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To be perfectly honest, Bokue didn't have any good memories when it came to the Northern Demon Realm.

After all, his first trip there was to rescue Sheila from being kidnapped, Maria from being blackmailed, and Mio from being targeted by Zolgear of the Current Demon Lord Faction.

Even though he'd later learned that the Current Demon Lord leader, Leohart, wasn't directly responsible—Zolgear had acted on his own—there was no denying Leohart still bore some responsibility.

Being a faction leader meant having control over one's subordinates; failure to do so was, at best, incompetence.

Still, Bokue didn't linger on it.

He had assumed he'd never have reason to visit again, especially since no lasting harm had come of that incident. Unfortunately, barely a month had passed, and here he was again, caught up in Northern Demon Realm politics.

This time, the Old Demon Lord Faction—led by Mio's uncle Ramusas, brother to the previous Demon Lord Wilbert—was causing trouble.

What bothered Bokue most was Ramusas' shameless attempt to summon Mio back purely for his own advantage. As the faction leader, Ramusas had never stepped in to help Mio or Maria when Zolgear's subordinates killed Mio's adoptive parents, nor had he lifted a finger when Sheila was kidnapped and Maria was blackmailed.

But now, when Ramusas' faction was in dire straits, suddenly Mio was his "beloved niece," urgently needed at home?

How convenient.

It was like a long-lost uncle calling his estranged niece, asking her to send money home because the village suddenly needed to build a new road.

Who gave him the audacity?

❁❁❁❁

"Look, Lucia, I realize you're just the messenger here, so I'm not going to give you a hard time," Bokue said calmly from his seat, Sheila cradled in his arms.

"You can go back and tell Ramusas this: Mio won't be coming back. Ever. When Zolgear's men murdered her adoptive parents, the Old Demon Lord Faction was nowhere. When your own mother was kidnapped and Maria was being blackmailed, the Old Demon Lord Faction was silent. And now that the Current Demon Lord Faction is breathing down Ramusas' neck, suddenly he remembers he has a niece? Life doesn't work that way. Tell Ramusas there's no chance he's profiting from this situation."

"But you don't need to worry too much," Bokue continued casually. "Even though Mio isn't going anywhere, I'll still pay a visit myself within the next couple of days."

Lucia hesitated, uncertain. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

Bokue's attitude seemed contradictory.

The first half of his words made it clear he had absolutely no intention of helping the Old Demon Lord Faction—in fact, it sounded like he wouldn't care even if they all died. Yet suddenly he was saying he'd visit himself?

Could he be implying he'd reluctantly shoulder responsibility on Mio's behalf? That didn't make sense.

Before Lucia could figure it out, Bokue read her expression effortlessly and clarified.

"Oh, don't get the wrong idea. It's not like that. Like I said, I don't really care if your Old Demon Lord Faction and the Current Demon Lord Faction bash each other's brains out. Not my problem. But to ensure Mio and the others can live peacefully in the future without any nuisance, I wouldn't mind stepping in to settle your dispute myself."

"As for exactly how I'll settle it," Bokue paused, raising an eyebrow lightly. "That's easy—if one faction ceases to exist, the conflict naturally ends."

"What—??"

Lucia's violet eyes—clearly inherited from Sheila—widened sharply as she understood Bokue's meaning.

It was like two people who wouldn't stop arguing—maybe mediation was difficult, but if one party suddenly dropped dead, the argument was guaranteed to end instantly.

"In fact, as things currently stand, I'm more inclined to eliminate the Old Demon Lord Faction," Bokue explained matter-of-factly, adjusting Sheila slightly upward in his arms.

The sudden movement caused the Succubus beauty's entire body to tense up again, toes curling as she desperately fought to suppress any sound escaping her lips.

Bokue continued smoothly. "You see, my philosophy is simple: don't bomb the cesspool. Sure, a cesspool smells foul, but at least it keeps all the filth in one spot. If you blow it up carelessly, you'll get splattered everywhere—and then who knows what mess you'll have to clean up? I'm a pretty lazy guy, so as long as the cesspool keeps performing its function—staying contained—I'll generously let it continue existing."

"And while Leohart from the Current Demon Lord Faction might not have done an ideal job either, he's at least way better than your boss Ramusas."

Bokue shrugged.

"Leohart is just a bad manager. But Ramusas? Let's just say he's worse. Anyway, Lucia, go back and tell Ramusas I'll pay him a personal visit in the next few days."

Lucia hesitated again, uncertainty clear on her face, but she eventually nodded slightly.

"Very well. I will deliver your message. I'll take my leave for today."

Rising gracefully, she walked to the open area of the living room. A teleportation magic circle instantly materialized beneath her feet, violet light glowing softly, and the silver-haired Succubus maid vanished in a blink.

Only after Lucia disappeared did Sheila finally lose control. Turning red-faced, she twisted around and kissed Bokue fiercely, mumbling indistinctly between breaths.

"Honestly, you're absolutely shameless! How could you—right in front of Lucia...!"

"But she didn't find out, did she?" Bokue calmly repositioned Sheila, letting her face him fully. "Well then, shall we continue?"

Sheila narrowed her eyes playfully, her face still flushed.

"Of course we shall! You little devil, you know perfectly well earlier when you were just sitting there, you purposely pressed me down so—!"

"I didn't do anything like that." Bokue feigned innocence, raising an eyebrow.

"You were the one who—"

But he stopped mid-sentence, realization dawning on his face. Wait a minute. Sheila had never fully sat down earlier, had she? No wonder she'd reacted so intensely!

That meant... there was still some room for exploration. Good to know.

"Well then," Bokue said, sliding his hands upward, lightly gripping Sheila's shoulders.

"Wait! What are you—??"

Sheila immediately realized what was about to happen next, but it was too late.

Her only choices now were to sing out passionately—or dance vigorously.

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