Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

"Do you expect us to believe that?".

Avros shrugged his shoulders and chuckled softly "Believe it or don't—it matters not. But the truth remains the same. The Ogre King is gone, and that Demon Earl's dungeon still stands. Whatever lies within that forest... it is not as simple as we first believed. The demon and his subordinates are stronger than we anticipated. Much stronger".

At this point, Gelford had no choice but to believe the other party. There was no reason for the latter to lie to him.

The silence stretched as the Demon Duke weighed his next move. The plan to eliminate that Demon Earl had been a calculated one, with the Ogre King chosen for his sheer destructive power.

The fact that it had failed—worse, that the Ogre King had vanished—spoke of something.

"Could it be that Demon Earl used some tricks?"…

"He could have, I tried to get him in trouble twice but both the times he defied all logic and got out of it unscathed" Avrox agreed.

"Oi… Oi.. Oi… Don't tell me you have already started your plans to capture the Ghastly Winding Forest? You bastard are you ignoring the truce?"

At this moment, Arctaurus couldn't help but speak up. The dialogues back and forth allowed him to guess what Gelford was up to.

This made him furious, the reason for that was because the Ghastly Winding Forest was domain coveted by many. The only reason they hadn't been able to lay their hands and claim it was because of the truce they made.

If every demon tried to get their hands on this domain, it would spark a cataclysmic war, one that could potentially shake the entire continent to its core.

To avoid this devastating outcome, the higher echelons of demon society, including the Archdukes and Demon Lords, had long ago reached an uneasy truce regarding the forest.

During every Hexennacht, when the domains were selected, the Ghastly Winding Forest was either vetoed or marked as a "green belt," a territory that could not be contested or claimed, to prevent a dungeon war of catastrophic proportions.

What made the Ghastly Winding Forest so lucrative to the eyes of the demon? If you consider the environment and living conditions of the Demon continent, then it becomes crystal clear why it was so.

However, more than that, the main reason why the Ghastly Winding Forest is so sought after is because of the legend that was passed on.

The ancient legend spoke of an unimaginable treasure hidden deep within the Ghastly Winding Forest, a relic from the primordial era, long before the rise of the current Demon Lords.

This treasure, shrouded in myth and secrecy, was said to possess powers so vast that it could elevate those who could wield it to the pinnacle of this world in a single stroke.

Some stories also say that whatever is hidden in the forest, held the key to unlocking forgotten magics, perhaps even the secrets of invincibility, or artifacts crafted by beings that existed in the primordial era itself.

It was a legend that transcended realms—not just passed on in ancient texts to the human world but also fiercely believed on the demon continent.

That said, in the course of history many came to the forest to claim the treasure. However, to this date, none were able to find it and the legend became one of the greatest mysteries in the world.

"Don't be brain dead, Truce? Anyone with half a brain knows that if all of us tried to claim it at once, it would lead to mutual destruction. That's why the truce exists. However, now that the Demon Earl has claimed that territory for himself, does the truce still exist?"

"And more importantly... how long before someone tries to take it from him? Are you telling me to stand back and watch while all that happens? Don't make me laugh. The truce only applies when the opponent is a Demon Duke. Since our enemy is only a Demon Earl, there is no need for us to give him that honour"

Gelford spoke shooting an annoyed glance at Arctaurus.

The latter was also surprised by the other party's words "Are you telling me that Demon Earl could be in possession of the treasure?"…

"It's not entirely impossible. Rather, if he has the treasure all the abnormalities about him and his subordinates can be explained. Well, even if it's not the case, the fact remains that he is sitting on one of the most coveted territories"

The one to answer him was Avrox still flashing that sheepish grin.

Arctaurus' face at this moment was a sight to see. Just like all the other Demons, he too coveted the Ghastly Winding Forest and fought for it tooth and nail in every Hexennacht.

However, due to the truce and the other high ranking demons presiding over the event, his ploys had always failed. He thought that no one could claim the forest for themselves only to be proved wrong in the last Hexennacht.

Betraying his belief, a demon claimed the forest for himself in the last Hexennacht. If it was a very high ranking demon, he wouldn't have any qualms. However, the one who claimed the Ghastly Winding Forest was just a Demon Earl. An ant he wouldn't even glance at otherwise.

Of course, there was a lot of discontent but more than that, all of them were shocked. The reason being that a demon earl dared to stand up to them and claim the coveted forest for himself.

Naturally, they laughed at the fool who didn't know his place. In any other event that Demon Earl would have been thrown out or perhaps killed in some corner.

However, it was the Hexennacht, a sacred event for all the Demon Kind. What's more, presiding over the event this time was the Demon Lord of Envy.

It could be said that he had the most authority there at that time and the one with the final say.

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