Chapter 261
Chapter 261: A Close-Knit Parent-Child Relationship
“—And that’s how it went.”
I laughed heartily as I recounted the story to Platiphia.
“I can’t wait to see Nephradia next!”
Platiphia, forgetting to hide her mouth with her fan, laughed uproariously.
“Honestly, this is the first time I’ve looked forward to meeting that woman.”
Yet, the sharpness in her gaze was as fierce as a beast ready to bite off a poisonous snake.
Wow, that’s quite alarming. Well, after nearly 40 years of rivalry, it’s no surprise that her grudge has reached the marrow of her bones. Just like Green, it’s the seeds they’ve sown that have come back to haunt them…
After the meal, Aiogias usually leaves first, but today he remained in the room with a smiling Green—the food fighter. I quickly made my exit, so I didn’t know what kind of conversation ensued after that… but I could easily imagine.
Green’s ridiculous harassment, at least by demon standards, would cause quite the hassle if I shifted to Ruby’s faction. Green must have been thoroughly grilled…
Ah, and there’s also the wildfire. Depending on how you look at it, it could seem like Rubyphia and I are already allied. No wonder the faction leader would be furious…
“It feels wonderful.”
While I imagined Green getting pummeled by Aiogias, Platiphia, who was also fanning herself with a refreshing expression, suddenly stood up.
“Let’s train.”
Whoa, she’s fired up! Is she a barbarian or something…
“Sounds good.”
That said, I had no reason to decline, so I quickly stood up in agreement.
‘She’s completely transformed into a barbarian…’
Well, I’ve gotten used to it by now.
So, with high spirits, we headed to the training grounds for some practical training.
As per usual, I continued to spar with Platiphia, but our matches had become even more heated, to the point that it was no longer clear who was winning.
With me having genuinely reached marquess-level strength, when I used my 【Name】, my magical power almost matched hers. While the Duchess Platiphia was still slightly superior, neither of us could easily land any curses on each other.
Thus, while we fought with spears, we intensely increased our magical resistance, slamming powerful teleportation spells and other curses against each other. If a beastman were to jump in, they would likely be torn apart by a spear before even managing to deal with the curses.
This battle fused physical and magical combat at an advanced level—plus, Platiphia had fully unleashed her back arms in the Multiple Spear Style. Covered in injuries and blood, the sound of our spears and polearms clashed together with thunderous noise, distorting the very air itself as curses collided.
Once Platiphia and I started training, onlookers gathered from a distance, with demon warriors retreating in dismay, loathing the idea of being compared.
Thanks to Liliana, we could continue this deadly match until our stamina ran out, without fear of fatal injuries. At this moment, I confidently stated that Platiphia and I were probably undergoing the most advanced training in the world.
“You’ve really improved…”
Breathing heavily and soaked in blood and sweat, Platiphia let out a groan while resetting her wounds and hydrating.
“You too, Mother. Haven’t you been getting tougher by the day…?”
As I gulped down water, I said as if almost offering a critique. These were truly words from the heart. It was a long-ago story when I had the upper hand with my polearm techniques, but recently, I was struggling against her increasingly refined Multiple Spear Style and her impeccable back-arm defense.
Even during training, I often found myself at a loss from blood loss.
“Of course. I won’t go down that easily.”
Platiphia chuckles, lifting her hair.
‘Wait, has this woman’s magical power grown since we first met…?’
Seriously? Even as a Duchess, she’s still leveling up?
‘With how much I’ve cut you and poured curses of pain into you, it’s surely the true essence of【Sadism】.’
Her power is rising like crazy… This isn’t a power one should use on their own son.
“But really. It’s strange that you can go toe-to-toe with me. In Reiju territory, only the tribal chief or Zikvart can match me to this degree.”
It’s not even a mere frightening thought… Platiphia’s expression turned serious.
“Just think what would happen if your body fully developed…”
By the way, Platiphia is taller than me. My physique is still growing, but I still look like a 16-year-old human.
“…If you weren’t my son, I’d have been jealous.”
She says it with an air of authenticity yet can’t hide the pride seeping through.
“…”
No matter how much time one spends in the demon world, having this combat power at an apparent age of 6 is just outrageous.
Moreover, while it looks like Platiphia has the upper hand in training—she has unlocked two bloodline magic powers and even demonic magic, whereas I haven’t used my 【Contract】 magic.
While Platiphia has revealed all her cards, I still have one trump card left. From her perspective, too.
That statement about being jealous if I weren’t her son must be her genuine feeling.
“Thanks to you, Mother.”
I looked up at the dawn sky as I replied.
That, too, was a truth from the heart.
Right after being reborn, I was just a skilled hero who knew nothing but swinging a sword.
Then, with the knowledge demon assigned to me as a tutor, I was endowed with various knowledge, and she even personally drilled me in martial arts and spear techniques.
In that process, it became unforgivable that I had to sacrifice the lives of some humans.
But in just six years, I’ve honed my skills this far, undoubtedly thanks to the nurturing educational environment Platiphia has generously provided…
Suddenly, I felt a soft touch on my head.
Looking up, I saw Platiphia smiling as she patted my head.
“You’re my pride and joy.”
Her warm smile was unexpected from someone who usually clashed with other demon lords’ wives.
“…”
I could only laugh awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.
It might have looked like a son blushing or shy.
But truly, I did not know what to do.
The hand patting my head felt—comfortable.
I couldn’t quite get it…
†††
And then—someone was watching the scene between Zilbagias and Platiphia from the castle with keen eyes.
It was the fourth prince Emelgias, with bruises on his face.
