Will It Go According to Plan?
A few days later, Has emerged from her underground magic lab and headed to Ares.
“How about we do it this way?”
“Good idea. Let's do that.”
“Then I'll leave the rest to you, Countess. Mind if I step out for a bit?”
“Where to?”
“I had some business outside, but you called me so urgently that I dropped everything and came. Don't worry—I’ll be back before things get started.”
“Make it quick.”
“Of course.”
After finishing her conversation with Ares, Has received permission and left the territory. She'd claimed she was returning to unfinished business, but that was a lie. In truth, she'd pretended to work for Ares in the basement while secretly contacting the outside and setting things up.
By now, everything should be ready, right?
Recalling the messages she'd sent outward over the past few days, Has headed to a secret location known only to her and a select few. When she arrived at the hidden mansion deep in an imperial forest, the courtyard was already crowded with those who'd arrived ahead of her. Easily over a hundred people! It was a massive turnout, and every single one was a woman with an air that didn't seem ordinary at all. Even a commoner would sense something off and freeze up—but anyone with knowledge of the church would recognize it instantly and stiffen in terror.
Demons. Every one of them gathered here was a demon, not human.
It was hell gathering this many.
Has wore a bitter expression as she looked at her kin. Only a tiny fraction truly followed the Demon King like she did. It had been a thousand years since the Demon King was active, so that was no surprise. Most of these were ones she'd personally recruited and drawn in with her own power—dragging them from their hidden lairs or freewheeling lives had been pure agony. And even after all that effort, they didn't blindly obey her.
“What, you just now showing up?”
“We don't have time, and you call us for nothing?”
“If this is a waste of time, you better watch your back.”
The demons didn't bow their heads even to Has, their leader of sorts, and acted rudely. It pissed her off, but there was nothing she could do. That was just how demons were.
To subdue demons with their rotten personalities one by one, you need overwhelming power or charisma. That's why there were never any demon groups before the Demon King.
Because of that, the ones she'd gathered now weren't a proper force. If she couldn't give a damn good reason after assembling them, they'd scatter—or worse, try to kill her. Still, Has wasn't worried. She had bait that would hook every demon here.
“Kinfolk! The reason I've gathered you is because I need your strength. To ignite a great event unseen for a thousand years!”
“?”
“Our goal is to seize the empire's greatest treasure. You get what I'm aiming for now, right?”
The moment she mentioned the empire's greatest treasure to her puzzled kin, reactions erupted.
“Seres?”
“Seres Huferion?”
“That empire's number one beauty?!”
The empire didn't worship any separate national treasure. So the empire's top treasure could only mean Seres—the most famous figure in the empire, renowned across the world.
“Sounds fun.”
“Seres, huh? I've always wanted to see him in person.”
“Hmm, and with this many of us, it might actually work?”
As expected, dangling the empire's top beauty—a lure no woman could resist—drew positive responses.
Excluding those who share my goals, most wouldn't listen even if I said we were reviving the Demon King.
She'd only said we'd bring Seres to pique everyone's interest, and it worked like a charm. Has smirked inwardly, but then—
“Bullshit. You think this ragtag bunch can kidnap someone protected by multiple Sword Masters?”
A voice shattered the momentum. From among the demons stepped a woman smaller in build but radiating several times the ferocity. She approached Has.
“Red?!”
Has was startled upon recognizing her.
“What are you doing here? I didn't call you.”
“I saw a bunch of demons heading somewhere, so I followed.”
“...I see.”
Has inwardly cursed the inconvenience.
She's one of the stronger ones among us, but her personality's like a rabid dog.
That's why Has had known of her but never recruited her. But now that she'd shown up on her own, tough luck.
“Even if you all swarm him, taking Seres is impossible!”
As feared, Red wasn't helping—she was sabotaging.
“I've tried grabbing that guy myself several times already. But he's always got heavy hitters around him. That Arios bitch, Ares Huferion, and some mystery one.”
“Ares Huferion's strong, but she's no Sword Master, right?”
“I saw her use aura.”
The demons murmured as Red practically growled it out. Her temper was foul, but no one thought she'd lie about this. Meaning there were really three Sword Masters around Seres.
“This is impossible.”
“I'm out.”
“Even for us, three Sword Masters...”
No demon could ignore Sword Masters. As the mood shifted to bailing, Has shouted desperately.
“Wait! I can pull away the heavyweights guarding Seres!”
“What?”
“I'm currently disguised as the Huferion family's exclusive mage. I've already laid the plans using that identity!”
She'd blurted it to hold them back, but it was true. Her chat with Ares earlier had been for exactly that.
“Then what? There's that obsessed high priestess stuck to Seres too! She teamed up with the imperial army to chase me down when she tried to catch me—total nightmare...”
“You. Come with me for a sec.”
As Red kept yapping, Has dragged her into the mansion.
“What do you want? Why keep screwing with my plans?”
Has demanded fiercely, but Red shrugged nonchalantly.
“Then why are you after Seres? Doesn't seem like mere curiosity.”
“What's it to you?”
“...If you tell me, I might actually help properly. Keep hiding it, and I'll keep messing with you. Hey, you guys...!”
“Wait!”
Has grabbed Red as she tried to head back out and stir trouble.
What now?
Her mind raced. Forcing Red—one of the strongest demons—to shut up was impossible. Maybe tell her the truth and recruit her as an ally? If she really helped as promised, it'd be a huge boon.
“...Fine, I'll tell you. But promise you'll help.”
“Deal.”
Red's curt reply prompted Has to spill everything: why Seres was born, and how she planned to use him.
“...You guys made that guy?”
Red looked genuinely stunned, uncharacteristic for her.
“To revive the Demon King and make him her consort?”
“Call her Her Majesty the Demon King.”
“I don't follow the Demon King. ...But if it's true, it explains that weirdo power Seres has.”
Red frowned.
“But what's this consort crap? Got nothing to do with reviving the Demon King.”
“That was Her Majesty's original goal in creating Seres. She thought the world's noblest being—inheriting the gods' power—would suit as her most powerful mate.”
But the Demon King died before completing Seres. Her subordinate Has had devised not just making him play consort, but using his divine power to revive the Demon King.
“Mind-blowing. But can Seres revive the dead? Even demons, opposites to divinity?”
“The one forged from every feather of the Heavenly God has resurrection powers even for demons. He just hasn't used it himself, so he doesn't know.”
“Even if so, the Demon King's been dead a thousand years. Reviving something that old—impossible, right?”
“It's possible. Using Black Pain, Her Majesty's cherished sword.”
Has explained they could use the sword—once the Demon King's vessel instead of a body—as the medium for revival.
“That's the core of the plan. Any more questions?”
After a moment's thought, Red replied.
“So his stupidly handsome face—you guys made him that way too? To give the Demon King a super pretty groom?”
“No, not intentional. The Huferion bloodline we added tends toward beauty, but we didn't expect that level.”
Even Has, his creator, marveled at his looks every time. She didn't know exactly why, but she had a solid theory.
“Probably the Heavenly God's own appearance from the feathers' original owner.”
“...Come to think of it, scriptures say the Heavenly God was the world's most beautiful.”
“Yes, no detailed description, but it's mentioned that way. Demons in battle would lose themselves to her beauty upon sight. Seres is essentially a duplicate of that Heavenly God.”
“Got it. A perfect copy of a god's looks. No wonder he doesn't look human.”
Red stared blankly into space, her puzzlement resolved with a strange expression, then continued.
“...Then why not make him even better while at it? He's cured now, but he was a dying invalid originally.”
Pointing out he'd have died early from frailty, Has replied.
“Ah, that was deliberate.”
“...What?”
“That way, we could control him by offering to heal him in exchange for obedience. We could've made him normally tolerant to divine power, but we added flaws on purpose.”
With divine power, he wouldn't die from the pain—just suffer endlessly. They figured he'd cave for sure, but he'd healed naturally. Has grumbled in regret.
“Any more questions?”
“...Nah. Hearing your story, you're kinda pathetic.”
Red spoke with what seemed like pity.
“You make him, and every damn thing falls for him and tries to steal him away.”
“It's not the worst yet. If Seres fully went to the temple or palace, I'd be out of options.”
Ares holding back was a relief. Has had anticipated fondness, but her obsession far exceeded expectations. If she'd gone berserk and attacked the palace only to get caught...
They'd lose Black Pain and the one connection to reclaim Seres.
“It'd be a meaningless life.”
“You'd just off yourself in the ocean or something?”
“...Maybe.”
Has sighed, imagining that nightmare scenario with Ares dead and Seres gone.
“No more questions? Then keep your promise.”
“Fine. I heard it all, so I'll help as agreed.”
“Smart choice. When Her Majesty revives, you'll get a spot too.”
Thinking she'd won Red over, Has left the mansion immediately to focus on convincing the others. She didn't notice Red watching her back with an odd gaze.
“...”