Chapter 21

Time slipped away unnoticed. Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

Clyris had completely adapted to life in Ironwood Territory. Over the past eight weeks, she watched the city transform before her very eyes. Every single week, something new appeared in the streets.

She hadn't been idle, either. Working alongside Alice and the others, she had developed over a dozen types of runes with distinct functions, which were successively engraved onto various devices.

There were Reinforcement Runes engraved on knives, allowing them to slice through metal like butter.

Hermetic Seal Runes on cans, achieving perfect preservation.

Thermostatic Runes, which, when paired with a Mana Regulator, could turn a box into an oven for baking bread or a refrigerator for storing meat.

There were Levitation Runes, Electricity Generation Runes, Protection Runes, and many more...

On this particular day, Charlo specifically invited Clyris to attend a ceremony. He called it "The Dawn of Communication," and his expression was solemn, suggesting something monumental.

The location was the South Plaza, which was already packed with people.

When Clyris arrived, she found that Alice, Freya, and every important figure in Ironwood were present.

Charlo stood in the center of the crowd. He looked grave and dignified. In his hand, he held a strange device—narrow in the middle, wide at both ends.

A wire ran from the device to a peculiar box on the table in front of him. From that box, another wire snaked out, ran over a temporary wooden wall erected for the event, and connected to an identical device on a table far in the distance.

Standing before that distant table was Minister Speer, looking equally serious, holding a duplicate of the device in Charlo's hand.

After a long silence to build anticipation, Charlo looked at the surrounding crowd and shouted, "Everyone, please be quiet! I ask you now to bear witness—bear witness to a historical moment!"

A hush fell over the crowd. Clyris quieted down as well, watching him with confusion.

Charlo lifted the device to his ear. His other hand pressed a switch on the table unit. He took a deep breath, and then, in a calm, clear voice, he spoke:

"Mr. Speer, I need you. Please come here."

His voice wasn't loud, but the moment the words left his lips, Speer’s voice crackled from the device in Charlo's hand, audible to those nearby.

"Yes, My Lord."

In the distance, Speer put down his device and walked briskly toward them.

After rounding the wooden wall, he rushed up to Charlo, seizing his hand with trembling excitement. "Lord Charlo! I heard it!! We succeeded!!!"

"Yes, Mr. Speer. We succeeded!"

Charlo set down the handset, patted Speer on the shoulder, and turned to address the crowd, his voice booming with pride.

"Citizens! Perhaps you do not yet realize what you have witnessed today! But now, I can proudly tell you: From this day forth, no matter where we are, as long as we have a Telephone and a wire, distance will no longer matter! Just as Mr. Speer and I demonstrated, we can communicate freely at any time, across any distance!"

"Cheer, my people! The era of connection has arrived!"

Thunderous applause erupted. The crowd was in shock, then jubilation.

Clyris stared at him blankly. She watched him standing there, basking in the roaring cheers, radiating pride and charisma.

In this moment, he shone brighter than the sun. And the reason was simply... that mortal communication device on the table.

Yes. The conversation between him and Speer had utilized absolutely no magic from the users. The entire process was handled by the machine. Even a commoner without a drop of mana could use it.

A Fifth-Rank Knight Lord, so incredibly proud of a toy for mortals...

Slowly, almost involuntarily, Clyris raised her hands and began to clap gently. She felt happy for him, and strangely, happy for the people of Ironwood.

After a moment, Charlo parted the crowd and walked toward her, bringing Mr. Speer with him.

Clyris froze mid-clap. Does this involve me?

They stopped in front of her.

"A thousand thanks for your dedication! Miss Clyris, without your support, we might not have built the telephone for another ten years!" Mr. Speer bowed deeply to her, his face filled with genuine reverence.

"Ah! N-N-No! Mr. Speer, you flatter me! I just created a few runes. You were the one who built the device, weren't you? I didn't participate in the engineering!"

Clyris panicked, reaching out to help Speer up. But before she could, Charlo grabbed her hand and raised it high into the air.

"Eh?!"

"Our success today would be impossible without the contributions of Miss Clyris! She created the Electricity Generation Rune, the foundation of the telephone! She created the Sealing Rune, the protection for our wires! She created the Mana Regulator, the core of the device! It is no exaggeration to say that without her, there is no telephone! Let us give her a round of applause!!"

As Charlo’s voice rang out, the applause redoubled, crashing over them like a tidal wave.

"Miss Clyris, do not deny yourself," Charlo whispered, looking at her with a gentle smile amidst the noise. "Without your contribution, my stack of blueprints would be nothing more than fantasy. It is because of you that I could turn them into reality so quickly."

"So, be proud, Miss Clyris! Your name will be forever engraved in the history of Ironwood!"

...

"Me...?"

Looking into his eyes, Clyris felt her strength leave her. She let him hold her hand up, unable to pull away.

"Is... is this really okay?" Her eyes wavered.

Can a Demon Lord be cheered by humans?

Can a traitorous knight enjoy the congratulations of the people?

"Of course it is!"

Charlo’s voice was firm, cutting through her doubt like a blade. "Standing here right now is no one else but the Chief Consultant of the Ironwood Magic Research Department—Clyris!"

"The runes you created for us will be integrated into thousands of households. They will profoundly and completely improve the lives of everyone. Every single person here will thank you and remember you! Miss Clyris!"

...

Ah... is that so...

Not as a Demon Lord. Not as a Knight... just Clyris?

She looked at Alice, who was smiling and clapping for her.

She looked at Freya, who was puffing out her cheeks but clapping nonetheless.

She looked at Mr. Speer, whose eyes shone with gratitude.

She looked around at the sea of faces, all excited, all smiling at her...

If that is the case... if it is really so...

Then... perhaps it is okay to be a little greedy. To shamelessly enjoy their praise... just for a moment.

For the first time since arriving here, Clyris felt a genuine surge of fortune.

She was lucky to have come here. Lucky to have met them.

Lucky... to have met him.

"Thank... you..."

She looked into Charlo’s gentle eyes and whispered her thanks, in a voice only she could hear.

"What?"

He didn't hear it. Of course not. Even a Fifth-Rank Knight couldn't hear a whisper over such thunderous applause.

Beneath her veil, the corners of the Demon Lord's mouth lifted into a smile. Looking at his confused face, her heart skipped a beat.

"Nothing! I was just thinking... as an Imperial Noble, you don't act like one at all. You plot to rebel against the Empire and destroy the other nobles. You truly are—The Wickedest Noble!"

"Haha! You flatter me! But I can't compare to you!" Charlo laughed heartily. "Your debut made two Great Empires vomit blood. Your wickedness is no less than mine!"

"So, what are we now? An alliance of the Wickedest and the Vilest?" the Demon Lord asked with a light laugh.

"I suppose you could say that..." Charlo paused, then burst into laughter again.

"You destroy their bodies, and I dig up their roots! When you think about it, we are the perfect match! Hahahaha..."