The Throne Room, Wilwatikta Kingdom

(Moku’s POV)

"...By now, Nevare has likely arrived in Heles City, her birthplace.

"If I’m not mistaken about Artur’s intense jealousy towards Moku, she will probably be interrogated right away. Of course, the Human Alliance won’t do this openly.

"Nevare’s visit to Heles City is not just a personal trip to see her parents but also an official delegation from the Wilwatikta Kingdom. To maintain harmony with us, the Human Alliance won’t send their top mages for the interrogation.

"However, it’s different with the Valya House, the noble family where Cila comes from. If the mages from Valya House conduct the interrogation, the Human Alliance can claim it as a family matter, unrelated to them.

"This way, we can’t interfere or blame the humans for their rudeness."

Ez explained his analysis of what Nevare might face upon arriving in Heles City. Unfortunately, none of the monsters were paying attention to his explanation.

All eyes were fixed on a demon resembling a giant bipedal lizard currently seated in front of Moku. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

They could all feel the immense power and the ominous threat emanating from this demon, making it impossible for them to sit comfortably.

This demon was Foras.

Foras had been sent by Lucifer to represent the demons in their cooperation with the Wilwatikta Kingdom.

Although allowing a powerful demon into the heart of Wilwatikta was dangerous, Moku recognized the good intentions behind Lucifer’s decision.

As Ez had predicted, the demons knew that Moku was the strongest warrior in the Wilwatikta Kingdom.

Therefore, they didn’t send a demon stronger than Moku, which might have made the monsters think they were being threatened.

However, they also couldn’t send a demon weaker than Moku, who wouldn’t be able to fulfill their primary duty of surveillance.

Foras was the perfect choice to send to Wilwatikta. Although Foras had previously been defeated by Moku, it was likely because he didn’t fully understand Moku’s entire arsenal. Now, after experiencing the dangers of Vivid Dream, Foras had probably developed countermeasures.

Despite this, Moku was never worried about Foras. If Foras had grown stronger in the past few weeks, so had he.

Moku had become more adept at using the power of the Dream Realm to the point where he could create objects without opening Vivid Dream.

"Have your wounds healed?" Moku asked Foras with a smile.

Foras snorted before replying, "You don’t need to worry about me. There are no wounds in this world that can’t be healed by demon medical spells."

"What about death? Can you heal that?" Moku asked, his smile widening.

Just as Moku’s words fell, the atmosphere in the throne room instantly turned icy, sending shivers through the monsters present.

Unable to remain seated, every monster stood and leapt back, distancing themselves from Moku and Foras, who were both emitting a terrifying aura.

Cold sweat formed on Ez’s forehead as his eyes began to turn white.

"As soon as our species’ cooperation ends, I will personally sever your head from your neck. Then, we’ll see if you can still smile, my friend," Foras said, a sinister smile spreading across his face, revealing his terrifying, saw-like teeth.

"Soon, my friend, soon," Moku responded, nodding eagerly as if he couldn’t wait for that moment to arrive.

Before Ez could completely lose consciousness, the oppressive auras of the two powerful beings vanished as if a switch had been flipped.

Confused, the monsters watched as Moku and Foras burst into joyful laughter.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Moku rose from his throne and approached Foras, patting the demon’s shoulder like an old friend. "I’m glad Furfur came to rescue you. Now, I get to defeat you again! Hahaha!"

Foras returned the gesture, patting Moku’s shoulder. "As for me, my feelings are mixed. I’m ashamed my father had to save me in a life-or-death battle, but I’m also excited for another chance to avenge my defeat! Hahaha!"

After their laughter and teasing, like longtime friends, they returned to their seats. The monsters, bewildered by the sudden change, no longer felt the impending danger and resumed their places.

"How is your father? Where is he now?" Moku asked, adjusting his seat to get more comfortable.

He missed having Nezena in his arms, stroking her smooth skin. Due to Foras’s presence, he had ordered all pregnant women to avoid the meeting.

While he trusted Foras wouldn’t cowardly attack them, Valkyries with child were twice as strong. Moku feared Foras’s essence of doom could harm the unborn children, so he chose caution, knowing Foras was a cunning warrior who would use any advantage.

"My father is currently preparing a massive assault on the Human Alliance’s defenses. He’ll contact me once preparations are complete, and then it will be your turn to initiate the attack," Foras replied.

"My species and I are honored to be trusted by the Demon of the Volcano," Moku said, pressing his right hand to his left chest.

Foras nodded, accepting Moku’s respect on behalf of his father.

"However, I’m surprised you sent your wife and beloved sons on such a dangerous mission. Aren’t you afraid they might fall victim to the wrath of human mages?" Foras asked.

"You don’t need to worry about that. My wife and three sons are strong warriors; they can take care of themselves. Moreover, by sending my closest kin, humans will be less suspicious. With their guard lowered, my sons can complete their mission more easily," Moku replied.

Foras nodded. As a guest, he had no right to question Moku’s decisions further, especially since failure would mean Moku losing his wife and sons.

Additionally, such a failure would be seen as a weakness, proving to the demons that the monsters were not reliable allies. Moku understood this, so he only shared the bare essentials of his plan with Foras.

Talking to Foras was akin to talking to Lucifer himself. Foras was sent as the liaison between the demons and Wilwatikta, so his opinions reflected those of Lucifer.

"Aside from informing us of your preparations, do you have any other messages for us?" Moku asked.

Foras shook his head. "My only task was to convey that message. I’ve also been instructed to stay in your kingdom until our cooperation concludes. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause," Foras said, bowing his head.

Moku waved his hand dismissively. "That’s no problem. I’m glad you’ll be staying and getting to know our home. There’s not much to enjoy yet, but I think you’ll like our Palaka Colosseum."

"Oh, Palaka?" Foras asked, intrigued.

"Palaka is our law among the arions for resolving disputes through combat. From fighting over land to competing for a prospective wife, you’ll enjoy watching how our arion warriors battle."

"That sounds interesting. I’ll visit if I have the time," Foras nodded.

"Please do. While you’re here, Yagnar will be your guide. He’s one of the first arions and has power equivalent to a Level 4 Constellation Mage," Moku said, pointing to Yagnar, who was standing near the throne room’s exit.

Foras appraised Yagnar from head to toe before nodding in approval. Moku smiled, satisfied.

Initially, he had considered assigning Kagan, whose strength was comparable to a Level 5 Constellation Mage, as the guide.

However, Kagan’s unruly nature made him a poor choice for escorting an important guest like Foras, who required patience.

"If Lucifer has no further messages, may I send one to him through you?" Moku asked.

"Oh? What is it?" Foras paused and looked at Moku intently.

"As you will soon see, we arions use monsters as slaves to help with dirty work.

"All arions are fighters and lack skills in other areas. That’s why, after breaking free and taking control of this place, we immediately subjugated all the monster species in this forest.

"Unfortunately, with our growing numbers, the existing monsters can no longer meet our needs. So, I wanted to ask if there are creatures similar to these monster species on your continent?"

"You mean the stupid creatures with no mana at all?"

"Yes, exactly. Here, we call them monster species," Moku replied, his expression unchanged.

"Hmm... I believe the Behemoth Family captured a few and turned them into playthings. Do you want them as your slaves?" Foras asked.

"Well, it’s not that important. We can use captured humans for the same purpose. However, humans—or more precisely, Mana Species—are too valuable to waste on dirty work."

"Hmm..." Foras didn’t answer immediately. He observed Moku and the other monsters in the throne room but found nothing beyond their wary stance.

Foras then nodded. "I’ll discuss this with my father. I can’t promise that any demon from the Behemoth Family will give up their toys for you. So, don’t get your hopes up."

"If it’s too much trouble, forget about it. For now, you should rest from your journey. Yagnar, escort our guest to his quarters," Moku commanded.

"Yes, Ku!" Yagnar replied.

Yagnar then guided Foras out of the throne room. For several minutes, none of the monsters spoke. It wasn’t until Moku nodded that they all exhaled the breaths they’d been holding.

Ez wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He looked at Moku and said, "That was very risky, Moku. What were you thinking? He could become suspicious of us faster than we planned!"