Proof Of Lineage

"There are other things I need to attend to. I'll leave the detailed explanations to Sophia," Platifia said before storming out, like a whirlwind.

The room was left with just me and Sophia.

"…Uh…"

I stood there, unsure of how to talk to her as she stood there, dumbstruck.

Thanks to Ante, I felt like our relationship had shifted somehow.

It was awkward.

Incredibly awkward.

I really don't know how to approach talking to her.

The kind of awkward you feel when you run into an older kid from the orphanage who acts all grown-up, only to catch them getting scolded for wetting the bed. Come to think of it, I can't even remember that kid's name or face now…

As my thoughts wandered through the fragments of memory, Sophia suddenly turned around.

"—Well then, Lord Zilvagias, let's begin our magic lesson," she said, adjusting her monocle with a sharp expression.

She'd switched gears…!

"Got it."

I decided to go along with her mood and sat down without saying anything more.

"Mind if I listen in as well?" Ante chimed in, emerging again. Finding no chair available, she promptly sat on my lap. Sophia's sharp expression faltered, her legs beginning to tremble as if they were about to give out.

"Cut it out."

I gently flicked Ante's head with a hand chop. She began twitching dramatically, exclaiming, "A mere mortal dares to strike the head of a Demon God…! What an utter humiliation…!" while quivering in delight.

This one's not just a pervert anymore—well, best not say it all. Oh, and my strength increased a little again. I must've committed some minor taboo by smacking a Demon God's head… Watching the whole thing, Sophia looked like she was about to pass out, her eyes rolling back in her head.

Ante, go back inside. We won't get anything done with you here.

And so, onto the subject of magic.

"Though the term 'magic' encompasses everything from curses to miracles, we will refer to all of it as magic here," Sophia began explaining, clearly regaining her composure after Ante withdrew.

"You'll eventually learn various forms of magic, Lord Zilvagias. But what's important now is the magic passed down through your bloodline—what we call bloodline magic."

"…Magic passed down through blood, huh?"

"Yes, magic inherited through the generations."

Humans had something like that too—secret miracles, forbidden arts, and such.

"Do all demons have that kind of unique magic?"

"Not all of them. It's usually limited to families with long-standing traditions and histories."

Inside me, Ante scoffed.

She probably knew that demons were nothing more than primitive tribes until a few hundred years ago. The notion of "noble houses" must've seemed laughable to her.

"Lady Platifia's family, the Reiju clan, is one of those noble houses. Of course, His Majesty, Demon King Golgardias, also hails from a prestigious family."

"—So, proving my bloodline means I need to learn the bloodline magic of both families, right?"

"Exactly."

Good. I knew I had a blessed lineage, but it's helpful to have not just one, but two unique magics at my disposal. It'll come in handy when I eventually have to fight the Demon King's family.

"So… what kind of magic is it?"

I held back my excitement, trying to sound calm.

During the assault on the Demon King, he didn't reveal much of his hand—he didn't even need to use any particularly flashy magic. He brushed off all our attacks with his magic resistance, and then crushed us with sheer force.

"The bloodline magic of His Majesty's family, the Org clan, is called the Declaration."

What the heck?

"It's a magic that strengthens oneself by declaring their name before battle."

Oh, that "I am Demon King Golgardias!" shout when he fought us. So that was actually a magic spell… I did feel like he got more intimidating after yelling that…

Turns out, he did show some of his hand after all. We just didn't notice it.

"The Declaration magic will likely be taught to you by His Majesty or another member of the Org clan. I don't know the exact process for passing it down."

Sophia sounded a bit frustrated. As a demon of knowledge, she must be dying to learn the specifics of such an ancient magic.

"As for Lady Platifia's Reiju clan… they are renowned for their medical expertise. They are responsible for healing demons within the Demon Kingdom."

!?

Medical expertise!?

Does that mean Platifia is a doctor!?

But wait, aren't creatures of darkness unable to use healing miracles!?

"The magic that supports their work is the Transference Curse."

"A curse? Does that mean it's dark magic?"

"A powerful curse, yes. It's a form of sympathetic magic where the wounds or illnesses of one person are 'transferred' to another."

So… in other words, it's not really healing at all…

"You're saying they just shift injuries or diseases onto someone else."

"That's right."

…Now I get it.

It's not a 'miracle' like healing, but a curse, fitting for creatures of darkness…

"But if they have such a convenient curse, why couldn't they heal the first Demon King?"

The first Demon King, Laougias, was actually slain by a human hero.

He let his guard down on the battlefield and was stabbed with a blade infused with holy attributes, and the wound was what killed him.

But why couldn't Laougias be healed? Was it that holy wounds couldn't be transferred using the curse?

"The curse only works on targets who are either lower in rank than the user, strongly bound to them by a magical contract, or already under their control," Sophia explained.

"Even though the entire Reiju clan tried to heal the first Demon King, none of them were able to interact with him. His own magical resistance was so strong that all curses bounced right off him."

…So the Demon King's overwhelming magical power worked against him. Magic resistance turned out to be a double-edged sword in this case. That's not something that happens with 'miracles.'

Serves him right.

"Perhaps if the Demon King himself had been able to use the Transference Curse, he could've healed without any problem."

If that had been the case, he could've reflected every injury back onto his enemies, creating the strongest Demon King in history…

…Wait a second.

That's really strong, isn't it? If Platifia's from the Reiju clan, then she can do something similar, right?

"Does that mean the Reiju clan is incredibly powerful?"

"Yes. They are among the most influential families in the Demon Kingdom," Sophia confirmed.

"Reiju warriors will almost never lose to lower-ranked races with weak magic. Even in battles against equals, unless the enemy consents or you craft your curses with exceptional care, most of them will fail."

"Craft curses carefully, huh…"

Hey, Ante.

'Oh yes… there's quite a bit of potential for creative uses here…'

The Demon God laughed darkly.

"That said, the Reiju clan's failure to heal the first Demon King did cause their standing to decline significantly."

Ah.

I can imagine.

The other noble families probably criticized them endlessly for it.

"That's why Lady Platifia's marriage was delayed for so long. Considering the Reiju clan's contributions to the Demon Kingdom, she should've been the First Wife."

So, she was unfairly sidelined because she failed to heal the Demon King.

That explains Platifia's obsessive behavior…

The sound of footsteps echoed in the room.

"Zilvagias! It's time to pass down your bloodline magic."

Speak of the devil—Platifia had returned.

"Has Sophia explained everything?"

"Yes, Mother. She told me about the Transference Curse and the Reiju clan."

"Good. As you've probably realized by now, given your sharpness, the Reiju clan's potential is immense. You, who inherit both the blood of the Reiju clan and the Demon King, have the potential to become the strongest Demon King."

After ensuring the door was closed tightly, Platifia filled the room with her magical power and began chanting under her breath.

With a snap, the air seemed to tighten.

"I've set up a soundproof barrier."

Then, she drew the portable magic spear from her belt.

"The process of passing down the Transference Curse is simple… You just need to receive the curse."

As Platifia stroked the sharp blade of the spear, she gave me a nostalgic smile.

"It's a bit early, but it seems the time has come for you to learn the pain of the battlefield."

…This is giving me a bad feeling.

It's not like I'm afraid of a little pain at this point, but…

That doesn't mean I have to like it! Obviously!

"Brace yourself."

Before I could even respond, Platifia pressed the spearhead into her palm.

There was a sickening sound as the blade pierced through her entire hand.

Yet, aside from a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth, her fierce smile didn't waver.

"That looks incredibly painful, Mother."

"It is. But I know you'll endure it. —Transference Meta Fesi!"

The next moment, a searing pain shot through my right hand, like an unbearable fire.