A swirling black portal tore open above a crimson forest 🌪️🌲,and Aren was thrown out—
—or rather—
Lord Vylkan.Demon noble.Infamous.Quiet.
Yet when he looked down at himself, he still looked… like Aren.Just with demonic markings, sharper eyes, a darker aura, and a presence heavy enough to make devils lower their gaze 🔥👁️.
He stepped onto a black marble path leading to a massive manor carved from volcanic stone.
Before he even reached the gate—
BOOM!
The doors burst open.
A woman with long black hair, horns curved like a queen's crown, sprinted forward.
"MY SON!!!" 😭
She tackled Aren so hard the ground cracked.
Behind her came a tall, muscular demon man with flaming hair 🔥.
"BOY!! YOU'RE HOME! AFTER SO LONG!"
Aren blinked once.
"…I went to buy milk."
Both demon parents froze.
Then—
they broke down completely.
"HE EVEN MAKES EXCUSES LIKE OUR REAL SON!!"
"MY BABY HAS RETURNED WITH WISDOM!!"
"LOOK AT HIM—CALM, MATURE, ELEGANT!!"
Aren was carried inside the mansion like a returning war hero 🏰.
The Butler Who Could Rule a Nation 🗡️🖤
Inside the grand hall stood a man in a black suit, posture razor-sharp.
Hawk.
A demon with the strength of a general, the mind of a strategist,and the loyalty of someone who had cleaned up every disaster Lord Karath ever caused.
Hawk approached slowly, hands trembling.
"M-My lord… you… you look different…"
Aren nodded calmly.
"You were right."
Hawk froze like his soul had been stabbed.
"M-My lord… I—I WAS RIGHT!?"
Aren placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You were always right."
Hawk collapsed to his knees, crying like a waterfall 😭.
"HE FINALLY GREW UP! MY LORD HAS BECOME WISE!!!"
The demon parents cried.The maids cried.Even the chandeliers cried (lava dripped politely).
Aren simply walked toward the dining hall.
The Feast of Misunderstanding 🍖🔥
A long blackstone table waited, covered in exotic demon food:
• Fire fruits 🔥🍎• Shadow meat 🥩• Lava-baked bread 🌋• Storm wine ⚡🍷
Aren sat.
His demon mother immediately sat beside him and began feeding him by hand.
"My sweet son… eat properly… you're too thin…"
Aren ate calmly.
She cried harder.
"Husband… look at him… he's eating… speaking…"
His father nodded proudly.
"Our son… has become a man."
Hawk watched closely, eyes shining.
"His posture… his aura… this is no longer the old Karath.This is… a KING."
Aren's mother hugged him again.
"My boy."
Aren nodded.
"…Hmm."
They cried even more.
The Room That Changed Everything 🌑
Later, Aren returned to his room.
He opened the door—
and froze.
Two beast-girl twins sat on his bed.
Nervous.Shaking.Wrapped only in thin blankets.
Their ears trembled when they saw him.
"L-Lord Karath… w-welcome home…"
Aren stared at them.
Silent.
Then he sighed.
"I am not an asshole anymore."
Both girls blinked.
"…What?"
Aren pressed a button on the wall.
"Hawk."
The door opened instantly.
"Yes, my lord?"
Aren pointed calmly.
"These two were forced here?"
Hawk bowed his head.
"Yes. Previous Lord Karath… was not a kind man."
Aren nodded.
"Pay them well.Ensure they live good lives from now on."
The twins' eyes widened.Tears spilled freely 😭.
Hawk bowed deeply.
"At once, my lord."
Aren added:
"And clean this room."
"Yes, my lord."
Hawk hesitated, then cleared his throat.
"My lord… you must return to the academy in two weeks.If not, you will be expelled."
Aren blinked.
"…Oh."
Hawk tried to reassure him.
"I have a friend there now. A new teacher. His name is Bob.He will protect you from bullying… since you were quiet before."
Aren slowly removed his upper shirt.
The room went silent.
His torso—
Hardened muscle 💪Old scarsFresh scarsThe body of someone who survived hell.
The twins covered their mouths.
Hawk's pupils shrank.
"My lord… those scars…"
Aren replied calmly:
"This is what training looks like."
Outside the door, his parents listened.
They cried silently.
Hawk bowed deeply.
For the first time in years,the Demon House of Vylkan saw something it had forgotten—
a lord worth following.
Supplies for War 🧨🗺️
The next morning, Aren stood beside Hawk in the grand hall.
Moonlight painted blue shadows across the floor 🌙.
Aren handed him a list.
• TNT 🧨• Rope 🪢• Knives 🔪• Four kinds of poison ☠️• Sleeping powder 😴• Infiltration tools• Black travel cloak• Enchanted storage pouch
Hawk nodded without hesitation.
"Prepared by tonight."
"Good."
Hawk watched him quietly.
The old master was gone.
This one…
was terrifying.
A Moment With His Mother 🫂
Aren entered the living room.
His mother sat waiting alone.
He walked over…lay down gently, resting his head on her lap…and closed his eyes.
Her breath trembled.
She stroked his hair slowly, carefully,as if healing years he never spoke about.
Tears fell onto Aren's cheek.
"My son… you've grown."
Aren didn't answer.
He just rested.
Witnesses 👁️
From the archway, Hawk and Aren's father watched.
"He hasn't rested like that since he was a child," his father whispered.
Hawk nodded.
"A man may wield weapons…but he is still his mother's son."
The father exhaled.
"Whatever he's preparing for… it's fire."
Hawk smiled faintly.
"And he will survive it.He is Lord Vylkan."
Closing Scene 🌘
Aren lay quietly.
His mother's hand brushed through his hair.
For a moment—
No war.No mission.No destiny.
Just a son…sleeping on his mother's lap.
And she held himas if trying to protect himfrom fate itself. 🖤