51: It’s Good to Look Forward to an Uncertain Future
“Leaving already, Lathus-sama?”
“Yeah. …Lass, I apologize for my behavior earlier.”
“Huh?”
Lathus grinned, baring his fangs.
“She’s worthy of being a supreme commander.”
“—Of course she is.” Liz puffed out her chest for some reason.
Lathus raised a hand in farewell.
“Later, evil sorceress. Stay alive until we meet again.”
I waved back.
“You too, Lathus. —Good luck.”
“Yeah, you too. —Good luck.” We clasped hands, the size difference comical.
After seeing him off, Liz and I were alone.
She spoke hesitantly, “…You seem to have… bonded?”
“He’s my lifesaver.”
“I understand that, but…”
“And he’s my comrade.”
Liz’s expression clouded over.
“Um… just so you know, interspecies breeding between humans and beastmen is possible, but the child will inherit the mother’s race. In your case, human.”
“I know, but…?”
“It could lead to… complications… I wouldn’t stop you if you’re truly in love… but personally, I’m… conflicted…”
“…Liz?”
“Also, while Lathus-sama isn’t in a committed relationship, he does have seventeen children, so… as a partner for Master…”
“Liz, Lathus and I aren’t like that.”
“Oh, good…” Liz breathed a sigh of relief.
So, Lathus is a father. I knew that not all beastmen married, but…
They had a strong sense of community and loved children, so it wasn’t a problem. While there were royal orphanages, beastman children were rarely found there.
They were the most reproductively stable race in this nation.
…Still, seventeen is a lot.
But now that I thought about it, he was a supreme commander, straightforward, passionate, ruthless to his enemies but kind and protective of his own. A skilled warrior, and the more I thought about it, the less surprising it was that he had that many children.
But Lathus and I weren’t like that.
“Liz, feed me the rest of the bunny.”
I decided to take advantage of my invalid status and let Liz pamper me.
Liz gave me a look, then rather roughly shoved a piece of the apple bunny into my mouth.
“Master? Lathus-sama is working. He’s heading to the border fortress to exert pressure, possibly with military force. And you’re… like this. Aren’t you embarrassed, as a fellow supreme commander?”
I swallowed the apple and declared, “I’m not embarrassed. He’s suited for combat; I’m not. And I fulfilled my role as a decoy.”
I could confidently say I’d earned my keep.
“Besides, recuperating is part of my job when I’m injured.”
“…Well, that’s true.”
I pulled Liz closer, wrapping my arm around her waist, intertwining our fingers.
“So, there’s no problem with cuddling with my cute maid, right?”
Liz smiled wryly.
“…You really are the worst, Master.”
“I’m honored.” I smiled.
I was the Lord of Disease.
Species: Human.
Objective: Human extinction.
Right now, I was just taking a little break.
“—But we’re not cuddling.”
“We’re not?”
“We’re not!” Liz said firmly.
Good to know. So, holding hands and hugging wasn’t considered cuddling to her. I’d keep the fact that I was perfectly content with this level of intimacy to myself.
I wonder what would happen if Liz showed her affectionate side…
I was starting to look forward to the future.
-Volume 1 End-
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