Ethan Ifrit?

Duke Ifrit sipped wine in silence inside his chamber from the gold wine glass. His domain was in view as he peered through the window. He was the leader of the Ifrit family and one of the four dukes of the Empire, giving him authority second only to that of the Imperial family.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers would march in unison under his flag at the sound of a single order.

"Sigh... "I didn't expect the lass to hatch such schemes."

'She must have been aware of my animosity toward the Imperial family, but that shouldn't have been the only factor in the lass's choice.'

What was the actual cause, then?

'The Dukes will not join the war, so it is not possible for the Princess to exhaust the four families and take them all in at once.'

"The candidates must demonstrate their abilities, not their family's power,"

"or is related to the Demons?"

The Duke's thoughts stopped dead in their tracks at this point.

"The signs of demons have disappeared, so that must be it. Does the Princess real