After being granted permission to speak, Adoloph opened his mouth with as much courtesy as he could muster.
“Your Majesty, have you heard the news about Kesar?”
“Yes, I’ve heard. The ‘reckless mission’ that you requested was indeed a success.”
“Hmm…”
“Isn’t it truly impressive? Every time he goes to battle, he returns victorious. For our kind, this is truly a great blessing.”
The Demon King, Gaya, spoke calmly.
Though his voice sounded dry and impassive, Adoloph, who had served the Demon King for a long time, could tell.
The emotion behind those words was what could be called ‘joy.’
In response to the Demon King, Adoloph spoke with concern.
“Your Majesty. I also acknowledge his abilities. But precisely because of that, we must not lower our guard against him.”
“Are you suggesting that Kesar, with his weak powers, would dare to incite rebellion against me? Against the one who stands at the pinnacle of all demons?”
His voice carried a chilling coldness.
At that moment, Adoloph felt a sharp sense of danger.
If he misspoke here, he could be finished.
However, despite the pressure that bordered on terror, Adoloph did not falter and continued to speak.
“Your Majesty, it is true that my powers still do not compare to yours. However, his abilities… his terrifying rate of growth should not be underestimated.”
Not long ago, he was just a low-ranking Demon Knight.
Yet, in a short time, he suddenly rose to become one of the Four Great Demon Lords, and now he continues to achieve remarkable feats.
His growth in personal strength was frightening, but what was even more concerning was the fact that Kesar had already established himself as a war hero among the demons, and his influence was growing with each passing day.
“At this rate, who can say how much stronger he will become in a few years? Even though he failed this time, at the very least, we must break his momentum.”
“Just as you suffered in the past, under the previous king.”
“…Your Majesty…”
The Demon King casually brought up an unpleasant part of Adoloph’s past.
For a brief moment, Adoloph was rendered speechless.
The Demon King then spoke in a calm voice.
“I always feel this, but Adoloph, you worry too much. Didn’t your younger self resemble Kesar in many ways?”
“…Hmm…”
“The late king had his concerns, which led him to try and suppress you, and as a result, the extinction of the Free Races, which was almost within our grasp, failed. From what I hear, your current actions seem to mirror the mistakes made by the late king,” the Demon King said.
At the beginning of the Great War, Adoloph, as the commander-in-chief, had far more power and military force than he had now, and he succeeded in pushing the Free Races to the brink of extinction.
However, just before the final battle, the Demon King, wary of Adoloph’s excessive growth, dismissed him.
As a result, the demons, who were on the verge of victory, suffered a great defeat.
The demons, having lost their momentum, were then pushed back, leading to the current situation where the Free Races and the demons now divide the world between them.
This was a painful memory for Adoloph, and the reasoning behind his desire to keep Kesar in check was rooted in this history.
However, despite this, Adoloph had a very real reason to not trust Kesar completely.
“Your Majesty… he is different from me. I, too, see the similarities between his current actions and my past self. But I do not believe he is a cowardly person who would betray us openly. Yet, despite that, he is missing the most crucial quality a vassal should have.”
“The most crucial quality?”
“Yes. Unlike the other Four Great Demon Lords, who are born into high-ranking demon bloodlines, Kesar is from a lower-tier demon family, having spent his childhood in a human kingdom. He’s not like us.”
“…That’s unexpected. I never thought I’d hear such words from you, who always speaks of equality.”
The Demon King’s tone was filled with a cold mockery.
However, Adoloph responded without hesitation.
“I am not trying to discriminate, Your Majesty. I am simply speaking of reality. Cesare is someone who climbed to where he is from nothing. For him, this country and the Demon King are merely tools for his success. To him, they are stepping stones that he will climb over whenever necessary.”
The Demon King’s expression, which had been mocking from behind the curtains, slightly softened as he listened to Adoloph’s serious and concerned words.
“Do not grant him too much power. A wolf with its leash off can bite its master. You must be especially cautious in handling his abilities.”
“…I will take that into consideration.”
Although he did not fully agree, Adoloph found there was some truth to the advice.
With that, the Demon King made a subtle hand gesture, signaling for Adoloph to leave.
‘A wolf… I thought it was just a concern… but perhaps it’s worth testing him at least once.’
“Long live Kesar!”
“Glory to Lord Kesar!”
The city of Romoros was filled with cheers for the returning victorious army.
It was Kesar’s stronghold, and as Maru arrived there, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.
‘This is huge. I didn’t expect him to rule over a city of this scale…’
Although she had fought many battles against demons, this was the first time she had entered deep into their territory.
The city had sizable residential areas, and the streets were filled with shops overflowing with various food and supplies.
The buildings, tall and square, were unlike those in the Empire—strange yet practical structures.
As Mari looked around, she was struck by how grand yet economically sound everything seemed.
The unexpected splendor of the place gave her a sense of unfamiliarity, yet at the same time, a strange fluttering sensation.
Then…
“Hey? Mom, what’s that?”
“That… is a human. It seems like the Demon King must have captured them as a prisoner.”
“Wow… that’s a human?”
“I’ve never seen one before. No wings, no horns… it’s amazing.”
The voices of demons could be heard from time to time.
Fortunately, there weren’t many openly hostile remarks directed at her.
Instead, most of them looked at her with curiosity, like one might look at an exotic animal.
While it was much better than being met with open animosity or murderous intent, it still felt… strange.
In this sense of being an object of curiosity, Mari finally arrived at her destination.
It was the most impressive building in the city, and surprisingly, it resembled the lord’s mansion in a human city.
The Demon King’s Castle.
At its entrance, a group of demon soldiers stood in formation, clearly guarding the area.
And then…
“KESAAAAARRRR!!!”
“!?”
“…Ah.”
The sudden, loud voice.
It was a voice so full of life, so vibrant, it seemed as if it could tear through the cheers that had been heard before.
The voice was directed straight at Mari, or more precisely, it was aimed at the person right in front of her—Kesar.
And then…
-POOK!
“Ugh!”
Something with black wings and a demonic aura suddenly embraced Caesar’s body.
With the signature black horns of the demons, combined with white, jade-like skin, silver hair shining brilliantly, and red eyes as blood-like as the color itself—she was a female demon.
She seemed to have a rather large chest, and as Maru watched, the woman buried Kesar’s head between them, happily rubbing it.
“Yayayaya~ You finally came, Kesar-sama~ I almost collapsed from exhaustion, you know. I’ve been so anxious the entire campaign. If only you’d sent me a letter filled with your passionate love~♥”
“I know I’ve been a bit distant, but let’s talk about that later, hmm…”
“Now, move aside.”
“Oh my~ Does that mean you want to spend some private time with me, just the two of us…?”
“Flantsu, that’s enough. There are too many eyes around.”
“Eek…”
Antony spoke up with a sharp tone, clearly irritated.
At that, the demoness—named Flantsu—gave a disappointed look but reluctantly detached herself from Kesar and landed on the ground.
Her expression soon shifted to a more serious one, and she bowed respectfully in front of her master, Kesar.
“Flantsu Napolitano greets my lord. Congratulations on your victory, Kesar-sama.”
“Thanks, Flantsu. You’ve worked hard while I was away. Let’s go inside for now.”
Kesar answered with a light smile.
Upon hearing that, Flantsu’s lips curled into a graceful, transparent smile.
However…
At this very moment, there was someone watching Flantsu from behind Caesar.
Mari, despite her calm expression, felt a deep sense of confusion in her heart.
‘Flantsu…? Is she the monster called the “Waterfall’s Disaster”?’