Published: January 15, 2026
“Well, well, His Majesty the King of the Yelinetta Kingdom personally coming to welcome us… I’m honored.”
Panamera bowed with a smile as she spoke. It was a very elegant, ceremonial bow, but seeing Panamera’s expression made the people around grimace.
Although a sharp insult was delivered, King Yelinetta nodded without showing any sign of being disturbed.
He was a small, slender elderly man, but his gaze had a strange intensity to it.
“Our Yelinetta Kingdom has become a vassal of the Kingdom of Scuderia. That is a fact… but—”
King Yelinetta muttered calmly, pausing briefly before raising his head.
“Even if we are a vassal state, I am the King of the great nation Yelinetta Kingdom, Earlhardt Asbach Yelinetta. Although you are a high-ranking noble of the suzerain country, I do not appreciate being treated so lightly.”
When Earlhardt introduced himself and displayed his royal dignity, the noblemen and women around him voiced their admiration. Panamera was no exception.
She raised one corner of her mouth into a savage grin.
“My apologies… but it’s good to see that Your Majesty’s fangs are still intact. It wouldn’t be interesting otherwise.”
She said that, scanning the faces of everyone present one by one. Panamera’s gaze was brighter than a spotlight, and more than half of the people looked away.
No, this was scarier than a mafia turf war. What is this tension? If Dee and Kamushin weren’t beside me, I’d probably wet myself. But since I’m ten, I guess it’s okay to get scared, right?
As I was thinking that, Earlhardt turned his eyes toward me.
“…Viscount Van, I’m counting on you as well.”
“Ah, please go easy on me!”
Suddenly addressed, I responded with a sharp greeting. Good job.
“…Such a boy…”
“The demon of Scuderia, huh…”
“Don’t be fooled by appearances.”
I could hear some terrifying whispers. Well, I can hear you—!?
Who’s the demon? Where is the demon in this handsome yet fragile genius boy Van? I almost wanted to interrogate them. While glaring at the adults with a pout of anger, Panamera couldn’t hold back her laughter, shaking her shoulders and chuckling.
“I’ve been given all sorts of strange nicknames, but now the boy joins the club, huh? From now on, I shall call you ‘demon boy.’”
“That is absolutely not okay. In many ways, not okay. I’ll get angry if you call me that.”
I firmly put a stop to Panamera’s joke. I don’t want a nickname that will force me to apologize all over the place.
Perhaps because I was so stern, Panamera looked unusually surprised, her eyes wide.
“Now, don’t be so angry. It’s just a joke. By the way, you’re not trying to rise by military achievements, right? My bad.”
Panamera apologized with a wry smile, having misunderstood. I wasn’t really angry, but for once, I felt like I had the mental upper hand over Panamera.
“Well, I’ll forgive you since you apologized.”
“Oh, that’s a relief.”
Acting as if I was the one accepting the apology, Panamera laughed in response.
Seeing this, the nobles and aristocrats of the Yelinetta Kingdom exchanged glances again and started whispering quietly.
“…An earl apologized to a viscount in public.”
“It seems we shouldn’t be deceived by that appearance…”
“…So that’s the demon of Scuderia…”
“Can you please stop calling me that!?”
I couldn’t help but complain about being called a demon. Then, the nobles whispering behind me bowed their heads.
“I-I'm sorry.”
“This was rude of us…”
“We ask for your forgiveness.”
The adults apologized sincerely. Seeing that, I felt sorry and accepted their apologies.
“…I’ll forgive you this time only. But seriously, what part of me is a demon? Do I look like one?”
Hands on my hips, I asked, and Earlhardt responded with a wry smile.
“No, it’s my vassals who should apologize. Since acquiring artillery and the Black Orbs, many, including myself, have become overconfident in our country’s power. We never imagined our kingdom could lose. Then suddenly, a strange strategy from a young noble broke through us head-on… This is a major incident not only for our nation but also for the neighboring countries. The nickname ‘demon’ might be a bit ominous, but it shows how much of a threat you are.”