The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated

Chapter 866: Brewing Chaos

At this time, the Royal Capital was as lively as ever, perhaps even more so than usual.

Although the Tripartite Conference was in full swing, those qualified to enter the Hall of Glory were ultimately a minority, limited to the leaders and chief experts of the various factions. At the very least, one had to be a direct relative, such as an heir or descendant, to be able to enter the Hall of Glory and participate in the conference.

As for the guards, knights, and subordinates accompanying their faction leaders, they naturally weren’t allowed to enter the Hall of Glory.

They weren’t even allowed to cross the lake island bridge and enter the lake island.

Today, the lake island bridge was completely blocked off by the Royal Knights, led by the Vice-Commander, a level eighty-nine Grand Knight, raising the security level considerably.

Ordinary nobles and even high-ranking officials of various factions weren’t allowed to cross the bridge.

The guards, knights, and so on brought by the various factions could only wait outside the lake island bridge for the conference to end.

The commoners who came to watch the excitement were naturally stopped even further away by the kingdom’s knights, unable to approach.

Even so, there was still a constant stream of people in the Royal Capital, either entering from outside the city or moving about within the city, making it incredibly lively.

Clearly, the Tripartite Conference had, to a certain extent, boosted the kingdom’s commerce.

All sorts of people gathered for various purposes. Some were aiming for business opportunities, wanting to do business with factions outside the kingdom, some came to sightsee, and some simply wanted to take advantage of the situation and see if they could establish connections with any faction. The liveliness of the Royal Capital was destined to last for a long time.

Thanks to this Tripartite Conference, the kingdom wouldn’t have to worry about its finances for the next few years.

Under such circumstances, the Royal Capital’s barrier was still diligently functioning, ensuring that visitors from all over the world could only enter the city through the gates.

“Next!”

A guard in charge of registration shouted towards the outside, and the next person needing to enter the city came before him.

It was a man wearing a cloak, his face hidden beneath the hood.

The guard glanced at him, not finding it strange.

Such attire wasn’t uncommon, even on ordinary days, let alone during this special period.

After all, in this world, there was such a profession as adventurers, and some nobles also preferred to keep a low profile, so it was natural for some to be secretive.

“Name, profession, place of origin.”

The guard asked the cloaked man in a practiced tone, preparing to register him.

“…Raul, Second-Class adventurer, from the nearby city of Barrien.”

The cloaked man was silent for a moment, then reported his information in a low voice.

“A Second-Class adventurer from Barrien?”

The guard nodded.

Barrien was a relatively remote city not far from the Royal Capital, not very developed, similar to Larmigion, so there weren’t many high-level adventurers there.

Adventurers from the Royal Capital liked to use it as a starting point, basing themselves there when their level was low, gaining experience and training, becoming familiar with the adventurer’s work. After reaching a certain level, they would return to the Royal Capital and establish themselves there, continuing their adventures.

Adventurers from Barrien also liked to come to the Royal Capital when they obtained valuable items, as the prices offered in the capital were higher, and the distance wasn’t too far. Many merchants and traders specialized in this business, allowing adventurers to sell their rare finds for a good price.

Since this adventurer named Raul was only Second-Class, it meant that his level was only in the low twenties, not even thirty.

He was probably running errands for his adventurer team?

“Alright, show me your adventurer’s badge, and you can enter. There’s no entry fee for adventurers.” The guard said as he registered him. “But it’s currently the Tripartite Conference period, so don’t cause any trouble inside. Otherwise, if you’re caught by the patrolling Royal Knights, you’ll be dealt with accordingly.”

After this warning, the guard let Raul, who had shown his adventurer’s badge, enter.

The adventurer named Raul silently walked into the Royal Capital, wandered the crowded streets for a while, then quietly entered a small alley.

“…”

Stopping, Raul removed his cloak’s hood in the darkness.

The face beneath the hood was not only pale and bloodless, but his eyes were also dull and lifeless.

In the next second…

“Squish…!”

The adventurer named Raul’s back split open.

From within, the head of a ferocious beast emerged.

The same scene played out in various corners of the Royal Capital.

Cloaked individuals who had just entered the city, like broken puppets, entered alleys, their bodies splitting open, revealing parts of monstrous limbs emerging from within.

“Roar…”

“Growl…”

Suppressed roars gradually echoed through the alleys.

Within the Royal Capital, chaos was brewing.

…

Lake Island, Hall of Glory.

At this time, the goddesses and Demon Lords were still arguing, their quarrel so intense that the human faction leaders and experts had become numb.

They watched as the three goddesses and six Demon Lords engaged in a debate, constantly refuting each other’s arguments, desperately trying to pull the Hero into their respective camps. They also watched Shien, who was sitting at the Demon Race’s table, sipping tea at some point, looking relaxed and carefree. Their faces were numb, but a killing intent gradually rose in their hearts.

Is this amusing?

Is this amusing!?

Tricking dogs into a cage to kill them, is that the purpose of this Tripartite Conference?

Where’s my knife?

Bring me my knife! .jpg

Not only the onlookers, but even Lucy, Capeline, and Elise gradually felt a sense of annoyance.

Because the words spoken by the leaders of the two races became increasingly outrageous.

“We are the best choice for the Hero!”

“The only ones who can accompany the Hero are us!”

The goddesses and Demon Lords sounded more and more like they were fighting over a man.

Such a scene had probably never occurred in the entire history of Omnipotence.

The dignified goddesses of the Divine Race and the Demon Lords of the Demon Race actually quarreling so intensely over a man?

Past Heroes would rise from their graves, shouting at Shien, “We are not the same!”

However, Shien, as if it were none of his business, or perhaps finding it quite entertaining, watched the goddesses and Demon Lords arguing, even chuckling to himself.

This made Lucy want to strangle him.

And what about Ancil?

After trying to speak several times, only to find his words completely ineffective, he also felt a sense of boredom.

“Should we just leave it at this?”

Ancil even wanted to give up.

The current conference had entered a strange state.

The Divine and Demon Races no longer cared about who summoned Shien, only wanting to pull him to their side, preventing their rivals from obtaining him.

After all, gaining Shien was a good thing, no matter what.

Since that was the case, why bother with so much else?

The Divine Race goddesses believed that since Shien had received the Mother Goddess’s blessing, he was trustworthy, and there was no need to worry about any conspiracy behind his summoner. They should win him over first.

The Demon Lords were even more straightforward. Having already learned about Shien’s background and knowing the extraordinary relationship between their mother and Shien, they wouldn’t let the Divine Race take him away.

One side was for the Mother Goddess.

The other side was for their Mother.

Good heavens, Shien, this Hero, was actually being fiercely fought over by the two races because of two of the most extraordinary beings in the history of Omnipotence.

This made the Human Race become mere bystanders, only able to watch all of this unfold blankly, not knowing what expression to make.

Only Nats and Grueler, looking at Anima and Nadue fighting over Shien’s ownership with the Demon Lords, gradually showed cold glints in their eyes.

Naturally, their gazes towards Shien also became increasingly hostile.

“Hmm?”

Shien sensed the malice and hostility and immediately turned his head, meeting Nats and Grueler’s gazes.

Seeing their hostile eyes and displeased expressions, Shien’s eyebrow twitched, then he showed a bright and sunny smile.

“…!?”

Nats and Grueler almost had a mental breakdown, their composure cracking.

Smile?

What the fuck are you smiling about!? (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

Just as Nats and Grueler’s emotions were about to explode, Ancil’s expression suddenly changed. He took out a pocket watch from his pocket.

The pocket watch was flashing, its hands spinning rapidly, appearing extremely restless.

“Father…”

Lia’s voice came from beside him, causing Ancil to turn and look at her.

Lia’s expression was also serious.

Because she knew very well what this pocket watch was for.

It was a sign that the arrangements outside had been activated, triggering an alarm.

“Aldia.”

Ancil called out to his guardian knight.

“Understood.”

Aldia nodded impassively, then turned and left.

Many people noticed this scene and looked at Ancil.

These were mostly the human faction leaders who had connections with Ancil and had made arrangements with him.

Harvis, Capeline, Elise, Sophie, and the others all looked at Ancil thoughtfully.

Ancil nodded to them, then looked at the Demon Race’s seats.

There, Lucy was also looking at him.

After Ancil nodded to Lucy, she understood.

“What’s wrong?”

Shien finally noticed this as well.

“Nothing.” Lucy said calmly. “It’s just that the information you asked me to give to Father seems to have come in handy.”

Hearing this, Shien’s eyes lit up, and a smile appeared on his lips.

“They appeared?”

Shien asked.

“Yes, they appeared.”

Lucy confirmed.

“Excellent.”

Shien smiled faintly.

A deep glint flickered in his eyes.

Chapter 867: Beast Nests

As time passed, evening soon arrived.

The Royal Capital was still lively, but this liveliness had undergone some changes.

At some point, fully armed knight squadrons had appeared on the streets, beginning to block off certain areas.

Specifically, those were relatively remote and deserted areas.

“The Royal Knights are carrying out a mission here.”

“Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to approach.”

“Please stay away from this area.”

The Royal Knights, some forcefully, some politely, made these announcements to the citizens near the blocked-off areas, causing confusion and curiosity.

“What happened?”

“Why are they suddenly blocking off the roads?”

“Did something happen during the Tripartite Conference?”

“Who knows…”

The commoners could only discuss among themselves in confusion, ultimately leaving the blocked-off areas obediently.

This led to scenes of knight squadrons blocking off areas in various corners of the Royal Capital, puzzling the citizens.

These citizens didn’t know that there were even more puzzling things happening.

That was, after the Royal Knights blocked off the remote and deserted areas, armed forces began entering them, frantically searching within.

These armed forces included the kingdom’s Royal Knights, the empire’s Imperial Knights, the beastmen Priest Corps, the Elven Corps, and so on, all top-tier troops from various human factions.

Clearly, this operation wasn’t solely a kingdom affair; other human factions were also involved.

They were also clearly cooperating, not opposing each other.

Under such circumstances, what was happening in the remote areas and shadowy alleys of the Royal Capital was quickly discovered.

“Found them!”

“There are some here too!”

“Look over here!”

“They’ve appeared!”

In various corners, the combat troops of the human factions finally discovered the darkness lurking there.

“Roar!”

“Growl!”

Individuals with their bodies ripped open, as if housing beasts within, some transformed into beastly forms, others with monstrous limbs bursting through their flesh, roared mindlessly, pouncing on the knights, priests, and elven mages who had discovered them.

“Attack!”

“Surround them!”

“Don’t let them escape!”

The knights, priests, and elven mages who encountered these terrifying beings weren’t frightened. Instead, as if prepared, they calmly met the attack, engaging in battle with these monsters.

“Boom!”

In the corner of an alley, several monsters were hit by flames, instantly ignited, struggling and burning in the blaze before turning to ash.

“Wh-what… what kind of monsters are these?”

Jenom, who had used the flame magic earlier, working alongside several elven mages, asked with a shudder.

“Are these the monsters Her Majesty asked us to deal with, cooperating with the kingdom’s knights?”

Carol, also holding a staff, frowned.

Not far from these Elven Corps mages, a group of beastmen priests were also fighting these monsters.

Naturally, the kingdom and empire’s knight squadrons weren’t to be outdone.

“Haaa!”

Tilly, wielding a sharp knight sword, slew a pouncing monster, then gasped for breath.

“Swish!”

A greatsword sliced through the air, cleaving a monstrous beast that had burst from a human body in two, splattering blood everywhere.

Aldia, gripping the greatsword tightly, frowned as he looked at the monster he had slain.

“Is this the ‘Beast Nest’ that Her Highness mentioned?”

Aldia murmured softly.

—”Beast Nest.”

That referred to beings whose bodies were infested and taken over by monsters, fused with them, becoming hosts, like mobile monster nests.

A few days ago, Lucy had suddenly sought out Ancil and, in front of Aldia, mentioned these beings to Ancil, and even Lia.

“This is information obtained from that Old Demon Faction member named Shudy.”

With this opening remark, Lucy explained the details of the entire matter.

Specifically, on the day of the Tripartite Conference, some Old Demon Faction groups would attack the Royal Capital.

This was an attack plan formulated alongside the proposal of the Tripartite Conference.

The one who proposed it was none other than the Old Demon Faction group Shudy belonged to—[Hundred Beasts’ Nest].

“According to him, the leader of this Old Demon Faction group is someone named Burke, a level ninety-seven Legendary Level expert.”

“Burke possesses a Unique Skill, its name being the same as the Old Demon Faction group he founded—[Hundred Beasts’ Nest].”

“This Unique Skill can use beasts, ferocious beasts, and even monsters as materials, forcibly stuffing them into human bodies, turning them into mobile beast nests, housing the beasts within.”

“People who become ‘Beast Nests’ lose their minds, or rather, are influenced by the ferocity of the beasts inside them, becoming bombs completely obedient to the user of [Hundred Beasts’ Nest].”

This was the information Lucy brought to Ancil and the others.

And this information explained why the Old Demon Faction had been capturing monsters recently.

The reason was simple: they needed these monsters.

They wanted to give these monsters to Burke, letting him use his [Hundred Beasts’ Nest] ability to create bombs called “Beast Nests,” then send these bombs into the Royal Capital and detonate them.

“Their plan is simple. First, use the ‘Beast Nests’ to throw the Royal Capital into chaos, then take advantage of the confusion to send people skilled in stealth, assassination, and espionage into the city and disable the capital’s barrier.”

Then, several Old Demon Faction groups, led by [Hundred Beasts’ Nest], could launch a large-scale attack on the Royal Capital, causing carnage and disrupting the Tripartite Conference.

“They even have several backup plans, such as having ‘Beast Nests’ carrying highly poisonous monsters move near water sources, poisoning the water supply of the Royal Capital, or even having ‘Beast Nests’ carry actual explosive magic tools near the Hall of Glory, blowing up the hall and all the conference participants inside.”

Lucy’s words filled Ancil, Lia, and the others with shock and anger.

Therefore, after discussing, Ancil and Lia immediately decided to join forces with other human factions to resist [Hundred Beasts’ Nest] and the other Old Demon Faction groups.

Perhaps the people in the Royal Capital didn’t know, but at first glance, the city today seemed no different from usual, still lively and prosperous. But in reality, many human factions, including the kingdom, had already made arrangements.

Yuler had the priests of the temple guard the water sources, constantly monitoring the situation and using purification magic on the water at regular intervals to cleanse any potential toxins.

The magical nation of Laraby also participated in the arrangements, setting up detection magic formulas around the Hall of Glory, constantly monitoring the surrounding area to prevent any “Beast Nests” from appearing there.

And factions like the kingdom, the empire, the beastmen Priest Corps, and the Elven Race dispatched their combat forces to eliminate the “Beast Nests” once they appeared.

With the information Lucy provided, Ancil naturally wouldn’t sit idly by. He had already altered the type of barrier around the Royal Capital a few nights ago, slightly reducing its defensive capabilities but adding a function to trigger an alarm upon detecting unusual magic power.

Therefore, when the “Beast Nests” appeared within the Royal Capital and began activating, the barrier immediately detected the unusual magic power, sending an alarm to the magic tool Ancil carried, which was connected to the barrier.

Because of this, Aldia and the others quietly left the Hall of Glory, leading their troops to block off the areas where the “Beast Nests” appeared and eliminate them.

“Swish!”

After slaying another pouncing “Beast Nest,” Aldia turned to the Royal Knights around him.

“Inform everyone, eliminate them all. Don’t miss a single one, and don’t let any of them reach the main streets.”

Aldia ordered impassively.

“Yes!”

The Royal Knights immediately accepted the order.

Just like that, while the Old Demon Faction’s plot was still brewing, the major human factions, led by the kingdom, began swiftly eliminating the “Beast Nests” in the remote areas of the Royal Capital.

And the ordinary citizens in the city knew nothing about all of this.

…

Outside the Royal Capital, in a hidden cave.

“Hmm?”

A man, who had been sitting cross-legged here with his eyes closed, motionless for a long time, suddenly opened his eyes.

“What’s going on?” the man said gravely. “Why are the ‘Beast Nests’ I sent out disappearing so quickly?”

This man was the leader of [Hundred Beasts’ Nest]—Burke.

“Have they already been eliminated?”

“So fast?”

Burke’s frown deepened, and he vaguely sensed something was wrong.

It was inevitable that the “Beast Nests” would be eliminated.

Even if they reached the main streets of the Royal Capital, causing havoc and carnage, perfectly fulfilling their purpose, after the nearby knight squadrons reacted and arrived, they would eventually be eliminated.

In other words, Burke had long been prepared for the “Beast Nests” to be eliminated one by one.

However, logically speaking, the “Beast Nests” sent into the Royal Capital should have just started activating, not even having time to cause trouble yet. Why were they suddenly eliminated so quickly?

“…Someone!”

Burke was silent for a while, then called out.

“Leader!”

“Leader!”

Instantly, cloaked figures in black appeared one after another, kneeling before Burke.

Burke immediately gave his orders.

“Inform the leaders of the other Old Demon Faction groups, tell them that the plan might have changed, and to take action immediately.”

“You too, send people to infiltrate the Royal Capital and disable the barrier.”

“Also, release the higher-level ‘Beast Nests’.”

Burke gave several orders in a row.

“Yes!”

The figures in black accepted the orders and swiftly left the cave to carry them out.

“…I have a bad feeling about this.”

Burke murmured.

Beastly roars echoed from within him, and a look of madness gradually appeared in his eyes.