Chapter 15: DON’T INSULT THE DEMON KING!

Vael and Seraphina’s historical argument lasted four hours.

It began with height.

It escalated to troop formations.

It nearly became violent over the Battle of Ragnor.

Seraphina spread a map across the guild table.

"Vael’s encirclement here was brilliant."

"It was idiotic."

Her head snapped up.

"Idiotic?"

"He overextended the left flank."

"He intentionally exposed it."

"No. General Khar forgot the signal flags."

Seraphina stared.

"That is not documented anywhere."

"Khar was embarrassed."

"How would you know?"

Vael opened his mouth.

Morrigan kicked him under the table.

Hard.

Vael turned slowly.

She smiled.

He continued, "Inference."

Seraphina leaned closer to the map.

"No. That would explain the unexplained delay before the cavalry pivot."

"It was thirteen minutes."

"Twelve according to—"

"Thirteen."

She flipped through three books.

Vael watched her increasingly frantic search with malicious satisfaction.

Finally she slammed one text shut.

"Fine. Thirteen."

"Good."

"But the maneuver was still genius."

"It nearly got me—him killed."

Lyria, who had been eating quietly, stopped chewing.

Seraphina narrowed her eyes.

"Nearly got whom killed?"

"The Demon King."

"You said me."

"No."

"You did."

Morrigan suddenly stood.

"Drinks!"

Everyone looked at her.

She grabbed an empty pitcher.

"I shall obtain drinks."

She fled.

Lyria rubbed her forehead.

"This entire group is insane."

The System chimed.

[Group Bonding Event Detected.]

"No," Vael whispered.

[Potential Secondary Route Identified: Seraphina Aurell.]

"No."

[Route Classification: Scholar Rivalry.]

"Lock it."

[No.]

Seraphina looked suspicious.

"Is your curse speaking again?"

"Yes."

"What does it say?"

"That scholars are annoying."

She smiled coldly.

"Your curse is uneducated."

The System flashed red.

[Host, hold me back.]

Vael stared.

"You don’t have arms."

"What?" Lyria asked.

"Nothing."

Later, Seraphina explained why she had come.

The Church had detected demonic mana matching records from the Black Century. Royal Intelligence suspected Vael had returned. Seraphina had been ordered to verify it.

"I have," she said.

Lyria looked at her sharply.

"Verified what?"

Seraphina looked at Vael.

He looked back.

For several seconds, the room became a negotiation chamber.

Then Seraphina said, "That something historically significant is happening."

Vael understood the concession.

She had not lied.

She had also not exposed him.

"Why?" Vael asked later when Lyria stepped outside.

Seraphina closed her notebook.

"Because the official records say that if Vael Zar Astaroth returned, cities would already be burning."

Vael waited.

She gestured toward the kitchen.

"Instead, you are learning French toast."

"That proves nothing."

"It proves the records are incomplete."

Seraphina’s expression became serious.

"I am a historian. I dislike incomplete records more than I dislike demons."

Morrigan returned at exactly the wrong moment.

"If His Majesty had returned, you humans would know."

Silence.

Morrigan froze.

Lyria had just reentered behind her.

Seraphina slowly turned.

"His Majesty?"

Morrigan held up the pitcher.

"The... king of beverages."

Vael closed his eyes.

Lyria stared at all of them.

The lies were no longer a wall.

They were a badly built tent in a hurricane.

Seraphina looked at Vael.

Her expression said, Tell her.

Vael looked away.

Not yet.

On the road outside Elmsford stood an old milestone carved with distances.

One name was barely visible beneath moss.

ASHFEN — 83 MILES.

Vael passed it without comment.

But his eyes remained on the name long after the sign disappeared behind them.