Very soon, a demon with a burly physique, three heads, and dark skin entered the court, walking with an air of arrogance.
"Hey, Aengus, your men are useless. They kept me waiting for so long. Kill them first, and then we can begin our discussion," he sneered.
"Audacious! Speak respectfully to our Demon Lord! How dare you address my lord so rudely with your meager Demon General-level power?" Gourmond bellowed, his terrifying aura as a Demon Lord shaking the intruder in an attempt to intimidate him.
"Haha..."
The demon continued to laugh, seemingly unfazed.
"He may be a lord here, but to the Demon Lord's Council, he is still a nobody," he mocked.
"Whoosh!"
In an instant, Sen appeared behind the three-headed demon, his blade glinting dangerously against the demon's neck.
"Say one more disrespectful word, and you're dead," Sen said coldly, his tone as sharp as the sword in his hand.
The demon gulped audibly, his bravado faltering as fear gripped him. It became clear that each member in the room likely matched or exceeded his own strength.
"L-Lord, are you not going to stop him? If something happens to me, the entire council will come after you..." he stammered, turning toward Aengus in desperation.
Aengus raised his hand, signaling Sen to withdraw.
"Just deliver the message you were sent for. You won't get a second warning," Aengus stated firmly, his voice calm but laden with authority.
Bella's fiery gaze lingered on the demon, her fingers itching to strike him down. But a subtle glance from Aengus kept her in check, preventing any impulsive action.
Sen backed off instantly and the informant exhaled shakily in relief. Quickly, he pulled out a scroll made of fine cloth, no longer daring to waste any more time.
By the decree of the Seven Primordial Ones, you are hereby invited to the Demon Lord's Council meeting three days from now. We hope your lordship will grant us your presence regarding the Great War of Conquest in Solis.
"Three days," Aengus thought to himself, a plan forming in his mind. "I have three days to make myself stronger, strong enough to face anything that comes my way. Once I'm strong enough, I won't have to worry about their alliance."
Yet at his current leveling rate, reaching even level 500 in three days seemed improbable. He needed something extraordinary to bridge the gap.
Then a memory surfaced: Saintess Lumenaria's deal.
He had no intention of accepting her terms, of course, but the thought of infiltrating her domain and stealing the Divine Essences she had promised reignited his resolve.
"Yes..Divine Essence...it could boost my levels by large margin at once. That's exactly what I need."
Aengus's main body swiftly switched places with his clone in the human world aboard the flying warship.
"What's wrong, Your Highness?" General Leon asked, sensing Aengus's sudden disruption just as the synthesization process ended.
General Leon was currently being empowered by Aengus through a magical skill that had his Emperor offered.
At first, Leon had been skeptical, but this quickly turned into astonishment as his power began to rise at an incredible rate due to the synthesis of dead corpses. His level had reached 160, a remarkable improvement compared to his past capabilities.
General Leon accepted the gift with respect as Aengus explained it was a reward for his help and contributions so far.
However, despite this newfound strength, Leon remained steadfast in his convictions. He still didn't want to serve the Liberation Empire, choosing instead to remain faithful to his homeland with honor until his death.
"Nothing. I was just wondering, how far is the Hero Empire from here?" Aengus asked, casually shifting the topic.
Leon pondered for a moment before replying, "Probably more than 150,000 miles. The Black Ocean lies in the middle, and it's terrifyingly dangerous to cross by water. But, why his highness asking anyway?"
"Just curious," Aengus replied nonchalantly. "You can return to your duties, General."
Leon nodded and left with large strides, leaving Aengus to his thoughts.
Aengus began searching for the Hero Empire's exact location in his Spatial Greater Teleporter but was unable to pinpoint it. However, he did find a marked location near the Black Ocean, which would cut the travel distance in half.
With calm resolve, Aengus stepped into the portal and vanished without a trace, leaving one of his clones behind to maintain appearances.