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Mammon of Greed.

Mammon is a demon who literally embodies greed, unable to rest until he obtains what he desires, whether materially or spiritually.

He is the lord of the Demon Realm who built the greatest architectural structure in the Demon Realm, the Ten Thousand Demon Hall, and covets everything in the world.

A two-headed crow with wings so beautiful they could belong to an angel.

One of his heads was missing.

“…One head is missing?”

“That filthy mouth of yours hasn’t changed.”

The exchange of greetings between Jeong Gyeoul and Mammon after a long time wasn’t too bad.

Of course, the expedition team saw it differently.

‘…This is a disaster, right?’

‘They said they didn’t fight with Mammon… that their relationship wasn’t bad…’

The expedition team couldn’t read the expressions of birds, but they could tell that the crow’s head, sitting crookedly on the throne, was in a bad mood.

It seemed like the moment when Lee Ha-yoon’s words that “Gyeoul might fight with Mammon as soon as they meet” were about to become a reality.

“So… why did you call us?”

“I can’t just let humans roam around my territory like that.”

They didn’t mention that they were the ones who had been looking for Mammon.

In a situation where they couldn’t predict how things would unfold, there was no need to reveal that they needed Mammon.

‘We didn’t come looking for him; Mammon called us.’

To deceive the enemy, you must first deceive yourself.

Thanks to convincing themselves that this was the situation, their acting came naturally.

“How did you know those humans were us and specifically mentioned my name?”

“Who else but you would hunt demons like rats?”

“…That’s true. The humans here wouldn’t be capable of that.”

Humans who had lost their dignity and become slaves to the demons had neither the will nor the ability to resist.

A group of humans suddenly appears and roams the territory without being caught?

The lords who knew of Jeong Gyeoul’s existence would have immediately thought of her face.

“By the way… I heard the time flow between the Middle World and the Demon Realm is different. You haven’t aged a bit.”

“I doubt you’re interested in my secret to looking young, so why did you call us?”

The uneasy expedition team members poked Park Seol-hwa repeatedly as they watched Jeong Gyeoul continue to bluff.

‘You step up.’

‘I think you should go, unnie…’

They didn’t say it out loud, but their expressions made it clear.

However, Park Seol-hwa shook her head.

‘Not yet. We need to find out why Mammon called us first.’

She even gave a thumbs-up, as if to say Jeong Gyeoul was doing well and they should just watch.

Jeong Ha-yul, Lin Hazel, and Lee Ha-yoon all sighed simultaneously.

Since Park Seol-hwa, who was the most skilled in politics, said it was fine, they had no rebuttal.

The situation was getting tiresome with the Demon Realm lords’ power struggles.

It would be easier if Jeong Gyeoul just messed up and flipped the table.

With a “whatever happens, happens” mindset, they focused on the conversation between Mammon and Jeong Gyeoul.

“How long have you been in the Demon Realm?”

“A little over two months… Why do you care? Are you going to give me a gift for the 100-day anniversary?”

“I could give you something. Would you be happy with the locations of Heukgu and Heukrang?”

“Hmm… That’s too simple for a 100-day gift.”

Jeong Gyeoul, who seemed to be spouting nonsense but was actually probing, was startled.

If Mammon knew they were looking for Heukgu and Heukrang, he must have already known they came looking for him.

But she didn’t show it.

‘Only amateurs show they’re flustered when caught.’

Instead of panicking, it was more important for Jeong Gyeoul to find out how much Mammon knew.

The nuance of “If you find Heukgu and Heukrang in this situation, I’ll make you rich.” and “I really need you, so please help us. I’ll reward you if you find Heukgu and Heukrang.” are worlds apart.

The former suggests a good business partner, but the latter might require stripping down to your underwear.

With Mammon, even the underwear Jeong Gyeoul was wearing could be commodified and sold, so stripping down to her underwear was no joke.

“What’s the combat ability of the team you brought? Are they all like you?”

“The entire Mammon Army’s organization and the individual combat abilities of every soldier. Tell me that, and I’ll answer.”

“I’m not joking. If you don’t answer, there’s no more conversation.”

“Did it seem like a joke? Then end the conversation here.”

“…”

To Jeong Gyeoul, Mammon seemed to be in a hurry.

His questions seemed aimed at finding out how much the expedition team knew and what they were capable of.

Even a five-year-old girl could tell that his purpose in calling them wasn’t just to exchange greetings.

‘What could be so urgent that it’s making Mammon act like this? Given how the Demon Realm is, it’s probably related to Satan.’

The expedition team came to ask for Mammon’s help, but it seemed he was also seeking their help.

In that case, there was no need to entertain Mammon from a subordinate position.

The best option was to take the dominant position, and the next best was to establish an equal relationship.

For that, they could easily brush off this tense atmosphere.

Mammon, who had been staring at Jeong Gyeoul with half-closed eyes, suddenly crushed the armrest.

Normally, such an overwhelming display of a lord’s power and temper would freeze anyone, but the expedition team was anything but normal.

No one showed any fear or panic.

They casually brushed off Mammon’s aura and began to gather their magical power.

They were ready for a fight if it came to that.

“Why. What. Are you trying to fight?”

“Ha… Humans are more belligerent than demons. Even the ones you bring along as companions are all like you.”

Mammon’s raised aura wasn’t to threaten them but merely because he was irritated by the situation.

“I still can’t believe a battle-crazed race like you is human.”

“This crow bastard?”

“Anyway, you came to use me, and I need to use you, so let’s cut to the chase.”

“…?”

The aura swirling in the reception room suddenly dropped like a puppet with its strings cut.

They hadn’t expected Mammon to reveal his intentions so easily.

Only Park Seol-hwa suspected this might also be part of a meticulous plan.

“First… I’ll tell you something you might be curious about.”

“I’m most curious about why you’re suddenly like this.”

“Didn’t I just say it! You need me, and I need you. Tsk.”

He slammed the armrest and scolded Jeong Gyeoul loudly.

It was absurd that he was acting like this now after circling around the conversation earlier.

“…Just say it. What is it?”

“Satan and Asmodeus are allied.”

“…?”

***

The story Mammon brought up was absurd from the start.

Satan and Asmodeus are allied?

It was so unbelievable that one might suspect a demonic version of social media (manipulation and fabrication) had spread in the Demon Realm.

“What’s your evidence?”

“Asmodeus blocking Satan’s invasion is the first. Belphegor’s territory falling is the second.”

“…Is this guy just a scammer?”

Mammon seemed to be relying on manipulation and fabrication.

Without clear evidence, he was spreading rumors like some tabloid journalist or social media influencer.

“It’s a bit ridiculous for me too that a snake blocked Satan. But why is Belphegor’s fall evidence? Asmodeus showed no movement while Satan was conquering Belphegor’s territory.”

Mammon clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Do you only have magic in your brain? The war with Asmodeus was a plan to lure the lords into complacency.”

Lure them into complacency? Just to do that, he spent money?

As if reading my thoughts, Hayan voiced what was in my head.

In a small voice, she seemed to ask Park Seol-hwa, but she had been activating her magic power since earlier, so there was no way I wouldn’t hear.

“…Doesn’t it cost money to move troops, whether in the Middle Ages or modern times? It seems like the loss outweighs the gain if it’s just to lure them into complacency.”

“The lords already think they won’t lose to Satan’s conquest war. They’re already complacent, so what’s the point of luring them into more complacency?”

Exactly my point.

What’s the point of luring already complacent people into more complacency?

Even if we assume it was a tactic to plant the image of ‘Satan is too weak to defeat Asmodeus!’

Then suddenly, he goes crazy and conquers Belphegor’s territory in an instant.

What’s the point of creating a weak image?

Just as Park Seol-hwa was about to explain something to us.

“Ah!”

I realized it too.

How could I not have thought of something so simple?

Mammon’s manipulation and fabrication didn’t seem to be the case.

It was so simple that I didn’t even think of it.

At this level, Asmodeus might as well be gaslighting.

‘It’s definitely not because I’m stupid.’

Really.

 

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