Demonic Witches Harem: Having Descendants Make Me Overpowered!-Chapter 80: Little Schemer

After everything was settled, Raddit approached Ezra, who let out a quiet sigh of relief. Today's work was finally done.

Unlike yesterday, when he had been ordered by Claude to conduct a "survey" on what the commoners needed most -though at first, he didn't understand what a survey was- today had been an exhausting battle of wills.

Yesterday, no one had even spared him a glance. His presence alone had been enough for the people to turn their backs on him, unwilling to answer his questions.

In the end, his lord had ordered him to distribute necessities instead.

At first, the plan worked—his subordinates had handed out supplies to those in need, keeping his name hidden.

But today, things have turned into a double-edged sword. Instead of gratitude, suspicion and resentment had flared up, nearly turning the entire effort against him.

He was fortunate that Raddit had stepped in, though the fact that he had needed to be saved at all meant he still hadn't met his lord's expectations.

"Lord Ezra, you should've told me if you planned to distribute all of this." Raddit gestured to the sacks of wheat and thick bundles of clothing.

"Honestly, I just didn't expect you to do it openly, without hiding behind a fake name or something."

Ezra exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "I was assigned by His Majesty to handle this."

He motioned toward a nearby bench near the towering statue of The Lord of Calamity. "Let's sit."

Raddit's eyes lit up as he sat beside him. "Oh wow, so you're active as a noble again?"

Ezra gave a small nod. "This is His Majesty's order… and I've been considering rebuilding my House."

Raddit's expression turned serious. "Lord Ezra, you don't have to do this alone. I'll help however I can—not just me, but the other orphans you saved too." His voice was firm, filled with sincerity.

Ezra shook his head with a tired chuckle. "You don't owe me anything. I only did what was necessary—to repay the pain my House inflicted on you and your families."

"Then let us repay you in return." Raddit grinned.

Ezra sighed but relented. "If you're so determined, then apply for a position in the Ministry of Welfare. We need more staff, but so far, there have been few applicants."

Raddit's grin widened. "Of course! I'll even bring my friends along! But… isn't that kind of position usually filled by members of the Honorable Houses?"

Ezra leaned back, crossing his arms. "His Majesty believes the Ministry of Welfare exists to serve the people. That means I need to be as close to them as possible."

His gaze turned thoughtful. "And what better way to achieve that than by working alongside them?"

Raddit blinked, then laughed. "I didn't think of it that way… His Majesty must have a unique way of thinking."

Ezra's lips curled into a faint smile. "He is… indeed."

Raddit suddenly stood up. "Ah, Lord Ezra, I need to go. I promised my wife I'd buy something for her."

He paused, scratching his cheek. "I almost forgot—I only came here because a suspicious old man told me you might be at the town hall and need help."

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Ezra frowned. "Wait… you didn't come here on your own?"

Raddit shook his head. "Nope. Some old guy told me you'd be here. He was… oddly expensive looking robe. Definitely not a commoner."

He shrugged, glancing to the side as if trying to recall more details. "Anyway, I need to go. Let's meet again, Lord Ezra!"

And just like that, Raddit left, disappearing into the crowd.

Ezra remained seated, his mind whirring.

A well-dressed old man, pointing Raddit toward him?

"Don't tell me…"

***

Claude crossed his arms, his disguise completely abandoned the moment he spotted Eldrich watching the aftermath from a distance.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the old man by the collar and dragged him into a quiet alley, away from prying ears.

"Ah, so it really was you helping Ezra, huh?" Claude's voice was laced with amusement.

Eldrich rubbed the back of his neck, looking unbothered despite the situation. "Eh? Well, Your Majesty, that stubborn old fool just needed a little push. I only nudged one of the kids he took in, that's all."

Claude's expression didn't change. "No, you didn't just help him. You backed him into a corner."

At that, Eldrich averted his gaze to the side, suddenly looking a bit nervous.

Wren, who had been standing nearby, immediately jumped to his father's defense. "What? My father was only trying to help Lord Ezra!"

Claude scoffed. "Really? You expect me to believe that? How could he have pushed Raddit into action if he didn't already know exactly how the people would react?"

He stepped closer, his presence looming. "Ezra came here with nothing but papers for a simple survey. He wasn't distributing the supplies himself—his men were handling that."

He grabbed Eldrich's shoulder, squeezing it just enough to make the old man tense up. "And yet, you somehow knew the situation would turn against him."

Eldrich let out a weary sigh. "I didn't have a choice. It was for the best."

Wren's face paled. "Your Majesty, please don't punish my father!"

But instead of anger, Claude let out a sharp, amused laugh. "Punish him?" His smirk widened.

"No, Wren. I like his style. Keep doing it—for my benefit, Eldrich."

Both father and son froze, equally bewildered. While Claude looks even more confused. Weren't they daemons? A race that wanted to conquer the world and erase humanity?

How come they were reacting like this to this simple cunning trick?

Even Layla, who had been silent until now, was visibly shocked.

"Your Majesty! What Eldrich did… isn't that dirty work?!" she protested, her voice tinged with frustration.

Claude raised a brow. "Layla, you're a general, aren't you? Have you ever actually been to war?"

She stammered before slowly shaking her head.

Claude chuckled. "Then you're naïve. Not everything in this world can be solved through fairness and honor."

Layla looked down, fidgeting with her fingers, shame creeping into her expression.

Claude's smirk softened slightly as he reached out, tucking a strand of her navy-blue hair behind her pointed ear.

"But don't worry," he murmured, "that innocence of yours is still rather adorable."

Layla's face instantly turned red. "Y-Your Majesty! Such words…!"

Claude simply laughed, then turned back to business. "You wanted to know why I'm handling the commoners this way, right?"

Layla, still flustered, nodded.

Claude's tone grew firm. "It's for war."

Wren furrowed his brows. "War? What do you mean, Your Majesty?"

Claude exhaled, his gaze sharp as ever. "Wars require many things, Wren. And one of the most important? Manpower. Tell me, how many daemons do we have in our forces right now?"

Wren hesitated. "Around two thousand?"

Claude nodded. "Exactly. Do you think that's enough?"

Silence fell over the group.

"We might have elite knights and powerful magic users capable of wiping out thousands," Claude continued, "but numbers still matter."

He clasped his hands together, his expression brimming with excitement.

"Since you're already here, Eldrich, let's move on to the next phase of my plan. This will be quick!"