Chapter 351: Demon King Rumors: Karol, Beatrice, and Iris (P2)

"Relax, it's nothing bad," Iris rushed to clarify upon seeing the tension. "It's just that, you know, word in the guilds is that Lord Demon King Ryan, before taking his crown, saved a demon who was about to be publicly executed by the holy knights in the capital of Varvylon. I don't know exactly how many demons are living in Kowarre Castle right now, but since you're the only one I've seen with those features, I thought you might be the demon from the story."

Beatrice didn't respond immediately. The memories of that afternoon—the church's chains, the pain, and Ryan's imposing figure massacring her executioners—flashed through her mind in an instant.

Finally, she let out a soft sigh and relaxed her shoulders.

"Yes, that's me," the infernal admitted in a tone laden with deep reverence for her savior.

"Impressive... so that was real after all," Iris murmured, her eyes widening. "I mean, before your king officially became a demon king, there were so many crazy rumors about him, about his battles and his true appearance. It was getting really hard for the guilds to tell what was true and what was a lie," Iris commented with a spark of genuine excitement in her voice.

"It seems it doesn't bother you at all that Beatrice... I mean, that Clare is a pureblood demon," Karol observed, analyzing the mercenary's unprejudiced reaction.

"Huh, if I were alone with other unknown demons, I definitely wouldn't act the same way, I can assure you of that," Iris admitted with a nervous laugh. "Besides, after finding out about my own lineage, it's not like I'm exactly an ordinary human who has any right to judge."

"Yeah, you're absolutely right about that. Hahaha," Karol laughed loudly, enjoying the irony, and Beatrice smiled faintly seeing the camaraderie forming.

"But," Iris continued in a dreamy tone, "Lord Ryan must be a very good and extremely kindhearted person. I've never in my life heard of a human adventurer who would dare directly face the entire church and risk his life just to save an unknown demon. That's something so heroic and hard to believe."

Iris's words caused a peculiar silence to fall over the other two.

"Ryan is undoubtedly someone special," Beatrice began to explain carefully, "but I wouldn't exactly say he's someone 'good and kindhearted' in the traditional sense you're imagining. It would be much more accurate to say that he is someone deeply selfish, but who seeks to protect with all his might—and with overwhelming violence—that which interests him and he considers his own."

"Isn't that a bit of a cruel comment?" Karol asked, arching an eyebrow in amusement.

"Not at all. In fact, that frankness and that selfishness are some of the things I like and admire most about Ryan," Beatrice confessed, an absolute gleam of loyalty in her now hazel eyes.

"I see... well, that clears something else up for me too," Iris said, putting the pieces together in her head. "Another one of the big rumors circulating among mercenaries is that the demon king forced the beautiful women who follow him to marry him against their will. But given the way you speak and defend him, I can see that you're actually his wives by your own choice."

"His wiv...?" Beatrice stammered, her eyes widening.

"...es?" Karol finished, feeling the heat suddenly rush to her face.

"Huh?" Iris looked at them, suddenly confused by their reaction. "What's wrong with you two? Why are you suddenly blushing so much?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Karol rushed to say, waving her hands in front of her to dispel the embarrassment, while Beatrice stared intently at the ground, trying to hide the deep blush on her cheeks. "But tell me, Iris, why were you taking such a specific interest in those rumors about him? Do you want Ryan to accept you as a subordinate?"

"..."

The mercenary's silence was deafening.

"Huh? Now you're the one blushing up to your ears," Karol pointed out with a feline smile, regaining control of the conversation. "Is that what you were aiming for since we left the castle?"

"No... well, I mean... I don't think that's really possible," Iris admitted, looking down sadly. "Remember that when I was working for the assassins' guild, I tried to kill him in the city. Someone with that track record can't be trustworthy."

"But Ryan made a fair deal with you at the time: he spared your life in exchange for the exact location of those assassins," Karol reminded her, tapping the ground with her staff. "And if I remember correctly, we went and killed them all right after. That matter is something I'm absolutely sure he wouldn't care about in the slightest anymore. He only cares about current results. So I'll ask you again, and I want a clear answer: Do you want to be Ryan's subordinate and join us?"

"I do..." Iris whispered, looking up with hope. "But I think accepting a new member is too important and delicate of a matter for you to decide all on your own."

"She won't be deciding on her own." Beatrice took a firm step forward, regaining her composure and her authority as one of the oldest warriors in the group. "If Karol agrees with your performance and loyalty, then I won't oppose it in the slightest."

"You heard her. Hahaha," Karol laughed in satisfaction. "We are the king's specialized intelligence and assassination unit, so your infiltration skills and guild knowledge will come in very handy for us. You will serve our King Ryan, but you'll work directly under our orders in this division. Are you okay with that?"

Iris didn't answer immediately. She processed the weight of the offer, the end of her solitary life as a nomadic mercenary, and the promise of a place to belong.

She blushed slightly from the excitement, and then a wide, bright smile formed on her face.

"Yes!" Iris said with genuine excitement, nodding her head. "I want to do it. I'll work hard for you."

After sealing that unexpected deal at the edge of the forest, the three women set off to fulfill the dangerous reconnaissance mission Ryan had entrusted to them, but now they were truly doing it as a cohesive group fighting on the same side.

From that moment on, beneath the shadow of Geizan's trees, the solitary half-spirit Iris officially became a sworn member of the Kowarre kingdom, operating under Beatrice and Karol's strict but fair orders.