Chapter 184: The Prince's Merit
BGM: Endless Path – Punishing Gray Raven
===
――The Demon King Army’s Headquarters.
Looking down upon the burning royal capital of Evaloti from the high ground, Marquis Veteranos Reiju let out a quiet sigh.
「I warned them not to use fire as much as possible…」
For this campaign, His Majesty the Demon King had issued strict orders: the royal capital’s streets were to be left with as little damage as possible. Across the alliance fronts, the excessive destruction of cityscapes had grown beyond intolerable, and each time, the burden of rebuilding fell upon the Corvut clan—until at last, their complaints could no longer be ignored.
Nor could the Corvut clan be made to toil without compensation. Every time a city was seized, payment was rendered. And when those sums were tallied, their coffers towered above those of every other clan—a fortune earned from ruin and rebirth.
It was the Corvut clan who had long borne the weight of the Demon Kingdom’s construction and roads. “We need no money, no reward—only rest,” they cried. And the Demon King, mindful of the balance of power among the clans, wished to grant them respite. Thus, by weary chance, the interests of both sides found harmony.
…And yet, for all that could be said, the royal capital, Evaloti, still burned.