The Road To Peace

Arc 3: Chapter 2: The New Grandchild?

The air seemed to thin as the pressure of the question—no practical demand—settled in with the guests at the table.

Smack!!

A loud slap resounded against the clothed table. The plates began to rattle and shake as Clara pushed her body against the table, waving her free hand to gain Sullivan's attention.
As someone who, aside from Amaryllis or I, most likely had the most valuable information, he motioned for her to speak.

Of course her explanation came with its fair share of weird onomatopoeias and exaggerations, but it was clear enough to understand the gist of it.

"It was just another day," she explained, her demeanor becoming less excited and more serious. "I was summoned by Raim; she offered me as a partner for Amaryllis' mission, saying that I had "unexpected" and "untapped potential"."

Sullivan nodded.

"I believe it was under my order that she was to infiltrate the Royalist Faction. Do you know anything more?"

Calra shook her head. Her nervousness was heard through her shaky voice.

"Just recounting your experience is enough, Clara."

With a quick and slight bow of her head, she continued.

She explained the strict nature and training of the royalists, and although she didn't remember most names, she described their appearances to the best of her abilities, making sure to mention the dissenting and defecting of her partner, Shell.

"Then one day she brought in Iruma-Chi. I don't know where he came from, but Amaryllis said he was under Alifus' care before she took him in. She didn't want someone as young as him to be used or taken advantage of by him. She really hated that guy."

She exhaled the last sentence with exhaustion. I couldn't doubt that Clara had been on the receiving end of most rants about the people Amaryllis didn't like there. As I thought of Clara of all people being talked into exhaustion, I smiled wryly. Deep down, I hoped that Amaryllis would be alright. To come home to her child and trainee, who I knew would, and have, given everything for her.

And maybe I too

would have a place with her.

"Oh? Alifus?" Catching onto a new name, Sullivan stops what would've been an off-topic vent about the "new" guy.

"Can you explain any more about him? He must have been powerful enough in the royalist faction if Amaryllis' extreme disdain for him wasn't enough for her to obliterate him on the spot."

Calra again shook her head.

"I never saw him much, but I knew he served under the big boss!"

"Hmm.." Sullivan puts a contemplative hand under his chin.

"You say Iruma was brought in under this Alifus, right?" I hear the monotone voice of the cat demon interrupt.

I turned to find their steely red eyes boring into me. Sizing me up, preparing to attack if need be.

"Y-yes. I was—"

"So has he brought you to his boss?"

"Yes—"

"Do you know his name? His face?"

I know I saw him before, but every time I tried to think back on anything specific, his face seemed to be a blur. I shut my eyes. Desperately trying to remember who this boss was, but every time I'd draw up blanks. I'd believe it would be my amnesia at play, but I could remember everything else just fine. It was just those two specific times where the boss was nothing but a blur to me."

"I can't remember." I admitted. At that, the cat demon narrowed their eyes. Their cat ears flattened against their head as their tail swayed in frustration.

"How convenient.." they muttered before Sullivan raised his hand, the universal sign for lower ranks to quiet down less they be punished.

"Don't antagonize him, Opera. It's very clear a memory-altering spell was used."

Opera despite being unsatisfied with the explanation accepted it. Their previous frustration and suspicion were undetectable as they returned to their neutral expression.

"It seems these two have no more information to provide." He commented, with both I and Clara nodding to confirm.
"Sorry to have scared you all. You can eat now."

Oh, right. Food.

I looked down to see my now cold food and began to eat, as did the others.

"Now that the hard part is out of the way, have you considered my offer yet, Iruma?" The old man beamed with excitement.

The food I had just eaten scratched my throat as I hacked and coughed before hurriedly swallowing it.

Was now really the time to bring this up?

Curiosity peeked, the others looked up from their own plates to listen.

"Ah...urk."

'I knew I should've thought about this in the bath, but no, I just had to get carried away!'

Internally, I cursed myself before the old demon, his smile widening, cheered again.
"Despite how it may seem, I've always wanted a grandchild! I'll spoil you to bits! Anything you want, if it's within my ability, I'll do it!"

Now I felt everyone's eyes on me. Clara's was full of excitement, while Asmodeus sat confused. He seemed to give an uninterested shrug before continuing with his food.
And Lied looked about ready to burst from excitement.

"Chairdemon.." A low voice growled.

If I thought about this, he does know most of my origins; he's thought of as the next demon king and even served under the last one... Everything seemed too good and fair for me, but there has to be a catch, right?

Seeing me contemplate must have put him in a panic since he leaped to my side of the table and grasped me by the shoulders, pulling my face closer to him.

"That doesn't sound too bad, right?! Just think of it as granting the request of a dying old man!! PLEASE!!"

My body tensed up at his begging as something within me began to boil. My body felt weak as the man practically cried. I couldn't turn him down like this...

"O-Okay..."

"YAAAAY!!!" He shouted as he pushed himself away, making my chair lean back slightly before slamming back onto the ground.

"I finally have a grandchild!" He sang as he produced a spell, manifesting a jagged and aged paper into his hand.

"Wait—"

Before the butler could protest, Sullivan had already turned to hand me the paper. It was a contract. A soul-binding contract.

I read over its contents carefully, checking for any weird wording that could be misconstrued, but I found nothing.


'The signed being, Iruma, shall hereby become the adopted grandson of The Great Demon, Sullivan.'

Nothing more or less.

I summoned a pen and signed my name onto the paper.