Peerage-class High-ranking Demon. While this title refers to a select few within the Demon Realm, it does not imply that they hold territories or owe allegiance to specific nations like the nobles of the Human Realm.
In truth, the term "Peerage-class High-ranking Demon" was a creation of the Phantasm King No Face, which she gradually introduced until it saturated the Demon Realm's culture.
In the Demon Realm of old, there were only two broad designations: ordinary demons and high-ranking demons who possessed power above a certain threshold. Realizing that this lack of structure made managing information a logistical nightmare, No Face devised the Peerage-class system. Leveraging her peerless intelligence network, she ensured the terminology took root across the Demon Realm in an instant.
The criteria for determining who qualified as Peerage-class were known only to No Face and a few of her closest confidants. The actual appointments were carried out by the Phantasm King's Corps.
That being said, for No Face, these titles existed simply to make categorization easier for her records. Consequently, there were no formal appointment ceremonies or commemorative gifts presented to those who made the cut. Usually, a subordinate of the Phantasm King would abruptly appear before an individual judged to possess sufficient power and simply inform them that they were now considered Peerage-class.
However, in the meritocratic society of the Demon Realm, the title was proof of immense power and became a coveted status symbol. It was often said that once one became a Peerage-class High-ranking Demon, their world changed. Even without seeking them out, monsters eager to serve would flock to them, and wealth and fame followed in their wake.
Thus, every demon dreamed of attaining that rank at least once. Yet, in a realm teeming with a vast and diverse array of species, those who actually secured the title were a literal handful.
The Viscount-class High-ranking Demon Caraway was one of those chosen few.
She had been born into a species that was not naturally powerful, yet she possessed a talent unparalleled in the history of her kind. As she matured, her abilities improved at a remarkable pace until she finally reached the Peerage-class—a first for her people. Her kin hailed her as the "Hero of the Species" and showered her with boundless praise.
To Caraway, that title was her greatest pride and the guiding light that spurred her to be worthy of her reputation. At the same time, however, her status brought with it the pleasures of sweet nectar. Countless demons begged to be her subordinates, and vast fortunes gathered in her hands.
When she ascended from the rank of Baron to Viscount, the nectar became even sweeter, and she tasted the very pinnacle of happiness.
She was undoubtedly a genius. But she was a genius, and nothing more.
Between the Viscount-class and the Count-class lay a wall that only a few "monsters" among geniuses could ever hope to scale. Caraway found herself unable to overcome that barrier.
Perhaps it would have been best if she had resigned herself to her limits. If she had known her place and remained satisfied with her position, she might never have lost sight of her original convictions. But once a heart has tasted the ultimate nectar, it only craves more. She began to think of nothing but the ecstasy that surely awaited her at the rank of Count.
She never harbored grand delusions of standing at the very peak of the Demon Realm. She understood perfectly well that a lifetime of martial devotion wouldn't bring her within a hair's breadth of the Six Kings. She simply wanted to stand a little closer to them—to reach just a bit higher.
The irony was that she was only "just a little short" of the Count-class. In her mind, that meant she only needed one extra factor, one small push to bridge the gap.
Driven by that desire, she reached out for something that did not belong in this world. She reached out to seize a shortcut to power... and she failed.
In retrospect, it was a blessing that she failed. Because of that failure, she was still alive today. Had she actually succeeded in kidnapping Kaito, she would have been decapitated by No Face immediately for destabilizing the world. At the time, her vision had been so clouded by greed that she hadn't even realized the danger she was in.
While it takes an eternity to build a reputation, it takes only a moment to lose it.
Caraway lost everything in the aftermath of that incident. She received a formal warning from the Six Kings, and her standing with them plummeted. It was essentially a suspended sentence, and her subordinates were not loyal enough to stand by someone who had been branded a failure by the Six Kings.
She didn't blame them. Had their roles been reversed, she likely would have done the same. The authority of the Six Kings was simply that absolute.
Every subordinate abandoned her, and even her own kin began to look at her with cold, mocking eyes. Her fall from "Hero of the Species" to "Disgrace of the Species" was so precipitous it was almost comical.
Only after she had lost everything—only after the burning haze of desire had cleared—did she break down in tears of genuine repentance. Where had the hero gone, the one who trained day and night to bring honor to her people? When had she become such a wretched, greedy fool?
Regret could not erase her sins. Having fallen as far as she could, there was no hope for a resurgence, and Caraway accepted her fate. As long as the Six Kings permitted her to exist, no one dared to openly attack her, but the ridicule and contempt followed her everywhere.
It was an agonizing existence. She did not have the internal fortitude of someone like the Demon King Fia to shoulder her sins and keep moving forward with a smile. Time and again, she wept over her past self and lamented all she had lost.
Though she wanted to flee, her conscience wouldn't allow her to do so without making some form of amends. At the very least, she wanted to offer a sincere apology to Kaito, the victim of her scheme, even if he never forgave her.
When rumors of the Six Kings Festival began to spread, she was allowed to help on the condition that she would not be permitted to attend the Main Festival. She pleaded for a chance to apologize to Kaito and eventually visited him to deliver an invitation.
With the festival drawing near, Caraway was busy cleaning the grounds that would serve as the venue. Since she was not a subordinate of the Six Kings, she was only assigned menial chores, but she performed them diligently without a single complaint.
As a notorious figure in the Demon Realm, curious and mocking gazes followed her constantly. Among the onlookers were her former subordinates, now serving other masters, and the looks they gave her were icy and sharp.
In the middle of her work in that suffocating atmosphere, a shadow suddenly manifested before her.
"Stop for a moment. I have a message from Phantasm King-sama."
"Pa-Pandora-sama!? From Phantasm King-sama... Y-Yes... what is it?"
The figure was Pandora, the Phantasm King's Right Hand and the demon rumored to be the strongest of the Count-class. Seeing her, Caraway's spine went rigid with terror. For a messenger of the Six Kings to seek her out could only mean trouble. Had she committed some new blunder? The other demons nearby seemed to think so, their eyes full of sneering anticipation.
However, the words that came from Pandora's mouth were entirely unexpected.
"Tomorrow, you are to serve as the guide for Miyama-sama upon his arrival. You may abandon your cleaning duties immediately; go and ensure you have the routes perfectly memorized."
"I... what? Huh?"
The request was inconceivable. It was common knowledge among demons that Kaito was of paramount importance to the Six Kings. To entrust his guidance to someone like Caraway—someone treated like a common criminal who wasn't even a subordinate of the Six Kings—was beyond belief.
"W-Wait! Why me? I'm... I..."
"This is a direct nomination from Miyama-sama. You have no right to refuse. Accept it with gratitude."
"He... Miyama-sama nominated me? But... why?"
When she had apologized at Lilia's mansion, Kaito had told her that he forgave her. She had assumed he was simply being polite and that he surely harbored some lingering resentment. To her, this nomination was a bolt from the blue.
But the shocks weren't over yet.
"Also, take this."
"What...? This is a Companion Badge? But why...?"
"Miyama-sama nominated you as his official companion for the festival. Be sure to show him proper gratitude."
"Why would he...?"
Caraway could not fathom Kaito's reasoning. He should have hated her. He had no reason to show her any kindness, let alone this level of favor.
"I will deliver the message from Miyama-sama exactly as he gave it," Pandora said.
"Y-Yes!"
"'I'm sorry for the sudden request to be our guide. Also, I'm sorry for being selfish and applying for you to be a companion before asking for your consent. It might be presumptuous of me, but as a "friend," I would be happy if Caraway-san could enjoy the Six Kings Festival too. Please accept this if it's not a bother.' ...That is all."
"Ah... h-hnnng..."
"I will inform you of the specific time later. Do not be late."
After Pandora delivered the message and vanished, Caraway's shoulders began to shake. Her eyes filled with tears as she cradled the badge in both hands as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.
"To call a fool like me... a friend... oh... how could I... to such a noble person, I did such a terrible thing... I am so ashamed... Thank you... Miyama-sama... thank you..."
Sobbing openly, Caraway poured out her gratitude to the Kaito who wasn't there.
She did not yet realize that Kaito’s message was a miraculous lifeline that would fundamentally transform her social standing. By publicly calling Caraway his "friend," Kaito had redefined how the world had to treat her. To insult a "friend of Miyama Kaito" was now an act of social suicide. With that one simple word, he had granted her a shield that would guard her against the world's scorn.
Of course, Kaito himself hadn't considered any of this. He had simply sent the message because he thought it was the polite thing to do.
It would be a little while longer before Caraway realized the full weight of Kaito's words, misunderstood his intentions as a deliberate act to save her, and, moved to the point of dehydration by his perceived mercy, silently swore her eternal loyalty to him.
Alice: "Wait a second! A random side character gets an entire chapter to herself?! Don't you think you're playing favorites a bit too much? Is it the cat ears? Is that it? Because Alice-chan can wear a cat-ear costume too, you know! Shouldn't this interlude have been about the transcendentally beautiful Alice-chan, who has clearly established herself as the hyper-competent secretary character?!"