Meraldia was a melting pot of various races, religions, and cultures. There were immigrants from Kuwol, Mondstrahl adherents, and vampires in the south. To the north were many immigrants from Rolmund and adherents to the Sonnenlicht Order. Those two groups had little in common. The only thing uniting them was the vague notion of being “Meraldian.”
“From here on out, we must cultivate a sense of national pride among the people. But that’s not something you can force with propaganda, at least not permanently. They need to develop a natural pride in being Meraldian, or it’s meaningless.”
“Veight.” Airia traced my jawline with a finger. That was enough to make me shut up. You didn’t argue against the Demon Lord, especially not when she was your wife. She glared at me and said, “I want you to stop thinking about work for once and think about your happiness instead.”
“Sorry...”
I often overlooked the importance of a proper work-life balance. History was filled with great men and women who neglected their families and suffered as a result. But considering the burdens they faced daily, it wasn’t surprising they didn’t have time for their families. In a sense, to become a historical figure, you needed to be willing to sacrifice your personal life. Yet all those great people achieved what they did only with the support of others. Their neglect meant they hadn’t just sacrificed their own personal lives; they had effectively sacrificed those people to accomplish their goals.
Well, I wasn’t a historical figure to begin with, but regardless, I wasn’t willing to sacrifice Airia and Friede for some lofty aim like a greater Meraldia. I cared too much about my family for that.
“In that case, how about we take a vacation?”
“That sounds good to me,” Airia said with a smile. Her smiles were always so beautiful.
I found myself smiling and said, “Why don’t I take you and Friede on a trip somewhere? I feel like I haven’t done anything for you guys in a while.”
“You’re doing it again,” Airia said with a sigh. “You don’t need to worry about us. I want you to focus on your happiness.”
“I’m happy as long as you and Friede are happy.”
If my wife and daughter weren’t happy, I wouldn’t be happy, no matter what I did.
In response, Airia said, “Well, I’m only happy if you and Friede are happy. How could I possibly be happy when you look so tired day in and day out?”
“Do I really look that bad?”
“Yes.”
Oh... I hadn’t realized I was making Airia worry.
“Hmm...” Airia lapsed into thought as she stared into my eyes.
Is it just me, or has she gotten prettier over the years? I feel she’s even more beautiful than when we got married. Normally, it was better for a Demon Lord to be menacing and intimidating rather than stunning, but in Airia’s case, it was probably fine.
After a few minutes, Airia sighed and gave me a sad smile. “Even if I begged you to take a vacation, you probably wouldn’t be able to truly rest, would you?”
“Not yet, at least. There’s still too much left to do. Give me ten years, and then things will have calmed down enough that I can relax.”
“You said the exact same thing ten years ago.” Airia mused. Smiling, she continued, “But I suppose that’s the Veight Von Aindorf I know and love. Fine. I’ll give you some more work since you can’t seem to get enough.”
I don’t like the look of that smile.
“My dear vice-commander, I order you to go to Kuwol. If you recall, when Kuwol came to Meraldia’s aid during the dragon’s rampage, the royal family asked us to assist the werecats with a certain issue.”
“Oh yeah. Now that things have settled down internally, we should fulfill our promise, huh?”
The Demon Army’s current ambassador to Kuwol was Kumluk, a native of Kuwol. Though he was the adjutant to the mercenary captain Zagar when I met him, he originally hailed from a merchant family in Bahza and was a gentle soul. Queen Fasleen had sent an official request to us through him on behalf of Kuwol’s werecats.
“Something is going on at Mount Kayankaka, right?”
“Yes. It’s deep in Kuwol’s heartland, so most Meraldians rarely visit the area. You’re the only person the werecats would trust to help them resolve this issue.”
The largest river in Kuwol, the Mejire, flowed down from Mount Kayankaka all the way to Kuwol’s northern coast. The Mejire was vital in sustaining the desert nation of Kuwol. You could say Mount Kayankaka and the Mejire River were Kuwol’s lifeblood. The werecats, Kuwol’s only demon race, lived in the foothills of the mountain.
If I had to travel to Mount Kayankaka, it would probably be best to bring Prince Shumar, Tiriya, and the werecats living in Meraldia along. They hadn’t seen their home in a while, and this would be a good opportunity to let them. In fact, it might not be a bad idea to bring my students along as well; there was a lot they could stand to learn.
Sensing my thoughts, Airia smiled brightly and said, “Feel free to take Prince Shumar and Tiriya with you. I’m sure they’d love to join.”
“Airia, are you sure you’re not secretly a werewolf?”
“I can’t smell emotions on people, but even without that, I can figure out what you’re thinking. So, do you think you can handle this job?”
“Absolutely. Thank you, Airia.”
“I’m just doing my job as Demon Lord.” Airia rubbed her cheek against mine. “And since I’m doing such a good job, surely my kind vice-commander will reward me, right?”
“Umm...”
What does she want me to say? What’s the correct answer here? As always, my vast knowledge failed me when it came to understanding my wife.
Praying I’d read her correctly, I said, “We...could spend the night together?”
“That sounds splendid.” Airia nodded, blushing.
Phew, I got it right. I guess twenty years of marriage taught me something at least.
Unsurprisingly, I didn’t get any sleep that night.
Thanks to the wise and merciful Demon Lord Airia, I was sent off to Kuwol for a work vacation that would likely be more vacation than work. I had no set date to return, and Airia gave me a blank check to spend as much as I wanted. The Demon Army’s accountants and secretaries likely had a lot to say about that. Granted, that was better than knowing they’d let things slide; that led to internal corruption.
Because Prince Shumar was also coming along, we’d probably stop by Queen Fasleen’s palace to pay her a visit. We’d likely spend a few days relaxing at the palace before even getting to Mount Kayankaka and talking to the werecats. Naturally, Shumar’s presence meant Tiriya would come as well, along with the werecats who’d been training in Meraldia—both the contingent that’d joined the Demon Army and the werecat mages who’d become Master’s disciples.