After Beatrice requested permission to go look for her brother, who was under the care of Demon King Ophelia, the room fell into an absolute silence.

Ryan remained deep in thought for a few seconds as he processed the sheer magnitude of what she was asking for right now.

He didn’t look away from the demon girl, analyzing every detail of her posture and the seriousness in her voice.

Ryan began to stare at her intently to see if he could detect any sign of doubt.

"This is for your little brother, isn’t it?" Ryan asked calmly.

He threw out the question directly, seeking for her to open up completely about her personal motives.

"I know I’m being selfish by asking you this now, as I would have to leave the village for a few days, but it is something I must resolve..."

Beatrice lowered her gaze toward the wooden floor of the house while she waited for a response.

She seemed to fear that her request would be seen as a betrayal of the group’s priorities.

’Selfish? I think her reaction is more human than anything else. I mean, she’s supposed to be a demon, but she cares about her brother.’

’Sure, I’ve always thought of her as a special kind of demon, but I don’t think what she’s proposing right now is selfishness.’

Ryan crossed his arms over his chest and directed his gaze toward the room’s window.

He observed the village through the glass before diving into his own calculations regarding the lords of this world.

’Demon King Ophelia, huh... she isn’t a threat for now, or so I believe, but she’s still a Demon King.’

’I mean, so far I know of three. I was in Demon King Rohan’s territory, and we also faced his son...’

Ryan closed his eyes for a moment and let out a sigh as he processed the facts.

He had ended up indirectly involved with three of them despite not knowing much about their nature.

He knew that the danger level was escalating much faster than anyone in the village could imagine.

’Then there’s Rigal; without a doubt, he’s the one who’s caused us the most trouble so far.’

Then he looked back at Beatrice directly to resume the pending conversation.

She was still standing in front of him, staring at him with a steadiness that demonstrated her resolve.

Her gaze wasn’t one of anger, nor was it her usual look of shyness that she typically showed in private.

She clearly looked determined to fulfill her personal mission regardless of the cost she might have to pay for it.

"Before I answer you, tell me something... you’ve interacted with Demon Kings, or at least with Ophelia."

He stood up from the edge of the desk where he had been sitting previously.

He walked with slow and confident steps through the room until he stood right in front of her.

"If you compare their power to that of an S-rank, how much of a difference do you think there is?"

Beatrice widened her eyes in surprise at the question.

She hadn’t expected Ryan to be interested in a technical comparison at such a tension-filled moment.

"Eh? But... I, I can’t know that..."

Beatrice averted her gaze to the side.

"Come on, don’t be shy; tell me what you think. At some point, we’ll have to face a Demon King, and it’s better to have an estimate of their power compared to the level we have now."

Beatrice slowly approached Ryan until their bodies were nearly touching.

She pressed against him, hugging him around the waist with unusual strength.

Her face remained hidden against his chest while she held him.

"Are you really saying that so calmly? I wouldn’t want you to face a Demon King; their power is... well..."

Beatrice spoke with a voice muffled by Ryan’s clothes as silence filled the room once again.

"Go on, say it."

"W-well... this is only an opinion after facing Helen."

She pressed her face even closer against Ryan’s chest.

"I think that for them, it would be like it is for you to eliminate a Principality. No... for them, it would be like it is for you to eliminate a lowest-rank demon, a Legion."

Ryan placed his hands on her shoulders.

She was still hugging him.

"I understand. So what you’re saying is that our current level isn’t enough, and we simply must get stronger, right?"

"I said that taking Helen’s current power into account; I can’t say anything about you. But I don’t think it’s such a simple thing to say. Aren’t you worried?"

She raised her head slightly to try and read the expression in Ryan’s eyes.

"Of course I’m worried. But it’s something we can’t ignore. Even so, tell me, why is your estimate based on Helen’s current power and not mine?"

He needed to understand how his own strength was perceived by someone who knew true demons.

Beatrice tightened her arms around his waist before responding with sincerity.

She pulled her face away from his chest without letting go of the hug.

She looked up, and their eyes met.

"That’s because... your level surpassed her power by far a long time ago. Even if Mirian and Helen fought together, they couldn’t defeat you."

Beatrice paused while observing Ryan’s calm.

"And as for me... well, let’s just say it’s impossible for me to measure your actual capacity. Your power is something I can’t fully understand."

She let out a sigh, admitting that Ryan’s potential was a total unknown to her instinct.

Ryan heard Beatrice’s words and realized his situation was unique thanks to the bug in his skill.

"I understand. But even so, you believe it isn’t enough, and I agree."

Ryan said no more words at that moment. Then he gave in to the inquisitive gaze that Beatrice kept fixed on him with devotion.

Tilting his head slowly, he kissed her.

She returned the kiss with intense passion without pulling away from him.

’I think I’ll have to abuse my power once again.’

Ryan began to reflect while maintaining his passionate kiss with the beautiful demon girl.

’But I must do it as quickly as possible if I want to survive what’s coming. I’ll have to use my debt skill on every single woman in this village.’

Ryan adjusted his posture without breaking contact with Beatrice for a long time.

’Whether they be elves or the beastkin race that have sought refuge in this place. I’ll try to give simple orders that allow me to constantly accumulate benefits. But I must become much stronger.’