Shade's POV

This day was the worst day in my life since My Lord Summoned me. When my comrades and I, the zodiac braves, were Summoned, my Lord was kind and had a radiant smile. I was even doubting my own ears when I heard that My Lord was actually a demon Lord.

But, those doubts vanished just a moment ago. Unlike the light anger I had witnessed during the quarrel over snacks we had before, this time he was really pissed off. I can't describe it with words but at the time he contacted me, just a moment I answered the call I felt that the surrounding became very eerie as if the light vanished from my surrounding, the temperature dropped drastically, every sounds but the sound of my own heartbeat disappeared, and a grim reaper was approaching me with his scythe.

If I were a normal person, fainting on the spot was the most possible outcome during that time or perhaps I would died for sure from heart attack. I sneaked out from the capital and call my mount, a three meters tall Shadow Wolf which I caught myself. Riding on his back, I departed straight to Syvrail Dukedom where Lilliana-sama was last seen.

I slipped into the city by hanging myself below a carriage. After successfully infiltrating the territory, I walked toward the mansion mentioned by Sora.

"Hey, what are you doing here?!!"

A guard approached me. I clicked my tongue and threw a smoke bomb at him. I used silent step and ease presence to slipping into the mansion.

I snuck around and picked my throwing needles which was already coated with poison. I tiptoed and searched for the Lord's room.

I stopped when I saw a heavily guarded room. There were two full plate armored knights standing beside the door. I flicked my needles aiming for the gap of the helmets.

I walked toward the door and opened it wide. There, I saw a stereotypical corrupt Noble who was accompanied by a slave chained to his desk.

"Who are you?!! How did you get here?!!"

He panicked when he saw me. I threw two paralysis needles which then sank into his shoulders.

"I am Zodiac Brave of Serpents, Shade. I am here to find some VIP which was put under my care."

I said.

"Where did you send Young Lady Lilliana?'

I asked.

"Lilliana? Where did I heard that name again?"

He played fool to buy some time for the poison wore off.

"Just for information, my poison is a special kind which could knock a gigantic Shadow Wolf off for three days."

I said to tell him that wasting time is futile. I picked a different needle. I stabbed him with it and his expression changed.

"Gyaaaàaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!"

He screamed in pain.

"That's a pain inducing poison. It attack directly to the nerves and spreading the pain throughout the body. Ah, that's the diluted version. I got many variations of poison concentration here. We can have a long chat about her whereabouts."

I said. He gritted his teeth. He was pretty stubborn.

'Otou-sama, I just heard your scream. Are you alright?'

I heard a girl's voice.

Clank!!

Loud metallic sound came from the doorway.

"Don't come in Lucia!! I am gyaaaàaaaaaah!!!"

I stabbed another needle at him which made him in pain again. A girl entered the room while holding a rapier.

"My, it seems like we got a new guest, Duke. I know, how if I made her join your singing, Duke?"

I said jokingly.

"Let go of my father!!"

She pointed her rapier at me. I threw two needles at her. She swiftly parried them and rushed toward me.

"Tch!!"

I barely able to avoid her. She was more agile than I expected. She stood beside her father and pulled out the needles.

I sighed and changed my strategy. I threw a black pill into my mouth. She prepared her stance to attack me. I took a white ball this time. She rushed toward me. I threw the ball to the ground and it spread white smoke throughout the room.

"Poison smoke!!"

She panicked and closed he mouth and nose. She dashed toward me after she saw my figure inside the smoke. However her speed was much slower than before so I leisurely avoided her attacks.

Thud!!!!!

She fell on her knees. Her body was trembling as she tried to muster some strength from it.

I sent her sword flying with a kick. She glared at me as I walked toward her father.

"So, where is she?"

I asked him. He kept silent as he glared at me. I walked toward Lucia. I ripped her chestplate with my barehand which then exposed her abundant bosom.

"Kyaaaa!!"

She screamed from my sudden action. I glanced at the Duke. He was still glaring at me.

"Which poison should I try next? Maybe I should try some aphrodisiac which I accidentally made during my practice of alchemy. I wonder how wild her carnal desire would be."

I said. Tears flowed from Lucia's eyes as she tried to put some distance from me.

"Stop!! You can do anything to me but not her!!"

The Duke begged.

"What? Just tell me where you sent Lilliana-sama and I'll go. Have you cooperate with me earlier, she won't have to suffer, old Duke."

I said. He gritted his teeth.

"The auction house in this city. I sold her as a merchandise for three gold coins."

He confessed. I walked toward him and grabbed his hair and glared at him.

"Listen, I will let you off alive this time. I won't report to my Lord about you selling young lady to the auction but don't think that my Lord is forgiving you for your betrayal. Don't do any unnecessary things and stay put like a good boy because depending on the circumstances, your whole territory might disappear from the history."

I warned him. I let him go. I walked to the entrance.

"I will take my leave. Your relaxant poison should be gone in half an hour. Use that time to think about the grave mistake he had done. I'll say some advice for you. You can stay as a Duke and pray for Alicia-sama to be kind enough to appease my Lord's anger or you can choose to abdicate and exile yourself from your territory and Maximilian Kingdom's reach. Then, bye."

I said as I left the site and snuck around to enter the auction house. I sneaked into the manager's office and watched the manager was busy calculating the profit.

"Good evening, dear sir."

I greeted him.

"What do you want?"

He asked me as he continued writing.

"I am looking for a certain dragon which the foolish Duke had sold to you."

I said.

"An adventurer took fancy of her and bought her for double of hammer price."

He said.

"Wow, how cooperative of you."

I praised him.

"I have worked in this business for long and my unique skill allowed me to judge my dealing partner. Not only you're a troublesome opponent to fight against, your backer is even at way at another level. Only a fool who still wish for a conflict against such customer."

He said.

"Sounds good to me. I'll tell my Lord if this auction house has a very trustworthy trading partner. And, that adventurer's whereabouts-"

"Glow and Grace Inn, room 7."

He cut me with an answer before my question even said. I smiled with satisfaction. I fetched three bottles of high grade elixirs I made and put it on the desk.

"Here's a freebies from me. I hope we can have a proper business next time."

I said before leaving. I dashed straight from the auction house to the mentioned inn. I ignored the innkeeper and dashed to room 7.

"Lilliana-sama!!"

I called for her.

"Kyua?"

There, I was dumbfounded. What reflected before my eyes was a scene of a lady sitting beside a window with the small dragon sitting on her lap. She was holding a picture book in her hand and on single glance she looked like a mother who was reading a story for her child.

"Ara? It seems like we got an unusual guest."

The lady said.

"So, is Lilliana is your name?"

She ignored me and asked the little dragon on her lap.

"Kyua!!"

The little dragon replied cheerfully.

"Then, who might you be?"

She asked me.

"Pardon my rudeness, I am called Shade. I am here in my Lord's order to pick Young Lady Lilliana who got kidnapped and sold to the auction."

I said.

"I see... Nee, Lily-chan, do you know this onii-san?"

She asked. The little dragon shook her head.

"That was because it's our first time meeting like this. I was just hired not long ago after all."

I said.

"Then, do you want to go with him?"

She asked her again. The little dragon looked at me then at the lady. She seemed in a deep thought. And the she shook her head and pointed towards the picture book.

"There you have it. Good work."

The lady said as if to dismiss me.

"No way, please be considerate, Lilliana-sama!! If I fail to bring you back, Ren-sama going to kill me!!!"

I begged in dogeza.

"Just now, who is your Lord again?"

The lady asked me.

"My Lord is Ren Concerto-sama."

I said.

"And this girl is?"

"Lilliana-sama is the only daughter of my Lord with Lady Alicia."

I said.

"Ara, what a coincidence. So, that's why I got some urge to rescue her at that time."

She said to herself. I was at loss what she meant.

"Ah, I haven't introduced myself right? I am Claire Michaelo, the former queen of Maximilian Kingdom. In the other word, I'm this child's grandmother."

She said. My body froze when I heard it. I quickly returned to my dogeza form to apologize for my rudeness.