Favors are incredibly difficult to repay, and Yila is fully aware of this. Generally speaking, he tends to be cautious about making statements like "I owe you a favor," even if the help he's given to the magical creatures does warrant such a statement.
They were supposed to be enemies, perhaps even the murderers of his father...
So Yila wasn't particularly concerned when Vera wanted to use the favor at that moment.
"Can you represent Demon King City?"
Yila asked this as he looked at Vera skeptically, undoubtedly questioning whether the others in Demon King City were aware of her intention to redeem the favor.
"Huh? Didn't we each get one favor?"
"..."
[What in the world are you thinking?]
Seeing Yila's look that clearly conveyed this message, Vera, who was just joking, chuckled lightly. She didn't immediately state what she hoped Yila would do but instead diverted the topic by asking, "What do you think of the Demon King?"
"I look with my eyes."
"I'm asking seriously."
"I'm also answering seriously."
"..."
Seeing Vera's expression turn speechless, Yila folded his arms and stood on the platform, beginning to answer seriously, "Quite weak... among all the kings I've known, she's the weakest one."
"Satan Ye doesn't hate me, even though I killed the former Demon King, even though I used her race as a stepping stone to become a recognized strong figure, even though when the Empire mentions the 'Crimson Dragon,' they think of me rather than her."
Seeing Yila evaluate like this, Vera had to admit that Yila was correct, so she added, "Moreover, she has no initiative; her thoughts are easily swayed by her confidants' advice. Strength can be trained, but character is hard to correct."
Aren't you from the Demon King's side? Is it okay for you to criticize your superior like this?
"Don't forget, I used to be an Emperor's Tutor, just like you. We think alike, which is why we cultivated someone like Isabella, a qualified and rational king."
As Vera spoke like this, she shook her head as if lamenting something, saying, "Following the etiquette of a king, doing what a king should do, is far removed from when we first met her. Is this really okay?"
Because of Vera's words, Yila recalled when he had just become the confidant of the former king, Yose... Back then, Isabella was still a child who would muster the courage to ask, "Please teach me how to become a qualified king."
Perhaps it was Yila's rationality and Vera's rationality that washed away the emotions that should have been inherited from Yose.
"Are you saying our educational philosophy has problems?"
Never having thought of this point, Yila asked back. He pondered for a moment and said, "But my... or rather, our education of Isabella was very reasonable and correct, if..."
Vera nodded in agreement and added, "If you hadn't left."
Indeed...
How to put it, the most suitable king for the Empire is a dictatorial king, as Yose had already proven, but Isabella cannot be dictatorial... Her talent in the path of a professional is somewhat average.
Personal strength is the key to ruling in this world, so one cannot evaluate according to the mindset Yila once had from his world.
Therefore, Yila was very worried whether Isabella could still hold her own... amongst his people after he left.
On the nobles' side, he wasn't too concerned.
"I never asked you before, why did you become a Witch Demon?"
Yila asked this as he looked at Vera, who appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. He questioned this young-looking woman who lacked any immature aura, saying, "Did you have an incurable disease?"
Since spellcasters would more or less overdraw on their bodies to draw Mana, the disease rate was very high, and many spellcasters with incurable diseases would take a desperate leap to become a Witch Demon.
The body of a Witch Demon is essentially 'dead,' so no disease matters—they could simply remove and replace any part.
"How old are you?"
Not quite understanding why Vera asked this, Yila frowned. He wasn't shy about people asking his age, so he answered plainly, "In my sixties, why do you ask?"
"I'm over two hundred... At two hundred, I discovered demonic marks on my face."
Demonic marks? Indeed, many curses among the demon race manifest as marks on the face, and many half-demons with demon bloodlines also show demon marks on their bodies after reaching a certain age.
Could it be that she directly transformed completely into a demon because she couldn't accept it?
"Are you a half-demon?"
"Huh?"
Their conversation diverged, and they were momentarily at a loss until Vera finally pieced together Yila's thoughts and laughed lightly in response, "Oh no, not that... What I meant by 'demonic marks' is that some people call them 'wrinkles.'
"Are you kidding me? Anyone in their right mind would simply call them wrinkles."
Yila retorted sharply, growing impatient, he was about to leave, saying, "In the end, it's just about liking a youthful and beautiful body, isn't it? If you have no real business, I'm heading over to the Elf's side."
To his remarks, Vera, who had been chatting idly, finally prepared to discuss formal matters and intercepted him, saying, "Wait, wait~ I mean, should we be like many nobles?"
Seeing Yila somewhat confused, Vera cleared her throat softly, explaining, "Many nobles have many children, but usually, titles and territories are only passed down to one child, right? If one doesn't satisfy the nobles, they cultivate the next one."
"Until the heir they truly recognize is brought up to completion... Is that right?"
"..."
Gazing at Vera as she spoke, Yila raised an eyebrow, thinking he had guessed Vera's intention. He asked, "Your 'favor' is being used rather shrewdly, isn't it... How long would I need to properly cultivate Satan Ye?"
Yila shook his head helplessly. He had never heard of a favor being used this way. He refused, saying, "Using a favor like that is too strange. You might as well say, 'Please help the Demon King's forces rule the world.'
Vera: "Is that possible?"
"Of course not!"
Yila shook his head. He had no reason to assist on that front.
"But you killed the Demon King's father; you must ensure the continuation of the Crimson Dragon's lineage!"
"Screw that! That doesn't sound like teaching her at all!"
"That's exactly what I mean! There's no other Crimson Dragon in the world, and no one else will know how the Crimson Dragon should fight; only you can teach her! The Demon King will become a more humane king than Isabella!"
"What does that have to do with me?!"
"..."
"Mr. Yila?"
In a firm voice from behind, Yila and Vera both turned their heads and saw Satan Ye, holding herself against the cold wind on the terrace, her small wings trembling from the chilly air.
"Could you be my teacher?"
Satan Ye looked at Yila pleadingly as she said this, her crimson tail sweeping the ground. It seemed she was quite nervous about what Yila's response would be.
But I'm neither a good subject nor a qualified teacher...