Back in the present. The imperial palace conference room had turned into a chaotic scene that was incomparable to what it had been just moments ago due to Randall's words.
“Hey, peace talks!”
“What the heck...!”
“It may sound ridiculous, but it’s all true.”
At that moment, Sylvia, who was standing behind Randall, stepped forward and spoke clearly. At the same time, at the foot of the stairs, where people’s eyes could not reach, a lion jumped out of her shadow and silently jumped across the table to the King’s shadow. Sylvia calmly took out the papers from her bosom and turned them around on the table as if nothing had happened.
“This is a copy of the peace conference request that the demon tribe brought. I have also confirmed that the seal stamped at the bottom is definitely the Demon King’s.”
"That...!"
“But look here. It really is the Demon King’s seal that was written in the ancient book. A seal that can only be proven with the blood of the current Demon King...”
The nobles who followed David threw away copies of the request and protested fiercely, but the nobles who had some insight recognized the Demon King's seal and stirred in another way. At that moment, the Demon, Billy Bort, who had been standing quietly, took a step forward.
"This time, it was Count Florette, who barged in without warning and there was no time to stop him."
"Next time, if you mess up my work because of that guy's temper, I'll cut off your own head."
David. The last thing he remembered was the image of his son holding his face as if he were going to break it and hurling abuse at it. The King’s face hardened in an instant as he recalled that. He unconsciously turned his head to look at David, and David gritted his teeth.
'...Shit.'
There was no place to retreat. David, who had decided that quickly took off one of the jewels on his clothes and held it in his hand. It was a moving magic stone that he had made with the royal magician Roberich in preparation for an unexpected situation. It was the moment when he was about to throw it on the floor and break it with his foot.
“Where are you running away to?”
A soft voice was heard, and then an invisible force pinned him to the ground.
“Ugh...!”
David, who was lying face down on the floor, groaned in pain. The moving magic stone rolled pitifully on the floor a short distance from his hand. There were many people here who could feel magic power, even if they could not become magicians. They turned their heads in shock at the overwhelming magic power that was enough to suffocate them. And what they witnessed was Sylvia, who was glaring at David with a white light wrapped around one hand. Not Auston.
“...The Duchess of Belfort?”
“Did the Duchess of Belfort just use magic?”
“How could this happen...”
At that moment, a small whisper flowed into her ear. Despite the distance, she couldn't help but hear that voice. Sylvia reflexively turned her gaze toward Count Florette at the voice calling her. David, whose eyes were bloodshot, didn't miss that opportunity. He swung his hand toward the table with all his might.
“Hey, peace talks!”
“What the heck...!”
“It may sound ridiculous, but it’s all true.”
At that moment, Sylvia, who was standing behind Randall, stepped forward and spoke clearly. At the same time, at the foot of the stairs, where people’s eyes could not reach, a lion jumped out of her shadow and silently jumped across the table to the King’s shadow. Sylvia calmly took out the papers from her bosom and turned them around on the table as if nothing had happened.
“This is a copy of the peace conference request that the demon tribe brought. I have also confirmed that the seal stamped at the bottom is definitely the Demon King’s.”
"That...!"
“But look here. It really is the Demon King’s seal that was written in the ancient book. A seal that can only be proven with the blood of the current Demon King...”
The nobles who followed David threw away copies of the request and protested fiercely, but the nobles who had some insight recognized the Demon King's seal and stirred in another way. At that moment, the Demon, Billy Bort, who had been standing quietly, took a step forward.
When the nobles reflexively flinched, he smiled and raised both wrists. With a clanging sound, the iron chains on the restraints dangled.
“Don’t worry. Her Majesty personally put me in a restraint to prevent something like this from happening.”
“That's funny.”
At that moment, a slurred voice cut through the commotion. David, who was slamming the table with both hands, glared at Randall and the Demon with murderous eyes.
“How do you know that those restraints are just a trick? How dare a demon set foot in the palace with his limbs intact? Before I arrest you for treason, it would be best to cut off that demon’s head right now, Duke of Belfort.”
Even the nobles who had been excited by the request in that ominous mood shut their mouths in shock. A brief, but suffocating silence fell. Then a voice as cold as David's answered.
“Even though they are demons and enemies, your words are excessive to someone who is no different from an envoy from another country, Your Highness.”
The one who said those words was Count Florette, with an expressionless face. David reflexively ground his teeth. However, there was nothing wrong with what he said, so there was no room for rebuttal.
“Thank you for saying that. That’s very kind of you.”
Meanwhile, Billy opened his eyes wide in genuine surprise and bowed his head slightly toward Count Florette. He quickly straightened his posture, looked around the nobles, and opened his mouth in a serious tone.
“I am here today to tell you that, as the Duke of Belfort has told you, Her Majesty Evelyn Hayden has requested a peace conference.”
The nobles instinctively frowned at the fact that Billy was a demon, but they did not interrupt him. That was enough. Count Florette asked in a calm tone.
“What made you make that decision?”
“A few days ago, a rebellion broke out in Kelvetia. It put the life of the current Demon Lord, Her Majesty Evelyn Hayden, in danger.”
Up until that point, it wasn’t something the nobles would necessarily be curious about. They were puzzled as to why Billy was bringing up the subject of a rebellion that could potentially harm Kelvetia’s reputation. However, the moment they heard what he said next, their curiosity turned to shock.
“During the process of suppressing the rebellion, it was revealed that there was a human who had incited and assisted the traitor Baynas Perun through the Dark Bugs.”
"What...!"
“Th, what is that!”
“Can you take responsibility for those words! If you’re talking nonsense...!”
The nobles reacted more violently than when Randall showed up with Billy. It was understandable. How many lives had been lost to the demons over the years?
“Don’t worry. Her Majesty personally put me in a restraint to prevent something like this from happening.”
“That's funny.”
At that moment, a slurred voice cut through the commotion. David, who was slamming the table with both hands, glared at Randall and the Demon with murderous eyes.
“How do you know that those restraints are just a trick? How dare a demon set foot in the palace with his limbs intact? Before I arrest you for treason, it would be best to cut off that demon’s head right now, Duke of Belfort.”
Even the nobles who had been excited by the request in that ominous mood shut their mouths in shock. A brief, but suffocating silence fell. Then a voice as cold as David's answered.
“Even though they are demons and enemies, your words are excessive to someone who is no different from an envoy from another country, Your Highness.”
The one who said those words was Count Florette, with an expressionless face. David reflexively ground his teeth. However, there was nothing wrong with what he said, so there was no room for rebuttal.
“Thank you for saying that. That’s very kind of you.”
Meanwhile, Billy opened his eyes wide in genuine surprise and bowed his head slightly toward Count Florette. He quickly straightened his posture, looked around the nobles, and opened his mouth in a serious tone.
“I am here today to tell you that, as the Duke of Belfort has told you, Her Majesty Evelyn Hayden has requested a peace conference.”
The nobles instinctively frowned at the fact that Billy was a demon, but they did not interrupt him. That was enough. Count Florette asked in a calm tone.
“What made you make that decision?”
“A few days ago, a rebellion broke out in Kelvetia. It put the life of the current Demon Lord, Her Majesty Evelyn Hayden, in danger.”
Up until that point, it wasn’t something the nobles would necessarily be curious about. They were puzzled as to why Billy was bringing up the subject of a rebellion that could potentially harm Kelvetia’s reputation. However, the moment they heard what he said next, their curiosity turned to shock.
“During the process of suppressing the rebellion, it was revealed that there was a human who had incited and assisted the traitor Baynas Perun through the Dark Bugs.”
"What...!"
“Th, what is that!”
“Can you take responsibility for those words! If you’re talking nonsense...!”
The nobles reacted more violently than when Randall showed up with Billy. It was understandable. How many lives had been lost to the demons over the years?
It was normal for humans not to do anything that would benefit the demons. At least that’s what the ‘humans’ here thought. But, a human helped the demons rebel. Did you move the dark bugs?
That in itself was an act of insult and deception to those who had lost their lives to the demons. The nobles’ faces became incomparably more terrifying than before. However, Billy didn’t shout that his words were right. He simply slowly turned his head and looked at one place. As if the person in question was there. The nobles who saw him staring silently turned their heads one by one, saying ‘No way.’ The one standing at the end of Billy’s gaze was, perhaps naturally, Crown Prince David.
“...”
David was consistently calm despite the many gazes. He received the gazes pouring in on him with an incomprehensible expression, and soon one corner of his mouth twisted and slanted. David sneered with an extremely clean face. Judging from his attitude alone, he looked up at the sky without any shame.
“Do you dare believe the words of a demon without any evidence, right now?”
“There is evidence.”
But Randall immediately retorted. The smile on David’s face disappeared. Randalll searched through his pockets and pulled out a letter. It was bloodstained and a little worn, but David realized that it was the letter he had sent to Baynas and clenched his fist.
“The letter and its copy that His Highness the Crown Prince sent to Baynas Perun. He also kept it in his bosom as if he trusted His Highness completely. And...”
Randall, as expected, handed out copies of the letter he had prepared in advance to the nobles and glanced behind them. Then, Auston, who appeared at a good time, wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled brightly. When he raised his hand, the magic stone wrapped in cloth sparkled in the sunlight streaming in through the window.
“I have interrogated and captured the magician Roberich and his party. They testified that the magic stone was created to harm the Demon King. If you wish, I can bring them here.”
“Good job, Auston.”
The royal wizard Roberich. He was like David's hands and feet. The nobles' faces turned even paler. David chewed on his curses inwardly.
'You incompetent brat. You're supposedly a great magician, but you can't even subdue a single magician belonging to a Duke's family!'
The situation was getting worse. David took a deep breath to regain his senses and smiled gently. He looked back at the nobles and spoke naturally.
“Do you really believe that? This is just a trick by the demons to brainwash the Duke and Duchess of Belfort to divide the human race. Surely you wouldn’t fall for it.”
"But..."
“If Lord Roberich is right, then..”
The nobles were still hesitating whether to trust David or Randall. David clicked his tongue in his mouth and turned his head toward the King who had been sitting like a doll the whole time. He met the King’s gaze and whispered while moving the ‘snake’ he had planted in the King’s shadow.
'Tell me I'm right.'
It would have been nice if the King had stepped forward and told Randall that he was talking nonsense before things got this bad. Just like when they decided to hold the State Council again, they had brainwashed the King to be more careful not to do something stupid again, but his actions had become a little unnatural. He had momentarily lost his composure due to the unexpected situation, but it was not too late. If they insisted that all of this was a scheme by the Demons, including the King, then half of the gullible nobles would surely turn their backs on him. There was no way that humans who had rejected the Demons for a long time would change their minds easily because of something like this. David was thinking that as he tried to influence the King once again.
“...!”
On the marble tiles. A lion with a snake in its mouth leaped out from outside the King's shadow. The shadow lion showed its sharp teeth and tore the desperately struggling snake apart. Then the snake let out a silent scream and slithered away.
“Cough!”
At the same time, blood gushed out from David's mouth. He stumbled to the floor in the aftermath of being forcibly brainwashed. The conference room was instantly filled with screams.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince!”
“Your Highness! Are you alright?”
David, who had fallen to the ground, glared at the King's shadow with bloodshot eyes. Then he saw the shadow lion, who had finished his work, leisurely walk away into Sylvia's shadow.
'Alyssa...!'
The King, who had been blankly staring at the whole time, frowned and placed one hand on his forehead. The King's eyes, which had been suffering from a headache, regained focus. Soon, the King, who had regained consciousness, swallowed a groan and looked around in confusion.
“What was I... doing? What is everyone doing here?”
The nobles were taken aback by the King's words. Count Florette furrowed his brow and asked him back.
“Don’t you remember, Your Majesty?”
“Yes. The last thing I remember is...”
“...”
David was consistently calm despite the many gazes. He received the gazes pouring in on him with an incomprehensible expression, and soon one corner of his mouth twisted and slanted. David sneered with an extremely clean face. Judging from his attitude alone, he looked up at the sky without any shame.
“Do you dare believe the words of a demon without any evidence, right now?”
“There is evidence.”
But Randall immediately retorted. The smile on David’s face disappeared. Randalll searched through his pockets and pulled out a letter. It was bloodstained and a little worn, but David realized that it was the letter he had sent to Baynas and clenched his fist.
“The letter and its copy that His Highness the Crown Prince sent to Baynas Perun. He also kept it in his bosom as if he trusted His Highness completely. And...”
Randall, as expected, handed out copies of the letter he had prepared in advance to the nobles and glanced behind them. Then, Auston, who appeared at a good time, wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled brightly. When he raised his hand, the magic stone wrapped in cloth sparkled in the sunlight streaming in through the window.
“I have interrogated and captured the magician Roberich and his party. They testified that the magic stone was created to harm the Demon King. If you wish, I can bring them here.”
“Good job, Auston.”
The royal wizard Roberich. He was like David's hands and feet. The nobles' faces turned even paler. David chewed on his curses inwardly.
'You incompetent brat. You're supposedly a great magician, but you can't even subdue a single magician belonging to a Duke's family!'
The situation was getting worse. David took a deep breath to regain his senses and smiled gently. He looked back at the nobles and spoke naturally.
“Do you really believe that? This is just a trick by the demons to brainwash the Duke and Duchess of Belfort to divide the human race. Surely you wouldn’t fall for it.”
"But..."
“If Lord Roberich is right, then..”
The nobles were still hesitating whether to trust David or Randall. David clicked his tongue in his mouth and turned his head toward the King who had been sitting like a doll the whole time. He met the King’s gaze and whispered while moving the ‘snake’ he had planted in the King’s shadow.
'Tell me I'm right.'
It would have been nice if the King had stepped forward and told Randall that he was talking nonsense before things got this bad. Just like when they decided to hold the State Council again, they had brainwashed the King to be more careful not to do something stupid again, but his actions had become a little unnatural. He had momentarily lost his composure due to the unexpected situation, but it was not too late. If they insisted that all of this was a scheme by the Demons, including the King, then half of the gullible nobles would surely turn their backs on him. There was no way that humans who had rejected the Demons for a long time would change their minds easily because of something like this. David was thinking that as he tried to influence the King once again.
“...!”
On the marble tiles. A lion with a snake in its mouth leaped out from outside the King's shadow. The shadow lion showed its sharp teeth and tore the desperately struggling snake apart. Then the snake let out a silent scream and slithered away.
“Cough!”
At the same time, blood gushed out from David's mouth. He stumbled to the floor in the aftermath of being forcibly brainwashed. The conference room was instantly filled with screams.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince!”
“Your Highness! Are you alright?”
David, who had fallen to the ground, glared at the King's shadow with bloodshot eyes. Then he saw the shadow lion, who had finished his work, leisurely walk away into Sylvia's shadow.
'Alyssa...!'
The King, who had been blankly staring at the whole time, frowned and placed one hand on his forehead. The King's eyes, which had been suffering from a headache, regained focus. Soon, the King, who had regained consciousness, swallowed a groan and looked around in confusion.
“What was I... doing? What is everyone doing here?”
The nobles were taken aback by the King's words. Count Florette furrowed his brow and asked him back.
“Don’t you remember, Your Majesty?”
“Yes. The last thing I remember is...”
"This time, it was Count Florette, who barged in without warning and there was no time to stop him."
"Next time, if you mess up my work because of that guy's temper, I'll cut off your own head."
David. The last thing he remembered was the image of his son holding his face as if he were going to break it and hurling abuse at it. The King’s face hardened in an instant as he recalled that. He unconsciously turned his head to look at David, and David gritted his teeth.
'...Shit.'
There was no place to retreat. David, who had decided that quickly took off one of the jewels on his clothes and held it in his hand. It was a moving magic stone that he had made with the royal magician Roberich in preparation for an unexpected situation. It was the moment when he was about to throw it on the floor and break it with his foot.
“Where are you running away to?”
A soft voice was heard, and then an invisible force pinned him to the ground.
“Ugh...!”
David, who was lying face down on the floor, groaned in pain. The moving magic stone rolled pitifully on the floor a short distance from his hand. There were many people here who could feel magic power, even if they could not become magicians. They turned their heads in shock at the overwhelming magic power that was enough to suffocate them. And what they witnessed was Sylvia, who was glaring at David with a white light wrapped around one hand. Not Auston.
“...The Duchess of Belfort?”
“Did the Duchess of Belfort just use magic?”
“How could this happen...”
"Oh my God..."
Sylvia could hear the nobles' applause, but she did not turn her gaze. To be exact, she did not have the confidence to meet the gaze of Count Florette, who was among them. Silvia bit her lip.
‘...I can’t help it.’
After confessing her feelings to Randall, Sylvia decided to trust humans once again. It meant that there was no need to hide her abilities for the sake of a quiet death. In addition, there was a possibility that there would be casualties in the process of subduing David, his forces, and the dark bugs. If Sylvia herself stepped forward, unnecessary sacrifices could be reduced.
'Because above all else, I had to catch David for sure.'
Yes, so it was clearly a reasonable judgment. But why did she avoid Count Florette's gaze?
“...Sylvia?”
Sylvia could hear the nobles' applause, but she did not turn her gaze. To be exact, she did not have the confidence to meet the gaze of Count Florette, who was among them. Silvia bit her lip.
‘...I can’t help it.’
After confessing her feelings to Randall, Sylvia decided to trust humans once again. It meant that there was no need to hide her abilities for the sake of a quiet death. In addition, there was a possibility that there would be casualties in the process of subduing David, his forces, and the dark bugs. If Sylvia herself stepped forward, unnecessary sacrifices could be reduced.
'Because above all else, I had to catch David for sure.'
Yes, so it was clearly a reasonable judgment. But why did she avoid Count Florette's gaze?
“...Sylvia?”
At that moment, a small whisper flowed into her ear. Despite the distance, she couldn't help but hear that voice. Sylvia reflexively turned her gaze toward Count Florette at the voice calling her. David, whose eyes were bloodshot, didn't miss that opportunity. He swung his hand toward the table with all his might.
Kwasik!
The darkness that extended from his hand caused the huge table to flip over. The papers and quills on the table were scattered in a mess. For a moment, time seemed to pass slowly.
Kwak-!
The objects that had been suspended in midair began to fall fiercely. Among them, the sharp tip of the quill fell, aiming for Count Florette's heart. The Count glared.
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