by Hyougetsu
“I am one of the councilors who serve on the Meraldian Commonwealth Council, Veight Gerun Friedensrichter. Feel free to simply address me as Veight.”
Technically, I didn’t have a last name, but I’d needed to make one for myself to sell my noble status to Rolmund, so I’d decided to borrow Master’s middle name and the previous Demon Lord’s first name for myself. Of course, I’d gotten permission from Master before doing so. Prince Ashley nodded and replied, “As you wish, Lord Veight. Is it true that Meraldia is willing to swear fealty to our great Rolmund Empire?”
I smiled broadly and bowed my head.
“I have come here to prove my loyalty to my new liege, Your Highness.”
I probably could have worded that less ambiguously, but I really didn’t want to lie any more than necessary. So I purposely didn’t mention who my new liege was. Unaware of my true intentions, Prince Ashley nodded in satisfaction.
“I have received permission from the emperor to speak on his behalf. I, Ashley Voltof Schwerin Rolmund, will grant you the title of Honorary Count.”
In Western Rolmund, there had been a tradition of granting foreign nobles a special nobility rank that placed them within their own nation’s hierarchy as well. But since it was a title in name more than anything, the title was prefaced with “honorary.” Regardless, this meant I now had the right to participate in Rolmund high society as a noble. At the same time, this was my first true trial.
“But before I can do so, Lord Veight, there is one thing I must confirm.”
“And what is that?”
“I hear you are known as the Black Werewolf King in Meraldia. Your title would imply that you, yourself, are a werewolf.” Ashley then added, “The Sonnenlicht Order denounces demons as heretics. If you are indeed a werewolf, I am afraid I would be unable to grant you a title.”
A mage walked into the audience hall, flanked by a phalanx of guards. The prince gestured to him and said, “I would like to have an imperial magician investigate your true identity. Would that be permissible?”
I smiled and held out a hand to the mage.
“As you wish, Your Highness.”
The court magician grabbed my hand and chanted a spell. My guess was he was casting a detection spell. A rather thorough one at that. The wavelength of a person’s mana was generally determined by their race. Humans and werewolves had different mana signatures, which was likely what the mage was searching for.
However, I had two very reliable, very skilled specialists on my side. A mage well-versed in arts of deception, and a mage well-versed in arts of detection. The illusionist Lacy and the epoch mage Kite. Lacy was currently copying her own mana signature and using it to mask mine. She’d perfected it by practicing with Kite. Right now, her deception was good enough that not even he could see through it.
Of course, I also had the option of using my own vortex powers to absorb the spell. The mage’s detection spell acted as a sort of sonar though, so absorbing those waves of mana would result in me appearing as an unknown to him. What I wanted was to show airtight proof that I was human, not to raise suspicion.
When Eleora had been fighting against me, she’d sent detailed reports back to her homeland. So Rolmund’s higher-ups knew that the Southern Commonwealth had nine councilors, as well as their names and appearances. I would have liked to have impersonated a different councilor, but the only one around my age was Aram, and his physique was nothing like mine. It would have been difficult to continually alter my appearance with illusion magic, so I’d decided to go to Rolmund as myself and no one else.
The court mage cast a number of other investigative spells, thoroughly checking my mana’s composition. Had I not put countermeasures in place, my identity would have been long exposed. After a while, the court mage called for assistance, and another few mages came and cast the same spells. But no matter how many second or third opinions he called for, the results wouldn’t change. Finally, the mages were satisfied, and they bowed wordlessly to Prince Ashley. He nodded and said, “Well done. You are dismissed.”
Once the mages left, Ashley smiled at me.
“I apologize for the intrusion, but I beg your understanding. As a prince, I must be cautious.”
I smiled back and bowed my head.
“I can understand. You would not want demons loitering around the royal palace. If you wish, you’re welcome to investigate my aides as well.”
Parker was using the same camouflage as me, and Kite and Lacy were humans to begin with. Ashley smiled wryly in response.
“If I appear too suspicious, it will reflect poorly on the imperial family. I simply had to verify your identity as a matter of protocol, you may rest easy now.”
With that, the empire was convinced that I was a human who ruled over werewolves. They likely wouldn’t investigate me any further. We were already giving Ashley a false report on the political situation within Meraldia, so I figured I might as well throw some lies in about my identity too.
“My homeland is close to the demon army’s sphere of influence. As I have often negotiated both with and for them, I have become something like the werewolves’ official diplomat.”
Nothing I said was a lie. Originally, the werewolves weren’t part of the demon army. It was only after I’d convinced them that they formed a squad to join the army. Persuading them had been one hell of a challenge. Prince Ashley nodded.
“I see... so you have cut open a path not with martial might, but with the power of the pen.”
“Correct. However, it takes a man of a certain caliber to negotiate with humans on behalf of demons, Your Highness.”
I smiled suggestively at the prince. I’d been practicing my evil smile recently. Prince Ashley took the bait and leaned forward, curious.
“In Rolmund we have a certain saying. ‘A sheep in wolf’s clothing.’ It comes from one of our old folk tales, where a sheep wore the skin of a wolf to protect itself from other wolves.”
“As you can see, Your Highness, underneath all of my bluster I am but a sheep.”
My smile grew wider, and Prince Ashley shook his head.
“You seem to be less of a sheep and more of a horned ram.”
I hadn’t heard of that animal before, but it was probably some kind of beast-like monster. The prince called in several other nobles to introduce me to, then concluded the audience. While Eleora was able to escape unscathed, the prince seemed to be treating her rather curtly for someone who’d just successfully conquered another nation. I’d heard the court had cut back on lavish feasts to curtail expenses these past few decades, but even so, it was clear that the prince didn’t want to let Eleora have any glory. What a shame. I was hoping to try some tasty food.
“Our business is concluded. It would be impolite to loiter in the audience hall. Let us depart, Black Werewolf King.”
“One moment.”
Was Eleora planning on holing up in her fortress again? This was the time to be recruiting followers and winning people over, but it seemed Eleora was only interested in doing her duty. Of course, I could understand why. This palace wasn’t welcoming to a princess who was only sixth in line for the throne. Borsche leaned close and whispered, “Most of the nobles living in the capital are mere esquires who possess no land. Their only hope of becoming landed is to have someone from the emperor’s direct family grant them with territory, so most of them are Prince Ashley’s allies.”
“Are there any exceptions?”
Eleora gave me a sardonic smile.
“There are a few who have decided to back the emperor’s younger brother instead. The Doneiks family holds vast swathes of territory, and many of North Rolmund’s lords support him. Quite a few are hoping he will grant them his scraps.”
Middle-class nobles who possessed land were referred to as “landed nobles.” They earned their living by taxing the serfs that worked their land. Since they were self-sufficient, they didn’t need to rely on the imperial family. In an empire, land meant power. Regardl
ess of how Eleora seized the throne, she would need to obtain the support of the landed nobles, or she’d be facing rebellion after rebellion. Of course, she was capable enough to put them all down, but it wouldn’t be pretty. As I was pondering what the best way to win over all the other nobles was, I wandered into the courtyard. Standing in front of me was a group of nobles who’d been present at the earlier audience. Borsche leaned close and whispered, “Those are all esquires affiliated with the emperor’s brother. Be careful around them.”
“Understood.”
I wasn’t very interested in landless nobles, but it wouldn’t hurt to win them over if I could. However, their first words dashed any hopes I had of convincing these guys. In a voice loud enough for us to hear, they said, “Princess Eleora is quite capable. I never imagined she would win over those barbarians as allies.”
“Her Highness has inherited her mother’s alluring figure. It is not hard to imagine how she managed such a feat.”
“From what I heard she lost over half of her precious mage corps.”
“So she’s replenished her numbers with those barbarians? It must really have been a harsh campaign for her to stoop so low.”
I see, so that’s how it is. By purposely acting cold toward Eleora, they were publicly affirming their loyalty to the Doneiks family. Regardless of what their status or abilities were, I had no intention of teaming up with such scum. That being said, they weren’t completely worthless. Since I was already here, I figured I might as well make some use out of them.
Smiling, I swaggered up to the nobles. For a moment, they looked shocked. Before they could react, I said in perfect, unaccented Rolmundian, “Your statements are an affront to Her Highness Princess Eleora. Retract them at once and apologize.”
The nobles whispered furiously to each other. Then one of them smiled awkwardly and said, “Now this is a surprise... I never imagined a rural Meraldian noble would dare raise his voice against a great Knight of Rolmund.”
Who the hell’s this guy? Among the esquire ranks, knight was the lowest of the low. In fact, a knight barely ranked as nobility. I knew guys like this. If I backed down here, he’d just get even cockier. I’d learned that the hard way back in Japan. Just remembering those days pissed me off. There was no need to treat someone like this as human. I’d deal with him the demon way, not the human way. I sneered at the man and said, “I’m even more surprised a powerless Rolmund noble like you isn’t bowing down to me, the man who holds all of Meraldia in his grasp. I see Rolmund’s nobles are too uneducated to understand the intricacies of government.”
Though Meraldia’s population was small, it did hold a vast expanse of territory. And I was one of the councilors on the Commonwealth’s ruling body. Disparaging me was the same as disparaging Airia, or Firnir. Not only had this fool insulted Eleora, but he’d insulted all of Meraldia. I was itching to beat his face in, but I decided to hold it in for a little while longer.
The noble was so stunned by my belligerent attitude and the unexpected turn of events that came with it. Because these nobles knew so little about me, they’d assumed I was just some lowly noble coming from their empire’s vassal state. Rolmund was a powerful nation, and because of that, these nobles had grown arrogant and looked down on foreigners. Meaning it was up to me to teach them that they were just a big fish in a small pond.
Still smiling, I added, “Though I can understand why you might think as you do.”
Confused, the nobles gave me an odd look.
“While Her Highness and I were fighting ferociously at the front lines, you petty nobles sat on your asses and lived off the bounty of your people. It would be too much to expect anything from you.”
“Wha!?”
“Which is why as I said earlier, I will forgive you so long as you are willing to retract your remarks and apologize. I would recommend apologizing while I’m still smiling instead of yelling.”
The nobles seethed, and the largest among them, a bulky young man, put a hand to the rapier at his waist. Thanks to my heightened kinetic vision, I could hold my own pretty well in a fight even without transforming. I cast the strengthening magic I’d prepared beforehand on my palms and grabbed the man’s right hand.
“If you draw your weapons without even a formal declaration for a duel, you will be no better than common thugs. And I will dispose of you as such. Surely you don’t wish for such an ignoble end.”
“What the—”
The man was taller than me, but his face gradually turned pale as he realized how much pressure I was putting on his hand. I was also holding it in place, so he couldn’t escape.
“Y-You whelp... Uraaaaagh!”
His anger turned to hesitation, then fear. With my current grip strength, I could easily crush his fingers into dust. Just as he realized that, I let his hand go. He was so terrified that all the blood had drained from his face. I hardened my smile and gave the nobles one last warning. Let’s see if third time’s the charm.
“This is your last warning. Retract your statements and apologize.”
The nobles exchanged worried glances, and their leader stepped forward. He was a confident, well-dressed middle-aged man. Judging by his attitude, he likely held a higher status than the others. He was also quite well-built.
“We refuse. We will not bow our heads to some foreign mongrel.”
He’s got guts. Guess there’s no need to hold back.
“Considering how empty they are, I would hope you at least have the sense to bow them when the time comes.”
Following proper Rolmund custom, I took off the decorative chain on my sword belt. By removing the decorations on my belt, I was signaling my intent to fight. Such an action also served as a challenge for a duel. While the other nobles were cowering, their leader also removed the chain on his belt. He’d accepted the duel. The moment one party dropped their chain on the ground, the duel would begin.
However, the noble made no move to drop his chain. Meaning, he would accept my challenge if I issued it in earnest but would not issue one of his own. In truth, there was no real merit to dueling. Nobles who were overfond of dueling tended to be short-tempered, meaning they rarely rose high in the ranks. Mostly because they died before they could. I was a Meraldian diplomat, so dueling here would also negatively affect future negotiations. So of course, this man was likely thinking that I wouldn’t go through with it.
Unfortunately for him, I had no interest in making friends within Rolmund. I grinned wolfishly and dashed my chain against the ground. The other nobles gasped. My smile grew even more devious as I watched their faces pale.
“Y-You fool... are you insane!?”
“Who knows? But now you can’t run. Enjoy your last moments alive.”
I was mostly doing this to make my intentions clear, but I had to admit I also wanted an excuse to go wild.
The duel was set for tomorrow evening. It would be held in the parade grounds the imperial guards used for drills. Within the private quarters Eleora had been assigned, Lacy restlessly paced back and forth.
“Mister Veight, are you sure this is a good idea? If you transform, everyone will know you’re a werewolf. Ah, I suppose I could cast an illusion on your appearance to... No, that won’t work.”
I ignored Lacy and turned to Kite.
“You’re required to have a second in a duel, so you’ll be my second.”
Eleora raised an eyebrow.
“I should be your second. You started this duel to protect my honor. If I remain an onlooker, I will appear weak.”
I shook my head in response.
“I know how you’ve avoided rising to provocations until now in order to prevent things from blowing out of proportion. Which is why you can’t get involved now either.”
If Eleora personally got involved in a fight with nobles on Doneiks’ side, it would worsen relations between his family and hers, the Originia family. Since the Originia family was an offshoot of the matriarchal line, it was in a much weaker position
than the Doneiks’ family. They couldn’t afford a confrontation right now. Furthermore, if Eleora got involved it would bring trouble to her father’s family as well, the Kastonievs.
“As long as I’m the only one involved, it will just look like the whims of an odd foreign noble. At worst it will sour diplomatic relations between Meraldia and Rolmund, but it’s not like I ever cared about those in the first place.”
After all, my plan was to put Eleora on the throne and have her take care of this nation. However, Eleora sighed softly, unwilling to give in. In order to prevent her from feeling guilty, I grinned wickedly and said, “Don’t misunderstand, Princess Eleora. I’m not dueling for your honor. This is simply something I deemed necessary as a member of the Meraldian Commonwealth Council, and as a Vice-Commander of the demon army. Nothing more, nothing less.”
That seemed to convince Eleora. However, she wasn’t done talking yet.
“Very well. But, Black Werewolf King, do you know who your opponent is?”
“I think he called himself Viscount something-sky, but honestly I don’t remember.”
Upon hearing that, Eleora’s expression grew grim.
“Viscount Schmenivsky. He used to be a landed count, but after seven serf revolts he was stripped of his land and demoted. He’s infamous.”
What the hell did he do to make his serfs revolt seven times?
“That man is savage and cruel. He’s cut down slaves simply to test the sharpness of his new swords. He’s completely irredeemable scum.”
I hadn’t encountered anyone quite that awful in Meraldia yet. Eleora frowned, as if the mere mention of his name appalled her, and added, “It’s said that he once got into an argument with his guest about a certain poem. They were debating the line ‘A blood-red sunset,’ and to prove that such a descriptor was accurate, he slit a slave’s throat and compared the slave’s blood to the sunset. Within the court he’s known as the Count of Slaughter.”
Is he a psycho or something? I turned around and saw Lacy was trembling, so I decided to reassure her a little.
“Don’t worry. Meraldia doesn’t have disgusting nobles like that. And if it turns out we do, I’ll personally strip them of all authority. Like the Senate that came before us, it’s the Council’s duty to ensure people do not abuse their authority.”