As long as the demon strongholds were destroyed and the two high-ranking demons who ruled over them were dealt with, there would be no enemies capable of surpassing humanity at this front.
Earl Islan had played a crucial role in expanding mankind’s territory through his ingenuity and wisdom. As he had said, he wasn’t entirely incompetent.
‘Why did that b*stard abandon me?’
It was almost admirable. Was he really going to leave me behind and carry out his duties properly?
When I later confronted him about it, he explained that, as a 4-star summoner, if I were in danger, there would be no chance of victory even if they came to my rescue.
Rather than taking such a futile risk, he believed it was a better decision to close the gates quickly, report the situation to the capital, and prepare for further action.
He had done his best to convince me of this logic.
From a personal perspective, it felt frustrating, but his judgment had been purely utilitarian.
What if an enemy appeared that I couldn’t even touch before dying? That would mean encountering a top-class or noble-class demon—foes so powerful that even with everyone’s combined strength, annihilation would be inevitable.
I understood his reasoning. Logically, it made perfect sense.
But my heart refused to accept it.
“Hmm, I’m sorry. I apologize again and again.”
Earl Islan would always say that with a smile whenever he saw my dark expression. They say you can’t spit on a smiling face, but he made me want to give him another punch instead.
In the end, I received better treatment than the earl and returned from the expedition.
Not to mention, my test scores were the highest. We had slaughtered countless demons and even beheaded top-class ones. If I hadn’t been ranked first, it would have been blatant manipulation. Unless…if someone else actually managed to take down the demon king?
Fortunately, no such thing had happened. No one had awakened some miraculous ability and taken the demon king’s head.
That meant my name, Ian Clark, was proudly listed as the top-ranking cadet.
***
[Stella’s POV]
“…What the hell is this?”
Stella, who had been confident that she would achieve first place this time, frowned as she looked at the report card.
In the final exam, cadets with a large number of summons had an overwhelming advantage. And Stella was a noble summoner with both 4-star and 3-star summons.
Not to mention, her summons, Ifrit and Salamander, specialized in mass extermination.
“This is nonsense!”
“What?”
“I took down three mid-level demons, countless low-level demons, and an uncountable number of lesser ones. And yet, I’m second place? What could possibly—”
“One of the highest-class demons.”
“…What?”
Stella fell silent.
A top-class demon.
A being that couldn’t be resisted unless one had a 5-star summon. Even the most accomplished dukes had never taken one down alone.
It was difficult just to catch a glimpse of one, let alone encounter and defeat it.
And yet…
A mere cadet?
“Liar. No, that’s impossible. You’re lying—”
Stella trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. A cadet who had taken down a top-class demon? There was no conceivable way to surpass that.
Fortunately, Ian offered an explanation that seemed somewhat reassuring.
“It wasn’t top-class from the start. At first, it was just a high-level demon.”
“…Are you kidding me? Even a high-level demon is a bigger achievement than mine.”
“I’m not kidding.”
Hearing that, Stella, unable to hold back, raised her hand. To onlookers, it might have seemed like a playful gesture—a light slap on Ian’s forearm.
Neither the one who hit nor the one who was hit seemed particularly bothered by it.
“Ugh… whatever. Then you’d better get ready.”
“Ready? Ready for what?”
“…You took down a top-class demon. Hasn’t anyone told you?”
“So what?”
“Now that you’ve done that, the imperial family will be calling for you soon.”
“They’ll be calling for me?” Ian tilted his head in confusion.
The emperor? Again? Hadn’t it been a while since their last meeting?
Would he be able to get another treasure from the Emperor’s vault this time? He had thoroughly enjoyed Anna’s formal dress, which he had acquired on a previous occasion. He was already looking forward to the possibilities.
Unfortunately, reality was less exciting.
“The Emperor will grant you the title of duke along with various rewards. But there won’t be any formal dress or heirlooms this time.”
“That’s a bit disappointing.”
“Now that the four ducal houses occupy all major defensive regions, even if you receive a territory, it’ll be somewhere inland…”
Stella sighed, brushing a hand through her hair. It was an inconvenient truth, but one that had to be said.
Ian’s reputation had already risen so high that even the heirs of the other ducal houses—who had never paid him any attention before—would soon be taking an interest in him.
“If you’re interested, I can give you the territory of Eritz. Of course, you’d have the inner lands instead…”
“What would I even do with that territory?”
“…What do you mean? You need land to earn money, harvest heirlooms, and attract vassals.”
“And then what? Why would I need vassals?”
“…Because it strengthens your power. Don’t you get it?”
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