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The lavish dining hall was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of every kind of dish imaginable.
From afar, you could even spot a steak, still red and juicy in the middle, dripping onto the plate.
Plates of colorful food covered the long table, each one rich in fragrance and flavor.Edgar dove into the feast like a man lost at sea finally finding shore, savoring every bite. The springy texture and rich taste lit up his eyes.
Even though he'd already eaten earlier, just looking at the spread was enough to make him hungry again.
In the blink of an eye, the dishes disappeared as if swept away by a storm.
But it didn't take long before Mine slumped back, clutching her stomach, too stuffed to move. Sheele, still looking dazed, was suddenly pulled forward by Edgar.
"Don't just stand there staring," he said, ruffling her hair with a half-smile.
"Oh."
Sheele blinked, then obediently started imitating Mine, tasting the food one bite at a time.
Edgar slid another plate in front of her, gently combing his fingers through her soft hair."Here, try this one. Tastes great—and it'll even help strengthen you."
"N-no, Master, I already—"
Her toes curled against the soles of her shoes, one hand pressing her tiny stomach as though she might faint.For once, her usually blank face was gone, replaced with a flood of expressions she couldn't hide.
Her appetite had never been big, and now, with Edgar personally feeding her, she was already on the edge of collapse.
Everyone watching instinctively swallowed hard.
None of them could help recalling that suffocating dread—the horror of being force-fed even when you couldn't take another bite.
"This place isn't safe to linger."
Eri's eyes darted around as she schemed to slip away, but just as she moved, light flared beneath her feet.
The next second, a pair of sharp, handsome eyes loomed close.
"Eri…"
Sheele, seeing her supposed savior appear, mustered the strength to stumble away in retreat.
Erina's lips twitched, and she quickly shook her head."Master, don't—at least let me—"
Her plea was cut off with a sharp slap.
The faint red handprint on her cheek blended with her natural blush.
"Don't overthink things. Everyone else is busy—you think you get to stand around?"
Edgar's voice was calm, but firm."From now on, you'll be helping the others."
This one… he had thought she would've toughened up by now. Clearly, she was still too soft.
Looks like he'd have to push harder.
Not that Edgar minded—he had all the patience in the world.
Erina stared at the companions now circling in on her, lips twitching. Finally, she could only sigh.
Fine.
Maybe this was for the best anyway.
Sure, she'd grown up in comfort and never done a day of real labor. But helping clean up? That much she could handle.
The once-chaotic dining hall gradually fell back into order under her reluctant assistance.
Before long, night had crept up unnoticed.
"Whew…"
Erina stepped out of the hall, rubbing her sore arms.
The sheer amount of work was terrifying—her hands felt weak just from scrubbing the floors.
Still…
She glanced back, her expression tangled with unease.
Dear Mother,
what on earth is your precious daughter turning into?
The next day, at noon.
The warm sunlight felt almost harshly bright.
The others were off busy with their own tasks, leaving Edgar with a rare moment of quiet.
He sat flipping through the documents in his hands—research notes on Teigu.
Even with the advantage of his "cheats," he made a point of learning everything he could. Who knew when this knowledge might come in handy?
Time slipped by, the sun shifting little by little.
That was when he heard the familiar sound of approaching footsteps.
"What is it, Esdeath?" Edgar asked, setting the papers aside.
"Nothing much," she said casually. "Just that the Revolutionary Army's preparing for their final offensive."
Her smile was relaxed. "They're putting everything they have into this one move. According to the intel, they've gathered close to a million troops."
"And?" Edgar's expression didn't change. His tone was almost amused. "That's exactly what you wanted, isn't it?"
A million soldiers—so what?
To him, they were nothing but ants.
Sure, ants in great numbers could bite an elephant to death. But it depended on what kind of elephant.
And the Revolutionary Army? That ragtag mob could barely be called an army at all.
Even if he weren't here, Esdeath alone could wipe them out without breaking a sweat.
The only reason they'd been allowed to gather such numbers in the capital was because of Esdeath and Najenda's machinations—setting the bait for the entire Revolutionary Army, so they could annihilate them in one stroke and end the threat once and for all.
"I've been thinking… most of our companions are still pretty low level. This could be the perfect chance for them to grow."
"Mm. Makes sense."
Edgar's eyes lit up. He gave a thoughtful nod.
A million monsters were gathering.
Even if only part of that force was enough to feed his followers experience, it was still an incredible haul.
That same day.
The night was as deep and heavy as ink outside the imperial capital. Darkness spread endlessly, like it was trying to swallow everything.
Shiho Miyano and Eriri both stared at the sight, their hearts weighed down by a suffocating pressure.
Unlike the others, they had no combat experience before being reborn as demons. And now, standing on the edge of a real battlefield for the first time—even before the clash had begun—they could already feel the crushing weight of war pressing on them.
Rinali and the others, however, remained calm and unbothered.
To them, this was nothing worth losing composure over.
Even Vermouth and Akemi Miyano, who had been ordinary humans not long ago, had already adjusted their mindsets surprisingly quickly.
"Everyone, get ready. They're coming."
Seated on his throne, Edgar leaned forward and peered down from the city wall.
The shadows of the night couldn't hide what his gaze pierced through.
Under his watch, countless battalions surged forward, flooding the plains like a tide.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The sound of an army's march shook the ground, each step like thunder rolling out of the forest.
It was as if a dragon had awakened beneath the earth.
Dust rose in endless waves, rolling and tumbling like a storm-tossed sea.
Within the capital, the ground trembled with violent force.
From a distance, all one could see were endless silhouettes, hear the pounding hooves, the ring of blades being unsheathed.
The suffocating aura of slaughter swept across the land, heavy and inescapable.
"So this… this is what real war looks like?"
Shiho and Eriri's eyes widened, their voices trembling.
Even Akemi and Vermouth couldn't hide their shock, their pupils reflecting the storm of chaos outside.
"Experience. All of this is experience."
Ravel's eyes gleamed with unrestrained excitement.
"Master, may I?"
"Go ahead."
The moment the words left Edgar's lips, Ravel shot into the air and plummeted down like a comet.
Seeing her move, the other followers leapt from the city walls one after another.
Even Shiho didn't hesitate.
The massive army below was terrifying, yes—but she was a demon now. More importantly, she was Edgar's second follower. There was no way she could let herself be overshadowed.
Only Eriri was trembling, sneaking nervous glances at the battlefield below.
This… this was terrifying.
"You're scared, aren't you?"
"Mm-hmm."
She nodded frantically. "Master, can I… not fight in this battle?"
"Of course…"
Relief washed over Eriri's face—too quickly.
"…Not."
Edgar gave her a kind smile, then shoved her hard off the wall.
"Don't forget to spread your wings, or you'll end up splattered on the ground. That would hurt a lot."
Her eyes flew wide in disbelief. He really just did that?!
Was this seriously how he treated his so-called close followers?
Still—his words echoed in her head.
Wings. Right.
Almost on instinct, she unfurled her pitch-black wings, jerking herself out of freefall just in time to avoid a painful crash.
The battlefield's roar slammed into her senses. Screams, the stink of blood, and the oppressive stench of death left her mind blank.
"Damn it… don't look down on me!"
Her twin tails whipped as she let her instincts take over, unleashing her power.
BOOM!
The explosion ripped through the ranks below like a high-yield grenade, tearing the ground apart.
Screams cut short as soldiers were shredded to pieces, their bodies scattering in mangled heaps.
Eriri landed, eyes darting around at the corpses. Her stomach twisted. She gagged, almost retching.
"Don't worry. After this first time, you'll get used to it."
Shiho appeared beside her, though even her eyelids twitched at the scene. The sheer rawness of it all was overwhelming, even for her.
Eriri froze at her words, stunned.
That tone…
How strange—it felt like every corner of this battlefield was soaked with untold stories.
"Remember," Shiho Miyano warned calmly, "you're only a low-ranked demon right now. Stay on the outskirts. Don't go charging into the middle of a siege."
"Thanks for the reminder."
For the first time in her life, Eriri felt her opinion of these "veteran retainers" shift a little.
Huh? So… as long as they're not climbing into their master's bed, they actually act like normal people?Figures.
On the other side of the field—
"Esdeath," Edgar ordered, voice carrying like steel. "Take care of our companions."
Esdeath gave a slight nod. "Understood, Master."
Without hesitation, she leapt forward.
Whoosh!
Her black demon wings unfurled in an instant, carrying her high above the battlefield.From this vantage point, nothing could escape her gaze.No matter what accident or ambush happened below, she would be there to react first.
Time dragged on.The heavy stench of blood thickened in the air.
Boom!
Eriri's arm swept out, magic exploding in a violent arc, ripping several bodies apart like paper.
She stared at the carnage, falling into silence.
God only knows—not long ago she was just a perfectly ordinary, run-of-the-mill high school beauty.
And now?Now she wasn't just a demon, she was fighting in some alien world's war.Absolutely ridiculous.
But as she glanced around at the collapsing Revolutionary Army, a thought crept in:
We… we're actually winning?
From beginning to end, the Empire's victory had rested solely on the backs of Edgar's handful of retainers.
The whole thing felt unreal, like a fever dream.
For the first time, she truly grasped what "demonic power" meant.
A dozen of them—just a dozen—had crushed an army of over a million.
If even the retainers could do this…then just how overwhelming must their Master's strength be?
Her thoughts drifted, unbidden.That hopelessly shameless Master of hers, the one with his head full of nothing but dirty jokes—for the first time, she felt a different kind of emotion stirring toward him.
Maybe…maybe being the woman of someone that great wouldn't be so bad.
High above it all, Edgar sat comfortably on a throne.
Every so often he raised a glass of fruit wine, sipping while watching the glowing system panel floating before him.
[Experience +1][Experience +5][Experience +10]
Excellent. Absolutely excellent.
Why fight at all, when his retainers could sweat and bleed for him?All he had to do was sit back and rake in the experience.
At that moment, a soldier broke away from the battlefield, racing straight toward him.
Dark-skinned, armor dented, blending seamlessly into the chaos. To anyone else, he looked no different from the endless tide of men rushing past.
But Edgar's senses told a different story.
This wasn't just a soldier.This was a woman.
And not just any woman—an Imperial Arms user.
"..."
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