Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Currently, the Demon Realm had not seen a blood war for thousands of years since Lucifer ascended to the throne as Demon King. This meant not only that peace had lasted a long time, but also that the ranks had remained unchanged for just as long. Demons who accepted peace began to gather into groups with others who originated from the same Demon Tree and formed clans much like humans.
The heads of those clans were the nobles of the Demon Realm who were now attending the meeting. They were also survivors of the blood war.
Those who ventured out through the Rift of the Border were lower-class demons, usually young ones who had not participated in the past wars and were a minority who found peace to be dull.
Handling such dissenters was also a frequent agenda item in regular meetings.
“They’re still…”
A voice pierced the heavy air, so chillingly cold that the nobles shuddered inwardly.
“There are still fools doing such things.”
The Rift of the Border was one of the many anomalies that frequently occurred in the Demon Realm, aside from the one created by the unicorn. Some said it was caused by the current Demon God’s power being insufficient to sustain the realm, while others believed it was a result of the unnatural peace in a realm that was supposed to run red with blood.
Whatever the reason, it was an undeniable fact that these anomalies had begun to appear ever since Lucifer took the throne.
“No matter how a worm struggles, it’s still a worm.”
As Lucifer lowered the arm he had rested his chin on, the nobles flinched noticeably. Lucifer always wore a flamboyant robe, black with red embroidery, when attending meetings, but it was not a look he particularly liked.
In the past, he might have worn it once in ten meetings, if that. However, he had taken to wearing it more frequently and that was entirely because of Bellatrix. Whenever he dressed like this, Bellatrix would drool with delight, so he made a point of wearing it every meeting.
It could be said that his thoughts and actions now revolved almost entirely around Bellatrix and Lucifer didn’t mind at all.
“Send Valun to the western forest. If he spots any worms trying to slip through the Rift…”
“…”
“Tell him to tear them apart.”
Even after giving the order, Lucifer tapped his finger on the armrest, lost in thought. It was annoying, but when it came to repairing the Rift, the sooner it was handled, the better. The problem was that he was the only one in the entire Demon Realm who could repair it.
“So when do you plan to go?”
The question was asked casually, as if preparations would be made automatically then Lucifer frowned. The right time. It was true that repairing the Rift should be done as soon as possible, yet for some reason, he felt reluctant.
The reason was something Regnator had said to him that morning before the meeting.
[“Birthday? What’s that?”]
[“In a few months, it’ll be a year since Lady Bella was born. I asked a human doctor and was told that humans celebrate the day of their birth.”]
[“… Why would they do that? What’s so special about being born?”]
[“Apparently, it’s difficult for humans to be born safely. Their mothers have to carry them for ten months. And during those ten months, both mother and child are exposed to many life-threatening dangers. Many even die before birth.”]
[“Hm.”]
[“Maybe that’s why they celebrate being born safely.”]
[“Indeed. Bella almost died the moment she was born.”]
[“Exactly. That’s why we can’t let her birthday pass without recognition. Besides, her birthday also marks the day she first arrived in the Demon Realm! It’s a monumental day!”]
The day Bellatrix turned one was also the one-year anniversary of her arrival in the Demon Realm. It was certainly a milestone worth celebrating. Normally, Lucifer wouldn’t have paid much attention to Regnator’s words, but for some reason, he found himself wanting to celebrate that day that all humans supposedly cherished.
And once that thought had taken hold, he realized there were only four months left, which gnawed at him.
And now, the Rift repairs?
That was the real reason for Lucifer’s hesitation. Repairing the Rift required immense magical energy and a great deal of time.
The larger the rift, the longer it took and this one was said to be so wide that even demons were escaping through it. Even if he began repairs immediately, it would take at least half a year to complete.
“Lucifer?”
“Are you leaving immediately?”
The nobles remembered how Lucifer, though always irritated, would immediately set out to repair any rift that opened. But this time, Lucifer frowned and did not answer so easily. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the Demon King to speak. Then Lucifer’s eyes gleamed.
“We’ll hold a banquet.”
“…Pardon?”
At his abrupt pronouncement, the nobles gaped.
A banquet? And Lucifer, of all people?
Even when there had been perfectly good reasons to celebrate, Lucifer had always dismissed the idea of a banquet, calling it too noisy. Not once had a banquet been held in the Demon King’s castle. And now, the very man who despised such noise was suddenly saying he wanted a banquet despite having urgent matters to attend to.
The nobles didn’t need to think hard to realize this must be about the Demon King’s daughter.
“Do you… have something to celebrate?”
“Yes. Bella’s birthday is soon.”
“…Her… birthday?”
The noble who answered nudged the one beside him with his elbow. What the hell is a birthday? But the one being nudged only shook his head because he didn’t know either.
Better to stay silent when clueless, so both demons chose to close their mouths.
“Yes, humans celebrate the day they’re born. I intend to celebrate Bella’s birth.”
“…”
“I’ll repair the Rift after the banquet. You may inform everyone accordingly.”
With that, Lucifer disappeared from the meeting room. The remaining nobles exhaled in unison and held their heads.
“Celebrating being born… Does that mean every year, at one, two, three, they celebrate again?”
“What a bothersome and tedious tradition humans have.”
“What’s so special about being born anyway? How long is Lucifer going to stay so obsessed with that human child…?”
“Just a passing whim, surely.”
They said that, but none could shake the uneasy feeling in their guts. Every noble left behind in the chamber was thinking the same thing.
Is it really just a whim?
If not, then what is it?
Watching the Demon King change in a way they had never seen for thousands of years was raising unspoken questions and no one dared voice.
“By the way… does anyone know how to prepare a human birthday banquet?”
The demon responsible for all events at the castle asked quietly. No one answered. None of them knew anything about humans.
“A birthday, hoho!”
With their long lifespans, demons found the idea of celebrating a birth every year tedious and strange.
“Let’s hope the Rift doesn’t widen any further.”
“Valun’s going, so no more defectors should escape.”
And just like that, an unresolved agenda was pushed aside once again. Everyone sighed in sync and just then, someone opened the meeting room door and stepped in. But the person looked completely different from how they usually appeared.
Their hair, normally untended, was tied low like a horse’s tail, and they were clutching a thick book under one arm.
Even more shocking, the person who usually strutted around half-naked was now wearing a buttoned-up shirt fastened neatly to the neck. Had it not been for the red hair and corpse-like aura, they could’ve been mistaken for someone else entirely.
“Regnator?”
Someone frowned and called his name. Since the Demon King’s daughter arrived, he’d practically stopped attending meetings altogether.
Recently, he had even attended in Lucifer’s place, exuding such depression that he drained everyone around him, so the demons tensed.
What was he here for now?
And why was he dressed so bizarrely?
“I heard we’re holding a banquet for Lady Bella’s birthday. I figured you’d be unsure how to prepare it. I happen to know quite a bit about human-style banquets, so I’ll be hosting it.”
At Regnator’s sudden declaration, the event manager looked around uneasily. In general, demons didn’t use honorifics except when speaking to the Demon King. Rank was fluid and could be overturned at any time, so it was expected.
But Regnator used honorifics with everyone.
That was part of why he was called a psycho even among demons.
‘No one else fakes a smile so poorly.’
‘Uses polite words but looks at us like we’re vermin…’
‘And then gives outright commands when he’s pissed…’
A low groan rippled through the nobles. Regnator raised one corner of his mouth in a grin, scanning everyone’s faces.
“Time is short, so I trust you’ll all be of one mind in offering help.”
“Why should we…!”
“Lucifer is looking forward to Lady Bella’s first birthday banquet very, very much.”
“…!”
Regnator met everyone’s eyes one by one and narrowed his own in a sly half-smile. The unnerving artificial grin made everyone recoil, wishing they hadn’t seen it. Another groan echoed in the room, but Regnator pretended not to hear.
“Shouldn’t we live up to the Demon King’s expectations?”
She was the Demon King’s daughter even if she had human blood. No one wanted to die by Lucifer’s hand, so they had accepted her, but even so, their demon pride still remained, however crumbly.
They still didn’t like it and now they were expected to help throw a party.
“What… Should we do now?”
Even if they hated it, survival came first. The only consolation was that, thanks to this banquet, they might finally catch a glimpse of the Demon King’s daughter, who had remained in the shadows until now.
Until now, dark and damp discontent piled quietly in their hearts.
