Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Declaration of War
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As Tejera rose to his feet, it felt like the great mountain itself was crumbling.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The arena trembled from the mana that naturally emanated from him.
“Urk!”
The Immortal envoys prostrated themselves even lower, shaking uncontrollably, while the vassals knelt in reverence under the sheer pressure.
This was the presence of the current Demorus house lord, Tejera.
Swoosh.
No one dared meet the eyes of Tejera as he looked down.
“You said something about exchanging new recruits.”
Tejera slowly extended his hand.
His open palm held nothing.
Grind!
Yet everyone felt a visceral sense of something being crushed.
Boom!
One of the prostrated, trembling Immortal envoys exploded on the spot.
“….…!”
In the sudden turn of events, everyone panicked but kept their mouths shut.
The house lord had killed an envoy.
No one failed to grasp what that signified.
“The Immortal house lord must have lived too long. He's grown fond of spouting nonsense.”
But that was Demorus for you.
“There will be no exchange of recruits.”
Tejera declared.
“If you need them so badly, come here and take them yourselves. But we will do the same.”
For the first time, they realized a voice could carry such weight.
“Hear me, Demorus.”
“Yes, House Lord. We await your command.”
At Tejera's words, all the vassals responded in unison.
“We must reclaim the Demorus held captive by Immortal.”
“….House Lord!”
One Immortal envoy cried out in terror, his face drained of color.
Boom!
But he too soon burst into a puddle of blood.
When the Demorus house lord was speaking, no lowly envoy from another house dared open his mouth.
“It seems the world has forgotten what Demorus is.”
Tejera said.
“I must remind them.”
“Yes, House Lord.”
“That Demorus is not a house to be bargained with.”
Each word boomed like thunder.
“What is Demorus? A house that loses what it has?”
“A house that takes!”
The vassals shouted.
“What is Demorus?”
Tejera's gaze swept over his vassals.
Then it settled on the last Immortal envoy.
Tremble tremble.
The final Immortal envoy, sensing his fate, clamped his mouth shut and merely shook.
“A house that yields its own out of fear of Immortal?”
“What use is Immortal to us?”
The vassals declared.
“Any who block Demorus's path shall know only death.”
Thud.
Tejera's hand crumpled the armrest of his chair.
“Yes. That is Demorus.”
His eyes burned fiercely.
The languid demeanor was gone, replaced by a smile curling at his lips.
“Retrieve Kolan Demorus. If necessary.”
Words that could not be taken back.
“Even if it means war.”
“….…!”
The weight of those words from the house lord's mouth.
No one failed to understand their gravity.
The continent would be dyed in blood, countless spirits wandering the underworld.
The skies would be filled with screams and wails, thick darkness descending once more.
So what of it?
“We accept….”
That was Demorus.
“Your command.”
That was the underworld.
Swoosh.
Having spoken his piece, Tejera extended his hand toward Sein.
Crunch!
The last remaining Immortal envoy crumpled inward.
“….You will… regret….”
Boom!
The envoy burst without finishing his final words.
Sein and Tejera locked eyes, as if such trifles meant nothing.
No words passed between them.
Yet Sein felt Tejera was saying:
-Is this what you wanted?
The house lord.
The one who grasped all of Demorus's information, who could survey every corner of the continent—that was House Lord Tejera.
He couldn't possibly be unaware of this situation.
No, it had probably started from the chaos during the territory war before that.
Smirk.
The house lord wanted it too.
-Well done.
War.
The thirst for battle in Demorus blood burned fiercer than anything.
“We accept….”
Sein knelt as well and said.
“Your command.”
War it was.
*
*
*
Tejera's orders were absolute.
The moment the house lord's assembly ended, Demorus sprang into action.
“Make haste.”
Even the elders and forces of the main house, who rarely stirred for anything short of catastrophe, moved with crisp efficiency.
-Call back all main house personnel out on missions.
By the house lord's command, those on missions were ordered to return.
-All former Demorus, return to the main house.
No matter what mission they were on.
Anyone reachable turned back to the main house the instant they received Demorus's summons.
There were protests over this unprecedented event.
-How can you just leave like this?
-Missions are suspended.
Demorus responded to such complaints in various ways.
-We will pay double the commission fee.
First came compensation for the commissions.
-Money's no use! Right now—
Demorus's affairs take precedence over all else. If you wish to complain, take it to the house lord.
Then came dismissal.
-I thought Demorus handled things properly! What is this?!
If they still refused to listen.
-Erase them.
They ensured no compensation was even needed.
It could undermine Demorus's reputation.
But most simply accepted and endured it.
-Demorus.
The house lord had commanded.
-Make them truly understand what that name means.
Losses, trust—it didn't matter what was sacrificed.
There was only one thing they must not lose: the great name of Demorus.
And so it finally began.
“There was a clash in Sector 6.”
Reports flooded in real-time.
“All commissions related to Immortal will be fulfilled at half price, they declared.”
At last, the hulking mountain that was Demorus stirred.
“Rasiel has moved.”
“Dante…”
“Cain…”
It was merely Tejera's order.
But the results unfolded immediately.
“From Immortal…”
And so the inevitable occurred.
“They've ordered all combat personnel to return.”
Demorus and Immortal.
Both were underworld powers dividing the continent's darkness three ways.
What Demorus could do, Immortal could match.
Having gathered their forces, Immortal finally moved.
Their starting point.
“Dante of Contra clashed with Immortal.”
Contra.
Sein, receiving all these reports, nodded.
These were mere sparks signaling the beginning.
They were also Demorus's warning to back down even now.
But if Immortal pushed back, the situation would change.
“The house lord has summoned the heir candidates.”
War.
*
*
*
With war upon them, everyone in the main house moved armed.
“A request from the New Empire. They say they'll arrange a meeting for a peaceful…” “Rejected.”
Tejera waved dismissively at the incoming reports, his face impassive.
Demorus's movements rippled across countless others.
“The Vinsen family has taken no stance.”
“As expected of those bastards.”
Meanwhile, the summoned heir candidates knelt before Tejera.
“You called for us, House Lord?”
Tampia, Jagar, Sein.
And Varze, who had returned from his mission just this morning.
“I have missions for you.”
The heir candidates swallowed hard at Tejera's words.
Never before had they received a mission directly from the house lord himself.
“Jagar, Triia.”
Tejera named them one by one.
“Tampia, Ignar.”
They bowed each time they were called.
“Varze, Kiekku.”
The names before were the heir candidates.
The ones after.
“Eliminate them.”
Immortal's so-called Children of Darkness.
Blood kin like Fellero or equivalents—their known names.
“We accept your command.”
It was only to be expected.
In war, talent had to be deployed where it was needed most.
Missions tailored to the current levels of the heir candidates and their foes.
But one name had yet to be called.
“….…”
Sein.
Sein quietly awaited Tejera's words.
“Hear me, Sein Demorus.”
Tejera said.
“You will face Rotem.”
“….…!”
At Tejera's words, not only the heir candidates but everyone in the arena widened their eyes.
The Children of Darkness were fitting opponents for heir candidates.
Their positions, statuses, and skills were evenly matched with those training to build great names.
But the name assigned to Sein was different.
“We accept your…”
A great name, Rotem.
“Command.”
Yet Sein accepted the mission.
“You may freely use the main house's intelligence units and resources during your missions.”
Along with the missions came granted authority.
“Sein Demorus, report to Falcon of the 2nd Intelligence Unit for details.”
The kneeling heir candidates rose.
“May Demorus's great darkness engulf the world.”
Snap.
They paid respects to the house lord and exited the arena.
“….…”
Tampia and Jagar shot glances at Sein.
Unlike them, facing mere Children of Darkness, Sein had been assigned a great name.
But they had no time to talk.
The supports assigned by Tejera approached them.
“I'm Falcon, captain of the 2nd Intelligence Unit.”
Sein had his support as well.
-2nd Intelligence Unit.
Excluding the house lord's direct and elders' intelligence units, it was the second-ranked external intelligence unit, led by Falcon.
In name only—it was a powerhouse who had earned the house lord's trust and awaited promotion to captain of the 1st Intelligence Unit.
“By the house lord's order, I'll be supporting Sein Demorus on this mission. Looking forward to working with you.”
Such a figure had been assigned to Sein.
But Sein had only one question for him.
“Where is Rotem?”