After the duel, I frantically tidied myself up.
The Old Man had summoned me.
My footsteps echoed far too loudly as I made my way to his office.
When I opened the door, a cold, biting air brushed against my skin. At the center of the heavy desk sat my father—Margrave Gaius Grimlock—alone, wearing a pained expression.
The mountain of documents on his desk made his heavy burden very clear.
”…To think it would end in a result like this,” Gaius remarked, his voice a low, rough rumble.
His voice, as if dragged from his throat, dripped with clear disappointment.
It seemed he really couldn’t forgive the fact that I, a magic-less wretch, had won the duel.
The irritation of betrayed expectations was clearly etched in his gaze.
”Let’s move on, Old Man. It’s over and done with,” I said with a shrug.
No matter how much we mourn, my brother isn’t coming back to life.
I spoke as lightly as I could.
I masked my inner dissatisfaction and comforted him with a bright, airy voice.
I hate gloomy atmospheres. But—
”…Shut up, you failure,” my father spat, a vein throbbing on his forehead.
At my words, a low, angry voice resonated through the room. I mentally shrugged at the abuse, which carelessly threw away my attempt at kindness.
Well, I suppose it couldn’t be helped.
I did kill his eldest son and heir, after all.
If this amount of verbal abuse is the extent of it, then it’s a bargain.
I resigned myself to that thought.
However, my father kept a face like he’d just bitten into something awful.
With that expression, he shot a look of pure hatred toward the space behind me.
”…But, it is true that complaining changes nothing. To think you would command the demon, Ashraf,” he muttered.
Waiting there was a man who wore a black butler’s uniform to perfection.
He looked as if a shadow had simply taken physical form.
Ashraf. A demon of teleportation (a creature who can move instantly across space) who appeared at the site of the duel as if drawn by the fresh blood, and suddenly swore loyalty to me. His dark hair was perfectly styled, and his skin was deathly pale.
The whites of his eyes were pitch-black, and in the center, golden pupils glowed with an eerie light. The tips of his ears were slightly pointed, hinting at his non-human nature.
(Why the hell is this guy working for me?)
—No, his appearance itself isn’t a mystery.
In the game, this is the character Xenos summons in the late game, once he’s on the ropes, by decapitating his brother Leon. It’s not unnatural for him to appear at the moment I killed my brother.
But the Ashraf summoned in the game was not obedient to Xenos.
In the game, Ashraf teleports the demon faction boss, “Orcus,” in front of Xenos and murders him. That starts the final battle between the Prince and the demon faction led by the true final boss, Orcus.
It would be best not to expect this demon’s loyalty.
Plus, my magic power is zero.
I have no idea why he’s following me.
Why did he show up at this specific time?
That’s something I need to get to the bottom of.
”Old Man, what exactly is this guy?” I asked.
”That man is… a demon of teleportation. He manipulates space and can travel to any location instantly. He is an essential piece in our plan,” my father replied in a short, cold tone.
My father said it like he was spitting out poison.
The words were soaked in resentment.
I see, “the plan,” is it.
”Originally, he was to be Leon’s servant, to be moved at my will. …Even if the contract dictates he must follow the victor, for him to be with someone like you…. What kind of trick did you use?”
A gaze of suspicion pierced me.
He’s the one who said “complaining changes nothing,” yet here he is, being so stubborn.
I grew a bit weary of my father’s obsession.
”I can’t tell you the details of my trump card. There’s no magician who reveals the secrets of their tricks for free, right?” I smirked.
I brushed aside the Old Man’s questioning.
I smirked, pretending to be calm.
Even if I wanted to explain, I don’t fully understand the power of the “Magic Seal” myself yet.
I didn’t want him to realize that.
For example, if there were a limit to how many times I could use it in a day, I would have died during the duel.
I learned last night that I could erase the slave crest, but I have no idea if there are other uses or if it has effects beyond nullifying magic. It’s a complete mystery.
But more importantly, I’m curious about this “plan” of his.
I can guess most of it from my game knowledge, but I wanted to confirm it for peace of mind.
”More importantly, Old Man, is this guy really trustworthy?” I questioned.
Ignoring my question, my father turned his gaze toward Ashraf.
A cold shiver ran down my spine at the evil light in his eyes.
”Ashraf. Kill Xenos right now, and serve me instead,” my father commanded.
—Hey, wait a minute, Old Man.
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
My heart gave a heavy, violent thud.
I can’t believe he actually went there.
—But, the contract should be absolute.
There’s no way the contract formed with me, the victor of the duel, could be overturned by my father’s order.
…I hope.
My fingertips trembled slightly—
I mustn’t show fear here.
I struggled to keep my calm.
”…You must be joking. My master is Xenos-sama and Xenos-sama alone. I cannot accept orders from anyone other than my master,” Ashraf replied in a flat, icy tone.
Ashraf, remaining bowed respectfully, rejected the order in a flat, empty voice. His words rang out like ice.
Whew. I let out a breath of relief in my heart.
The tense air loosened, just a fraction.
”…Impossible, then. Well, so be it. Xenos, listen well. We, the House of Grimlock, are preparing to raise the banner of rebellion against the current royal family,” my father declared.
(Just as the game scenario predicted.)
I didn’t let my agitation show, and nodded calmly.
”I see. That’s what Ashraf is for.”
The current royal family is pushing for peace with our long-standing enemy, the “Adrastea Empire,” and a policy of cooperation with demi-humans. For military nobles like the Grimlocks, who built their power through war with the Empire, this is a life-or-death issue that threatens their very reason for existence.
Though not yet officially announced, quite a few nobles are opposed to this direction.
In the game, Prince Liam uses his three years at the academy to gather allies, positioning himself to turn the world war that erupts from this rebellion to his advantage.
I was reincarnated as the final boss, Xenos, who stands against the Prince. That means—
From now on, I just have to act as a member of the “Grimlock Faction” and expand our rebel forces.
…Alright, the path ahead is much clearer now.
The road I must walk is becoming certain.
If I, the reincarnated, am to survive—
I must guide this rebellion to success and endure the coming chaos.
”I will return to our base and put my full weight into the war against the Empire. Xenos, you will remain at the academy and act as the liaison for our comrades in various regions. With Ashraf’s ‘teleportation,’ that shouldn’t be impossible,” my father instructed.
There are many nobles dissatisfied with the royal family, but most are opportunists.
I have to bind them together and manage the flow of information.
Given Ashraf’s ability, it’s a role even I can manage.
”—Got it. Leave it to me,” I replied, pretending to be casual.
I accepted the task lightly.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t anxious.
The future is always uncertain.
But I have no choice. To survive, I have to do this.
”By the way, Xenos,” my father noted.
Father pierced me with a searching gaze.
It was sharp, as if trying to rip open my heart.
”Last night, one of the servants’ slave contracts vanished, along with their magic. I thought it was the aftermath of your contract with Ashraf, but… was that your doing?”
He means Lilia.
Now, how to answer that….
The fact that my ‘Magic Seal’ has the power to erase even slave crests—
This secret, above all else, must never be known.
This power, which could shake the very foundations of noble society, is a double-edged sword.
If it’s exposed, it will mean my immediate death.
”Who knows. But I’m taking that woman for myself. That is one thing I have no intention of giving up,” I said, meeting his eyes head-on.
I stared straight into my father’s eyes.
Without looking away, I showed my unwavering resolve.
Father scrutinized me for a moment, as if calculating my worth, but eventually, he gave a sharp snort through his nose. That short breath was tinged with resignation and contempt.
”…Do as you like,” he dismissed.
Having said that, he waved his hand as if to say he had no more use for me.
As I left the office and walked down the hallway, Ashraf appeared soundlessly at my side. His footsteps were so quiet they might as well not exist.
”A brilliant performance, Xenos-sama. Truly a masterful piece of maneuvering—” Ashraf complimented.
The praise, delivered with perfect manners, however, held no emotion, much like his glass-bead eyes. His voice was flat and mechanical.
—He’s entirely too suspicious.
A sense of wariness clung to my skin.
He’s definitely planning on stabbing me in the back the moment he gets the chance.
Summary:
Xenos meets with his father, Margrave Gaius Grimlock, to discuss the political implications of the recent duel and the acquisition of the demon Ashraf. The Margrave reveals his plans for a rebellion against the current royal family and tasks Xenos with acting as a liaison at the academy using Ashraf’s teleportation powers. Xenos cautiously navigates his father’s suspicion regarding his secret ability to nullify slave crests, while remaining wary of Ashraf’s hidden motives.
Trivia:
- Ashraf was meant to be the servant of Leon, Xenos’s late brother.
- The royal family is actively seeking peace with the Adrastea Empire, which threatens the Grimlock family’s status.
- Ashraf’s eyes have pitch-black sclera and golden pupils, a marker of his non-human identity.
- Xenos saved Lilia by removing her slave crest, an action his father suspects but cannot yet prove.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ A Japanese idiom literally meaning “a face like one has bitten into a bitter bug,” used to describe someone looking extremely displeased or disgusted.