A naked young man whose transparent, glass-like body exuded a flowing, supple grace—had it not been for the horns and wings encircling his head and body, he would have been the very image of a nobleman. He showed reverence to Daemon with a full prostration, a gesture signifying absolute submission.
"I had not realized you had obtained Lord Naidelhark's power. Please issue your command to this humble servant."
At the Incubus's extreme deference, Daemon's expression softened.
"You should have done so from the start. Are you the Incubus known as the monarch of the dream demons?"
"Yes."
The Incubus trembled violently and pressed his forehead to the ground. It was an instinctive act, for he knew that the vast dark mana emanating from the Necromancer's body could annihilate one such as himself in the blink of an eye should the Necromancer so will it.
Daemon nodded as he looked at the Incubus.
"I have a task for you."
"Command me anything."
But a moment later, upon hearing Daemon's words, the Incubus couldn't help but be shocked to the core.
"Ah, no... T-To think you would bid me do such a thing..."
"Do you mean you cannot do it?"
"No, it is not that. But the command is so unexpected..."
The Incubus was a being notorious to humans. His primary specialty and hobby was infiltrating the human psyche and driving them mad. And savoring the process of ruining and despoiling the human mind was the Incubus's greatest pleasure.
Yet the Necromancer was now forcing upon him something he had never imagined. It was something utterly at odds with the pleasures he had enjoyed until now. The Incubus shook his head as if in disbelief.
"Never in my dreams did I think I would be made to do such a thing."
"Is it possible?"
Under the Necromancer's piercing gaze, the Incubus ultimately had no choice but to nod. He knew that if he did not obey the command, he would be annihilated on the spot.
Even if a new Incubus would be born in the Demon Realm almost simultaneously with his disappearance, being obliterated was still not something he desired.
"Your august command shall be carried out without fail."
"Good. I shall now tell you the specific method. Therefore, you must carry out this task without the slightest error."
"Understood."
As Daemon explained what needed to be done, the Incubus's face, which had been listening in silence, became twisted with distress. For what the Necromancer bade him do was an act of benevolence utterly repugnant to a being of the Demon Realm. But to survive, he had no choice.
Bayanka, capital of Terbia.
As befitting the capital of a great power, Bayanka was a city possessing a vast population and scale. Sitting at the heart of Bayanka, the Imperial Palace boasted a magnificent bearing, as though symbolizing Terbia's national might.
Even from the royal guards standing in file like stone statues in full armor, intense power radiated in streams.
To the east of the Imperial Palace stood an annex palace. On one side of it were the quarters of the royal knights. It was where the unmarried, single royal knights resided. Yet from that place, a deep sigh suddenly escaped.
"Sigh... Is this really the right thing to do?"
Sitting on the edge of his bed, the young knight heaved a sigh. A sense of integrity emanated from his chiseled face. He appeared to have just returned from a changing of the guard, his armor thickly covered in dust, yet he seemed to have no intention of cleaning it.
The young knight's name was Philip Lawrence, a promising knight and proud member of the Terbian Royal Knights. He was scheduled to hold his wedding with Eliser, daughter of Count Edward, the Deputy Commander of the Royal Knights, in a few days. It was common knowledge among the knights that he would be promoted to squad leader immediately after the ceremony.
Yet Philip's face, which should have borne no trace of worry, was etched with deep anxiety.
He shook his head silently.
"Forgive me."
He was recalling the wife he had recently abandoned. Though they had never held a wedding ceremony, he had promised to spend his life with a woman. But that promise had been cast aside like a worn rag due to the ambition in his heart... Philip bit his lip and rose.
"It can't be helped. I cannot let this opportunity pass..."
The face of his young son, Timmy, came to mind, darkening his mood anew, but Philip steeled his heart.
When he had heard a few days ago from a subordinate's report that Kate and Timmy had left Bayanka, Philip had been unable to hide his turmoil. He couldn't help but feel pangs of conscience at having abandoned Kate and Timmy, who had lived relying solely on him. He had thought he would feel unburdened, but his heart was anything but.
"I hope you meet someone better than me and live well."
Having muttered under his breath, Philip turned his head at the sound of a knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's me. Your betrothed."
At the lovely voice, Philip sprang up and approached the door.
Clack.
When he opened the door, a beautiful woman stood there with a smile filling her face. A bright light came into Philip's eyes.
"Eliser, why have you come all the way here?"
"I came because I missed my betrothed."
Eliser rushed forward and showered Philip's lips with kisses. The knights standing in the hallway reddened and looked away, but Eliser was recklessly bold. Though flustered, Philip silently accepted her kisses, lest he offend her.
A moment later, Eliser looked up at Philip with a thoroughly flushed expression.
"Please make some time this evening. I wish to see the night scenery of Bayanka with you."
"T-That is..."
Philip's face filled with distress. He already had night duty assigned. Recalling the strict regulations, Philip carefully tried to persuade her.
"I'm afraid that will be difficult. I have duty tonight..."
"That's fine. I'll ask Father to have you excused from duty."
In an instant, Philip's face hardened.
"Don't say that. If that happened, another comrade would have to stand duty in my place. No matter what, as an honorable royal knight, I cannot shift my duty onto a comrade."
"Tch! Such a stickler."
Eliser looked thoroughly piqued. She turned her head away with a sulky expression.
"I went through the trouble of reserving a good spot in the city... Forget it. Do you think I have no one else to go with if not you?"
"I-I'm sorry. I have no duty tomorrow, so I can devote myself to you then."
"How can I wait until tomorrow!"
Philip devoted himself to placating Eliser, who seemed thoroughly sulky. Whether his efforts bore fruit, Eliser finally softened her expression.
"Fine. Then I shall look forward to tomorrow."
Breaking into a bright smile, Eliser smacked a loud kiss on Philip's lips before leaving his room. He saw the knights standing in the hallway hastily lowering their visors. Philip gave a bitter smile.
"What a bold young lady."
The royal knights' quarters were strictly off-limits to women. By all rights, Eliser should never have been able to enter this far. But she had already visited Philip many times by aptly wielding her father's influence. Each time, Philip had had to suffer such torments.
"Ha! Must have been nice?"
"To receive the passionate advances of Bayanka's foremost beauty all to yourself... I'm so jealous I can't sleep."
At the teasing mixed with envy from his comrades who had been on duty, Philip shrugged his shoulders.
"Stop teasing me. I said enough."
Eliser was a great beauty. Whether the rumor that she bathed in milk every day was true or not, her flawless, snow-white skin, jet-black eyes, and red lips always made Philip's heart flutter. Kate had not been homely either, but she could not compare to Eliser.
To think he would take such a beauty as his wife—Philip's heart should have swelled with joy. But he knew well that something hollow always occupied a corner of his heart.
"I should get some shut-eye if I'm to work the night shift."
He called the squire who always attended him to help remove his armor, then approached the bed in his undergarments. Thinking of the full six-hour shift he would have to stand, he figured he should sleep even a little. But Philip had no inkling that this sleep would bring tremendous change to his life.
Perhaps because the repeated duties had been so grueling, Philip was fast asleep. Lately, he had much on his mind, so his fatigue was unavoidable. But before long, Philip woke. As one possessing outstanding swordsmanship, he quickly detected the strange presence nearby.
Philip looked around with bloodshot eyes. A startled voice forced its way through his lips.
"Huh!"
He shot up. Someone was standing by his bedside, looking down at him.
Instinctively reaching for the sword left at his bedside, Philip glared at the mysterious intruder.
The intruder was a middle-aged knight who appeared well over forty. The hardships of time were plainly etched upon his wrinkled face. Philip first examined his attire carefully. For checking one's garments was the surest way to discern an opponent's identity. But perplexity quickly rose in his eyes. The man was unexpectedly clad in the uniform of the Deputy Commander of the Royal Knights.
The current Deputy Commander of the Royal Knights was none other than Count Edward. No one else could wear the Deputy Commander's uniform. Recalling this fact, Philip tried to draw his sword like lightning. If a stranger was wearing the Deputy Commander's uniform, there was only one meaning: he was a spy.
"Such insolence... How dare you impersonate the Deputy Commander... Huh."
A cry of astonishment burst from Philip's lips. The sword left at his bedside could not be grasped at all. He widened his eyes and tried once more to seize the hilt, but it was futile. The sword on the floor? No, the sword placed there slipped through his hand as if it were a nonexistent object. At the unexpected situation, Philip's eyes bulged as if torn open.
"Wh-What is going on?"
The intruder, who had been watching silently, finally opened his mouth. The voice was hoarse, yet somehow familiar.
"It's no use. You cannot touch a single object in this room."
Finally giving up on the sword, Philip shot a sharp look at the intruder.
"Y-You, who are you? Why are you in my room without permission?"
"Your room... It may be so. But strictly speaking, I believe this would be more accurately viewed as my room. Why don't you look around?"
At the intruder's words, Philip looked around involuntarily. And soon he wore a confounded expression.
"Wh-What is going on?"
Surprisingly, this was not his quarters. It was an enormous office that looked easily four times larger than his original room. Decorations of the utmost splendor were placed here and there, and a large desk stood by the window.
Philip instinctively examined the nameplate on the desk. The nameplate read:
[Count Philip de Lawrence, Deputy Commander of the Terbian Royal Knights]
Philip could not come to his senses at all from the incomprehensible occurrence. Philip Lawrence was certainly his own name. And yet—a middle name that only nobles could possess, and the incomprehensible status of Deputy Commander of the Royal Knights...
"Don't try too hard to understand. Now, why don't you take a closer look at who I am?"
As the intruder's words fell, Philip's gaze turned toward him. At first it was an expression of doubt, but it changed to astonishment as time passed.
"Y-You are..."
Though the man had seemed somewhat unfamiliar at first, the more Philip examined his features, the more identical they were to his own.