I was worried about what to do with Arsep, who was crouched in a corner, laughing.
“Well, maybe it’s better than being treated worse than a slime. That demon seemed to think I was some kind of skilled assassin or something….”
“At least it’s better than a slime, I guess.”
Slime.
A terrifying creature made of acidic liquid, but for some reason, extremely vulnerable to salt, treated even worse than a neighborhood punching bag.
And because he was considered weaker than even a slime, just hearing the word ‘slime’ often brought Arsep to a state of mental breakdown.
“Hehehe… at least it’s better than a slime….”
It seemed he was thinking that again.
Flua and I looked at Arsep with pity, but if this had been her territory, she would have already buried herself under a blanket, sucking her thumb.
Knock, knock—
Just then, fortunately, someone knocked on the door.
I looked at Arsep instead of answering, as was my usual behavior.
The guideline I had set with her in this place was to speak as little as possible and act like a noble demon from the medieval era, to truly resemble a noble.
So, even opening the door was not my responsibility.
It was the job of the maid who served me as her master.
“Who is it?”
The self-deprecating smile on Arsep’s face disappeared, and when the knock sounded, she adjusted her voice and carefully opened the door to greet the visitor.
“Aah…! You saved this city!”
However, as soon as the door opened, a demon young lady ignored Arsep and rushed straight toward me.
A blonde girl in a dress that revealed her shoulders and chest held my hand tightly with both of hers.
Then, she subtly placed my hand against her chest.
“How could I ever repay this grace…?”
“W-What?”
Caught off guard, I stared into the distance, while Arsep, even more flustered than me, could only gape silently.
“What are you doing to the master?!”
Of course, Arsep quickly snapped back to her senses and separated me from the demon girl, her face somehow flushed with excitement.
I stood still, like a doll without any resistance, and looked at Flua with a questioning gaze, asking what on earth was happening.
Flua’s silent response indicated that she was as baffled as I was.
“What an insolence…! How dare you touch the master’s hand without permission…!”
Moreover, Arsep seemed genuinely furious, glaring sharply at the demon girl in front of us.
“So, who exactly was this girl?”
Judging by her appearance alone, she looked more human or elven, without horns, but she did have wings and a tail similar yet distinct from Arsep’s, marking her as a demon.
“Keren! Didn’t I tell you not to act on your own?”
At that moment, an upper-class demon, who was apparently the master of this city, hurried over.
“Oh, father, you’re here?”
So, she was his daughter….
“Wait, father?”
“So, this girl’s father is that demon?”
“Did she cause any trouble already?”
“Father, please, I was only expressing my gratitude to the person who saved us in our time of need.”
The word ‘father’ briefly threw my thoughts into confusion.
It was understandable since this girl looked like a demon similar to Arsep, yet the demon lord of the city was a completely different species.
With his abundant black mane, the upper-class demon resembled a wolf-like beast person, looking quite different from his so-called daughter.
“My apologies. My daughter is still immature…. Dinner has been prepared. Since you haven’t eaten yet, would you care to dine first?”
Indeed, as he said, we hadn’t eaten yet.
Although I was fine, Arsep and Flua were likely hungry by now, so having a meal wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“At least you could educate your children…!”
Furthermore, I needed to calm Arsep, so I covered her mouth with my hand and sent Flua a glance, asking her to answer on my behalf.
“He says he will accept the offer.”
Since I could already predict what Arsep might say if I let go of her mouth, it was better to keep it shut for now.
***
After a brief meal
In true fashion for the master of a large city and mansion, the meal, though lunch, was luxurious, allowing Arsep to calm down somewhat.
However, her gaze remained sharp.
“My name is Berard, and this is my immature daughter, Keren.”
After the meal, the upper-class demon Berard formally introduced himself.
With my face hidden behind a skull mask, I still showed no reaction, neither speaking nor showing any expressions.
“Apologies again for earlier. My daughter rushed over the moment she heard that the guest who defeated a dragon was in our mansion, saying she simply had to express her gratitude.”
Arsep remained silently uncomfortable, not responding to Berard’s attempt at conversation, as if daring him to continue speaking to the point of embarrassment.
I wanted to intervene and mediate, but I held back, sensing Arsep was still upset from earlier, her low growl indicating that she wasn’t in the state for a conversation.
“Master says he is not bothered by the previous incident.”
Flua ended up substituting for Arsep’s role, as she had done in the human village, skillfully handling the conversation with intelligence and perceptiveness.
“Aah, you truly are a broad-minded person….”
Each time Keren, Berard’s daughter, spoke, Flua discreetly held back Arsep, who bared her fangs in response.
Just now, when Keren leaned on me, Flua prevented Arsep from lunging at her.
It would look odd if I covered Arsep’s mouth myself here, but with Flua doing it, it was acceptable.
Bringing Flua along was indeed a good decision.
If she hadn’t been here, things would be far more complicated by now.
On a side note, it was almost pitiful to see Arsep struggling helplessly as Flua held her arms.
She couldn’t even overpower Flua, who was younger and smaller than herself.
“Keren, don’t cling so much. The guest is uncomfortable. Anyway, I apologize for the earlier incident.”
Berard pulled Keren away himself.
After all, she was his daughter, so even though I was her benefactor, he probably didn’t feel comfortable with her clinging to a stranger.
According to Arsep, upper-class demons generally lacked a sense of familial affection, but there were bound to be exceptions.
In any case, I gave Flua a signal as she conversed with Berard.
I couldn’t keep holding Arsep’s mouth forever, so it was best to return to the room and calm her down.
“Master says he will return to the room.”
“Understood. If you need anything, please inform the maids.”
Leaving the dining room, I hoisted Arsep over my shoulder, as she seemed ready to dash toward Keren at any moment.
Once the dining room quieted down, Berard slumped into his chair, relieved.
He had summoned Keren himself, but he worried that his daughter might have offended their honored guest.
Especially since the hero who saved the city had come to their mansion, and his daughter had dashed over without a second thought, causing his heart to sink.
Luckily, it seemed the only one visibly uncomfortable was the one with red eyes.
“…Daughter, I did summon you, yes, but I didn’t mean for you to be so obvious about it.”
Taking this chance, Berard decided to give his daughter a proper warning.
The esteemed guest in the mansion exuded an aura so powerful that even he, an upper-class demon, felt intimidated just by being near.
He knew well that offending such a guest would mean having no real chance of resisting.
“That’s odd.”
“Daughter?”
“Ah, did you say something, Father?”
“…Never mind.”
Berard watched Keren, whose mind seemed lost in a field of flowers, and grew concerned about whether things would truly be all right.
Yet, judging by the atmosphere, the guest didn’t seem especially annoyed or displeased with his daughter, so perhaps the situation wasn’t so bad.
Perhaps Keren’s oblivious, daydreaming nature allowed her to approach him so casually.
The other maids in the mansion would collapse in place the moment they locked eyes with the guest.
The guest hadn’t even done anything particularly threatening, and yet.
“So, did you notice anything remarkable about him?”
The situation was not unfavorable, after all.
Berard asked Keren if she noticed anything unusual or distinctive about the guest.
“Anything remarkable?”
“Yes, if there was anything, I’d like you to tell me. Even small details are fine.”
Given that the consequences of making a mistake could be severe, he didn’t want to risk offending him.
It was wise to learn about the guest’s traits or preferences.
Especially since he suspected this was an upper-class demon with little known to the public.
Considering his level of strength, the lack of information suggested he was likely a demon uninterested in political affairs, one who rarely left his domain.
While most upper-class demons pledged loyalty to the Demon King and expanded their influence, there were always exceptions.
If things went smoothly, this might be an opportunity for Berard to expand his influence in the demon realm.
“If you’re asking about distinctive features… well… the maid next to him was extremely cute and entertaining, I suppose.”
Of course, he would have to find a way to bring his daughter’s daydreaming nature back to reality first.
Berard sighed, pressing his forehead with his hand.