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Chapter 256. Hierarchy and Communication

“—So, that’s how it is.”

“I see.”

Here I am, Zilbagias, holding hands with Claire in the library while listening to information from the vice-captain of the guard.

It’s not like we’re doing anything inappropriate. Just a little magical power recharge.

My childhood friend is maintaining her existence with the power of my life… It’s a strange feeling.

Still… Damn it, demons!

There’s no need to look at the map. Just thinking about what’s west of the Autonomous District makes the cause obvious.

You really did it, Izanis Tribe.

I’ve heard that they hold a strong grudge against the distribution of territory, especially regarding the Reiju Tribe or rather me. I mean, they did conquer the western part of the Defteros Kingdom, so they have every right to be angry when a large portion of the granary region gets absorbed by the Autonomous District, even though they didn’t engage directly.

To vent their frustration, they’ve sent monsters from the Izanis territory over here…!

You bastards!!

What a terribly effective move, it’s almost top-tier in terms of harassment. Damage to the people of the Autonomous District is the worst for me, and disrupting development plans is extremely troublesome.

Promoting agriculture and livestock in the Autonomous District is supposedly for the good of the Demon Lord Kingdom (in theory). To hinder that is almost akin to harming national interests—while I could denounce them for this, its effectiveness would likely be minimal.

Unless there’s an insider whistleblower from the Izanis Tribe, there’s no solid evidence. If they just say, “The monsters were scared and fled from us, the Izanis,” then pursuing the matter further becomes difficult.

And there’s no chance of the Izanis Tribe blowing the whistle either… Should I rough up some random goon and get them to spill? It all comes down to how the Demon Lord will handle any testimony I extract through, uh… let’s say, interrogation.

‘There’s also the option to use the magic of [Constraint] to prohibit lies, but…’

Hmm. If it’s from someone beneath me, I could potentially extract testimony without resorting to violence. However…

‘If lies are forbidden, you would be the one in the worst position, after all.’

Exactly that. Plus, my hand would be exposed to the other Demon Lords. The risk is just too high, and I can’t even tell if it’s necessary to go that far.

Ah, this is all so annoying! I’d love to smash that green bastard and his entire clan.

—Direct fighting among the Demon Lords is forbidden until the battle for the Demon Lord’s succession begins.

If direct interference were allowed, older candidates would wipe out the younger ones in advance.

Especially in the early days of the Demon Lord Kingdom, when the contract with demons became permissible and the thirst for power intensified, it was apparently horrific. Blood-soaked conflict erupted among the brothers and other influential figures of the current Demon Lord Goldgias, leading the first Demon Lord to strictly prohibit direct confrontations.

So even now, Aiogias and Rubyphia are sparking tension but haven’t resorted to outright killing each other.

Platy has been keeping me isolated for this very reason. While direct interference is prohibited, it implies that indirect actions or those leaving no evidence are acceptable.

For instance, using a strong curse to shatter someone’s mind or instilling an intense aversion to establish a hierarchy.

Incidentally, if candidates violate this rule and engage in direct combat, the consequences vary… if they’re lucky, they’ll just receive the Demon Lord’s righteous punishment, but at worst, they could be locked up in the Night Elf Prison for decades.

Punishments last a long time for demons, given their long lifespans. Aside from being imprisoned, even house arrest means you can’t leave your room, making it impossible to earn military exploits or interact with others.

It wouldn’t end one’s warrior life—not that bad—but it’d certainly result in a significant delay in promotions. Your skills would decline too.

—So, what if I were to breach the house arrest and wander outside?

In that case, a purge by the Demon Lord would be waiting. If I didn’t do so, the nation’s order would collapse. Since everything relies on individual power, the Demon Lord doesn’t hold back against those who threaten his authority…

As much as I want to charge into Izanis territory and obliterate those bastards, the first to act loses.

As of now, I’m not yet capable of holding my own against the Demon Lord.

Once I can fight the Demon Lord and win, I can do as I please.

‘At that point, you’d be the Demon Lord yourself.’

Exactly.

In any case… since they’ve come at me relentlessly, the only option is to answer in kind. I can think of a few tactics that the Izanis Tribe, especially that green bastard, would find bothersome. I’ll make them regret messing with the Autonomous District…!

Additionally, it might not be a bad idea to squeeze some of the weaker members of the Izanis Tribe for information. Should I squeeze the contact personnel at the castle? They probably don’t know about this incident, so it might not mean anything. Well, even if the Reiju Tribe faces consequences, I wouldn’t care, and I’ll just do what I can.

That aside, I also have to address the monster problem in the Autonomous District, which gives me a headache. I could probably hunt a fair number of them down if I searched with Leila, but that would cut into my own time, and the others would complain if I did everything myself.

‘For now, it seems the best I can do is hunt the ones I see going back and forth between Evaroti and the Demon Lord Castle.’

That’s about my limit. It’s just unavoidable…

‘But, at least it’s better than getting seriously injured and being unable to recover.’

True… I’ll just have to rely on the surviving members to give it their all… Really, the lack of strong combatants is painfully evident.

“…Thank you, Prince.”

With that, Claire released my hand after absorbing my magical power.

“Are you done already?”

From my perspective, it feels like such a minuscule amount now. …Not that I’m feeling any lingering attachment or anything.

“Thanks to you, I’m quite full.”

With her usual forced smile, Claire responds.

Magical power is… pure energy. It’s not exactly magic. It’s just like pushing someone lightly with your hand to lend them power—no matter how much you give, it doesn’t convey feelings.

Only the fact that energy has been replenished remains.

Of course—I have no idea what Claire is really thinking.

“The vice-captain of the guard… Tafuman, right? Looks like you’ve become quite close.”

Apparently, that lively soldier who met with me has been promoted to vice-captain. I thought he had some backbone…

“Just an information provider.”

With a straight face, Claire answers.

“Yet you looked like you were having fun talking to him.”

“It’s not so much fun as it is pity. If only he would die quickly, he wouldn’t have to suffer this much.”

She shrugs casually and flashes the same smile.

Well… that’s what she would say.

What does she really think? Claire… Please tell me.

But… if, just if she truly feels that way…

I—

“I see. I hope your wish is realized soon.”

I smiled, as naturally as possible.

Keeping the mask of the Demon Lord’s Son from being seen through.

 

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