''Until I return? Do you intend to be absent? '' Luccie asked me.

''Yes, just for a few moments. ''

“Wouldn’t that be a bit dangerous, your Majesty? '' Ragnar asked.

''No, don't worry. I'm not going to do anything dangerous. I'm just going for a little walk. ''

“Can we at least know where you plan to go, your Majesty? '' Magma asked.

They all looked at me with concern.

I could understand how they felt. 50 years ago, they lost their king. The fear of this happening again must have haunted them.

“Don’t make that face, nothing is going to happen to me. ''

This little sentence did not succeed in removing the worry they felt.

“Luccie, would you like to bring me a card? ''

Luccie moved and went to search among the books on the shelf to my left, then she retrieved a large map. She then spread it out on my desk. You could see all the countries passing from the empire to my domain.

''Do you see the kingdom of Gurai on this map? That's where I'm going. ''

“The kingdom of Gurai? '' They said at the same time.

''Yes, I'm going there to gather some information. ''

“Your Majesty, if I may, each of us here could handle such a task. Please reconsider your decision and let us handle it. ''

“You’re not there, Nebulime. I am the only one who can accomplish this task, which is why I am going there in person. ''

For intelligence, discretion was a required ability. A demon in a human city would quickly become noticed. I can imagine the trouble this could create.

“But your Majesty…”

They were always worried, I could see it on their faces. I had to reassure them or else, I fear being followed in secret.

“Don’t worry, I won’t go alone. Leonard will accompany me. ''

Leonard jumped when I said his name.

''At least then I wouldn't be alone during this little walk. I hope you have no objection? ''

''Yes, your Majesty...'' Luccie replied.

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'' Alright ! So it's decided, Leonard and I will leave for Gurai. ''

Just when I thought everything was resolved, another problem arose.

''In that case, I want to go too! ''

Gloria, calm from the start, decided to speak. She looked at me with a touching look which gave her a cute side.

However, she was quickly overtaken by Luccie's reprimands.

''Princess, you are old enough to throw tantrums. This is not how the king's daughter should behave. ''

From what I noticed, Luccie and Gloria were very close. They had a relationship that resembled that of a child and his nanny.

I thanked Luccie inwardly. With her intervention, Gloria was no longer in danger of acting out. Seeing her sad, I blamed myself on her, and I stroked her head.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon. ''

''I know but... I really wanted to spend some time with you. '' She said with a sad look in a voice that she wanted to be cute.

''I understand, but at the moment it is not possible. ''

''I waited for you for 50 years. Now that you're back, could you at least give me some time... Dad. ''

She looked me straight in the eye and pouted. She was so cute at that moment that I couldn't stand my ground.

“It’s okay, you win. ''

'' Yeah ! ''

I let out a sigh.

“You are very dangerous, Princess Gloria. '' Ragnar said, laughing.

Luccie approached Leonard and spoke to him a few words.

“Leonard! You have the responsibility of ensuring the protection of the king. I expect you to be aware of your responsibilities and to live up to them. ''

“Yes, mistress Luccie. ''

Although Leonard spoke with determination, the expression on his face said otherwise. She couldn't hide the pressure she felt.

“Okay, it’s decided. Leonard and Gloria will be part of the trip. ''

'' Yeah ! '' Gloria shouted with joy.

''Yeah...'' Leonard said stressfully.

I opened the window and carried Leonard in my arms. Like the first time, she started to blush.

''I'll let you handle the rest. ''

“Yes, your Majesty. '' Said Luccie.

I left the office through the window and rose high into the sky. Gloria also having the ability to fly followed me and we took the direction leading to the kingdom of Gurai at full speed.

Having not lost my conscience upon becoming the demon king, I knew the state of diplomatic relations that existed between humans and their respective kingdoms.

Before the demon king's death, all the kingdoms had formed a coalition to fight for the same cause. After his death, it didn't take long for a war to break out between humans.

The empire with all its power is the basis of this barbarism and until today, they have already annexed several kingdoms. Only Gurai and the dwarf village still hold on.

The empire can count on a powerful army made up of high-level mages, not to mention all the artifacts they have in their possession. It is also the only nation to have fighters called heroes in its army.

According to the writings, heroes are people who have received the blessing of the divine. Single-handedly, they can wipe out an army of a thousand men. My former companion, the one who killed the demon king in a fierce battle, was also a hero and his power was beyond belief.

With all this at their disposal, it was only a matter of time before Gurai and the dwarf village fell too.

That events tended towards this end did not bother me. I planned to use this situation to build the foundations of the plan I have in mind.

In Gurai, I was particularly targeting the fortified town of Seika. From what I knew, it was about to fall into the hands of the empire. It also seems that soldiers of the empire are massacring the populations residing in the camps around the city.

Handling them will not be difficult for me.

Good ! Enough thinking for now. For now, head to Seika.

After landing on the Gurai border, we passed through a forest which led us to Seika. But before returning to the city, a very big problem had to be resolved.

''Leonard, Gloria, I have something to tell you. ''

“Yes, your Majesty. ''Replied Leonard.

“We are now going to enter a human city. As a demon, we will be directly attacked. If that happens, my plan will fail. This is why I want you to restrict your mana until it becomes imperceptible. ''

We can easily recognize a demon thanks to the nature of the flow of mana it releases.

When we are in the middle of combat or when we are just walking, our mana flows stably in our body. A small part of this mana escapes through our ports and gravitates around us. It is this mana that is perceptible to those around us.

That of humans is different from those of demons, anyone could tell the difference. In addition, soldiers stationed in front of the city gate had to be on guard, especially in times of war.

The best way to fool them is to pretend to be magicless. They exist in this world even if it is very rare to come across them. Even I had never seen one.

''So, do you understand? ''

“Yes, your Majesty. ''Replied Leonard.

''Okay dad. ''Gloria replied.

They did as I asked and made their mana imperceptible. They had become real without magic. Seeing them like this, I couldn't help but think how difficult it must be to live in this world without mana.

I did the same while also making my mana imperceptible. It was very easy for me since I wasn't used to it.

Now we were ready to return to the city, but we still had one last thing to take care of.

''Leonard, don't you have a way to hide your horns? ''

“I’m sorry your majesty, but it is impossible for a demon to hide its horns. ''

Obviously, I had to know. Things were starting to get complicated. If she appeared like that in front of the guards, she would be directly attacked. Even from 100 meters away, they will target her. I had to find a solution to this otherwise I would have to leave her alone here.

After much thought, an idea came to mind.

“Don’t worry, I have another idea. ''

Good. We just have to hope that it works. Now, let's head to Seika.

End of chapter.