Though he was supposedly bowing, Belgos straightened himself up before Leohart could even speak.
Noticing the looks of displeasure on everyone's faces, he pointedly sniffed himself before leaning in close to Leohart. "I've been a bit busy lately taking over the 'Paradise' Zest left behind," he sneered. "Training new slaves is quite a chore, after all. It's hard to keep the smell of their filth and fluids off your skin."
Before Leohart could voice his disgust, the white-haired secretary beside him snapped, "Belgos! Mind your manners!"
Belgos didn't even spare him a glance. He didn't respect the Demon King, let alone a lapdog.
As soon as Belgos appeared—and especially after he mentioned Zest—the expressions of Mio and the other two soured. Ethan, in his cat form, remembered exactly who this purple-skinned freak was and what he was after. A flash of cold killing intent flickered in his azure cat eyes as Belgos turned a predatory, malicious gaze toward Mio.
Not yet, Ethan thought. This character wasn't even Satan-class; he wasn't worth exposing his true power for. Besides, with Mio's current strength, she could handle him alone, especially with Shella and Lucia backing her up. Belgos was just a scavenger from the Council, picking through the scraps left after Zest's death.
Belgos stared hungrily at Mio. If the Council's plan hadn't come first, he would have loved to taste the daughter of the former Demon King right then and there.
"King Leohart, regarding what you were just discussing with Princess Mio... shouldn't such a major decision be cleared by the Council first?"
Leohart's good mood evaporated instantly. Seeing that the Council was moving from subtle pressure to an open challenge, his voice turned icy. "What? Does the Council think I'm doing a poor job as King?"
"No, no, Your Majesty. Your hard work over the years is recognized by everyone." Belgos was disgusting, but he wasn't stupid. He knew he was no match for Leohart in a direct fight. If he agreed with that statement, Leohart would tear his skin off.
Belgos's grin widened. "However, while King Leohart has done well, perhaps Princess Mio could do even better."
"Hah! A little girl who knows nothing? Better than me?"
"Of course not on her own. But if she were under the... guidance... of the Council..." Belgos's meaning was clear. They didn't want a successor; they wanted a new puppet.
"Hey," Mio sneered, "you think I'll just do what you say? If I became King, the first thing I'd do is wipe the Council out of existence."
Belgos didn't care about her threats. He had come prepared. "It doesn't matter if you're willing. We will make you willing."
With a flare of magic in his eyes, a massive spatial fluctuation erupted outside the Demon King's City. Two seconds later, the shockwaves hit. Massive, ten-meter-tall humanoid flesh-monsters began battering the city walls and the magical barriers.
Leohart's face paled. "How dare you!"
"Don't misunderstand, Your Majesty. These 'Einherjar' weren't sent by us. Listen... they are Princess Mio's 'loyalists,' acting of their own accord." Belgos wore a smug expression that made a mockery of his denial.
As if on cue, a demon controlling the flesh-monsters shouted through an amplification spell: "Vile usurper! Hand over Princess Mio! As the daughter of King Wilbert, she is the true heir!"
Wilbert's name still carried immense weight. Even after ten years, his reputation as a pacifist who rebuilt the economy meant the common demons still loved him.
Mio was stunned. Supporters? Me? Since when was I kidnapped? The city walls began to crumble under the assault of the Einherjar. Horrific energy beams began falling into the residential areas, causing immediate casualties among the demon civilians. Leohart and his secretary rushed off to mobilize the army, while Ramsas teleported back to his mansion to protect his own assets.
Ethan and Shella decided to watch for a moment. This was the Council's show; the "Old Faction" hadn't even appeared yet.
High in the sky, Shella held Ethan while Mio and Lucia stood by. They watched the smoke rise and heard the screams of the civilians. Their hatred for the Council reached a boiling point.
"What are those things?" Mio asked, watching more muscle-monsters emerge from spatial rifts.
"They're called Einherjar," Shella explained. "Living weapons excavated from ancient ruins. The bigger they are, the stronger. Those ten-meter ones are A-rank. The twenty-meter ones are S-rank."
"They're essentially biological mechs," Ethan communicated through their mental link. "The Council has mastered the 'King of Einherjar' and made a deal with the Outer Gods behind them. They only require a pilot with C-rank mental strength to operate, drastically boosting a small army's power."
"Outer Gods?" Shella frowned. "You mean the Son of Chaos? I thought he was sealed."
"If it can be sealed, it can be unsealed," Ethan jumped from Shella's arms into Mio's. "Mio, keep me close. I suspect the Council is going to move against you and Leohart very soon."
The siege lasted another thirty minutes before the Einherjar began to withdraw—a sign that some deal had been struck or enough pressure had been applied. A magical message from Leohart arrived, summoning them back to the hall.