The young dragon who had been thinking nodded. It made sense. Having a variety of gifts seemed better than having two of the same gift.

“But to buy gifts, I need money. I don’t have money. All I have is 3 kron that I received from my sister when I went to the Harubenta Empire.”

“Fill a pocket with air and give it as a gift. You’ll probably have to spend all 3 kron to buy the pocket.”

“I don’t like that. Demon, tell me how to become rich.”

“…Never thought I’d be asked that by a dragon.”

“…?”

“Your kind is good at something.”

“What is it?”

“You find a large cave buried in a mountain. You set up all sorts of traps and monsters. You plunder jewels from humans. You stash them in the cave.”

“Do I become rich that way?”

“Try it for a thousand years.”

The naive young dragon quickly flew off with the casually thrown answer.

‘I should start looking for a deep mountain cave when I get home.’

The tail of the small dragon, who had tasted the sweet taste of capitalism, was bustling.

When Enlil returned, this time Herold and Alec stuck to Arital’s side and pestered him to let them taste the wine.

Thanks to that, Caron, Evelia, Enlil, and Marbas had to walk a few steps behind.

Evelia, overjoyed by the beautiful mansion and the cool breeze, was humming and walking, which made Marbas, who found her behavior very cheeky, pick a fight with a sulky face.

“Hey, peanut.”

“Grass.”

“Peanut.”

“Grass.”

“Green peanut.”

“Rotten grass.”

Rotten grass? Marbas furrowed his brows and growled threateningly.

“I’ll crunch and eat you in one bite, peanut.”

“I’ll grab and rip you apart with one hand, grass.”

She never backed down with her clear voice.

“Ugh, really, I’ll crunch!”

“Aw, really, I’ll nom!”

What the… What’s nom?

In the demon world where hierarchy was paramount, and on the battlefield where he used to swing around in the form of a gigantic lion, Marbas used to tear and eliminate anything that bothered him.

To him, this small peanut bouncing around before his eyes felt like a thorn stuck under his finger.

Judging by the fact that our lord built such a mansion, it’s clear that he favors this human greatly. So, I can’t just easily squeeze that tiny head like a peanut.

After several jolts of his clenched fist, Marbas laughed sneeringly and asked in a low voice.

“Peanut. Are you scared of lions, or not?”

“Lions are scary!”

“Lions are scary?”

Then I’ll transform into a lion and give her a great surprise!

Marbas had the ability specialized in transforming into animal forms. Among those, his favorite was usually a lion, several times the size of a human.

Thud.

Those who had seen Marbas’s lion form on the battlefield all trembled and sat down in fear, so expecting the same response, he opened his mouth wide and threatened Evelia.

Growl.

Splashing sand as if about to charge with his large front paw was a bonus.

“Th…the lion is really big…”

Initially, Evelia, who seemed surprised and backed away with her eyes wide open, soon pointed above Marbas’s head and started laughing, clutching her stomach.

“Ahhaha! Ahahahaha!!”

“……Growl?”

“The lion the lion even after transforming into a lion, the top of your head is still grasscolored! Hahaha It’s a really funnylooking lion!”

The top of my head remains grasscolored even after transforming into a lion? I didn’t realize that. Marbas growled to regain his dignity. A deep voice echoed from the lion’s huge body.

“Don’t laugh! Despite appearances, I’m a renowned great demon!”

“A lion with grass growing on its head! Soon flowers will bloom! Ahahaha!”

“……”

In the end, because of the young peanut on the ground, Marbas could not transform into a lion for a while.

Feeling strangely embarrassed thinking that only the top of his head should be grasscolored. Worried that other demons might laugh at the grasscolored fur that grew only on his crown.

Selfproclaimed inspector Evelia, as soon as she arrived at the practice arena, brandished the shortest wooden sword among those standing outside the arena.

“Grass! Duel!”

“Waited for sea!”

Marbas also lifted the longest wooden sword and grinned. It was an opportunity to make up for the humiliation he received earlier.

‘You’re dead. Peanut.’

Harold, Alex, and Charon, sitting on the stone steps of the practice arena, lowered their heads looking at Marbas.

“He’s behaving just like our baby, that demon.”

“Our baby is seven years old.”

“Actually, he could be a demon that was not born long ago.”

“I guess this is when they say he’s not worth his salt.”

Enril also joined in.

Meanwhile, Aegares, who would have given orders to leave the demon realm, did not intervene except when Marbas made a comment belittling Evelia’s gift.

If he crossed the line with his actions or comments, he would only sanction him before it reached his little friend. He had no intention of sending Marbas back.

Of course, it was not because he cherished Marbas. In his behavior, all standards were the little friend. Simply because the little friend who quarrels with Marbas didn’t seem to be too uncomfortable.

“Come at me! I am the continent’s best inspector!”

“……you?”

“‘s daughter!”

Evelia and Marbas faced each other with wooden swords. Marbas had no intention of hitting the peanut his lord cherished. He just planned to loosely block the incoming sword.

‘I should make a little fun of the little peanut who can’t even touch me.’

Until the Lord sent a command that only Marbas could understand, he was definitely planning to do that.

‘Just get hit.’

Marbas’s plump body flinched.

‘Wait, the sword is coming, Lord, do you want me to just get hit?’

Thwack!

“Ah! No, Lord!”

“What, you’re calling Ash cheaply? Shall I call my dad too?”

Evelia, who did not know that Marbas had received a cruel command, swung her wooden sword and hit Marbas.

The blind sword was scarier, and she only chose the parts that would hurt if hit.

“Ah! Hey, hey, wait!”

“Where is ‘wait’ in a duel? It’s only death if you look away!”

“Ah! There are situations that adults don’t know!”

“Using excuses in a duel is forbidden! If you sell excuses, it’s only death!”

“Surrender! Surrender!”

Because of the absolute command of the Lord, Marbas, who could not block, avoid, and dare not hit the peanut that the Lord loves, finally declared surrender in front of Evelia.

“Hehe. Kneel, weak demon!”

Looking at his small friend, who was grinning brightly, arrogantly raising her chin with her hand on her waist, Aegares’ lips also slightly rose.

As winter approached, the slightly chilly wind blew the golden hair of the small friend. It was delightful to see his small friend enjoying peace within his territory.

‘He laughs well.’

The reason he didn’t send Marbas back to the demon realm was one. It was just nice to see the small friend laughing while squabbling with Marbas.

“Peanut, is it okay to hit like this?”

“I will not listen to the words of the defeated grass!”

“I’m not defeated?”

“Woo The grass lost but didn’t fight well.”

“Do you want to see real skills?”

“I will not listen to the cowardly excuses of the defeated grass!”

No matter how fiercely Marbas stared at her, Evelia just crossed her arms and turned her head away with a smack.

It was quite embarrassing for the Great Demon Marbas, as it was his first time being unable to scold, torment, torture, hit, or kill.

‘This peanut is a formidable enemy.’

In Marbas’s standards, Evelia was at the top of the list of difficult enemies to deal with.

‘For a peanut, she’s at the same level as the Demon King Baal.’

Aegares quietly watched the small friend shouting ‘Kneel! Know your place!’ with her wooden sword raised to the sky and Marbas chattering in front of her.

‘He’s good at making jokes. He’d be perfect as our little one’s exclusive servant.’