Gathered across the roundtable of Lamenia, the nobles, and royals were growing increasingly desperate by the minute. Closing in on them was an army of demons, devouring their people and turning their cities into shambles. Confided within the tall walls of Curatos castle, they racked their minds and voiced all kinds of ideas to somehow deal with the situation.
"This is bleak…" Said King Curatos the Third.
The men and women of the council mirrored his pessimism with deep scorn. None of them had ever wanted to serve a coward who breaks down in the face of adversity, but with their deaths marching towards them, they had no choice but to listen to the moronic king.
"Sire, should we retreat? The emperor would surely help us take the land back once the news makes it to his ears!" Jumping off her seat, a woman with a red veil over her face addressed the king directly.
"We've sent multiple messengers already, I doubt it'll take much longer for the emperor's army to be here!" Assured the exquisitely adorned treasurer. Despite the dire situation, he'd spared no time to dress up in his silver suit with diamond embedding, which in turn only made him all the less likable by the other members.
"How egregious! Do you two have no honor?! Why should we give up our lord's land, even if temporarily to the demons?!" Slamming his fist on the table, the cloaked bishop growled his dissent.
Having heard from them all, the king turned to the last lady of the council seated across him with not a hint of worry reflected on her face. Her leather boots resting on the desk, she was rocking her chair back and forth while dining on a sweet candy at the end of a short stick.
"What do you think we should do, Maria?" The king asked in a defeated voice.
Gleaming a smile, she took her legs off the desk and leaned her head forward. Surveying the terrified look on everyone's faces, she took out the candy from her lips and directed it right in the king's direction.
"From the intel we have, there are three demons flying above the army orchestrating," reaching into the breast pocket of her full leather attire, she took out a small vanity box. "We need to strike them down or…"
Opening the box, she looked through its small rounded mirror at the image of Margarette, Rose, and Hawthorn flying right above the demon army. Turning the box around, she showed it to the other before finally finishing her statement.
"We can give up the kingdom, the king, the bishop, the treasurer, and the security," her words, cutting them like a shard of glass. "After all, who wants to die for a piece of land, remember that from somewhere?"
The moment she finished the sentence, however, everyone knew exactly what she meant by those words of betrayal against her fellow council members.
'The emperor doesn't fight for land, he fights for a cause.' Reminded of the emperor's dogma, each one of them hung their head low in shame. But the fear of losing his kingdom was too much of a sacrifice for the king.
"I can't just hand over the land to those demons," the king complained.
"Then I guess we have to find a new king when the emperor retakes Lamenia," once again, cutting like shards, Maria had no intention of whitewashing her intentions. "Do any of you agree with me or do you wanna die with this heretic who wants to go against the emperor's words?"
"What?!" Pushed into the corner, King Curatos jumped to his feet.
Scanning the faces of the councilmen, he didn't see one person trying to defend him on the matter. Feeling his blood run cold, he began to gasp in fear as his legs tried to retreat from the back.
"We're giving the land to the demons in exchange for the lives of our people," Maria, the council's overseer, abolished the council with that last order.
***
Just hours after the carnage had started, the king of Lamenia was brought to Margarette like a chained rabid dog. His arms tied behind his back and his half-bald head vacant of his crown, the king tried to beg for mercy as he was left kneeling before the demonic queen.
"You can have the king, and the kingdom, but you'll the people of Lamenia alone," standing pridefully tall before Margarette, Maria presented her the offer.
Meeting atop the city gates, the whole of the demon army was glaring up at her like hungry vultures, ready to tear her apart the moment Margarette ordered them to. However, to follow Haruki's plans of conforming rule with diplomacy, she couldn't allow herself to be driven by murderous instinct against humans.
"You'll leave a third of your young men to join my army," even then, Margarette wasn't willing to let the chance of expanding their army escape.
Glaring right into Margarette's eyes, Maria, clicked her tongue in annoyance before looking over her shoulder at the two dragons stationed right behind her. Feeling great regret in coming to negotiate alone, she reluctantly extended her hand and also released the chain bound to the king.
"Their families will never agree if you turn them into demons or just kill them outright, I need assurance that you'd only make use of them as labor or as military personal and won't feed them to those drooling demons underneath," almost deafened by the sound of screaming demons, Maria didn't want her offered people to turn into those screeching monsters as well.
Taking a moment to assess the offer, Margarette held her palm in front of her face. Manifesting through glistering dust, a demonic spy appeared over her hand.
"Master?" She called while Maria watched astounded.
Explaining the situation to Haruki who was off to a distant land already, she was given but a few words of orders.
"Do what you think is right, I trust you," and with that, her master's voice trailed off.
'That must've been the demon every single one of these idiots are masking as.' Although her assessment was correct that it was Haruki, she couldn't do much with that information since almost every single demon in the empire has taken up his appearance.
"Maria, I think you're a smart woman, but…" Holding her hand forward, Margarette conjured a blade of fire. "Before I can trust you, you have to prove yourself by killing your master."
Handing her the burning sword, Margarette took a few steps back and watched as the king squirmed around as he faced a real threat to his life. As the sword burned her hands, Maria raised it up high and let out a hefty sigh.
"Fuck," was all that left her mouth before the sword of flames put an end to the king's life.
With a smile, Margarette applauded Maria, and soon enough the congregation of demons started doing the same. Annoyed by the praise, she glared at Margarette with contempt, yet knowing better than to ruin everything now, she kept her action well in check.
"Very well, I accept your offer, now empty your cities before you men grow hungry again," mocking her even more, Margarette knew she was playing with fire, but the instinct to torment couldn't be helped.
'I'll kill you with my own hands one day.' Maria thought as she backed away.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l