Chapter 72
It felt as though an unexpected riddle had been solved. She had been curious anyway, since Asmod showed no sign of ascending to the Surface.
“In any case, the majority of lower demons can normally subsist entirely on atmospheric mana without forming a contract. Because mana is currently scarce, they rely upon the mana of the Lord.”
A heavy aura settled into Asmod’s eyes as he spoke. He bore the look of someone who found the sheer task of managing a Domain utterly exhausting.
Theticia shut her notebook with a crisp, definitive snap, as if she had suddenly realized something.
“So, it is like supply rations?”
At her impoverished analogy, Asmod let out a low groan before continuing.
“Since that is the state of affairs, do not be frightened even if the demons behave aggressively. Right now, you are akin to a freshly baked loaf of bread passing through the midst of the ravenous.”
“Ugh…”
Asmod’s finger carelessly prodded her cheek, which was flushed with heat like well-risen bread dough, sinking softly into her skin over and over.
***
The four-horse carriage arrived at the Lord’s castle.
Upon entering the towering castle, which required one to tilt their head entirely back just to behold it, demons standing in neat ranks welcomed the Lord who was visiting after a long absence.
“Welcome, Your Grace.”
A reddish Imp house steward stepped forward as their representative and bowed his head.
“Has anything happened in my absence? My apologies for the delayed visit.”
“Everything is precisely as stated in the letters. The people of the Domain have been eagerly counting down the days for your visit, Your Grace.”
Having finished speaking, the house steward’s yellow eyeballs turned toward Theticia.
“……!”
Startled, Theticia reflexively tightened her embrace around the urn in her arms. Several demons standing in the ranks had already been unable to contain themselves, thick trails of saliva dripping continuously from their jaws.
Letting out a deep sigh, the Imp house steward approached with heavy, measured steps and extended a hand toward Theticia.
“……Father has accompanied you as well, I see. Please hand him over.”
“Fa-Father?”
As Theticia asked back in a daze and handed over the urn, the house steward nodded. Upon closer inspection, unlike Rumpel whose skin was densely lined with wrinkles, the Imp standing before her appeared quite young.
“Yes, I am Stütz, and I serve the house of Archduke Asmodeus across generations. I act as the Deputy Lord whenever His Grace is away.”
Stütz opened the lid of the urn, which had been sealed to ensure a quiet journey. Rumpel, who popped up abruptly, already had a deeply flushed, reddish face.
“Stütz, you wretched boy! What is the meaning of the state of this castle! It is completely covered in dust!”
As Rumpel stomped his formless feet in a violent tantrum, Stütz shook his head from side to side and turned back toward Asmod and Theticia.
“I shall have the luggage moved to the bedchamber. Since you must be famished, would you care to dine first?”
“No. It is better to put out the most urgent fires first. I will head to the watchtower first. Prepare everything, as we shall proceed with a Domain council.”
“Understood. As for the human guest…… shall I escort her to the guest room?”
“She will accompany me. Come here, Tisha.”
Theticia jumped in surprise and hurried over with short, quick steps to stand closely by Asmod’s side. The affectionate nickname he had used ever since that night still felt entirely foreign to her.
Although the nuance of the name felt somewhat akin to calling a puppy…… it was ultimately a punishment for giving her own name to Glacia, so she could not raise any complaints.
If the Archduke’s Mansion in the Imperial Capital was a modern residence adorned with brilliant works of art, the Lord’s castle was an ancient fortress several times its size.
The greatest distinction lay in how the passage of time could be felt in everything. The frames and ornaments hanging upon the walls were entirely antique and classical.
“The atmosphere is vastly different from the Archduke’s Mansion.”
“It was my father’s taste.”
Asmod answered curtly to Theticia’s inquiry. Unlike Asmod, who resided in the Imperial Capital, it appeared the previous Archduke had primarily stayed within the Domain. She wondered why he always left the Lord’s castle vacant, considering how much care he supposedly poured into managing the territory.
“You do not live in the Domain, Lord Asmod?”
“I merely drop by periodically to distribute mana. Since I do not dispatch troops to the war, there is very little for me to intervene with regarding the Domain.”
Struck by a sudden jolt of alarm at the mention of military troops, Theticia stared intently up at Asmod’s back as he ascended the stairs. The matter had already been weighing heavily on her mind ever since she heard Levia speak of the war.
Theticia inquired carefully.
“Then……! You are not participating in the war, Lord Asmod?”
“……Indeed.”
As if he found it peculiar that she would ask such a thing, a faint crease appeared between Asmod’s brows when he looked back at her. Leaving behind Theticia, who had quickly closed her mouth, Asmod climbed the stone ladder and opened the watchtower door fixed to the ceiling.
A fierce gust of wind poured over them, sending Theticia’s hair fluttering wildly. Grasping the hand extended by Asmod, who had ascended first, Theticia climbed out onto the watchtower as well.
“Ah……!”
Theticia’s mouth parted at the vast, unobstructed vista before her. Far in the distance, the Blue Moon blazed with a clarity akin to the break of dawn.
Beneath that dim, dusky sky, a device installed at the center of the watchtower emitted a faint, feeble glow.
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