Chapter 26
“Th–that is to say…”
Stammering, eyes darting everywhere, Marquis Borghese glanced at Chase, gained confidence, and raised his voice.
“Isn’t it obvious! The gods will be greatly angered! I’ve heard that in the barren North, where there’s little to eat, they even consume demon flesh!”
“Marquis Borghese! Mind your words!”
The other nobles, who had remained silent until now, quickly tried to restrain him as he began spouting such reckless rumors.
“Am I wrong? Until they processed those demonic by-products, you think they never once ate demon meat? In such a desolate land?”
Borghese now shouted as if interrogating Artif, who hadn’t spoken a word so far.
“Answer me, Duke! Can you guarantee there isn’t a single commoner in your domain who ate demon flesh and turned into a devil?!”
The hall buzzed with unrest at such outrageous and dangerous words.
Crimes connected to black magic were punishable only by death, and false accusations about such crimes were also punished severely. Yet here was Borghese, recklessly invoking demons and black magic.
Utterly unaware that Chase was grinding his teeth at him, Borghese smugly lifted his chin.
“So, what is it you’re trying to say?”
Artif’s leisurely, arrogant tone made Borghese’s face flush scarlet.
“Y–you! You’re using devils for black ma—!”
“Marquis Borghese.”
As soon as the man began to speak without a shred of thought, Chase called him in a low, menacing voice.
At the same time, the young marquis, Caius, placed a hand on Borghese’s shoulder.
Of all people, they had to bring in a dog that can’t even lift its leg properly.
Clicking his tongue, Artif turned to the emperor.
“Very well. I’ll dissolve the business.”
The emperor, who had been watching quietly all this time, twitched his brow.
“Is that truly so?”
“Yes. Furthermore, I will recall every item sold over the past ten years. Such ominous goods should be collected, should they not? Ah, of course, I shall refund the payments.”
Surprisingly, it was the emperor’s own faction of nobles who reacted most strongly to Artif’s words.
“Duke Redmond! Surely you don’t mean—”
“The Redmond ledgers are very thorough. Only a short while ago, Marquis Borghese purchased, under an alias, two hundred sets of knight uniforms made from demon hide. Naturally, I will refund those as well.”
Ten years’ worth of refunds was nothing short of madness—but the problem was that Artif had said it. He was never the type to speak rashly.
That put the rest of the nobles in a very difficult position.
Armor made of demon hide, which ordinary swords could hardly pierce, was undoubtedly of the highest quality.
Indeed, even the Imperial Knights wore uniforms made from the same material—and now, those would be recalled as well.
Marquis Borghese turned pale and looked to Chase.
But Chase said nothing, only glaring at Artif with blazing eyes.
The emperor, displeased at Chase’s silence, finally spoke.
“Marquis Borghese. Is it true you proposed banning the sale of demon by-products while secretly purchasing them under a false name?”
“Th–that is… well…”
Borghese stammered, searching desperately for an excuse, but found none. He had never imagined Artif would know of his secret purchases, let alone reveal them in front of Chase.
“From the next council, your household’s proposals will be banned for three months.”
“Y–Your Majesty…!”
The marquis leapt up in protest at the emperor’s sanction, but Caius pressed down on his shoulder from behind, forcing him to sit.
Nobles making absurd proposals wasn’t unusual, so some might have thought the punishment excessive.
But in truth, the emperor was trying, reluctantly, to protect Borghese.
At least it was better than being condemned for false accusations of black magic.
And besides, the loss of the emperor’s faction would do more harm than good.
“Today’s session ends here.”
With a swirl of his cloak, the emperor strode past Chase.
The Crown Prince’s Palace, underground.
Chase flung open the door so violently it banged against the wall.
“Careful, Your Highness. At this rate you’ll need bandages on the other hand as well.”
Unlike Chase, Caius, who followed behind, wore a calm, almost cheerful expression.
Chase glared at him, eyes murderous.
“What are you grinning about? Did you forget that useless cur nearly got you annihilated, ages ago?”
Caius’s expression froze instantly, but Chase sneered on.
“After the Demon King died, I cleaned up the pitiful wrecks who’d been cowering in the dark. And yet in three years you still can’t even handle Marquis Borghese?”
“Your words are excessive.”
“Oh, too harsh for a devil’s ears?”
Chase’s lips twisted upward. He was openly mocking Caius for being a demon.
Veins bulged on Caius’s hand as he clenched his fist, but he only smiled faintly.
“I will inherit the marquisate soon.”
“And with your marquis’s antics, His Majesty’s approval will be easily won, no doubt.”
Chase strode deeper, down the stairs.
“Now, finish what you were saying earlier. You’ve found Saintess Charlize’s whereabouts, haven’t you? Where is she?”
“She went to see an old acquaintance of mine.”
“…An acquaintance?”
Chase’s voice darkened, his aura sharp as a blade.
“Calix. Ah, though now he calls himself Artif, doesn’t he?”
Caius’s golden hair gleamed as he smiled sweetly, far too beautiful to look like a devil.
“Of course, I assumed he’d be a wolf like me. But no—he turned out to be a small, adorable little cat. So cute, I almost wanted to swallow it whole.”
The word “acquaintance” irked Chase, but that wasn’t what had him seething now.
“You learned that when you sent the assassin last time?”
Caius only smiled, saying nothing—but that was answer enough.
“So, you survived like a cockroach all this time, only to seek annihilation now?”
“It was Your Highness’s rashness that drove the saintess into this state in the first place.”
By then, they had reached the deepest chamber of the Crown Prince’s palace. Caius opened the door.
A pale light, soft as moonlight, spilled out.
“I warned you countless times not to force open her soul any further. Thankfully, at least her holy power remains.”
At the center of the room lay the hero Calix’s sword, glowing with light, bound in pitch-black chains.
* *
At that moment, I was about ready to go mad from frustration.
Artif had said he’d toss away the tea-soaked cards and draw a new one—but it had been days now, with no word from him.
So every conversation we had was little more than nonsense and evasions.
Things got weird right after I addressed him as ‘Duke’ and said I had something to tell him.
But why?
Could it be he figured out my true identity?
If he had, he would have either interrogated me, taken me hostage, or seethed with betrayal. None of that happened.
And yet, he was making things even more confusing.
Asking me to pick out his clothes is practically routine now.
Sometimes he showed off his swordplay, sometimes he shoved heaps of jewels into my hands.
Last time I transformed, he had clung to me so annoyingly—yet this time, he was flaunting his strength and wealth as if to impress his pet cat.
Was he just showing off to keep me from running away again?
“Meow!”
Lost in thought, I was startled when Handsome suddenly let out a loud cry after finishing his wash.
I turned to see him clawing at Alcott, my knight escort. The cat clung to his leg, batting at him with soft little paws.
“Go away. I’m on duty.”
“Meooow!”
Alcott tried to gently shove him away with his foot, but that only provoked Handsome further, who clung even tighter.
“Haa… Handsome Bendingk.”
Alcott, normally so expressionless, actually used a stern voice, even tacking on the family name.
The Bendingk Count’s house—that was Allen’s family.
…What?
“Our family already has one loudmouth, Allen. That’s plenty.”
—Our family?
I froze.
Just then, the veterinarian Joffrey called to the cat.
“Come here, Handsome. I’ll give you a treat, so don’t bother the knight.”
The moment Joffrey pulled out a new snack I’d already refused to give him, Handsome abandoned Alcott without hesitation.
“Sir Joffrey. Please bill the Bendingk household.”
“No need. Handsome is testing my newly developed treats. If anything, I should be paying him.”
I whipped my head around to scrutinize Alcott’s face. Light brown hair, just like Allen’s. Deep green eyes.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Allen Bendingk. Alcott Bendingk.
They were brothers.
