Viktor floated closer to the castle wall and rested his two shadowy arms upon the battlements. The position was rather comfortable, considering that he was as tall as the castle wall at six meters. Understandably, the lady with silver hair, who seemed to be a noble of this place, shuffled backward and pressed her back against the far wall while keeping her wide eyes upon his face.
"Are you the leader of this place?" Viktor asked in as calm a voice as he could muster. Yet it still came out as a harrowing echo.
The girl hesitantly shook her head. "No, my father is. But he got sick from overworking and is currently asleep in the castle."
Viktor's many golden eyes glanced at the castle that was nestled within the cliff face. Since his undead soldiers hadn't ventured through the castle, it wasn't within his realm of influence, so he had no way to verify the girl's words. The World Core’s mana was still blocking him from moving freely.
"Well, if he is asleep, I wouldn't want to disturb his peace. And I hope he gets well soon," Viktor said sincerely, which seemed to make the girl even more confused. "Would it be possible to talk to you on his behalf? I don’t have time to wait around for him to wake up."
"Yes, Father entrusted me with running the city in his absence."
"Perfect," Viktor said. "So, as I'm sure you can tell, I'm the supposed Demon Lord. Would you be able to give me your name?"
The girl gulped as she hesitantly stood up. "First in line to the throne, Princess Luna Cloudhell," she did an awkward curtsey, "greets the Demon Lord."
"Luna is a beautiful name," Viktor turned his head to the side. "And I assume you have met my right-hand woman, Alice."
"Yes, we met a few minutes ago. She said she works for the Demon Lord and that you have come to help us. Is that really true?" Luna diverted her eyes and looked to the floor. "Most of us are just skin and bone due to the famine. I don't know how much help we can be to you alive. So, are you planning to turn us all into undead, like those soldiers you marched upon our city?"
Victor chuckled at the directness of this woman. "Despite my looks and choice of army, I am quite fond of the living. I come in peace to humanity; my only enemy is the Grand Dungeons that seek my eradication. Which is why I've come here with my army and speak of peace. I have not come to fight you and your people."
"I see… so, what happens now?" Luna asked after a brief silence. "Father has taught me a lot about running a kingdom, but never mentioned how to deal with a peaceful Demon Lord. Are we now allies, or your slaves? Will you stay here or leave peacefully after destroying the Grand Dungeon?"
"That depends on your cooperation," Victor lied, "But didn't you accept me a little bit too quickly? I hope you're not a naive ruler."
"I just know when resistance is pointless. My people can hardly hold back a few monsters, let alone an army of the undead and a Demon Lord. One look at that bolt of purple lightning convinced me that I am not dealing with a fellow mortal being, but rather a god."
It feels weird to be referred to as a god, but I suppose compared to the average person in this world, I might as well be. Now where should I go from here. Do I offer them food? Their dire situation gives me a perfect opportunity to bring them over to my side without needless bloodshed.
"Since the goddess has abandoned my people and allowed us to starve, I would rather worship the godly being before me and hope for salvation, than depend on a false god and die a pointless death," Luna said with conviction. "So please, Demon Lord, I hope you will save us."
"I will try my best but there’s some things we need to do first. I'm sure you're well aware that the world isn't exactly happy about my existence and has even offered incentives for slaughtering me and my people."
Luna nodded. "In the system, both of your names are in red due to the [World Event: Defeat the Demon Lord], and if I remember correctly, killing you will get me contribution points and a lot of EXP."
"Exactly, which means coexistence with us, as it currently stands, is impossible. Because once your people regain their strength, and time passes, they will forget who fed them. They will turn their blades on us due to human greed, and I wouldn't even blame them. That is just human nature, and I know it all too well."
"That's surprisingly insightful," Luna seemed to loosen up a bit, as she raised her head and looked at him without as much fear. "What do you suggest we do? My citizens hardly listen to me anymore due to the hunger. They all think I live in a palace filled with servants and fresh food, but that couldn't be further from the truth." She reached down and rubbed her rumbling stomach. "I haven't eaten anything but moldy oats in weeks."
"Don't worry, after I have gotten the Grand Dungeon under my control, the very first thing that I will seek to fix is the famine plaguing your people. I have a kingdom of my own located within the Cursed Forests Grand Dungeon called Necron, where many humans currently live peacefully. The next big harvest will be ready in a few weeks, as the dense mana in the dungeon helps crops sprout faster. Until then, I can bring some fat cows, which your citizens can slaughter for food." Victor saw Luna’s eyes light up at the mention of food, "However, there is a condition."
A flash of unease appeared on Luna's face. "And what would be the condition?"
Victor rotated his arm, and in his upright shadowy claws, a card of pure sapphire appeared.
Luna inspected the floating card with understandable confusion. "This is?"
"In my kingdom, Necron, citizenship is divided into four colors: gold, black, blue, and green. Alice and I are golden citizens; hence our eyes and blood are liquid gold. Ever heard the saying of nobles having blue blood?"
"Yes, I have," Luna nodded. "It's a way that commoners often refer to the nobility."
"Well, if you accept this card from me, you will be deemed an enemy of the system. Your death will grant others contribution points and greater XP. You'll be treated as a monster and become an enemy of the world as you know it. But in exchange, your blood will turn blue, you will become immortal, and gain useful skills such as [Telepathy], [Spatial Inventory], and [Mana Resistance]." Victor explained and moved the card a little closer to Luna, so it was within her reach, "I offer this noble blue card to you and will provide green ones to any citizens willing to submit to Necron. A small price to pay for an endless life filled with all the food one could ask for. So, what do you say?"
"What do I say?" Luna laughed, "Is that even a question? Without some food I will be dead by the week's end, and my nation is aflame. To not accept such an offer, would be foolish."
"Good choice," Victor said as he moved his claw to be right before her. "Tap your finger on the tip of my claw to draw blood and smear it on the blue card to claim your citizenship."
Luna did as instructed. "Ow," she muttered, as blood dribbled down her finger and pooled within her palm. Then, with a bloodied hand, she reached forward and grabbed the floating sapphire card. The card glowed with power and then seemingly melted into her palm. Luna's eyes widened as it traveled up her arm like corruption. Her veins turned blue and once it reached her eyes, they turned from grey to icy blue.
"What has happened to me?" Luna seemed rather startled as she inspected her hands and pulled up her sleeves to check on her arms.
"Check your status screen," Victor instructed. "Tell me, is anything different?"
Luna stopped inspecting her changes and her eyes became distant, clearly looking at her status screen. "Yes, it says here that I've received a new class. [Blue Noble of Necron]. It says it’s a class bestowed upon those chosen by the Demon Lord. My powers are now derived from the rogue Demon Core, and my fate is directly tied to the Demon Lord. It also says I have been marked as an enemy of the world, and my death will provide System users with contribution points."
"Welcome to the Dark side," Victor laughed. "Now that that's done, why don't you try resummoning your citizenship card?"
"How?" Luna asked.
"Just try thinking about it and it will appear."
Luna closed her eyes and a second later the sapphire blue card appeared in her hand, much to her surprise. "What if someone steals this card from me? Will I lose my citizenship?"
"No, it's linked to your very soul. Becoming a citizen of Necron is not something that can be reversed," Victor explained. "Now, do you mind showing me to the throne room? We have much to discuss."
Luna curtsied. "Absolutely. The Frost Lands is now yours to rule."
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