"It must have been Hans!"
The old Demon King insisted immediately after being summoned to the bathhouse.
"This poison is Hans' work—I couldn't possibly mistake it! He must have returned using teleportation magic, harboring some resentment toward His Majesty… and secretly poisoned the bath!"
That half-swallowed "little brat" you were about to say—did you think I didn't hear it?
"Well, this poison is indeed Hans' specialty."
The bathwater had turned a deep purple, clearly saturated with deadly toxins. Sylvia examined it carefully.
"As an expert in biological modification, I know a thing or two about poisons. This one is extremely rare—only a death-poison variant slime like Hans could produce it!"
"Then send people to search the city for traces of Hans."
Eiji nodded slightly, speaking in a measured tone.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty, if Hans returned via teleportation magic, he's likely already left the same way. Even if we turn the entire castle upside down, we won't find him. And even if we track him down, there'd be no evidence!"
"So you're saying there's no way to punish the culprit?"
"I'm afraid not."
Eiji glanced at the old Demon King.
With that righteous indignation plastered on his face, anyone else might have genuinely believed he was acting in Eiji's best interests.
Age had sharpened his cunning—though his strength had waned, his methods had grown far more refined.
"Then forget it."
Eiji waved a dismissive hand. "I'm tired today. I'll rest first, and we'll deal with the poisoned bath later."
"As you command, Your Majesty!"
The assembled officers bowed and withdrew.
Guided by a maid, Eiji headed toward his newly prepared Demon King's chambers.
Seeing this, Sylvia suddenly smiled, a delicate, alluring curve of her lips.
Then, rising onto her tiptoes, she hurried after him.
"Is she planning to merge with that brat?"
The old Demon King scratched his white hair, wearing an expression of someone who had seen through everything.
"Earlier today, she was completely won over by the promise of merging!"
Airi glared at Sylvia's retreating figure, her distaste plain. The demon woman swayed with an almost hypnotic grace as she walked away.
"I see. So my past refusals must have left her resentful."
The old Demon King nodded thoughtfully.
Sylvia was a chimera. Though she appeared as a beautiful woman in an elegant dress, she had undergone countless self-modifications. Her worst habit was an irresistible urge to merge with powerful beings.
In the past, she had repeatedly begged the old Demon King to merge with her, hoping to obtain his monstrous blessings. But he had stubbornly refused, forcing her to reluctantly give up.
Now, she had set her sights on Eiji—coveting his pure, overwhelming strength.
"She won't succeed!"
Airi declared flatly.
"Exactly. Otherwise, we'd look like total fools!"
The old Demon King nodded sagely.
"..."
Airi fell silent for a moment.
She had meant that Sylvia's strength was nowhere near enough to merge with Eiji… but her father wasn't wrong either!
"But this presents an opportunity!"
The old 's eyes gleamed with cunning. "Airi, go now and expose Sylvia's true nature!"
"Got it! And then?"
"Then use the beauty trap to seduce that brat!"
"?"
"He still doesn't know what's hidden under Sylvia's skirt. Once he finds out, he'll definitely suffer severe psychological trauma. That's when you strike and capture his heart!"
"This…"
Airi hesitated.
"Don't worry. I'm a man—I know this plan will work!"
The old Demon King declared confidently, "Once you win his heart, the Demon King's throne will eventually return to our family. At worst, we can just have him marry into our clan! Besides, think about it—you're not getting any younger. It's about time you settled down. That brat isn't bad-looking, and he's a perfect match for you—Gah!"
Before he could finish, the old Demon King doubled over like a shrimp.
Airi's expression turned icy as she drove her fist into his stomach.
"Father, even if it's you, I won't hold back when it comes to discussing my age!"
"Cough, cough… I'll remember that!"
The old Demon King rubbed his stomach, wobbling as he stood up.
He had fathered her late in life, and this only daughter was his pride and joy.
Unfortunately, she was no longer young, yet she still hadn't found a suitable husband.
She wasn't unaware that she was gradually becoming an older, unmarried woman. Though she never spoke of it, she was secretly anxious. Anyone who dared bring it up had to be prepared for a beating.
"Not even her old father is spared!"
The old Demon King felt a pang of sorrow, then slyly asked, "So, what do you think of the plan?"
"...I'll try!"
Airi took a deep breath, her gaze hardening with resolve.
"At all costs, the Demon King's throne must remain in the hands of our Yasaka clan. Otherwise, the fate of our family…"
For some reason, the expressions of father and daughter darkened.
A few minutes later.
Outside the new Demon King's bedroom.
"Strange, why isn't anyone answering?"
Sylvia knocked on the door, but no one came.
"Traitor, stop right there!"
Airi charged forward.
For the survival of her clan—she had to go all out!
...
The next morning.
Eiji woke up refreshed and headed to the castle square to practice his swordplay.
"Huh? Didn't sleep well?"
After finishing his morning training, Eiji spotted the witch below the platform.
"Hah, hah… I-I'm fine!"
Airi, sporting dark circles under her eyes, forced a weak smile.
"By the way, didn't you return to your room to sleep last night?"
"I did."
"?"
"I just picked a random room to avoid any nighttime surprises."
Eiji smiled amiably at the exhausted witch.
"!"
Airi shuddered, instantly wide awake.
So that was it.
The poison her father had administered last night had put him on guard. While he pretended to return to the Demon King's bedroom, he had actually slept in an undisclosed room without telling anyone.
Damn, his vigilance was too sharp!
Because of that, she and Sylvia had pointlessly fought outside the Demon King's bedroom half the night, nearly tearing each other's hair out!
"Did you need something from me?"
"Y-Yes! I was planning to take you on a tour of the Demon King's Castle's treasure vault!"
Remembering the task her father had dragged her out of bed for, Airi quickly spoke up.
"Treasure vault?"
"That's right. Inside are many treasures collected since the construction of the Demon King's Castle, including peerless magical artifacts—we even possess divine relics!"
Airi spoke with great pride.
Yet the thought of using her ancestors' collected treasures to please this man made her heart ache unbearably.
"Oh?"
Eiji immediately perked up.
They even had divine relics?
Though divine relics from different worlds couldn't be judged by the same standard, anything bearing the title of "divine" surely wouldn't be anything ordinary, right?