Within the darkness.
The palace, located in a very dangerous and spooky atmosphere, was surrounded by darkness. The castle was positioned on the hilltop, which was coated in a dark, blood-like substance.
The eerie palace was surrounded by thousands of skeletons. Interestingly, the skeletons didn't appear to be attacking the castle; rather, they seemed to be guarding it.
Amidst the army of skeletons, there stood a solitary skeleton dressed in regal attire. He gazed into the distance, seemingly fixated on nothing in particular.
'That cursed demon lord!' He fumed silently in his mind, recalling the incident that had transformed him into an undead being, followed by another event that bound him to safeguard this land.
This was Adalman, a former member of the Luminaries' clergy, a man of unparalleled loyalty. He had been the most potent holy magic caster within the clergy before they betrayed him.
This land was a realm of puppets, slaves, and beggars. However, the castle and all those who served that man enjoyed royal treatment from everyone in the land, except from the man himself.
At the moment, the man was in his office, sitting on his throne. On the other side, there was a fancy couch, and a person with a clown mask sat on it.
"So, spill the beans! Why'd you go and summon me?" The clown asked the man. The man, with grayish-white hair, red eyes, and thin eyebrows, was the Demon Lord known as the Marionette Master, Clayman.
Clayman dressed in pristine white attire, crafted from the rare silk of forest spiders. His face bore an unpleasant smirk, hinting at his intention to plot something malicious.
"I heard some intriguing news, Laplace. A newly formed kingdom and Farmus are entering a war with that nation without any prior announcement."
Hearing the news from his friend, the clown now identified as Laplace, had formed a wide grin under the clown mask as he thought about what this meant for Clayman.
"So, you're suggesting that by implanting your name into dying soldiers, ya could absorb their souls and become a True demon lord!?" Laplace's excitement was evident as he broke into a chilling and eerie laugh that could send shivers down anyone's spine.
"That's exactly what I had in mind," Concurred the Demon Lord. He was equally thrilled about the opportunity to ascend to a higher rank as a True Demon Lord without getting his hands dirty; he detested the thought of having the blood of pests on his fingers. Being a demon lord, he always dispatched his enemies with a touch of elegance and grace.
The most cunning and ruthless individual, always obliterating enemies with grace—that's what he aspired to become. His goals included aiding his harlequin alliance and expanding his influence within the Demon Lord Council.
Ascending to a True Demon Lord would amplify his prowess by at least tenfold, and his influence inside the council would correspondingly expand.
Rising from his seat with a wine glass in hand, he strode towards the window illuminated by the moonlight, casting an eerie glow upon the castle. A smirk graced his lips as he contemplated the various ways he could bend this newfound kingdom to his will.
Having heard that the rulers of the new kingdom were acclaimed as the mightiest heroes of the century by humans, his smirk transformed into a malevolent grin as he plotted what to do with these troublesome heroes.
★
Presently, Hero King Karna and his wife Shizue were in the meeting room, accompanied by their chief knight, Hinata Sakaguchi, who stood by their side.
Across from them sat the reigning king of Blumund, who wore a facade of composure. However, the rulers were well aware of his predicament—the security pact he had made with their former queen.
Knowing that the king of Blumund wanted to renew their pact, The Hero King and his wife utilized their "soul bond" to communicate, enabling them to reach an agreement before he even opened his mouth.
"King Bogard, I'm not trying to offend you, but could you hear me out?" Karna said in a serious tone.
After giving it some thought, King Bogard nodded as he stared straight into the hero's eyes. Bogard was a man who was not a coward and not a fool to get offended quickly.
"Why don't you become my vassal state? In that way, Blumund will get the necessary amount of security, and we can also transport various products and services," Karna proposed.
King Bogard was absolutely sure that he heard his fellow king wrong as he blinked and shook his head to see if he heard right.
However, upon observing the serious expressions on the faces of the King and Queen of Anga, as well as the poker-faced demeanor of the head guard, he realized that what he had heard was indeed correct.
He contemplated the drawbacks of the deal, which seemed minimal considering that the only potential disadvantage would be the military support, which was already covered within the security pact.
The cons were outweighed by the pros – the enhanced security, access to products, and technological development that would flourish as Blumund aligned with Anga. Effectively, it would become an extension of Anga.
Given that the safety and well-being of his people were his foremost concern, he couldn't simply agree without obtaining some form of assurance that the kingdom of Anga wouldn't take advantage of his nation.
"I have conditions, and would you please provide me with a written statement assuring that you won't exploit and devastate my nation?"
"Yes, that would be entirely possible, and you don't have to worry. It would be our trust and pride that we place on the line," Queen Shizue spoke this time, her voice kind and gentle, filled with compassion.
The king of Blumund couldn't help but think, 'Is there even a human being like this alive? Her voice holds no malice or greed.' King Karna had really struck gold with this—he thought.
"If I possess the words of the rulers of this land, then I shall trust you and adhere to your suggestion," The Blumund king stood up from his seat and knelt on the ground, on one knee, with his left hand on his back and the right on his chest; he closed his eyes as he bowed his head.
"Raise your head. You don't have to kneel to us; you've earned our respect by demonstrating your willpower to become a vassal state, after all," Karna said as he stood up from the throne. Shizue also rose from her throne, joining Karna by standing to his left.
Hinata was dumbfounded; she didn't know that people could be this selfless. Her father was an alcoholic gambler who destroyed everything they had, and her mother was uncaring towards her after her father was supposedly "missing," her mother turned to religion and disregarded her every piece of advice and consolation.
So, witnessing a king who willingly gave up his throne just for the safety of his people was overwhelming to her. She had seen her teachers do it, and their selflessness was only eclipsed by their love for each other.
She didn't know what to do, and it wasn't her place to take action. After all, this meeting was for kings, and she was a head guard. So, she stood silently, watchful for any potential threats or dangers.
The contract was inscribed with blood, a requirement for the magic to take effect. The concise summary of the contract would be as follows:
The King and Queen of Anga committed to refrain from consciously exploiting or looting the kingdom of Blumund, and vowed to consistently safeguard the kingdom. In return, Blumund would become their vassal state. While the throne of Blumund would still be under Bogard's rule, significant decisions would be made by the actual rulers of Anga. Additionally, the kingdom of Blumund would replace its flag with the flag of Anga.
With the contract finalized and everyone content, the next step was to welcome the remaining kings and lords of the western states. The Hero King and his courageous queen intended to personally greet each guest, a gesture driven by common courtesy and their commitment to the traditions of their previous lifestyle.
★
In the dreaded underworld, within a palace nestled deep among battling demons who fought without concern for themselves, spells were being unleashed without restraint.
Within the palace resided a room adorned with royal and intricate designs, contrasting against the white walls. The walls of the room were mostly unadorned, except for a throne-like chair and a table that occupied the central space. Upon that chair sat a goddess, her presence captivating and enigmatic.
She had smooth purple hair tied into a single bun on the left side of her head, while the rest cascaded down to the right, despite her small stature, she exuded an overwhelming aura of power and authority. This was no ordinary demon.
Opening her previously closed eyes, she directed her gaze towards a specific direction, her sharp eyes reflecting her keen interest as she formed a smirk.
"Well, well. This is quite intriguing," She mused. "Very well then, I shall indulge you foolish humans, at least for the time being. Hehehehe." A malevolent grin stretched across her lips as she let out a hearty laugh, tilting her head back towards the throne.
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How did you find this chapter? If you liked it, please leave a review. I believe this might be the best chapter I've written so far, so I'm anxious to know your thoughts.
Our current rating is an impressive 4.9, a big achievement despite the small number of reviews. I'm really happy about that.
In this chapter, I did a lot of foreshadowing about what's to come, so look out for them. And if you can, drop some power stones as well.
After this, I'll be taking a short break to write more chapters. I've finally decided to create a Patreon page after some encouragement from a friend. He deserves credit for pushing me in that direction.
Good luck, and God bless you.
~ Author