﻿\setgamedatatitle("Minerva_13")

\text
――The tavern in the labyrinth.
\endtext

\text
Today, under Caym's orders, the place was reserved, and the
main members of the Demon Lord's army were gathered here.
\endtext

\text
Caym, Risbell, and Beatrice.
\endtext

\text
Former queen Tiela, Magahime, and Glace.

\endtext

\text
Margaretta, Agri, Spacchio, and Noro.

\endtext

\text
Naturally, the seats were divided according to their former
status―even if they're colleagues now, it's a matter of
comfort.
\endtext

\text("El")
Your Majesty, is this chair uncomfortable? Shall I bring you
a cushion?
\endtext

\text("Tiela")
No, I'm fine, El.
\endtext

\text
And even now, in places like this, El always acts as Tiela's
attendant.

\endtext

\text
――There's really no need to point that out.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
Alright, looks like everyone's here. The reason I called you
all today is... huh, what is it, Rebecca?
\endtext

\text("Rebecca")
Let me take everyone's orders first. It's an important
meeting, right? Things go better with good food and drinks.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
Well, that's reasonable...
\endtext

\text("El")
Yes, yes, yes! Please bring some meat! And the best drink
for Lady Tiela!

\endtext

\text("Rebecca")
Got it. Meat and drinks, right?
\endtext

\text("El")
Oh, and of course Caym-sama is treating us tonight, right?

\endtext

\text("Caym")
Y-yeah. I guess so...
\endtext

\text("El")
Thank you so much! Then, Rebecca-san, three more servings of
meat, please!

\endtext

\text("Rebecca")
Alright, alright. You sure eat a lot, El-chan.

\endtext

\text("Agri")
We'll take some booze and food over here too. Rebecca, the
usual for me.
\endtext

\text("Rebecca")
Are you sure that's all? Caym's treating tonight, you know?

\endtext

\text("Agri")
It's fine. Stuff I'm not used to eating just doesn't sit
right. Same with the booze. Right, Noro, Spacchio?

\endtext

\text("Noro")
................
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
I'll have the same as Tiela. That's fine for you too, right,
Glace?
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
―Actually, wait. Glace, can you drink alcohol? Would you
rather have juice?

\endtext

\text("Glace")
Yeah, I'll have juice.
\endtext

\text("Rebecca")
Alright, alcohol and juice. For Glace-chan, I'll bring a
special milk and strawberry juice.

\endtext

\text
Glace nodded with a slightly happy look.
\endtext

\text
Soon the food and drinks arrived, and the atmosphere became
rather lively.
\endtext

\text
As the drinks flowed, conversations started between tables,
and the walls created by differences in status naturally
faded away.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
Good grief. Rebecca totally stole my thunder there―

\endtext

\text
The reason I chose this tavern instead of the conference
room was exactly to create this kind of atmosphere.

\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
It's fine, isn't it? Being too serious just doesn't suit us.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Beatrice-sama, you've had a bit too much to drink...
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Don't be such a stick in the mud. So, Caym, Ris, what was it
you wanted to talk about today?

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Caym-sama...
\endtext

\text("Caym")
Alright, I think it's about time.
\endtext

\text
Once everyone seemed relaxed, Caym stood up again.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
Alright, everyone, just stay as you are and listen. This is
the main topic for today.
\endtext

\text
All eyes from each table turned to Caym.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
It's about that Structor warrior we've taken
prisoner―Minerva.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
―I want to welcome her as a member of our Demon Lord's army.

\endtext

\text
Caym watched everyone's reactions as he said this.
\endtext

\text
Given the memories of the brutal defensive battles just days
ago, no one responded for a while.

\endtext

\text("Agri")
So that's what this is about...
\endtext

\text
Agri drained his cup in one gulp.

\endtext

\text("Agri")
...Well, yeah. She's strong. At the very least, stronger
than me. If she joins us, that's reassuring.

\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
The question is whether we can trust her. And that's in two
ways.

\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
First, she's a Structor, right? In other words, she's the
mastermind behind this whole war.
\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
Even if the Structors in this world have been wiped out,
Verlnya is still alive.
\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
Can we be sure she won't betray us? And even if she doesn't
intend to, could Verlnya control her at a crucial moment?

\endtext

\text
Margaretta was likely voicing everyone's doubts rather than
just her own.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
I've confirmed her intentions myself. On that front, you'll
just have to trust me.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
I've investigated her connections to the Structors and
Verlnya. To get straight to the point, there's nothing to
worry about.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
She's been living in this world for so long that she's
changed―she's almost no different from us now.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Contact is impossible.
\endtext

\text
Margaretta nodded and continued.
\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
The second issue is on our side... Especially Spacchio and
Noro must have complicated feelings.

\endtext

\text
Minerva's fighting style, especially against monsters, was
merciless―almost a massacre.

\endtext

\text
The two of them lost nearly half their subordinates to
Minerva's invasion―the resentment still smolders among the
troops.
\endtext

\text("Spacchio")
Well, yeah... It is complicated, that's for sure.
\endtext

\text
Spacchio, his face red, sipped on some cheap booze.

\endtext

\text("Spacchio")
But you know, I actually know this... The kid who was
looking after that woman in the cell, he was one of my boys.

\endtext

\text("Spacchio")
He came to me, worried because she wouldn't eat or drink
anything. I told him to just leave her be.

\endtext

\text("Spacchio")
Figured she just didn't want to eat the enemy's food. ...But
turns out, that wasn't it.

\endtext

\text("Spacchio")
She was regretting her crimes, wanting to die... I told that
kid, don't let her die―make her atone.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
―So that was you.
\endtext

\text
Nodding, Spacchio took another swig before continuing.

\endtext

\text("Spacchio")
To be honest, I kept a close eye on her until the last
minute. ...That woman really meant to die.
\endtext

\text("Spacchio")
So I think she's serious about atoning, too. That woman can
be trusted... Noro thinks so too.

\endtext

\text
Noro, who had been downing booze like water from a huge mug,
nodded when the conversation turned to her.
\endtext

\text("Noro")
It's fine... She won't betray us. We can trust her.

\endtext

\text("Tiela")
I... agree as well.
\endtext

\text
For once, Tiela spoke up on her own. Her eyes were tinged a
soft pink from the alcohol.

\endtext

\text("Tiela")
From here on out, our army will inevitably have to raise the
anti-Structor banner.

\endtext

\text("Tiela")
They say the Structors seek order and stability. So then,
what is it that we seek? People will ask us that in return.

\endtext

\text("Tiela")
She is a good answer―Even if she's a Structor, we are the
ones who can find harmony within chaos.

\endtext

\text
Caym looked at Tiela with newfound respect.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
I see... So she's valuable as a symbol, too.

\endtext

\text
Tiela nodded, her expression gentle and wise as ever.

\endtext

\text
When she was queen, she couldn't bear the pressure, let her
subordinates run wild, and in the end lost her country―

\endtext

\text
But now that the weight is gone, she might actually be quite
a useful advisor.

\endtext

\text("El")
As expected of Her Majesty! Actually, I've thought the same
thing for a while now!
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
Liar...
\endtext

\text("Glace")
No you haven't...
\endtext

\text
Glace shook her head from side to side.
\endtext

\text("El")
Ugh...
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
So it looks like we've decided? Well, I didn't really care
either way from the start.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Sorry. I forgot, but there's something I need to explain to
everyone.
\endtext

\text
Everyone turned their attention to Risbell as she spoke.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Sorry to rain on your parade, but... as I explained earlier,
right now she's not all that different from us.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
―It seems she's completely lost those superhuman powers she
had when she was close to being a Structor.

\endtext

\text("Agri")
Wait, what? So even if she's on our side, she won't be much
help after all?
\endtext

\text("Caym")
No... I'm not so sure about that.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Caym-sama?
\endtext

\text("Caym")
Heh... I know for a fact. Right now, she's retraining her
body and swordsmanship from the ground up.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
It's pretty intense, you know? The other day, I peeked into
her room and the floor was like a pool from all the sweat.

\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
I won't ask why you went to her room... but there you have
it, Agri. She might surpass you before long.

\endtext

\text
Everyone burst out laughing.
\endtext

\text("Agri")
Man, I really am stuck with this kind of role, huh...

\endtext

\text("Rebecca")
Well, looks like it's settled. ...I wonder what kind of
flavors a former Structor likes in her food?

\endtext

\text("El")
It's a welcome party, right, Rebecca-san? Yay...! I'm going
to eat a ton!

\endtext

\text("Caym")
It's not your welcome party... By the way, Risbell, about,
uh, the budget...

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Since adding her to the team was your idea, Caym-sama,
naturally it'll come out of your allowance.

\endtext

\text
Risbell replied coldly.
\endtext

\text
Everyone gathered at the tavern laughed together as they
surrounded the dejected Caym―
\endtext

\dlg("Minerva has joined your party.")