Luciana approached with her face brightening. She studied me from various angles before gently embracing me.
"It's been about five years, hasn't it, Demon King? You haven't changed at all."
"If you're going to say that, the same goes for you."
I pointed that out while freeing myself from her hold.
Her appearance hadn't changed one bit since we first met.
Indeed, succubi are long-lived and stay young for extended periods. But to remain this unchanged was abnormal. Succubi weren't even a species that could live for five hundred years.
When I pointed this out, Luciana responded cheerfully.
"I know, right? Eternal youth really is convenient, isn't it?"
She said it with heartfelt emotion.
As she claimed, the current Luciana was indeed ageless. It was the effect of drinking the blood of a phoenix. The mythical phoenix, often thought of to be a creature of legend, was actually a real entity with defensive mechanisms.
At one point, a certain nation discovered its lair and attacked, seeking its blood and flesh. It was Luciana who saved the phoenix during that crisis.
In return, she received its blood, gaining eternal youth—a reward she was content with.
As the most senior member of the Demon King's army, Luciana reportedly gets moody if her age is ever mentioned. Her subordinates take the utmost care to avoid the topic.
Luciana, upon seeing Grom, addressed him with a cool smile.
"Minister Bones seems to be in good spirits."
"Of course. One must always be in peak condition to serve as the Demon King. That is unlike you, who abandoned your position."
Grom spoke in a somewhat caustic tone.
He was referring to the incident where Luciana had stepped down as Demon King.
That was roughly three hundred years ago, if he recalled correctly.
At the time, Luciana had been one of the pillars supporting the Demon King's throne.
However, she had abruptly ceded her seat to one of her subordinates and departed on a journey of wandering.
Because the one who succeeded her as Demon King was remarkably competent, no practical problems arose.
So, I never found it particularly concerning.
It seemed only natural for someone of her free-spirited nature.
However, Grom could not overlook her abandonment of the Demon King's position.
It was evidently something he still could not forget, even now, for this remained a sore point he continued to bring up.
That was precisely the kind of rigid thinking one would expect from him.
Confronted with his reproach, Luciana countered with a weary expression.
"You know the phrase 'right person for the right job,' don't you? Sometimes responsibility alone isn't enough to keep things running."
"Grrr..."
Grom groaned.
It seemed he could find no words of rebuttal.
He tacitly acknowledged the validity of Luciana's argument.
Though she travels freely, she isn't merely idling around.
Each world's Demon Lord she oversees has always been her choice, and she never neglects gathering information across the lands.
It's said she advises, and sometimes even engages in behind-the-scenes maneuvering for, that era's Demon Lord.
Luciana hadn't abandoned her role because it grew troublesome.
She had simply moved to a position better suited to her.
Grom understood this.
That's why he couldn't refute her.
If anything, he was probably angry about her unilaterally making such a major decision.
Both of their arguments held validity.
They glared at each other for a while, but eventually Luciana shrugged and gave a wry smile.
She lightly poked Grom with a fingertip.
"Well, fine. Next time, let me stop by your world."
"Very well. I'll show you around."
Grom nodded readily.
He showed no particular reluctance.
Due to their long acquaintance, there were times when their perspectives didn't align.
However, it was precisely because they could speak frankly and even argue that a deep trust had been built between them at their core.
If they truly disliked each other, they wouldn't even be able to have a conversation like this.
Grom and Luciana, as always, were on good terms.