Chapter 147
Chapter 147. “The Oddball”
――Prince Zilbagias’s training is painfully intense.
Albar Aoril had also trained with a spear as a pastime of the demon race, but this was the first time he underwent such rigorous training that felt like torture.
It wasn’t just tough; being relentlessly beaten down by the five-year-old (supposedly) Prince Zilbagias, along with his terrifying mother and grandmother, made both him and the Knight brothers feel like their spirits would shatter at any moment. However, staying upbeat was possible because—
“It’s delicious!!”
They had a barbecue to celebrate the end of training.
Being treated personally by the prince, he devoured the grilled meat with his body, now free of injuries, and wow, was it tasty!
At first, he was astonished by the prince’s lavish field cooking, but according to the demon instructor, the goal is to keep up motivation for training and strengthen camaraderie through sharing delicious food.
“You guys are lucky!”
While gorging on meat himself, Gorirashia smiled at Albar Aoril and the others.
“Only the royal family’s subordinates get to eat such tasty stuff on the battlefield!”
Albar Aoril knew this well from his own experiences in battle. Regular field meals and army rations are way less luxurious.
More like,
(I can’t get this quality of meat anywhere else!)
Albar Aoril bit into a juicy herb-infused sausage with a satisfied look.
In the demon kingdom, demons are considered part of the noble class.
However, what matches the ‘nobility’ of other countries mainly includes royalty, clan leaders, and certain landowners, while the rest live like common citizens. At least that’s the impression he got from the few human books he read.
So how do ordinary demons live? Basically, they receive a salary from the demon kingdom based on their rank.
Depending on their performance on the battlefield, they might also receive bonuses, and if they’re part of the Reiju tribe, they can earn rewards through medical services using teleportation spells.
Even those of lower social class may farm if they own large tracts of land, though it’s rare for them to till the fields themselves; they usually have beastmen do the labor.
In short, they need to work somewhat if they want to survive. A single man trying to live modestly would need a baron’s salary, while supporting a family would require at least a viscount’s pay.
If they wanted a large family, indulge in luxury, or equip themselves with fancy weapons—
They would need to rise even higher in rank.
To do this, they need to achieve military merit. That’s why every demon seeks opportunities to join fights.
“Ah, I’m stuffed… hey, got any leftovers from that meat? Wrap some up for me like usual!”
“Yes, understood!”
After confirming that everyone was full, Albar Aoril called out to a maid who was tidying up the leftover food. Though she bowed respectfully with a typical stoic expression of a Night Elf, he sensed a chilly look, perhaps thinking (Another take-home? What a glutton).
But Albar Aoril didn’t mind. After all, Prince Zilbagias and the Duchess Platiphia tolerated it, and he could audaciously do what ordinary demons wouldn’t dare; it was his strength.
The contractor of the “Free-spirited Demon,” fully in his element—much so that the maid’s gaze seemed to boost his power.
“Alright, then! Great job today!”
“Thanks for the hard work!”
He bowed dramatically, and as Zilbagias waved him off, he headed home with his juniors.
“Man, that was tough today, bro! But it’s intense enough that I feel like I’m improving!”
Seire Knight said brightly, holding a freshly polished spear.
“Absolutely! There’s no doubt our skills are getting better. Just being able to receive such professional training is a blessing!”
Albar Aoril nodded thoughtfully. With Zilbagias offering unlimited healing and getting to learn Dothrotos combat techniques practically, this might be the best environment currently available in the Reiju territory.
Once again, he felt grateful for the good fortune of serving under Zilbagias.
“Totally. But to be honest, I don’t feel like I’ll ever beat the prince or the lady or the instructor, even after a hundred years!”
Oke Knight chimed in jokingly, sounding a little regretful as he spoke.
“Yeah… maybe when the instructor becomes an old man, we might stand a chance!”
They had walked quite some distance, but Albar Aoril felt like he could hear Gorirashia’s roar behind them, prompting him to lower his voice.
“As for the prince, we’ll be the ones getting old first! I can’t see us having a chance!”
“That’s true! I really don’t get why the prince is so strong…”
“Well, since he’s the instructor’s grandkid…”
“And he’s also the child of the Demon Lord and his lady…”
Putting it into words made it glaringly obvious; he’s from a bloodline that’s impossible to be weak.
“Wow, the prince is unreal! If we keep desperately keeping up with him, we’ll become big ourselves!”
“Yeah, totally!”
“Let’s keep it up!”
They encouraged one another, bolstering their motivation.
In the meantime, they reached the city from the training grounds.
“Oh, this is for you guys!”
He pulled out the packed meat he had separated from his own stash and handed it to the Knight brothers.
“Wow, thanks, bro!”
“Really appreciate it!”
The Knight brothers rejoiced, claiming an extra dish for breakfast, and after bidding them farewell, Albar Aoril hurried home.
The Ouil family was located in a corner of the old town on the eastern side of the city.
Originally the city was taken over from the human kingdom’s capital over 200 years ago, but the old town had remained “old” since then.
In other words, it was in a terrible state.
Some buildings were so badly aged that they had been rebuilt, but many were stone homes that remained the same from that time. The few well-maintained houses or upscale districts were usually controlled by impressive families. The Ouil family, being a branch of a lesser branch of the Reiju clan, wasn’t particularly impressive in terms of background.
However, at least being able to use a domestic-grade spell like the “Teleportation Spell” probably meant they had a decent bloodline.
“Hey, I’m home!”
As he opened the creaky door of their modest single-family home, he heard it groan.
“Welcome back! How was it today?”
His mother looked up from her sewing in the living room.
Albar Aoril lived with his parents and sister—a family of four—but since his father had recently been stationed as a healer on the front lines, it was now just three of them.
“I’m completely drained. I thought I was gonna die getting my arms ripped off by that Dothrotos instructor!”
His mother looked astonished, eyes wide.
“That must have hurt. It sounds tough, but you should keep working hard.”
“Of course. I’ve got to become big!”
With a playful wink, Albar Aoril grinned, and his mother laughed with an exasperated expression.
“Oh, and here’s a souvenir.”
“Did you bring more? I appreciate it, but I’m worried you’ll spoil your palate.”
As Albar Aoril handed her the wrapped meat, his mother hurried off to the kitchen’s cool dark storage. After watching her doting figure for a moment, he climbed the stairs.
“Sis, I’m home!”
“Welcome back, Albar!”
His sister, Marinphia, who was almost the same age as him, was spinning thread in her room. She turned around with a bright smile, wearing a black eye mask.
Albar Aoril’s sister was blind.
Despite being born to the Reiju clan, capable of healing any ailment—
She was born without eyeballs.
No matter how powerful the teleportation spell, it couldn’t help with what didn’t exist. Moreover, demons are a race that honors strength. A baby with a congenital handicap usually gets ‘selected’ the moment it’s discovered.
Yet for his parents, who had struggled for so long to have children, Marinphia was their long-awaited beloved daughter. They could never bear to harm the precious child they finally had.
Against the opposition of their relatives, the parents decided to raise Marinphia.
They completely cut ties with complaining relatives and resolved to raise her splendidly even if it meant living a hard life without family support—or so they thought… until Albar Aoril unexpectedly came along.
Growing up alongside someone who “shouldn’t have survived” had a significant impact on Albar Aoril’s character—
“Something smells good!”
His sister sniffed the air playfully, raising an eyebrow with a smirk.
“As expected of you, sis. This is the sausage I brought back!”
He took out another small package from his cloak filled with grilled sausage.
“It had herbs, and it was super tasty, so I thought I’d share.”
“Wow, it really does smell great. I was just feeling a little snackish.”
Marinphia took a delighted bite. Though it had cooled a bit during the walk back home…
“Mmm! It’s delicious!”
“Right?”
“How lucky you are to have found such a generous boss who treats you to such fine food!”
“True, but damn that training is brutal!”
He shared today’s training details and listened to the sister praise the Knight brothers while they enjoyed their snack.
“Ah, so good. Thanks as always, Albar.”
“No problem at all!”
“…I’m grateful, but I might end up gaining some weight.”
Seeing his sister worry about her waistline made Albar Aoril smile faintly. She tended to stay home a lot, so she didn’t have many chances to exercise…
“Let’s go for a walk before dawn.”
“Well… Maybe that could be nice for a change.”
“Then I’ll head out for a bit before that!”
“You’re busy, take care out there!”
After waving goodbye to his sister and thanking her quietly, Albar Aoril left home yet again, hurrying towards a deserted alley at the edge of the old town.
“Hey, bro!”
In front of a dilapidated little house, a scruffy-looking demon child jumped up and down, waving his hand.
“Yo! I came again today!”
Without much of a greeting, he dashed inside the house and handed over a package of meat, just like he did for his sister, it was something immediately edible and well-cooked.
“Wow, looks tasty! Mom! Big bro brought a gift!”
“Sorry for always troubling you, Albar. Thank you so much!”
The thin mother demon bowed her head apologetically.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it for my cute little brother!”
Grinning, Albar Aoril ruffled the little one’s hair.
――Not all demons in the demon kingdom live abundantly.
It’s true that if you hold a noble title, you have a minimum income. But for a squire or knight, the pay is just a mere pittance. To make a living, one must increase their title, and to raise a title requires achievements.
And to gain achievements, one needs adequate strength.
What is strength? It’s spear techniques, weapons, armor, magic—typically inherited from parents or relatives.
But what if they lose those due to some reason?
“……”
Watching the family share their meal, Albar Aoril tightened his expression.
There’s nothing they can do.
The demon kingdom, favoring the strong, was ruthless to the weak.
There is a compensation system for families of the deceased, but it is merely temporary; afterward, they’re left to fend for themselves. If the family is wealthy, there’s no problem, but poor families often have lower-ranking titles and thus receive little compensation, sending them spiraling into greater desperation.
Additionally, most demons look down upon the weak. It’s the weak’s fault. If they’re frustrated, they should just get stronger. No one dares to lend a hand to weaklings in distress—
That might hold some truth, but Albar Aoril firmly believes that children and the young have a different situation.
It’s understandable if a demon who has lived for decades remains weak due to negligence in training. However, everyone starts off weak. Without a certain level of support, they can’t grow at all.
“Big bro, I… I want to contract with a demon!”
Just like this child.
After finishing the meat, the little brother spoke earnestly.
The quickest way to get “strong” —contracting with a demon.
If one were lucky enough to form a pact with a demon whose powers were not related to fighting, they could also develop strength in their daily life. Once one’s visible magic power increases, they could shove others aside to fight on the battlefield, or work as a healer using teleportation spells to improve their rank.
The only problem is that the expenses for traveling to the Dark Portal aren’t free either. In a family struggling to make ends meet, even that is a burden.
But one like Baron Albar Aoril could manage.
“Let’s see…”
Looking down at the small little brother, who still had tiny horns and was barely at his waist, Albar Aoril pondered seriously.
“I think it’d be better if you grow a little more first.”
“But… the prince of the Reiju tribe went to the demon realm when he was five…”
“Well, that’s a unique case…”
Seeing his little brother pout in dissatisfaction, Albar Aoril could only laugh. He wanted to state, “The prince is the exception among exceptions,” but that would only provoke a childish rebuttal.
“You know, the prince is super tall. He’s about this high already.”
“Really, that tall?”
When Albar Aoril gestured to show the height, his little brother’s eyes widened.
“Yeah. So… well, maybe not the height of the prince, but—”
He used a knife to carve a small mark into the wooden pillar of their house.
“When you reach this height, I’ll take you to the Dark Portal!”
“Really!? How long until then?!”
Excited, he pressed his back against the pillar as Albar Aoril held up a finger to indicate how tall it was.
“Hm… I want to grow up fast…”
“To do that, you’ve got to eat lots of meat. I’ll bring some more tomorrow.”
“…Thank you, big bro!!”
As his little brother hugged him, Albar Aoril ruffled his hair. Behind them, their mother was deeply bowing her head, tears in her eyes.
…Not all demons are strong. Some may not have a good affinity with demons, or struggle in battles. Others might lose their income due to their husbands dying in combat and end up in dire straits.
In front of the lower races, it would be a disgrace for demons to starve to death, so even those with the bare minimum of income manage to survive; on the contrary, it means they live just enough to avoid starvation.
Though demons belong to the noble class, it’s precisely that which makes it difficult for them to earn a living outside of the battlefields. There are plenty of beastmen and Night Elves who can be easily managed as servants, and farming requires land.
You might think they should use magic as demons would, but that too is difficult.
The Reiju tribe can use teleportation spells, but when facing someone of higher rank, they will face resistance. Without a certain level of magic power, one cannot become a healer.
While a weak magic user could heal against Night Elves or beastmen, the stronger users can do both jobs. Given the limited positions for healers, there’s no reason to employ a weaker one.
If they consider using other magic, the available and necessary spells for survival are limited. If they had the earth magic of the Korvto tribe, known for civil engineering, or the ice magic of the Vernas tribe, which is in demand for preserving ingredients, they could make a living without needing strong magic…
However, demons who inherit two bloodline spells are a rarity.
Since they can form inter-clan marriages, they have some horizontal connections, but if they can’t, they have to marry a close person, and children born this way only inherit one bloodline spell.
By the way, while Albar Aoril can use a spell from his mother’s bloodline in addition to the teleportation spell, it’s more like a level one charm like “imbuing protection power into the thread,” so it only serves as a small pocket change for his mother and sister.
In any case, the privileged get favored and grow stronger, while the deprived are scorned and become weaker—that is the demon kingdom.
“See you tomorrow!”
Waving goodbye to his little brother, Albar Aoril headed to the next house, leftover wrapped goodies still in his pocket. There were still some unfortunate little brothers and sisters out there.
Some contracted with demons that related to battle but couldn’t reach the battlefield due to a lack of connections. Some like his sister, dealt with congenital disabilities and couldn’t shine. Some who just had a baby suddenly had their family’s pillar die in war—
(——They’re not weak; they just haven’t been given the chance.)
Holding the bundle tightly to his chest, Albar Aoril thought.
(With just a little support, a small opportunity—)
They could become “strong” and grow.
But the current demon kingdom has an atmosphere that denies such possibilities.
Even if Albar Aoril tries to help them now, as a viscount, he encounters limitations.
More power is needed. A position capable of making adjustments is necessary.
To achieve that—
(I have to… become BIG!)
Running down the night road, Albar Aoril renewed his determination.
