Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

937  Chapter 937- Two Dukes (2)

"Unlikely. Knowing her, there's always something more. A woman like her never plays a simple game. I'm sure she is up to something again. In the last Tea Party too she came up with something ridiculous. There is no doubt this time too she is planning something" Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Gelfor answered. As one of the oldest Demon Dukes who had lived for more than 2000 years, he knew all too well how cunning the Demon Lords were.

They were not just the epitome of strength but they were the peak of their kind. The demon lord of Lust, in particular, had been there since before the time he could remember.

Having lived such a long long life, she was not only extremely shrewd but an expert manipulator. There was no limit to what a being like that can do.

A master manipulator, someone who could weave her desires into the minds of others without them even realizing it.

Her Tea Parties were known for more than just frivolity—there were always deeper machinations at play, and those who attended could find themselves caught in a web of plots before they knew it.

He could tell because he had attended her party before.

"In the last Tea Party," Gelford continued, his voice lowering as if recalling a dangerous memory "she came up with something utterly ridiculous. She enjoys toying with the ambitions of others, using the smallest of indulgences to ignite greater flames. I have no doubt she is scheming something again."

Arctaurus furrowed his brows "Then this time too she is scheming something. That said, there is no refusing the invitation. I do not want to incur the wrath of one of the three primordial demon lords".

If Hexenact and Walpurgis were the assembly of the demons to do whatever they wanted, then the Tea Party was the event for 'her' to weave her desires.

"Father, do we need to fear her that much? Isn't the Demon Lord of Lust situated in the far off distant continent of Demihumans?"

Vargel, Gelford's eldest son spoke, breaking the tense atmosphere. His voice filled with youthful confidence. He leaned forward in his seat, his arms crossed over his chest, the arrogance of his strength and youth seeping into his tone.

From his point of view, the threat of someone so distant—across entire seas and continents—seemed like nothing to be concerned about. After all, how could someone like Lilith, who dwelled far beyond their lands, ever hope to influence the Demon Continent?

"Hmm?"

Arctaurus, the imposing Demon Duke, arched a brow at the young demon's words but said nothing. It was not his place to chastise Vargel, though his silence carried a weight that spoke volumes.

He'd seen too many brash, overconfident young demons fall because they underestimated their enemies.

Gelford's crimson eyes flicked to his son, and the room fell quiet. said, his deep voice filled with a calm authority.

"Distance means little when it comes to beings like the Demon Lords. Their reach is far greater than you can imagine. In fact, it's not about how far they are—it's about their power. You cannot underestimate these beings who sit at the top of the demon hierarchy. They reign above even the Demon Archdukes, and not without reason."

Unlike his son, he wasn't going to make the mistake of underestimating the Demon Lords. The beings who have transcended the limits of ordinary demons. The power they hold is tied to the Fragments of Sin—the ancient force which was still a mystery to the world.

There was no way of knowing what kind of unimaginable powers those fragments give them.

Gelford's gaze drifted for a moment as he recalled the scenes from not too long ago. In the Walpurgis and the Hexennacht where he met the one chosen by the Fragments of Envy, the Demon lord of Envy, Belial.

His power was beyond comprehension. His forces—his control over the minds of others—is something one cannot even begin to fathom.

Gelford who stood in his presence felt the weight of his aura alone nearly drive him to my knees. The power of a Demon Lord wasn't simply strength—it was an unshakable, oppressive force.

It wasn't just the Demon Lord of Envy, Sargel recalled a memory from a long time ago. At one point in time, he was fortunate enough to be present in an event where he was personally able to witness the famous Demon Lord that the world was talking about at one point in time.

"Procell…" Gelford whispered in a voice that only he could hear.

The name which was spoken in awe and fear throughout the Demon Continent. The Demon Lord of Greed, A demon who rose to power like a comet.

Gelford was fortunate enough—or perhaps, unfortunate—to have met him once. To be in his presence was to feel the vast gulf that exists between a Demon Lord and the rest of the demonkind to the point where it would immediately dishearten anyone.

His aura… it wasn't just power, it was consumption. He could feel the hunger in the air, the greed that sought to devour everything.

Procell's mere presence felt like standing in the shadow of something far beyond—a force of nature, something primal.

Gelford paused, his eyes flickering with the memory of that encounter. Even now, so many years later, the memory sent a cold shiver down his spine.

The terror and awe he had felt standing before Procell were unlike anything he had ever experienced. It was the moment he realized just how insignificant even a Demon Duke could feel before a true being of power.

"You must remember one thing Vargel, never underestimate a Demon ranking above you. Especially the ones who call themselves the Demon Lords" He spoke in a voice as serious as it could be.

Vargel swallowed, the weight of his father's words finally sinking in. For all his bravado, he had never experienced such power firsthand.

Other than the time where he saw the newly risen Demon Lord of Envy in which case he was very far back in the hall, he had never stood in the presence of a Demon Lord or felt the crushing weight of their aura.