The Devil’s Cage

The southern councilmen were stunned when they saw Kieran walk out of the restaurant.

They, the highly ranked councilmen, had forgotten what a discussion used to be. They had forgotten how people used to fight each other with words, attempting to outwit each other to get the best out of a deal. They had long forgotten the straightforward way of conversing and discussing because most of the time, they were doing it to others, not the other way around.

Others were all lower than them in their point of view.

Now, the tide has changed.

The southern councilmen were not used to it, but they adapted themselves to it due to Kieran’s worth and value.

Either the heir to the throne or the heir of Snake Sect would be worthwhile of their effort, let alone when the two identities combined.

More importantly, the initiative was in Kieran’s hand.

“Hold on, your Highness!” Eindefern said quickly.

“I don’t have time to waste with you people, time is running out after all.”

Kieran stood there without turning around. His words, however, made the councilmens’ hearts skip a beat.

Time was running out?!

His words had many meanings to them, to the point that all the southern councilmen felt depressed and scared.

They exchanged gazes. As the representative of the southern councilmen, Eindefern stopped hesitating.

“Your Highness, we will do our best to fulfill your request, but please understand, Rare rank magical equipment and items are too rare. Even if we give our best effort, the best we can do is around 40, we will try to compensate you in other ways for the missing number,” said Eindefern sincerely.

Kieran showed hesitation.

Two seconds later, he walked back to them.

“I don’t need Gold Purton,” said Kieran after he sat back down.

“We’ve already compensated you 280 pieces of practical use magical equipment and items…”

“After you have compensated the practical use magical equipment and items, you can substitute the others with pagan remnants. Sometimes, those remnants have uses that you cannot imagine.”

Kieran stopped Eindefern’s words and stated his true intention.

Though his true intention in the eyes of the southern councilmen was just compromising to the second option.

After all, as long as the ‘obsession’ in the heart was removed, the pagan remnants could still be quite helpful.

Snake Sect’s way of doing things was drastically different from Wolf Sect.

Or rather… the situation at hand was much harsher than they thought, to the point that the Demon Hunters had to compromise.

With the thought in mind, Eindefern stated his offer again.

“40 Rare rank magical equipment and items, 50 pagan remnants, would that be okay?”

Unlike his previous question, Eindefern chose to test the water with the question, and in order to keep the unwanted misunderstandings away, he added, “The number of pagan remnants is of course negotiable.”

“At least 60 pagan remnants. I think it’s a fair price, it has very minimal usage anyway.”

With Kurtzargert’s memories, Kieran had a general idea of the collection of the southern councilmen.

As for the ‘minimal usage’? It was also the truth.

The requirement to use a pagan remnant was very harsh. The stronger the remnant the harsher the requirements.

For example, to launch an attack that could destroy any army of a hundred would require a sacrificial offering of at least 200 to 300 people or items of similar value.

Therefore, other than some critical moments, no one would ever use them.

Or, the pagan remnants had some very special traits, like Sivalka’s.

However, Sivalka was just an independent case, he couldn’t represent all of them.

So, Eindefern and the other councilmen gave it some thought before they all nodded, one after another.

“Sure. We will tell our men to deliver the negotiated goods and compensated items to you as soon as possible, under the witness of a contract!”

After everyone passed the vote, Eindefern gave Kieran confirmation.

The power of the contract was applicable in this dungeon world too.

It didn’t have that special personification with it here but in a certain aspect, it was inviolable.

A contract was prepared beforehand. Monte, as the vassal, drafted the contract and after the southern councilmen went through the contents, they signed it.

In the end, the contract was given to Kieran.

After a careful check, Kieran too signed his alias, Colin.

When the last stroke was placed, the paper glowed.

The southern councilmen heaved a sigh of relief when they saw the faint glow.

The glow represented that both sides had established a fair communication base and in the added conditions of the contract, there was an obvious written rule which stated that either side could not offend one another and during times of need, help must be provided to one another.

“Now, let us talk about ‘him’!”

Kieran put the contract away and said solemnly with a strict look.

The southern councilmen, including Bloody Mary in disguise as Kurtzargert, sat up straight instinctively.

However, before he said anything, Kieran looked at the old Demon Hunter.

“Anderson, would you be so kind,” said Kieran.

The old Demon Hunter nodded, knowing what Kieran’s intention was.

“Leave it to me.”

Anderson then hid into the shadow.

Demon Hunters were good at tracking, likewise anti-monitoring.

The southern councilmen all knew about it, so none of them objected. Instead, they nodded in agreement.

Matters regarding a God should be treated with utmost vigilance and solemn.

“He first appeared in the Black Cataclysm,” said Kieran.

Right after the first revelation, the southern councilmen were already surprised, followed by a sigh of relief.

“As expected!”

“I knew it, that incident was never that simple!”

“Damn it!”

“How long have we been fooled?”

The hot-tempered councilman and some others argued.

Bloody Mary sat there quietly, its eyes showing a perfectly timed surprise while its heart was chuckling.

Baited!

The Superior Demon was not at all surprised that the councilmen took the bait.

Its boss had an authentic script to take references from after all: it was Kurtzargert’s memories.

In the memories of the dead councilman, the winner that emerged from the Black Cataclysm wasn’t Silent Night Secret Society, not the Demon Hunters, or even War God Temple. The true victor was Edatine royal court!

Aside from the fact that the Demon Hunters were almost annihilated, War God Temple had its sealed line breached by Edatine royal court.

As for Silent Night Society?

The answer could be found with the southern councilmen, who were shackled down in their respective turf.

They might have gotten gains from the catastrophic event, but the consequences were obvious too.

Kieran crossed his arms, put his elbow on the table, and supported his chin by the back of his hand, continuing after the discussion subsided.

“We don’t know how ‘he’ came to be, but one thing is for sure: ‘he’ is not an appendage, neither will he help without a reason. He has been stirring up trouble from the dark, he yearns to see chaos in our realm. He exists solely for trickery, schemes, and destruction!”