224 Duke

The household's master returned only after midnight.

A young man.

Yet, unlike humans, demons possess extended lifespans. His true age cannot be determined by appearance.

Given his calm demeanor despite his youthful looks, he may be considerably older than he appears.

"Long time no see. My Lord Demon King."

The man kneels before the Demon King.

He maintains a composed exterior, but his inner state suggests significant fear.

Listening closely, one hears his erratic heartbeat. His nose detects the scent of sweat from nervous tension.

Remarkable. Even the Demon King inspires such dread.

"Good work. You must have been busy with duties."

"Yes. But upon learning of Your Lordship's return, I came immediately, prioritizing this over all else."

The Demon King smiles warmly, offering words of praise to the man.

The man stares in surprise at the Demon King, his expression one of cautious disbelief.

Ah, right.

This man’s memory of the Demon King is from before the King became the lamentable one.

Ah—yeah, if that much has changed, it’s natural to be startled.

The Demon King before becoming lamentable didn’t engage in much conversation, but the atmosphere was entirely different.

“Then, since there are newcomers here, introduce yourselves.”

The Demon King prompts the man.

The man rises, bows deeply, and begins his self-introduction.

“It is an honor to meet you. I am Balt Fisaro, entrusted with overseeing this Demon Clan capital. I shall be honored to serve.”

“Balt is the de facto head of the Demon Clan—so if anything comes up, rely on him.”

Hm.

So, excluding the Demon King, he’s effectively the top of the Demon Clan.

No wonder he emits such a strong presence.

Examining his soul reveals considerable strength.

Still, he does not compare to our Vampire Child.

Moreover, judging by the Demon King’s tone, he appears to be a unifying political figure rather than the apex of martial prowess.

If so, combat ability within the Demon Clan might be relatively low.

In that case, the overall evaluation of the Demon Clan must be increased by one tier.

Introductions are exchanged.

I provide only my name briefly.

The conversation shifts to the Vampire Child’s enrollment in the academy. Balt agrees without hesitation.

It seems Mel can be assigned to the military without issue.

However, direct assignment under the Demon King is not possible.

There is currently no such thing as a Demon King–directed military force. Reorganization would require time.

The Demon King has been absent for many years. There is little choice.

Thus, Mel will be temporarily assigned to the Fourth Army.

The Fourth Army is directly commanded by Balt, primarily tasked with defending the capital of the Demon Clan territory.

Though it is the capital defense force, it is not the First Army—because the First Army is always stationed at the border with the Human Realm.

As for me, I have been temporarily assigned to this so-called Fourth Army.

That said, I will not actually be active there.

It is merely a formality.

I will move freely as I please.

This has been approved by the Demon King.

I was cautioned not to go too far, though.

Perhaps because I am being treated with special consideration, Balt has shown interest in me.

Not in a favorable way, though.

More like he is probing.

Hmm?

Could this one possess a detection skill?

I sensed it vaguely.

But using detection skills tends to be noticeable to those with sharp instincts.

I’ve heard from the Demon King that directly assessing someone face-to-face is a breach of etiquette.

Perhaps Reston, even if he does possess a detection ability as I suspect, refrains from activating it openly?

Then it’s possible he’s assessing me in secret.

Should I give him a warning?

I feel no pain or discomfort from being assessed, but a Vampire Child being detected is not ideal.

I open my eyes slightly.

Bart flinches violently upon seeing my gaze.

Oooh, scared, scared.

I’ve subtly enhanced the unsettling nature of my appearance to provoke a slight sense of dread.

Perhaps I’ll name it the Panic Glare.

“Looking at you, so don’t look back?”

I say it briefly.

Even to myself, the words make no sense—but Bart seems to understand.

He nods, beads of cold sweat forming on his brow.

Satisfied with the demeanor, eyes close.

Bart visibly relaxes, beads of cold sweat forming on his brow.

Not sloppy, one might say.

Servants and butlers in the mansion who dared meet my gaze collapse, foam at the mouth.

Simply remaining standing without losing consciousness is impressive enough.

Perhaps the curse’s effect was too strong?

Oh well.

Thus, we have established contact with Bart, the de facto leader of the demon clan and a high duke.

A few days later, the Vampire Child was enrolled in the academy, the Demon King retreated to the Demon Castle, and Mel was assigned to the Fourth Army.

I saw them off from the mansion.

For now, I intend to use this mansion as my base.

I’ve obtained from Bart a formal permit to enter the Demon Castle, ensuring access at any time.

For the moment, I’ll stretch my wings, idle about, and carry out activities at my own pace.

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Elder Brother, what brought you back to the manor?

Ah. The one who will soon be introduced to you is already being welcomed.

Who is that?

It’ll be introduced in time. Whether you like it or not.