"During the fight, you didn't realize any of this. Yes, these strings are thin, and I positioned them in such a way, so you can't see it." Phisovia said in a low but firm tone. "As a general candidate, you should have good observation skills. You didn't show it at all and just blindly attacked me."
Nymira opened her mouth for air.
Her body also started to tremble. The series of strands at her neck began to
tighten.
"I-I…." She tried to speak but couldn't.
Xenora ran towards the arena's gate. "Open the door!!! Now!!!"
A succubus frantically unlocked the door, while Nymira looked even more in pain.
"Please, stop it, Phisovia!!!" Xenora screamed in panic. "You've already won. There's no need to continue."
As soon as the arena door opened, Xenora rushed in and held Nymira's body. "Phisovia!!! There's no use killing your own kind!!!"
Phisovia smiled, and the strands on Nymira's body loosened. The second in command fell to the ground, coughing violently.
"Y-you really wanted to kill me?" Nymira asked while looking down, not daring to look at her opponent.
Phisovia didn't answer, only looked around at the shocked succubi.
"Why?" Xenora hissed, staring at her former boss.
Phisovia gave another cold gaze. "Nothing has changed since then. Everything I do is for lord Vorn."
Xenora looked back at the red-haired woman's gaze, speechless.
I got up from my chair with a smile, entered the arena, and put my arm around Phisovia's waist.
I found that her legs were shaking. So, I gave her support to keep her standing. For this first impression, she has to look tough.
"Do you have any words for them, honey?" I asked her.
With a broader smile, she spoke to her subordinates. "Don't worry, all of you. I will do this task to the best of my ability and take you to greater heights. This is all for the sake of the empire of Vorn."
Ah, even she couldn't bring herself to speak out loud. She really was at her limit.
Xenora closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then looked over to the audience as well. "No matter what, we must accept this result! From this second, I am no longer your leader! So, we must pay our respects and swear allegiance to our new general, lady Phisovia!"
One by one, the succubi knelt and bowed.
Xenora was also going to do the same, but I prevented her. "Now you're not part of the succubus regiment anymore, Xenora. The council of judges is a body independent of the army. This may sound painful, but it has already been decided."
"Yeah, I'm not your boss anymore, Xenora." Phisovia rubbed her best friend's cheek, someone who had been beside her for a long time. "Now we are equal."
Xenora's tears started to fall.
"You have succeeded in keeping the regiment solid," Phisovia added. "I'll take care of that, Xenora."
Xenora didn't respond and turned around instead.
***
After sending Phisovia to rest in her room, I went to a large cave in the main base, a place Ozig found after some time of digging. Perhaps the size is almost twice the size of a soccer field.
"Ah, good evening, Lord Vorn." Karl, standing alone beside an unfinished artificial lake, bowed. "I heard about this interesting project, so I immediately wanted to check it out. Father Jude will come later. He is being massaged by some succubi."
I chuckled. "He has really changed, huh? I even heard he enjoyed alcohol. He's been enjoying life… By the way, what about Silkdale?"
"Wade, the shapeshifter you sent to replace me, was amazing. He quickly absorbed what I taught him." Karl shrugged. "I'm sure he can carry out his leadership duties well."
"Good then." I started walking around the still-dry lake. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he will report the situation there to me regularly. And if there's anything important enough, I'll let you know."
"Thanks, my lord." The former mayor walked after me. "I appreciate it."
No matter how well a shapeshifter learns, they can't beat someone as experienced as Karl.
"So, what exactly is this project for, my lord?" Karl observed the working demons digging the lake to make it bigger and deeper. I used the day and night shifts specifically for this project. The lake in this cave is crucial for one of my long-term plans.
"This is for the underwater races," I explained. "After this, we will make a canal that connects to the river."
"Amazing." Karl nodded. "This is one of your biggest projects among many other projects. Your burden is very heavy. I was thinking, maybe you need a vacation."
I chuckled a second time. "But there are still so many things I need to take care of. And I still haven't solved our biggest problem."
"Food supply, right?" Karl rubbed his chin which was starting to grow a beard.
"Yeah, for now, our needs are sufficient. However, I need to increase the food supply to enlarge the troops. I don't want my men to starve and be unable to fight."
"Actually, I have an idea, my lord. However, this is a bit out of the box."
"I'll listen to any suggestions." I smiled at him. "I will do whatever I think is best."
Karl's expression grew even more serious. "In the eastern part of the Durcia Kingdom's territory, there is a town dedicated to lizardmen. We can get a lot of food from there. Getting to the city is also not a big problem. You have taken over the area next to that town."
I stopped walking, digesting the words of the former mayor. "You suggest we butcher the lizardmen to feed my troops? Yeah, that's totally out of the box."
"I apologize if my words were offensive." That man bowed again. "However, since ancient times, demons have been known to eat other races, be it elves, humans, lizardmen, and so on. You don't want to ruin your reputation in the eyes of humans, do you? They are your most numerous devotees. So, human flesh is not an option."
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