The last meal before His Majesty returned to the capital with Her Majesty and his concubines. A sullen air weighed down their hearts, dilemma and confusion settled their mind in a state of unrest.

Evelyn told them everything.

Sequencee and Schwii’s identity as a demon lord.

The engagement letter issued by The Sovereign.

And her doubts over the matter.

“Why do you think you are acting out of conscience if she herself permitted you to accept him?” Her Majesty Esther asked.

“It’s.. unfair isn’t it mother? They were together all this while, and because of this she was forced apart from him.”

“Was she forced apart, or could that be an excuse? I never gave up on your father despite the challenges that came, how could she give up on him? It only proves the weak feelings she holds towards him.”

“The matter of his identity, that’s what I’m most concerned about,” Serah said.

“Stated in this letter, he was intentionally chosen as the most suitable pair with his close ties with dear Evelyn. Moreover, she had yearned for him since a long time ago. I think this move is wise on the part of The Sovereign, it clarifies his intentions,” said Beatrice.

Evelyn gripped the hem of her dress underneath the table.

All reasonings point to yes, that Evelyn should cast aside her own denials to accept this wonderfully laid out opportunity for her. It was a win-win for both parties at the cost of trifling emotions.

“What does he himself think of it?” Wilson asked with a sharp tone.

“I don’t know..”

“I believe it’s nothing positive,” Quilin guessed from her knowledge of his personality.

“What can we do to mitigate the friction of conflict?”

The demons have made clear their intent from this one move. Depending on the royal family’s response to this, the outcome of the future may greatly change.

“Evelyn, remember what we talked about long ago?” His Majesty Soles spoke after a long silence.

“..Yes father. I do.”

“Have clarity of what it is you want, and grasp it tight. I see you have wavered.”

“...”

Evelyn who would’ve done everything so that she could get Sequencee on her side–that was what she promised herself, wasn’t it? If that were the case then why did she give up now when it could’ve been much earlier in the beginning?

Was the pain too much to bear? Or the realization that he never liked her?

“His happiness is the most important thing to me, father. I don’t wish to force upon him myself even if it benefits the country..”

Esther sighed loudly, Evelyn trembled.

Her Majesty leaned in and whispered something to His Majesty. After some more consideration, he nodded and showed a serious expression.

“Evelyn, I declare here that from henceforth, you are to be engaged with the prince of demons, Sequencee Arch. An official party will be held to announce the engagement in due time, until then, keep in touch with him.”

“Mother!”

“If you are not clear on what you want in your own life, don’t blame others for deciding it for you,” Esther said. “Remember this. He had said himself that his wish is to maintain peace between human-kind and demon-kind. As his wife, you must support him in achieving his cause.”

“Mother..!”

“This is the best solution. If we don’t accept the demon’s goodwill, it would prove devastating to the already strained relationship. I’m sorry Evelyn.”

She didn’t know how to feel. This dirty feeling of joy, knowing that her wish came true in the most despicable way imaginable.

Did Schwii predict this?

“Don’t cry..”

Rudeus stroked Evelyn’s back as she sobbed with her arms over her head. The royal family watched in silence.

‘I’m sorry.. Sequencee, I didn’t mean to..’

–But it still must be done.

===

“Master, I know you are not in a sound condition, but is it alright if I talked to you in private?”

“Can you return to your usual self, back to when you were my sword and you wanted Shiro’s kid?”

“I am back to my usual self. The only reason I keep calling you master is because that’s my set program. I can try to call you Sequencee, but it feels unpleasant.”

“Do you think Schwii is going to consider your suggestion?”

“I don’t know. If she’s going to continue to be that stubborn, you best prepare yourself.”

“You’re right,” Sequencee got up from the couch from the lounging chair of the apartment complex lobby. “Reese, do you eat?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk about,” Reese said listlessly.

‘So this is what it’s like to have an aide? I don’t know why but it feels comforting.’

Sequencee thought he was being delusional. This feeling could stem from how he had just gone through yesterday’s shock, something like the suspension bridge effect.

“So you can’t eat normal food anymore?”

“I still can eat normal food. There are just certain other requirements now that I’m a slime.”

“I thought Risa said you were a homunculus?”

“Really? Then ain't that a fancy way to call an advanced slime?” Reese grew an extra sixth finger from her right hand and showed it to Sequencee.

“...”

The two of them went to the cafeteria establishment.

[Illusion Magic: Universal Haze]

“Why are you obscuring yourself, master?”

“Why do you think so?”

“I don’t know?”

“I don’t know either then.”

For one, it would be weird if people found Reese calling Sequencee by the pronoun: master. And two, this internal feeling of wanting to just disappear..

‘Actually, what happened back then?’

Sequencee recalled how back when he lost everything at Estia barony, he fled to some forest to die. However, the memory gap between when the calamity stuck to when he arrived to Mane’s home was missing.

Reese used her student ID to allow them both to enter the third tier.

“The usual,” Reese ordered.

The waiter bowed and left.

“What should I talk about, let’s see..”

‘Maybe she just wants to cheer me up by getting my mind off Schwii, even a little bit.’

“.. You know how back then you fought one of my blood slimes?”

“Yeah.”

“One resource they require to sustain life is blood.”

“Okay?”

“So I need to eat people, or maybe just drink blood. Otherwise, I can’t use my abilities as a homunculus.. or I might die. That’s what I got based on my research. Of course, I don’t know how much of it applies to me because my body should be able to generate its own blood.. so maybe I’m replenishing my slime-side by just being? Those kinds of questions still plague my mind.”

“I didn’t even get what half you’re saying.”

“In short, I may or may not have to drink blood every so often.”

“Then yesterday, you used a lot of your abilities to fight me..”

“That came from the dead people I ate yesterday. They taste good for some reason. Isn’t it weird?”

“...”

A teardrop leaked from her eyes.

“Reese?”

“Sorry. I just don’t know how to feel about this. I feel happy now that I’m still alive, yet for some reason.. I feel like I’ve lost something very important. I don’t know what it is..”

Her words felt like lumps of iron sewn into his heart. Sequencee lowered his gaze. Reese needed someone to listen to her. But, Sequencee wasn’t mentally prepared..

‘Even so..’

Their breakfast arrived.

===

Leticia knocked hard on the door. “Hello?”

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Quora said.

“Feeling about?” Daizo asked.

“They said they had some mission to tackle yesterday didn’t they?”

“Or maybe they’re just not back?”

“Then what about the party? We told them that we’d delay it until this morning?”

“Maybe they just woke up later,” Nynim muttered.

“Not possible. Sequencee and Iona would never do something like that,” Leticia said.

“The only possibility is that they’re..” before Nynim could complete her sentence, the door opened.

It was Iona.

“Yes?” her cold tone made things known that something wasn’t quite right.

“Iona, is Schwii and Sequencee in?” Leticia asked.

“What do you need from them?”

“We planned to celebrate Sequencee’s victory, remember?” Daizo said.

Iona pondered for a moment before saying, “My apologies, but neither of them are in a situation where they are able to attend.”

“What?”

“What happened?” Leticia narrowed her eyes.

“No comments. Please allow them both some time.”

“Where are they now?” Nynim asked.

“No comments.”

“Alright, nevermind. Help us tell them congratulations and take care. Thank you.”

“I will,” Iona nodded and shut the door.

“Huuhh..”

“Did those two get into another argument?”

“The last time.. I’m not sure how things went. I thought they made up, no?”

“How about we ask Shiro or Risa?”

“Oh right, the heroes. We’re going to celebrate with them too, right?” Quora’s eyes sparkled.

To party with the hero, who in the world would let such a chance pass? Well, perhaps Sequencee and Schwii, but otherwise, it was stupid not to especially for Leticia’s roommates who weren’t really acquitted with the heroes.

“Let’s go ask them then. Maybe they were on the same mission,” Leticia said.

Both of them had errands to run yesterday night after all.

===

“Take a seat. Believe me when I say that it’s only the two of us.”

“Alright.”

Cabural offered Sequencee a cup of tea. He weaved his fingers together and studied Sequencee’s figure. This student looked like any other human in the academy. Besides the faint traces of mana which he always had with him, there were no other hints of anything abnormal.

But yet despite this..

“My objective is simple, to prevent any complications in the academy. It is very well known that the enforcer faculty is one of the most problematic. I’m guessing you recognize this point with what Reese has displayed during the award ceremony.”

“Yeah.”

“Recently, there’s been a suicide and murder case. It’s been proven that the killer killed herself after the murder, however, such a news will warrant a lot of controversy.”

“Alright.”

“The family of the victim has requested that we return Leticia home should we gain their cooperation in the matter.”

“Why not just get the support of the royal family?”

Cabural was once again reminded of why this person was in his eyes, a dangerous factor to the ultimate plan. Hiding his identity through some unusual means, paired with the luck of being acquaintances of the empire’s most influential people– it could alter the state of world affairs.

“I don’t see how this will tarnish the academy’s image. A suicide case that has nothing to do with the academy,” Sequencee said.

“I expected as such,” Cabural wetted his throat with a sip of tea. “Let’s rephrase it. This case has everything to do with a certain demon hiding in the academy.”

“...”

“Tell me. What did you come here for?”

Cabural had known all this while that something was wrong. From the day he brought those horns to the office, to his enrolment into the academy; that day he entered the office, and his relationship with the rumored maid which had been going around.

If he could’ve just come through paying for himself, why go through all the trouble of sending a gift? Furthermore, was there even a need for him to attend the academy when he had already been registered as an A-rank mercenary with a first grade license?

“I came to join the heroes party,” the demon said.

“And what do you wish to achieve having done that?”

“...”

“I’m waiting for your answer.”

If he were here to just build a friendly relationship, then by all means. However, if the intention was otherwise..

“If your main goal is to avoid unnecessary trouble in the academy, why would you even be talking to me about this? It’s as if you wish for me to do something to disrupt the peace?”

The demon was threatening him.

“Is that your stance on this?” Cabural asked.

“My stance?”

“You wish to bind the academy down with your power.”

A heavy pressure fell upon the room.

“I hope I need not repeat myself. Tell me what you have in plan.”

The demon’s expression darkened.

“You’re asking the wrong person.”

“It seems I should’ve killed you earlier. It’s a pity I can no longer do so without having to pay the cost of burial.”

There was a trace of another person’s mana. Cabural narrowed his eyes on the black tag which he hung on his wrist.

He couldn’t have not known after seeing this on the battlefield time and time again. When did he become friends with this person? Cabural thought this could be troublesome.

“What are you going to do to Leticia? Isn’t that the topic you wanted to tell me about?” the demon asked.

“Yes, you’re right. We’ve gone off topic, my apologies. As you had said to needlessly involve the royal family into the matter, how do you suggest we settle the matter without inciting an even larger commotion?” he asked.

“You’ve never told me what exactly it is you’re going to do with her, how would I know?”

He shook his head. “I mentioned earlier hadn’t I, that I would return her to her family?”

“How do you plan on doing that?”

“I have my ways.”

“...”

A quiet pause later, the demon stood up and left. The conversation was left dangling there.

“Demons are a bunch of trouble..”

Cabural leaned back against the sofa and muttered to himself.