It was a Political Marriage, But I’m Being Loved - Chapter 108

Even if they failed to use Susanna to fully resurrect Him, just forcing the demon realm’s gate partially open could cause monsters to pour into the human world.
That chaos alone would be enough for other demons to take advantage of the situation. Iaoros had believed they would be willing to help.

“Is it because of the Tower Master…? His reputation, maybe?”

The Demon Slayer.

That was the name the demons whispered among themselves. Humans didn’t know it, but it had become a widespread title among the demonkind.

So many demons had been erased by his hand—truly erased, unable to even return to the demon realm—that the number had climbed well into the hundreds.

Demons feared him.
They wanted him destroyed… yet were too afraid of being annihilated to go near him.

Whenever even the faintest trace of demonic presence appeared, he would chase it down to the ends of the continent until it was gone.

“There’s no one else left I can turn to… The others are all too far away.”

The rest of the demons had already left the Empire, deliberately avoiding any run-ins with the Tower or its Master.
Even trying to contact them now would probably be useless.

Still, as he racked his brain, Iaoros remembered Cernadis.
Cernadis had been heavily involved with Valter Bianchi’s organization. He might be open to helping.

“Good thing I got a strand of his hair last time we met.”

Communicating with a high-level demon didn’t require a crystal orb.
They had their own ways of reaching subordinates—and those methods worked just as well in reverse.

Gripping the pendant containing Cernadis’s hair, Iaoros began calling out to him.

“Lord Cernadis… please, hear my voice!”

Cernadis dropped Valter to the ground without ceremony and clutched his newly regenerated arm, shivering.

The limb had already been severed and burned away, but he could still vividly feel the remnants of the cursed magic that had crawled up his arm and wing.

“Damn it… what kind of spell was that?!”

Cutting off and incinerating his own body had been the right call.
If that curse had reached his head, he’d be dead—or worse.

Being tracked afterward? That had become inevitable.

“So that bastard is the Tower Master…”

He hadn’t seen the man’s face, but the oppressive, disgusting aura—he could feel who it was.
Cernadis shivered with revulsion.

He wanted to take his anger out on something—anything—but for now, escape was the priority.

“He’s coming. I can feel it. Monsters like him never give up…”

The only place the Tower Master wouldn’t follow was the Demon Realm.
But running there just because he was afraid? That would be pathetic.

Besides, the Demon Realm was boring.
It was hard to grow stronger there, and it was filled with demons stronger than him. Cernadis would rather die than return to that suffocating place.

“No… no. Better to go back than die.”

He shook his head violently.
For now, he’d need to lay low. There were still four remaining humans from Black Heart’s branch he planned to feed on, but in his current condition, it would be impossible.

Just as he spread his wings to take off, a voice called out—near the Imperial Capital.

“Who’s there? Don’t tell me it’s one of the Tower Master’s lackeys?!”

…Lord Cernadis. Can you hear me?

That slow, overly formal, and easy-to-manipulate voice—he recognized it immediately.

Cernadis identified it in less than a second.
Iaoros.

“Iaoros? What do you want?”

He immediately regretted giving him that hair. If it ever ended up in the Tower Master’s hands, it could be used to track him.

…Actually, the thing is…

As Iaoros began explaining, Cernadis rolled his eyes.
He’d once humored the fool—several times, really—thinking he might be useful someday.

“He let those temple idiots take that ‘vessel’? What a mess… or maybe, what an opportunity.”

Cernadis grinned, already forming a plan.
If this worked, he could redirect the Tower Master’s attention away from himself.

The so-called “vessel” had been taken to the capital—and the one possessing it was destined to marry the Emperor’s daughter.
The Tower Master wouldn’t be able to ignore that.

“…Listen carefully, Iaoros. The Tower Master is tracking me right now. I’ll lure him far from the capital. Use that time to convince the others. Rally the demons. I won’t be able to keep him occupied forever, so don’t waste time.”

…Are you serious?! Really?!

Even through the sound alone, Cernadis could feel the overwhelming excitement in Iaoros’s voice.

Cernadis gave a cold, crooked smile.

Let’s see how many demons this fool can actually gather.

“There are plenty of demons who hold a grudge against the Tower Master. I’d bet at least fifty will show up.”

If more than a hundred gathered, it could attract even more.
And with them would come the monsters they used like playthings.
Some fools would join just because they believed that if enough demons attacked at once, even the Tower Master wouldn’t be able to kill them all—and they might slip away unharmed.

“Demons looking down on humans? That’s just instinct.”

If hundreds of demons flooded into the capital, even the Tower Master would struggle to contain them.
Sure, Iaoros and many others would likely be erased in the process… but—

“Isn’t it only natural for weaklings like you to lay down your lives for a superior demon like me?”

“Of course! Get revenge on the Tower Master for me too! Kill that royal fiancée of his—kill every last one of those nobles!”

…Understood, Lord Cernadis. I, Iaoros, will personally deliver your will to Him with utmost loyalty.

“This bastard really thinks I’m going to die, doesn’t he?”

Cernadis was irritated but didn’t end the connection immediately.
There was still one more thing he needed to say—something very important.

“One last thing. The moment this connection ends, burn my hair. That bastard’s curse might be linked to it, and I don’t want it becoming a way for him to track me.”

His heart pounded slightly as he said it, worried he might’ve revealed too much.
But Iaoros, clearly impressed by what he took as thoughtful caution, responded gratefully.

…Of course, Lord Cernadis. Thank you for the warning. I’ll do as you say—and I hope we meet again soon.

“Yeah.”

Click. The connection ended.
Cernadis sensed that Iaoros had obediently burned the hair and chuckled to himself.

“Idiot.”

“…What was that just now? I thought you said you’d lost the Tower Master?”
Valter’s voice broke the silence.

Cernadis looked at him, more relaxed than before. Despite everything, Valter’s tone remained steady and composed.

“That pride of his… never wavers, even now.”

“I did lose him—for now. But if the rumors about his power are true, he’ll keep coming. That’s why I just brilliantly turned the tables on him.”

“What do you mean?”

Cernadis chuckled, even as Valter’s expression remained hard. Shrugging with exaggerated ease, he continued.

“You heard, didn’t you? The demons are heading to the capital to reclaim His fragment. It’s going to be a mess.”

Valter didn’t know what “His fragment” meant, but that part didn’t matter.
The real problem was that the capital was going to be attacked.

“The demons are going to attack the capital?”

“Exactly. Even if the Tower Master is chasing us now, the moment he hears that, he’ll head straight back. He might already be setting up to hunt us down from inside the capital again.”

Valter fell silent.

“Which is why we use this chance to run. If dozens of demons invade, the Tower Master’s priority will be the capital! Valter, are you listening?”

Valter had kept quiet while Cernadis tricked Iaoros—but if the capital was really in danger, then…

“I need to contact The Crows and Black Heart.”

“Why? To evacuate them? Please. Those rats are sharp enough to run on their own.”

Valter fixed his gaze on him.

“I’m preparing for after the battle.”

“Ah… Ahahahaha!”

Cernadis stared at Valter for a second before bursting into laughter.
He laughed so hard he wiped tears from his eyes.

“That’s the Valter Bianchi I know! Always hungry for more! Already thinking about what comes after the demons have burned it all down? When the royals are dead and gone?”

“Do you think they can kill the Tower Master?”

Valter’s voice was cold. Cernadis scratched his chin, thoughtful.

He had never seen the man in person, only heard the stories.

“Hard to say. I’ve heard he even hunted dragons with ease…”

Cernadis had faced dragons before—they were no joke.
In the wrong situation, they could kill even him. That was why he avoided direct conflict with them whenever possible.

“…So he might survive. In that case, we’ll just have to wait for him to back off.”

“Are you serious? You think he won’t come after you once he knows you’re a demon’s contractor? That this attack was your fault?”

If the Tower Master decided Valter was responsible for the capital’s destruction—or a demon’s contractor—Cernadis wouldn’t hesitate to throw him to the wolves.

He’d invested time in Valter, sure. But Valter’s soul wasn’t worth being erased over.

“It’s a shame to throw away something I worked so hard to corrupt, but…”

“He won’t come after me.”

Valter’s voice was steady, certain.

If the demons attacked and Charlize died…
He was confident the Tower Master—who wanted her more than anything—wouldn’t kill him.

“That’s exactly why I need to contact my people.”

At Valter’s firm insistence, Cernadis finally relented with an annoyed expression and told him how to reach his operatives.

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