"Long time no see," he said with a certain lack of respect.
The colossal, mean-looking Demon Lord only looked down at him, eyeing him with his dark eyes that held little kindness in them.
"Merlin," the rough, but booming voice of Demon Lord Baal spoke out, "So you decided to show, after all."
"Of course I did–I wouldn't miss an opportunity to watch you die," he replied.
The scarlet-armored Kingsguard stepped forward from around the Demon Lord, with the tall, red-eyed general placing his hand by his sheathed claymore.
"Watch your tongue in front of the lord, halfling!" The general boomed.
However, the demonic Kingsguard was halted as Demon Lord Baal only silently raised his hand, which prompted each of the illustrious knights to back off.
"...Heh. It seems the land beyond Grandzania has done well to mold you into a man, Merlin," the Demon Lord spoke.
"Something like that," he replied, holding his smile.
The Demon Lord stroked his bushy beard while looking down at his son, "If you've come here to try and take Grandzania, be my guest. You have the same right as any other of my blood, Merlin."
"Hoh, so benevolent, Father," he responded, "You're only saying that because you think I stand no chance, don't you?"
The Demon Lord opted not to respond, simply staring at him as the answer the young man already felt was further cemented.
"That's about enough from you," the Kingsguard general spoke up again.
"Fine, fine," he raised his hands, backing away with a smirk.
As he walked away, he was immediately swarmed by his two companions, who looked at him as if he had just committed the most inexplicably heinous deed the world had ever seen.
"What's up?" He looked at them with a smile.
"What's up?! Do you have a death wish or something?!" Klaus held onto his shoulders, exasperated vicariously through witnessing that scene.
"Seriously, man! Ya' got balls of steel!" Marlow said.
While he was being praised by his human kingdoms, he bashfully ruffled his own locks before replacing his laughter with a taut smile as a shadow loomed over him.
"Brother."
By the flinch of Merlin's eye, Marlow and Klaus, despite being afraid of the imposing room just a moment before, stood between their friend and the man dressed in exuberant, scarlet armor who held an expression of metal.
"It's fine, you two," he assured his companions.
"Ya' sure?" Marlow looked back at him, asking quietly.
He nodded, moving past his two fellow adventuring companions, looking up at the scarlet-armored, fair-faced demon.
"Beleth," he greeted the silver-haired man, who stood head-and-shoulders above him.
There was an air of tension between the two princes, and it wasn't difficult to see why–which the two humans in the room quickly deduced.
By the party that followed Beleth, and the exuberance of his armor that was accompanied by the aura of royalty that swirled around him, it was clear that the one who held the title of "First Son of the Demon Lord" was in the highest standing in the room, besides the Demon Lord himself.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, Merlin was but an outcast with two companions by his side, who weren't world-renowned themselves.
"How have you been?" Prince Beleth asked with his gentle, suave voice.
As he asked this, the one known as the "Impervious Prince" reached over to the crimson-clothed table beside them, grabbing one of the silver goblets and pouring the rich, purple-tinted win into the cup before passing it to his younger brother.
"Just fine, but…" He answered, looking up at his scarlet-eyed brother with his amethyst irises.
In a move that caused the commotion at the banquet to silence, the halfling slapped the goblet from Prince Beleth's hand, toppling it onto the spotless carpets before continuing.
"...Cut the shit."
Watching that, Marlow and Klaus both felt their stomachs drop at the audacity from the man who held their ticket into the illustrious domain.
Prince Beleth remained unflinching, merely looking to the side at the wine that stained the red carpet.
"As foreign to manners as ever, I see, Merlin," Prince Beleth said calmly.
"Stop this "kind big brother" act. I haven't forgotten the way you treated me. Not from any of you," he aimed his words at all of those present in the hall who were guilty.
"--"
The silver-haired prince of a pale complexion stared at him for a minute, matching the fiery gaze that looked up at him.
"Enough, enough of that–! C'mon, isn't this a splendid day? A day of happiness!"
Coming between the two brothers, a shirtless, burly man they all recognized swooped in, dual-wielding mugs of booze as his cheeks were already flushed.
"Uncle Belial…" He broke his serious look with a surprised smile.
"Tch…" Prince Beleth moved away, covering his nose at the overwhelming stench of alcohol that exuded from the brown-haired, shaggy man's body.
The brother of the Demon Lord spun around before chugging down a hefty serving of the golden-tinged liquid, letting out a satisfied breath, "Aaah…that hits the spot!"
Joining them beside the fountain of rich wine was a tall, beautiful woman who was dressed in a luxurious, flowing dress of an emerald shine, with a curtain of dazzling, holden hair that nicely contrasted her tan complexion.
"I'd hardly say this is a "day of happiness"--did you forget why we're here?" She asked, looking at Belial.
"Well, well…" Belial stopped, letting out a burp, "If it isn't Paimon. How've you been, dear sister? And…we're here to drink, aren't we?"
Paimon brushed his booze-laced breath from her nose as she looked at him with her emerald eyes, blinking with her fluffy, fluttering eyelashes that matched her hair.
"We're here for the Demon Lord Accession, if you've forgotten, dear brother," Paimon sighed.
"Oh, right…" Belial wiped the residual alcohol from the corner of his mouth, looking back at the halfling and his two companions, "--I almost forgot! Hello, Merlin! It's been a long time! Far too long!"
Just like that, Belial was able to sober himself up enough to function normally, smothering the black-haired half-demon with a bear hug, lifting the prince up.
The two humans watched in shock, never seeing Merlin be embraced in such a way–and certainly not expecting it from the family he always talked about being unkind to him.
That's right…He did talk about a few members not being so bad. So this is "Uncle Belial", huh? Klaus put it together.
The black-haired, outcast prince laughed, "Long time no see, Uncle."