For Dantalion and Laura, this summer and autumn had been a happy time.
On the surface, they bickered about trivial things like how many times they slept in a day. But in reality, they were living through the most satisfying period of their lives. The two had finally seized the peace they had so desperately sought through years of political strife and war.
Yet this peace was the eye of a storm.
Dantalion, ranked seventy-first. The rookie Demon Lord who had only revealed his existence by attending last year's Walpurgis Night had risen to become a key figure among the Demon Lords in just a single year.
Of course, Demon Lords who occasionally punched above their rank were not unheard of. Paimon, currently in decline, held only the ninth rank in title, yet in terms of influence, he ranked among the top five of all Demon Lords.
But rank seventy-first… With Andromalius, ranked seventy-second, having been killed off, Dantalion was essentially the lowest of the low. It was exceedingly rare for a Demon Lord of such insignificance to extend their reach across the entire Crescent Alliance Army. A new power had truly emerged for the first time in a long while.
Demon society always kept a keen eye on the movements of the Demon Lords. Dantalion had stirred up quite a buzz.
However, there was a problem.
"But…"
"Who exactly is Dantalion?"
Information was sorely lacking.
Until now, virtually no one had cared about rank seventy-one. Information about Dantalion was exceedingly rare—a sliver of truth, the vast majority lies, and conspiracy theories masquerading as gossip, all mixed together. Demon society was boiling over with speculation.
"I hear he's Lord Barbatos's right-hand man. There are rumors they share a more intimate relationship than a simple subordinate…"
"You fool! Lord Barbatos is homosexual. He would never take a man as a lover. Rather, they say Dantalion is the chief strategist of the Plains Faction. He's essentially the brain behind the Plains Faction."
The romance between Barbatos, who had maintained his virginity for the past two thousand years, and Dantalion set the Demon Realm ablaze. Barbatos had always been popular among the Demonkin.
Famous as the Demon Lord who had devoted himself to the Demon Realm more than any other, and despite being homosexual, his unwavering virginity earned him fanatical support from many men—and a minority of women. Barbatos's portrait hung in even the humblest of common households.
Was Barbatos finally—finally—dating a man?
Rank eight and rank seventy-one. A gap in standing so vast that love should have been impossible. The romance between these two Demon Lords struck straight at the hearts of the Demonkin. There were those who made a spectacle of it, calling it the love of the century, and those who seethed in fury, declaring it an impossibility.
"A scoundrel I wouldn't be satisfied even chewing to death!"
"How dare he toy with our beloved Barbatos!"
"I'll peel the bastard's skin off with a kitchen knife."
One Demonkin author saw an opportunity in all of this. He penned a story titled *Me, Barbatos's First Man*. It was nothing more than a slight twist on the dime-store romance novels that littered the marketplace, yet the storybook became an overwhelming sensation. Every scribe in the Demon Realm spent a good while copying *Me, Barbatos's First Man* to sell, and none of them had to worry about their next meal for some time.
Most Demonkin were simply excited by the juicy gossip.
Those who wanted to view the situation more wisely took a step back from the romance angle.
"Rank seventy-one couldn't possibly wield that much influence. Think about it carefully. Ever since Dantalion rose to prominence, the Plains Faction and the Mountain Faction have been going head-to-head. What do you think that means?"
"...You're saying Demon Lord Dantalion is a scarecrow the Plains Faction put up to draw the Mountain Faction's attacks?"
"Exactly. The timing is far too convenient to be coincidence. Dantalion will likely be sacrificed before long. The Plains Faction will offer him up as a magnanimous gesture to save face for the Mountain Faction. In the end, he's nothing but a moth drawn to the flame."
For these people, "wisdom" meant holding an opinion different from the masses. That is, they would not hesitate to conjure up any contrarian argument — by whatever logic necessary — simply to set themselves apart from the general public. The truth meant nothing to them compared to self-satisfaction. Or, to be more precise, they wanted only a truth that gratified themselves.
Only the tiniest handful of Demonkin.
They were the powerful. They had no need to deduce the truth — because they occupied positions where they could obtain it firsthand. These powerful figures knew the truth: that Demon Lord Dantalion of rank seventy-one had truly risen as a pivotal figure of the Crescent Alliance Army.
They took the situation seriously.
"It's not just Barbatos. He's close with Beleth and Zepar too. They even swore blood brotherhood, apparently. He's treated as a top-tier figure within the Plains Faction, for all practical purposes."
"And Marbas is on his side as well? Hah! That's preposterous."
"It's not just the Plains Faction and the Neutral Faction. Word is that even Gamigin holds favorable sentiments toward him..."
"No — even Sitri...?"
This was an unprecedented newcomer.
If he had simply surged in rank due to overwhelming combat strength, the situation would be straightforward enough. Such Demon Lords were rare but not unheard of. The current rank-one Demon Lord, Bael, had been a low-ranking Demonkin only three thousand years ago, after all.
This newcomer was different. Combat strength, wealth — none of it was particularly impressive. What was truly staggering was his political acumen. The political ripples he generated were terrifying.
Dantalion had begun exerting influence over Demon Lords across the Plains Faction, the Mountain Faction, the Neutral Faction, and the independents alike.
"H-His rank is still only seventy-first, though. He can't possibly wield that much power."
"Don't be stupid. Dantalion doesn't need to wield power himself. All he has to do is serve as a bridge between the different factions. That alone will flip the entire Demon Lord army's landscape one hundred and eighty degrees!"
"His individual strength is modest, but his political reach is incomparably vast… From now on, the Demon Lord army's every move may begin with Dantalion and end with Dantalion."
Such an important figure. They had to build connections with him by any means necessary.
The powerful players of Demon Realm society sprang into action. Before long, they realized they had no channel through which to contact Dantalion, and they screamed in frustration.
"How can there not be a single soul who has even met Dantalion?!"
"He only made his debut as a Demon Lord last year. It would be strange if anyone did know him. But not a single person knows his whereabouts — that's a bit serious…"
"Mobilize the entire intelligence division! You useless incompetents! I said he's your top priority!"
The powerful players' tenacity was relentless.
By midsummer, they had even uncovered the fact that Dantalion had signed an exclusive contract with the Kunkuska Trading Company, and that the company's proxy was Lapis Lazuli — nothing more than a low-ranking Succubus.
If Ivar Lodbrok hadn't spent thousands of years fortifying the trading company's security to an impenetrable level, the powerful players would have obtained the information within two days.
And so.
"Lady Lazuli! His Grace the Grand Duke of the Venom Serpent Hell sends his regards. He humbly requests that His Lordship Dantalion attend the Harvest Festival this autumn…"
"In honor of the noble aspirations of the Crescent Alliance Army, we have established a sponsorship committee. We would very much like to invite His Lordship Dantalion to the committee's event. This is a modest token of appreciation prepared for you, Lady Lazuli."
"His Excellency the Marquis of the Nirabuta Hell wishes to personally offer his second daughter's hand—"
"No, more importantly, His Excellency the Duke of the Olballa Hell—"
All manner of requests and bribes came crashing toward Lapis like a tsunami.
Born as a half-human, half-demon hybrid and subjected to ostracism her entire life, Lapis found her circumstances transformed overnight. The most powerful figures in the Demon Realm became docile lambs, clinging to Lapis at every turn.
Powerful figures and their proxies who, just a year ago, wouldn't have so much as glanced at a low-ranking Succubus now approached her with every imaginable display of flattery. Among them were even those who tried to tempt her with promises of a baron's title. Simply being known as one of Dantalion's close associates had instantly elevated her social standing.
"……."
Lapis felt a thrill.
She had been born in degradation. She had lived in wretchedness. But she had refused to let her end be just as sordid — she had survived on blood and sweat. At last, her efforts had been rewarded...
If she had succumbed to the sweet taste of power right here, Lapis Lazuli would have remained nothing more than a forgettable figure. But Lapis was no forgettable figure. That was precisely why Dantalion had chosen her.
Lapis first feigned a willingness to accommodate the requests of the powerful. She pocketed their enormous bribes. For once, they were handing them over freely. There was no reason to refuse. The power brokers, eagerly expecting a meeting with Dantalion soon, willingly poured lavish bribes at her feet.
But the day they would actually meet Dantalion did not come easily.
"Lord Lazuli! Did you not swear that you would arrange a meeting with His Excellency Dantalion this very month?!"
"My apologies."
Lapis replied, her face utterly expressionless.
"The war with the Crescent Alliance Army has not yet concluded. His Excellency Dantalion has been keeping busy with the conflict as well. He simply cannot find the time to visit the Demon Realm."
"You said the same thing last month — and the month before that!"
The Silver Wolf sent as a proxy by some Grand Duke of the underworld twisted its face in alternating shades of red and blue.
"It is early autumn now. Already autumn, I tell you. When on earth will I be able to have an audience with His Excellency Dantalion?"
"I will certainly arrange something by mid-September."
"Tch."
The Silver Wolf's lips twitched.
The request for a meeting had been made in June. Three months had now slipped by. The forces in the Demon Realm currently vying for Dantalion's attention were far from few. He needed to secure his connection to Dantalion before the others, yet the Succubus before him was toying with him the entire time.
'She may keep an expressionless face, but inside she's raising hundreds of venomous snakes!'
How dare a lowly half-human, half-demon wretch look down on a noble Silver Wolf. If it were up to him, he would have torn open his jaws and chewed through her neck right then and there. But there was nothing he could do. She was the one holding the blade.
The Silver Wolf swallowed his fury and managed to speak.
"Fine. Mid-September, then! I will definitely — absolutely! No matter what — see His Excellency!"
"Yes. Thank you for your gracious understanding on behalf of Lord Dantalion."
Lapis bowed her head politely. Her movements were so impeccably courteous and refined that the Silver Wolf had to suppress the surge of killing intent welling up inside him once again.
She held out a metallic box she had prepared in advance. The metallic box was filled with gemstones.
"This is a small token of the Grand Duke's respect for Lord Dantalion."
"Thank you. His Lordship will be most pleased."
Even faced with an enormous fortune, Lapis did not so much as bat an eye. She simply accepted the box with a calm, unruffled demeanor.
The Silver Wolf was inwardly stunned by the Succubus's nerve. Without realizing it, he heaved a sigh and walked out of Lapis's office. He had a nagging premonition that no matter when September arrived, he would never get to meet Dantalion — though he could not say why...
After seeing the Silver Wolf off, Lapis appraised the treasure chest's value. Having handled gemstones far more frequently as of late, her eye for quality had grown sharper alongside it. Lapis examined each gem one by one with her gloved hands.
"Sapphires, diamonds... and a small amount of gold coins. This comes to around two thousand gold."
That's a decent haul, Lapis nodded to herself.
She was in the midst of a delicate power play with the various power brokers of the Demon Realm. These power brokers yearned to meet Dantalion — and to do so sooner than their rivals. Lapis exploited that yearning. Her strategy went as follows:
I can connect you to Dantalion. But it won't come free. I will not arrange meetings on goodwill alone.
Pay up.
I will grant first-come, first-served priority to whoever pays the most. You brought ten thousand gold? Not enough. You've come with twenty thousand gold this time? Still not enough. Money — bring me more money.
In short, Lapis had the audacity to pit the Demon Realm's power brokers against each other like racehorses. The power brokers saw through her scheme, yet were powerless to resist. All they could do was desperately offer up bribes so as not to fall behind their competitors.
Lapis sealed the treasure chest and pulled a sheet of paper from inside her pocket. She took up a quill pen and inscribed the sum on the paper.
"Now that makes eighty thousand gold... That should do."
Over the past three months, the total amount extorted from the power brokers had reached a staggering eighty thousand gold!
She was amassing all of it for the sake of Dantalion.
'Now is the time to make money. This is the perfect moment — while everyone, myself included, is overvaluing Lord Dantalion.'
Lapis was well acquainted with Dantalion's hollow pretense. She knew better than anyone that the present moment — when Dantalion's value had been inflated to incomprehensible heights thanks to the Crescent Alliance Army war — was the opportunity of a lifetime.
'In other words, now is the time to fleece them.'
Lapis's blue eyes gleamed.
Her merchant's soul was ablaze.
Shortly after, another power broker's representative arrived at the office. This time it was a dwarf. The dwarf bellowed in a gruff voice.
"Lady Lazuli! You promised me without fail that I'd get to meet Lord Dantalion this month!"
"I apologize. Lord Dantalion is currently on a secret mission for the Crescent Alliance Army..."
As she smoothly buttered up the dwarf, Lapis thought to herself.
'Just another twenty thousand gold, and that'll be it.'
Even while making that resolve, Lapis remained utterly composed.
Every power broker in the Demon Realm trembled with fury at the wickedness of this lowly succubus.
============================ Author's Notes ============================
Lapis: Shouldn't I prepare at least 100,000 gold for the dowry?
Power brokers: …….