Chapter 593

Demon Capital, Office of the Minister of Military Affairs.

The flames of the Demon Flame lamp illuminated the solid obsidian desk and stretched Kaiser Prince's stern, commanding face across the wall.

In his hand he held a letter.

It was from his beloved granddaughter.

【Grandpa! The Padrich brat bullied me! TvT】

Kaiser Collin was usually level-headed—otherwise he wouldn't have earned the title "Ironblood Prince," and the goblins of the Demon Capital wouldn't live so peacefully.

But clearly, this was no ordinary situation.

After reading the letter, Kaiser flew into a rage, slamming his palm onto the obsidian desk so hard he nearly shattered the entire office.

"How dare they! How dare they bully the Collin family! Tell Padrich to come to my office at once!"

He actually got along well with Festin; that shadow demon councilor was smooth enough to handle the Melusine family, which Kaiser himself could never manage.

But why bully his beloved granddaughter?

Every demon in the Demon Capital knew Kaiser despised his weak, incompetent son—but adored his granddaughter Vivian beyond measure.

The girl was not only accomplished, having broken through Platinum rank at a young age, but her personality perfectly matched his taste!

She was just like him when he was young!

Hearing Kaiser call not "Festin" but "Padrich," the on-duty demon secretary dared not intervene, frantically rushing to the communication magic stone and fumbling to activate the communication array.

A secretary assigned to the Prince's office was no ordinary soul—they were elite among the elite of Hell.

The Prince was in a fury; if they didn't let him vent, ten thousand troops would be at the Parliament Building by tomorrow.

The fire had to be extinguished immediately!

For the safety of the Demon Capital, he deliberately didn't call Festic's office—he called Festic's home instead.

As expected, it was Serina Lady who answered.

The demon secretary briefly explained the situation, then hung up and immediately dialed Festic's office.

The Padrich family always had ways.

For instance, they could appeal to Kaiser Collin's old succubus lover from his youth—or find some similar way to soothe the blood prince.

The nobles within the Demon Wall always handled affairs with such clever, unadorned precision.

The demon secretary exhaled in relief after hanging up, silently praying for peace in Hell.

Byaleth above…

He was just a lowly secretary, yet he'd worn himself out for the future of Hell.

Meanwhile, at the Parliament Building.

Hearing the frantic footsteps outside his office, Festic sighed, interlacing his fingers and staring at the ceiling's patterns.

"It was bound to come."

Doesn't matter.

It wasn't the first time.

…

The goblins of the Demon Capital would never know that the recent storm rocking the capital had been sparked by nothing more than two letters sent home.

The truth was always cruelly unexpected.

Blowing away the tea foam floating on the cup, the storm outside the Demon God's Temple had always been nothing but a family matter between the Padrich and Collin clans.

It had nothing to do with humans—or even Hell.

The goblins in the lower district taverns over-identified too much, like those old Osidian peasants dreaming of Marshal Aberg leading an army into Hell.

Vivian, who had sent the letter, wore a mischievous grin, unusually well-behaved all night—making the night patrol maids of the Collin Estate breathe easier.

Byaleth above, the Collin brat actually behaved.

But that wasn't true.

Vivian was far from well-behaved.

She silently resolved in her heart: endure that fox spirit two more days!

Once Mr. Festic arrived at Grandpa's office with the Minotaur blood, Lady Vivian would ride atop the Demon King's head demanding tribute!

Kukuku!

Just thinking about it made her little fangs tingle!

Yet Vivian, who had never received high-level cultivation at the Demon King Academy, still suffered from her lack of tactical finesse.

The Demon King Management Office and the Demon King were like two ends of a balance scale—whichever side weighed more, the other grew lighter. And the worst part? The two sides could never touch.

Worse still, promotion was extremely difficult.

Miss Padrich had already left, having secured the achievements of "restoring tribute" and "increasing Demon Capital personnel"—the position's "performance" had been completely squeezed dry… even though Miss Padrich herself hadn't realized it.

Vivian hadn't realized it either.

If not for her grandfather's extraordinary skill and vision, the Collin vampires would've become nothing but "trash vampires" licking the bones left by "trash succubi."

At most, she'd sit on this cold bench for a year, watching letter after letter of "battle reports" sent to the rear—until she could no longer smile.

She might even break down right then and there.

The struggle between the Collin and Padrich families continued, and the seemingly insignificant Demon King Management Office had unexpectedly become the focal point of their rivalry.

This left the Chief, whom no one dared offend, in unbearable agony—he even began missing the time when that little brat had still been here.

Just as Kalamos had planned, the weakened Mr. Festic once again came begging for help.

The only thing outside Kalamos's plan was the Campbell family's move.

The struggle over the Demon King was never confined to Hell's internal politics—the Campbell family's blade was just as sharp…

…

Edward's speed was faster than Luo Yan had imagined.

Almost the very next day after the Collin Estate's steward sent the reply, Edward—who should've been handling affairs at Campbell Castle—arrived at the estate gate with his entire family.

Luo Yan even wondered if the Duke's letter from Campbell Castle and Edward himself had departed simultaneously.

This lad means trouble…

Watching the carriage at the estate gate, Luo Yan flipped through the dossier the Hell Intelligence Bureau had prepared for Mia one last time, reviewed once more "the relationship between Mr. Collin and Lady Mia Mithia," then tossed it into his space ring.

Well, one step at a time.

The visit of Duke Edward and his family was a momentous honor for any estate in Thunder City.

The Collin Estate was no exception.

And unlike other estates, when these two powerful hands clasped, all of Thunder City would share in the glory.

Not just one estate.

The moment the carriage door opened, a cheerful little figure shot out like a lark, swift as wind, ignoring the royal etiquette officer's attempts to stop her.

"Gutaf!"

Princess Lieno paid no heed to