Chapter 43: Frost Anvil (1) (1/2)

Next chapter will be released on Wednesday. I’ve almost finished editing the confusing point of views from the previous chapters. The only ones left are episodes 3-11, so there won’t be a chapter release tomorrow as I intend to finish it by then. Once I’m done with all these editing, the release schedule will resume to 1 chapter per day.

There were numerous demon followers in Pleiades.

Their history began with the descent of the two great monarchs of hell. More than a thousand years have passed, but even now, they persistently continued to exist.

‘The demon followers are not just one group.’

Contrary to public perception, they were not all on the same side.

Because the great monarchs they served were different.

The demon followers antagonized and competed with each other, as the great monarchs of hell did, and in severe cases, they did not hesitate to shed blood in their clashes.

The Devil’s Hand is a group who served Asmodeus of lust, one of the five great monarchs of hell. Their ultimate goal is to have Asmodeus descend and take over the world through the realization of her hell, Sabbath, on the real world.

“The sacrifice had left the eagle’s nest.”

At the headquarters of the Devil’s Hand, located at the center of the Sälen Kingdom, the key executives of the Devil’s Hand were all gathered in one place.

One was physically present, while others used phantoms that appeared through magic.

The eyes of the key executives who stood in each corner of a hexagonal star were all focused on the black-haired woman, demonic human Saluzia, who was in charge of the northern part of the Sälen Kingdom.

The sacrifice left the eagle’s nest.

Cordelia Chase had escaped from Count Hræsvelgr’s protection.

“How did that happen?”

It was a woman’s low voice that made the listeners feel at ease.

She was the leader of the Devil’s Hand, and at her question, Saluzia explained the details of the situation.

“Cordelia Chase went on a honeymoon trip with her fiancé, Jude Bayer.”

“Even though they were ambushed twice?”

When demonic human Koros, who stood on one corner of the hexagonal star, asked with a wry smile because he found it absurd, the other executives somehow also had the same facial expressions as they too found it to be incomprehensible.

The first and second attack pretty much stated that the goal of the Devil’s Hand was Cordelia and Lucas.

However, there was still more to be dumbfounded about.

“Furthermore…”

“Furthermore?”

“The two had escaped to go on a journey. Count Hræsvelgr have currently dispatched people everywhere to find the couple.”

“Crazy.”

The other executives also nodded at Koros’ sentiments.

Then, Koros added a few more words to try to lighten up the conversation.

“Are you saying that they’re teenagers who have nothing in their brains because they are so blinded by love?”

“For now…I think so.”

Saluzia answered with a little difficulty before looking back at their leader again and continuing her explanation.

“Cordelia Chase’s destination is presumed to be Frost Anvil.”

“On what grounds?”

“The very purpose of Cordelia Chase’s visit to Count Hræsvelgr in the first place was to acquire the legendary Sunflower that blooms in Frost Anvil. That flower is a special medicine which would heal the chronic disease of her fiancé, Jude Bayer.”

“They went on a trip looking for a drug to cure her fiancé’s illness? I see, so that’s what they were thinking when they left.”

When Koros spoke quietly again, Saluzia frowned but did not deny his words.

Saluzia had thought the same too.

But there were two reasons why Saluzia frowned.

One was the fact that Koros jumped in her conversation with their beloved leader. The other was the fact that they had already lost three demonic humans and more than a hundred combatants because of those immature and empty-headed teenagers.

Saluzia was the one who had planned both operations, so if she looked at it from a broader perspective, she had failed twice because of those immature teenagers.

“This is no laughing matter. We’ve already lost three demonic humans because of those children.”

Minos, Varus, and the Northern Viscount were all low-ranking demonic humans, but even so, they were still demonic humans. They had to invest a considerable amount of time, effort, and assets to create them.

Moreover, the loss of the Northern Viscount was more painful than the previous two.

Before he was a demonic human, he was a nobleman who officially had a manor in the kingdom.

“If not for that iron man, we wouldn’t have lost those demonic humans. The two were just merely lucky.”

The iron man he was referring to was Landius.

Koros grumbled a bit as he spoke, and their leader had a gentle smile.

“You’re right. Certainly, if that iron man hadn’t intervened, Saluzia’s second operation would not have failed. But don’t forget the fact that those children defeated Minos too.”

Furthermore, it wasn’t just that.

Although they were helped by the witch’s soul, the demonic monster of Asmodeus, who was asleep in the Trefalgar Forest, also died at the hands of those children.

They weren’t children that could be easily dealt with.

“Saluzia, do you have any other reasons on why you think they’re going there?”

“Yes, I have. We’ve looked at civilians on the route from Vedrfolnir to Frost Anvil, and we’ve found a small number of people who saw what is believed to be Cordelia Chase and Jude Bayer.”

“And?”

“Kanos’ foresight also pointed to Frost Anvil.”

Kanos was one of the few demonic humans with the power of foresight, and was in fact, appointed as the successor to Saluzia.

“The disadvantage of Kanos’ foresight is that you can’t get it whenever you want…but it is accurate once it appears.”

As if to help Saluzia, one of the executives spoke in a small voice.

It was Nemea, a demonic human active in the Argon Empire.

The leader of the Devil’s Hand, who had long blue hair, closed her eyes once. She was silent for a moment as she organized her thoughts, before she opened her eyes and said.

“Saluzia.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“What’s your plan?”

“Considering their speed of movement so far, it will take two more days for Cordelia Chase to arrive at Frost Anvil. So before that, I plan to deploy troops at the Great Gate, the only entrance to Frost Anvil, to capture the two.”

It wasn’t a bad plan.

Moreover, the iron man Landius had already left Count Hræsvelgr’s territory and was heading towards the capital.

There would no longer be any unexpected intrusions.

“Saluzia, I will trust you once again.”

“Thank you. I will surely live up to your expectations.”

Saluzia replied, bowing her head deeply when their leader gave her permission.

Koros scornfully laughed at her voice mixed with tears, but in fact, all the executives including him, were deeply fascinated with their leader.

If he were in the same situation, Koros would have reacted similarly.

“Now that the conversation is roughly over, let’s wrap up today’s meeting. May Asmodeus’ favor be with everyone.”

“May her favor be with you.”