With all jokes set aside, they were back to business.
Prince Vritra wanted to know the status of the Armed Palace during his time out of commission.
Old Neron cleared his throat and began giving a detailed rundown of recent events.
"It's just as you expected, Young Master. Although I'm not fully aware of your goals or plans, the Duranzia Royal Council has turned strongly against Prince Lumis. They're now discussing breaking ties with him and forming an alliance with you. It looks like, despite Duranzia's high and mighty attitude, they and their vassal nations are feeling the strain from Serathen's recent military actions."
Prince Vritra's eyes narrowed with curiosity.
"Oh? And what is this Serathen?"
He glanced at the small table in front of him, which held an ornate teapot and matching teacups that looked rather expensive.
Neron poured some freshly brewed red tea into a cup while thinking about how to answer Vritra's question. Once he finished, he placed the steaming teacup on a saucer and handed it to the young lord.
Prince Vritra took the saucer and teacup, crossed his legs, and continued their discussion.
"So, Serathen?"
"Aha, that."
Old Neron went on to explain.
"The Military Kingdom of Serathen is a unitary state with no known foreign relations. They're called a military kingdom because they operate under a military monarchy, where the king has absolute power and uses the military to control and expand their territory.
"A major concern with Serathen is that they don't officially declare war; instead, they attack any nation they see as a threat and always win. They only negotiate under one condition: total and unconditional surrender. Because of this, they have many slave nations under their control.
"Now, they're aiming to bring Duranzia under their rule. There's also news that Serathen is eyeing the Sword Nation of Gladius, which is a vassal of Duranzia, but so far, they haven't taken any action."
Prince Vritra pressed his teacup against his lower lip and smiled slightly.
"So, I was right. Duranzia is really eager to form ties with the gods of the ancient continents. It seems they don't have much choice now, do they?"
He let out a soft but sinister chuckle.
"Hm?"
Neron replied, still a bit confused.
"Forgive me for being slow, Young Master, but what exactly is our advantage here?"
While Neron knew Duranzia could potentially ally with the Bloodgarden family after Prince Lumis' shameful display at the meeting, the young lord seemed more confident than anyone would expect at this point.
Vritra stepped out of bed and walked over to the large window on one side of his room. He looked out at the courtyard below, still shrouded in early morning mist.
"I'll keep it simple…"
He took a small sip of his tea and smirked.
"The Royal Council knows that the enemy they might face in the future is too powerful to defeat without the support of the ancient continents' echelons. No other empire on the Central Continent is willing to ally with them against Serathen unless Duranzia agrees to become a vassal nation.
"However, they'll soon find salvation with us. The Bloodgarden family doesn't just want to ally with them on equal terms──they know I'm far superior to Prince Lumis in every way.
"They don't want someone who offers a comfortable and equal alliance like that righteous, retarded prince. They want someone merciless like me, who would quickly choose to destroy Serathen entirely and take its people as slaves for our alliance."
It all made sense to Neron now.
"Hrmm, I would expect no less from the young lord."
He smiled, confident that Demon King Rohan would not regret sending the young lord to handle their nation's diplomatic alliance with Duranzia.
Suddenly, Neron's gaze shifted to the large doors and his expression turned serious as he spoke in a deep, low voice.
"Young Lord, I don't know if you've noticed, but one of the two guards at your door is a Deva in disguise. They're clearly here to watch you and report to Prince Lumis."
Neron's eyes narrowed and burned bright red.
"Do you want me to deal with them?"
Prince Vritra sighed dismissively and waved a hand.
"Don't worry about ants like them. I'm well aware I'm being spied on. It actually works to our advantage."
His voice was steady and confident.
There was no hint of hesitation.
This was all Old Neron wanted to see.
"So, my glorious young lord, what do you need me to do?"
The old man watched the young lord's back, waiting for some kind of order.
Prince Vritra glanced at him and gave a mild, unsettling smile as he sent his message to Neron through a thoughtstream.
『You and Ghislaine should concentrate on spreading more rumors among the people of Duranzia and its vassal nations. I want them to constantly have the fear of a Serathen invasion lingering in the back of their minds. Is that clear?』
Neron heard the order, nodded without question, and then disappeared from the young lord's presence like a mist of thick blackness.
With the old man gone, Prince Vritra took another long sip of his steaming red tea and let out a soft breath, watching the steam curl in the air.
Ahhhh~
He then sighed in relief, sounding almost like a contented child. But then, a wicked grin spread across his face, and his blood-red eyes burned fiercely.
"While he and Ghislaine spread fear among the people, I'll ensure our beloved protagonist experiences a taste of it too."
A sinister chuckle escaped Vritra's lips.
━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━
[Armed Palace, King's Chambers]
Standing before King Felmus was his daughter, the lovely Princess Luciana, who was perhaps his most cherished legacy. Ever since the chaos in the throne room that nearly brought their nation to the brink of disaster, Felmus had made a point to keep a closer watch on his daughter──she was, after all, his most prized possession.
"Luciana…"
"Y-, Yes… Father!"
Luciana was clearly uncomfortable in front of her father.
The color drained from her face as she heard the seriousness in King Felmus's voice. Usually, he spoke to her in a much gentler tone, but this time was different. She felt like he was speaking to her as if she were just another servant in the royal household.
『Father's really angry with me… isn't he?』
The beautiful maiden was heartbroken.
She couldn't understand what kind of grudge existed between Lumis and Vritra for Vritra to humiliate him like that. What she did know was that she should avoid offending Vritra right now.
She couldn't be the reason for their mutual hatred; after all, she was just a royal maiden between two divine beings.
『God Vritra is…』
A lot of what Vritra had said really hit home, and though it hurt, it also made her see him as a genuine and respectable man.
『He's an honest man, that much is clear from everything he said at the meeting. I can't figure out if he was trying to protect me from Prince Lumis or if he has his own agenda.』
The lovely young woman clutched the sides of her frilly blue and white dress tightly.
She felt so confused at the moment.
[Ding! Princess Luciana is starting to see the host as an honest and respectable man. Her affection for the host has gone up by another 30 points.]
[She has developed more doubts about Prince Lumis. Her affection for him has dropped by 20 points.]
Her face grew paler with each passing second.
It was as if her emotions churned like a stormy sea in her stomach.
This made her feel sick.
『But do I really need protection from Prince Lumis? The last time we spoke, I did slap him, but I can't deny that I still feel something for him.』
… Sigh~
King Felmus wasn't foolish; he could read his daughter's expression well enough.
『This girl… honestly.』
His worry grew stronger.
Luciana noticed her father's sigh and felt uneasy. She knew him well and understood that their current troubles were largely her fault. If she had listened to his advice and not joined him at the meeting, they might not be facing the threat of being wiped out by Prince Vritra.
『It's all my fault…』
The princess lowered her immaculately beautiful face toward the ground, looking as if she might cry.
The king managed to calm himself down.
With his eyes closed and rubbing his chin, he focused on thinking things through. Losing his temper with his precious daughter seemed unthinkable. Instead, the man let out a deep, heavy sigh and gave her a serious look.
"I've just heard from Esmeralda that Prince Vritra has woken up. You should make sure to prepare him a good meal and visit him in his chambers.
"Dress appropriately so he doesn't get any wrong ideas about you. God Vritra is a wicked and merciless creature who has ruined many lives, so I won't be able to protect you if he decides to act on any impulses.
"Use whatever time you have to convince him why our nation is worth allying with. That prince, Lumis, no longer has any place with us."
When Princess Luciana heard this, she clenched her teeth and gripped the sides of her dress tighter. She quickly lifted her head and spoke up without holding back.
"But Father, I don't think Prince Lumis is th──!"
Before she could say more, King Femus's temper flared.
"SHUT UP!"
The anger at his daughter's attempt to defend the source of their current troubles made his heart race and his veins throb.
The way he positioned his hand made Luciana fear he might hit her for showing disrespect.
『Wh-, Why did I say that?!』
She took three hesitant steps back, trembling like a furless cat caught in the cold.
… SIGH~!
King Felmus let out a heavy sigh, as if boiling steam were coming out of his nostrils and mouth. It was clear that his control was the result of being both a father and a king.
He turned away from his daughter.
"Just do as I've told you and make sure neither God Vritra nor that foolish prince you've fallen for knows what you really are. Is that clear?"
His tone brooked no argument.
"Yes, Father…"
Princess Luciana bowed her head before leaving.
━ ━ ━ ━
(T/N: Still work on illustrations for other characters, sorry.)