“Wait! Calm down! All right! If a chance to touch a demon’s horns is all it takes to make you agree to use your powers for the sake of demonkin, then I’ll allow it.”
“Really?!”
Alvin then pointed to the demon he’d called in and asked, “But can it be his horns instead of mine?”
The other demon bowed his head. “If that is your wish, Sire.”
“I’d prefer your horns, Alvin,” Mil said.
“Keep complaining and I won’t let you touch anyone’s horns.”
“Aww... Fine, I’ll do it.” Mil decided to resist their horns a little longer, and slowly raised her hand to read the demon’s stats.
I wonder what powers he’ll have. She’d never examined a demonkin before. It was another exciting new experience.
A status window appeared in front of Mil.
Name: Graun / Level: 125
HP: 2250
MP: 760
STR: 1370
DEF: 1389
INT: 1761
DEX: 1580
SPD: 1666
LUK: 630
Passive Skills: demonkin, demon eye, mana replenish, one-handed sword proficiency (high), poison resistance (max), dark magic resistance (max), curse resistance (max), awaken
Active Skills: dark magic, illusion magic, demon slash, lacerate, dark cry, dark mist
“Oh! Wooow!”
She’d never seen a three-digit level or a four-digit stat. He didn’t have many skills, but he probably hadn’t been trying to learn a wide variety the way that human adventurers did.
“Oh? Are his stats really that impressive?” Alvin asked.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in the royal capital!”
Mil had heard that monsters were stronger the closer they were to the Demon King’s Castle due to the effects of the Demon King’s miasma. Demonkin could supplement their mana with miasma, and they had more of it the stronger they were. Demonkin also tended to be drawn to places where the miasma was at its greatest. This explained why opponents near the royal capital were weak, but stronger and stronger foes could be found as one moved closer to the Demon King’s Castle.
Even so, Mil hadn’t expected the demonkin in the Demon King’s Castle to be quite this powerful. An adventurer considered heroically strong in the royal capital would be a weak little baby around here. That included the level 42 adventurer Mil had met the other day.
“Well? Can you awaken any new skills in him?” Alvin asked.
Mil tapped her way through the windows and saw “ice magic” listed as a skill ready for awakening.
“Looks like it. Here goes...” Mil cleared her throat then held out both hands. “Blessings of the Goddess—Goddess Bloom.”
As she spoke the incantation, light poured from her hands and took the shape of an angel.
The Demon King beside her expressed admiration. “Oh... Magnificent... Now I see why you’re known as the holy princess.” It was moving to know that even the Demon King was impressed by the divine.
The angel of light embraced Graun before suddenly scattering as particles of light.
“Is it over...?”
“Yes. You should be able to use ice magic now.”
“Wow.” Graun looked down at his own body in amazement. “I’m picturing forms of magic that I’ve never even seen before! So this is the goddess’s priestess’s power.”
“Show me,” the Demon King urged.
Graun pointed at the ceiling above and fired a lump of ice. He’d just cast an elementary ice spell known as ice bullet.
Alvin was disappointed. “How weak. You’re no better than a trainee warlock.”
“His ice magic’s still weak because it only just awakened,” Mil explained. “Skills grow more powerful with constant practice. I’d expect someone with Graun’s stats to master advanced ice magic in under a month.”
Graun narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “How do you know my name?”
“I saw it while viewing your stats. I can even get your full name.”
Mil tapped “Graun” in the status window, causing Graun’s surname to appear.
“It’s Graun Newman, isn’t it?” Mil bowed her head. “Nice to meet you.”
“Oh, and you as well,” Graun replied with a bow. He sounded embarrassed.
Mil had expected him to make a fuss, but after seeing his bashful reaction, she found him cute.
“Now we know your power’s real,” Alvin said. “Rest for tonight, Mil. A room has been prepared for you.”
“Will I be doing this again tomorrow?”
“There are many demonkin in my forces. You may meet hundreds of them.”
“There’s that many?!” Mil’s eyes sparkled. That’s right! I’m gonna meet even more demonkin! The same ones I heard about in hero’s tales!
“You shout too much, but I suppose it’s just as well you’re energetic... Your work begins tomorrow. Rest well tonight.”
“But one thing first.”
“What’s that?”
“We had a deal. I get to...touch Graun’s horns.”
“Ah...” Alvin sighed.
✧✧✧
“This is unbelievable! It’s like a fancy dress party!”
The next day, Mil was made to sit on the throne again while the room filled up before her eyes with orcs, ogres, giants, and alraune. Each was a form of demonkin she’d heard about in the heroes’ tales.
Obviously, they weren’t just humans in costumes. These were real demonkin.
“Just as you wished, I’ve brought many of the varieties of demonkin that exist in my forces. I’ve also prepared paper, so once you’ve read their stats—”
“They’re just like in the books! Ogres have such long tusks! I think orcs actually smell kinda like fowl. And the alraune are super sexy!”
“Okay... Just use your power to examine them then record the results on the paper. If you can awaken a skill, then do it.”
“Got it. Though I do have one condition.”
“Yes, I know. I’ve told them to let you touch them once you’re done. Do as you like.”
“Thanks! I’ll do my best!” Suddenly, Mil was bursting with enthusiasm. With so many demonkin to see, she’d have to give it her all.
“I have other things to do. I’ll be back around sunset. Finish your work by then.”
Once the Demon King had left the room, his minions formed a line in front of Mil while she sat on the throne.
“Um... Okay, let’s take a look.”
Mil soon lost count of how many demonkin had come to her to be touched—examined, rather. Mil took note of their diverse skin textures and fang—uh, their impressively high stats.