Chapter 194: The Makings of a Demon King (Part 4)
This was Lomond’s territory, and countless grotesque creatures pointed and jeered at her.
The cacophony of insults confirmed her location. She was used to it. If she ever returned here and didn’t hear these taunts, she would think something was wrong.
She remembered how she had once groveled for their acceptance, enduring their mockery and abuse, always with a placating smile. Her attempts at ingratiation had only earned her more abuse.
How foolish she had been.
Candice chuckled self-deprecatingly. These insults, once so hurtful, now meant nothing. She had found something far more important than the acceptance of these creatures.
Someone in this world had truly accepted her… and one was enough.
She had been waiting outside for hours. Lomond, it seemed, was trying to assert his dominance, deliberately making her wait, a petty display of power.
This foolish prince truly enjoyed such meaningless displays of authority.
Candice, having anticipated this, remained calm, observing her surroundings with a detached amusement. Compared to the human world, the Demon Beast lands were crude and underdeveloped. Many Demon Beasts possessed intelligence, but they cared little for clothing or shelter. Naked demons roamed freely, their homes nothing more than caves, hollow trees, or burrows in the earth.
Thousands, even tens of thousands, of Demon Beasts inhabited the forest and the distant mountains. Most, except for the higher-ranking ones, didn’t even have the concept of sanitation.
There were no toilets.
Everywhere was a toilet.
The air, which should have been fresh and clean, was thick with a nauseating stench. Demon Beasts fought amongst themselves, their wounds oozing foul-smelling blood, others copulated openly under the sun…
Eating, fighting, and mating: the three primary activities of Demon Beast life.
Only before Candice stood something resembling a building: Lomond’s crude palace, constructed from piled stones.
Suddenly, Candice tensed.
She sensed a hostile presence approaching.
Such a fool, she thought, seeing his outstretched arms reflected in the sunlight on the ground.
With a swift movement, she pivoted, her elbow slamming into his chest.
The creature, resembling a hairy baboon, staggered backwards, enraged. To be struck by a half-breed, what an insult! It roared, preparing to retaliate.
Swish!
A sharp, icy projectile shot through the air.
An ice shard, conjured by Candice, stopped just short of the baboon’s throat.
A millimeter closer, and it would have pierced his flesh. Even a Demon Beast couldn’t survive such an injury.
The baboon froze, its face turning as red as its backside, its already hideous features contorted in rage.
Silence fell over the surrounding area.
Countless eyes, of varying shapes and colors, stared at Candice. No one expected this half-breed, after being away for so long, to have become so bold, so defiant.
By the Demon King!
This was terrifying.
If she dared to retaliate now, what would she do in the future? It was unimaginable.
But the silence didn’t last. Twisted laughter echoed through the air. This half-breed dared to fight back? This gave them an excuse to teach her a lesson, to put this filthy trash in her place.
They surrounded her, some walking upright, others crawling on the ground, their grotesque faces filled with malice.
They wouldn’t hesitate to kill her.
The Demon Beast world was even more chaotic than the human world, rife with constant infighting. No one would care about the death of a few hundred Demon Beasts, let alone a half-breed.
But Candice merely smiled coldly, unafraid.
With her strength, she didn’t fear these creatures.
Just then, a figure emerged from the palace. Candice recognized him. His name was Dolgo, a half-breed like herself, the product of a Succubus seeking a thrill with a Dire Wolf. He was Lomond’s most trusted subordinate, and very strong.
Dolgo glanced at Candice with disdain. Although they shared Succubus blood, he considered himself superior. After all, she was half-human, while he was half-Dire Wolf.
Dire Wolves were a powerful race among Demon Beasts, serving under the Second Prince.
He seemed eager to see Candice torn apart by the surrounding mob.
But he hadn’t forgotten his master’s instructions.
“Stop!” Dolgo commanded.
The Demon Beasts paused, but their malicious gazes remained fixed on Candice.
“Candice,” he said, “Prince Lomond grants you an audience.”
A bunch of beasts, mimicking the etiquette of human nobles… how ridiculous, Candice thought, a respectful expression on her face. She bowed slightly. “It is my honor.”
Led by Dolgo, Candice entered the Seventh Prince’s palace.
The palace was large, but still seemed cramped compared to Lomond’s massive, several-tens-of-meters-tall body. It was said that he had used tens of thousands of Demon Beasts to build this palace, a monument to his ego, working countless to death in the process.
His enormous, bloated form occupied the throne, a seat clearly designed for a Demon King, as if to remind everyone of his ambitions.
He was as filthy as ever, his stench overpowering.
Candice placed her hand on her chest and bowed. “Candice greets His Highness the Seventh Prince.”
Lomond nodded slightly and dismissed his other subordinates with a wave of his hand. Then he looked at the tiny woman before him. “Candice,” he said, “I… ahem, this prince just saved you, you know.”
Candice almost burst out laughing.
Having one of his subordinates harass her, then having another “rescue” her, and then presenting it as a favor? Did Lomond really think this crude trick would fool anyone? Or had he spent the past few hours devising such a childish welcome?
If so, Candice would have to lower her opinion of him even further.
She lowered her eyes, concealing her amusement. “Thank you, Your Highness,” she said demurely.
“You’re welcome. Now, you came all the way from the Auville Imperial City to see me. I expect you to offer something of value,” Lomond said, pleased with her submissive demeanor. His voice boomed through the palace like thunder.
“Your Highness,” Candice said carefully, “I bring you… a trade.”
“A trade?” Lomond seemed puzzled.
“Yes, Your Highness. I have my own channels for obtaining information. The information about Benson’s and Ronald’s whereabouts was provided by a mysterious person,” Candice explained.
Lomond’s interest was piqued. Killing Benson had greatly elevated his status among the Demon Beasts. “What are the terms of this trade?” he asked.
“This person will continue to provide information, helping you capture Ronald. In return, he wants you to hand Ronald over to him after you capture him, along with all his belongings,” Candice said.
Lomond frowned, his expression darkening. To hand over a member of the Hero Squad, whom he had worked so hard to capture, to someone else? This displeased him.
Who did this person think he was? The Dark Witch Shaye?
“Of course, this person guarantees that he will personally kill Ronald, and the credit will still be yours, Your Highness,” Candice added.
“How can I be sure he will really kill Ronald, and not rescue him?” Lomond countered.
“It’s simple. This person seems to have a deep grudge against the members of the Hero Squad. If he wanted to rescue Ronald, he wouldn’t have told you about his whereabouts… Actually, he wanted to kill Benson personally before, but since it was the first trade, he gave up on the idea of you handing Benson over to him. He said that the first trade was enough to prove his sincerity.”
Candice’s explanation made sense to Lomond.
But even if that mysterious person had requested Benson, he couldn’t have handed him over… After all, he couldn’t defy the terrifying Dark Witch.
Clearly, Lomond didn’t want to accept this trade so readily. He was thinking when his large eyes suddenly focused on Candice again. “That person must have already given you the information, right?”
“Yes,” Candice answered immediately.
“Then, my loyal subordinate, you wouldn’t hide this information from me, would you?” Lomond said with a grin.
“Of course, if Your Highness wants to know, I can tell you right away,” Candice nodded readily. Lomond was overjoyed, but her next words made his face darken.
“However, that person also said that if he doesn’t get what he wants, he will refuse to cooperate with you in the future. He will no longer provide me with any information and will seek other partners among the princes.”
This wasn’t good news for Lomond.
There were many princes vying for the Demon King’s throne. The competition was fierce.
He had risen above the others by killing Benson, but his position wasn’t secure. If that mysterious person cooperated with other princes, they might pull him down at any time. This was something Lomond absolutely didn’t want to see.
Lomond’s ambition was great. He didn’t just want to be a Demon Prince, he wanted to be the next Demon King.
Candice’s words also made him feel a bit dissatisfied. Was this a threat?
“Who is that person?”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness, I don’t know. That person’s origins are very mysterious, and he’s also very strong. He always appears before me suddenly and gives me the information. As for his identity, I have no clues at all,” Candice said apologetically.
Useless.
“However, that person said that Your Highness Lomond is incredibly talented and intelligent, the smartest among all the princes, and you definitely wouldn’t make such a foolish decision.”
These words immediately made Lomond beam.
Although he was unhappy about being threatened, this person had good taste.
Lomond also felt that he was the smartest among all the princes and princesses.
Besides him, all his siblings were idiots.
“He also said that Your Highness is not only resourceful but also powerful, with the makings of a Demon King!”
Lomond’s heart skipped a beat, his large eyes narrowing. He was liking this mysterious person more and more, despite him being a filthy human. He had good taste.
“He said that if possible, he hopes to continue cooperating with you and doesn’t want to find other partners…”
“He’s even willing to continuously provide information and help you secure your position as the heir to the Demon King.”
Lomond’s breathing became rapid.
Candice continued to add fuel to the fire, “When we parted ways, he also said that the current Demon King is too useless, having lost his former sharpness, and should abdicate and let the more capable Prince Lomond take the throne.”
He felt that this mysterious person was more and more to his liking. He also felt that his father was becoming increasingly useless, always shutting himself in his laboratory, not caring about the Demon Beasts’ great cause of conquering the Heavenly Continent at all. He was no longer qualified to sit on that throne.
Of course, he was smart enough not to say these words out loud.
“He’s even willing to help you overthrow the current Demon King and ascend to the throne, giving you his full support.”
Lomond’s heart pounded, and he felt a strange heat surge through his body.
“However, I felt that his words were too rebellious, so I declined on my own accord…”
Damn it, who told you to decline?!
Lomond almost roared.