Chapter 276: I´ts Showtime

After the small altercation in the throne room, both parties moved to the meeting room so they could talk calmly.

At first, the atmosphere was just as uncomfortable as one might expect.

Mark’s wives didn’t take their eyes off the Demon Lord’s subordinates, and they, for their part, didn’t seem particularly comfortable being there either.

There were suspicious glances, tense silences, and more than one biting comment.

But in the end, after a couple of minutes of that tension going nowhere, both sides decided the best thing for everyone was simply to act as if nothing had happened between them.

After all, they had several matters to discuss, and none of them were going to get resolved if they kept staring at each other like cats and dogs.

"The plan is very simple," Angelica said. "All you have to do is fight the ’leader’ of the wild demi-humans in the south. The more spectacular, exaggerated, and dramatic it turns out, the better."

"Okay?" Mark said, somewhat confused.

"Demi-humans only recognize brute strength," Angelica explained. "You can offer them gold, promises, or titles, and you won’t get anywhere. So if you want them to follow you, you first have to prove you’re stronger than any of them."

She rested her hands on the table and laced her fingers together.

"The good news is one of our associates already did you the favor of unifying all of those tribes under his command," she continued. "So all you have to do is ’defeat’ him, and with that, all those savages will fall in line and obey you without question."

"It’s a good plan..." Mark admitted.

"Were you doubting it?" Angelica said proudly. "That plan was born from my mistress’s mind, so perfection was the bare minimum to expect."

She went back to her serious tone.

"Now then, there’s one important detail, for the spectacle to work, you need someone capable of unleashing enough destruction to leave them all speechless."

She fixed her gaze on him.

"Tell me, Emperor of Death. Do you have a subordinate capable of something like that? Someone who could put on a display of that magnitude?"

Mark stayed thinking for a few seconds, because that decision was far more important than it seemed.

He didn’t just need someone strong, but someone capable of turning that fight into such an overwhelming display of power that no savage would ever again question who was the strongest.

And the ideal candidate, without a doubt, was Rose.

With the level of magic she possessed, a single spell would be enough to turn that battle into an unforgettable show of force and bring every one of those savages to their knees.

But Rose was out of the question.

Not because she couldn’t do it, but because Mark wasn’t willing to take the slightest risk with her while she was pregnant.

Which left only one viable option.

He swept his gaze over his wives, who were watching the conversation from the side, until his eyes landed on Alice.

If she unleashed all that strength without restraint, the battle would become a display of power no demi-human would ever forget.

"Yeah, Alice can handle it without a problem," Mark replied with confidence. "With her power, putting on a show that leaves those savages trembling will be a piece of cake."

Alice, hearing her name, straightened up with a mix of surprise and pride, clearly pleased to have been chosen over her companions.

"In that case, there’s just one last matter to cover," Rudolf cut in, who had stayed relatively quiet up to that point.

"Which is?" Mark asked.

"Another reincarnated person has arrived in this world..." Angelica replied bluntly.

Angelica’s words completely changed the mood in the room.

The tension returned instantly, and Mark’s wives stopped listening idly and gave their full attention.

"I see," Mark said calmly. "And what are you planning to do about him? What’s the plan?"

"For the moment, there’s nothing to do," Angelica replied with a shrug.

"Huh?"

"My mistress is still investigating what his true intentions are," she explained. "Who he is, what he wants, who he works for, how dangerous he is."

"..."

"So acting before we have that information would be premature, and my mistress never acts blindly. So until we know more, we’ll keep him under observation and nothing else."

"I understand," he said, letting out a sigh. "But if you can, I’d appreciate it if you kept me informed on whatever happens with him."

"Any particular reason for that much interest?" Rudolf asked.

"Because the last reincarnated person I crossed paths with tried to kill me the moment he laid eyes on me," Mark replied dryly.

Rudolf let out a small amused laugh.

"Your only concern right now should be completing your current mission," Angelica replied with a frown. "My mistress and the rest of us will handle the other reincarnated one, and if at any point we determine he’s a threat, we’ll let you know."

"Thanks..."

"Are we finished, then?" Rudolf said, getting to his feet with a fluid motion. "I believe we’ve covered everything we needed to."

Angelica rose beside him.

"Looks that way," she said. "The plan is clear, you have your ’performer’ for the show, and we’ll take care of the rest. There’s not much more to add."

"In that case I suppose this is goodbye," he said, also getting to his feet. "Thanks for coming to explain the details, and please also tell the Demon Lord that—"

"See you soon."

Rudolf ignored him completely, and the moment he spoke those words, two portals of darkness opened at once.

One beneath their feet and the other suspended in the air, right above their heads.

Then both portals began to move.

The lower one rose while the upper one slowly descended, closing in over them until the darkness swallowed them both completely.

An instant later, the two portals met at the midpoint and disappeared along with Rudolf and Angelica, leaving no trace of their presence whatsoever.

The room fell silent until Aria slumped back against her chair with a huff.

"I don’t like them one bit..." she said, crossing her arms with obvious annoyance.

"Couldn’t agree more," Ely seconded.