Chapter 104: The Demon Elder, Agner
Under Ariel's guidance, the group arrived at a nearby inn. Compared to the ordinary places they had stayed at before, the decor here could only be described as luxurious. There were almost no other guests to be seen inside.
Ariel familiarly led everyone to a private room on the second floor. She plopped herself onto a soft sofa and stretched out lazily. After ordering the maids standing behind her to prepare lunch, she motioned for everyone to take a seat.
No one stood on ceremony. Shirazawa pulled Shiro down to sit beside him first, acting as naturally as if he had just walked into his own home.
Sophia, who had been holding back her curiosity the entire trip, was the first to speak up. "So, what exactly is the difference between humans and demons anyway?"
Ariel elegantly picked up her wine glass and gestured for Merazophis to pour. "There isn't a massive difference between the two. Simply put, demons have longer lifespans than humans, though they still fall far short of the elves."
She swirled her glass, took a light sip, and continued, "Aside from lifespan, a demon's attribute growth rate is much higher than a human's. Given the exact same training, a demon will definitely end up stronger."
"They're that powerful?" Sophia was a bit surprised, but a second later, she realized something didn't add up. "If demons are so strong, why hasn't the war between humans and demons been settled yet?"
Ariel puckered her lips and set her glass down. "Demons might live long lives, but their birth rate is pathetically low. Right now, the demon population has dwindled to a critically endangered level. Logically speaking, they should be resting and rebuilding their numbers, not launching massive wars."
At this point, she paused slightly before speaking again. "But none of that matters to me."
Ariel's tone turned low and flat, effectively ending the topic. A world on the brink of collapse lacked a stable supply of energy. If people didn't die, where would the energy to keep the world running come from? Besides, the demons were merely atoning for their sins; it didn't matter how many of them died.
The ancestors of the demon race were essentially the high-tier capitalists of the ancient era. They had absorbed a colossal amount of MA energy to secure their long lifespans and supernatural powers, which eventually led to the birth of the demon race itself. When it came to the systematic destruction of the world, the demons had certainly played a massive part.
"Come in!" Ariel called out toward the door, having sensed someone approaching.
A one-eyed man slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside, followed by a small entourage of subordinates.
"We have long awaited your return, Lord Demon Lord. It is an honor to see you back safely." Led by the one-eyed man, the group knelt respectfully on the floor to offer their formal greetings.
"Mm." Ariel offered a completely emotionless reply, sounding as dismissive as humanly possible.
Shirazawa and Shiro exchanged a glance, both thinking that this girl was being incredibly casual about this.
The subordinates standing behind the one-eyed man were clearly irritated by the Demon Lord's dismissive attitude, but they didn't dare let it show. Ariel completely ignored them and began introducing the man to her group.
"This guy is named Agner. He's the current lord of this territory. Since this place borders human lands, you can think of him as a frontier count in charge of managing border conflicts. He's also considered a demon elder, and a... famous general who has spent years fending off the human race."
Hearing this, a massive array of imaginary black lines cascaded down Sophia and the others' faces. Rather than calling this a compliment, it felt much more like a direct insult. She had not only stripped him of any genuine value but had even managed to stomp on his reputation a few times at the end.
A sharp smile curled along the edge of Shirazawa's lips, inwardly admiring Ariel's play. She had clearly already picked up on a few anomalies here.
The subordinates, hearing the Demon Lord introduce their revered commander in such a manner, were practically boiling with suppressed rage.
"Alright, go ahead and introduce yourself properly." Ariel waved her hand, signaling that she was too lazy to talk further and letting him take over.
"Yes, my Lord!" Agner rose respectfully, his face showing absolutely no signs of displeasure. He offered a crisp military salute and efficiently delivered his self-introduction before waiting for the Demon Lord's next command.
Shiro stared at the gallant general standing before them, secretly thinking he looked a lot like those high-ranking military colonels from her past life. Names were always a bit tough for her to remember, so she decided she would just refer to him as the Colonel from now on.
"What exactly did you come here to find me for?" Ariel asked, picking up her glass again and gesturing for Merazophis to refill it before she finally spoke.
"Since you have been away for many days, Lord Demon Lord, your subordinate specifically rushed back from the front lines to pay my respects. I deeply apologize for disrupting your personal time. As your most loyal subject, failing to greet you upon your return would be a severe act of disrespect, which is why I humbly beg for your forgiveness." Agner lowered his torso slightly, explaining his presence at high speed.
Ariel swept her gaze over him, giving a cold, indifferent nod. "Mm, got it." With that, she took another sip of her wine.
Shiro was already frantically complaining inside her own mind. *You mobilized a whole entourage just to say a quick hello to the Demon Lord? You are supposed to be a top-tier border minister guarding the realm, is this really necessary?*
"I terribly apologize for pulling you away from your actual duties," Ariel suddenly offered a playful smile. "I'll be staying here for just two days before heading straight to the capital. If there's nothing else, you can go back to being busy. Oh, right–make sure to clear some time tomorrow afternoon. I have a few tasks to assign to you."
Shiro: *What an incredibly demanding Demon Lord. The guy is already busy enough as it is, where is he supposed to find the spare time to play along with your schedule? Couldn't you have just finished saying whatever you wanted to say right now?*
Almost as if he could actively perceive the internal commentary running through her brain, Shirazawa reached over to gently pat Shiro's head. His deep, meaningful gaze signaled for her to look closely at the accompanying subordinates.
"?" The intelligent Shiro caught his drift instantly. Her elegant brows knitted slightly as she realized that Ariel's personality wasn't naturally this petty; she was explicitly doing this to provoke a reaction.
"Would tomorrow right after lunch work for you, my Lord?" Agner replied instantly, showing absolutely zero signs of resentment.
However, his unit of subordinates looked as though they desperately wanted to speak up, clearly harboring some kind of hidden grievance.
"Fine. If there is nothing else, you may dismiss yourself."
"Yes, my Lord."
"Oh, right–have the kitchen send up a lot more food and wine."
"...Understood."
Agner offered another respectful bow before leading his borderline-furious subordinates out of his private inn. Yes, this entire establishment was actually Agner's personal property, which explained why the decor was so incredibly lavish and expensive.
Once the group had cleared the room, Sophia shot a thoroughly contemptuous, critical look toward Ariel and teased, "Wow. Talk about a textbook abuse of raw power and authority."
To her surprise, Ariel simply offered a bright smile and held out her small hands. "Throw in a mountain of financial wealth, and you can truly do whatever you want."
Sophia rolled her eyes, her expression turning even more judgmental.
Merazophis, on the other hand, calmly stepped forward to refill Ariel's glass. From the moment they had sat down until now, her glass hadn't stayed empty for a single second. Looking at the sheer quality of the surrounding decor, the red wine here was bound to be exceptionally pricey. Remembering how Ariel usually chugged her liquor straight from massive wooden barrels, Sophia silently wiped a drop of sweat for Agner's wallet.
"Lord Ariel is likely doing this on purpose," Merazophis spoke up softly.
His sudden statement left Sophia–the singular entity in the room who still hadn't decoded the actual situation–completely blank and bewildered. As for little Leest, who was currently spacing out inside Shiro's embrace, the young girl was simply too small to be factored into the conversation.
"Eh?"
"What do you mean?"
...
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