Chapter 87: Forgive my insolence, but this only concerns our Clans

He turned to hand it to the prince, but the latter had just pulled a small notebook from his back pocket... It seemed they weren’t looking for the same thing. The notebook was intact, not a single page torn despite the violence of the explosion that had reduced the prince’s clothes to shreds.

’Huh?’ Daemon thought, narrowing his eyes. "Your notebook is made of special material to have survived that explosion without even a trace of burns?"

Siegfried sheathed Gram at his belt: "Hum... It’s a notebook where I write down very important information..."

"I see," Daemon murmured, unable to stop himself from casting a furtive glance at the small notebook Siegfried was holding carefully. In this environment of death, Daemon expected to discover state secrets, tactical maps of Byzantia, or perhaps crucial information on the movements of various nobles across Hundun.

However, as his golden eyes fell on the open page, ’Huh?!’ Daemon exclaimed internally, his eyebrows suddenly furrowing.

"Top 10 hottest chicks of the Magic Clan?"

"Aaah... Lord Daemon has a sharp eye! Hehe. I see you’re interested," Siegfried exclaimed, his heterochromatic eyes lighting up with a sudden excitement that instantly swept away his awkward air. He approached Daemon and showed him the notebook in more detail.

"You see, Daemon, I’ve ranked all the chicks from the different clans and the nobility. I’m only missing those from the Sorcery Clan... It’s pretty hard to get close to them."

Daemon stared at the numbered lists.

[Top 10 hottest chicks of the Magic Clan

1- Lady Victoria Drigan (10/10)

2- Lady Jenn Sunhall (9/10)...]

"Wait, you haven’t seen everything... I have a special category for their strong points..." Siegfried continued, a lecherous smile stretching his lips. "Like here, you can see that Lady Victoria’s strong point is her slender silhouette and her plump mouth. Her curves are a true masterpiece of nature, don’t you think? And for Lady Jenn, it’s without a doubt her big ass—"

"Wowow... Just... Keep your notebook... Uh, imperial prince..." Daemon interrupted him, raising his hands. He recalled the image he had formed of Siegfried a few minutes earlier, that of a misunderstood and lonely prince.

’I was wrong... This awkward guy doesn’t resemble me at all!’ Daemon, who until then had harbored a certain resentment toward the Empress for the contempt she showed her son, suddenly understood her point of view. If Siegfried spent his time cataloguing the physical assets of the Ladies instead of training in swordsmanship, it wasn’t surprising that his family considered him a failure.

Nevertheless, Siegfried didn’t seem at all bothered by his companion’s discomfort, leafing through it with nostalgia. "Speaking of which, Lord Daemon, I heard you were engaged to Lady Victoria in the past... So, tell me a bit, how is she?"

Daemon remained silent, his golden eyes fixed on the prince. "How is she?"

"Hehehe... You know very well what I’m talking about..." Siegfried insisted, giving him a conspiratorial elbow nudge. "Is she as fiery as she looks? I need this confidential information to complete my technical file. Science demands precision, my dear Dagon."

"I have no idea what you’re getting at. And even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you... Put away that perverted expression, Your Majesty... It’s frankly embarrassing for everyone," Daemon answered.

Siegfried let out a long sigh. "Hum, you’re right... I probably crossed the line. Besides, if I understood the rumors circulating correctly, you’re no longer a couple. Too bad for you and a windfall for me~"

Daemon rolled his eyes; for the first time in his life, he had the impression of being the most mature person in the room, a feeling completely foreign to someone who had spent years being designated as the little shit of the Sword Clan. ’As Persephone liked to say, even when you’re a piece of shit, you always end up finding an even more pathetic piece of shit than yourself,’ he thought bitterly.

"Prince, we should focus," Daemon said in a serious tone. "We need to find a place to rest and wait for Victoria to wake up. It’s not safe here, this floor is full of Third Sense Daugrs and—"

Before he could finish his warning, a crack of rubble under a boot echoed behind them. Daemon spun around, his katana drawn in a fraction of a second.

"Lord Kellen was really right... Persephone’s son is indeed in the Catacombs..."

"Who goes there?" Daemon asked. He didn’t need an answer to guess the origin of the intruders. Through the gloom, he saw the reflections of spear tips and the characteristic crests of the Spear Clan. About twenty men emerged from the shadows.

Seeing the clear hostile intent of the newcomers, Siegfried instantly changed his attitude. "Identify yourselves immediately. You stand in the presence of a prince of the Eastern Empire."

The man at the head of the group took a step forward. He had an athletic build and metallic gray eyes.

"It turns out the imperial prince was also present... What an unfortunate coincidence," the man answered with a touch of irony. "I am Gelius Vau Tristan... The son of the Second Lancer of the Spear Clan."

’He’s the right-hand man of the Spear Clan heir... This bastard has been after me from the start?’ Daemon thought, adjusting his guard.

"Ah..." Siegfried added casually, though his hand tightened on Gram’s hilt. "You must be the brother of the guy who got imprisoned for attacking the headquarters of the Knights of the Round Table?"

Gelius’s face tensed, a vein pulsing on his temple. "Hum... That’s exactly right, Your Majesty."

"So what do you want from us?"

"Forgive my insolence, but this only concerns our Clans," Gelius retorted, pointing his spear at Daemon. "The imperial family has no need to interfere in a revenge affair that has lasted for generations. Hand over the Dagon to us, and you can leave with the Magic Clan girl."

Daemon clenched his teeth. The Spear Clan had clearly planned everything to harm the Sword Clan in the depths of the Catacombs, where no rule of the Hundun Assembly could be applied with certainty. ’If Gelius was here with twenty men, where was the rest of their forces?’