“That’s the same order given to the three Lords who were sent here, myself included. What about it?”

“It was also relayed that all senior and junior members, as well as the captain and any other powerful foe within the sector security, would be unavailable for months.”

“They would be reassigned to the Soul Sector as reinforcements for the ongoing operation in the Dark Sector.”

The remnant demons continued reciting the orders they had received, trying to make Lord Oka understand that assigning three Lords and their respective parties to the mission had been excessive.

“Get Alice at all costs,” they continued. “And do not lose the item she has with her.” At first, the mission had seemed like overkill.

Now, however, they understood why. The information they had been given about the Soul Sector had been nothing more than bait.

The girl was likely meant to lure powerful hunters away from the region, reducing the number of potential threats. But Lord Oka was becoming impatient. He knew exactly what the survivors were doing.

They were throwing pieces of a puzzle at him and hoping he would be the one to put them together. But he didn't want to jump to conclusions.

“Get to the point,” Lord Oka said coldly. “Or you might all lose your tongues over this wordplay.”

“At first, we thought assigning three Lords and their party members was overkill. That was partly why Lord Omiha chose to delay crossing over until three months ago.” The demon hesitated.

“But after seeing how unreliable the information about the Soul Sector scheme was…” He clenched his fists.

“It’s obvious now. This might have been a setup to reduce the number of potential hunters in the region.” His voice trembled.

“We were practically test subjects.” The demons explained how easily they had been wiped out and how quickly the hunters had responded.

They described the strength of their opponents. There had been three hunters. Three. But none of them seemed like ordinary members. The survivors continued emphasizing the strength of one particular hunter—one who had stood far above the others. His power had been overwhelming.

Even their Lord had been unable to withstand him. That alone should have been impossible. The other demons in the room were beginning to find the story ridiculous. How could an ordinary member of the sector security stand against a Lord? It was absurd.

“Stop.” Lord Oka's voice silenced the room.

“Do you understand what you are implying?”

“Yes, Lord Oka.” The demon swallowed.

“Although it sounds ridiculous, and may seem like speculation since we have no actual proof beyond what we witnessed, everything we've said is the truth.” He lowered his head.

“The ordinary members here are stronger than those in the Soul Sector. The mission was probably a setup to test their actual strength while eliminating the Lords in the process.” He hesitated before adding:

“I mean… you suspected something like this, didn't you, Lord Oka?” The demon looked up.

“That’s why you never made a move, even now, right, my Lord?” They knew how ridiculous their words sounded. But the horror they had experienced was real.

They were simply adding a little exaggeration to the truth, hoping it would be enough to gain Lord Oka's favor. Anything that could convince him to let them live.

Lord Oka didn't respond. There was every possibility that they were lying through their teeth.

They could have exaggerated everything simply to gain his sympathy.

After all, their lives depended on his satisfaction. But the point they had raised—and especially the death of their Lord—wasn't something he could simply ignore. He wasn't weak. Neither were his party members.

Ordinary members shouldn't have been able to take them on. And yet these demons are claiming that three ordinary hunters wiped them all out.

It's unheard of. Lord Oka's expression darkened. But they're the only witnesses. That's the one fact I can cling to. Their existence proves that something happened, even if their explanation is questionable. But accepting that we were deliberately sent on a suicide mission to gauge the strength of hunters…

That's ludicrous. He leaned back slightly. Especially now.

The conflict within the royal chain of command has barely been settled. For General Deathomen to attempt something like this without authorization would be nothing short of madness. Another thought occurred to him.

Besides, if he wanted to gauge their strength, using his pets would have been far more efficient than using us. He knows the death of a Lord wouldn't be overlooked.

It would only inspire further rebellion against the Demon King. And ultimately put his own life at risk, along with the seat of his beloved King.

He is the one in charge. He wouldn't do something that reckless. Not without permission, at least. Lord Oka's eyes narrowed. But these witnesses are low-level demons.

Their words mean practically nothing to the nobles or council members. They'll probably be executed for deserting their Lord anyway. He looked toward the survivors. I suppose the only thing I can do now is confirm their claims.

Only then will I know the true threat level of the foe we might have to face. While their Lord was occupied with his thoughts, his party members began to grow agitated. Yet, strangely, they also felt fortunate.

If even half of what the survivors had said was true, they could easily have found themselves in the same situation.

They doubted their entire party would have been wiped out, mainly because their Lord was both intelligent and powerful. Still, they were certain they would have lost several members. That realization made them reconsider the survivors' earlier suspicion.

Perhaps Lord Oka really had anticipated something like this. Ever since arriving in the city, he had maintained a low profile while gathering rogue demons to join his ranks.

They had always assumed it was simply part of his cautious nature. Now, however, they couldn't help but admire his foresight. Several of them wore faint smirks.

“I'll admit that I did suspect something was odd about the mission we were assigned,” Lord Oka finally said. The smirks immediately faded.

“But I chose to do nothing about it because your Lord and Lord Yu had already taken control of the mission.” His gaze shifted toward the survivors.

“They effectively pushed me aside.” He paused.

“So, to answer your question, no.” His expression remained blank.

“I didn't suspect anything like this.”The survivors were stunned.

“However, your claims about the general's supposed plan are unlikely.” Lord Oka's voice remained calm.

“But they aren't impossible.” He crossed his arms.

“Since you have no actual proof beyond your own testimony, you and I both know what this is.”

“A speculation.” His gaze hardened.

“It is your word against his.”

“And there is still the possibility that you are lying in an attempt to trick me into helping you.” He gave them a cold look.

“Which is only natural. Survival is all that matters to low-level demons.” The survivors lowered their heads.

“But the issue concerning the hunters and the falsification of information is a completely different matter.” Lord Oka's expression became more serious.

“Especially when that misinformation resulted in the death of a Lord and most of his party.” He leaned forward.

“Your existence alone is enough to prove that something happened.” Then he asked:

“So tell me…” His voice became colder.

“What clan markings did they have on their clothing?” The survivors looked at one another.

Lord Oka continued. “The markings will tell me which clans they belong to. From that, I can determine their ranks and perhaps get a better idea of the threat we're dealing with.”

The remnant demons felt a wave of relief. They still had a chance. They knew their speculation about the general plotting against the Lords was something many demons were already paranoid about because of the hostility between the nobles and the Demon King.

Such speculation was enough to command the attention of any Lord, provided it was believable. And in their current situation, it was the perfect explanation for something that otherwise seemed impossible.

If they simply told the truth, their story would sound like an exaggeration. But if they connected the incident to a conspiracy involving the general, the absurdity of their story suddenly became something worth investigating.

It gave their words a chance to be considered. And, more importantly, it gave them a chance to survive. Based on Lord Oka's response, their gamble appeared to be working.

However, before they could answer his question, something happened. A thick, dark smoke began emanating from the center of the living room. Every demon belonging to Lord Oka's party immediately dropped to their knees. The remnant demons stared at them in confusion. Then they felt it.

A horrifying sensation. The dark smoke seemed to suck the surrounding air into itself. They had no idea what was happening.

For a brief moment, they wondered if it was an attack. Perhaps Lord Oka had grown tired of their hesitation and decided to punish them. He had been impatient from the beginning. And now the dark smoke was suffocating them. But when they saw Lord Oka's party members kneeling before it, they hesitated.

Whatever was happening, it was clearly not an ordinary attack. They decided to follow suit. One after another, they dropped to their knees. Soon, every demon in the room was kneeling.

Everyone except Lord Oka. He remained seated. His expression had darkened. He knew exactly what the appearance of the smoke meant. And the timing couldn't have been worse. His chances of obtaining more information about the hunters had probably just disappeared.

He stared at the dark smoke as it continued to expand. His uneasiness grew. Soon, the smoke began to condense. It gathered into itself until it formed a dark sphere. The sphere was roughly three feet in diameter, resembling a massive, dark mirror.

Every demon in the room except Lord Oka remained kneeling with one foot planted against the floor and their heads bowed. None dared to look directly at the sphere. Then, a voice emerged from within it. The voice was deep. Thick. And intimidating.

“What’s with the face, Oka?” The voice paused.

“If you keep that up, you just might end up losing that pretty face of yours.” The figure within the sphere had noticed Lord Oka's expression.

He interpreted it as disrespect. He didn't know that the expression hadn't been intentional. It was simply the result of terrible timing. None of the demons detected any humor in the statement.

Lord Oka's party members didn't dare raise their heads. They knew exactly who was speaking. Doing so would be considered disrespectful. The remnant demons, however, were still clueless.

They suspected that whoever was speaking was a high-ranking official from the Dark Sector, judging by the way everyone else was showing their respect. The demons in Lord Oka's party assumed that the general was simply abusing his authority to intimidate their Lord.

They didn't know that Lord Oka's unpleasant expression was merely his reaction to the interruption. From their position on the ground, they couldn't see his face clearly. The remnant demons, however, felt a cold chill run down their spines. They recognized the voice.

It belonged to the very person they had just accused of conspiring to wipe out the Lords sent on the mission.

At that moment, they realized something horrifying. They might have escaped the hunting dogs… Only to run straight into the den of a starving lion. It was the voice of the Thirteenth General.

General Deathomen. The survivors were horrified. If he overheard us… We're dead. It wouldn't matter whether their accusations were true. It wouldn't matter if they had proof. Rank was everything. Demons had been killed for far less. Disobedience. Insults. Disrespect toward a superior.

Now, the fact that their lives were already on the line had taken on a whole new meaning.

They began to wonder if coming here had been worth the risk. Sweat formed across their bodies. They trembled uncontrollably.

“That would be a cruel fate for little old me…” Lord Oka smiled.

“Don't you think, General Deathomen?” His tone remained cheerful.

“After all, we are somewhat familiar with one another, right, sire?”

“The shoe is familiar with the ground, but it is nothing more than a layer to step on.” Deathomen's voice remained cold.

“Don't flatter yourself.” A pause.

“Know your place, Oka.”

“You utter the most heartwarming words, General.”

Lord Oka maintained his cheerful expression.

“However, dare I ask what honor I owe your grand audience?” He gestured casually toward the sphere.

“It's not yet time for my report, and I presume handing out compliments isn't why you've sought me out, General Deathomen.” He smiled.

“Or is it?” Lord Oka was attempting to steer the conversation away from the threat. More importantly, he understood exactly what Deathomen's last words meant. Know your place. It wasn't a warning. It was a reminder. A reminder that if Lord Oka crossed the line, Deathomen could dispose of him.