DSB 19

“Hm. I know, but.”

Damian’s eyebrow twitched. That attitude is strange. Suspicion and oddity are different. His demeanor was confident and nonchalant.

Yes, as if commanding others was natural and he was in a position respected by everyone. But from the investigation, he was Lebel Alcadi, called the Foolish Prince.

That’s why everything is strange. I don’t know what he’s thinking, what he wants.

Contrary to Damian’s complicated thoughts, Lebel’s mind was simple. Since they provided him a castle, it’s natural to do that much work. Originally, a demon’s contract is giving as much as receiving.

Since the man in front seems stronger than me. I need to do something else. Something came to mind right away.

“Understood. Should I look at the documents? There seem to be quite a few.”

Lebel said while looking at the documents piled on the table.

Hundreds of years ago, when clashing with the Celestial Realm, mediating as the Demob Realm’s representative or agreeing was Lebel’s part.

“What kind of information do you think you’re going to get?”

When Damian refused, Lebel, who pondered for a moment, thought of something else.

“Then let me see the demonic beast corpses obtained from this expedition.”

“…You? There will be hard-to-see things too.”

Hard to see?

When Lebel tilted his head, Damian nodded to Iol to do as he wants.

“I’ll guide you.”

Lebel got up saying understood.

“If you can do something, find it and do it.”

In fact, Damian had no intention of making Lebel do something today. He just wanted to make him feel responsibility as the madam since he didn’t leave the room lazily.

Thus, he didn’t expect Lebel’s words. What can the Foolish Prince who did nothing do?

As Lebel was walking receiving guidance, Iol cautiously spoke to him.

“Please don’t hate Damian too much. It’s because there are many incidents. Rather, he was worried he might have been too harsh when he heard that Your Highness wouldn’t come out of his room. He may look scary on the outside, but he’s kind on the inside.”

“I don’t hate him.”

The hostility from the first meeting had subsided much more. In the first place, he didn’t not understand his mind.

If Karon or my subordinates were here, they would have tried to kill Yutis. Damian not rushing to kill him is sufficiently kind.

“I’m glad. Does Mahan treat you well? If he’s not to your liking….”

“It’s fine. I just memorized the name, changing again is annoying.”

Following Iol’s guidance, they arrived at the warehouse where demonic beast materials were piled.

“Butler?”

A man bowed to Iol and sent a gaze full of curiosity toward Lebel. Lebel ignored the man and examined the interior.

‘As expected, all familiar things.’

Demonic beasts were born in the Middle Realm or demons with curiosity brought them to the Demon Realm and bred them there.

Once, coats or capes made of demonic beast fur were in fashion. For plants too, there were many things he saw in the Demon Realm.

With this much, he could sufficiently impart the desired knowledge. It’s strange the Demon realm knowledge helping humans.

“What exactly do you want? A way to develop the North? There are many ways to develop. The easiest would be to make the empire you hate kneel at your feet.”

“Hic!”

The man, the administrator managing demonic beast materials, hiccuped in surprise. Because Lebel’s direct words were so shocking. Iol’s eyes widened too.

“There are many useful demonic beast materials, so you can make excellent weapons. There seem to be quite a few talents who can use them well.”

Lebel recalled Yutis or his subordinates. At least, they seem much better at handling than the empire’s knights.

“If not, how about magic stones? There are few mages here? Since it harbors demonic energy, if slightly modified, it can be used as magic stones too.”

He heard there are few mages among humans, though demons or angels can use magic with a gesture.

“If not, money? Humans valued money a lot. Ah, no. In winter, a lot of fuel is consumed to maintain warmth? Shall I tell a way to reduce that?”

Iol and the administrator couldn’t follow all of Lebel’s words. Because it sounded extravagant.

“Is, is there a way?”

There were many demonic beast materials, but processing was difficult, so they were piled like trash.

“This right now.”

“…That’s…”

“Do you know this horn can hold light?”

“Pardon?”

“It’s understandable you don’t know. It looks ordinary when touched. But the inside is different. Warmth is important to living beings.”

Lebel recalled the moment he, a demon, shivered from cold.

“The horns that tower high in the sky gather sunlight. Didn’t these horns emit light?”

The administrator hurriedly took out the demonic beast encyclopedia and checked the information on the demonic beast with the horn in front.

“Yes, yes.”

“It maintains body temperature with that light. If you put skin on the cut surface, you can feel warmth. Or since it’s light, you can break it and use it instead of lanterns.”

“It’s too hard to break….”

Lebel looked at the administrator. Is there such a problem? By human standards. I need to say what can be done from human standards.

“Let me say something else. This demonic beast’s skin doesn’t burn in fire and….”

The administrator stuck to Lebel’s side like gum. He was recording everything Lebel said with sparkling eyes before he knew it.

“……Stop.”

Lebel, who had been talking for a long time, cut off his words feeling his throat dry.

Then, the administrator, who was concentrating hard, shouted in shock.

“Pardon? Young Madam, why?!”

Young Madam?

Lebel’s eyebrow twitched at his title. Lebel met the man’s gaze full of what seemed deep respect.

The administrator was calm. Since he became the young master’s wife, it’s a natural title.

In fact, he had no intention of calling him young madam, but in admiration of Lebel’s knowledge, he acknowledged him as Yutis’s wife and the north’s young madam in an instant.

“My throat hurts. No, it’s dry.”

“Oh no! Big trouble. Butler, Young Madam says his throat is dry!”

“…….”

Iol let out a hollow laugh at the scene that unfolded in an instant. Honestly, Iol was surprised too. Demonic beasts are living beings in the north.

Thus, the southern people don’t know about demonic beasts. The empire knights who invaded the north for war couldn’t even lift a hand and were defeated, that’s an example.

‘How does he know?’

Lebel knows more than Iol, who always sees demonic beasts. But strangely, rather than vigilance, he became curious about the person Lebel.

The statement he made at the beginning that he can make the empire kneel. Because he felt there was no lie in those words.

“I’ll get water.”

“Sit here!”

Iol left, and the administrator brought a chair from the corner. He brushed off the dust with his hand and covered it with well-managed fur.

Lebel was a bit confused by the administrator’s suddenly changed attitude, but since his legs hurt, he sat on the chair.

“Young Madam! By any chance, do you know how to process this?”

The box containing demonic beast materials was so large that the administrator who lifted it struggled to bring it.

Inside the box, there was a demonic beast with only the head left.

The jewel-like sparkling eyes, sky-high horn, sharp teeth told that it must have been ferocious when alive. Above all, the spirit-remnant was strong.

Spirit-remnant is a kind of power left when a being with demonic energy dies. It can disappear naturally, but cases like this where it remains even after time passed existed. In such cases, most are strong ones.

“What demonic beast is it?”

“Ah, Young Madam doesn’t know either. It’s my first time seeing this beast too. Even in records, it’s the first demonic beast looking like this.”

Lebel also saw this beast for the first time. And high probability it’s a living being demons tempered with.

“It was the demonic beast that dug half the barony three years ago, but Young Master subjugated it. Since it’s a strong demonic beast, I thought these might be useful, so I showed, but….”

Lebel slowly reached out his hand. It was then. The spirit-remnant grew as if reacting to Lebel’s demonic energy.

The jewel-like eyes flashed. And the firmly closed mouth opened. Lebel just watched the blazing fire forming inside the mouth.

“Oh, this is something.”

It’s trying to spew fire at him at any moment, but Lebel isn’t shocked but was amazed. Rather, the administrator holding the box was shocked. The moment the fire was about to spew, a sword passing by embedded in the demonic beast’s mouth.

And Lebel’s body was pulled back.

With a loud sound, flames burst in the demonic beast’s mouth, and black smoke rose, but instead of feeling the heat, Lebel felt the warmth of an embrace and the pounding of a heart.