The representatives of two similarly sized factions gathered in one place. A highly symbolic meeting that could shake the entire current political landscape of the Demon Realm.
However, the atmosphere they exuded was starkly different, making it seem awkward for them to be in the same place.
"Nice to meet you! This is the first time I'm seeing you in person. My name is Hela. Pleased to meet you!"
A beautiful woman, whose mere presence seemed to brighten the surroundings, greeted them with a friendly smile. The pair of horns extending from her head and her heterochromatic eyes only added a unique charm to the strange aura surrounding her. She waved lightly and entered the room.
"Have a seat."
On the other hand, the demeanor of the one already seated was utterly bland. No, beyond bland, he exuded a dreariness that seemed to drain the color from the world just by being there. The hem of his pitch-black robe trailed along the floor, and he wore the skull of a goat, its horns curved downwards, over his head.
His appearance was as gloomy as any lich. An inexplicable sense of rivalry stirred within Hela.
'What a looker. And look closely, that's not even a mask, is it? His head is actually shaped like that!'
There were humanoid demons, beast-type demons, so it wasn't strange for there to be undead-type demons. Since undead inherently had a strong negative aspect, they were quite compatible with demons.
'But no matter how I look at it, he doesn't seem like a typical undead.'
She couldn't be mistaken, as she was an expert, if not the world's foremost authority, on the undead.
Shadow Duke Pieta was in a peculiar state where only parts of his body, including his head, were undead, while other parts functioned relatively normally.
'Interesting. Undead flesh and living tissue coexisting within a single entity.'
This was likely possible only because they were demons, not ordinary living beings. Hela's eyes gleamed with intellectual curiosity as she examined him. Even though she had been in the Demon Realm for a while, this was the first time she had encountered such a unique being.
"···Staring like that at our first meeting is considered rude."
Of course, such a gaze was bound to be unpleasant for the person in question. Unable to bear her rude behavior, the Shadow Duke finally spoke.
"Oh, sorry! I was so fascinated that I couldn't control my curiosity."
"I understand. Demi-Corpses are quite rare, even in the Demon Realm."
"Thanks for understanding. But that head is really cool! Honestly, it's totally my style."
"···Thank you."
"I'm not just saying that to be polite. Actually, I'd love to···."
Hela, who had been showering him with compliments, trailed off. She almost blurted out that she wanted to rip his head off and hang it on the wall as a decoration! Even she, who didn't care much for others' opinions, knew that such a remark would be inappropriate in this situation.
'No, no. I'm not here to fight.'
It wasn't time to fight him yet. Swallowing the rest of her words, she smiled again and smoothly changed the subject.
"···Oh! My bad. This is Davidson. Isn't he cute?"
"KAKAKAT!"
As if agreeing, the three heads opened their mouths wide, revealing their vicious teeth. The crimson flames still flickered deep within their throats. Whether it was effective or not, Pieta, seemingly unbothered by Hela's unfinished remark, showed interest in Davidson.
"That's hellfire. Could it be a variant of Cerberus? No, it seems closer to a Chimera···."
For him, who specialized in magic, an unknown being was a good subject that could satisfy both his interest and thirst for knowledge. Moreover, the creature was clearly a formidable monster. If it weren't for this occasion, he would have used any means necessary to obtain that creature as a test subject.
'Of course, what I'm really interested in is her.'
Pieta's gaze, which had been observing Davidson with interest, shifted to Hela, who was affectionately patting her pet monster's back. As expected, no matter how many times he checked, the result was the same.
'There's no doubt. That's definitely the presence of a Demon King. And her appearance resembling the 14th so much···.'
Like a law, the unique presence of a Demon King, destined to reign over the inhabitants of the Demon Realm, pressed upon his body and soul. For him, a Duke, it was merely uncomfortable, but combined with that unique 'allure', it would be the worst kind of mental attack for demons below the rank of Marquis.
Not only would a proper fight be impossible, but just being in the same space would unknowingly sway them to her side. No, it was even more dangerous if they were already charmed but remained without showing it.
It was practically a cheat ability that prevented her subordinates' intervention by her mere existence.
'And she strengthens her followers even further. As expected, it's completely unfair. I barely managed to deal with the 14th, so why has another successor appeared?'
His head spun with various thoughts, but he suppressed them for now. That wasn't important right now.
"Then let's get down to business. You want Helheim to inherit the alliance contract between Demoniac and Abnormal?"
The priority was to solve the immediate problem. The gap between Dark Nest and the other two factions had long since widened to the point where a direct confrontation was impossible. Without close cooperation, they would have been swallowed whole by the overwhelming number one long ago.
Therefore, re-establishing the relationship with the faction whose leader had changed was the top priority in this situation.
"That's only natural, right? Otherwise, it would be too difficult to oppose them. I don't want to crumble so easily after having come this far."
And it was the same for Helheim, which was rapidly gaining power. However, they couldn't just absorb Demoniac as they did with Abnormal. Now that the element of surprise was gone, the Shadow Duke wouldn't go down easily, and Dark Nest, waiting for an opportunity, wouldn't overlook the gap created by the chaos.
'I had a feeling, but as expected, the timing isn't right. I even brought Davidson along just in case there was an opportunity to strike.'
Learning from the previous case with Monstrous Duke Syphar, Shadow Duke Pieta had thoroughly planned this meeting. To ensure his own safety under any circumstances. Rashly provoking him in this situation would be playing into Dark Nest's hands.
'Well, it can't be helped. For now, I have no choice but to maintain the balance and wait for an opportunity.'
Since she had achieved her initial goal of absorbing Abnormal, the current situation wasn't too bad. This precarious balance wouldn't last long anyway.
"···As you already know, the white monsters constantly supplied by Dark Nest are taking a toll on the soldiers on the battlefield. If this continues, there's a high chance we'll collapse from exhaustion before we can even counterattack."
To avoid such a difficult situation, close cooperation between the second and third largest factions was necessary. Unlike the two Dukes, who had a long history of animosity, Hela was a newcomer who had disrupted all existing relationships.
Thanks to this shared interest, the discussion about cooperation between the two factions proceeded smoothly. The content wasn't particularly complex, mostly consisting of an agreement to refrain from internal conflicts until Dark Nest was defeated, so the negotiations concluded quickly.
"···I'll overlook the fact that you took those under Demoniac. Our positions and the situation have changed since then. But that's as far as it goes. If you reach out to this side any further···."
"Ehem! Don't worry about it. I'm someone who lives by trust and faith."
Although there were some things that pricked her conscience, nothing was a problem until it was discovered. Hela, thinking that she needed to warn the already persuaded individuals to stay put once more, shook hands with Pieta.
'But···.'
'Whenever the opportunity arises.'
Of course, it was just for show. They had no intention of maintaining this relationship for long.
'In the long run, she's a bigger threat than Dark Nest. I need to prepare from now on to nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand.'
'I know what you're thinking even if I can't see your expression because you're a skeleton.'
Pieta and Hela, each dreaming of different things.
"KAKAKAKAT—!"
With a time bomb that could explode at any moment.
A temporary alliance with the enemy began.
***
Tarak, a major city located in the northern part of the Tulke Kingdom.
Flash
A holy light emanated from the gate in the basement of the Tarak Temple, which saw increased visitors as the city grew. Three figures emerged from beyond the light. They exchanged greetings with the temple staff and stepped outside, facing the dramatically developed metropolis.
"It hasn't been that long since I was last here, but it has developed remarkably."
Isea Pristine, the petite Archmage, let out a soft exclamation of admiration as she looked around the city. This was her first time visiting since defeating the colossal white giant that attacked the city. Back then, the entire city had been in chaos, and many areas were damaged in the aftermath of the great battle. Seeing the current splendor of the cityscape, it was hard to recall its former state.
"Indeed, it's a spectacular sight. I thought it was quite a large city back then, but to think it has developed this much in just over a year. I wish the Saintess could have come with us."
High Elf Lydia Granwood spoke with a hint of regret, echoing Iseah's sentiment. Having overcome all sorts of hardships together as the female trio of the Hero's party, they had become close friends. Lydia felt somewhat disappointed that the Saintess had been preoccupied with other duties recently.
"The Saintess has a lot on her plate. Well, in fact, our visit here is also an extension of that, isn't it?"
And following them.
A man in a baggy robe slowly stepped forward, his voice gentle. Radiant silver hair peeking out from under his hood, and golden eyes sparkling beautifully as if they held the sun.
It was Saint Heinrich Saint Landguard of the Main God's Church, the largest religion in Auterica.
"We haven't yet identified the nature of the unknown threat that the Saintess sensed. So, let's all stay alert and continue our investigation with utmost vigilance."
"You're absolutely right."
"Understood, Saint."
"Ah, let's drop the 'Saint' title for now. It's best to conceal our identities if possible. Not many would immediately associate the name Heinrich with the Saint, so please call me by my name."
The appearance of Saint Heinrich, who had already gained considerable fame, and the Hero's party, could become a major issue in the city in itself. It would be best to conceal their identities for a smooth investigation.
"If you intend to hide your identity, you should cover your face properly. The hood won't do anything for you, Sir Heinrich."
"That's right. And even if we ignore the hair, your eyes are too striking···."
"Ahaha··· I can't help it if they don't hide themselves as I wish."
Heinrich chuckled awkwardly at his companions' remarks. The darkness of the hood didn't help him much, as he glowed like a human lighthouse even in the dark. Naturally, the hair and eyes blessed by divine miracles couldn't be concealed by dye or lenses.
"···Hmm, I suppose the best option is to find and wear a full suit of armor."
"You'll need to wear the helmet too."
Heinrich sighed softly at Lydia's innocent remark. Unless it was the 'Guardian of Glory', the finest armor provided by the Main God's Church, it wouldn't be comfortable to live in a normal full suit of armor. Still, since Tarak was a strategic point connected to the northern mountains, there were quite a few people walking around in full armor. It seemed like the best way to conceal his identity.
'It's much better than suspiciously wrapping my face with cloth.'
Heinrich nodded in agreement, clicking his tongue. He wondered if it was really necessary to go this far. Although he had told his companions to stay alert, he wasn't tense in the slightest.
It was only natural.
He already had a good idea of what the 'unknown threat' the Saintess had sensed was.
'She must have sensed the moment Hela appeared in Auterica. I tried to hide it so thoroughly. She's truly amazing.'
And that meant there was nothing left here now that Hela had returned to the Demon Realm. The security in the city was also extremely high, with hybrid vampires employed by the Hubert Company stationed everywhere as they began investing throughout the city.
'Well... shall we consider this a short vacation?'
He had been busy participating in every skirmish with the Undead Army recently, so it wouldn't be bad to spend a few days like this. It would also be a good opportunity to inspect how much Tarak had developed, instead of Hubert, who was always stuck in the office.
"By the way, what's that Harley fellow up to these days? No news from him?"
"He's the Mercenary King, after all. Perhaps he received a secret request somewhere?"
Thus, the Hero's party slowly entered the city center. Into one of the strongholds of Auterica firmly controlled by the Hubert Company, and the place where the unknown threat sensed by the Saintess lurked.