little while, Kaito and the others just waited. Before long, though, the doors opened again, and a number of unfamiliar soldiers strode in. Each of them was wearing a vermilion suit of armor made from leather, fangs, and scales. Many of them were carnivorous, but there were horned bucks and aged sheep among them as well. Although none of them said a word, all of them were giving off intimidating auras. They matter-of-factly assumed their seats, with their various subordinates standing around them. Lute's subordinates, whom Kaito and Hina recognized from the other day, were present as well. The spacious council room quickly grew packed with beastfolk. Once he'd made sure everyone was present, Lute stood up. He abruptly began discussing the incident that had taken place the other day. "At long last, we were able to apprehend the perpetrator behind the massacres. However, as you should all be aware from the documents you received last night, whether or not it possesses a will of its own is debatable. We suspect it was manufactured by someone, which means we have no guarantee that only one exists. Consequently, we need to go back and decide on what routes our patrolsâ€”" "Before that, isn't there something that needs to be said?" The beastman, resembling a buck, spoke in a velvety voice, but his tone was cold. His eyes had a chilly, androgynous beauty to them, and he focused them directly on Kaito. His gaze was decidedly alien, and upon finding himself on the receiving end of it, Kaito unconsciously straightened out his posture. Beside the deerman, a large bearman gave a grave nod. "Indeed. That human there is a contractor to a demon. The enemy of mankind, if I'm not mistaken." "True, Sir Lute seems to have received orders behind closed doors to come to an agreement with himâ€”an act, I may add, none of us were consulted on." The mood in the chamber instantly grew restless. Lute's subordinates looked to be on the verge of saying something, but Lute raised a hand and calmly silenced them. Needle-sharp gazes turned toward Kaito, one after another. In the midst of all that, Kaito was utterly composed. He was the Kaiser's contractor. He'd long since stopped expecting warm welcomes. The tension in the room grew more and more severe. Then suddenly, a foxman soldier stood up. "Yes, that's right! In other words, we all have something that need first be done!" "Aye!" A number of voices rang out in agreement. One by one, the soldiers stood, each of them brimming with vigor. Hina immediately reached into her leather bag and grabbed the handle of her halberd. The entire situation rested on a needle's point. The soldiers were the first to break the tension as they grabbed their blades and drew them from their sheaths. Steel tips pointed toward the sky. Holding their swords reverently with both hands, the brawny soldiers knelt in unison. Their subordinates followed their lead. Lute gave a relaxed smile, as though to say he'd seen this coming. Kaito and Hina blinked rapidly. The deerman's sonorous voice rang out through the room. "We are a people who prize obligations, strength, and above all else, results. And on top of that, Lady Vyade Ula Forstlast acknowledged you and welcomed you into our lands. Her words are the words of the Forest King. Sir Kaito, all of us would like to extend our thanks to you for your efforts." "Wh..." Kaito felt as though he'd been struck by lightning. The way the beastfolk had reacted had been completely outside his expectations. The moment he'd left Elisabeth's side, he'd braced himself for countless days of hardship. Even with his beloved bride, Hina, by his side, choosing to become the enemy of mankind required a great deal of resolve. Kaito had expected to spend the rest of his life reviled, scorned, and hunted. He had been prepared for that, and yet now, he was receiving heartfelt thanks. Then his thoughts turned to Izabella. Back at the plaza in the Capital, he'd been able to confirm she'd made it out okay. Although they weren't on great terms at the moment, she hadn't hesitated to take his hand, the hand of a contractor, back when he'd offered it to her.