The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

On this day, Shien had done as Lucy asked him. While Vivian and the others were off on their shopping spree, he left Lasha home to take care of the still sleeping Airi, came to the palace on his own, and came to visit Lucy's room.

This time, there were far fewer young noblemen outside of Lucy's apartments. It's unknown if it's because the incident with large numbers of nobles within the Capital dying that ended up forcing them to stay home to take care of related issues or if it's because they knew that Shien would be coming this day and didn't dare to show themselves before the person who tamed the black dragon and so heavily crippled the National Knight Order.

Even the female knights of the Holy Sword Knights are now looking at Shien differently compared to before. This told Shien that his own reputation within the Kingdom had become much more intimidating than it used to be.

Of course, Shien doesn't care about any of that at all.

So long as no one tried to make trouble for him, Shien was happy with the peace and quiet.

However, what he didn't imagine when he headed into Lucy's room is that not only was the first princess Liadella sitting there with a smile, along with the Royal Knight named Charl at her side as always, but even Lucy was attempting to cajole him into becoming a noble.

This really isn't like something that Lucy would do.

At the very least, Lucy had never tried to recruit him of her own initiative. She only ever spoke to Shien privately in her own way before.

However, Lucy ended up saying such a thing today.

After Shien got over his surprise, he immediately looked over toward Lia where she was sitting to the side.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Lia seemed to have realized what Shien was thinking and raised an eyebrow in response, "You're not thinking that I'm the one who asked Lucy to recruit you, are you?"

"Hoho." Shien didn't reply in words. He just let out a laugh.

The meaning of that was obvious. It was telling Lia that there's no way that Lucy would have tried to recruit him so directly unless she asked Lucy first.

However, this time, Lia really was innocent.

"This is a false accusation here. I really didn't ask Lucy to do this." Lia spoke like she was wrongly accused, "Although the royalty does want to recruit you quite a bit, this time really is Lucy doing it all of her own accord. I hadn't had the chance to say it even if I meant to."

… In other words, you really did meant to huh?

Those in positions of authority really do have dirty hearts.

Lucy on the other hand quite honestly admitted it.

"This time it really did have nothing to do with my royal sister. I am doing this of my own accord here." Lucy looked toward Shien and spoke, "Don't you think that this is a good opportunity?"

"Sorry, I really don't." Shien spoke very directly, "I really don't want to become a noble or whatever, so forgive me for really not believing it to be a good opportunity."

Hearing that, Lucy acted like it was completely within expectations. Only Lia was letting out a bitter laugh at it.

"Just how many commoners dream of gaining a title and become nobility. Yet you. It's one thing to not be interested, but you're actually actively disdain it. This really is the first time I've met someone like you."

That's true enough. Shien was rather too obvious in his disdain.

In the past, it's not like there weren't people who have refused a title of nobility due to various considerations. However, none of them disdained it so obviously like Shien is doing.

It can't be helped though. Shien had to disdain it.

"I dislike troublesome stuff the most, and becoming nobility is the most troublesome thing there is. I'd have to duel and maneuver against a huge crowd of people trying to grasp at more power and authority all the time, and then there's also all the stuff like social obligations, alliances, connections, or etiquette and whatever. My head aches just hearing about it, so why would I possibly want to be a noble?"

Shien was utterly decisive in his refusal.

Perhaps, for someone else, becoming a noble is something great and glorious, but Shien personally really don't think that there's anything good about it.

As the saying goes, one who has gone their life barefoot does not fear loosing his shoes. Only one who has nothing, and thus nothing to lose, can truly be said to be without worries and thus be capable of doing anything. Yet, the vast majority of those with money and status would never dare to do anything unusual. They have far too many things that they need to consider, and they also have to put in a great deal of work just to maintain their position. That really isn't something that Shien want.

"But now isn't like before, right?" Lucy however argued differently, "Now, you're a talent that can even tame a dragon. If you don't independently set up your own house as a noble, then, the other nobles will definitely try to do whatever they can to make you theirs. That way, they'll be able to use you to claw for even higher positions and gain more advantages. Is that what you want?"

Shien immediately frowned at that.

That is indeed an issue.

He he's forced to endure those so called nobility keep trying to recruit him every single day, forced to face their cajoling and wordiness, then Shien himself already feels like it's a headache.

However…

"Even if I do set up my own house, that wouldn't really change much, will it?" Shien rolled his eyes, "At most it changes me from being [recruited by nobles] to being [recruited by the Kingdom]. Is there really that much of a difference there?"

That's how it is.

Those nobles want to recruit Shien, so the Kingdom itself will obviously be no different.

And if Shien were to become a noble, while it might sound like independence and not fearing the recruitment from nobles anymore, in reality, it's just that he became someone belonging to the Kingdom instead.

If he's recruited by a noble, then Shien will end up having to work for the noble.

If he becomes someone belonging to the Kingdom, then Shien will end up working for the Kingdom.

In the end, he's working either way, so what's the difference there?

Be it the Kingdom or the nobility, they both only want Shien to tame more dragons for them and raise up a powerful fighting force. There's no way that Shien would want to be forced to work like that.

He doesn't want to become a slave of society. All he wants is to be able to earn money when he's broke and being able to act as he wills when he needs to without additional concerns. That much is enough for him.

To become a noble of the Kingdom. Is that going to be of any help to Shien's quest to subjugate the Demon King?

Not at all.

Therefore, Shien doesn't want to be some noble or whatever.

Yet…

"I feel like you're overthinking things." Lucy laughed out loud as she pointed at an important point, "If you're worried about the Kingdom using your ability to tame large quantities of dragons, then that's completely unnecessary."

Why was that, one might ask?

Quite simply.

"You seriously think dragons can be found anywhere?" Lucy spoke without holding anything back, "Even if you want to try taming them, that requires that the dragons exist in the first place. Even the Kingdom will have an extremely hard time producing a dragon, so how are they supposed to do any mass taming?"

Shien stopped for a moment before going deep in thought.

Lucy's words weren't wrong.

Dragons are rare to begin with. Even if one had the ability to tame then, it's still an uncertainty on whether or not they'd be able to find a target to tame.

Thus, no matter how greedy the Kingdom might be, they'd still be able to clearly see the reality that they won't be able to use Shien's [Taming] skill to tame dragons en mass to increase the Kingdom's might.

That said…

"Your attempt at distracting from the point is completely pointless." Shien came back to himself in an instant, "It's not like only dragons can be tamed. There are definitely plenty of demonic beasts that can be tamed by a high leveled [Taming] skill. That's what you really want, right?"

Lucy fell dead silent.

She didn't expect that guys to figure it out that quickly.

Even though he's nowhere near so quick-witted normally, he just has to be insightful at this kind of time. Lucy is really having a hard time figuring out if this guy is a smart person or a damnable idiot.

However, Lucy won't give up on convincing Shien.

It's because if she doesn't do that, that guy may very well…

Lucy unconsciously bit her lips at the thought.

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