Chapter 268: 268

Chapter 268 – Those Who Commit Treason(3)

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A curtain of silence fell over the room.

“…….”

“…….”

Dantalian and Baal were staring at each other firmly.

What had happened just now?

 

A few Demon Lords had to ask themselves this. Their heads refused to comprehend what Dantalian had just stated. The Rank 71 lowest Demon Lord had just challenged the highest and loftiest Rank 1 Demon Lord. This couldn’t happen.

This shouldn’t happen either.

‘━━!’

Vassago instinctively turned to look around quickly.

Separate from his shock, the instincts that he had honed for thousands of years were telling him to look around. Panicking would do nothing for him right now. This instinct alone proved that Vassago deserved his position as Rank 3.

‘There aren’t a lot of people who are surprised.’

It was way too quiet.

At most, there were only about a dozen Demon Lords who looked bewildered. Despite this being a disaster that should naturally shake the entire ballroom, a majority of the people remained composed. The air was only filled with tension as people waited with baited breaths.

Unrest and tension. Was there a big difference between these two things?

Most of the Demon Lords looked tense, but not surprised as if they knew that this was going to happen beforehand. Thus, Vassago immediately grasped the situation.

‘This is treason!’

A small number of the combatant Demon Lords were on the tip of the iceberg. The Demon Lords of every faction were clearly prepared for a fight. This wasn’t the Rank 71 Demon Lord simply provoking the Rank 1 for a fight.

‘To face forty people at the same time……not only Baal, but even Agares wouldn’t be able to handle this!’

What could he do?

Vassago was frozen in place. It was at that moment.

“So you have surrounded us.”

The Demon Lord who would usually keep her mouth shut spoke. It was a woman with pure white hair like an old person. She had a bandage wrapped around her eyes. Although she was blind, she was the Rank 7 Demon Lord with <Clairovoyance>, Amon.

“Soldiers are lying in wait. We have been perfectly deceived.”

Amon muttered blankly like some person who was completely out of it. Talking as if she was constantly looking into the distant future was her characteristic way of speech.

Vassago did his best to not let his surprise appear on his face as he asked back.

“Lying in wait? What do you mean by that, Amon?”

“I can sense magic coming from the shadows all around us. The scents of death and pride. They must be death knights.”

Amon continued a second later.

“There are more than 400 of them.”

“……!”

Vassago turned his head.

Barbatos was still drinking her wine leisurely at her side of the ballroom. However, Barbatos’ eyes turned into the shape of crescent moons once their eyes met.

“Barbatos, I knew it!”

“Additionally, there is a unit of wyverns ready to attack from above.”

The blind Demon Lord, Amon, spoke.

“There are 556 of them. A massive group of mages is casting an anti-magic spell from outside. Looking at the color, it must be to block teleportation and summoning.”

“…….”

“Black magic, white magic, and spirit magic. They are all mixed together with the skills of an archmage. It almost looks like a beautiful rainbow. Indeed. It is incredibly beautiful.”

Amon seemed to be moved by something as she absentmindedly stared in awe.

Vassago slowly turned his head again once he understood everything. He looked at Gamigin. The female Demon Lord with beautiful blonde hair had a friendly smile on her face like usual.

“Mm. Vassago, what’s the matter~?”

Gamigin was the only Demon Lord who could mobilize a unit of 500 wyverns.

“……It’s nothing.”

But Vassago had no other choice but to stand down.

It was only natural that he didn’t come prepared to fight a large-scale encirclement like this. It was impossible unless the city of Niflheim itself allowed it. Niflheim, the city which had maintained its absolute neutrality no matter what bribes were thrown at them by the Demon Lords……was cooperating with Dantalian.

The same question went through his head.

Since when?

The large merchant firms of Niflheim were well-known for not submitting to Demon Lords. Ivar Lodbrok was also a monster who had lived longer than most Demon Lords. Since when had he captured the executives of Niflheim?

Everyone’s gaze was focused on one person.

“Dear me. You are not saying anything.”

Dantalian casually scratched the back of his head.

“It does not seem like you are very surprised either. I was actually planning to surprise Your Highness if possible, but……. I am ashamed as the one hosting this banquet.”

“No, I am rather surprised. I am surprised by the fact that a small fry like you could have this much courage.”

The ends of Demon Lord Baal’s mouth curved upward.

“For starters, I will hear what sort of crime I have committed. It would only be appropriate to enjoy the appetizer before the feast.”

“As you command.”

Dantalian respectfully raised his right hand to his chest. He was behaving courteously like a butler, but only rude accusations came out from his mouth.

“I stand before God to declare that His Highness Baal has committed three serious crimes.”

“Three serious crimes? How interesting. Tell me the first one.”

“Yes. The first serious sin is the fact that you did not contribute in any way during the previous Crescent Alliance.”

Dantalian clapped.

Once he did, a half-transparent map was spread open in the air. The map was of the continent and there were arrows pointing in a bunch of directions everywhere. Each arrow represented the legions of the Demon Lord army.

“During the last expedition, every legion had gathered at Bruno Plains. This was because the humans had gathered their armies at the plains first. It went against our first plan, but when you consider the grand goal of getting rid of our enemy’s main forces, this was the right choice.”

Dantalian smiled.

“We gloriously won and managed to establish a bridgehead on the continent for the first time in history. However, there was one legion that did not take even a single step til the very end.”

“…….”

“Your Highness Baal, it was the 7th legion which you led.”

Everyone knew of this, but no one had pointed it out. That was because it would be reckless to reprimand Baal.

“I am certain that you did not forget who it was that announced the 8th Crescent Alliance expedition. Your Highness Baal was the one who called for the Crescent Alliance here in this very place. Nonetheless, only the one who decided upon the war did not move…….”

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Dantalian put his hands behind his back as he walked around the ballroom.

“What could have happened? Even Her Highness Gamigin’s 5th legion which was supporting us from the rear came and participated in the battle. Your Highness Baal was the only one who remained in place as if the war did not matter. Although it seems Your Highness Baal prefers admiration, I will give you my honest opinion.”

Dantalian glanced at Baal.

“Your action had no trace of responsibility and was both cowardly and dirty.”

The crowd went cold due to the excessively rude comment.

“A hundred thousand demons bled as they fought. Your Highness, they had died because of the war that you decided upon. Despite this, the person who caused this sat in his Demon Lord Castle and spent his time peacefully…….”

Dantalian sneered openly.

“You are the strongest warrior in the Demon Lord army? Pardon me, but I believe there is something wrong. I did not know that a cowardly and dirty person could be called a warrior.”

“You, damn baboon!”

Dantalian spoke calmly before Vassago could get worked up.

“Outsiders should remain still. I am currently standing here as the representative of the hundred thousand demons that bled and died. I have no intention of facing a coward who abandoned vampires to save his own life.”

“What……?”

Vassago paused. Shock spread across the young noble’s face.

“You, what are you saying……?”

“The wisest and fairest Demon Lord, Rank 3 Vassago. That is your title.”

Dantalian chuckled.

“There is no comedy as comedic as this. A coward who breaks his promises and runs away if danger approaches and quickly offers up his rank if a Demon Lord stronger than him appears, is that supposed to be wise? Well, I guess that is wise in a way. I wish to learn from you.”

Dantalian was smiling like a good-natured person the entire time he spoke.

“Your Highness Vassago, if you do not wish for me to disclose what you did to the Azure Moon clan, then please be quiet. If you do not mind having your reputation plummet, then please do continue.”

Vassago shut his mouth. His fists shook, but that was it.

“Mm.”

Dantalian gave a satisfied nod.

“Pardon me, Your Highness Baal. There was some noisy barking, so I had to chase it away. Please forgive me.”

“Very well, then. I forgive you.”

Baal agreed as if he were amused.

“What is my second serious crime?”

“Your second serious crime is the fact that you sat idly by as the Demon Lord army was divided. Three years ago, Her Highness Agares led an army with the clear intent to rebel. This was an act that benefited the enemy as it completely destroyed our banner as the united Crescent Alliance.”

Dantalian continued as he slowly walked through the room.

“At the time, Your Highness had the role of mediating the discourse. However, Your Highness showed us the perfect example of avoiding one’s responsibilities. You truly did nothing at all.”

“…….”

“With this, the conclusion is simple. Your Highness, not only do you have no interest in the success of the Crescent Alliance, but you do not care if the Crescent Alliance becomes divided. The fact that we are leaving the leader position to such an individual is by far the greatest joke.”

Baal raised the corners of his mouth.

“What do you intend to do if everything you said is true? Are you going to punish me?”

“Naturally, punishment should follow. However, these are still minor cases. Your Highness’ true crime is something else.”

“Oh. my true crime?”

Dantalian nodded.

“Yes. It is because Your Highness intentionally remained idle. You did not do this for some simple reason like preserving your troops while the other Demon Lords used up theirs. A slightly worse reason is hidden behind this.”

Dantalian smiled.

“Your Highness Baal, you are intentionally waiting for the other Demon Lords to turn against you.”

The Demon Lords who were holding their breaths scowled.

He intentionally waited for others to turn against him? What does that mean?

“Everyone else is most likely not aware of this, but I am. You let Her Highness Paimon do as she pleased and you overlooked Her Highness Agares’ actions for an extremely selfish reason. Your Highness has continued to stir up the other Demon Lords.”

Stop holding back and explode.

Rise up because of this irrational tyranny.

“You declared the Crescent Alliance expedition by yourself when it would normally require a majority vote. The supreme commander who should have charged forward before anyone else, did not budge an inch. The person who should have been the stern judge and given a fair punishment stayed silent……. You kept stirring up the other Demon Lords.”

As if he wanted them to be filled with discontent and burn with anger.

“This is because you are too powerful.”

“…….”

“You must have been bored, right? It is not hard to imagine what sort of life you must have gone through climbing up to your position after being born as a low-tier demon. Every single day must have been a struggle and a war of its own. You most likely cannot forget about those difficult times. Yes, I understand. You are a warmonger, after all.”

Dantalian was approaching Baal step by step as Baal listened to him calmly.

“You most likely cannot forget the excitement that comes from when a person challenges you to a battle to the death. After reaching Rank 1 and becoming known as the Great Demon Lord or the second coming of Angol Mois, you are probably bored of being called this all the time.”

Dantalian stood in front of Baal.

“I will now reveal your third crime. Baal, you are the culprit who cut the supply lines during the 2nd Crescent Alliance expedition 1,800 years ago.”

The Demon Lords stirred.

1,800 years ago, the 1st legion which consisted of Barbatos-Marbas-Paimon, swept through the nations on the surface. However, they ended up getting wiped out after their supply lines were cut off. At the time, the culprit was claimed to have been the human knights.

The reason the Demon Lord army was split apart into the Plains Faction, Neutral Faction, and the Mountain Faction━.

Was because of none other than Rank 1 Baal, this was what Dantalian was declaring.

“It was already predetermined that you would be the one to sit on the throne if the continent were conquered at the time. The people would have served under a single Demon Lord and an era of peace would have arrived. However, you did not want this.”

“…….”

“Do you not desire an eternal struggle? Do you not long for a scenery where only the strong survive and they swing their swords at your tyranny?”

Dantalian spread his arms out.

“That is why I prepared this. Baal, if you answer with ‘yes’ here, then━the scenario that you dreamed of will unfold. Barbatos will despise you. Paimon will resent you. Marbas will scorn you. Do you understand?”

He spoke as if he were whispering.

“The strongest Demon Lords will aim for your heart.”

“…….”

“There is finally only a single step left. One last step. It is fine to be happy. I, the weakest and lowest Demon Lord, Dantalian, have prepared this all for you. Now then, Baal. Please answer.”

Dantalian smiled widely.

“Are you the dirty son of a bitch who broke apart the Crescent Alliance for the sake of satisfying your petty and selfish fighting spirit?”

Baal then.

“……Kuhu.”

The Rank 1 Great Demon Lord laughed.

“Kuhahahahaha━!”

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