In the Throne Room of the Demon King’s Castle.
Milphobia had been invited, and upon arrival, one of the kingdom’s top officers, Agito, was already present.
Milphobia knelt before the gathered group.
“Demon Lord… It is a great honor to be granted this audience—”
“Enough. We are the ones who summoned you here. Be at ease, Milphobia.”
Milphobia raised her head and looked around at the gathered figures once more.
There stood Demon Lord Lumac Auguron—the undisputed ruler of the demon kingdom, a being to whom Milphobia and others pledged their lives in service.
Emeralda—Milphobia’s superior and an extremely capable aide to the Demon Lord, personally overseeing half of the kingdom’s policies.
Agito—a high-ranking officer and the ruler of Elden, a land within the demon kingdom. He was feared as “Agito, the Demon Lord’s Jaw,” for having crushed opposing demons during the demon kingdom’s unification war a century ago.
“For what purpose have I been summoned here…?” Milphobia tilted her head in confusion.
Considering her limited involvement in the kingdom’s affairs, her presence here seemed out of place.
“Milphobia, you’ve done well serving as the familiar of Kiwi Alaya.”
“No, not at all.”
“Don’t be so modest. I want you, who has gained Alaya’s trust, to understand the outline of an upcoming operation that involves him.”
“Understood.”
Milphobia realized that this was essentially an order to “take control of Kiwi Alaya” by giving her a heads-up on future developments.
“Well then… Agito.”
“Yes.”
Agito, who had been kneeling before the Demon Lord, raised his head.
“I apologize for calling you late at night. It’s been three days since your return to the demon capital. Have you had any rest?”
“Thanks to your grace, I’ve managed to work my body relentlessly for twenty-three hours a day, shaking off any rust.”
“I told you to rest well, given all the cross-border fighting and torturous conditions you’ve endured…”
The Demon Lord smiled wryly.
“I’ve heard that both Gigi and Forte started working yesterday too. You and your subordinates are perhaps a bit too disciplined.”
“Rest doesn’t simply mean not moving one’s body.”
“Very well. Let’s get back to business, Agito.”
“Understood.”
The light atmosphere turned tense in an instant. The Demon Lord and Agito’s expressions became stern.
“It’s been nearly twenty days since Elden was occupied by the royal army.”
“Yes.”
“How many have we lost?”
“As of now, 2,011 demon soldiers and civilians have perished. An additional 292 are unaccounted for.”
“We were outplayed by the humans.”
“Yes. My deepest apologies…”
“No, we took too long dealing with the western elf nation, leaving our southern flank vulnerable. The fault isn’t yours. This is my strategy—though wasting time blaming each other is pointless. Agito.”
The Demon Lord leaned forward from his throne and asked:
“Are you ready to strike back?”
“Absolutely!”
A fierce wind surged through the room. The red aura of Agito’s intense magical power swirled outwards from his clenched fists, violently stirring Milphobia’s hair as she stood a distance away.
It was the bloodlust of a powerful warrior.
Despite knowing it wasn’t directed at her, Milphobia shuddered, breaking out in a cold sweat from the overwhelming force.
However, the Demon Lord responded with a calm smile.
“It seems your blood is boiling.”
“Yes.”
Agito gazed back at the Demon Lord with eyes full of anger, hatred, and a hint of joy.
“I have been eagerly awaiting the moment to avenge my fallen kin. If I may, I will go immediately to lead the charge.”
“I appreciate your true demon nature, Agito.”
The Demon Lord grinned.
“However, hold off on the charge. Soon, you’ll lead a gathered force, and Kiwi Alaya will accompany you.”
“Kiwi?”
“He’s proposed a strategy. If it works, it could allow us to avoid the royal army’s trap and take the initiative in reclaiming Elden.”
The plan the Demon Lord shared was the same as what Kiwi had discussed with Milphobia earlier that day.
“Agito, Alaya is quite an intriguing human. He shows no sign of fear.”
“Indeed. Even when I had my hands around his neck, he remained unfazed.”
“Really? He doesn’t look like someone who could escape from you.”
“No, he has no physical strength. But Kiwi has intelligence, and I believe he places absolute confidence in that.”
“I see. Considering his achievements so far, including the liberation of you all, that’s understandable. Being able to hold his head high in any situation likely stems from a firm self-trust.”
“Exactly. Perhaps his sense of strength differs from ours.”
“What do you think?” the Demon Lord asked, turning to Milphobia.
“Milphobia, you’ve been Alaya’s familiar for a few days. What’s your impression of him?”
“Well… if I may speak freely… I believe Lord Alaya is driven by a sort of curiosity and spontaneity.”
Milphobia spoke candidly.
Though Kiwi Alaya was undeniably intelligent, his seemingly fearless demeanor felt less a result of wisdom and more the consequence of unyielding curiosity.
Whether it was his indifference to Milphobia’s succubus allure out of interest in succubi biology, or his willingness to slip out alone to investigate zombies despite the dangers, Kiwi was more like a child with boundless curiosity than a person always driven by deep thoughts.
“So, I’d say it’s not that he’s unflinching, but rather that he appears so because he blindly pursues whatever piques his interest.”
Hearing Milphobia’s response, the Demon Lord, Agito, and Emeralda exchanged glances.
“Ha,” they all chuckled, visibly relaxing.
“Milphobia, I thought you were a little stiff for a succubus, but I see you can make jokes too,” Emeralda teased, chuckling.
“Wha—? Lady Emeralda!”
Emeralda continued to laugh softly, as did the Demon Lord and Agito.
“So, you’re saying Alaya is like a child. He’d need a guardian, not a familiar.”
“Indeed. If needed, I wouldn’t mind adopting him myself.”
Realizing they were treating her response as a joke, Milphobia sighed and held back a frustrated sigh.
