Kronos turned back to Floid once he was sure that the woman wouldn't talk anymore and Kronos continued.
"I understand your decision and we accept it. But we are not the only ones involved in the ruling decisions in the underworld. The underworld is currently ruled by a council and we all need to come to a decision together before we can agree to something like this. I implore you to allow us to return and speak to the other members of the council. This isn't a decision we can make alone,"
Kronos' voice did not waver and he stood his ground sternly as he said all of this. Floid's red eyes were piercing right into him with intensity and Kronos stared right back. Kronos was sure that Floid was going to agree. Kronos needed more time to think of a way out of this situation and this was the best way he could think of. The truth was that Kronos didn't even need to go back to the other members of the council. Kronos was the leader of the council and he could make a decision like this all on his own without needing to consult with the others. And even if he wasn't the leader of the council, there were three members of the council right here.
The council of the underworld made important decisions based on majority rule. If three members decide that a particular idea is a good one, then the other two members will have to agree to it as well. That means that the three of them were already enough to make a decision here. But Floid didn't need to know that. Kronos was bluffing with the best of them and Kronos hoped that Floid would fall for the bluff and allow them to go. It would be better to go back and find another way to deal with this man. It seems that Floid isn't going to just ignore them anymore.
But Floid wasn't having any of it. A large wave of anger rose inside of Floid and his bloodlust started to leak out as he glared at Kronos.
"2 million,"
Kronos' eyes widened in shock! What!? Did Floid just increase the amount!!? What sort of madness is this? I only asked him for more time so why is he increasing the amount like this!?
"Wait, my lord! I only asked for time to talk to the other members of the council!"
Kronos ignored the glares from Alucard and Rosavellt and he took a step closer to Floid but Floid's bloodlust suddenly increased even more and Kronos stopped in his tracks! Floid was now openly glaring at Kronos.
Floid knew exactly what Kronos was planning. No matter how you look at it, Kronos' plan was obvious. Floid was once a businessman's son and he learned everything he needed to learn about business from his numerous home teachers. Floid knows that this is a common tactic that his father would use against other businesses. His father would tell the CEOs of other businesses that he needed to consult with a board of directors before making a decision, but it would just be a stupid excuse for a power play. Floid's father used this method to consult with lawyers and find out ways to get a better deal from any contract.
Was Kronos trying to play on his intelligence?
Does this bastard think I am a child?
"I won't hear another word from you, Kronos. Do you think I care about your opinion? Do you think I told you this so that you can delegate over it? The only thing you can do in this situation is to obey and hope to your damn god that I don't kill you. You are a traitor and I will never take your word at face value. Two million, that is my final decision. You will consult with Rosavellt and she will be in charge of receiving the taxes every year. Goodbye,"
Kronos squeezed his hands into fists. This is bad! This is very bad! One million was already too much, but now Floid was asking for two million! That is more than fifty percent of their yearly production! The underworld won't have any mana stones left if the demon lord does this!
But yet there was nothing that Kronos could do. Floid already figured out what Kronos was trying to do and Floid would not budge on this matter at all. Kronos knew that it would be a bad idea to try and fight for this. The number of resources they will lose if they go into a war right now will be far worse than what they will lose if they just paid the taxes. The underworld had other means of income that could also cover their expenses and paying the taxes wouldn't make them poor, but if they go into a war they will lose far more than just the mana stones. They would lose soldiers and food as well as the lives of their citizens. It was a lose-lose situation for the underworld.
If Kronos does not agree to this he stands the risk of going into a war, but if he agrees to it then the council will not be happy and Kronos will probably lose his chances of becoming king in the near future.
Shit. This is bad.
Kronos could only think this as he watched Floid lean back. Floid was not even giving them the chance of retaliating or arguing. He simply told them that they were excused. He would expect the first payment by the end of the day and Rosavellt would handle all of it. Rosavellt stepped forward and bowed to Floid before she turned to the council members. Her face was stoic and unreadable but Kronos could tell that she was telling them to follow her out of the room. The demon lord already excused them so they had no right to stay here anymore. Kronos swallowed all the arguments he wants to give and he turned and walked out with the other two members. None of them wanted to talk so that the demon lord wouldn't increase the taxes even more! They knew that Floid was angry enough to increase it if he heard even a word from them!
Once the three of them had walked out with Rosavellt, Kronos rounded on her in the hallway and spoke in an annoyed tone.
"What in the world do you think you are doing!? Are you just going to allow the demon lord to place these taxes on your own people!? He is planning to cripple the underworld and you are not even saying a word!"
Kronos was pissed at Rosavellt! He understood that she was now the servant to the demon lord, but that does not make her any less of an Undead! The people that the demon lord is trying to cripple are still hers so shouldn't she be trying to help them!?
Rosavellt stared down at Kronos with a bored expression before opening a portal to the side.
"Please walk through the portal. My lord has commanded us to sign a binding magic contract before you leave. It will only take a moment,"
Rosavellt wasn't even listening to them! Kronos saw one of the council members take a step towards Rosavellt and he had half a mind to allow the woman to slap Rosavellt! Who does Rosavellt think she is!? Kronos has known Rosavellt since Rosavellt was just a child and he was one of the people who took care of her! She has no right to turn her back on the people who cared for her all this time just so she can kiss the ass of the demon lord!
But Kronos knew that it would be a bad idea to touch a member of the demon lord's household in the demon castle. Doing something like that would be the same as hitting up a lion's cub inside a lion's den. You wouldn't walk out of there with your life. Kronos put his hand to the side to stop the woman that was walking forward. He could already see a small knife in Rosavellt's hand and he knew that if the woman tried to touch Rosavellt, Rosavellt wouldn't hesitate to stab her in the neck and kill her.
Rosavellt waved her hand to the side calmly.
"Please, enter the portal and let us sign the agreement,"
Rosavellt's voice was calm and stable. She was acting as if she wasn't just a moment away from killing one of her own people. Kronos now knew that there was nothing he could do to change Rosavellt's mind. Rosavellt was no longer one of them. She was now a servant of the demon lord before she was an Undead. He could only wave his hand to the other council members and tell them to enter the portal. Once they were gone, he spoke to Rosavellt alone.
"We will not forget this, Rosavellt. You are already an outcast for what you did to us a hundred years ago. If you do this, then you will have no place in the underworld anymore. We will never welcome you back home,"
Once Kronos said this he finally got a reaction from Rosavellt. She gave him a glare that almost made his spine freeze. Her voice was scathing.
"And what gives you the impression that I consider that place as my home? I have given up on you just as the rest of my people have given up on me. But you do not know when to give up, Kronos. That is your one weakness. If you believe that you can take the throne with your current ability then you are a fool. So please, walk through and let us sign the contract,"
Rosavellt said the last part while changing her expression back to a welcoming one and putting on a small smile. Kronos immediately narrowed his eyes at her. He tried not to show it but he was shocked once he heard what Rosavellt said. How does she know he wanted to take the throne? How long has she known for? What exactly does she mean by what she said? Is she saying that she plans to take the throne?
No. Rosavellt wouldn't want the throne.
Kronos knows that Rosavellt wouldn't leave the demon lord for anything so she wouldn't want the throne since she will have to go back to the underworld to take it. But if that isn't the case, then what does she mean? Kronos wanted to ask her what she meant by what she said, but Rosavellt would not answer him no matter what. Kronos could only grit his teeth and enter the portal to sign the contract.
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