A Fortune Rolls In
A few days after the letter arrived from the 71st floor, the long-awaited moment finally came. Nahen and Kain had come out to the castle gates themselves to greet their special guest. Tension was written all over Kain's face as he waited. Nahen, uncharacteristically, tried to ease his butler's nerves.
"Kain, relax a little. You're going to get yourself in trouble at this rate."
"Ah, understood."
During the previous lord's time, Kain had met far more imposing figures, yet here he was, nervous over the guest about to arrive. Nahen felt a pang of pity, wondering if a mere two years had changed him this much.
Clip-clop. Clip-clop.
At the sound of approaching hooves, Nahen looked beyond the gates. Moments later, a lavishly decorated black carriage came into view, drawn by two Bycons—the special horses native only to the Demon Realm.
They're finally here.
Nahen smiled with genuine delight. The thought of the enormous sum of money about to enter this impoverished Demon King's castle was enough to make him chuckle under his breath.
"Heh heh."
Seeing Nahen laughing to himself, Kain and the servants exchanged slightly unnerved glances. Realizing his laughter had come out rather strange, Nahen cleared his throat and composed his expression.
The carriage pulled by the Bycons stopped before the gates. Kain issued orders to the servants in a crisp, if slightly strained, voice.
"Open the gates!"
Though his tone had risen with tension, it was still passable. Nahen nodded to himself, thinking that experience hadn't gone anywhere after all, and stepped forward to greet their guest.
Oh?
Now that he looked closely, even the coachman driving the Bycons was no ordinary person. He was the Demon King's closest aide—the one currently riding inside the carriage. The others didn't seem to recognize him, but Nahen, who had played the game dozens of times, knew immediately. He decided to make the first move.
"This is quite an honor."
"Are you referring to me?"
"Yes."
"I fail to see what honor there could be in meeting a mere coachman."
"A coachman? That can't be right."
The coachman gave him a puzzled look. Nahen responded by offering a formal, respectful bow.
"I never expected to meet the renowned sage Baphomet in person. It's a pleasure. My name is Nahen."
At Nahen's greeting, the coachman's expression hardened instantly. Kain, too, stiffened as he watched Nahen address a supposed coachman by the name of the great sage Baphomet.
"L-Lord Nahen!?"
Just how far would this man's eccentric behavior go? Kain called out urgently, but Nahen kept his head lowered, as if waiting for the coachman to acknowledge the greeting.
"...When did you realize?"
"It would be stranger if I hadn't noticed, wouldn't it?"
"Everyone else seemed oblivious."
Nahen glanced at Baphomet, then looked around. Baphomet's words appeared to be true. Kain and the servants were staring at Nahen as though he were mad—bowing respectfully to a coachman before their actual guest had even stepped out. Nahen readily conceded the point.
"So it seems."
"Haha."
Baphomet chuckled lightly before calling toward the carriage.
"What did you think?"
"Interesting."
The carriage door swung open on its own, without anyone touching it—clearly the work of magic. Nahen had already sensed a considerable flow of mana from within moments earlier. As the door opened, a woman with a voluptuous figure stepped out. Her beauty was so captivating that several male servants let out involuntary gasps of admiration. Golden hair cascaded over her shoulders and curves, and her crimson eyes held an alluring, almost hypnotic quality.
Nahen offered her a meaningful smile and bowed his head without hesitation. Following his lead, Kain and all the servants of the Demon King's castle bowed in unison. Speaking on their behalf, Nahen greeted her.
"It is an honor to meet you like this."
Still bowing toward the current 71st-ranked Demon King, Nahen raised his eyes with a bold glint.
"Your Majesty Sitri."
Sitri. That was her name.
"To see through Baphomet's disguise... You're no ordinary man, are you?"
"An ordinary man couldn't possibly serve as Lady Seere's teacher, could he?"
"...Hah!"
Sitri snorted, but Nahen remained completely unfazed. If someone had accumulated enough knowledge to become a Demon King's teacher, they should understand exactly what it meant to stand before a higher-ranked Demon King. Kain, however, was horrified.
What in the world is he thinking, speaking so insolently?
Even if Nahen was an outsider, he was now part of the 72nd floor. To show such disrespect to a higher-ranked Demon King—Kain began to worry that Seere might face repercussions. Fortunately, Sitri didn't seem to mind. If anything, she was intrigued. The fact that he had instantly identified Baphomet's hidden identity, combined with his sheer audacity, proved he was no ordinary person. Sitri found him quite entertaining.
"Fair enough."
Seeing Sitri's positive reaction, Kain breathed a sigh of relief. Nahen, as if he had expected nothing less, lifted his head with a relaxed smile and asked her,
"May I ask what brings you here?"
"You're in quite a hurry. Couldn't we discuss this inside?"
"I'm afraid not. Not unless your reason is legitimate."
"What?"
Sitri's brow furrowed slightly. Kain's jaw dropped at Nahen's boldness. Yet Nahen continued without the slightest concern for her expression.
"My apologies, but this is the domain of Seere von Devata."
He blinked once, slowly.
"Even a higher-ranked Demon King cannot trespass upon another Demon King's territory without cause. I would appreciate it if you could provide a valid reason. The letter you sent made no mention of one."
Sitri let out a dry laugh. Am I really being dismissed by someone like this now? In the past, someone like him would have...
She sighed.
"As the ruler of the 71st floor, I have matters to discuss with the ruler of the 72nd floor."
"Ah, so that is the reason for your visit."
Baphomet, however, understood the true intent behind Nahen's actions. He was making a clear statement here and now—reminding everyone that Seere von Devata was indeed a Demon King, and solidifying that fact by using the higher-ranked Sitri to do so.
"...A clever one."
Nahen smirked inwardly at Baphomet's muttered words. Then, as if nothing had happened, he addressed Sitri with renewed politeness.
"Please forgive my earlier rudeness. As Lady Seere's guardian, I must exercise caution. I hope you can understand."
"...Fine. I understand. Now take us to the reception room. And bring that little one along."
"Understood."
Nahen glanced at Kain. The experienced butler immediately grasped what was needed.
"I'll escort Lady Seere to the reception room."
#
Before Seere arrived, Nahen guided Sitri to the reception room. Baphomet remained with the carriage at Sitri's command. Thinking this made things easier, Nahen opened the door to the reception room with a flourish. The servants inside bowed their heads in greeting.
"You've lost quite a few servants."
"I hear their finances have been rather tight."
"Is that so? How unfortunate."
Nahen thought it was laughable. Seere's Demon King's castle had grown poor in no small part because of Sitri's influence.
"Please, have a seat."
"Thank you."
When Sitri crossed her legs in a seductive manner, Nahen maintained his smile outwardly while inwardly spitting in disgust. Her intentions were far too obvious, and it repulsed him.
She thinks she can seduce me just because I'm a man. Not a chance.
You're nothing but a walking wallet.
Meanwhile, unaware of Nahen's thoughts, Sitri smiled to herself.
He can't take his eyes off my legs. Men are so easy.
Both wore relaxed smiles while thinking completely different things. Nahen decided to make the first move before Seere arrived.
"Your Majesty Sitri."
"Speak."
"You've come to discuss compensation costs with Seere, haven't you?"
"...You know quite a bit. That's right. During the last human adventurer invasion, quite a few of our soldiers who were helping defend the 72nd floor died. So you'll need to pay compensation and cover the costs of additional troop deployments."
"And whose decision was it to deploy those soldiers?"
"What? It was my generous consideration, of course. The 72nd floor's forces alone couldn't possibly stop a human invasion, could they?"
Nahen smiled faintly at Sitri's answer. Maintaining that same smile, he spoke in a tone that completely contradicted his expression.
"You're quite the thug, aren't you?"
"What... did you just say?"
"Even if you speak with Seere, you won't get anything. I hold the financial authority of Devata Castle. So if you want to extract the compensation you desire... you'll have to negotiate with me."
Nahen pointed to himself with natural ease, steering the conversation exactly where he wanted.
Sitri felt as though she had been struck over the head with a hammer. After calling her a thug, he was now trying to slip away like an eel. His attitude had been grating on her from the start, and now he had dropped a bomb right in her lap. She had no reason to tolerate this.
"How dare you speak to a higher-ranked Demon King in such a manner."
In that instant, the entire area was engulfed in overwhelming mana. This powerful force dominating the space was the power of a Demon King.
"You must be insane."
Sitri was genuinely furious. Her previously relaxed smile twisted as raw emotion surfaced. Some of the servants, unable to withstand the pressure of the mana, collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. But something was strange.
What...?
Nahen was completely fine. More than fine—he showed no signs of being affected at all. Still wearing his relaxed smile, he spoke to Sitri.
"Why are you so angry?"
"You don't know the reason, yet you keep running your mouth!"
"Is it because I called you a thug?"
"You know exactly why, so why are you still talking!?"
"Then perhaps you shouldn't have done it. Forcing surplus troops onto a weaker Demon King and then demanding money for it—that's the very definition of thuggery, isn't it?"
"Your insolence knows no bounds!"
Some of the scattered mana around Sitri coalesced into a single mass. A spell formed in an instant, aimed directly at Nahen. He merely glanced at it briefly.
"This is the punishment you brought upon yourself!"
Hell Spear
A spear of mana formed in the blink of an eye, hurtling toward Nahen. Yet even in this life-or-death moment, he remained seated upright, smiling calmly.
"I was trying to avoid using force, lest I damage Your Majesty's pride."
Snap!
As the spear drew near, Nahen flicked his fingers. The spear Sitri had conjured scattered like smoke and vanished. Sitri stared in disbelief.
"It disappeared...?"
"Your Majesty Sitri."
She looked at Nahen—and flinched violently.
W-What is that...?
Outwardly, Nahen still appeared to be an ordinary demon, but Sitri could feel it—the immense, ferocious presence hidden within him. Its existence was so overwhelming that even a Demon King like Sitri found herself speechless and frozen. Nahen spoke softly to the rigid Sitri.
"I have a proposal. Would you like to hear it?"
"What...? Now, in this situation?"
"Yes."
"Why... why would I listen to that...?"
Even her voice began to tremble. To Sitri's eyes, Nahen no longer looked like an ordinary demon. He appeared as something else entirely—something vast and terrifying. Like one of the Beasts of the Apocalypse. What she saw was a colossal white whale, large enough to swallow not just the Demon King's castle but the entire floor. The enormous creature slowly opened its mouth.
"You won't be able to refuse."
"W-What...?"
"Because it's about the seal placed upon Your Majesty."
In that moment, Sitri's thoughts came to a halt. Her trembling voice steadied, fear forgotten.
"You... do you understand what that means to me?"
Nahen had touched upon Sitri's reverse scale. Before a certain incident, Sitri had been the 12th-ranked Demon King, known as a high-ranking Demon King. Bringing up the event that caused her to fall to 71st place was taboo for her. Though she had glimpsed Nahen's true nature, her anger overrode everything. Emotion consumed her reason, and fear vanished.
"What could you possibly know to speak of that incident!?"
"I know. How could I not know about the event that sealed Your Majesty's power and caused your fall from the 12th rank?"
Sitri ground her teeth and shouted.
"If you're just going to spout something everyone already knows, then shut up!"
"And the sealing stones that bound Your Majesty's power are scattered across floors ruled by mid-tier Demon Kings or higher."
Sitri could hardly believe her ears. That information was known only to the Demon Kings who had sealed her power and a few others present at the meeting during the incident.
"H-How do you know that...?"
"To break Your Majesty's seal, you'll need to conquer the higher floors. I'll help you with that."
"...What?"
"In exchange, please transfer the surplus troops Your Majesty sent to the 72nd floor to our side. And it would be appreciated if you could also provide operational funds. I would also like you to solidify our alliance going forward."
Sitri was stunned by Nahen's demands. It wasn't the conditions themselves that shocked her—it was the sheer audacity of confidently offering to help conquer the higher floors. Each floor's scale of power was on a completely different level. How could he possibly accomplish that?
"How... how are you going to help me?"
"You just saw it. A portion of my power."
"...!"
Sitri was inwardly horrified. That power she had witnessed earlier was only a fraction of what he possessed?
"You... what exactly are you?"
Nahen let out a light chuckle at Sitri's question and answered simply and clearly.
"I'm the Demon King's teacher."