The three devils showed no sign of self-destructing, only rolling their confused eyes.
One of them finally spoke.
“L-Liar! That can’t be true. Our master would never do such a thing……”
“If you think so, then say it.”
“Ugh!”
“Wouldn’t it be right to self-destruct if you want to attack me?”
Frondier provoked them, but still, no one opened their mouths.
They had practically confessed by calling him ‘our master’. Their thoughts were clear.
‘They are trembling with betrayal.’
As Frondier thought, the three were busy trying to calm their anger towards Astaroth.
The reason they weren't self-destructing now wasn't because they were afraid to die.
They just didn't want to die like that.
‘My ‘Analysis’ skill is something I got from a quest. So it’s not something you can normally obtain, and from the enemy’s point of view, it’s not a skill to be wary of.’
So Astaroth would never have imagined that he would be caught planting self-destruct devices on his subordinates.
Even if he had considered the possibility, he wouldn't have paid much attention to the words he was going to use and discard anyway.
‘I don’t even know if I can use this.’
Frondier smiled inwardly.
Astaroth himself might not be able to smile as darkly as this.
“First of all, do you guys know my name?”
“…….”
The three still had their mouths shut tight. Frondier shrugged.
“Devils are good liars, you know. Why don't you just say anything? I'll spare your lives if you just answer me.”
“I told you before! I won't beg for my life from the likes of you! To us, life is just!”
“Yeah, yeah. A means to satisfy desires and perpetuate the species. I know.”
Frondier nodded his head in understanding.
“I’m not saying you should cling to life.”
He put his finger to his mouth. As if telling a secret.
“But you have to be alive to do anything.”
“……What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said. You have to be alive to do what you want to do.”
Do what you want to do.
It's not hard to understand what that means.
One of the three. He glared at Frondier with gleaming eyes.
“What I want to do is tear your head off.”
“Go ahead.”
“……You, you think I can’t—”
“No matter what I think.”
Frondier's voice was flat and calm.
This is what it would sound like if he were reading a textbook.
“You have to be alive to tear my head off, right?”
“…….”
“Then let me ask again. Do you know my name?”
The three devils looked at each other again.
Faride, whose name Frondier had learned, was the first to speak.
“We know it.”
“Then tell me my full name.”
“……Why should we?”
“Because it’s a question you can’t lie about.”
At Frondier’s words, Faride closed his mouth for a moment.
He’s racking his brain. Is he trying to figure out the difference in expression between when he’s lying and when he’s telling the truth? Frondier wondered.
But that wasn’t what Frondier was aiming for.
“……’Frondier de Roach’. Is that your full name?”
“That’s right. Precisely.”
Frondier nodded and smiled.
And he thought.
‘As expected, these guys aren’t devils from Agoris.’
If Frondier’s information had been leaked after his activities in Agoris, due to some action he took…
These guys would know Frondier’s full name as ‘Frondier de Roach’.
That’s because Frondier had changed the modifier of his family name to that while he was in Agoris.
The only devil on this continent who knows Frondier’s full name is Baal. Unless these were Baal’s subordinates, they know information from when Frondier was on the Falind continent.
‘There’s a possibility that Baal went around telling other devils my full name, but I doubt he would do such a thing when he’s in a deal with me.’
Baal knows that Frondier changed his full name. It was Baal himself who helped him transfer to Atlas.
There’s no reason to tell other devils Frondier’s real name. That too is valuable information.
‘Then, as expected, Astaroth is either one of the Seven Deadly Sins, or even if he isn’t, he’s someone who belongs to that world.’
A member of the Seven Deadly Sins suddenly appearing when there’s suspicion that the 72 devils are causing a ruckus in the capital of Palma. His head was already starting to hurt.
Frondier asked again.
“Is Astaroth one of the 72 devils, or one of the Seven Deadly Sins?”
“……That’s……!”
“If Astaroth isn’t your boss, there’s no need to hide it.”
The three devils bit their lips.
Remaining silent here would be tantamount to admitting that Astaroth is their master. It’s a fact that’s already been revealed, but it’s another matter for them to say it themselves.
In the end, the answer the devil who racked his brain came up with was.
“……He’s one of the 72 devils.”
The only way was to utter an obvious lie.
“I see.”
Of course, Frondier wouldn’t kill them for lying. He said it was okay to lie at first.
Frondier was trying to get something out of that lie.
‘They’re hiding the fact that he’s one of the Seven Deadly Sins. I feel like something similar happened last time.’
Marchosias, who was one of the 72 devils but joined Satan’s ranks. He was desperate to hide the fact that he was under Satan from Baal.
The reason Marchosias wanted to hide that fact was, of course,
“Ah… Ha….”
That’s when Frondier realized something.
He already had a laid-back impression, but even this realization seemed leisurely.
“Come to think of it, the fact that you guys are Astaroth’s subordinates means you’re originally devils from the demon realm, right?”
“……! N-No! We’re!”
They were about to say they weren’t Astaroth’s subordinates, but they realized it was forbidden and shut their mouths.
They almost died for nothing.
“The devils from the demon realm flew over to this continent, and you’re angry that Astaroth put self-destruct devices on you, which means you had hope of returning safely, right? The devils in Agoris are still agonizing over how to get back to the demon realm.”
“N-No! So we’re, 72 devils, and the demon realm, that’s!”
Frondier completely ignored the three devils’ shouts and continued his own thoughts.
It was as if even the devils’ desperate cries were helping his selfish deduction.
“Did you come here through a gate from the demon realm?”
“……!!”
The three devils could no longer speak and just blinked their eyes.
Three of them would make a wiser judgment than one, but there’s a problem in this case.
They couldn’t come up with an immediate lie. Because their stories wouldn’t match up.
“Then,”
Frondier smiled brightly.
“That gate is still open, isn’t it?”
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