Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

Chapter 965- Demon Lord's Army (2)

The moment he stepped into the clearing, an uproar of cheers erupted, startling him.

"Sir Simon! You're back!"

Soldiers rushed up to him, eyes wide with awe, grins plastered across their faces. Mercenaries crowded around him, slapping him on the back and flooding him with questions.

"Woah, how powerful are you, really? To stand against that demon—how many class changes have you gone through?"

"You must be insanely strong to hold your own against that demon! Did you acquire a rare class or something?"

 "Why did he leave? Did he actually fear your strength?"…

"What level are you?"…

Simon who was taken aback by their sudden enthusiasm, was constantly barraged by their questions. To the men surrounding him, that battle was nothing short of legendary.

Most of them were former serfs and peasants who had rarely seen anything beyond skirmishes and minor battles. To see their leader confront a powerful Demon and live to tell the tale was, to them, a feat of impossible heroism.

"Simon! Simon! Simon!" They began to chant his name, as if he were a hero who had descended to save them all.

Simon felt awkward, he was only trying to complete his quest. If not for it, he wouldn't bother with the life and death of these characters who were just a recreation of history. He was far away from an existence like the hero.

Besides, the disaster hasn't subsided yet. The Demon Duke hadn't left out of fear or respect. He'd left because he had a far more dangerous game in mind.

That said, there was no need for him to share that detail with the decoy force. And so, after a while he dispersed the crowd, commanding them to get back to position. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Everyone, we still have a job to do. This battle isn't over yet."

Having won their hearts and respect, the soldiers and mercenaries willingly obeyed his command. Gradually, they dispersed and got back to their work.

Thanks to the strength shown by Simon their leader, the morale in the camp had transformed. Where there had been fear, there was now a sense of hope, a belief that they could actually survive this.

Once he'd managed to escape the crowd, Simon made his way to his shelter. His nerves still taut from the previous battle.

The Demon Duke had left—but the threat was far from gone. They still needed to buy time for the southern alliance, fend off the demons' scouts, and survive the night. But for now, he had a brief respite…

.

.

As the night progressed further, Simon's thoughts returned to Vordanaz's unexpected proposal.

The Duke's words echoed in his mind. He had been agonizing for weeks over how to accomplish his quest, over how to prevent the Southern alliance's annihilation at the hands of the Demon Lord of Envy's army.

Even with the fortress at Mount Gorgor and the plan to bottleneck the demon horde, the odds were still stacked overwhelmingly against them.

The Quest was nightmarishly difficult. Stopping the Southern Alliance's annihilation felt impossible.

He had been racking his brain, agonising every single day to find a way. Who knew the way would come over to him on its own two feet?

That's right, the way he found was the offer from Duke Vordanaz. Despite knowing that it would mean betraying humanity, he felt the potential of the offer.

Of course, he wasn't interested in the power, status or immortality that Vordanaz offered. No, what he was interested in was to sway the Demon Lord's horde and possibly know all about their plans.

If he joined their side and proved enough worth, he might be able to redirect their main forces away from the alliance. With the influence and rank Vordanaz promised, he could possibly manipulate the demons from within, slowing or even halting their attack.

This was a way he couldn't think of while being on this side of the conflict. He needed to join the other side too, only by being on both sides would he be able to get a proper grasp of the war that was going on.

The trial was not only about saving the southern alliance but to alter the Historia and ultimately preventing the Demon Lord of Envy's death.

Now that he thought about it, the quest was clearly hinting at him to join both sides. That said, joining the demon lord's side sounded easier said than done.

The other party were infamous demons after all and being a demon himself he was not an amateur when it came to understanding them.

Vordanaz might be favouring him right now, but it was only for the moment. There was no telling when the Demon Duke's interest and whim would change.

If they felt like his use was over or their favourability decreased, they would not hesitate to get rid of him. And besides, he was not truly planning on joining one side but rather infiltrate both sides.

If his intentions ever came to surface or his deception was caught, at that time he'd be facing not just Vordanaz but the entire demon horde. Heck, he might even be hounded by the human side for being a traitor.

No matter how you look at it, this was a difficult decision. Then again, this was the chance he needed.

A covert operation from within their ranks. If he played his cards right, he might just be able to complete all the quests.

His mind raced with possibilities, Simon quickly fell into thoughts…

.

.

 Over the mountain range, far into the horizon, a black line sprawling endlessly could be seen. a dark mass writhing like a sea of shadows under the pale moonlight.

Thousands upon thousands of demons stretched as far as the eye could see, a legion so vast it seemed to swallow the earth itself. The atmosphere here was thick with a dark, oppressive energy that permeated the very air.

The place was eerily silent broken only by the distant roars and growls of countless monsters.