Chapter 21: Avril’s Heretical Ambition

“Of course, His Majesty the Demon King would never do such a thing, but I fear there are those who would seize upon any pretext.”

Avril’s expression was grave as she set down her empty coffee cup, her leather-gloved hand resting firmly on the desk.

“Most of the demon lords are concerned only with their own interests, caring little for the development of the nation; among them are many who are not part of the main war faction, yet still covet the Demon King’s position.

Among these, the most formidable and troublesome is a figure named Silvya, the Dragonfeeder; through devouring the flesh and hearts of dragons, she seeks to transcend the dragon race, a terrifying dragon-demon imbued with the combined powers of multiple dragons.

Currently, the Royal Court still lends its support to His Majesty the Demon King, and due to the wartime circumstances, they would not permit the Royal Court trials proposed by the demon lords.

However, if Silvya and her allied demon lords were to leverage the topic of the Healing Saintess to demand a trial, whether those rigid masters of the Royal Court would continue to support the current Demon King remains an open question.”

Avril slowly closed her eyes, then opened them once more, a brilliant, resolute gleam, born of a readiness to face death, shining within them.

“As a demon serving the Demon King and acting in her stead, I cannot permit such destabilizing factors to jeopardize His Majesty’s grand endeavor.

I shall do everything within my power, even sacrificing my life, to eliminate this threat!

In my plan, I hope for the demon race to lose this war.

His Majesty the Demon King has already established a sufficiently advantageous beginning; if the war were still to be lost, then the blame could be squarely placed on the demon lords’ ineffective combat.

This way, even those demon lords who did not directly participate in the war could have vast resources stripped from them under this pretext, and with the Saintess absent, the Demon King would no longer provide them an excuse to act up.

Therefore, regardless of how crucial the Healing Saintess is to your strategic objectives—no, I hope she is as important as possible, for that would facilitate the plan’s execution even more smoothly.

With His Majesty the Demon King’s capabilities, it would only take a few years to reduce the lands and resources upon which the demon lords depend to a mere subsistence level.

His Majesty the Demon King will then wield the greatest power of any ruler throughout history, firmly gripping the fate of the entire demon race in her hands!

By then, whether His Majesty the Demon King chooses to cease hostilities with you, to marry the Saintess, or to rekindle the flames of war, it will all be His Majesty’s prerogative.

As her executive and her proxy, I need only offer silent assistance by her side.”

Avril’s eyes gleamed with the covetous light of an ambitious schemer; seemingly yearning for that glorious future, she instinctively licked her parched lips.

“And now, I shall do everything in my power to help you rescue the Healing Saintess and return her to the Holy Church Empire. I wonder if the intelligence I’ve just provided has earned your trust?”

Issac and Joshua the owl exchanged glances, remaining silent for a few seconds as they processed the information and organized the intelligence they had just received; then Joshua spoke:

“Originally, there was no need for you to tell us so much.”

“This is the Demon King’s City, the stronghold where your demon race’s strongest forces are concentrated; even if you had compelled our cooperation, we would have had no choice but to comply.”

“So?”

Avril leaned against the desk, a faint smile playing on her lips.

“I believe in your sincerity; until Noah is rescued, we are allies.”

Joshua said, then turned her face to ask:

“Is that acceptable, Issac?”

“Since Sister Joshua has decided to trust this elder sister, Issac is naturally willing to trust her too.”

Issac revealed a smile of pure innocence, and the blossoming of such a tender and pristine flower caused even Avril, who had been baptized by iron and blood, to momentarily falter.

“Then, let us enjoy our cooperation.”

Joshua extended her wing, signaling her sincerity in the alliance.

“Cooperation it is.”

Avril’s moment of distraction lasted only an instant; she, too, extended her hand, grasping Joshua’s slender, metallic wing.

“However, if you were to lose the war, wouldn’t your demon race’s supplies become severely strained?”

After the cooperation agreement was struck, the atmosphere in the office grew considerably more harmonious; Joshua, recalling Avril’s earlier words, posed a question in return.

“You initially launched this war due to a lack of resources, yet in the end, you gained no land or resources as compensation; wouldn’t many of the demon people starve this winter?”

Joshua asked this not from her position as a Saintess, but out of a pure academic curiosity regarding the matter.

It was precisely because she was the Saintess of Mysteries that she could ask such a sensitive question without reservation.

“Do not worry; the demon lords’ storehouses still hold a considerable amount of surplus grain; do not underestimate those individuals, for it is precisely their boundless selfishness and greed that made them demon lords.”

Avril, unconcerned, openly revealed national secrets that should have remained confidential to her adversaries.

Perhaps due to their newfound alliance, or perhaps out of respect for intellectual curiosity, Avril answered Joshua’s question without hesitation.

“In truth, even if the demon race were to seize human lands, they would struggle to develop resources as abundant as those of humankind.

This is a consequence of the very nature of their race; while demons are inherently stronger and more adept at magic than humans, it is precisely for these reasons that they have consistently maintained a relatively primitive and unsophisticated standard of living.

While the demon race’s sparse population across vast lands is certainly due to perennial disasters, their inherent inability to transform their environment to suit their survival is the primary reason demons remain at a low societal level to this day.

Because of their strength, demons’ bodies do not possess the numerous weaknesses of humans, and they adapt more readily to harsh environments; it is precisely for this reason that they have lost the creativity and ambition found in humanity.

Humans are strong precisely because of their weakness, while demons are weak because of their strength; even now, the demon race lives much the same as they did ten thousand years ago, much like other primate-like races on the continent, showing development but lacking true progress.

Those nobles of the Royal Court scoff at humans, yet feel immense pride in the aspects that make them more similar to humankind. Heh, perhaps the demon race itself is merely an inferior species of humanity.”

Avril, widely read and speaking like a sociologist, shook her head as if in self-mockery, satirizing her own race.

“Those words just now were rather heretical, Miss Avril; does your Demon King know of your dangerous thoughts?”

While Joshua was shocked by Avril’s ideology, she also felt a thrill of excitement, sensing vaguely that she and the executive before her were kindred spirits.