The Demon King's Paladin Part 1 Vol 2.

Intermission. Financial Analyst's Thoughts.

                                                                Colin The Orphan's Thoughts

/Bang./

" Colin, Lord Safas wishes to see you."

" But I thought he was in a business meeting now?"

" Yes, I know. I just came from the meeting room; he's requested for you to join him."

" Why?"

" How should I know, Colin? Just follow me."

I sat up from my small desk in this small room and follow Derek, the Head Butler out of the room, granted since I'm only 10 years old, the room isn't a problem yet, but I still find that it lacks space. Derek was dressed in the official garb of a Head Butler, a black tuxedo with a white undershirt and white gloves. The cleanliness of which gives an inference at how well put together the mansion he looks after is.

" Did you do something wrong, Colin?"

" No, not that I can think of?"

" I hope not, you remember what happened the last time you messed up, right?"

" I'd rather not go through that again."

Derek spoke about the last punishment I received around a year ago. I made a typo in the pricing of a piece of smoked monster meat, and it made Earl Hardsmoke's business lose around 300 large gold coins worth of profits. I at first was surprised when this was brought up, since I've never heard of large coins before, I then found out after I was whipped for 20 lashes that large coins are used exclusively for business transactions, each large coin is worth about 100 of the small coins of its type. So, in reality I lost 30,000 gold coins. Considering I didn't even want to be here, I thought about running away before the lashings... But I knew I couldn't for their sake.

" Just make sure you prepare yourself for what's to come, Colin.

 I walk behind Derek as he warns me. I can't help but wonder what could've gone wrong? All of the reports that have been conducted over time in the lands in the Rose Swa- Roselands... King Warrick did issue out that official letter changing the name of those lands. I need to remember that. I almost wrote Rose Swamps when I was initially writing the analysis of the profit margins for partnering with Roseland Products. While I continued to wonder if I somehow offended the business guest of today and if that meant I was going to be punished by Earl Hardsmoke, Derek and I eventually made it to the meeting room. The room was somewhat futuristic, at least I thought so, considering the walls were made of see through glass and the table and chairs were made of fine, strong wood with comfortable cushions that one could sink into. And I was taken aback by who was in the room. A confused Earl Hardsmoke. He sat there, dressed in his best silk clothes, dyed tan, the color of his house, it matched his skin color, but not so much the pale red of his eyes and hair. Apparently, that comes from his mother's side of his family. His 2 eyes sat under his well-trimmed hair that hid the 2 bumps where his horns were cut off due to a childhood accident. Beside him is his gaggle of directors all happily fat and plump from simply directing whatever department they were the heads of. All of them were dressed in a fine black and white suit as if it did anything to hide the monstruous amounts of fat that was stored in their bodies. On the opposite end, where I had entered, there sat 3 people I had never seen before. However, it didn't take long to realize who they were, there was only 1 Human that would ever be allowed to sit at a business table in Diablos. I bowed quickly and introduced myself as was the proper behavior of a worker of an Earl.

" Hello, Marquess Drake, Lady Sarah Drake, Lady Anna Drake, I am Colin, the Financial Analyst's Apprentice."

" Nice to meet you Colin, the Financial Analyst's Apprentice."