After offering me a light retort, Alice shifted her attention toward Aoi and Hina as she continued.
"Since we’re at it, why don't we correct your perceptions a bit more? Kuro-san, I believe you started instructing Sieg-san today, didn't you?"
"Eh? Yeah, that's right."
"Then let me ask... From your perspective, Kuro-san, do you think the current Sieg-san could win in a fight against Bell?"
"Hmm..."
Kuro wore a pensive expression as she considered the question, which struck me as a bit odd. In my own estimation, even if Bell was strong for a monster, I had assumed Sieg-san’s combat ability was far superior.
However, when I thought back carefully, I remembered that while Sieg-san had triumphed over Eta during the twins' initial raid, Alice had later intervened against Sigma. Sigma was a Baron-class high-ranking demon, and Alice had judged at the time that Sieg-san and Anima wouldn't be able to win against him.
Anima had been exhausted from days without sleep back then, so she hadn't been at her best, but Sieg-san had just consumed a Fruit of the World Tree and was in peak condition.
Furthermore, even though she had defeated Eta, it seemed Eta had possessed higher base physical abilities and magic power. Since Eta and Theta were high-ranking demons who hadn't yet reached the peerage-class, it meant Sieg-san’s combat power was likely around that same threshold.
"I think she could win, but it would be a narrow victory at best," Kuro finally answered.
"I agree. I’m of the same mind," Alice said. "And having said that much, I’m sure you’ve all realized what I’m getting at by now. You all perceived Sieg-san to be much stronger—as if she were already on par with the peerage-class, right? That is a major misconception. Or rather, your perspective is probably warped because of the people hanging around Kaito-san, but peerage-class high-ranking demons are truly just a handful of geniuses within the Demon Realm."
"That's true," Kuro added. "If we’re counting everyone at the Baron-class or higher in the entire Demon Realm right now, there are maybe... fifty thousand?"
"A little over forty thousand belong to one of the major factions, and about five thousand are free agents, so it's roughly that number," Alice confirmed.
I took a second to process that. I recalled hearing that the population of the Demon Realm—excluding monsters and focusing strictly on demons—exceeded fifteen billion. Out of fifteen billion, a mere forty-five thousand was indeed just a tiny handful.
"Well, this misconception is somewhat unavoidable," Alice continued. "The people in Kaito-san’s circle are quite extreme. There are almost no Baron or Viscount-classes around him; it’s usually either people who haven't reached the peerage-class or those at the Count-class and above. The gap is so wide that it makes it difficult to imagine the middle ground."
"Ah, I see. Now that you mention it, that makes sense."
"Then there's the other factor. Lilia-san, Lunamaria-san, and Sieg-san are frequently seen together as a trio, which adds to the confusion. But within that group, Lilia-san is on an entirely different level."
"Come to think of it," I said, "Sieg-san mentioned once that she could only keep up with Lilia-san until Lilia-san was about fourteen years old."
Perhaps part of the reason was Lilia-san’s soft demeanor. I didn't want to put it rudely, but she didn't exactly exude the intimidating aura of a "strong person." Of course, I knew she was incredibly powerful in battle, but in her daily life, she was so approachable that you never felt a sense of overwhelming pressure from her. Though, in my opinion, that was one of her best qualities.
"In terms of raw talent, Lilia-san is a genius on the level of a system bug," Alice remarked.
"She is," Kuro agreed. "I've instructed many people over the years, but I've only ever encountered six others with talent like Lilia-chan's."
"You might be thinking, 'Oh, that’s actually a fair few,' but keep in mind that she’s referring to the Six Kings—including myself—and Ein-san," Alice clarified. "Anyway, returning to the topic... actually, I just remembered something. Kaito-san, could you call Eta-san and Theta-san here for a moment?"
"Eh? Oh, sure."
Though I tilted my head at the sudden request, I sent a Hummingbird to Eta and Theta.
"This is a bit of an aside, but the peerage-class is truly an object of universal admiration in the Demon Realm," Alice explained while we waited. "After all, once you're officially certified, your future is essentially guaranteed. You’re promised a significant position even within the Six Kings' households, and there are countless other places that would welcome you with open arms. However, there is a massive wall between ordinary high-ranking demons and the Baron-class. Countless people have been thwarted by that wall and given up."
"Wait... does that mean Eta and Theta were like that, too?"
"Yes, those two were also blocked by that wall. Because of that setback, they stopped looking upward for a time and sought comfort in looking down on those weaker than themselves. That was likely the state they were in when they first met you, Kaito-san. Now that their distorted pride has been shattered, they’ve relaxed and are in a much better place."
Now that she mentioned it, I remembered that Eta and Theta had a certain prickly, irritable atmosphere about them when we first met. They must have reached that wall shortly before that encounter.
As I was reflecting on this, I heard footsteps, and Eta and Theta appeared. Upon seeing Kuro and Alice, they looked momentarily shocked and bowed deeply before offering a bow to me as well.
"Thank you for waiting, Master."
"Is there something you require... of us?"
"Ah, no, it's not me who has business with you, it's Alice..."
"The Phantasm King-sama?" the twins said in unison.
They tilted their heads in genuine confusion before turning toward Alice.
"Yes, I asked Kaito-san to call you," Alice said. "I originally intended to have my subordinates relay this to you later, but I happened to remember it just now. You two, come here for a moment."
"Y-Yes!"
At Alice's command, Eta and Theta knelt on one knee before her, their expressions clearly fearful as they lowered their heads.
I could guess why Alice had called them, and I suspected it was good news. But for them, being suddenly summoned by a Six King like Alice probably sparked immediate fears that they had committed some blunder. They looked like they were bracing themselves to be scolded.
"It’s nothing major, but... Eta-san, Theta-san."
"Yes!"
"I have determined that the abilities of both of you have reached the required standard. Therefore, I hereby officially certify you as Baron-class High-ranking Demons."
"..............................Eh?"
Alice’s announcement was remarkably casual, and for a moment, Eta and Theta froze as if time itself had come to a standstill. Their minds simply couldn't process the words they had just heard.
"Well then, that's all I needed," Alice added.
It was an incredibly abrupt conclusion. I had heard that Alice only managed the certifications to keep information organized, and since there were no actual certificates or ceremonies, I suppose this was just how it worked in practice.
As Alice turned her gaze away, the reality of the situation finally seemed to sink in. Eta and Theta looked at each other, their shoulders trembling and tears welling in their eyes.
"Theta... we... we did it..."
"Yeah... Baron-class... we finally reached it..."
The two of them, overcome with emotion and barely able to speak, suddenly lunged into a fierce embrace.
"We did it! We’re peerage-class! We actually... we finally became peerage-class!"
"Yes! I'm so happy... I'm so happy!"
Hearing Alice talk about how they had been thwarted by that wall in the past made the sight of them rejoicing through their tears bring a lump to my own throat. They had been training every single day while still performing their duties as maids; seeing their hard work finally bear fruit was deeply moving.
"Congratulations, you two," I said softly.
"Master!" the twins cried out.
"Whoa—! Wait, calm down, you two!"
The moment I spoke, they both lunged at me with incredible force. Eta was usually so dignified and Theta so cool and composed; seeing them get this emotional was a rare sight indeed.
It just went to show how much the title of a Baron-class high-ranking demon truly meant to them.
We had strayed quite a bit from the topic of Aoi and Hina wanting to become adventurers, but I was genuinely glad I got to see those two so happy.