The Demon Saint is Missing, so I Ran to Another World

The Bolt-Heater System

**Greg**

By the end of the long sleep, the Lord Tenguri and I raised the sign that we want to cross to the Biorno side to negotiate. The incubi sentries made us wait for some time, ostensibly asking their commanders on a proper response. However, they allowed us in the end.

"I am Tenguri, Lord of the Red Goblins, and commander of the Goblin Legion of the Red Banner," I let the goblin noble spoke first, since he knew the demon diplomatic protocols better than I do. Then, once he introduced himself, he turned to me and said, "And this is the Lord Greg 'Kuro' Santos, one of the new head scholars of the Conclave."

The moment they learned of my identity, the incubi soldiers glared at me. According to the Lord Gracchio, every member of the Biorno clan and their vassals knew the story of the human who usurped the authority of their beloved master. They were clueless of my name, but rumors were about that I caused Emile Biorno's death, to make sure that his clan couldn't 'retake' the seat of the head scholarship. The Lord Gracchio and Lady Capaldi, in an effort to exonerate me, put their names on the line to defeat the suspicions.

The time when I had to cross from the Biorno side to the Conclave came back in my mind. I was not aware of how close these guys to capturing me without a fight. Well, I could resist using the god-powers, but I don't want to, since it could spark an even bigger conflict, which we all wanted to avoid.

"..."

Anyway, with the introductions and mandatory frisking done (to ensure we're not carrying concealed weapons), the commander of the picket that accepted us ordered his soldiers to escort us to their rear lines. Their lord, a veteran Biorno vassal named Castrio Sargdhenerri, was already waiting for us in his tent.

True enough, when we came to his place, the lord was surrounded by his own circle of retainers.

"I'm waiting for you to come to me," the demon immediately greeted us. I couldn't tell if he was referring to me, or to the Lord Tenguri, so I waited for the goblin noble to say something first.

"I'm busy, Castrio," the Lord Tenguri replied with a grin. "Unlike you, who's got a lot of free time dabbling in tea ceremonies, I'm submerged solving my mathematical problems."

"Ah, you goblins never change, my old friend," the Lord Sargdhenerri smiled and invited us to sit, to which, we obliged. Then, he called for a servant to bring some tea and snacks for us.

While waiting, the Biorno vassal immediately jumped into the conversation, "I presume you are that human they call the 'Special Scholar'?"

"Yes, milord," I answered, bowing to show my respect to the demon. "My name is Greg Santos, but I'm also known as Kuro."

"Kuro?" the Lord Sargdhenerri raised an eyebrow, "You mean that Kuro? The Commoner General? The man they call the 'Rock of Chersea' and the 'Eternal King of Cherwind'?"

"In the flesh, Castrio," the Lord Tenguri interjected. "We got a living legend with us in this tent."

"An impressive feat, I must say..." the Biorno vassal stared at me long enough that it eventually got awkward; at least, it's what I believed.

Well, the more they talked about my supposed 'greatness', the more interested the Lord Sargdhenerri became towards me. See, I was not one to bask in praises; I believe I was just doing what I should do, as a proper human being. I never intended my acts to be seen as something to be thankful for.

The two nobles continued in their idle talk until the servant appeared with a tea set, and some snacks. The Lord Sargdhenerri offered those to us, reassuring that it was safe to consume. The Lord Tenguri, trusting his old friend, quickly accepted. I followed suit to avoid bad impressions.