Luciana ran toward me, her face beaming with delight.
She scrutinized me from every angle before gently throwing her arms around me.
"It’s been about five years, hasn't it? You haven't changed at all, Demon King-sama."
"I could say the same about you," I remarked, disentangling myself from her embrace.
Her appearance hadn't changed in the slightest since the day we first met. It was true that succubi were long-lived and remained youthful for a significant portion of their lives, but to remain this unchanged was abnormal. After all, succubi were not a race meant to live for five hundred years.
Noticing my gaze, Luciana responded happily.
"Right? Agelessness is just so convenient."
She spoke with a sense of profound satisfaction. As she said, Luciana was currently ageless—a side effect of drinking the blood of a Phoenix.
The Phoenix, a phantom being, was one of the world's Defense Mechanisms. Long ago, a certain nation discovered its habitat and launched an attack, seeking to claim its flesh and blood for themselves. Luciana was the one who saved the creature from that crisis. In exchange for its rescue, she received its blood, obtaining the eternal youth she now enjoyed.
Though she was one of the oldest members of the Demon King’s Army, she was notoriously sensitive about her age. I had heard that her subordinates exercised the utmost caution to never bring it up.
Luciana turned her attention to Grom, addressing him with a cool, mocking smile.
"You look as healthy as ever, Bone Minister."
"Naturally. One cannot serve the Demon King unless they are in peak condition at all times. I am not like you, who simply abandoned your post," Grom replied, his tone biting.
He was referring to her resignation as a Demon King. If I recalled correctly, that happened roughly three hundred years ago. At the time, Luciana was one of the pillars of the Demon Kings, but she had suddenly ceded her position to a subordinate and departed on a wandering journey.
Because her successor was highly capable, no practical issues ever arose. I didn't particularly mind the change; I simply felt it was typical of her free-spirited nature.
Grom, however, could not overlook her casting aside the status of a Demon King. It was an event he still remembered vividly enough to hold a grudge over. It was a very characteristic reaction from someone as earnest and serious as him.
Criticized once again, Luciana gave Grom an exasperated look.
"Have you ever heard the phrase 'the right person for the right job'? Sometimes, a sense of responsibility isn't enough to keep the wheels turning."
"Gnu..."
Grom let out a low groan. He couldn't seem to find a retort. Implicitly, he was acknowledging her point.
Though she traveled as she pleased, Luciana wasn't merely playing around. She handpicked the successor for her assigned world every time, and she never neglected her role in gathering intelligence from across the lands. She advised the current generation of Demon Kings and occasionally moved behind the scenes to perform covert maneuvers.
Luciana hadn't abandoned her duties because they were a hassle; she had simply transitioned into a role that suited her better. Grom understood this, which was why he couldn't formulate a proper rebuttal. If anything, he was simply annoyed that she had made such a major decision based on her own whims.
Both of their arguments held a degree of truth.
The two glared at one another for a long moment until Luciana finally shrugged and gave a wry smile. She reached out and lightly poked Grom’s chest with her finger.
"Oh, fine. Let me stop by your world sometime soon."
"Hmph. Very well. I shall show you around."
Grom nodded, showing no sign of actual refusal.
Having known each other for so long, there were times when they simply didn't see eye to eye. However, it was precisely because they could speak their minds so bluntly that a deep bond of trust existed between them. If they truly hated one another, they wouldn't even be able to stand in the same room, let alone talk like this.
As ever, Grom and Luciana remained the best of friends.