When we arrived in the city of Zenobia, we were invited to the Octave family.
　We were to be treated as guests of honor for saving our daughter's life.
　The butler of the Octave family was moved to tears.

'Thank you for saving your daughter. This Hans, I will never forget this favor.

　He grabbed my hands and squeezed them.
　There seems to be no falsehood in his words.
　We were treated to this and other hospitality day after day.
　A whole roasted pig fattened up with plenty of the South's native crops, and ripe fruit that can only be found in the South.
　Ripe fruits that can only be found in the south.
　Fresh fish and shellfish from the southern seas.

　All of this is prepared by top chefs and brought to you by the best of the best.

　They are always lined up on the table, and every time you finish a dish, a new dish is brought to you.

　To be honest, I'm not much of an eater either, and Sati is a small eater.
　Moreover, I was Japanese in my previous life, and Satie is a former slave.
　I'm not afraid to leave some of it behind, but I can't eat it all, so I'm having a hard time.

　Satie, holding her stomach in pain, said

I feel like I've eaten enough for a lifetime.

　And he was rubbing his bulging belly.

　She looked like a pregnant woman.
　If this continues, Satie and I will both end up like fat pigs.
　So I asked Hans, the butler, "When will you be ready, Lord Etria?

'When will I be able to meet with Lord Etria?

　Hans says apologetically.

'After all, Master Eltria is a busy man...'

　I've already heard that line dozens of times.

　The fact that Etria must be a busy man, even though it seemed to make his ears pop, is that he is an ally of the trade union.

　After all, he's the leader of the Trade Federation.

　I've been staying at the mansion for a while now, and it seems that guests are showing up every day, forcing him to keep a minute schedule.

　Even though he is the benefactor of my daughter, he does not have the time to spare.

　Besides, I've told this butler in advance that I would like to have an official audience on behalf of Ismas.

　I suppose I need a certain amount of time to spare.

　That's why I've been waiting for this, but I have my own reasons.

　Even though we defeated the League of Lords in Arsenum the other day, its power is still very much alive and well.

　Ivalice is also one of the front lines, and we can't afford to be away early.
　Is Lilith's guy maintaining security while holding back?

　You can't help but wonder if this guy is listening to the people of the city and doing the right thing.

　I can't help but be curious about it.
　I'm especially concerned about the latter.

　Because when I saw the whole roasted pork that came out earlier, I suddenly thought of Jiron's face.

　Anyway, I can't wait any longer, I thought, and tried to plead with Hans, the butler, again, but that motion stopped in the middle.

　The daughter of Etria, Yulia, called out to me.

''Ryke-sama, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting,''

　Julia said and held the edge of her skirt in her hands.

It's been a long time.

　I smiled.

　The sight of him baffled me.
　It's because the strong impression I had when I met her is stuck in my head.

　It's not a bad idea to be asked to marry a beautiful woman, but I don't have time to worry about that right now. Even if he were to take a wife one day, now is not the time.

　So her courtship was honestly annoying.

　Hence, I had been living my life to avoid her for a while now, but she finally caught me.

''...........''

　I let out a gasp, but she didn't seem bothered by it, and spoke to me.

'I'm very sorry to keep you waiting, but your mother has made time for you. She's got a bit of work to do.

'Mother...?　Is it?

Yes, we managed to get a time frame.

　I was unintentionally confused by his words.

'Mistress Julia, I am a representative of the Trade Federation. I would like to have a meeting with Lord Eltria.''

Yes, I've heard that.

　She said as much.

"That is why you must see 'Mother'

　I assured him.

　Then she pulled my hand away and led me to her office in the pavilion.
　Her hand was small, but unexpectedly powerful.
　Or rather, forceful.
　I do as I'm told, and she pushes me into her office.
　There's a woman of strange age sitting at a fine desk.

　-- or is it a woman of a certain age?

　A woman with a bundle of fiery red hair, graceful, but with a keen eye.
　She had the appearance of a pirate ship's captain.
　You can tell right away that she is no ordinary person.
　And as if to prove it, the woman said.

You are the young man who rescued my daughter," she said. My name is Eltria Octave. I am the head of the council that governs this Zenobia, and I am also the head of the Trade Federation.

　She said and stood up and offered me a handshake.

'I'll formally thank you later for saving my daughter. It's a very busy time for me right now. Do you mind if I talk to you while I work?

Yes, sir.

　I say, and she says a few words, "Excuse me," and then returns to her seat and begins to look through the papers again.

　I'm amazed at the amount of it, but the speed with which she reads it wasn't half bad either.
　She marvels at it, but her daughter beside her, Yulia, overhears her proudly.

'I usually get twice as much work done as that one, and I get it done twice as fast.

"...I see, 'I've got a little work to do'.

　Apparently, the woman named Eltria Octave is a far more capable merchant than I imagined.

　The merchant of the Trade Federation is synonymous with a skilled merchant.
　If it were the world of the previous world, it would be similar to the merchants of Genoa or Omi merchants.
　Since they unite such people, this woman is no ordinary person.
　In the first place, I didn't think that the person called Eltria was a woman.
　I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to get it right.

'- My husband, by the way, is a merchant, just as you imagine him to be.

　Eltria said abruptly.

''...........''

You have a very expressive face. You should be careful. It can be a liability in a negotiation.

　After saying that, he turns his gaze to the documents again.

''Well I see, I'm prone to facial expressions.

　It's true that I usually wear a mask, so maybe that's part of it.
　I have to be careful in the future.
　With that in mind, I decide to cut her off from negotiations.
　-- and before that, I glance at Yulia to the side.

''Miss Yulia, I'm very sorry to tell you this, but would you please get up from your seat?''

　What I'm going to talk about is the treaty between the 'Demon King's Army' and the 'Trade Union'.
　Whether or not it will succeed, I couldn't let this girl hear it.
　When I asked her to leave, she surprisingly obeyed me.
　I thought she was going to be selfish, but she left the room without a hitch.

　However, at the end of her life, she left behind a fearless smile, "Hmmm, Ryke-sama, Ryke-sama has decided on the design of the bridal gown, hasn't she?

''..........''

　It was a horrible prophecy, but I brushed it off and turned to Eltria.
　Then I asked again.

''Actually, I have a favor to ask of you, sir.

　She remained staring at the papers, "What? He asked.
　The simple tone and attitude was anticlimactic, but I spoke bluntly.

'Actually, I'm not a nobleman of Ismus.
I know that.
Eh....

　I couldn't help but let my voice trail off.

'There is no nobleman named Ryke in the country of Ismus. There was a nobleman who rebelled against the king of Ismus a long time ago. His name was Ryke. Since then, no nobleman has used that name. At least in Ismus.

So you knew all along that I was a false nobleman?

Yeah.

　She replied shortly, and then continued.

'And to add to that, I also believe that you are the messenger of the Demon King's Army.
..........

''You don't have to hide it. I don't fear or despise you because I'm the Demon King's Army. It's just that you've saved my daughter's life. You are here to negotiate on behalf of the Demon King's Army. That's the only fact I've seen.

How did you know I was sent by the Demon Lord's Army?

　Eltria says simply.

'I guess it's a hunch,'
"You have a hunch.

　That's also fuzzy.

'I'm not making fun of intuition. I believe that intuition is a conclusion based on experience and theory. It is this intuition that has made our family of octaves a fortune in a generation and made us the leaders of the Trade Federation.

''--I'll keep that in mind. When you say "hunches", you don't mean "guesses".

'At this time, at this moment, at this time, a powerful sorcerer like you has arrived under a false identity. It's easy to imagine if you think about it for a moment.

Well I see, by the way, do I look human?

"...what do you mean by that?　I've had Hans, the butler, confirm that you are human.

　Apparently, they don't know that I'm a person pretending to be a member of the demon tribe.
　They seem to think that I am a person who is cooperating with the demon tribe.

　Sephiro, Sati, and even the Demon Lord knows, but I didn't want this secret to get out to the world any more.

　If my true identity was discovered, I wouldn't be able to stay in the Demon King's army, and the position of the Demon King and Sephiro-sama might be a disaster.

　--That's what I thought, but I dared to tell the truth to this person as well.

　There were several reasons, but the first was that I didn't have the confidence to deceive this woman with a keen intuition to the end.

　The second was that I came here in the first place to create a world where demons and humans could live together.

　I wanted to show them a living example of that, me and Sati, and use that as a bargaining chip.

　I took a slow, deep breath and reshaped my expression to say, "You're right.

'You're right, I am a human. However, I am also a demon.

..........

　Hearing those words, Eltria is silent.
　Even the brilliant woman seems confused.
　That's true. What I'm saying is close to the ravings of a madman.

I'm not sure if that means you've completely turned on the demon tribe.　Or are you planning to perform the secret magic to reincarnate into a demon race?

'No, sir. My father and mother are human, but I was raised as a child of the demon race.

　She seemed to cut her consciousness completely off from the document after hearing that.
　Turning to me, she gave me a look that said, "Let's hear the details.　

''My grandfather's name is a demon race called the Guardian of the Abyss.

"...I've heard of that name. The Immortal King, I believe. I've heard he's the best magician in the Demon King's army.

　It's quirky and erudite, but I correct myself.

'It was, sir. He's already deceased.　

...a nice person, no, you lost a demon.

'He said it was his life expectancy, so he's not sad. He said he'd lived a few hundred years and that he'd had enough.

I said that jokingly, but it was true.

　He knew how long he was going to live, and even before he was born, he always said, "I've lived long enough. He seemed to know the day he would die and the time he would die. He told me at a young age that I would die at New Year's, so be prepared for it.

　It's a strange thing to say now, but at the time I thought it was normal. That's because I thought that the demon race and the immortal king were like that.

　That's why I wasn't too sad the day my grandfather died.
　I just accepted that the day had come.

　-- well, really, I did cry a little bit.

　But it didn't matter.
　What was needed now was to convince the woman in front of me.

''........I was raised by that king of the abyss, grew up and fought for the Demon King's army until today.''

"Is it for the debt of gratitude you owe Lord Romberg for raising you?

''It's not that big of a deal. It's just that when I grow up, I'll join the Demon King's Army. And I will become a magician like my grandfather. I've been training in magic since I was a child with that motive.

So this is the reason you are who you are, huh?

But that was my motivation at first, but not now.

What do you mean?

The reason I'm fighting now is because I want humans and demons to coexist.

Humans and demons coexisting...?

　She frowned for the first time at that shapely brow.

'What do you mean?　Doesn't the demon race intend to destroy the humans?

I didn't mean to. --at least me and the Demon King.

''It's true that our current Demon King has a reputation for being different from previous Demon Kings. But demons are still demons. He might change one day. Or maybe he'll return to his original form. --And that's what I think.

No such thing, sir.

Do you have any proof?

No, sir.

　And I say it once and for all.

　I couldn't present such a thing, and even if I gave him a pledge handwritten by the Demon King here, I thought it would be pointless.

　This bold merchant is not so good-natured as to be convinced by a piece of paper.
　She asks.

'Then how are you going to convince me?

　I reply shortly.

"-- by action.

What do you mean?

'With all due respect, the Trade Union is in great trouble right now. I'm told.

Where did you get this information?

''In case you're wondering, this is still the commander of the Demon King's army, so I had to check it out beforehand.

I assume you're referring to the Carossa of Red Beard, a group of pirates based in the Southern Ocean. Certainly, Zenobia is extremely annoyed with him.

　She continues.

''There are already ten merchant ships that have been attacked, and the amount of damage is equivalent to the annual budget of a city. If we leave it as it is, that amount will increase even more, and my ally's position may be in jeopardy.''

Yes, we need to take action as soon as possible.

So I take it you're the one who's gonna kill the pirate.

Yes, sir.

　I reply.
　When she hears the answer, she thinks about it for a while.

　I was surprised that such an intelligent woman could be troubled, but it was natural when I thought about it.

　She would have to deal with the Demon King's army.
　I had to be cautious.

　I didn't rush her and waited for her to open her mouth as she gathered her thoughts.

　She says in a clear tone of voice.

'All right. I'll take that deal. If you're willing to take the two conditions, I'm willing to make a deal with the Demon King's Army.

Two conditions, sir?

　I was surprised by the unexpected words.
　I had thought that slaying pirates was a given, but I had never dreamed that she would offer me another condition.

　What does she want?
　I would cooperate with her if I could, but I can't give her a cheap shot.
　I cautiously asked her what the terms were.
　She said, for the first time, with a nasty look on her face.

'One, of course, is the extermination of the red-bearded Carossa, but the other is for you to be my son.

..........

　When I hear those words, a cold feeling runs down my back.
　It's because that smile looks exactly like a certain person.
　That person was Cephiro, the commander of our 7th Legion.
　Her smile now was the same as the one she had when Cephiro was playing a trick on her.
　I asked fearfully.

''........maybe that's it?''
"I would have you marry my daughter Julia.

　I knew it.
　Although he seemed serious and competent, in essence, this person was just like Cephiro.

　I guess he's the type of person who goes to great lengths to pull pranks on people he likes.
　Of course, I politely decline.

I'm a human, but I'm from the Demon King's army. Are you going to marry your daughter off to the general of that demon king's army?

　Her answer.

What's the problem with that?

　It was.

'Political marriages and the like are a natural part of being born to a merchant's daughter. And I like you. You have a good head on your shoulders. And you are honest. I especially like the latter. Merchants are often thought to be cunning, but I look for honesty in a merchant. And you'll probably be a captain in the Demon King's army in the future. It's not a bad idea to marry your daughter here and tie the knot.

...Is that also a hunch?

'It's a hunch. However, my instincts have never been off.

　She said, then stood up and patted me on the back as she came towards me.

'Anyway, I asked you to take care of Carossa the Red Beard and his daughter.

　With that, she returned to her seat and began to look through the papers again.

'Make all preparations regarding the slaying of the pirates to Hans, the steward.

　That was the last thing she said.
　From then on, I focused my consciousness completely on the papers.
　Perhaps it would be useless to talk to her any more.　　
　With that in mind, I turned my back on Eltria and left her office.