Chapter 275

Benjac looked away so as not to see his father, and Teraz could only sigh. He didn’t want to see his two sons fighting each other in a war, but now it seemed inevitable.

"Young Mart Sevec, I hereby formally present you with the letter sent by the Republican Council."

Mart smiled again; he immediately realized that the demon standing before him was nothing more than a coward who was shifting responsibility for the letter’s contents onto the entire Republican Council—but that only made Mart want to kill him even more.

Mart took the letter and used his "Perception of All Things"; then, upon realizing there was no danger, he opened the letter and once again sensed a presence coming from the direction of the capital of the Argariz Republic.

Mart read the contents of the letter; it was essentially a resolution accusing him of various crimes, including rebellion against the Republic...

At the end of the letter, Mart Sevec was instructed to renounce his noble title and immediately cede control of the territory to Governor Benjac Sevec.

According to that resolution, if Mart agreed to comply with the request, his allies would be pardoned and only he would be brought to trial before the Republican Council.

"I must say that this would strike fear into the heart of anyone who lacked sufficient power," Mart thought to himself. He then handed the letter to Moraf and instructed him to deliver it to Teraz Sevec.

"According to that resolution, you will declare me a rebel leader in charge of a Rebel State. Can I interpret that as a declaration of war?"

Mart Sevec’s gaze grew firm and intense.

Granz Zelf took a deep breath and felt his demonic energy fluctuate.

"That is what the Republican Council dictates," said Councilman Granz, trying to remain firm, though there was already a trace of fear in his voice.

Mart Sevec shook his head as he watched the councilman try to wash his hands of the matter.

"It seems war is inevitable."

Mart stood up, raised his left hand, and in an instant, three blades of concentrated demonic energy appeared.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three thunderous explosions; a cold sweat ran down the councilman’s body.

The heads of the three Baratrense commanders had exploded, splattering Councilman Granz’s white robe with blood and brains.

Councilman Granz was trembling and sweating; three Seventh-Rank demons had been slain in an instant.

"Just how powerful is this marquis?" The councilman couldn’t find any answers; he could only watch as the marquis walked away until he reached his demonic vehicle.

"Councilman, is something wrong?"

Granz Zelf trembled upon hearing the voice of one of the three commanders; then he felt even more lost—standing beside him were the three Baratrenses commanders and Benjac Sevec.

"Are we all dead?" That question caused the demonic energy within the councilman to fluctuate uncontrollably due to his increasingly intense fear.

...

[Sloth Trait Deactivated]

The demonic vehicle had already driven away from the border.

Mart had a golden handkerchief over his mouth; after wiping away the blood, he summoned a dark fire to consume every trace of the handkerchief.

"It seems those 15 attribute points I gained aren’t enough to offset the use of the Eighth-Rank ’Max Point’."

[Greed Trait Activated]

Mart shook his head. Although the demonic cores of the three "Baratrense Commanders" seemed tempting, he wasn’t going to be the one to make the first move that would start a war between his territory and the territory of those demons who were against him.

[Greed Trait Deactivated]

...

That night, inside a white military tent equipped with every comfort, once the Councilman had managed to shake off his confusion and fear, he contacted the other council members, who were gathered in the capital of the Republic.

Granz Zelf informed them that Marquis Sevec was prepared to wage war if the Republican Council so desired.

After making that announcement, Granz Zelf hurried back to the capital of the "Argariz Republic," where, in the days that followed, an extraordinary council meeting would be held to decide how to subdue the Rebel State and its leader, the demon Mart Sevec.

...

Teraz Sevec looked pensive.

At that moment, Balac Sevec entered the military tent where he was.

"It’s difficult, but it’s no longer your decision; he’s made his choice, and now everything will depend on how he carries it out," Balac said, looking at his son, who was sitting behind a simple desk.

Teraz watched as Balac sat down in a chair; he shook his head:

"He’s my son, too. It’s hard to imagine anything bad happening to him."

"He’s my grandson, too, but..." Balac looked at his son, "It was he who decided to ally himself with our enemies."

Teraz remained silent for a long time.

And Balac conjured a glass bottle containing his prized golden liquor.

...

In the Presial Kingdom.

Prince Absab had become regent until his father awoke from the coma caused by his injuries and a violent mana reaction.

Meanwhile, Prince Absab remained at the borders, protecting his territory.

He ordered the construction of several underground temples to honor Mephistopheles.

Prince Absab had heard the reports from Lord Disav and Lord Danev, and he knew that a powerful demon had come to his father’s aid when he was surrounded by the mighty commanders of the imperial army. And for Prince Absab, there was only one demon capable of facing several imperial commanders at once; for that reason, he felt grateful to Mephistopheles.

Even so, he wasn’t too extreme, which is why the temples would only be accessible to select groups willing to shift their beliefs toward a new faith.

"If you are the Demon God of Prosperity and Misery, I will ensure that misery befalls the Empire and that my kingdom prospers."

That was the thought running through Prince Absab’s mind as he walked through his army’s military camp, where reinforcements had arrived, sent by some of the lords who had remained neutral until then.

"Your Highness, Lord Disav sent a letter. He has now joined forces with two lords of lesser rank to take control of Lord Miller’s territory, as Lord Miller closed the gates of his capital city and refused to pay compensation for his cowardly acts."

After hearing Commander Rellington’s words, Prince Absab simply nodded.

Commander Rellington bowed and withdrew alongside two soldiers who were protecting him, as he had lost his magic circles while leading his troops in a desperate attempt to save and protect King Sition.

"He is a skilled man, just what Mephistopheles told me I needed to find; but without his control over mana, his life will be very short." That thought made Prince Absab sigh, given the many hardships he had faced in such a short time and as he thought about those he would have to face in the future.