Volume 5 Chapter 6 (2/2)

”[Creation] Demon Lord Procell, after I have reached the end of my life, I would like you to protect my daughter, Stolas. Swear this to me now and I shall lend you my power just this once.”

I looked at Stolas, saw the bewildered expression on her face, and made my decision.

”It will be done. I swear to you now that I will protect Stolas after you're gone.”

He looked at me and gave out a satisfied smile.

”Astaroth-sama, you can't just decide everything on your own”

Stolas, in a state of panic, protested so. In response, Astaroth spoke.

”Stolas, listen, a Demon Lord can't fight, much less win, alone. Remember that. And, as unyielding as you are, you will not be able to rely on anyone other than him who has already bested you. This is the last thing I can do for you. So hate me if you must but please accept this proposition.”

”That's so unfair.”

”Yes but this is this old man's last selfish request so please grant it. If this man is willing to go this far for Marchosias, then I can rest easy and entrust you to him. Now, Procell, I will be cooperating with you to save Marchosias but I will not be fighting alongside with you. There's only one Demon Lord in my mind that can manipulate Marchosias's own faction against her and I intend to crush that fellow. Certainly, that fulfills my end of the deal in regards to helping both you and Marchosias.”

”It does. Thank you very much.”

I bowed and thanked him.

What he said probably was the best way to approach things. If so, then I should just do the things I must do.

”I'd like to thank you as well. We, the three strongest Demon Lords, have exchanged a non-interference agreement with one another and had done so in the name of the Creator. And for that reason, I was not able to move to help Marchosias. Thanks to our agreement though, I can now act.”

He said so and smile.

I was relieved to hear that he did indeed wanted to help Marcho from start but was just unable to. During this feeling of relief, there was something I really wanted to know.

”But why did whoever is behind all this choose to attack Marchosias-sama now? If they let her be, she will be gone in half a year's time anyway.”

That had always been on my mind. It didn't make sense to me why anyone would endanger themselves and fight her when it wasn't needed in the first place.

”It's simple, really: pride as a Demon Lord. Unless that person defeats her while she's still living, no one will recognize him as one of the strongest. It is a position that must be taken by force; you don't win it by default. Furthermore, Marchosias's [Beast] is a good and easy to use medal. Trying to break her crystal now while she's still alive to defend it is actually easier rather than later when all Demon Lords are going to compete for it.”

It bewildered me at first that they were going that far for such a reason but then, I realized that for a Demon Lord that had obtained everything already, satisfying their sense of pride was reason enough.

”Thank you. There isn't much time left so excuse me, I shall be going.”

”I shall commence my attack in three days. How about you? Do you plan to move out by then too?”

”Yes, that's right.”

He had also thought that three days was time limit to save Marcho.

”Before you go, listen to an old man's ramblings, will you? Have you ever wondered why the Creator refers to us Demon Lords as the [Children of the Planet]?  Or why our well-being and survival is so tied to us making use of humans, or rather, why it is so tied to us providing for them? Have you?”

”……yes, I have. I have thought on what exactly we Demon Lords are.”

”Your guess will most likely be the correct one. Do keep in mind though that not everyone will agree. Now then, to once again go wild with the power of the strongest Demon Lord. It has been a while since my last fight! Fuhaha! My blood is boiling!!”

Astaroth then laughed so maniacally that it didn't suit his appearance as an old man.

Anyway, we ended our conversation there.

Next was the persuasion of the [Time] Demon Lord.

My [Creation] medal might not be as lucrative to him anymore but that wasn't a cause for worry because I already foresaw the means to convince him.