#990 Heavenly Four Candidates?

“Y-You guys?!”

I am Demon Prince Goetia.

Right now, I’m absolutely stunned by the group that’s shown up in front of me.

Aren’t they... students from the Farm School?!

What on earth are they doing here at the Demon King’s Castle?!

“We were called here by Lord Belphgamilia,” one of the farm students says.

“He said there was something shady going on around you, Goetia, so we came to help...”

“Don’t worry! With us here, we’ll smash any trouble that’s headed your way!”

Everybody...!

They came all this way from the farm just for me, even though I just started learning there...?!

Meanwhile, my tutor, Zurbester, is completely flabbergasted by this unexpected turn of events.

“Wh-Who are you people?! Do you even know whose castle you’ve set foot in?!”

“And you’re ignoring the wishes of the Demon King to run wild on your own? Really?” sarcastically says Lord Belphgamilia.  “These are Prince Goetia’s classmates from the place where he’s been studying. If I had to put it in your terms, I’d call them... school friends.”

“What?!”

Zurbester, unable to hide his displeasure, snaps back...

“This is outrageous, absolutely outrageous! Prince Goetia’s friends should be talented, chosen individuals! The idea that these nobodies could be his friends is preposterous! How dare you!”

He glares at them with open hostility.

“I, as the prince’s tutor, am the only one with the authority to choose his friends! And I will not recognize these so-called classmates without my permission!”

“Ah, but school friends who win the favor of a future king often find great opportunities, don’t they? Many people would cozy up to the person with that kind of power.”

“Shut up, Belphegamilia!” Zurbester spits, literally.

On the other hand, Lord Belphgamilia remains completely unfazed.

“That’s why I called them here. So, how about we settle this? Right here, right now?”

“Settle what?”

“Let’s see who are more suited to be Goetia’s school friends, shall we?”

The farm students, standing beside Belphgamilia, look ready for a showdown.

“Zurbester, I invited them to compete against the students you take pride in. If the ones you picked are truly elite enough to support Goetia in the future, they should have no problem defeating these farm students, right?”

“What?!”

“This way, we can prove your choices are correct without any doubt,” Lord Belphgamilia says, presenting a sudden challenge.

Oh no. A clash between Zurbester’s handpicked pupils and the farm students is brewing.

“What’s wrong? Are you backing out because you don’t think you can win?”

“How dare you!!!” Zurbester takes the bait and accepts the challenge. “Fine! I am the prince’s tutor! My students won’t lose to a bunch of country bumpkins!”

He glares at the farm students...

“Ha, just look at them. They look so foolish. Whatever backwater they crawled out of, the lessons they receive are a waste of time! We can’t let Prince Goetia waste his precious youth with them! What I’m doing is saving our kingdom!”

“Talk about dramatic.”

Both of them are blowing this way out of proportion!

Aren’t they supposed to be adults?

Belphgamilia, maybe we should just take Zurbester to the farm.

If he sees how amazing it is in person, he should be convinced!

“That’s not a good idea, prince. Bringing someone greedy and shallow to that place won’t end well. That’s why we asked the farm students to come here. We need to send the unqualified ones packing right at the gate.”

“Haaaaa-hahaha!!!”

Completely unaware of our conversation, Zurbester keeps laughing.

“Not only do you have demons, but humans, too?! Your education standards must be terribly low! My chosen students are noble, high-ranking demons!”

Four students step forward at Zurbester’s prompting.

I recognize them; we sat in class together under his tutelage.

“Those with the qualifications to become the Heavenly Four, belonging to the Holy Sword inheriting families! You who are second only to the Demon King’s household in the Demon Kingdom! Go forth! Show those lowly beings the superiority of demons!!!”

“YES SIR!!!”

It’s really happening.

Zurbester has incited the high-ranking demons to battle the farm students.

Oh, no. Because of me, my retainers and the farm students are about to clash...!

I need to stop this, but I can’t help but feel ashamed of my own powerlessness.

***

“There are four of them. So, how about a straightforward series of four one-on-one battles? It’s easier to understand that way. Though, if it ends in a tie, things might get tricky...”

“There’s no need to worry! Because my students will win all four rounds! Hahaha!!!”

It’s really starting.

The full-blown clash between the farm students and Zurbester’s pupils.

“If we win, Prince Goetia has to attend my classes every day! Since I’m from a prestigious family that has taught Demon Princes for generations, it’s only fair to get such a consideration.”

“Oh, deciding things on your own, huh? But fine by me.”

Belphgamilia?!

“If you win, I’ll talk to the Demon King and make sure things go your way. I’ll bet my position as the Demon Army Commander on it.”

“You said it? There’s a rumor that the Demon Army Commander is a lazy bum unworthy of his title. But I trust you won’t slack off on keeping your promise?”

“Relax, even I know there are things you have to do to be able to slack off properly.”

Is that supposed to be reassuring?

As the banter goes on, the first combatants step forward.

From Zurbester’s side...

“I am from the Corrupted-Holy Sword Viergelb lineage! I will serve Lord Gothia as one of the Four Heavenly Kings in the future! Don’t lump me in with those lowly demons!”

“The Corrupted-Holy Sword, huh? That’s from my family. Quite the nerve you’ve got, saying that in front of the faction leader,” Lord Belphgamilia mutters.

The opponent from the farm side is a meek demoness.

Could she be...?

“Hmph! Facing a wimpy girl like you is insulting! As punishment for underestimating me, I’ll wipe you out with my strongest magic!”

With that, the combatant from Zurbester’s side begins chanting.

“Flame Blaze! Let the fire become my sword!”

That chant...!

“Hellfire Spirit Slayer!!!”

That’s the strongest fire spell, isn’t it?! To have mastered such a powerful spell while still in school, Zurbester’s chosen pupil truly is talented!

“That spell’s just for show. Anti-Magic.”

“What?!”

With just a wave of her finger, the fierce flames vanish?!

“Demon magic relies on contracts with gods or spirits. Meaning that anyone can use high-level magic if they make a contract. But the caster’s own magic power is crucial. A weak sorcerer can’t fully wield high-level spells. Just like now.”

“What are you saying...?!”

“Even with the power and wealth of high-ranking demons, contracts aren’t hard to come by. But if the caster lacks true skill, the strongest spells are wasted on them. You got yourself a toy too big for you.”

Apparently, Zurbester’s combatant realizes the truth, as his face turns pale.

Still, even if his magic lacked power, for it to be nullified so easily...

This isn’t an ordinary sorcerer’s trick.

“Wait... are you...?!”

At that moment, somebody recognized her.

“Isn’t that Oso? The one who was hailed as a genius for her unprecedented scores in magic capacity and knowledge during the entrance exam...?!”

“Then she mysteriously disappeared, rumored to have left the army, but now she’s here...?”

I’ve met Oso at the farm. She’s always been so casual with me, the Demon Prince, but was she really that amazing?!

“Learning at the farm offers more than being in the Demon King’s Army. Let me show you some of what I’ve gained. Flame Blaze, let the fire become my sword.”

“Th-That spell...?!”

“Hellfire Spirit Slayer.”

A monstrous blaze erupts, enough to swallow an entire army.

It’s the strongest fire spell again, but this time, it’s ten times more powerful than the one Zurbester’s side used. A genuine spell cast by someone with real skill.

“Aaaahhh!”

Zurbester’s combatant is swallowed by the flames and turned to ash.

...Or would have been, but Belphgamilia’s Anti-Magic saves him at the last moment.

“I could’ve roasted him, but dealing with a death would be a hassle later.”

What a terrifying thing to say.

Thus, the farm side wins the first round.