One week later, inside the Gaderia Lord's Manor dining hall.
"Linie, open wide. Say 'ah'~"
Nanoda was feeding small cookies to the injured Linie. Watching the expressionless Linie chewing with small bites, she inexplicably felt it was very healing.
"Delicious..."
Wrapped in bandages around her waist and wearing a loose white dress, Linie sat on a chair.
She seemed in a very good mood about Nanoda feeding her personally.
"When I get better... I'll make good food for you," Linie said seriously.
"Uh... I... alright."
Nanoda's hand holding the cookie stiffened instantly. She had no hope left for Linie's culinary skills, truly fearing she might die of food poisoning one day. But out of appreciation for Linie's intentions, she agreed.
To the side, Aaron, with his hands and feet in casts, sat in a wheelchair, frowning as he watched Nanoda feed Linie.
"Big Brother, come on, ah~"
Beside him, his third brother Arue, his face full of fat, revealed an honest and simple smile, forking a piece of steak and offering it to Aaron's mouth.
"Damn it! At least cut it up! I still have one hand that can move, I'll do it myself. Go away, go away."
Aaron tilted his head, rejecting Arue's feeding.
"Hey, I saw you were envious of them, so I wanted to satisfy you too. Besides, I always eat this steak in one bite."
Looking at the steak the size of two palms, Arue shook his head, opened his mouth wide, and swallowed it whole.
Watching the voracious Arue, Aaron fell into deep thought.
*
"Big Brother! Thank goodness, you haven't died yet."
"No, look at what you're saying."
(Silence)
"I'm sorry, Big Brother..."
"Alright, looking at you like this, do you know who wanted to kill me?"
"It was that Duke Wolf, who is closest to the Imperial Royal Family."
(Silence)
"I'm leaving. You stay here properly. I will let you out in a while. She was right, after all, we are blood brothers. But there won't be a next time. You have to live well for me from now on, don't touch those troublesome matters again."
"Big Brother... I... (choking with emotion)"
(Sound of iron door closing)
The flashback ends.
*
"Mm, I still have things to do, so I'll take Linie and go first."
After the meal, Nanoda left with Linie, whose injuries had mostly healed.
"Eem, I really envy the recovery ability of the Demon Race."
Watching Linie, who could already walk around, and comparing her to himself still in a wheelchair, Aaron shook his head helplessly after snapping back to reality.
Because of Linie's injuries, Nanoda had postponed the process of introducing Lugner's group to her own side.
Gaderia Demon Special Zone.
Under Nanoda's supervision and Aura's management, about a hundred Demon soldiers had integrated into Gaderia.
These Demon soldiers, who obeyed orders from superior Demons and worked without complaint, were the best producers. Large swathes of Gaderia's farmland were taken care of by these Demons.
The territory's citizens also gave the Demons rave reviews; it was precisely because of their existence that the burden on Gaderia's farmers was lightened significantly.
At the same time, whenever new civil infrastructure was to be built in the city, the Demons, physically superior to humans and capable of magic, became the best workers. Able to work from morning till night without rest, not eating rice, not asking for wages... with all these advantages, they were simply ideal employees.
Of course, the price was that Aura had to watch these Demons every day. As for Nanoda, she often used taking care of Linie as an excuse to slack off in the Lord's Manor.
At this moment, those Demon soldiers with various skin colors were tilling the fields, looking like production machines, all expressionless.
"Eh? Qual?"
Aura, who was lying on a lounge chair supervising, put down the book on the art of war in her hand.
Lugner and Draht, standing on either side of Aura like bodyguards, were also shocked when they saw Qual arrive. Unexpectedly, not only was Aura, a Great Demon, here, but that Sage of Corruption was here too.
Since Qual had been holed up in the stronghold behind Gaderia researching his Killing Magic 2.0 every day, he hadn't paid any attention to the changes in Gaderia.
"It's become quite lively since this old man last came."
Qual stroked his white beard, squinting as he sized up Aura's new subordinates.
"..."
By the field, Jane was quietly reading a fairy tale book, saying nothing. Actually, there were already three Great Demons present.
"Why did you come?" Aura asked.
"Last night, the King came to remind this old man that there is a gathering for the 'Mutual Love New Demon Association' here this afternoon, so this old man thought to come a bit early."
"Do you really not think the name of this association is stupid?" Aura twitched her lips.
"This old man obeys all of the King's arrangements." Qual disapproved of her criticism.
"Stubborn old fool." Aura shook her head.
Qual didn't get angry and didn't communicate much further; they all waited patiently for Nanoda's arrival.
A moment later, Nanoda arrived with Linie.
Qual placed his palm on his chest, bowed his tall body slightly, and saluted Nanoda.
"So, what is it this time?" Aura was more casual.
Upon seeing Nanoda, Draht gritted his teeth and remained silent. Ever since his defeat at Nanoda's hands, he had restrained his temper a bit.
"Mother!"
Jane ran over from the field hugging the fairy tale book and grabbed the corner of Nanoda's clothes.
Everyone was already used to Jane addressing Nanoda this way.
"Aura, gather everyone up first."
Hearing this, Aura picked up the bell on the table and rang it vigorously twice.
The Demons originally working in the fields ran over one after another and quickly stood in a neat square formation.
Nanoda couldn't help but sigh at Aura's way of controlling Demons. In just this short time, she had trained this batch of Demons to be like police dogs.
Just like back at the stronghold, Nanoda explained the Association's philosophy and future development guidelines to everyone.
Nanoda could tell that the Demon soldiers were listening in a fog; just like before, there probably wasn't much hope. Draht held his head high, also disapproving.
Lugner, however, stroked his chin, seeming to think. A moment later, he asked, "So the Association attempts to research human knowledge and exchange magic?"
"Correct."
"In that case, I am quite interested in magic research."
Lugner was actually the type of Demon obsessed with magic, but his own talent was average, relying mainly on years of effort and accumulation.
Seeing an opportunity, Nanoda pointed at Qual.
"Ta-da! The Sage of Corruption, the genius Great Demon who invented Killing Magic—Qual's magic tutelage. Are you not tempted yet?"
Hesitating for a moment, Lugner nodded.
"I am willing to join."
Seeing Lugner join, among those originally blank-faced Demon soldiers, some actually began to ask Nanoda questions.
____
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