Chapter 213
“Is it finally over?”
Nahun sighed as he looked at the neatly organized stack of documents. There were no more papers left that needed his approval. It was the result of several days of hard work. Just as he was feeling a sense of accomplishment, Ersha spoke up bluntly.
“If Nahun-sama hadn’t taken a day off, we would have finished much sooner.”
“…I apologize for that.”
Ersha was reproaching Nahun for having taken a brief break and not returning sooner. Of course, she understood that it wasn’t solely his choice, but the terrible memories buried beneath the pile of documents were not so easily forgotten.
As Nahun awkwardly smiled and expressed his apologies, Ersha relaxed and asked him.
“By the way, Nahun-sama.”
“Hmm?”
“Today. Their Majesties, His Majesty Citri and His Majesty Gremony, are coming.”
“Oh, I know.”
Nahun had summoned the two Demon Kings, his allies. There was something important he needed to discuss with them. He had sent a letter in Seere’s name, and today was the day they had agreed to come.
In fact, he hadn’t just invited them alone. To celebrate Seere’s victory, he had invited quite a few Demon Kings to this gathering.
Not just any Demon Kings, but some rather significant figures. Among them was Phynox von Bog, the leader of the Plebs faction, Barbatos von Eishval, the leader of the Equites faction, and Marbas von Gart, the leader of the Nobilis faction.
Three top-ranking Demon Kings were invited, along with close allies like Lezargie and Glashalavras. Nahun had decided on the invitation list.
“But was it really okay to invite Barbatos?”
“Why?”
“He lost quite a bit of power during the Great Heavenly War, and many of his close allies died as well. Given that situation, showing any friendliness towards the Nobilis faction wouldn’t sit well with him.”
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of doing that here. Building a closer relationship with the Nobilis faction will start at the General Assembly.”
“Then why did you invite Marbas?”
“If I don’t, it might lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.”
This gathering was meant to rekindle ties with Seere’s connections. The contact with the Nobilis faction would begin formally at the General Assembly.
Thus, the only Demon King from the Nobilis faction invited was Marbas. While he might bring another Demon King with him, Nahun didn’t plan to engage earnestly with the Nobilis faction just yet.
“I need to rebuild connections with the Demon Kings who I’ve been distant from for a while to have an advantage at the General Assembly.”
The hierarchy among the Demon Kings is determined by the opinions of the twelve Demon Kings with decision-making power, including the chair of the assembly. These are the twelfth Demon Kings known as the “mighty Demon Kings,” and their existence is regarded as significant even in the Demon World.
“Their time will come when they need to be defeated anyway.”
Thus, there weren’t many occasions where the top ranks changed. Those with decision-making power typically wouldn’t lower their ranks unless absolutely necessary.
Such special cases included losing their stronghold completely, a Demon King dying unexpectedly, a significant decline in power noted by another top-ranking Demon King, or violating the Demon World’s laws.
This was the fundamental reason Nahun viewed Barbatos and Phynox… even the Demon Kings who were amicable towards him and Seere as ‘enemies.’ For Seere to reach the number one rank, he needed to either take away their hierarchy or weaken them to rise himself.
Of course, if they willingly stepped back, there would be no need to turn them into enemies…
‘…That’s unlikely.’
After all, they were Demon Kings. Having finished his thoughts, Nahun responded to Ersha’s question.
“That’s true, but for now, we need their strength more, don’t we?”
“You know how dangerous it is to summon a high-ranking Demon King as an ally. While Phynox holds unwavering favor towards you, the other two do not.”
“Sometimes you have to take risks to gain something. And at least with Barbatos, I don’t think that will be an issue.”
“Really?”
Ersha’s greatest concern was Barbatos. Yet, she couldn’t help but tilt her head at the idea that he would be safe.
“Barbatos is aware of my strength to some extent.”
“Really?”
“I had a match with him before I appointed you as my assistant.”
“…It’s surprising that he managed to keep your true power hidden until the Great Heavenly War.”
“Barbatos is the kind who treats a worthy opponent very well.”
He kept the secret of Nahun’s power to himself. Nahun appreciated that, but it didn’t change his intention to use Barbatos carefully, saving him for the right moment. That’s what was best for Seere.
Nahun glanced momentarily out the window. Then, he stood up and spoke.
“Let’s go. They have arrived.”
“Yes.”
A carriage he had never seen before had arrived at the front gate. It seemed the two allies he had summoned before the other Demon Kings had arrived.
#
Citri, who arrived earlier than the others, spotted Nahun approaching from afar and exclaimed.
“Wow, you’re not even coming out to greet us now. Do we have to wait?”
Citri was as consistent as ever. Having seen all of Nahun’s original power, she was now chiding him for something so trivial. Nahun politely bowed his head in apology.
“I’m sorry. The work was a bit delayed, and I couldn’t come out to greet you in advance.”
“I apologize as well.”
As Nahun apologized, Ersha followed suit. Citri, slightly flustered by their submissive attitudes, spoke in a hesitant tone.
“…Uh, really?”
While her reaction wasn’t overly surprising, she had expected Nahun to respond with something like, ‘What’s wrong with waiting a few minutes?’
“It looks like you had much to handle after winning the war.”
Gremony, seeming to understand, spoke. Nahun nodded slightly in appreciation for her consideration. Then he addressed Citri.
“The reason Seere couldn’t come out herself is similar. I hope you’ll pardon her, Your Majesty Citri.”
“I didn’t mention anything about Seere-san, you know?”
“I just mentioned it out of care. Now, please allow me to guide you to the office.”
“Isn’t it to the banquet hall?”
“I only called the two of you first because I have something to discuss.”
Citri and Gremony tilted their heads slightly in confusion. Nahun guided the two puzzled Demon Kings to Seere’s office. When Nahun knocked on the door to the office, a voice responded from inside.
“Come in.”
As he opened the door, Seere, dressed in formal attire, stood up to welcome her allies.
“Welcome, Your Majesty Citri, Your Majesty Gremony.”
“Congratulations on your victory, Seere-san.”
“Heartfelt congratulations, Seere-san.”
“Thank you.”
The two Demon Kings first congratulated Seere on her victory, which she received with a light smile. Then, with a hint of doubt, they asked her.
“But I was a bit saddened that you didn’t ask for assistance.”
“I thought we could have helped.”
“Oh, I also regret that. It’s not that I didn’t need your help, but… I had to manage this myself this time.”
Just that much made Citri and Gremony understand what Seere was implying. The significant event Nahun had initiated during the Great Heavenly War was something Seere needed to prove for herself to avoid being seen as merely a fortunate beneficiary.
“We haven’t become unnecessary, have we?”
“Of course not.”
“You will continue to be needed.”
At that moment, Nahun interjected into their conversation. Seere looked at him with a slightly bewildered expression; he usually didn’t interrupt Demon Kings during discussions.
However, there was a reason Nahun broke the norm. Since the topic of alliances had come up, he had intended to speak regardless. He looked at Seere, Citri, and Gremony and said.
“I have something to discuss with the Demon Kings present here.”
“Eh? What is it?”
“What is it?”
“Teacher, what do you mean?”
Seere tilted her head, not having received any hints. Nahun spoke in a firm voice to them.
“Are you interested in joining a faction?”
“…Yes?”
“A faction?”
“What kind of faction are you talking about suddenly?”
All three Demon Kings appeared slightly startled. For beings of their rank, it was not unusual to sometimes join factions, yet the conversation felt out of the blue.
Nahun recalled the conversation he had with Marbas.
“His Majesty Marbas von Gart made me a great proposal. If you join the faction, he can consider Seere as the next leader.”
“…You want me to join the Nobilis faction?”
“If you’re open to the idea.”
Nahun answered Seere and added further explanation for Citri and Gremony.
“Of course, the main focus would be on Seere, but His Majesty Marbas also wishes for the two of you to join. If we all belong to one faction, our alliance will become even stronger.”
Citri tilted her head at Nahun’s words.
“I understand your intention. But is there a reason to specifically join the Nobilis faction? Marbas has retired from leadership, and the current leader, Morax, has died… essentially, isn’t the Nobilis faction nearing its end?”
“While His Majesty Marbas has stepped back from the frontlines, he still holds considerable influence within the Nobilis faction. If we join, we would certainly receive his protection and support.”
The mention of the support of a fifth-ranked Demon King sounded incredibly tempting. As Citri considered it, Gremony asked her.
“Wasn’t most of the members of the alliance that fought against Seere-san recently from the Nobilis faction?”
“That’s right.”
“And yet Marbas suggested joining the faction?”
“That merely signifies that there’s no one within the current Nobilis faction capable of leading.”
“What about Aiphorus?”
“His Majesty Marbas does not view him favorably for the position of next leader.”
“…Really?”
“That is why he made such a proposal to me. If you don’t believe me, feel free to confirm.”
In truth, it was Nahun who initiated the proposal, but framing it as Marbas’s suggestion would make it easier to convince the three Demon Kings.
“Seere’s recent record has been spectacular. She single-handedly shattered the alliance of five Demon Kings and even took down Garp, who came to their aid. Within the Nobilis faction, they can’t help but recognize Seere’s power.”
“…That’s certainly true.”
“With a sufficient rise in rank at the General Assembly and the support of His Majesty Marbas, it wouldn’t be a dream for Seere to become the leader of the faction. Should that happen, both of you, who have been in alliance from the start, would benefit greatly.”
It seemed Nahun’s words were convincing Citri and Gremony. However, the most pressing issue was not these two.
“Seere, what are your thoughts?”
If Seere didn’t agree, everything would be for naught. This was what Nahun was worried about—whether Seere, who was close to being a martial Demon King, would prefer to join a more subdued faction like Nobilis.
“I’m fine with it.”
However, surprisingly, Seere made her decision quite readily. Nahun was slightly taken aback by her refreshing answer.
“I feel like I might need a faction, and as you said, Teacher, if I join the Nobilis faction and become the leader… my power will grow, right? Then it would certainly affect my rank in the future.”
“Exactly.”
“My goal is to reach the highest place, so if there’s a quicker way to get there, I have no reason to refuse.”
Nahun felt relieved. He had thought she might prefer the Equites faction, but it seemed that was not the case. Especially since during the Great Heavenly War, Morax, who was the leader of the Nobilis faction, intentionally cut off supplies to Seere…
‘It seems she isn’t blaming the entire faction for the grudge of that time.’
She was truly a rational individual. Seere seemed to come to a realization.
“So that’s why you invited His Majesty Marbas.”
“Yes? Is His Majesty Marbas coming too?”
“That old man? A VIP is coming….”
“From this banquet onwards, there’s no need to engage too much with His Majesty Marbas. We can have the formal discussions at the General Assembly.”
Nahun’s words prompted Citri and Gremony to nod in understanding.
“I see what you mean.”
“You mean to prevent information from leaking ahead of time.”
Nahun smiled in satisfaction at the insightful responses from the two Demon Kings.
#
The banquet was set to begin in the evening. Nahun had already donned his formal attire and was waiting at the main gate. This was to welcome the esteemed guests invited to the Demon King Castle.
Among them, the first to arrive was Glashalavras, the owner of the 24th floor.
The reason for inviting this notably troublesome Demon King was precisely to maintain a relationship that allowed for easier exploitation. Her value system was determined entirely by ‘power.’ And for Nahun and Seere, who possessed sufficient power, there was no Demon King easier to deal with.
Nahun greeted her with a respectful bow.
“It’s been a while, Your Majesty Glashalavras. You still seem as formidable as ever.”
“It has been a while. Seems like you picked up what I threw away.”
She was referring to Eliza. Nahun didn’t particularly enjoy belittling her, who had already become his own, but he maintained his smile and replied.
“Thanks to you, she’s doing quite well.”
“Good to hear. However, I’m personally curious about something.”
“What is it?”
“The Great Heavenly War.”
Glashalavras asked.
“How did it end? Was it the power of Seere von Debata? If not…”
Her eyes locked onto Nahun. Nahun slightly shook his head.
“No. While I can’t say I didn’t help, the power of our lord and the allied forces was what ultimately mattered.”
“…Is that so?”
Without pressing further, Glashalavras moved toward the banquet hall, perhaps realizing that Nahun wouldn’t provide more details if she inquired further.
In any case, Nahun prepared to greet the next guest. As the banquet time approached, carriages continued to arrive. Nahun welcomed the Demon King entering from the main gate with a respectful greeting.
“I am honored to meet the great Barbatos von Eishval and the brave Lezargie.”
It was Barbatos and Lezargie. Lezargie, who had lost an arm in the Great Heavenly War, still appeared as a one-armed Demon King. Normally, a Demon King’s formidable regenerative ability would have healed her arm, but unfortunately, she had been injured by Mikael’s holy flame. An arm burned by holy fire couldn’t be healed no matter what, leading to Lezargie’s permanent condition.
Barbatos glanced briefly at Nahun before breaking into a hearty smile.
“It’s been a while. Thank you for the invitation.”
“We’re the ones who should thank you both for coming.”
“Since the heroes of the Great Heavenly War invited us, we naturally had to appear.”
Nahun sensed a hint of sharpness in the phrasing. It seemed Barbatos was implying that if they had such power, why hadn’t they ended the war sooner?
However, at that time, Nahun had been unable to finish things even if he wanted to. He couldn’t reveal his power in the human realm. Bowing his head slightly, Nahun simply replied.
“A hero is far too generous a term. It was merely luck that the battlefield turned into something manageable.”
There was no need to elaborate unnecessarily here. Barbatos likely understood that it was a completely different battlefield since it was in the human realm rather than the Demon World. Nevertheless, bringing it up indicated the degree of loss Barbatos felt.
At that moment, all Nahun could do was treat him as politely as possible.
“Please come inside. The servants will attend to you.”
“Right, let’s do that.”
As Barbatos passed by, Lezargie followed behind him. For a brief moment after they left, Nahun pondered.
‘He’s in better shape than I expected.’
Since every Demon King from the Equites faction, except for Lezargie and Aini, had perished, Nahun had anticipated Barbatos’s condition would be considerably worse. But under those circumstances…
“He’ll rise once more soon.”
That would be for the best. If he couldn’t, there would no longer be a reason to maintain an alliance with Barbatos. Just as Nahun was thinking this, another Demon King came into view.
“What are you thinking about?”
At the sound of a voice like sweet music tickling his ears, Nahun raised his head. Before him stood a beautiful female Demon King.
“…I apologize for my rudeness.”
“It’s alright.”
“I sincerely welcome you, Phynox von Bog.”
“Thank you for the invitation.”
Phynox von Bog.
Among the top-ranking Demon Kings, she was Nahun’s closest collaborator.
“But is it really okay to invite me officially like this? I was thinking our first meeting after the assembly would simply be that.”
“It’s fine. We might raise suspicion for now, but after the assembly, the narrative will be different.”
“…Hmm, that’s true.”
Having already heard what had transpired with the Nobilis faction, Phynox seemed to believe there wouldn’t be any disruption to her plans. She returned to her comfortable smile and said.
“By the way, I was surprised. I didn’t expect you and your lord to accomplish so much.”
“We managed to overcome the Great Heavenly War; how could a mere alliance be a problem?”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
Nahun’s eyes widened. In response, Phynox chuckled softly and whispered to him.
“There were demons as well, weren’t there?”
