Finally arriving in Lenant, I began by taking a stroll around the town to get a sense of its geography while eavesdropping on the surrounding conversations.
Today, I had to set aside my work as an adventurer and operate as Ekvar Kroas Karlsroa.
The town was reasonably large, with shops lining the road from the royal capital and numerous street vendors bustling about.
It was peaceful. There was no sign of any incidents caused by demons. Occasionally, I overheard the name “Iriya ” being mentioned—people praised her medicine as highly effective. Well, of course. No matter how inconspicuously she tried to work, her skills as a former court mage apprentice were bound to draw attention.
Ideally, I would investigate first before approaching my target, but given that she seemed to have a contract with a demon of a high-ranking noble, I judged that delaying contact could be more dangerous. It was best to meet her sooner rather than later.
Luck was on my side as I spotted a woman with light purple hair during my walk.
Beside her stood a man with red hair—undoubtedly the demon. A flashy figure, wearing a red cape and black boots.
“Excuse me, miss. Are you Lady Iriya ?”
“…Yes? That’s correct, I am Iriya . Forgive me, but have we met before?”
As she turned to face me, her amethyst-colored eyes, fair skin, soft-looking lips, and pure white robe created an air of grace.
Bullseye! In more ways than one. This mission just got a whole lot better!
“Please don’t be alarmed. I’ve come from the Kingdom of Egdoarm. May I have a moment of your time?”
“…Egdoarm…”
She tensed, and the demon stepped forward, shielding her.
I see—he’s determined to protect her. Reckless probing would be unwise.
“…What do you want after all this time?”
“Rest assured, I mean no harm to her. For now, I’d prefer a place where we won’t be overheard…”
Although the tension in the air was palpable, it seemed I’d managed to open a line of communication.
She guided me to her house.
…She already had a home here. Of course, with her abilities, she could craft top-tier items with ease. She could acquire any property she wanted.
As I waited on the guest sofa, she prepared tea for me. The demon stood silently beside the couch.
“I didn’t come to forcibly take you back. My primary aim was to confirm that you’re alive. Without informing the Court Mage General, of course.”
“…Without informing the Court Mage General? What do you mean by that…?”
“Right now, investigating the Mage General’s corruption is our top priority. You are a living witness, after all.”
“…This conversation is so far removed from what I expected that I’m a little lost.”
She seemed to suspect I might be an assassin sent by the Mage General.
As I sipped the steaming tea, its honeyed sweetness spread through my mouth. I needed to proceed carefully since her suspicion had not yet eased.
The Court Mage General of Egdoarm had been contracted with a demon of marquess rank—the highest among neighboring nations. Considering this, it was plausible that the demon before me was also of marquess rank or possibly even higher. The purity of his magical energy felt different. At a minimum, he was a marquess; more likely, I needed to consider the possibility of a rank above that.
This made avoiding combat with the demon absolutely imperative. Provoking hostility would be a terrible move.
“Let me get to the point. My name is Ekvar Kroas Karlsroa, and I serve in His Highness the Crown Prince’s personal guard. His Highness has a rather antagonistic relationship with the Court Mage General, to say the least.”
I opted for a degree of honesty—I needed to gain her trust.
“Lord Karlsroa, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Iriya . What do you mean by ‘antagonistic’? That hardly sounds like a positive relationship. And how, pray tell, did you know I was alive and here?”
“Please, call me Ekvar —or, if you prefer, ‘beloved.’ His Highness cannot overlook the Mage General’s corruption. As for how I knew you were alive, I confirmed it through conversations with Lord Arens and, with my sincerest apologies, by reading the letters at your family’s estate.”
“…Arens? Then you mean Lord Sebirino ’s… Lord Ekvar , what of Lord Sebirino ? And my family—how are they?”
I was ignored. With an anxious expression, she inquired about her family and her colleague, Sebirino Osa Arens
“They’re all doing well and are worried about you. Arens … no, let me call him Lord Sebirino here. Once this matter is settled, please contact him.”
“…Thank you very much.”
Ah, the atmosphere has softened a bit. Talking about her family is proving to be effective. Now, shall we move on to the main topic?
“May I ask, you were making elixirs at the court, correct? Was the Court Mage General aware of this?”
“Of course, I submitted them properly.”
She nodded firmly. Good, I’ve obtained her testimony!
“…Thank you. He didn’t report that, you know. This constitutes a serious breach of duty for the Court Mage General.”
“Oh my, is that so…”
It seemed she wasn’t aware that it hadn’t been reported. Could it be that she also doesn’t know that successfully creating elixirs comes with a reward? Did no one ever explain that to her?
Expecting her to make such a rare potion with only her regular pay is outright cruel.
“And the subjugations started when you were fifteen?”
“That’s correct.”
I can’t believe they thought it was acceptable to send a fifteen-year-old girl to handle life-threatening subjugations that even adults gave up on. It’s clear they expected her to die during one of these missions. Did they hate the idea of a commoner becoming a court mage that much?
But to think she managed to handle those missions… they have no idea what kind of person they’re dealing with.
“And that demon over there, is he the one you contracted with when you were a child?”
I directed my gaze at the man standing by the sofa. Red hair, red eyes, red claws. His refined features and the expensive ornaments he wore made it clear he was a very noble demon.
“Yes, Lord Belial. But why ask about the demon?”
“This was something that Lord Sebirino suspected as well.”
So, she did contract with a demon as a child! I’ll blame everything I’ve deduced on Lord Arens …
Meanwhile, the demon Belial is glaring down at me suspiciously.
“The Court Mage General has also been involved in bribery, nepotism, and embezzlement, among other misconduct, so he’ll likely end up in jail soon. If there’s anything else you know about him, no matter how small, please let me know.”
“…”
Ah, there’s something, isn’t there? That old man has done all sorts of things.
“…Don’t worry. Depending on the nature of it, we can keep it off the record.”
“…Well, then… this is deeply embarrassing, but I’ll tell you.”
She seemed extremely hesitant, fidgeting with her hands. Adorable.
“The truth is, the Court Mage General… pressured me, saying that if I wanted to become an official court mage, I’d need to… become his mistress.”
“His mistress!?”
Oops, I ended up shouting in unison with the demon. This must truly be a secret she hasn’t told anyone. But still, for him to target a girl young enough to be his own child!
“Of course, I refused! After that, I made sure to never be alone and always stayed with other men. Then I hurried to leave the country.”
Now that I think about it, she did seem to prepare for her departure hastily, almost in a panic. So that’s what was driving her… it wasn’t just about timing; there was a reason this serious.
In the Kingdom of Egdarm, there’s an age restriction for becoming a court mage—you need to be at least 25 years old. At 24, she must have desperately wanted to leave before then… Although no one has officially been appointed under the age of 28, so it’s hard to imagine she thought she’d be made an exception.
“How dare you not tell me anything about this! I’ll go deal with him myself!”
“What do you mean by ‘deal with him’!? There’s no need to go!!”
She frantically tried to stop him, but honestly, I didn’t think she needed to. It would be for the greater good—of people and the country.
“Lady Iriya , you worry too much. It’s not uncommon for a summoner to be killed by their demon. It happens all the time—just an accident, really.”
“Lord Ekvar , what on earth are you saying!?”
“You’re quite a reasonable man,” the demon remarked.
I would’ve been fine with him taking care of it, but nothing ended up happening. Shame.
“Oh, by the way, Lady Iriya , could I trouble you for some coffee?”
“…Of course, I’ll prepare it right away.”
She placed her empty cup on a tray and quickly stood up.
Once the door closed behind her, the demon turned to me.
“…Do you wish to speak with me?”
His perception was sharp, and his narrowed eyes and low voice signaled caution.
“I don’t intend to harm her or force her to do anything against her will, so please rest assured. However, I cannot disobey the orders of His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“I know nothing of this ‘His Highness’ you speak of.”
“…He’s a bit insidious, but not a bad person. He wouldn’t impose unreasonable demands… at least, not on anyone outside of his royal guard.”
“Hmm. He seems like a decent human, then.”
What did he mean by that? I’m a little curious.
“Let me ask you a question. If this ‘His Highness’ were to issue an order forcing Iriya to come with you, or otherwise violate her wishes, what would you do?”
…That’s unlikely, but… I see. He wants me to think through the possibility of conflict.
In that case, I don’t have many options.
“The simplest conclusion would be for me to die.”
“And why is that?”
Belial’s expression didn’t change, as if he already knew what my answer would be.
“I cannot disobey His Highness’s orders, but going against you would be a choice that could destroy the nation. As a knight sworn to protect my country, the wisest decision would be to create a situation where I’m unable to carry out the order. My death would serve as a warning as well.”
“Interesting decision. Can you swear to that?”
Belial’s smile was truly that of a demon—arrogant and oppressive.
“…I have no choice.”
“Then, it is a vow with Belial, one of the kings of this hell. Breaking it will not be forgiven!”
A king!? He’s a king!? How on earth did Lady Iriya manage to form a contract with someone like that!?
She’s truly terrifying! Unbelievable!!
This is something I definitely can’t report to His Highness. I’ll just say the demon’s rank is unknown. Though it’s not enforced by magic, I’ve effectively been bound by this vow… If it earns me some trust, I’ll consider it a fair price.
Soon after, Iriya returned with the coffee.
“By the way, Lord Ekvar , what will you do from here? Are you going back to the kingdom?”
“No, part of my job is to guard you for a while. While I doubt they’d make a move all the way out here, I’m still uneasy about the Court Mage General. If possible, I’d like to stay in this house and perhaps take up work as an adventurer.”
The house is larger than expected, so I’d like to stay here. Besides, I still have investigations to conduct. Though, with a demon king present, my protection might not even be necessary…
“…You intend to live here?”
“And why become an adventurer?”
Belial seemed somewhat displeased, but with spare rooms available, I’d find a way to convince them. She had access to restricted archives, research facilities, and other core aspects of magical studies while in the kingdom.
One of my primary missions is to prevent any secrets from leaking. I need to observe her closely for now.
“Listen, I started it before coming here—adventuring! I’m currently D-rank!”
“What are you even doing!?”
Lady Iriya ’s startled reaction was absolutely adorable and satisfying.
“Hmm. So you’re using it as a form of identification, then?”
I pretended it was for fun, but she saw through me instantly. She may already have realized she’s both under protection and surveillance.
Ah… This is going to be anything but easy.
