Victory Celebration Banquet (2)
The scale of the victory ceremony held at Maherith Palace was far more modest than expected. They hadn’t yet driven Sabnack and the Demon King Army out of the Libria Peninsula entirely. The High Priestess and the Yetzirah Council had judged it premature to hold a grand celebration, so they planned to announce the victory to the nations of the continent through this event while saving the full-scale ceremony for after the Demon King Army was completely expelled from the peninsula.
Proclaiming the fall of the Demon Kings. Proclaiming the Diablo Slayer who had vanquished the Tyranny Demon King and the Raging Flames Demon King. Those were the two reasons for this preliminary victory ceremony at Maherith Palace.
“Nngh.”
Ardena Valencia made her way unsteadily down the palace corridor toward the hall where the ceremony was being held. No sooner had she arrived than a high elf man who looked like a swallow approached her with a familiar grin. She tried to pretend not to notice him, but considering the bond of comradeship forged in the fires of war, she decided to endure it just this once.
“Bariteon.”
“Who’d have thought you’d wear a dress? Does that mean the sun’s rising in the west tomorrow? If you’d shown this demure side in a dress earlier, I’d have made you my wife ages ago.”
“Cut the jokes.”
“Right, it was a joke. I don’t wanna die at the hands of the Diablo Slayer.”
Bariteon burst into laughter, raising both hands in surrender under Ardena’s fierce glare. He was dressed in outrageously flashy attire—a mustard-yellow suit paired with a wine-red necktie, adorned with all manner of lavish accessories to flaunt his splendor before the crowd. As one of the twelve warrior captains safeguarding the Liberia Elf Kingdom and leader of Trident Company, he reveled in such displays.
“The pity is how few people are here for the celebration.”
Bariteon sighed. Due to the scaled-down nature of this victory banquet, the guest list was extremely limited: the High Priestess, the warrior captains, nobles from the Yetzirah Council, and the envoys dispatched from foreign lands—that was all. For Bariteon, who yearned to show off his handsome features and extravagance to as many as possible, it was a grave disappointment.
“This victory ceremony celebrates the subjugation of the Raging Flames Demon King. Your petty vanity is irrelevant. Uphold the honor and pride of a warrior captain.”
“You’re nagging again. Thank goodness I never made you my woman.”
“The feeling’s mutual.”
Where Ardena was a warrior captain armored in strict discipline, Bariteon was draped in carefree flamboyance—like water and oil. To her, he was as much a natural adversary as Allen Rocksfield.
Sensing her wariness, Bariteon’s playful side emerged, and he decided to share a “tip” with the high elf maiden in her dress. He claimed it was a magic spell that could instantly advance her stagnant relationship with Yushin.
“A magic spell? Bariteon, what’s your game? You’re no mage—how would you know a magic spell?”
“Hey, Warrior Captain Ardena. In the Liberia Elf Kingdom, no one’s more skilled at romance than me. Add up all the women I’ve been with, and it’s like a legion of troops. No one’s more pro at man-woman relations than yours truly.”
“Is that something to brag about, you philanderer?!”
“Point is, no one knows more about relationships than me. And hey, I’m the head of Trident Company, teaching Bria Academy’s pre-graduates. You can trust me—no harm in listening, right?”
“If this is nonsense, I’m leaving.”
Ardena fixed him with a prim expression but waited for his words. At last, Bariteon spoke, and she perked up her pointed ears, listening intently to the self-proclaimed Tier 1 romance expert.
Before attending the victory banquet, Yushin Gilliard met with Wallace Valencia, who was neatly dressed in a suit. The atmosphere was quite heavy.
He formally apologized to Wallace for unintentionally injuring Ardena and for severing the obedience seal’s choker and fleeing without permission.
Wallace Valencia was his benefactor. Not only had he provided conveniences to Yushin upon his arrival in the Liberia Elf Kingdom as a slave, but he had also treated him with respect as his daughter’s swordsmanship instructor. Yet Yushin had repaid that kindness like an enemy.
“The moment Ardena first brought you to the castle, I had a sudden intuition. That she harbored special feelings for you. A father just knows. You can tell from a glance at her eyes.”
“…Wasn’t it just because you needed a sword instructor for Alonne, so you bought me as a slave for that purpose?”
Wallace shook his head at Yushin’s words.
“No, even if it hadn’t been for Alonne, Ardena wouldn’t have let you go. She’s so earnest and stubborn that she doesn’t know how to approach the one she’s set her heart on. That’s why she brought you in as a slave under the pretext of being Alonne’s instructor.”
Wallace added, “That stubborn streak is just like her mother’s—I can tell.” He forced a wry smile, his face twisting as if he’d drunk a bitter draught, perhaps recalling his currently separated wife.
“That’s why I’ve treated you—and all the slaves who came to Valencia Castle—with such consideration all this time. Fourth-class or not, human or not… you were the first man our daughter ever fancied. As a father, I naturally wanted to support you. I feared if I let this chance slip, I’d never see Ardena married.”
Even if he was a slave, even if he was a lowly fourth-class human. Wallace, desperate at the sight of his 320-year-old daughter who had never once dated and remained pure, had made a bold decision. He knew what would happen if his daughter coupled with a human slave. That was why he’d intended to keep their relationship secret.
“I’ve received so much help until now. I want to stay with the Valencia family and repay that debt going forward.”
“Don’t feel burdened.”
Wallace feigned nonchalance at Yushin’s heavy response, but it was a lie. In truth, he didn’t want to let Yushin go. It was simple selfishness—the natural emotion of any sentient being driven by desire. No one in the world could release the Diablo Slayer who had consecutively toppled the Tyranny Demon King and the Raging Flames Demon King without hesitation.
Besides, Wallace was a high elf noble. As head of his house, family came first.
“My daughter likes you.”
“…Yes.”
Yushin nodded cautiously at Wallace’s words. He’d had a vague inkling. That the dazzlingly beautiful woman harbored feelings of affection for him. How could he not know? And that was precisely why he hesitated. Whether he deserved to accept her heart.
Subjugating Sabnack might have been his way of resolving that hesitation, even a little. Defeating the Raging Flames Demon King would bring him one step closer to her. There were many reasons for battling Sabnack, but most of them were intimately tied to Ardena.
“You’ve decided to stay with the Valencia family. What exactly does that mean?”
“Same as before. I’ll teach Alonne so she can safely pass Bria Academy’s graduation exam. And after she graduates safely… well, I haven’t thought that far ahead.”
“For the Diablo Slayer himself to teach my daughter is more than we deserve. Who’d have thought the slave Ardena brought home was the Diablo Slayer? I prided myself on having seen it all after so many years, but meeting you has been one surprise after another.”
Wallace let out a hearty laugh and extended his hand to Yushin—a handshake of reconciliation. Was it right to so easily forgive the man who had wronged his precious daughter? Yushin hesitated briefly, but soon gripped Wallace’s hand in response.
Yushin chose to remain with the Valencia family. Valencia Forest had become his second home, a precious place where Ardena and Alonne resided.
Seira Leon and Emily Leon were among the twelve warrior captains, but they were also the prized daughters of the Leon family. They fought for their nation and served their house loyally. Raised under their father’s strict tutelage, the twin sisters possessed unwavering loyalty to their family.
They hadn’t given up on Yushin. Recruiting the Diablo Slayer as an ally for their house—that was their goal. Even if it meant facing unforeseen obstacles (Ardena, Allen) along the way, they had no intention of yielding.
“Sis, how do I look?”
“Gorgeous, obviously.”
The twins, their cherry-blossom pink hair cascading to their waists, complimented each other’s appearances while anticipating that the Diablo Slayer would fall for their beauty trap. Any man with a dick couldn’t resist stunning beauties, after all.
“There’s no way the Diablo Slayer won’t fall for your charms, Sis.”
“Obviously, Emily.”
“If he doesn’t succumb to your seduction… he’s gotta be gay.”
“Exactly! Come on, Emily—let’s review everything we’ve studied.”
“Okay!”
Seira and Emily opened their manual titled Romance route: Master Dating Even If You’re a Beginner—Just Know This! and began reciting its pages by heart. They’d already memorized it thoroughly, but as perfectionists, they reviewed meticulously to avoid mistakes in the field.
They projected breezy confidence while fidgeting, their legs trembling restlessly. The reason they clung so desperately to the romance guide was simple: the Leon family’s twin heiresses were genuine virgins who had never succeeded in love.
The eldest, Seira, had her childhood engagement broken off after three days due to her fierce personality. The younger, Emily, had rejected all suitors weaker than herself, aspiring to be like Ardena. As a result, the Leon twins had never experienced real romance.
“Um, Sis…”
“What?”
“Well… how do you kiss? It says to stick out your tongue depending on the mood, but… why tongue for a kiss? Mom never used her tongue when kissing our cheeks.”
“Hmm… uh, maybe to check their health? If you truly love someone, you’d want to make sure they’re healthy first.”
“Oh! You’re so smart, Sis.”
“Duh!”
While the Leon twins plotted their honey trap for the Diablo Slayer, other warrior captains—Liana Linehold and Rosta Buckle—were also targeting Yushin, though for different reasons. Rosta simply yearned to be near him out of awe and respect, while Liana was gradually developing a fondness sparked by the grand bathhouse incident. Thus, she planned to tempt him with a rather bold dress.