7th Demon Prince Jilbagias' Chronicle of Demon Kingdom Toppling-Chapter 134: The Pressure of the Successor

１３４．The Pressure of the Successor

As a leading example of the young demon race in his clan, Eijewald had never neglected his daily training.

『――As the patriarch family, we have to be the strongest.』

He remembers the grim face of his grandfather as he took the young Eijewald to the training ground.

The Wald family replaced the previous patriarch family two generations ago. Though they were currently supported by the majority of the clan members, if the heir was unreliable, the Dios family would try to take back the seat of the patriarch.

Therefore they had to keep proving to the others that they were qualified for the seat of the patriarch. The current patriarch, Jijiwald was one of the strongest warriors in the clan, Siegwald, the next patriarch's strength was within the five rank.

『That's why you have to become stronger too. Here I come, Eije!』

Thus, Eijewald must follow their standard of 『Strength』 too.

That's why he had always been training rigorously since a young, tender age. His strict father and grandfather wouldn't let him complain since this was something that he needed in the future.

When he cried to his mother, she dragged him back to the training ground instead. Her mother could only see him with a sad look on her face without being able to save him.

Undergoing grueling training that made him cough up blood, getting beaten until he passed out, suffering from wounds that were bad enough, to the point of needing to transpose curse, and being unable to sleep well due to the pain…――

―― He felt isolated.

Even though he was surrounded by his family and people of his clan, Eijewald felt he was alone.

When he thinks about it now, he realizes that his younger self is a gloomy and withdrawn child. But that was only natural, while the other children of his age were running around outside, he was the only one who was forced to endure such harsh training.

But he felt much better when his little sister was born. Maybe thanks to the unexpected birth of his adorable little sister, even his strict father and grandfather mellowed a bit.

And Eijewald was also fond of his adorable little sister. Taking care of her allowed him to forget about the pain during the harsh training, and the fact that she was weaker and needed to be protected gave him a reason to become stronger.

Though he did it to forget about training at first, it was a fact that his little sister was adorable. She was his oasis.

『I have to protect my little sister』―― That was what he always told himself, she was his reason to endure the harsh and painful training, his reason to become stronger, his reason to be the appropriate eldest son.

That was something he was proud of.

However, that pride of his was on the verge of breaking to pieces.

「OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!」

The bestial roar of the boy far younger than him reverberates in the training ground.

The prince and archduchess were clashing nonstop in life endangering combat training, scattering countless sparks.

Fractured bone and bloodshed were a given, this was the kind of training in which something like cutting limbs or even gouging entrail was permitted――

The young prince did such bloody training that made the majority of the demon race shirking in fear.

In fact, Eijewald did the same kind of training.

The most cruel training among the demon race, the life-endangering combat training that allowed even fatal wounds. Since it was life-endangering combat training, it also served as training to use 【Transpose Curse】 even while fatally wounded.

However, even the stronghold of the Reiju clan which produces humans as a substitute for the transpose curse―― Had a limited stock of humans. That's why they couldn't waste the stock of humans to heal the wounds and export them to another territory.

Twice per week.

That was the frequency of Eijewald's 『Life Endangering Combat Training』. In short, he could use up to two human sacrifices for that training per week. That was a hefty investment for the upbringing of the next patriarch.

This kind of training wouldn't be possible for an ordinary demon without status or position. Naturally, not even those born from a prestigious family could afford this kind of training… His little sister was a prime example of that.

「Cough… Haah.」

Jilbagias bled heavily and collapsed on the ground.

「Woof, woof!」

The limbless high elf who was waiting nearby rushed at once, licking her master and healing his wounds immediately.

Yes―― This was a privilege for the prince.

As someone who turned a high elf into his pet by some sort of secret method, he could enjoy an unlimited number of healing.

Incidentally, Jilbagias had also taken over Platyfia's wounds, and once both of them recovered, they resumed their life-endangering combat training like nothing had happened.

One round of training lasted until one side received a fatal wound, and Jilbagias did so many rounds of training every single day.

Even Eijewald felt that two rounds per week were already plenty enough.

Yet Jilbagias did so many rounds every single day.

「…」

Eijewald, who came to the training ground for his daily training, unconsciously grasped tightly on his beloved spear, he felt that he was a petty person for being proud of just two rounds.

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

――And above all else, it's frustrating.

We were doing two rounds per week.

That was how he felt until today.

For better or worse, he felt he was lucky to be born into the family of the patriarch and have direct access to human sacrifices in their farm which enabled him to do two rounds of life-endangering combat training per week. And was compelled to do so.

Honestly speaking, he wanted to escape from such training. The day before training had always been filled with dread. Even if the wounds are perfectly erased with a transpose curse, the memory of the pain doesn't disappear."

――Who in the world likes to inflict pain on their own body?

His father and grand father who became his training partners told him 『If you hate pain, then get stronger』 while teasing him.

Be the one who inflicts pain.

Against two of the strongest warriors in the clan.

「… Okay! Another round!」

Yet Jilbagias kept getting back up despite being beaten to a pulp and covered in all kinds of wounds.

It was as if he was the personification of indomitable.

Even his mother, Platyfia who was pretty much in the same situation as him revealed a smile in spite of her wounds.

In the case of Platyfia, he could still accept it since she was hailed as a genius within the clan, a brave woman who got married off to the Demon King, and an adult on top of that.

However, the same couldn't be said of Jilbagias.

（… How can he keep his composure in this kind of training?）

He was supposed to be 5 years old.

Eijewald couldn't help but ponder about that. Even though Jilbagias spent a long time in hell where time flows differently, and his actual age betrayed his appearance, it didn't change the fact that he was still a 5-year-old kid.

Not to mention that he went through the training that Eijewald hated the most with glee.

「…」

Eijewald took pride in the fact that he underwent severe training.

But that pride of his shattered to pieces on this day.

「Yo.」

Then, a voice called out to him from behind.

His father, Siegwald stood behind him while folding his arms on his chest.

「Father…」

「You see that too, eh?」

His sharp eyes captured the figure of the prince and archduchess engaged in deadly combat.

「… Yes.」

Then his father let out a groan and tightened his lips. Since his father was a rather taciturn person except for his polite smiles, this expression was equivalent to a 『Frown』 for an ordinary person.

「How terrifying.」

Muttered Siegwald while looking at Jilbagias.

Eijewald nodded in agreement, that sight was indeed―― Terrifying.

「Both sides were resisting, hurling curses while exchanging fierce blows against each other. Even veterans of the frontline rarely went as far as that…」

Before her marriage, Platyfia was a warrior of the same caliber as Siegwald. In short… What kind of a monster would make a 5-year-old boy be able to fight equally against her?

And in my case… Just how far can I go against my father in the same situation?

Rather… The most terrifying thing is…

What would happen to him if he fought against that prince?

「…」

Eijewald felt a chill running down his spine, it was as if his suffering and pain until now was denied by the 5-year-old prince.

He was afraid that even his father might be disappointed in him once his father really knew what Eijewald felt.

Just that thought alone was enough to make him scared.

「… Listen carefully, Eije.」

His father then tapped his shoulder as if he could read Eije's mind.

「That is a league on its own. There are people like that in the world. Don't ever compare yourself with them, and don't let it bother you.」

「… Yes.」

Eijewald was left dumbfounded hearing such remarks from his stoic father.

「… I experienced the same thing when I was young. Well, I've to admit that it's not as shocking as this one though.」

The tip of his father's lips rose a bit, forming a wry smile on his usual stoic expression.

「If only they showed this kind of spectacle before the banquet…」

「Good grief…」

"Such an incident won't happen," Thought both father and son. The people gathered around the training ground to see the training, but it turned out the level of the so-called training was simply beyond everyone's expectation, and it continued on for a long time.

If only the prince had shown this kind of training beforehand, there might be no one in the Reiju clan's capital who would dare to underestimate him.

「By the way, have you seen Rumi?」

Siegwald suddenly asked that question as if to change the topic of the conversation.

「Eh? Come to think of it, I have not seen her at all today. Is she still in her room?」

「Uhm, I haven't checked it yet…」

After confirming that no one was around to listen to their conversation, Siegwald whispered to Eijewald.

「――The messenger from the Dios family came a while ago.」

Eijewald unconsciously clenched his fists.

「According to the messenger, Germadios has woken up――」

Eijewald had a really bad premonition upon seeing the bitter look on his father's face.

「――And said that he was instigated by Rumi to do that.」

Basically, his father was telling him to find his little sister and get her to tell the whole situation.

Thus Eijewald was having a headache upon receiving a sudden order from his father.