Chapter 64
Gruve answered calmly.
“Demon King Delrak is sending his daughter as the head of the envoy.”
“So what?”
Ludwig grumbled.
“Whether he sends his daughter or his son, what difference does it make?”
He seemed completely unimpressed.
But as Gruve explained further, Ariella’s face grew serious.
“If another Demon King sends a member of his own bloodline as an envoy and we refuse without reason, it would be a blatant diplomatic insult. We could even give them a valid excuse to attack us.”
That was true even in the human world.
Gruve’s reasoning was sound.
“My reason for refusing? I just told you! Because I don’t like it!”
Ludwig was stubborn as always.
In his mind, this was clearly a trap. The moment they allowed Delrak’s envoy to set foot in their territory, something terrible would happen.
Ariella was now genuinely curious.
“You reacted like this when we talked about forming an alliance too. Why are you so against him?”
“Because I know exactly what kind of bastard he is!”
“Did you two fight in the past or something?”
It seemed clear that something had happened between them.
“Would it kill you to get along with your fellow Demon Kings? Honestly, your temper…”
Ludwig snapped. “Did you just insult my temper? You? The same girl who dragged a zombie back out of its grave after breaking its legs?”
“Alright, alright, calm down, both of you,” Richmond said, trying to mediate.
Ariella shook her head in disbelief.
“So, what happened between you and Delrak after you became Demon King?”
“After I became Demon King? Nothing much.”
“Then…?”
Ludwig scowled as if recalling an unpleasant memory.
“The problem is what happened before I became Demon King.”
“…?”
It was back when Ludwig was still wandering the Demon Realm, before he’d even arrived in his own domain.
While traveling, he had passed through Delrak’s Demon King’s territory.
It was the only route to reach what would later become Ludwig’s domain.
“It was already a big city back then. I planned to rest for a few days and move on. But that lunatic spotted me.”
“Lunatic? You mean Delrak?”
“Who else?”
“How did you two even meet? You wouldn’t have gone looking for him.”
“Of course not. He came looking for me.”
“How did he even know about you?”
“I… might’ve gotten into a fight with some demons in his territory.”
Ariella could already picture how this escalated.
She felt a dull headache coming on.
“And you dare criticize my temper? Why does trouble find you wherever you go? Didn’t you say you killed the previous Demon King here because of something similar?”
“Don’t misunderstand me. I never pick fights first.”
Ludwig crossed his arms and declared with pride,
“But I also never run away when someone picks a fight with me!”
“…How admirable.”
Following his personal philosophy of destroying any obstacle in his path, Ludwig had killed every one of his attackers.
“I don’t remember exactly how many, but I know it was more than three.”
“So Delrak came after you because you killed three of his subjects? Well, lives are precious, sure, but…”
“In the process, I might’ve burned a few buildings. And I think part of the city wall collapsed. Oh! And I broke two or three bridges while fleeing.”
“…So you fought exactly the way you always do.”
The destruction was so severe that Delrak himself had come forward to confront Ludwig.
But something unexpected happened.
“Delrak offered me a position. He asked if I wanted to become his subordinate.”
It was Ludwig’s innate magical power that had caught Delrak’s eye.
“Your abilities are rare even in the Demon Realm, right?” Ariella asked.
“Yeah.”
There were many types of fire magic, but Ludwig’s was different. He didn’t need spells or incantations—he controlled fire purely by instinct.
Even after wandering the Demon Realm for years, he’d never met another demon like himself.
“So, naturally, he wanted to use me.”
Ludwig snorted in disgust.
“He’s a filthy, greedy bastard. Both inside and out.”
According to Ludwig, Delrak was ruthless, arrogant, and endlessly greedy.
His hunger for power was insatiable; he constantly wanted to own and conquer more.
“So what did you do?”
“I told him no, of course. Then he said my opinion didn’t matter. If I wouldn’t be his subordinate, he’d just make me his slave.”
“…”
Ariella had to admit it:
Ludwig may be hot-tempered, but this Delrak guy sounds even worse.
Of course Ludwig wouldn’t stand for something so outrageous.
“And then?”
“I killed even more demons than the first time, burned down an even larger area, and left his city in ashes. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to kill Delrak.”
He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“If I had killed him back then, I would’ve become the Demon King of that territory instead.”
“…Either way, that’s not exactly a good history between you two. We should be careful.”
“And we absolutely can’t trust his daughter either!” Ludwig growled.
“If Delrak is as obsessed and power-hungry as you say, he probably hasn’t given up on his ambitions,” Ariella agreed.
“See? I’m right!” Ludwig said proudly.
“So let’s just tell them not to come! Send them a letter saying to stay away!”
Ariella shook her head.
“No. We need to allow their visit. If we refuse, we’ll hand them the upper hand.”
Ludwig’s face twisted in frustration.
Ariella patiently explained, as if teaching him.
“And besides, we won’t get any information if we don’t at least meet them.”
If Delrak was plotting something, they needed to speak face-to-face to catch any clues.
She folded her hands on the table, thinking carefully.
“The moment we uncover his schemes or gather evidence, the advantage swings back to us. And since he’s sending his own daughter… if it comes to it, we could even take her hostage.”
“…”
“…”
“…Hostage?”
There was a moment of stunned silence.
Then—
Clap! Clap!
Richmond clapped his bony hands.
“Brilliant! Taking the Demon King’s daughter hostage! Remarkable thinking. Sometimes I wonder if you’re truly human. You’re more demon than most demons I know!”
“Would you just insult me properly instead of calling that a compliment? It doesn’t sound flattering.”
“Regardless, your idea has merit,” Ulken said, shaking his head. “But… if this escalates into a war with Delrak, can we handle it?”
Ulken’s tone was grave.
“Not yet. We’re not ready for war. His forces are far stronger. We’d have no chance of winning outright.”
“Of course. A full-scale war is out of the question,” Ariella said confidently.
But even as she spoke cautiously, her expression brimmed with quiet determination.
“Still, this isn’t the same Demon King Ludwig’s domain it used to be. If they try to bite, we won’t just sit back and let them.”
A week later.
Ariella was doing her usual rounds through the Demon King’s territory, keeping a close eye on her people’s daily lives.
As always, the central square had turned into a bustling market.
“Over here! Come get your fairy honey, fresh from the elves’ forest! Sweeter than any regular honey!”
“Ooooh… taste… please!”
A customer approached the stall.
It was clear from his awkward speech and unfamiliar appearance that he wasn’t a resident of Ludwig’s territory.
Ariella quietly observed from a short distance.
A merman.
A fish-like humanoid from the rivers and lakes.
The merman dipped a clawed finger into the honey jar and tasted it. His eyes widened in shock.
“S-So… sweet… so… mmm…!”
The merchant chuckled, correcting his broken speech.
“Sweet as can be, right? Just 100 sel for a whole jar! Since you came all this way, I’ll give you a special price today. Take one home!”
Recently, Ludwig’s territory had been overflowing with food and goods, thanks to trade with the elves’ forest and the Southern Merchant Guild.
Naturally, more and more travelers were coming to buy and sell.
Ariella glanced around.
I see trolls, gremlins, even halflings. None of these races live here.
She studied them closely, mind working quickly.
That merman’s skin is already drying out. He’s been out of the water too long. He’d probably pay a lot for a moisturizing cream.
Her eyes moved to the halflings.
Halflings’ feet grow quickly. Flexible shoes would sell well. And trolls… I’ve heard they use some kind of unique magical tools only they know how to craft.
Essential supplies like slime compounds and medicinal herbs were still controlled strictly through the Southern Guild.
But everyday goods like fairy tea and honey were free for citizens to buy and sell.
Now that the villagers had money to spend, trade was thriving.
Ariella and Geru had planned this carefully, injecting money into the market to stimulate growth.
“Contract Holder! Lady Ariella!”
Ariella turned toward the voice.
A young servant was running toward her at full speed.
“Chad?”
She recognized him.
He was one of the young demons hired a few months ago.
The boy was still shorter than her by a head, and he arrived panting heavily, nearly collapsing.
“You’re out of breath… What’s so urgent? Someone get him some water!”
One of her guards handed over a flask, and Ariella passed it to the boy. Chad gulped it down greedily.
“Slowly! You’ll choke.”
He finished drinking, water dripping down his chin and soaking the front of his shirt.
“Th-Thank you, my lady!”
“Now, what happened?”
The boy took a deep breath and finally delivered the message Ariella had been waiting for all week.
“Contract Holder! You’re needed at the castle right away!”
“Why?”
Chad’s next words made Ariella’s heart tighten in anticipation.
“The envoy from Demon King Delrak’s territory has arrived!”
