~ Chapter 140: Eventel ~

[Nanya’s point of view]

The Lostsky Forest brought back some bitter memories from the time I was young and weak. Back then, instead of facing head on the monsters that roamed this forest, I cowered and hid from their sight anywhere I could. To disguise my scent, I would cover myself with mud, rub various plants on my armor, and when I had no other choice, I would dive into their feces. For the weak me, every day was a struggle for my own survival, a fight for a chance to see tomorrow’s sunrise.

It felt strange to see myself walking down the road toward Eventel without feeling any fear or worry about the monsters that laid hidden in the bushes to my left and right. They weren’t fools, they felt the difference between our strength and didn’t dare to jump in for an attack.

Several of them were not as smart and their remains had been spread on the side of the world. One strike with my fist was all I needed to knock the life out of them.

But back then, when I was not even twenty years old, I felt as though I was the weakest creature on this entire continent. Being a Half-Dungeon could be seen as both a blessing and a curse in this land. A curse because we grew slow, and a blessing because we were frightening powerful once we reached a higher level.

At the next turn down the road, I saw a merchant struggling to repair his carriage. The front wheel was broken. His monster cows were tied to a nearby tree, grazing the grass. They were beasts two times bigger than a horse, with strong muscles, and an imposing presence. Each of them was born while at least at the level 200. Afterwards, they had a steady growth until they reached around 600.

It was funny when you thought about it. A grass-eating simple-minded giant cow had enough combat power to be considered a serious threat by most small towns on the three continents or any adventurer up to Godlike Rank.

Hm, maybe I should buy a few to bring to Illsyorea. Their meat is quite tasty. I thought as I looked at the beast.

In a way, we demons were the same as the monsters who lived in this forest. A demon’s birth level varied from 50 to 600, but a Dungeon or half-Dungeon was always born at level 1. This was also the main reason why I was called the weakest child, the shame of the Demonarkiar family.

With a smile on my lips, I approached the merchant and called out to him “Good day! Do you need any help?”

With slit eyes and sharp fangs, he looked back at me. His upper body was that of a human, but his lower part was that of a snake with a bone spike protruding from each of his vertebrae. He wore a silk blouse and an armor made out of thick metal scales which covered the upper part of his tail. Steel bracers protected his wrists, and there was a flow of Magic Energy coming from it, a sign that they were enchanted.

A human from the three continents would have immediately branded him as a monster and then try to attack him, but I feared that even though this fellow was not that strong when compared to other demons, he was still powerful enough to measure up against a Godlike Rank Adventurer.

“Ah! Good day, kind traveler!” he replied with a soft smile and a gentle attitude. Looking back at his damaged carriage, he let out a sigh and then nodded. “Oh yes, I do need help! One of those big fellows got scared by a spider that suddenly crossed our way while chasing down a plant-wolf. The cow was startled and when she backed up, she struck this wheel with her hoof. The result of that... well... it’s as you can see.” he said and pointed at the wreck.

“Do you need a spare wheel or can you fix this one?” I asked as I pointed at it.

“Oh no, I have a spare, but I need someone to lift the carriage up while I mount it on. Would you be kind enough to help me with it?” he asked.

“Of course.” I nodded and walked up to the carriage.

Back on the three continents, it would have been ridiculous to ask a woman to do the heavy lifting, but here, the simple fact that I was humanoid was proof of the exceptional strength I possessed.

Using one hand, I lifted the carriage with ease, and the merchant went to the back of the carriage to bring the spare wheel.

“My name is Mondrorus, by the way. My I ask what yours is?”

“Nanya.” I replied.

“Nanya? Hm, you carry the name of the weak princess. Isn’t that unfavorable?” he asked me as he walked back with the spare wheel in his hands.

He leaned it against the carriage and then knelt on one knee in front of the broken wheel.

“No. My is quite fond of it too.” I shook my head. “He finds it cute.” I showed a simple smile.

“I don’t know about your husband, but the Duke of Chaos Eventel does not favor that name very much.” he told me with a wry smile before he began to take off the broken wheel.

“Hou?” I acted intrigued “What can you tell me about this princess?”

“A young one, aren’t you?” he laughed.

“Maybe.” I shrugged.

“Well, they say that she was born in an autumn, when the volcanoes began to itch the ground. She was fast learner, much unlike her pure-blood siblings. By the age of two, she could already speak, but her power was considerably weak. Her mother, Queen Akardia, did not seem to care that much about it. She loved that child, but unfortunately, the Demon Continent isn’t one that favors the weak.” he sighed and shook his head.

“How weak was she? If she resembled her mother, then surely not as weak as a Pleis?” I asked.

“A Pleis? Quite possibly so... I heard once that her father cast her in a dungeon that could be conquered even by a 3-years-old, but she was barely able to do it at the age of 16. Maybe because she was that weak, her mother sought a worthy fiancé to help protect her. She was to be engaged with a promising young demon from the Kolgo family, but when her father found out, he killed him right before her eyes.” he let out a sigh “I heard of strict parents before, but they were something else!”

These were not speculations or rumors spread around by those with a grudge against me, they were all facts. My father began training me from the early age of five after he realized that I was not going to get any stronger on my own. My mother only tried to comfort me by telling me that I was a late bloomer, but deep down, I knew she had lost faith in my ability to grow strong. I was what my siblings were calling an ‘Impure’.

As for the fiancé my mother chose for me, he was a handsome demon whom I met at a High Demio’s party. I was young and easily fell for his charms, but my heart was mostly filled with curiosity, not the feeling of love I held for Illsyore. Father killed him because he believed that this demon wasn’t worthy enough for me. It was much later when I found out that he wanted to see me married off to a Dungeon or at the very least another Half-Dungeon.

“What became of this princess?” I asked.

“Hm, I believe that after her fiancé was killed, she began to train much harder than before. Unfortunately, she was not able to match her strength against the fiends lurking in forests like this one. She left Akardia at one point, but I do not think anyone knows where exactly she is right now. But there are a lot of rumors that speak of her possible ill-fate.” he shrugged.

“An interesting story, but is it true?” I asked pretending not to care.

“Of course.” he nodded and then looked back at me “May ask? But does the life of the royals holds little or no interest to you?”

“Quite so.” I nodded “I have little interest towards the gossiping of the Demio, but I suppose a merchant like you is required to know, right?”

“Indeed. For example, there was a merchant who once made the foolish mistake of comparing Sir Eventel to his older sister, Nanya. That merchant lost an arm on the spot and had his business turned to dust because of this.” he showed me a wry smile.

“Hou? Is that so? That guy doesn’t like it when he’s being compared to Nanya?” a shrewd smile appeared on my lips, it was a small slip.

“Yes, quite so. That’s why, those with your name should stay away from the Eventel City least they wish to challenge his wrath. Ah! I’m done.” he said after he finished replacing the broken wheel.

I lowered the carriage slowly. When the wheels touched the ground, I let go and stepped back from it.

“Everything seems to be in order. Thank you for your help.” he replied with a smile.

“No problem. I will be on my way now. May you have a safe journey, Mondrorus.”

“Thank you. Have a nice trip and stay away from Eventel!” he warned me one last time.

It was nice of him to do this, but I had no fear of my little brother. Actually, I was itching to see how much I could annoy him in one day. After all, I wasn’t here on some diplomatic mission like Ayuseya was, I was here as myself, just plain ol’ Nanya Deus.

With a smile on my lips, I made my way to Eventel, where I planned on having a little chat with my little brother. I really did not care how he ruled his city but using me as an excuse to beat up or harass someone was undeniably wrong.

What sort of an older sister would I be if I did not set my little brother on the right path?

Not even half an hour later, I found myself in front of the gates of the city. I got a bit excited and ran the rest of the way here. I was lucky not to be pestered by monsters and bandits along the way. It was just a simple open road with nothing but tall trees on my right and left as far as the eyes could see.

A city on the Demon Continent, just like all the other demon settlements out there, was surrounded by big sturdy wall between 5 and 10 meters tall. These walls were enchanted with magic to keep them from being brought down by the powerful beasts that roamed through the wilderness. Within the city, the buildings themselves were also enchanted with the same type of magic, making it rather difficult for your average drunk demon to demolish them.

In general, everything on the Demon Continent was built with the idea that will be sooner or later handled by beings that could crush rocks with their bare hands. If my students from Illsyorea saw how this place was like, they would faint while standing.

Looking up at the tall walls of Eventel, I began to wonder how I should go about getting inside and surprising my little brother who kept stating that I was a weak demoness. I had to properly introduce myself and let him know how much his big sister had changed. My fists were itching with the desire to be used to impart knowledge on my younger sibling!

Someone like a Duke of Chaos would never have an audience with someone like me, a rumored dead princess he absolutely loathed, therefore, I could either go and pay him a direct visit at his majestic castle or draw him out in some other way.

I was not really all that excited about the idea of letting everyone know that Nanya Demonarkiar the 2nd was back, but to be honest, it did cause a mischievous smile to appear on my lips.

There was the option of standing in line at the gates like everyone else, but something so simple and easy didn’t suit me at all. There were already two families of Rumars and some inpatient Demio waiting to go inside. A party of Braves was showing their cards to the guards and explaining something to them.

All of these demons were of various shapes and size, with the most beastly-looking one being the child of a Rumars family. He couldn’t even walk on two legs and had a snout instead of a mouth. His intelligence was probably no different than that of a slightly smarter beast.

I looked up at the tall wall and saw a couple of guards patrolling it. Their levels were quite high, close to a Superior Godlike Adventurer on the three continents, and there was no doubt that there were even demons similar to Supremes among them. This, of course, was just my guess since I did not have anything to measure their strength with.

I could very well just go inside with a BOOM! No need to hold back since I’m here as Nanya and they can’t really cause any trouble for my family back on Illsyorea anyway. It would be such a huge waste of resources if they did. I thought.

With a mischievous smile on my lips, I began to pour Magic Energy within my body, enhancing my Godlike armor and strengthening my Magic Armor.

Looking at the open gates, I leaned forward and bent my knee as if I was about to take a step.

“Here’s NANYA!” I shouted and jumped forward.

Dust rose to the sky when I kicked the ground. For me, everything was moving in slow motion, the surprise on their faces when I slipped past them brought a smirk on my lips. I was like a wind scythe they could not stop, a spell that struck them before they realized that it had been cast. They did not see me go past them, but they looked at the spot where I was a moment before.

The demons who were trying to go inside as well as those who wanted to go out were startled by the loud sound, but they did not lay eyes on me. I slipped past them, jumped over the carriage that was trying to go out and then with a kick, I flew up in the air.

The bird’s eye view of Eventel was magnificent. Tens of thousands of demons lived in this encircled settlement, with the castle of the Duke of Chaos towering in the center over all of them. Just by looking down at the city, I could see the slums as they spread along the Eastern side. It was the only place in the city where the poor state of the buildings seemed to loom over the area like an ominous shadow. The Rumars buildings were in a better state, or at the very least they did not look like a malevolent spirit possessed them.

The castle was surrounded by a typical wall designed to act as a final defense for the Duke of Chaos in case of a siege, while around it spread the luxurious homes of the Demio.

Looking at the scene from up high in the sky made me remember of the time when I was little, and my parents didn’t look at me as though I had shattered their dreams. As a child, they were more forgiving.

Mother picked up the 3-years-old me and flew up in the sky. She showed me how beautiful our home was and how big the city of Akardia was. I thought as I remembered that scene of the beautiful pearl-white castle surrounded by countless buildings up to five or six stories high.

Back then, I felt as though mother took me to the world of giants. It was beautiful and peaceful, and I was far too young to understand how merciless the Demon Continent was. Those buildings had been built in a way to showcase the strength of the demon kind. Being weak was an insult.

With a soft smile on my lips, I pushed the air behind me and moved towards the castle.

It was a majestic building decorated with stone statues of demon soldiers and columns of marble spiraling up. The windows were made from small pieces of colored glass placed in frames of their exact sizes. The balconies were decorated with a row of white flowers as if to further compliment the beauty or majesty of the one owned it. The garden that spread in its courtyard was also filled with flowers of different types and colors as if trying to mock all those who claimed to be powerful before the Duke of Chaos. Who else other than overly powerful individual could take care of such gentle and fragile plants while constantly being targeted by those who desired his power?

From the overly glamorous castle to the edge of the walls where the demons struggled to find something to eat, the spread of wealth was quite obvious. Nonetheless, I couldn’t tell if the Demio here were oppressing the Rumars. Ayuseya might have been able to or maybe even Shanteya, but for me everything appeared to be normal from up here. After all, a demon couldn’t hold on to their wealth without being strong enough to do it.

I landed on the rooftop of a noble’s house which was around four stories tall, nearly the size of the wall surrounding the castle. There were patrols on top of it, carrying crossbows and spears as weapons, while four demons were guarding the gate below.

It’s time... I thought as I tapped the hilt of my father’s sword.

Over an entire century had passed since I left the Demon Continent. It was long enough to make demons barely remember me, and more than enough to be forgotten by humans. For my family, however, I was either dead or living in shame of my own weakness somewhere on the three continents.

I could not deny the fact that for a while it really was like that.

Jumping down from the rooftop, I landed in front of the guards, who spared no second to take out their swords and point them at me.

“Who are you? State your business!” shouted the one with a beak instead of a mouth.

“Nanya Demonarkiar the 2nd Deus. I’m here to visit my little brother, Eventel Demonarkiar the 2nd .” I showed him a grin.

“Foolishness! You can’t be she whose name cannot be spoken!” shouted the one with a dog face.

“Do you have any proof that I’m not her? You never met me.” I told him with a raised eyebrow.

“There is no need to hold any proof. Just by saying that name is the same as having spat on our Lord! We shall take you down here!” the one with snake eyes and tongue declared and then attacked me.

“So eager to cut me down without even knowing who I am and what my rank is.” I didn’t move from my spot, but I just glared at him with a defiant smile.

His sword stopped mere centimeters away from my Magic Armor. A drop of cold sweat formed on his forehead.

“You do realize that if I am indeed the Princess, a daughter of Akardia Demonarkiar the 2nd, then what you are doing is raising your hand against a member of the Royal Family, isn’t it?” I asked with a smirk on my lips.

“But if you aren’t, then you are committing lèse-majesté.” he retorted.

“IF I’m not whom I claim to be, but you, a mere guard, can’t make that decision now, can you?” I told him.

The two guards at the back looked at each other with a troubled expression on their faces.

I knew that I did not look like any ordinary demoness, and my cloak prevented them from estimating how powerful I was. My armor itself was not something that could be found at the corner of any street, and the weapons I carried had Magic Energy flowing through them. Unless they had stones for eyes, then they already realized that I was either a powerful Brave they couldn’t fight against or the actual demon princess I claimed to be.

“Wait here. We’ll send word to his Highness.” said the demon with snake eyes.

I nodded and then took a step back.

Ten more guards came out while I was waiting, but I felt neither intimidated nor afraid of them. I could not say, however, that I was not excited to see my little brother. I wanted to see my whole family, even though most of them had called me ‘Impure’ ever since they found out I was far weaker than them. My older brother, Lucianus, was the first one to use that insult on me. By the time I was 18, it was sort of a nickname of mine.

Rather than being nostalgic or missing them, the only reason I wanted to meet them was because I was far more powerful than any of them now. I wanted to make them eat that insult with all the dirt they tossed at me. After all, demons did have the rule ‘The strong above all’.

“Who dares use that disgusting name in my city?” the thundering voice of a man was heard while I was imagining punching Lucianus in the face with one hand and with the other slapping Entupia, my older sister, so hard she broke through the sound barrier.

“Hm?” I raised an eyebrow and looked at the demon who walked out of the castle surrounded by ten powerful guards.

This man was without a doubt my little brother Eventel. The demon looked rather handsome, similar to a human prince in his thirties. His blond and silver hair were cut short with rebel tips. His clothes gave out the feeling of extravagance and bottomless pockets, all of them being overly complicated in design. They were sewed with golden thread, encrusted with gems and jewels, as well as had powerful enchants cast on them. On his waist, he carried a sword with a pummel made from a ruby cut in a perfect sphere. The two white feathered wings were folded on his back and did not show even a single spec of dirt on them. His tail was flowing behind him and reminded me of Tamara’s tail, but it was covered with golden fur instead.

With his piercing black eyes, Eventel stared down at me, measuring me from head to two as if he were trying to figure out my worth. With his chin up and smug look on his face, he gave off the feeling of an important Demio, but his attitude already made me think of as someone akin to the useless nobles Illsyore beat back on the three continents.

“Who is this Rumars?” the demon asked pointing at me.

“My Lord, she claims to be she who shall not be named.” the guard with a dog face replied.

“What? You dared speak that filth’s name?” the demon glared back at me.

I smirked and then patted my sword “Careful there, little brother, or I might give you a spanking with daddy’s sword.”

The air around me suddenly turned cold, and the flow of Magic Energy shifted as it gathered around Eventel. His Magic Armor was being strengthened, and I could see a glimpse of anger in his eyes, but I could not figure out why he saw me like that. I honestly did not remember having done something so evil or malicious to him so that he would hold such a grudge against me.

Actually, wasn’t he born after I had left for the three continents?

“I should have you hanged by the toes for your insolence!” Eventel barked through his teeth.

It was rather unsightly to have a man as handsome as him lose to his own anger. Although his subjects were backing away, feeling the pressure of his power, I did not see anything yet that I should fear.

“Little brother, you seem rather upset about something, what did Nanya do to...” I tried to reason with him, but when he heard my name, he snapped.

“ARGH!” he shouted and rushed towards me with his sword unsheathed.

He was rather slow for me, but he was definitely faster than any of the Supremes I had fought back on the three continents. His technique with the sword wasn’t all that bad either, a clean cut aimed at the spot between the neck’s vertebrae. He didn’t take his eyes off of me, and there were no wasted movements, but he still had a long way to go before he reached my level.

Unsheathing father’s sword, I blocked Eventel’s strike. My speed surpassed him, but I did not stop just there. I pushed the sword back and infused the blade with my Magic Energy, allowing it to unleash that wave of fear that for so many decades had made me shiver in my boots. The demons around us would have only felt a slight tingle, but for my little brother who was a half-Dungeon, it should have been terrifying.

With eyes wide open from the shock he felt from my sword, he jumped back. In that moment, I dashed towards him and kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying all the way back into wall of his palace.

“GAH!” he groaned in pain from the impact, which caused a big crack to spread across the structure.

The guards around us did not even know what just happened. In the span of a fraction of a second, their master attacked and then was sent flying back.

A smile appeared on my lips as I became aware of the incredible difference in strength between the current me and the young demoness who would have had trouble even defeating monster like a Dayuk. Back then, I had to hide from monsters and bow my head to even the weakest of soldiers.

All that time when I was called an Impure and a weakling, I felt ashamed of myself, I felt afraid for my own life, and I could never see a future in which I could live in peace. I could never see myself having a family, and I could never believe that I would have the strength required to protect them. Sure, on the three continents I was a powerful Godlike, and I was one step from becoming a Supreme, but to the demons here, it didn’t really amount to much. Eventel here could easily wipe the floor with a Supreme.

“Maybe using the sword is a bit unfair, how about I use my fists instead?” I asked with a smile as I sheathed my sword and showed them a confident smile.

The guards here, were now well aware of my power from just that one strike. They were all keeping their distance from me, but the hate in their eyes did not fade away. With their bodies tensed, they were waiting for me to make a mistake, to slip up and leave an opening, which they could exploit to bring me down.

Unfortunately for them, I was not a demoness who could be so easily defeated. In this city, no, in this country, there were not that many who could even crack my armor let alone defeat me.

“You will pay for this insolence!” Eventel shouted and then pointed his hand at me.

Magic Energy was charged up in the center of his palm and then released in the form of a spell that cast a stream of ice spikes that flew at half the speed of sound. The sheer power of one of them could have taken out a Godlike Adventurer with ease, but that was only because of their penetration power.

Before the first spike could hit me, I jumped to the left and ran alongside the wall. The ice spikes pummeled at the stone blocks from which it was made, cracking and piercing some of them. The demons who were unlucky enough to be struck by them either died on the spot or were gravely injured as a result.

With a smirk on my lips, I began to approach Eventel while dodging the spikes he hurled at me. I was dancing through the dangerous attacks, dodging them at a distance of millimeters, while smiling at my foolish little brother who had yet to realize how powerful I was.

In his mind, I was still the weak older sister who had to flee from the Demon Continent in order to survive. I was still the same demoness he was so ashamed to be related to that he would forbid her name from being spoken in his city.

It’s time to correct that foolish perception of yours, little brother.” I thought calmly as I clenched my fist in order to strike.

“Stay back!” Eventel cried out and created a metal wall one meter thick, three wide, and four high in front of me.

I punched it and sent it flying in the sky.

“No can do, little brother.” I said and then grabbed the wall as it came falling down. “Let your big sister give you a well-deserved spanking!” I said with a gentle smile on my lips and then slammed the wall on top of him.

I heard his armor crack, but it did not shatter, so I slammed the wall down again, causing it to bend a little. Eventel’s Magic Armor managed to survive, but it was clear that he was pouring all of his remaining Magic Energy into it.

“That’s good, little brother! But I’m quite curious to see how long you’ll manage to resist!” I declared with a zeal for proper education as I slammed the wall down again.

Using the big piece of metal, I continued to beat Eventel into the ground until a big crater formed around him, and his Magic Armor finally shattered.

“P-Please... n-no more...” he begged.

Tossing the metal wall to the side, I walked over to the groaning demon. His beautiful armor was now bent and cracked in various places from the numerous strikes it received. His prized decorated sword, which he dropped next to him, looked no different as its blade got twisted in a weird way. My little brother was now in tatters, and I was standing there smiling victorious.

“Not bad for a weakling of an older sister, right?” I asked as I offered my hand to help him get up.

“Huh? A-are... are you really her?” he asked a bit confused as he got up on his feet.

He was staggering a bit from exhaustion, but he was not in any danger. I went easy on him. If I really wanted to kill him, a single punch would have sufficed.

“Tell your guards that I’m not here for your title as a Duke of Chaos, I just want to talk.” I told him.

“Was beating me up like this necessary?” he asked with a groan as he took out a Magic Energy recovery crystal from his Inner Mind and then absorbed it until it turned transparent.

“No, silly brother!” I laughed. “You are a true demon, so you should know that no matter what I would have said, you would have dismissed me. You came to believe in my power only after I used it to beat you up!” I said and patted him on the shoulder.

He showed me a wry smile.

“So, aren’t you going to invite me inside? Blood is sacred, after all.” I told him as I reminded him of the law that prevented him from killing me and I him.

Eventel nodded and led the way inside. Witnessing this exchange, the guards had finally received the confirmation that I was indeed the Queen’s daughter.

“Do you have a wife, brother?” I asked as I looked around his palace.

The walls were decorated with realistic paintings of beautiful landscapes from all across the Demon Continent. I recognized several of them, including the Plains of Fire, where lava rivers could be seen stretching from one point of the horizon to the other; a scene from atop a cliff on the Spikeback Ridge as the sunset fell over the Proving Ground below; a summer scene from the Shiver Plains; and the Trembling Peak from the edge of the Lostsky Forest just as the two moons Lunaris and Lunoria flew across it. A couple of others I didn’t recognize, but the one that stood out was the painting of a beautiful demoness in a white dress as she played in the crystal-clear waters of a spring’s waterfall. She had fair long blond hair, deep green eyes just like Illsy’s, and a beautiful smile that could enchant through its sheer innocence. It was because of this painting that I asked him something like that.

“Yes.” he stopped and looked back at it. “Her name is Viola.”

As he did so, I could sense some sort of deep sadness in both the tone of his voice and the gaze in his eyes. It was like a soldier fighting in a lost war, knowing full well that on the other side of the battlefield was his precious loved ones whom he will never see again.

“Hm? Has something happened to her?” I asked him as I approached the painting.

“Does it matter to you?” he glared at me, wiping away the sadness he was showing a moment ago.

Turning around, I looked him in the eyes and replied “It does.”

He looked at me for a long moment before clicking his tongue and walking away.

Although he did not say anything, I could tell that my words gave him something to think about. A helping hand from someone who bested him in battle was not something someone in the position of a Duke of Chaos would simply ignore.

While we walked through the long corridors, Eventel gave orders to the nearby maids to go and prepare the guest room and tell the chefs to prepare a good meal. The servants did as they were told and didn’t ask any further questions. The guards also refrained from staring at me or at his tattered armor so as to not bring shame to him. After all, our battle outside was not what you would call unnoticeable.

Eventel brought me to a big dining hall with a long table for fifty people. On the ceiling, there were two big crystal chandeliers that gave off a white magic light. Every seat had a silk cushion sewed with golden thread, and the crest of the Duke of Chaos Eventel was on the back of the chair, a sword covered in a thorny vine pointing towards the sky. The furniture in this room was made from a type of white wood and was decorated with intricate carvings. As far as enchants went, every single item in this room, including the palace itself was enchanted to resist the incredible strength of the demons who lived here.

There were ten demon guards who watched over this room, ready to assist their lord in case anything happened. Four maids with a humanoid top half could be seen waiting on the other side of the room, waiting to take our orders. Among them was one that had the bottom half a spider, which kind of surprised me, seeing as their kind were mostly employed as soldiers. Their strength and agility were not one that should be underestimated. Then again, considering the length of this table, she could have also been the appointed Word Runner.

“Please. Do take a seat.” Eventel said as he sat on the chair at the end of the table.

In a High Demio’s residence, there was usually a rule through which the guest sat down on the other side of the table. Considering the length of this one, this would have meant that I would need to shout every single thing I wanted to say or at worse use a Word Runner.

When I was young, I was shown mother’s three separate dining rooms. One of them was a simple 2 by 2 table where you could converse normally. It was meant for close acquaintances, or incredibly important diplomats. The second dining room had a table similar to this one, where she usually invited the High Demio who required something from her. The demon who ran back and forth with the message was called the Word Runner. As for the third table, it was five times longer than this one, and it was meant only for those individuals mother found their very presence as displeasing.

Now that I remember, father and mother had dinner at that table for two weeks after she found him flirting with a High Demio’s daughter. Well, he was trying to coerce her into accepting a slave contract with him and not sleep with him, but that part of the explanation never reached mother’s ears. I thought and took a seat right next to Eventel.

When he saw this, he furrowed his brow, but I ignored him. For two strangers, this would have come out as rude, but I was his big sister.

“Do you wish to eat anything in particular?” Eventel asked.

“No, thank you. I have eaten already. My sister-wife is an excellent cook!” I said with a smile.

“Sister-wife?” he raised an eyebrow at me “You share your husband?” he asked.

“The blood of the mother above that of the father. That was the law, wasn’t it?”

In the Deus family, we could not say that we had either a patriarchy or matriarchy. We were a bit weird when it came to that. On the Demon Continent, however, it was one of the main laws. It stated clearly that a family should always have a matriarchy instead of a patriarchy.

Although having a man as the head of the family wasn’t completely unheard of, for it to happen would mean that he was an exceptional demon. That being said, it was more common for a demoness to have multiple demons serve her as their husbands rather than the other way around.

“After having witnessed your strength, I can only expect for this husband of yours to be far more powerful than you. Although, to be honest, I don’t understand how a man can be shared among multiple women. It’s more natural for a woman to have multiple men by her side.” Eventel said as he leaned back in his chair.

Most demon men thought like him, and I too believed that I was going to have only one or maybe two husbands at most. That was why when I found myself married with Illsy, the possibility of sharing him struck me like a lightning bolt. At the beginning, I couldn’t even think about it, and my instincts were telling me to do something about it.

A demoness’ possessive desire over her demon mates was rather strong, bestial even. To be a demon with more than one wife was insanely difficult. Mother did not outlaw this type of marriage because she simply found it fun to watch other demonesses struggle with their instincts which required them to make that demon theirs and only theirs.

“My husband, Illsyore Deus, is quite formidable, true, but I would like to point out that my relationship with him and my sister-wives isn’t the same as those others you might have heard of.” I told him with a smile.

“Oh? So, you don’t fight over him?” he asked with a scoff.

“No, there’s no need to. Our relationships were made in such a way that even a demoness’ natural instincts can accept them.” I said with pride in the tone of my voice.

“Can you really say that even though you are just a half?” he asked me with smile curling up on his lips as he lifted his chin up by a little, as if he was looking down at me, taunting me.

“My demoness instincts have always been strong, brother. And so have my Dungeon ones, which surprising are similar when it comes to choosing a sexual partner. My entire being desires more than one man to hold in my grasp, but my husband managed quite exceptionally to tame this strong impulse of mine.” I replied with a smirk.

“Very well. Let us assume that I believe this nonsense about such an impossible man.” Eventel nodded, taking on a more calm and stoic expression “This should be enough casual talk, now to get down to business, sister. Why did you wish to see me?” he narrowed his eyes at me.

“Oh, dear brother, I merely had one question. Why do you hate me so much so as to forbid my name from being spoken here?” I asked.

Eventel let out a sigh and said “I figure that was the first thing you wanted to ask me.” he then closed his eyes and continued “I was... made to do it.”

“Made to do it? Who in the name of Melkuth could do something like that?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

This was a bit unbelievable to hear because there should not have been anyone besides mother who could order a Duke of Chaos like that. They were, after all, the most powerful demons on the entire continent.

“Solstark, the Duke of Chaos who oversees the city at the edge of the Plains of Fire, and also... the father of Viola.” he opened his eyes and looked into mine.