"Don't come out."
"...Mmm."
"You absolutely must not come out."
"Really can't?"
"Ab.so.lute.ly."
Wei Yan-ho puffed out his lips.
"What's this all about! In the carriage, you told me not to even stick my face outside, and now that we've finally entered the imperial palace, you're telling me not to come out of this room... Did you bring me to the imperial palace just for this?"
Prince Lee clicked his tongue in disapproval.
"Then did I bring you to the imperial palace for fun? For sightseeing?"
"...Wow, that actually makes sense."
Come to think of it, he hadn't come here for sightseeing.
"Even so, just waiting in this cramped room is a bit..."
"You pretended not to be interested, but you seem quite interested indeed."
"Hehe, truthfully, entering the imperial palace is quite an extraordinary thing for ignorant people like us. If I could see it well and return, I'd have a lifetime's worth of stories to tell, so it'd be a shame to just pass it by."
"Don't worry about it."
Prince Lee smiled slyly.
"Your meeting with His Majesty this time is something that must never be known to the outside world. Even if you look around this place thoroughly before leaving, there's nothing you could speak of outside, so there's nothing to regret."
"Wow, there's a demon here."
"Quiet, you fool! Didn't I tell you to watch your words in here!"
Wei Yan-ho pressed his lips tightly shut.
"Daytime words are heard by mice, and nighttime words are heard by birds… wait, did I get that backwards? Anyway, the imperial palace is a place where everything is heard. Think that every word you say enters the ears of others."
"I can't hear anything though?"
"I'm telling you..."
Prince Lee, who was about to scold him, looked around with a puzzled expression.
'This is?'
A thinly spread energy barrier surrounded him and Wei Yan-ho. Wei Yan-ho had deployed an energy barrier to block the sound from escaping.
'This guy is truly amazing.'
Deploying an energy barrier was something he could do as well. However, spreading an energy barrier naturally and quietly was absolutely impossible for him.
The very act of deploying an energy barrier was tantamount to sending a signal to the surroundings saying 'we're going to have a conversation that only we should hear from now on, so we're going to block the sound,' which is why Prince Lee tried to avoid such things as much as possible.
But if one could spread an energy barrier this smoothly and naturally, it would be possible for just the two of them to converse without drawing attention.
"Did well, didn't I?"
"Hmph."
Thanks to this, Prince Lee learned that there are people in this world whom one would never want to praise even if it killed them.
"...Yes, you did well..."
"Hehe, I'm quite something."
"Ugh."
Prince Lee sighed and cleared his throat.
"Yan-ho."
"Why are you suddenly being so formal? It's burdensome."
"Listen carefully to what I say."
"Yes."
Prince Lee opened his mouth with an extremely serious expression.
"I don't think you lack common sense or discernment."
"Those are both insults, aren't they?"
"Though you're usually a carefree fellow, you must know how to restrain your nature at least while you're in here. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Yes. It also reminds me of the saying that when people get old, they worry a lot. Just saying."
"Please!"
"If a one-year-old heard that much, they wouldn't cry. I understand, so please stop already. My ears are getting callused. I'm human too, and I know this place is the imperial palace."
"How admirable."
Prince Lee was moved by this obvious reaction.
"I'm someone without tears, but I'm about to cry."
"...Geez, how far are you going to push a person."
Prince Lee chuckled and said.
"This is somewhat of an apologetic thing to say, but I can't guarantee how long you'll have to wait either. His Majesty lives by splitting time into fragments. You just need to wait until there's a brief moment between state affairs and more state affairs."
"How long?"
"At the longest, there was someone who waited seven days and nights. Though it probably won't come to that."
Prince Lee looked a bit sorry. It was indeed something to feel sorry about, calling someone and then telling them to wait indefinitely. But Wei Yan-ho's face actually brightened instead.
"Huh? So from now on, I just have to wait around doing nothing?"
"...That's what it amounts to, yes."
"You should have told me earlier. Then I would have come sooner."
"Huh?"
Wei Yan-ho cheerfully dove toward the bed prepared in one corner of the room.
"Then don't worry about me and go take care of your business. Oh, you'll provide meals, right?"
"...When the time comes, they'll bring food for you."
"Then that's perfect. Tell them they don't need to bring it too often. Once a day is fine. I'm quite efficient."
"..."
"Then farewell."
Seeing Wei Yan-ho even waving his hand, Prince Lee's worries doubled.
'I need to move up the timeline as much as possible.'
Prince Lee felt nothing but anxiety about leaving this fellow here.
***
The light was utterly ominous.
Every time Bloodfiend saw that light, he felt as if his heart was shrinking. It wasn't only because that light had the nature of making all demons submit.
Just presence.
The overwhelming presence of the being emitting that light was what made Bloodfiend kneel.
Bloodfiend buried his head on the ground.
No one had forced such courtesy upon him. The being emitting that light had told them to cast aside such courtesies. So this was not courtesy.
It was an expression of reverence that welled up from his heart.
"I shall make my report."
Bloodfiend strove to imbue each word with reverence. The one to whom he was about to make his report was worthy of such reverence from Bloodfiend.
[You visit frequently.]
"If this lowly being has dared to disturb the Heavenly Demon's rest and upset your mood, I shall have this body torn into a thousand, ten thousand pieces to pay the price for that sin."
[Your unnecessary chatter is long.]
Cold sweat began to seep from Bloodfiend's back.
This person never readily punished those who followed him. Rather, despite having made mistakes several times that should have cost him his life, this person had never once issued punishment.
Yet he never became lax. No, he couldn't.
Because he knew.
Responsibility comes from authority, and authority comes from trust. But this person had not given him even a speck of trust.
It was natural.
No one holds insects responsible. Because they know there are limits to what such insignificant beings can do.
'That's exactly how this person views me.'
An insect that follows him.
A being to whom he could bestow grace and throw food, but could never view as an equal.
Even knowing this fact, Bloodfiend harbored not the slightest complaint. No one else in the world could dare to look at him with such eyes. But this person was someone who transcended the laws of this world.
Though he should be called Heavenly Demon, if he were to be called by another name, the name Demon God would be most fitting.
"Mad Demon has set out to find the bloodline of the Demon Emperor. Everything shall be accomplished according to the Heavenly Demon's will."
[Mad Demon?]
"Yes. He is one of the bishops who follow the Heavenly Demon."
[Is that so.]
Though the Heavenly Demon didn't even remember the bishops who could be called his closest associates, Bloodfiend never found this fact strange. It would be unusual for someone to give names to insects one by one and remember their differences.
"His temperament has quirks even considering that he's a demon, but his abilities are certain. With such a person having gone out into the world bearing the Heavenly Demon's command, those weak Central Plains people will not dare to stop him."
[Bloodfiend.]
"Please speak, great Heavenly Demon."
[What became of those Central Plains people who said they would cooperate with us?]
"Are you referring to Hundred Sword Castle?"
[That was the name.]
"They are Central Plains people. They wouldn't try to join hands with us without ulterior motives. We only cooperated with them as a foothold for gaining Central Plains intelligence and setting up operations, not expecting anything more. Heavenly Demon, soon I shall dare to cut off the heads of those cunning ones who tried to use the Divine Cult and offer them to the Heavenly Demon."
A quiet laugh was heard.
Mockery.
It was mockery directed at Bloodfiend, mockery directed at Hundred Sword Castle, and also mockery directed at the world.
[Cooperate with them.]
"Pardon?"
Bloodfiend, who had reflexively questioned back, realized his mistake and struck his head against the ground.
"Please kill me."
[Do as they wish.]
Bloodfiend's eyes began to roll back and forth.
Do as they wish? Why?
He must never harbor doubts, yet he couldn't help but doubt. To follow the wishes of those who tried to defile the Divine Cult.
[Do you doubt?]
"Never! Never, Heavenly Demon! However... the Heavenly Demon's grand will is sometimes difficult for a human mind to understand. Please enlighten this lowly one."
[There's no need to think deeply about it.]
"..."
[If they're trying to scheme for the martial world, it would be interesting to lend them strength. Whether it's Hundred Sword Castle or the Orthodox Alliance, if the Cult invades the Central Plains, they'll naturally join hands to try to block us. Then it wouldn't be bad to push their backs appropriately and have them exhaust each other's strength.]
"It is as the Heavenly Demon says."
[It would be good to push their backs a little. But there's something I don't understand. No matter how strong Hundred Sword Castle is, they couldn't wage war against the entire martial world, so do they have something they're counting on?]
"There is a report I have regarding that matter."
[A report?]
"Though the martial world doesn't know yet, Hundred Sword Castle has released this secret manual to the martial world under the name of the Sword Emperor's legacy. It seems there's some conspiracy, but I can't understand what's problematic about this manual..."
Bloodfiend respectfully presented the secret manual.
The manual floated up and spread out in the air of the cave.
[You said Sword Emperor?]
"Yes. That's correct."
[They're doing something crafty.]
Whoooosh.
The book began to burn.
[The Sword Emperor's martial arts are uniquely peerless martial learning that can be compared to demonic arts. This lowly secret manual that only mimics the appearance cannot be called the Sword Emperor's legacy.]
"Then why?"
[But they've done something interesting.]
Bloodfiend's eyes began to roll again.
[If they're going to cause trouble, they should do it properly. Support them with Explosive Blood Pills.]
"Ex, Explosive Blood Pills, you mean?"
Bloodfiend asked in shock. Explosive Blood Pills could be called priceless treasures of the martial world. They could no longer be created, and their quantity was limited. To give such things to Central Plains people.
"I shall follow the command."
However, the Heavenly Demon's commands were absolute.
Doubt or questioning was unnecessary.
[If something is worthless, just give it away. Such inferior martial arts are no longer needed. Why is that?]
It was a strange statement.
Why was he asking Bloodfiend about something he himself had said?
But Bloodfiend understood what that strange statement meant.
"Because the day of the Heavenly Demon's resurrection, that grand day, is not far off."
[Kahahahahahahaha!]
The orb emitting black light began to tremble and hum.
[A vessel! Bring me a vessel! A vessel! On the day I shake off this body and rise from this place, the world will witness the true arrival of a demonic world.]
"Heavenly Demon's descent! Ten thousand demons bow in submission!"
Bloodfiend buried his head in the ground.
Here it was.
The true incarnation of demon that would dye the world in demonic energy existed right here.