Chapter 423: That (8) [Bonus Images]


    <em>Vampires.</em>


    Though these demons were nicknamed nobles of the night, that tale was only half true and half myth. Vampires were heralded as nobility before Helmuth and the continent waged war back in ancient times. They were demons who were highly dependent on humans  or, more precisely, on blood pared to other demons. As such, vampires had no choice but to infiltrate human cities rather than skulk in Helmuth along with other demons.


    In that era, despite the severe ostracization of demons and ck wizards, high-ranking vampires managed to blend into human society without any problems. They lead lives akin to nobility.


    They would hold secretive and mystical gatherings in their secluded castles. The vital blood of intoxicated noblemen and women became sustenance for vampires.


    Those days were long gone.


    The peace treaty between demons and humans, the treaty between the civilization of Helmuth and the continent delivered a severe blow to demons such as vampires.


    Although they were once hailed as nobles of the night, they could no longer revel in human society''s luxuries. On the other hand, night demons thrived in human societies thanks to their powerful queen. Although they fed on human life-force with a powerful queen, even the lower-ranking night demons managed to find stable lives in the shadows. Vampires, however, had no such formidable leader as the night demons did.


    Legendary ns that reigned for centuries managed to survive, but most other ns were decimated in the era of war. Those who survived scrambled to adapt to a world where demons could no longer freely prey on humans.


    <em>The Odoth n.</em>


    It was once fairly prominent three hundred years ago, but now, like most vampire ns, it was left with just a name and little else. It had possessed dozens of n members in the past, but now, only ten remained, including the lord.


    Yet, even in these times, the Odoth n fared considerably better than the other ns. Many of the vampire ns had failed to settle in Helmuth. Though they could not indulge as in the days when they were hailed as nobility, they at least had a patron who ensured they were not destitute.


    <em>''Is this right...?''</em>


    The lord, Devian Odoth, was nearly driven mad by anxiety. Devian and his n had settled in the shadows of Aroth, but their patron was a true vampire noble of Helmuth.


    Their benevolent patron could not bear to see their vampire kin lead such dismal lives. As such, the patron sent various aids not only to the Odoth n but also to many small ns across the continent.


    However, gratitude demanded repayment.


    The Odoth n eked out a living in Aroth as sellers of information. Although they were not officially registered with any guild, they served as informants for the information guilds. Unfortunately, the guilds exploited their services cheaply.


    Typically, they''d shadow unfaithful lovers or gather sensitive, private details to sell to guilds or clients.


    While that was the public perception of the Odoth n, intel of any significance gathered by the n was ryed to their patron in Helmuth. Additionally, if the patron desired insights into Aroth''s politicalndscape, the n would eagerly collect information for them.


    However the patronstest request felt far too perilous to ept. In all honesty, Devian wanted to quit immediately. He should have been cautious when he received a bottle of blood as a reward for his diligent service. The promise ofpensation had been too sweet.


    <em>He should have known better.</em>


    <em>Its not like I can vomit what Ive already consumed,</em> Devian thought bitterly.


    For vampires, blood was a necessity for survival. In particr, the blood of other vampires, and more so from higher-ranking individuals, was crucial for elevating ones status.


    Indeed, the blood from their benefactor had elevated Devian''s status by several degrees to the point where he could confidently consider himself beyond the level of a mid-tier vampire.


    Yet, he couldn''t simply revel in joy. The task demanded in exchange for the blood was absurdly perilous: to surveil the Wise Sienna! The only sce was that the patron did not ask for any close monitoring. Even so, they were to keep tabs on her movements!


    Refusal was not an option. Having consumed the blood, the request was no longer a request but an order. The patrons blood was now mixed with his own inside Devian''s body. It could rebel at the patrons will and tear him apart from the inside.


    Thus, Devian and his fellow n vampires had begun to monitor the Wise Sienna starting today. Even at this moment, Devian had dispatched several bats to keep watch over her. Not only did they monitor her residence in the suburbs, but they also kept an eye on the highest floors of Akron, where she met with other Archwizards.


    Surveince was something he prided himself on. He had maintained his n through such deeds for decades. However, he had never before watched over an Archwizard.


    The target was acknowledged as the continent''s greatest wizard. Moreover, she was surrounded by seven other Archwizards. Even with Devian''s seasoned surveince skills and his newfound power as a mid-ranking vampire, could he truly deceive the eyes of such powerful wizards?


    Devian thought it impossible. He had long settled in Aroth and knew all too well the fearsome force the Tower Masters and Archwizards wielded.


    Yet he had no choice. Devian faced two grim options: be discovered by the Archwizards and meet his end, or defy themand and have his body ripped apart by his patron.


    He chose to uphold the loyalty he owed to the patron who had supported his n. Even if it meant a miserable end, he wanted to demonstrate the dignity of a lord who led a n, however minor.


    But strangely, Devian was still alive. They must have noticed the surveince. Yet, the Wise Sienna, along with the other Archwizards, had not pursued him.


    Devian couldn''t fathom why.


    ***


    "Theres no way they did not notice."


    Baron Aber held several identities beyond his title. He was the benefactor of several minor vampire ns, including the Odoth n, as well as the head of the association of vampire ns in Helmuth.


    The association was, in fact, sub-ns of the reclusive Lasat n from Ravesta.


    "It is true that vampires are specialized in covert operations. But its an impossible feat to elude the scrutiny of Archwizards. Even I cannot manage something like that, so how would it be possible for a vampire of mere intermediate rank?" Baron Aber remarked.


    He had sent the vampires of the Odoth n on this task, fully expecting discovery. They had been a sacrificial y to observe Sienna''s reaction. Yet the vampires of Aroth had been monitoring the Wise Sienna for over a week now.


    "They know, yet they ignore it," Baron Aber said.


    The barons reception room was a vast space, and it was filled with dozens of demons. All of them were bound by a pact with Amelia Merwin.


    I dont know what Sienna of Cmity might be up to, a demon muttered. Whispers of dread cloaked the face of the demon. Half the demons gathered in the room had weathered the era of war and remembered the terror that was the Cmitous Sienna. That monstrous human  or rather, the monster wearing a human guise  had not aged or died even after three hundred years.


    "No sign of her digging into our affairs either."


    "Perhaps she takes the surveince as a given," chuckled another demon.


    "I remember Sienna was an arrogant monster. In this era, she would consider the watchful eyes of demons to be utterly natural."


    "Indeed. The end of the merciful deration of peace by the Demon King of Incarceration has been pronounced. The humans of this age might take peace for granted, but Sienna of Cmity will not."


    The demons exchanged such words while nodding in agreement.


    "It makes me wonder if we should intervene beforehand, mused a demon.


    "Do you truly believe Sienna of Cmity could reach whatever is beyond the Ninth Circle?"


    "The concept of Circles itself was devised by Sienna of Cmity."


    "It wont be simple for a human whos already surpassed human boundaries to climb even further.


    "Indeed. She is already so far from an ordinary human Is it even possible for her to surpass her current self? If she can, and she reaches the ce she desires... can we even still call her human?"


    They shunned the thought, or more precisely, they could not fathom it. A heavy, uneasy silence descended among their mist. After a while, the silence was broken by a demon.


    "A human transcending humanity is no easy task. The one who broke the silence was an old demon. He rubbed a scar that crossed his throat as he murmured. "Even he, who was derided as stupid by humans, in my memory, was a devil, a destroyer."


    Asura Rampage  that chilling swordy was still vivid in this demons mind. His throat had been shed halfway through by the wild onught of blows.


    "Even Hamel of Extermination, the most tenacious and ruthless of them all, eventually copsed. He failed to surpass the wall of humanity. Therefore, I suspect that Sienna of Cmity will also fail.


    "Falling from a high wall does not leave one unscathed."


    The thought of Sienna of Cmity attempting to exceed her limit and failing was nothing but wishful thinking on the demons part.


    Yet, it wasn''t entirely without possibility. It was a hope they had to cling to, for among the dozens of demons gathered, none wished to confront Sienna of Cmity.


    <em>Is it to that degree...?</em> The younger demons couldn''t help but harbor simr thoughts.


    The aged demons had their moments in history. Though none had stopped the Hero and hispanions, and many had lost their standing in Pandemonium by this era... not all had failed. Indeed, in this very drawing room were three of the highest-ranking demons who ranked within the top fifty of the hierarchy.


    Everyone would agree. These high-ranking demons had grown much stronger than they had been three hundred years ago. They had even survivedst year''s great purge in Babel and received direct empowerment from the Demon King of Incarceration.


    Yet, even so... the expressions of these highest-ranking demons were far from bright when speaking of Sienna of Cmity.


    <em>Crack.</em>


    What echoed through the room sounded simr to a beast gnashing its teeth.


    I didnt think we gathered here to talk about such topics, did we? The irritated voice came from behind a metallic mask. It drew the gazes of the demons who had been intentionally ignoring her.


    The chair she upied should have belonged to Baron Aber. However, it was instead upied by the human woman  if she could really even be called a human.


    To be frank, there was nothing particrly human about her anymore. She had previously been a mix of various things, but now, she seemed to have shredded any traces of humanity she once possessed.


    Hemoria.


    Before leaving Ravesta, Alphiero had given her quite a bit of blood. It wasnt only him, either. All the vampires from the Lasat n had fed Hemoria their blood.


    "Indeed," said a demon while nodding.


    "Let''s talk about war."


    What a stirring resonance the word held.


    The expressions of the demons shifted slowly. Their fear and wariness of Sienna of Cmity were undeniable. But the word war was fraught with deep and heavy emotion, even beyond the feelings they harbored towards her.


    Sienna of Cmity was deliberately ignoring the surveince. They were not ignorant of its implications.


    It was clear that Sienna of Cmity was backing Melkith El-Hayah. Although she was currently located in Aroth, should the demons intervene in Nahama''s affairs there was no doubt Sienna would take action.


    "The Demon King."


    The highest-ranking demons could hardly contain their excitement at the mention of war and the possibility of ascending to be a Demon King.


    It wasn''t a baseless narrative. Iris, after all, had be a Demon King. How exactly she managed that remained unknown, but it was rted to the long-sought ambition of Edmund Codreth, the former Staff of Incarceration. He had exchanged his life for thepletion of a ritual to be a Demon King.


    The demons in the room did not have blind trust in this proposition. Among them were those proficient in ck magic who had examined the core structure of the ritual and confirmed its feasibility.


    But there was an issue.


    In Helmuth, it was absolutely impossible to use humans as sacrifices.


    All human citizens and tourists in Helmuth were under the protection of the Demon King of Incarceration. Even if Amelia Merwin offered the ritual, it could not be performed within Helmuth.


    "My master will" Hemoria started. Her lips twisted into a smile behind her mask. "If you make a spectacle in the desert, she will immediately prepare the ritual."


    "Will Amelia Merwine in person?" asked a demon.


    "She will be there when the ritual is activated, answered Hemoria.


    It was a venture fraught with danger. Would the Demon King of Incarceration remain silent? The demons of Helmuth would be waging war on foreign soil. If... if the Demon King of Incarceration interfered.


    "I will mobilize all my subjects, said the thirty-third-ranked demon.


    He knew the risks. In particr, he was imbued with the Demon King of Incarcerations dark power. If the Demon King of Incarceration wished to avoid war and chose to punish them... the dark power could tear his body to shreds.


    Despite the risk, he did not desire to be guaranteed safety here. ording to Amelia Merwin, Edmund Codreth had nearly reached the status of Demon King through a ritual in the Samar Forest. Yet, the Demon King of Incarceration had neither intervened nor condemned his actions. Rather, the Demon King of Incarceration had tacitly permitted it.


    The Demon King of Incarceration had shown leniency even to the ck wizards with whom he had direct contracts. Despite maintaining peace for three hundred years, he had turned a blind eye to many things.


    Perhaps, even the benevolent demon king sought a pretext for action. It was a grave impertinence to specte about the Demon King''s intentions, yet the aged demons could notpletely dismiss this possibility. They remembered just how cruel and bold the Demon King of Incarceration had been in the past.


    <em>''ording to the Demon King of Incarceration''s decree, the moment the Hero advances on Babel marks the end of peace,''</em> they recalled.


    Even if they simply waited, the peace of this era was destined to end.


    In the impending war... could they possibly y a leading role? The demons gathered in this room would never be the protagonists. It was the same even for those ranked among the top fifty demons. A couple of dukes would be the main actors of the war, and the Demon King of Incarceration himself, should he stand up, would trivialize all conflicts.


    But if they caused a war in Nahama.


    There, neither the Demon King of Incarceration, the de of Incarceration, or the Queen of Night Demons would be present. It wouldnt be swarming with the demons of Pandemonium, and the ck Mist wouldnt be present either.


    They could be the protagonists of the war. They could amass fear and sacrifices to be Demon Kings. Such an opportunity would never find them again.


    "Melkith El-Hayah, spat Harpeuron, ranked fifty-seventh among the demons. He crushed the armrest in his grip as he spoke. "That human wench will die by my hand."


    "Don''t think to monopolize her," someone said.


    Melkith was the name of the deranged master of spirit magic. She had been attacking the dungeons of Nahama without restraint, and the mention of her name sparked a murderous glint in the eyes of Harpeuron and several other demons.


    "You''re not the only one who desires her death."


    The desire for vengeance echoed among the demons who had endured Melkiths scathing mockery.


    <em>''My master is dying,''</em> Hemoria brooded alone. <em>''I''ve harbored animosity for so long without any restrainting down on me. The control over me has weakened.''</em>


    She wasn''tpletely free. Hemoria still felt the presence of the stake in her heart. But one thing was certain: Amelia no longer had the capacity to monitor everything about Hemoria as before.


    That meant Hemoria could deceive and betray Amelia.


    <em>''War.''</em>


    <em>How could she betray her? How would she kill Amelia?</em>


    As she pondered, Hemoria envisioned the war.


    Yet in this, her wishes aligned with her master''s.


    Hemoria, too, longed for a war to erupt. She wished for the world to plunge into dreadful chaos.<blockquote>


    Openbookworm & DantheMan''s Thoughts


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