Milim's actions completely shocked the clowns of the Moderate Harlequin Alliance.
Milim's mind had always been simple—far too simple. To the other Demon Lords, she practically had no secrets. Her moods were transparent, her desires straightforward, her reactions intense.
Fighting was what Milim loved most.
One of the main reasons she became a Demon Lord was precisely so she could face powerful challengers without restriction.
Grand battles kept her entertained.
That was what made her spirit soar.
But what they never, under any circumstances, expected… was that Milim could be swayed with a single jar of honey.
However, how could they have relied on only one plan to deal with someone like Arthur?
The intention was simple: make Milim and Arthur fight to the death.
If Milim won, excellent.
If not… there were alternatives prepared.
To destroy someone, first drive the world around them mad.
What would happen if the Demon Lords and humans began to believe they could not contain that man's "ambition"?
Would humans and monsters set aside their prejudices and unite against a common enemy?
The fact that this had not yet happened proved only one thing: the threat was still not great enough.
The stronger Arthur became, the greater the possibility that a Demon Lord would cooperate with humans to destroy him.
After all, in this world, who would willingly submit to another when they could be their own master?
Humans and Demon Lords might join forces to defeat this enemy together!
Hehehe…
How thrilling.
As Tear lost herself in those thoughts, a message arrived through Footman.
Upon receiving it, her eyes lit up.
"Here it comes… the show is about to begin again. Let's wait and see."
---xXx---
Nova Uruk
Upon seeing Demon Lord Milim, many were excited.
Although she was known as the "Destroyer," merely gazing upon her face was considered an incomparable honor by many.
Not to mention that, at that moment, Milim was their ally!
Hearing the applause coming from the plaza, Milim beamed.
She waved with exaggerated enthusiasm, smiled broadly, and responded to greetings like a happy child basking in attention.
She was carefree and spontaneous.
Completely oblivious to any political calculation.
Meanwhile, Shizue observed everything in silence.
Inside her, complex emotions intertwined.
She had been summoned by Demon Lord Leon, and a Greater Spirit resided within her body. She had spent much of her childhood in Leon's castle.
Back then, she had been unable to suppress Ifrit.
Her body had essentially been controlled by him.
She had been nothing more than a spectator in her own life whenever he took over.
Only after the Hero gave her the mask had she been able to completely suppress Ifrit's consciousness and act on her own.
Even so, Leon's influence remained engraved into her very existence.
Her greatest obsession had always been to find Leon and confront him. To demand that he acknowledge her existence.
But now…
Suddenly, she realized that all of it felt empty.
Despite having grown up in the castle of a Demon Lord, Shizue realized that perhaps she had never truly understood what a Demon Lord was.
Milim, one of the oldest and most powerful Demon Lords…
Seemed like nothing more than a cute, naive child.
Benimaru, Shion, Shuna… everyone she had met there had been kind and friendly toward her.
None of them showed any desire to invade human nations or harbored any animosity toward humans.
It was completely different from everything she had known.
Shizue felt as though she had lost touch with the world for far too long.
The man who summoned her and later discarded her… perhaps she had never truly understood him or his motives.
Now, rejuvenated and with a long life ahead of her, she had plenty of time to find him.
But suddenly, it no longer seemed so important.
Even so…
Giving up on it felt strange.
Shizu was reluctant and confused about what to do now.
Then she felt a hand on her shoulder.
She looked up and saw Angélica standing there, smiling at her, though concern lingered in her eyes.
"Any perseverance has meaning, even if it seems childish."
Perseverance… has meaning?
Then another hand touched hers.
"Angélica is right. Even if it seems foolish, there will always be meaning."
Arthur did not appear to be joking.
Something in his tone made Shizue's heart waver.
Suddenly, she blushed.
"You… you know what I was thinking just now?"
Arthur smiled and gently stroked her head.
"Shizue, you're very innocent. Your thoughts are easy to guess."
Angélica watched the scene.
A faint trace of envy flickered through her eyes.
Noticing it, Arthur smiled again and rested his hand on her head as well.
Angélica ended up smiling softly.
Shizue tried to push Arthur's hand away, but to her dismay… she couldn't.
She was left speechless.
What was happening?
How old was she, and she was still being patted on the head?
It was strange… yet strangely comforting.
So… was it really that easy to read her thoughts?
Arthur spoke gently:
"Don't worry. You will see Demon Lord Leon and the Hero who saved you soon."
Upon hearing that, Shizue's eyes shone brightly.
Was it true?
She had searched for the Hero her entire life.
Yuuki, the leader of the Free Guild, with adventurers spread across the entire world, had never found any trace of her.
Arthur's confidence…
Did he know something?
Seeing the light in her eyes, Arthur smiled.
Shizue was truly adorable.
"I won't go into details. You'll know when the time comes."
Shizue glared at him resentfully.
Awakening her curiosity only to keep it secret was simply irritating.
"I'm enjoying the head pats and all… but could you stop flirting in front of me? It's weird," Angélica interrupted.
Arthur opened his mouth to reply.
But he was interrupted.
Milim suddenly appeared.
She tilted her head forward, clearly expecting Arthur to pat her as well.
When he didn't react, she leaned in even closer.
Nothing.
Then she activated her skill—Double Hint.
Still nothing.
She used an even stronger version—Triple Hint.
Her eyes sparkled intensely.
Her ahoge swayed like an uncontrollable pendulum.
She was absurdly adorable.
Arthur laughed and finally reached out, stroking her head.
Milim's face immediately lit up.
It was a pure, radiant expression.
As if she had won the most important battle in the world.
Benimaru, Souei, and the others broke into a cold sweat.
Milim's logic was truly different from that of ordinary people.
It was just a head pat.
Was it really that important?
But before they could reflect further…
They felt a heavy aura.
Felicia's eyes were red.
Shizue and Angélica were already one thing—she could accept both.
Now even a Demon Lord?
Wasn't she the master's favorite cat?
He himself had said he loved petting her…
Ugh!
Shion and Shuna were also filled with competitive spirit. Despite having arrived first, they rarely had opportunities to share private moments with Arthur.
Meanwhile, Angélica let out another resigned sigh.
(End of Chapter)