Volume 4 Chapter 185: The Dark and Turbulent Night Before the Battle of Harvey Plains
Translator: The Light
Harvey Plains, on the hills where the Dark Humans’ camp was located, the two princesses of the Dark Human’s Venifreza Empire, Elsa and Erica, were currently feeling incredibly excited at summoning a new Demon King.
“Honorable Demon Kings, how may I address you?”
“Ahem... there are too many people here. Can the males give us some privacy? Leave the females here with me.”
“Well... alright. Didn’t you hear what Her Majesty just said? Warlocks, descend the mountain and wait for instructions. The witches will remain behind.”
Erica was a little confused at what these few Demon Kings meant. The last horrifying Demon King that they had summoned did not answer to their call this time. Back then, that Demon King did not make any requests for some of the wizards to leave. Erica guessed that different requests had been made because it they had summoned a different group of Demon Kings.
Bella sat at the position closest to the Dark Humans. She was pretending to be these Demon Kings, along with Dolores, Eleanor and Cornice. Technically, they were not impersonating anyone as they were actual Demon Kings. They had only forced their way into the front of the line.
Bella had only found out recently that one could cut to the front of the line during a Demon King’s summoning ceremony. In such situations where there were multiple groups fighting for the Demon King channel, the side with the largest number would be the one to appear.
There were only two Demon Kings in the other group when Bella and the others were fighting for the Demon King s.p.a.ce. Bella’s group was twice as large as the other and thus it came as no surprise when they won the owners.h.i.+p of the s.p.a.ce.
“Honorable Demon Kings, we have done as you instructed. Now, could you please tell us how we may address each of you?”
Erica and Elsa knelt on the carpet as they made their requests. When speaking with a Demon King, it was forbidden to ask for the Demon King’s true name and one was only allowed to ask for their t.i.tle. As for the Demon King’s true name, it would only be revealed to those the Demon King personally selected.
If the Demon King was unwilling to reveal his or her true name, it was taboo to ask for the Demon King’s name. One misstep and it would lead to certain death. Since Elsa and Erica were obviously aware of this, they did not ask for Bella’s nor her companions’ true names.
“I am a Demon King, no t.i.tle. The others are the Sky Demon King, Blood Demon King, and the Underworld Demon King. Right, what is the matter? Why have you summoned us here?”
Bella was in charge of pretending to be the Demon King as she was adept at fooling girls. As Dolores and the others had unanimously voted her to be the Head Demon King, there was no way that Bella could refuse and she graciously accepted this responsibility. Dolores, Eleanor, and Cornice would support her in keeping up the pretense.
Another important reason was that Dolores and the others did not know the Dark Human’ language, and would not understand anything that Elsa and Erica said. To prevent any slip-ups, they chose to remain silent, which would be the most effective method to maintaining their cover.
Those that were praying to Bella were definitely Dark Humans. She had a strong impression of the Dark Human’s ebony hair and black irises as she had a few witch ladies-in-waiting who were Dark Humans. Those Black Robed Witches standing outside the ceremony’s magical array were all wearing the same outfit that Bella had worn when she was impersonating one of them to infiltrate the enemy’s city. There was no way Bella would mistake them for anyone else.
After some interaction, Bella finally managed to confirm that the two beauties right at the front of the ceremonial array were Princesses Elsa and Erica from one of the Dark Human’s three main empires, the Venifreza Empire. In fact, those two princesses were siblings.
Princess Erica was the older sister with blood red irises and deep auburn locks that were similar to the Demon World Princess Diaz’s hair. She wore a dark red dress that was decorated with many ornaments that looked like roses. Princess Erica also had a gorgeous red rose pinned on her hair.
However, that flower was not a rose. It just looked similar to one. This particular flower was a Blood Flower that was shaped out of coagulated fresh blood. It was also a testament of the individual’s war record and kill count in battle. There were at least ten such flowers on Erica’s dress, which meant that she must have killed her fair share of enemies.
The younger sister, Princess Elsa, had long, flowing azure hair and navy blue irises. She wore a dress that was in a similar style as her older sister’s, the only difference was that her dress was blue instead of red. The Blood Flowers on her dress were shaped like blue roses as well.
Both Princess Elsa and Princess Erica were very pretty. Based on what Bella’s evaluation, it would not be a problem for the pair of sisters to make it into the top three of the Olsylvia Academy Top Ten Belles. When they were paying their respects, their heads were lowered and their positions revealed delicate decolletage with voluminous b.r.e.a.s.t.s. From where she was seated, Bella was able to take a good look at their a.s.sets.
What piqued Bella’s interest even more was the dress that the sisters were wearing. It was extremely well designed as it revealed the soft contours of their collarbones and shoulders. The general trend among the Dark Humans was that they were much more open minded than the Human race. The clothes that girls wore here tended to show off much more skin than any of the other Human girls.
Erica and Elsa had noticed their accidental slip up, but they did not think much of it because the Demon Kings in front of them were all female and they had nothing much to lose. Thus, they simply decided to let it be. Fortunately for Bella, she got to take advantage of the situation and enjoy some eye candy in the process.
“If you wish to get rid of the invading demonic beings or to control those on your side, it would not be possible. Those demonic beings were summoned by the Demon G.o.d. As Demon Kings, we are unable to defy our higher up, the Demon G.o.d’s order.”
“Your Majesties... is there no other way? We will do anything and pay any price you desire as long as you can help us!”
Bella put aside any wayward thoughts and kept her mind on “proper business”. Even though she had her eyes on Elsa and Erica’s beauty, they had their abilities to back them up as well. Erica was a Blood Demon Mage and Elsa was a psychic. Both of them were involved in the hidden magics. Bella chose to play it by ear as she was not familiar with their backgrounds.
“It’s truly impossible. Even though there are four of us here, but we’re nothing compared to the Demon G.o.d. Anything that the Demon G.o.d orders must be done. Even if you serve yourself up as an offering, I would still be powerless to do anything!”
Bella did not say anything. The Demon G.o.d and Evil G.o.d were behind the demon army and she merely omitted some information. Since Bella was the Demon G.o.d as well as the Evil G.o.d, anything that the Demon G.o.d said was technically her word as well.
Elsa and Erica were slightly disappointed. They had hoped to engage in with a Dark Transaction with Bella and the others to settle the problems that the Harvey Plains were going through with the sudden surge of dark duels. This was the first time that they had ever heard of the existence of a Demon G.o.d. Even though they were unsure what type of being it was, they did not doubt anything that the Demon King said.
Although they had managed to summon four Demon Kings, Erica and Elsa chose Bella. This was because her t.i.tle only consisted of two words – Demon King, which meant that she was of a much higher status than Dolores and the others who were the Sky Demon King and Blood Demon King etc.
Bella could not hide the greedy gaze that emanated from her blue irises. This was the main reason why Erica and Elsa had chosen her as the target for their Dark Transaction. Dolores and Eleanor’s gaze was more amused than anything else while Cornice’s eyes were alert and prepared for any trouble that may happen.
A greedy Demon King would be the most suitable candidate for a Dark Transaction. As Erica and Elsa were extremely clear on this point, they had chosen Bella. They felt that what Bella needed was more live offerings. Unbeknownst to them, Bella had her own ulterior motives. Her final target was the two princesses.
“You do not have to worry. The Demon G.o.d shares the same goal as the both of you. The whole point is to create more panic and departed spirits. I will not accept any of your offerings for this summoning ceremony. By the way, the next time you wish to summon a specific Demon King, you just have to follow the instructions on these scrolls to call for me directly!”
“Thank you, Your Majesties, for gracing us with your presence. I look forward to meeting you again.”
After a short chat, Bella and the others decided to return to their base camp. They had their fun acting as Demon Kings and it was time to return home. During their conversations, Bella managed to obtain a lot of information from Princesses Elsa and Erica. Out of respect for the Demon Kings, they did not provide any false information at all. As for the current situation between the Beastmen and Dark Humans, the princesses told her everything they knew.
After Bella and the others left, Erica and Elsa picked up the summoning ceremonial scrolls that the Demon King Bella had gifted to them, feeling rather pleased with themselves. Even among the Dark Humans, it was uncommon to have a Demon King provide a scroll that allowed them to directly contact him or her. Such a gift was an incredible honor for the Dark Humans.
Even the Emperor of the three main Dark Empires did not own a scroll to directly summon a Demon King. Despite their happiness, Erica and Elsa did not know whether to laugh or cry as they read the summoning instructions on the scrolls. The Demon King Bella’s instructions were some of the most ridiculous that they had seen thus far.
According to what Erica and Elsa had known in the past, a typical Demon King’s request would be to have as many live offerings as possible! Unlike them, the Demon King Bella did not ask for offerings. Instead, she had requested for the summoner to be alone in the bathroom and place themselves in strange positions. The most ridiculous thing was that the summoner had to be completely naked as well.
The instructions that Bella had given were different for each princess and they had to be in different poses. Erica and Elsa’s faces were slightly flushed. Was it possible that they had taken the scrolls for the wrong summoning ceremony? No matter how they looked at it, these were the summoning instructions for a succubus. Could it be that Bella’s Demon King t.i.tle was the s.e.x Demon King? She could have been too embarra.s.sed to announce it earlier.
Erica and Elsa gave each other a look and hastily stuffed the summoning scrolls that Bella had given to them into their pockets, as though they were afraid that the other girl would see what was on it. They did not give any clear indication if they would individually summon the Demon King Bella.
The Harvey Plains at night were as quiet as ever. Other than the Dark Human priests, most of them were not aware that a few Demon Kings had visited the Dark Human’s camp. On the ocean, far away from the Priestly Continent, large numbers of demonic beings were currently gathering in the southwestern region.
On the northern side of the New Moon Island, swarms of Sirens were gathering at their base camp on the Dulles Isle. As they were currently gathering their troops, many ocean type demonic beings were swimming towards the Dulles Isle.
On the opposite end of the Dulles Isle, the demon army was also gathering in large numbers on the New Moon Island’s main island – Copperfield Island. However, they had the advantage over their neighbours who had to swim in order to reach the island. Those demonic beings were being sent over using the teleportation array, the Devil’s Door.
Both sides were gathering their army in an orderly fas.h.i.+on. From time to time, the demonic beings on both sides would greet each other. Everything seemed peaceful. If not for the different flags being flown, most outsiders would think that these demonic beings belonged to the same camp.
However, this semblance of peace was a façade. It was because none of the demonic beings on each side had taken action yet. The demon army on New Moon Island’s main island belonged to the Darkness Sacred Region and they had the New Moon Demonic Dragon Dorothea and Sea Demonic Dragon Amy Beth as their commanders. The demon army on the Dulles Isle served under one of the ancient Twelve Demon Kings, the Ocean Demon King Victoria, and were led by the Siren King McMillan.
Both sides were currently on standby. They would not engage unless the other party made the first move. The lower level demonic beings were not aware of their commanders’ intentions and had only greeted each other out of habit rather than an indication of peace.
At the Siren King’s lounge located at the highest point of the Siren King’s castle, the Ocean Demon King was taking a break in the bathroom. She leaned against the tub and stretched her arms above her head. Various blue ocean flowers that matched the color of Victoria’s silky long hair bobbed on the surface of the water in the tub.
Victoria rubbed the finger with a ring on it, as though she was missing someone. She sat in the bath, basking in her memories until a disturbance in the bathroom’s mirror pulled her out of her thoughts.
The mirror inside the bathroom was set facing the tub and was propped up against a nearby wall. The reflections in the mirror suddenly turned into a dark s.p.a.ce which looked like it was straight out of a horror movie.
Inside the mirror, there was an eerie room where the floor was filled with skulls. A powerfully built figure sat on a throne made up of white bones. This particular throne was made with bones that were more st.u.r.dy. It had a skull on the end of each armrest and the backrest was decorated with many more skulls.
“Victoria, how leisurely of you to still be in the mood to soak in a bath at a time like this!”
“Griffin, you have such poor taste. It is extremely rude to interrupt a lady when she is taking a bath. Worst of all, this room is Trollope’s and you’ve just made use of another Demon King’s room and messenger mirror to interrupt a third Demon King!”
Unconsciously, the Ocean Demon King Victoria sank a couple of inches deeper into the bath and used the water to cover up the part of her chest that was exposed earlier on. She would never have acted like such a meek human female before this. Somehow, she seemed to have acquired such a habit. Maybe, deep within her subconscious, she did not wish for that male Demon King in the mirror to see any more of her body than she would like.
The Demon King in the mirror was the Terror Demon King, Griffin, who was one of the ancient Twelve Demon Kings. This bloodthirsty Demon King had ranked at least within the top five out of the twelve. Victoria did not share many common topics with him as there was no unity at all amongst the Twelve Demon Kings. This group was simply formed out of the twelve most powerful Demon Kings.
“Victoria, why didn’t you answer the call of a Demon King Ceremony earlier? Trollope and I lost the right to the summoning channel earlier because of this. If the Dark Humans were to summon us, there will definitely be a lot of offerings. How much lazier can you get!”
“What about the other Demon Kings? What a tasteless joke!”
“As for why I did not answer, I’m sure you can see for yourself! I am in the middle of a bath, how did you expect me to answer to someone else’s summons like this?
Victoria gracefully raised the gla.s.s next to the bathtub up to her mouth and took a sip of the blue colored fine wine, savoring its flavor. She was fearless in the face of a furious Terror Demon King Griffin on the other side of the mirror. No matter how powerful that guy was, he would not be able to reach out of the mirror to hit her.
“You... you’re too lazy. Back then, I told you to choose to look like a man, but the few of you refused to do so and was insistent on having a female form. It’s so much trouble to be a female. If you had chosen a male form, we would not be in a situation like this at all!”
“Griffin, if you wish to reminisce about the past, look for Trollope. I’m extremely busy. Bye now!”
“Hold on, Victoria, how are preparations going? We have to send out our troops to support the Priestly Continent. Those Beastmen cannon fodder would not be able to hold down the fort much longer. I expect them to be soundly beaten in the battle at the Harvey Plains. Once you’re ready, send your troops as quickly as possible to support me.”
Once the mirror’s surface returned to normal, the Ocean Demon King Victoria sat there, deep in thought. There was nothing wrong with supporting the Terror Demon King Griffin. However, the demon army on the New Moon Island’s main island was quickly gathering in large numbers as well. She did not understand what the New Moon Demonic Dragon Dorothea and Ocean Demonic Dragon Amy Beth were planning. What if they left the island and the enemy managed to take advantage of the situation and take over the Dulles Isle? Then her efforts to establish a stronghold there for the past few thousand years would be for naught.
In name, the New Moon Demonic Demonic Dragon Dorothea was still a subordinate of the Twelve Demon Kings. However, recently she had been refusing to interact with the Ocean Demon King Dorothea anymore. The reason she gave was that she had pledged her loyalty to the Demon King and not the Twelve Demon Kings, dropping the number in front of the t.i.tle.
“How troublesome. Could it be that there are more Demon Kings around? Impossible! Griffin, that fellow, really cannot be trusted.”
Victoria emerged from the bathtub and walked over to the french windows, looking out towards the New Moon Island’s main island in the distance. Bella’s flags flew on the main island, the flag of the Darkness Sacred Region, and also the Sarnia Duchy’s lily flower flag.
Victoria was still debating when to send her troops out. In her hesitation, she caused the Twelve Demon King’s external reinforcements to miss out on the golden window of opportunity to set out for the battle at the Harvey Plains.
The Terror Demon King Griffin who had asked her to mobilize her troops did not send any demonic beings as reinforcements to the Harvey Plains either. His body double had been attacked and killed by his fellow Demon Kings, Dolores and Eleanor. Until now, the Demon King Griffin had not recovered yet.
Out of the ancient Twelve Demon Kings, there were at least three active Demon Kings in the vicinity of the Beastmen Continent. However, due to various reasons, none of them partic.i.p.ated in the battle of the Harvey Plains.