"By the way, Lord Demon King. Do you know where those twins went?"
"I haven't seen them."
As I answered, I activated my detection magic.
Having sensed approaching presences, I spoke to Luciana.
"Speak of the devil—they seem to have arrived."
Appearing from the passage behind us were two young people—a boy and a girl.
Both had chestnut hair and green eyes, with nearly identical faces.
However, their attire was vastly different.
The boy was dressed like a bandit.
The girl, on the other hand, wore elegant clothing befitting a noble young lady.
"Chief! Let's have a match!"
The boy shouted with energy as he sprinted down the corridor.
His speed was beyond what the naked eye could follow.
It was a full-speed charge.
The boy drew a machete with one hand and came slashing at me.
(Already? ...)
I stopped the slash with a defensive spell.
In that instant, cracks spiderwebbed across the barrier.
Before it could shatter, I converted the absorbed impact into steam and expelled it forward from the barrier's surface.
"Whoa!"
The boy leaped backward in a spin to evade the blow.
He landed gracefully on all fours.
He licked his lips as he fiddled gleefully with the hatchet.
Just as he was about to dash forward, a hand was placed on his shoulder.
The one who stopped the boy was a blank-faced girl.
She came up to me, tugged at my sleeve, and looked up at me as she asked.
"I want to train with you. Is that no good?"
The pleading girl cut a lovely figure.
However, in the hand hidden behind her back, she gripped a matte-black dagger.
I could sense no killing intent, but the moment I showed an opening, she would strike without hesitation.
(These twins are nothing but trouble...)
I took another careful look at the boy and girl.
Their features bore the resemblance of a former subordinate.
I thought they grew more alike with each passing year.
These twins were descendants of the archer Henry Blarkin.
The boy was Kenny Blarkin, the girl Lana Blarkin.
They normally lived in a world under Luciana's jurisdiction, where they served as senior officers of the Demon King's army.
Whenever they encountered me like this, they always wanted to fight me.
That temperament surely ran in Henry's blood.
Their ancestor, Henry Blarkin, had died at the age of ninety.
At that time, an incident occurred where aberrant monsters assailed through a rift in the dimensions.
In a great war that engulfed the entire continent, Henry led his armies to victory at the vanguard.
And then, amidst thunderous acclaim, he died with a roar upon his lips.
It was not caused by some grievous wound.
In that moment, his lifespan as a human simply reached its end.
Without suffering even a single illness, Henry had spent his final days utterly consumed by battle.
He could have chosen to become an undead and obtain eternal life.
It would have been possible for me to grant it, but Henry refused.
He held fast to his identity in life as a human.
I do not condemn that.
Indeed, I find it worthy of great praise.
That was the true form of a human being.
Henry's conviction has been passed down to his descendants as well.
The Blarkin line, over five hundred years of history, has accomplished numerous great deeds.
There were those who, like twins, earned outstanding military honors in various lands.
There was one who, as an exceptional adjutant, dominated the theater of war as a whole.
There was even one who, desiring the ultimate conflict, dared to stand against me.
This clan, to a one, is willfully independent.
Unswayed by the currents of the times, they act according to their own convictions.
Their common thread, I suppose, is their love of battle.
No matter the form, they always showed us a way of life that shone brilliantly, if only for an instant.
That strength of theirs never failed to leave us feeling refreshed.
The opinions and thoughts of mortals are precious.
The upper echelons of the Demon King's army were composed overwhelmingly of non-humans.
Over the long stretches of time in which values could drift and diverge, there were occasions when the words of those who remained human proved genuinely helpful.
In any age, they were beings who could never be taken lightly.
While I was reminiscing about the sight of Henry drinking, Grom seized Lana's arm and pulled her away from me.
With his hands on his hips, he admonished the boy and girl.
"Hey, you two. Don't disturb the Demon King. If you want to spar, go bother someone else."
"We've gotta train with someone at least as strong as the General, y'know? Ah, Grom, you'd work too, obviously!"
"I am in conversation with the Demon King. I have no time for sparring."
Grom swept Kenny's words aside without a second thought.
Next, Lana raised her hand and, looking up at Grom, offered her opinion.
"What about sparring while we talk?"
"Demon Kings from across the land are gathering in this castle today. Every last one of them is a seasoned veteran. Any of them would do. Understood?"
Grom explained in a patient, reasoning tone.
Sensing that no rebuttal was possible, the two reluctantly acquiesced.
"Tch, fine."
"...Okay."
With expressions of disappointment, they turned on their heels and ran off.
However, as they departed, the two directed an expectant gaze my way.
They hadn’t fully given up yet, it seemed.
Perhaps I could humor them with a mock battle later.
Kenny and Lana were greedy for strength.
Bloodline likely played a part, but both possessed a firm objective.
That was to obtain the dragon bow once held by Henry.
It was now owned by another member of the Blarkin clan, and they had vowed to challenge them for it someday.
I was curious how such a confrontation would unfold.
If that time came, I intended to witness the outcome.
Once the twins were gone, Luciana nudged Grom with her elbow, a mischievous look on her face.
"You’ve been good at babysitting since forever. Why don’t you make a career of it?"
"Are you jealous? It’s simply that you’re clumsy."
"Oh-ho, listen to you."
Luciana flashed a dark smile.
Just when it seemed another argument was brewing, she laughed lightly and calmed down.
Then she started walking in the direction the twins had run off.
"I’m going to look after those kids. See you later."
"Right. Thanks."
Luciana and the twins were well acquainted.
Leaving it to her would be no problem.
Meanwhile, Grom let out a sigh and a groan.
"Truly, that succubus is just as cheeky after five hundred years..."
"Well, it's good to see you two are so close."
"W-where did you get that interpretation from?!"
Grom squawk, flustered.
His attitude was somehow amusing.
I deliberately offered no reply and resumed my stroll through the castle.