The grey city, Grimholt, was built in the northern demon territory from the blood, sweat, and tears of Grigor. Countless knights perished and fought to establish its tall, stone walls to create a shield that protected Grigor.@@@@

    Alan poured so much into this city that he became the Grand Duke of Grimholt.

    This city became his symbol.

    His pride.

    "Your grace! There is a message from the King!"

    A soldier rushed into Alan''s humble office.

    The simple wooden desk and meeting table, though without luxury. There wasn''t any dust in the room and a shelf of books on the wall. A handsome blonde sat in front of the valuable books, while the scribble of his pen and the scent of ink filled the room.

    "I see, leave it on the desk."

    "Yes, Your grace."

    "You may leave, have Lewis take your place and rest."

    "T-Thank you, your grace!"

    Alan put down the paper he had been holding on to, removing the gold-framed glasses from the bridge of his nose, and placing it down with a sigh. His light blonde hair seemed almost ashen, and his deep scar now appeared to have healed.

    "What did my father say?" He whispered to himself.

    The knights and people who came to this territory were the strongest and most resilient people in Grigor.

    Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire

    Alan gave a chance to those who were forgotten in the past. He accepted minor criminals and, through battling the demons and strict training, many became upstanding men.

    Flicker~

    When he opened the letter, the first line caused Alan to stand from his seat. Though he remained confident, his eyes seemed dull. But the moment he read the letter and saw the name written, his eyes shone bright.

    "Ryuji, you''re back?"

    — Dear little brother, how is the northern front?

    I wanted to bring you good news this year, and now I have some. Your dear friend has returned, and the boy you sent away has become a man. Ryuji came because he worried about you.

    The letter continued speaking about the state of Grigor and how thanks to Grimholt the entire kingdom was improving, and those who wanted to fight back increased.

    Thanks to Alan and Avandar changing the arena into a place to sponsor commoners and those without the chance to become knights previously, to support the defence against the demons.

    "Phew... it seems I will meet you again soon, old friend."

    Alan flopped into his chair, placing the letter close to his chest. He also changed after the long separation, with Akari helping him and having his child. He wanted to speak with Ryuji most nights, to tell him about the people he lost and the desperate battles they won.

    Many died and their deaths did not stop.

    His beloved knights.

    His comrades in the face of battle.

    After those losses, he felt pain, regret, and hatred. But, also hope.

    ''We managed to defeat one of those bizarre abominations for the first time a few days ago, suddenly it stopped moving.''

    "My cute Anne... and Liana..."

    However, they didn''t seem to be that interested. In their mind, Asmodeus belonged to them and they to him. They were a part of his harem. The girls loved their father, but right now, it was a meeting between the future wives of Asmodeus, rather than as princesses of Grigor.

    Therefore, King Avandar became so passive.

    "Well, what''s happened cannot be taken back, I will protect and love them with all my existence."

    Asmodeus knew Avandar just wanted reassurance, so he made it. To help the king and honour his reputation until Asmodeus became a true king, he didn''t need to be arrogant all the time.

    "So take good care of me, as family."

    Avandar''s hand shook. "I look forward to meeting my future grandchildren and family, Asmodeus."

    The two men gazed at each other, both curling their lips into a smile. "Asmodeus, you''ve worked hard, and although I know it wasn''t all for Grigor. You have my gratitude, Alan has also been waiting eagerly for your return."

    "Haha, that idiot managed to make a city, right? I heard the knights complimenting him."

    Most of the knights and nobles were absent from the throne room. With a single knight standing at the side, gazing at Asmodea with a shocked expression. Kathryn, her knight and nanny, but because of the situation, Asmodea wanted to leave Kathryn behind to help Alan.

    "Your Majesty, I intend to head north, but I plan to let you spend time with your daughters if possible."

    "Eh?"

    "Darling?"

    Vinea, Alice and Asmodea seemed shocked by his words, but this was his plan from the start. Asmodeus wanted to let his women rest when possible, and this might be their last chance to speak with Avandar and their families for a long while.

    "This was your plan from the start, right, my dear?" Velvet''s voice caused the King to look stunned when she stepped forward and hugged his arm, speaking with such a soft voice.

    "Yeah, the enemy is stronger than I thought. So for the first battles, I would like to learn more about those monsters while some of you rest here."

    "Understood."

    "Don''t worry about it, Honey, if anything happens we will use the communication crystal." Velvet rarely caused issues, but Asmodeus knew that although she accepted verbally, the hand grabbing him was tight and shivering.

    He couldn''t help but lean close to her ear, whispering. "Are you angry at me?" Velvet was someone special to Asmodeus. Her determination and the moment she awakened transformed his thoughts and approach to life and improving himself.

    "It just felt so sudden, but I am just happy that I get to be alone with you, even for just one second of every day."

    Velvet loved Asmodeus, even to the point of abandoning her humanity to become the Queen of Demons for him. He knew each woman loved and adored him in their own way.

    But Velvet abandoned her past body and her existence transformed when she accepted everything about him the day they slept together in that cave.

    Avandar looked at the women and nodded.

    "You may rest, tonight we shall have dinner in your honour, and I hope you will all attend."

    "Father, we won''t forget to visit."

    "Thank you."

    Asmodeus nodded to the king before walking from the throne, while his harem surrounded him in pairs of two on his sides. The scene was both envious and terrifying when their demonic features came into view.

    "Kathryn, I hope you will continue to help my daughter even now." Avandar smiled at the female human knight, who watched their retreating backs with an aura of reluctance.

    "I will, Your Highness."

    Thus, she followed the group, hoping to connect with the princess she once helped raise.