Chapter 285

At that moment, Mart Sevec had no intention of hiding his cards.

Not because he was reckless.

But because his current decision required him to demonstrate his power so that those who had voluntarily attended the Grand Ceremony would put their doubts aside.

"Beyond the borders, I can sense the constant movement of various forces, but those are not the forces I need to worry about; still, those who remain hidden refuse to reveal themselves," Mart thought as he withdrew his "Perception of All Things" once more.

For Mart, individuals like the one who had previously expanded his magical perception were the ones he wanted to uncover.

Only when all the cards were on the table would he feel more confident.

But he also understood that if these hidden and powerful individuals had remained hidden for so long, they weren't going to reveal themselves easily.

He shook his head and made his way down to the garden of his grand mansion.

...

"The growth of that marquis's power is astonishing; are you sure he isn't a demon hiding behind a false identity?" asked a demon wearing a dark robe and hood.

Another demon shook his head and replied:

"No, he is the young marquis of the Sevec lineage; of that I can be certain. As for his rapid rise in Power Rank, it must be due to some ancient legacy," said the demon with gray goat horns.

Mozert Cromert shook his head upon hearing the words of the Warlock Cabrat Vercen.

As a remnant of the Cudernic, his goal was to restore the Cudernic's former glory, and demons like Mart were merely a very annoying obstacle.

At that moment, enveloped in white clouds over the territory of the Republic of Argariz, both demons were engulfed in a dark mist and then vanished.

But a faint dark trail remained among those white clouds.

...

The hours passed.

The streets of the capital were filled with demons.

It looked like a huge festival was underway.

The Grand Ceremony would take place under the night sky.

Heading toward the territory of the Argariz Republic, in the capital, the Councilors remained gathered in an extraordinary session.

Following the uproar caused by the marquis's actions,

they had already decided to condemn those actions.

Now the crucial issue they were discussing was how to carry out punitive measures against the marquis.

War against the territory of Marquis Mart Sevec was inevitable.

But given the display of power, punishment could only be meted out if they had the power to do so.

Although some of the councilors held the Seventh Rank (Advanced), none of them volunteered to lead the attack against the rebellious marquisate.

And it was necessary for at least six councilors to participate in the mobilization of the Argariz Republic's troops.

Because, as the Marquis of Sevec demonstrated, he held power in the eighth Rank.

It was necessary for the councilors to draw upon the treasures of the Republican Vault.

That Vault contained secret demonic artifacts dating back to the era of the First Emperor, and some of even older origin.

Among them were "named demonic artifacts."

And those "Named Artifacts" could only be used by the Councilors of the Republic.

That was a fundamental law established by the Republican Council.

However, the Councilors wielded great power and wealth.

It was obvious that none of them wished to risk their lives against an enemy whose power and abilities were not fully known.

"Councilor Granz Zelf has always made clear his opposition to demons who retain their noble titles, and he has even repeatedly expressed his opposition to Marquis Sevec. Councilor Zelf, why don't you volunteer right now?"

Councilor Daeva's mischievous, feminine voice echoed through the Council chamber.

And although her words were directed solely at Councilman Granz Zelf, those council members in Councilman Zelf's faction felt uncomfortably or annoyingly alluded to.

Councilman Granz Zelf felt the pressure mounting on him.

Sweat trickled down his tanned face.

He pulled out a handkerchief, wiped away the sweat, and cast a subtle glance toward the box where Councilman Balnud was seated.

"Councilor Daeva, you must remember that this is a delicate situation that leaves no room for error, and since I was the victim of a treacherous curse cast by that rebellious demon, I believe it would be risky for me to be part of the army that will carry out the deserved punishment against the marquis," Granz Zelf said in a solemn tone.

"Councilor Zelf, are you telling us that if it weren't for the danger posed by that curse, you would volunteer?" asked Councilor Daeva in an inquiring tone.

Councilor Granz Zelf felt trapped by his own words, but with no other choice, he accepted that Councilor Daeva's words were correct.

A white, full-length dress hugging a beautiful, slender figure adorned the demon woman named Daeva, whose face was covered by a white veil and whose head was draped in a hood of the same color.

Councilwoman Daeva stood up in her box, bowed to the Senior Councilors, and then asked in a calm but respectful tone:

"Senior Councilors, is Councilor Zelf still under the influence of the curse or some spell cast by Marquis Sevec?"

There was a silence that lasted only seconds, but to everyone it felt like minutes.

The Senior Councilor, who had not yet acted, opened his right eye, and a purple light shone.

It was but an instant, yet Councilor Zelf felt as if his very essence had been laid bare.

That sensation sent a deep chill through him.

"No, there are no traces of spells… or curses affecting Councilor Zelf…," said a very elderly voice from that lofty box.

Councilor Granz Zelf, once he sensed that the Senior Councilor's "powerful demonic perception" had ceased, felt the urge to insult Councilor Daeva.

Councilor Daeva sat back down and then said in a mischievous voice:

"We thank Councilor Zelf as one of the volunteers who will lead the Republican army."

Granz Zelf heard a subtle chuckle coming from Councilwoman Daeva's box, and that made him even angrier.

But at that moment, following the intervention of one of the Senior Councilors, he no longer had any grounds to refuse.

To do otherwise would be to offend the very authority of one of the Senior Councilors.

At times, he glanced toward Councilor Balnud's box.

But the support never came.

After a few minutes of silence,

Councilor Granz Zelf, against his will, agreed to be one of the volunteers who would lead the Republican army.

And with Councilor Zelf's decision, the councilors of his faction were swept along with him.