---

I heard that the war with Asmodeus was part of Satan’s plan to lure the lords into complacency.

At first, I thought Mammon was just some sensationalist who loved stirring up trouble and spreading fake news…

But if you consider the alliance, it makes sense why the Demon Realm is in such chaos right now.

Satan retreated after failing to defeat Asmodeus.

Meaning Satan’s military power is weaker than Asmodeus’s.

That’s the first reason for their complacency.

But honestly, this isn’t that important.

Whether you believe Satan is weaker or not, the moment Belphegor’s territory falls, the first reason becomes irrelevant.

If Belphegor was caught off guard and fell so quickly, that alone would make the plan a success.

That was the first reason… The second reason is so simple it’s almost laughable.

Whether they won or lost, Satan fought a war with Asmodeus.

So naturally, people would think Asmodeus is Satan’s “enemy.”

The dominant thought would be, “If they were allies, why waste resources on a fake war instead of just teaming up from the start?”

How many lords would even think of the word “alliance” in the first place?

Asmodeus and Satan have always had a rocky relationship, being the lords who fought the most frequently.

So instead of thinking they formed an alliance, people would assume Asmodeus had some hidden power that allowed him to repel Satan’s invasion.

They might be wary of Satan’s military strength after taking Belphegor’s territory, but they wouldn’t expect Asmodeus to join forces with him.

Asmodeus doesn’t even need to personally lead the charge.

Just organizing a new unit with unrecognizable identities and causing chaos everywhere would be threatening enough.

“A new unit with unrecognizable identities?”

That matches the unit that attacked Belarus.

No flags representing their army, and their uniforms were completely unfamiliar.

It’s a clear attempt to hide their identities.

As for Lucifer getting involved… It does make the idea of an alliance between Asmodeus and Satan sound plausible.

While I was lost in thought, Park Seol-hwa seemed to have explained everything to the group, as they all looked pretty shocked.

“Finally, you’re ready to believe me, huh?”

“Just one more thing. Lucifer was also there when Belarus was attacked. Are you saying Lucifer is part of Satan’s alliance too?”

Lucifer, the epitome of arrogance, forming an alliance with someone?

What’s going on here…?

“Lucifer? I had my suspicions… There were some suspicious money flows. Funds from Satan’s side were funneled to him through various channels.”

Money? So it all comes down to money?

The Demon Realm, a world of primal violence and machismo, has come to this…

“Wait, is it possible that everyone except Belphegor and you are in this alliance?”

“No, as far as we know, the alliance between Asmodeus and Satan is confirmed. Lucifer’s involvement just became more likely thanks to your input… Baal Zebul and Leviathan still have no interest in this war.”

Mammon brought some slightly reassuring news.

Out of the seven lords, two are in an alliance, and one might at least be cooperating, even if not fully allied.

But the other two still don’t care.

Belphegor’s territory has already fallen.

The moment Mammon falls, it’s game over.

It seems like coming straight to Mammon instead of going to Asmodeus was a brilliant decision.

But still…

“Who would’ve imagined Asmodeus being in an alliance? What if Leviathan and Baal Zebul are already on their side and hiding it?”

“If that were the case, the game would already be over. They wouldn’t bother with complex strategies; they’d just attack me first. Then it’d be over.”

Ah, right.

If Asmodeus, Satan, Lucifer, Leviathan, and Baal Zebul are all united, it’s already game over.

There’d be no need to kill Belarus.

No reason for Asmodeus to keep up this act.

They could just attack Mammon’s territory from all sides and achieve their goals.

“But what if you’re the one allied with Satan, and you’re just using us as pawns?”

There’s also the possibility that Asmodeus is hiding something that allowed him to repel Satan’s invasion.

The attack on Belarus could naturally be seen as Lucifer bringing his army.

Asmodeus might be trying to use us to eliminate a threat to his plans.

“My head hurts. Can’t we just hold a Lord’s Meeting like before, fight it out, and be done with it? Everyone’s a scammer here.”

“There’s a simple way for you to trust me.”

“…What is it?”

Mammon tapped his beak with his claw, then spoke up as if he’d just thought of something.

“A contract using a Dimensional Stone.”

“…?”

What the hell is that?

“It’s a method of creating a contract using the force of dimensions.”

“…I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“It’s a contract that brings eternal destruction if broken. Even among lords, it’s rarely used. The last time it was used was 2,000 years ago during the Heavenly Demon War, between the gods and demons.”

So there’s not just the Demon Realm, but also a Heavenly Realm?

And there are gods and demons…

‘Since coming to the Demon Realm, the scale of everything has gotten ridiculously big.’

Once this is over, I’m staying out of this mess.

Just dealing with the Middle Realm is enough for me.

“Even if I ignore the fact that this is the first time I’m hearing about it… If the last time it was used was 2,000 years ago, isn’t it lost? Can you even do it?”

“I can’t. But I know Heukgu and Heukrang have a few of those contracts.”

…

The ruins I helped Heukgu and Heukrang excavate when I first visited the Demon Realm.

I thought it was just full of artifacts like weapons, armor, and accessories. Did they have those contracts too?

“But we don’t know where Heukgu and Heukrang are right now.”

“That’s the problem. We need to find them first.”

“Then we’re back to square one. The contract, which is supposed to make me trust you, only exists if you help me. The order’s messed up, man.”

I expected Satan’s next target after taking Belphegor’s territory to be Asmodeus… But if they’re allies, Satan would head straight for Mammon’s territory.

But… What if Satan’s ally isn’t Asmodeus, but Mammon?

‘If I were Satan, I’d pretend to be allied with Asmodeus and rush to Mammon’s territory to deal with the expedition team. I’d have already given up on the idea of the expedition team siding with me.’

In reality, our expedition team has more influence than the lords leading their armies.

The magic-type heroes wipe out soldiers with area attacks.

The physical-types take out the stronger generals.

And finally, I’d face off against the lord.

It’s worth the effort to capture us.

So I can’t easily trust Mammon either.

If I make the wrong judgment, I might end up buried here.

My brain alone isn’t enough to figure this out.

We need to gather more opinions…

“We have a big problem!”

“Who let you in? This is an important meeting!”

A low-ranking demon soldier rushed in, kneeling urgently.

Mammon’s deputy scolded him.

As the deputy growled with killing intent, the soldier’s body trembled.

The difference in rank, combat ability, and status between the deputy and the soldier was immense, so it was natural.

But…

“The meeting isn’t the issue right now!”

“How dare you act so rudely in front of our lord! Drag him out immediately…”

“Satan’s army is on the move!”

“…What?”

Mammon, who had been observing the situation, shot to his feet.

“Location?”

“They’re two days away from the border.”

“Why wasn’t there any report until they got this close?!”

“…There was interference with our intelligence… Ugh.”

The trembling soldier finally lost consciousness under Mammon’s pressure.

“The situation is progressing in the worst possible way… They’re already pushing in.”

They just took Belphegor’s territory, and now they’re already moving on Mammon’s.

Their advance speed is almost like Genghis Khan.

“Like I said earlier… I still can’t fully trust you…”

“I have Heukgu and Heukrang in my custody.”

“…What?”

“Let’s write the contract immediately. If it’s a joint attack with Asmodeus, I can’t stop it alone.”

This crazy guy? He’s been holding Heukgu and Heukrang all along, meaning he was planning to pull some scam no matter what.

Even at a time like this, when his country is on the brink of war and possible destruction, he’s still thinking about scamming.

He’s really something else.

“You didn’t just bring the contract, did you? Bring Heukgu and Heukrang first.”

Out of all the demons, the only ones I can trust are those two.

The world feels upside down.

What if those two have already been swayed by Mammon or Satan?

Maybe I should just cut off Mammon’s head and offer it to Satan.

Then go back to Earth and just pray for survival…

‘But I’d probably get invaded soon enough.’

I’ve been singing about bad luck so much… It feels like fate is showing me what real bad luck is.

 

---