Harbingers of Change

Chapter 30

A horde of demon maids, decently strong diable chevaliers pushing around massive carts and carrying heavy trays, began serving various snacks and refreshments just as Guy announced a break. The host of the event, without a doubt, gave the impression that he could adjust on the spot and make things run smoothly, even if something truly unforeseen had happened.

With the main conflicts resolved, the guests started to mingle with one another. Veldora went over to talk with Dagruel about their past fights and to brag about how he had grown even stronger. Carrion chatted with Frey about the details of them now being servants and what would need to change under the new leadership.

Momonga tried out a few pieces of food and offered alcohol out of politeness, and while they couldn't fully measure to the impossibly high standards of Nazarick, the offered refreshments were of excellent quality only the most elite of this world could get their hands on.

{ For now, it seems we won't have to go all out, but I suspect Guy will just wait for the perfect opportunity to strike. } Buku commented, sitting next to Momonga and digging into her meal of apparently rare dragon lord meat with vigor.

{ We will have to be careful and not give them any openings. The question that worries me the most is if he decides to team up with the Eastern Empire against us. } Momonga replied.

{ I'm pretty sure they won't team up anytime soon, given their history of opposing each other, and we can finally start building up our forces to extensive levels. You know, since the cat is out of the bag, we can now use the citizens of all four nations that unofficially belong to us without any restraint. While our enemies prepare so can we and ramp up our military. } Buku reminded him about the soon-to-be much-needed task of incorporating all the acquired nations into the Hegemony, a burdening task that would fall mostly on him, Nazarick, and Albedo.

{ Right. }

Just then, Velzard stood up and announced. "I wish to converse with my brother in private, will you join me?"

"W-we can talk here you know," Veldora responded with a meek counteroffer, shying away.

"Not you. I meant Momonga. You just sit there and behave. I prefer it when you are just a good boy." Velzard waved him off, turning to face the undead overlord.

There was a chance she would try to kill him while he was away from the group, but Momonga had already taken all precautions needed and could have taken beforehand. Twenty percent of him was sitting on the throne of kings waiting for reunification, and if need be, he could tap into the collective strength of his subjects for a substantial surge in power. If he died here, he wouldn't die permanently, only needing time to regenerate to his prime once more.

It was unclear if that would be anywhere near enough as Velzard's power overshadowed Veldora's by a large margin and Milim was the only one who could match up to the oldest living dragon, but what could be done had been done.

After assuring everyone that he would be fine through a mental message, Momonga followed Velzard through the door. They walked silently beside one another through the frozen halls, Velzard exuding a larger presence than him despite the much shorter and slender frame.

"So little brother, are you willing to indulge me a bit and answer a few questions? Of course, I may provide some answers regarding our family as well." She finally spoke, leaning on a wall.

"Depends on what you wish to know," Momonga replied, pausing himself.

"Let's talk about the bigger picture, beyond the silly game my husband attempted to drag you in for the sake of his ego. I, for one, do not believe your ultimate goal is something as mundane as ruling over the world. You chose death as your aspect, and I am curious what your goal is in that regard."

"I am uncertain about it yet."

"Don't know or don't want to tell me? Don't think of me a fool, brother, as I don't see you as one either." Velzard's aura grew colder, threatening to freeze over his equipment.

'She appears to have a deeper understanding of the universal dynamics than everyone I have met in this world before. The question is should I entrust her with anything I know.' Momonga was well aware he would have to say something, something to prevent a fight.

"I don't know yet. I am aware I will eventually break down something of the old, but what exactly, I am not yet aware of."

"Suspicious of me yet spoke honestly. Very well. There might come a day when we have to work together to make sure the world is set right. I hope we can come to a proper agreement on what actions need to be taken before that point. You stand youthful, yet your wisdom stretches far beyond. Might be just my suspicion, but others may have guided you." Velzard's tone grew softer, her gaze studying him no longer as a butcher viewed a piece of flesh but perhaps more a child viewing their first pet.

"Then our goals might align, sister." Momonga intentionally played up the familiar bond the dragons insisted he shared with them and avoided mentioning his interactions with Gods. "May I ask what you want in the end?"

"Mmm… first, tell me what you intend to do with Milim?" She stopped and turned to face Momonga, slightly looking up.

"To raise her into adulthood. She has been a child for far too long and deserves guidance to thrive as an adult like the rest of us." Momonga answered honestly.

"I see. Do so if you feel you must. But I will warn you only once: if you attempt to awaken her, we will become enemies. That girl's whole existence is wrong and if you attempt to make her ascend, you will create something that no one will be able to deal with." a faint smile on her face that didn't reach her eyes decorating her as she spoke.

"So, is that the reason you abandoned her?" Momonga asked.

"Among many. Our eldest brother wasn't supposed to have children. Through her birth, he broke what he had built, shattering the natural order. You can raise her as your own, but don't expect me to ever treat her as family, she isn't and will never be," Velzard coldly stated.

"She isn't too fond of you either, justifiably so," Momonga retorted.

"She can have whatever opinion she wants about me. What matters to me is what relationship we will have. Will you listen to me when the time comes? It would benefit the world itself if we dragons put our petty squabbles aside when the time for change comes. My rightful place is on the golden throne as was promised by my late brother Veldanava with my siblings taking their respective roles by my side. Together, we dragons, are supposed to govern this universe according to the divine laws," Velzard continued.

"I might rely on your wise counsel, but I won't blindly follow you. Sister or not, I cannot be sure about your motives even if you lay them out in front of me."

"Neither can I be sure about yours. But let's just say you'll have my back in the game as long as you let me keep my husband as is. You can roughen him up if it comes to it but leave his core intact. I'm sure you wouldn't want to lose those three pretties of yours as well." Velzard patted Momonga on the cheek after issuing a not-so-subtle threat, chuckling.

"I'll keep that in mind. I prefer to be on good terms with you." Momonga chose a diplomatic path. Her demand made sense after all. He wouldn't want to lose people close to him either. And Velzard so graciously exposed her biggest weakness that it could serve as a deterrent against her if need be.

"So do I, brother. So do I. I think it's time to get back before people like my husband begin looking for us."

<X>

There was no better time to ensure that her emerging kingdom didn't get crushed before she could solidify her influence in this world than now, most of the world's biggest influencers were here in one place, waiting for discussion.

Toltecatl decided to start with Dagruel as from what she knew, the ruler of giants might decide to march his forces through the barren and desolate magical storm-filled deserts of his domain and claim the fertile grasslands of the former Ruberios Empire that she now partially ruled over.

The giant had just finished talking with Veldora about their past battle and was downing normal-sized glasses of booze like they were shots when she approached him.

"My, you surely are a man who can handle his drink." She opened the conversation smiling like the morning sun.

"Comes with the constitution of my kind. We can never produce enough for everyone. You must be the one Luminous kept locked up." He turned his attention to the dark-skinned woman who was proudly displaying her rows of sharp teeth, appearing entirely unphased by her appearance.

"Oh, maybe there is a way for us to help each other. I plan to claim the entirety of Ruberios and would love to have good relations with my neighbors. Even now, my growing kingdom produces more food than my people need, and I'm sure you'll be interested in trading it for rare metals and minerals found in your domain." She lied out a proposition.

"And you think they'll let you? I heard Tempest's agents are crawling all over that place," Dagruel replied. A new and ambitious demon lord wasn't that rare of an occurrence, but in the end, very few survived for long enough to be worth being concerned about.

"Why don't I invite one of them to join the talks and we find a compromise that works for everyone? I'm sure you aren't that eager to engage them in war either." She continued pressing her offer.

"Fine by me." He nodded.

Her next target was the highest-ranking official present from the United Trade Company, Shalltear. The fact that she paraded Luminous around like a pet only worked in her favor, massively so. Though the gathered information wasn't particularly solid, Dagruel and Luminous seemingly didn't get along one bit. Her best guess was that it could be due to conflicting interests in the region and their past relationship with Twilight, her summoner.

The young vampire was engaged in conversation with one of her peers, Albedo, and didn't bother to react to her approach. She was holding Luminous's leash and lightly yanking it at random intervals.

To see the once mighty vampire reduced to a pet was a delightful sight for her eyes. 'Momonga knows how to crush his enemies. To be reduced to such a state is worse than mere imprisonment.'

"So, you are the one who slipped away." The demoness in the white dress greeted her first, acknowledging her presence.

"It wasn't my intention to seek conflict with Tempest. The information I provided as amends should have remedied the losses I caused." Toltecatl smoothly replied to Albedo.

"It was enough to end the active pursuit of you. What do you want?" Her tone was disinterested, showing her clear sense of superiority which was somewhat justified considering the power difference. Toltecatl doubted she could beat this demonic entity in a one-on-one fight. She would need to consume a lot more strong entities to grow her abilities, given that humans were too weak to offer much anymore besides carnal delight. And that was the main problem she now faced. Everything of note was claimed by one of these unreasonably strong powers, making her stagnate in growth.

Toltecatl bowed her head slightly. "I plan to rule over the lands formerly owned by Ruberios. May I borrow the UTC representative for a moment to join in three-way negotiations with Dagruel? I'm sure we can come to an agreement that benefits all parties."

"Shalltear, will you be able to deal with this?" Albedo asked the vampire, who finally turned around to face her other fellow vampire.

"Of course I will. I know everything my father has planned there, though I don't see why I should even talk with her. It's the giant who we need to talk to." Shalltear glanced at her like she was a stain on the floor needing to be wiped up.

'As long as I get what I want they can think of me however they want. I just need enough power to leave this accursed world.' Toltecatl decided to ignore the blatant insults and play the underdog when it came to the big players of the world arena. She never intended to stay in this world for long with its obscenely powerful individuals.

"She is eager to have her corner of the world. Lord Momonga doesn't want to expend resources to control Ruberios territories considering their remote location." Albedo explained, sighing.

"I guess you're right, we can use her as a proxy and make sure the companies' interests aren't interfered with," Shalltear replied as if Toltecatl wasn't even there.

'Yes yes, treat me like dirt on the floor. Just come along and help me set my plan in motion.' Toltecatl just stood there smiling. All she needed was access to resources to trade for potential undesirables among the giants. They would serve as meals for her growth given their mighty constitutions.

"Let's go. I am curious what Dagruel wants." Shalltear motioned to her to follow as if she was a lackey to boss around.

Dagruel still seemed rather disinterested, but Toltecatl noticed a subtle change in his demeanor. He was treating Shalltear as a threat although on the surface he still seemed a lot stronger.

"I will just lay out our plan as is. Does that work for you?" Shalltear addressed the giant, sitting in Toltecatl's chair.

"Sure. Let's hear what you have in mind." He nodded, crossing his arms.

"UTC doesn't care who formally owns the lands, but we are interested in acquiring metal and rare minerals for whatever resources you wish to acquire. Currently, our operatives have only established a foothold in a small area, but if at least one stable route through your lands can be found, we can upscale operations to whatever level you require."

"Metal you say. We have decent reserves to trade it away. If Tempest is not against it, I will establish an outpost at the border to the northern side. We can trade there. Would you try to stop my expansion?" He asked.

"Your expansion could agitate human nations and in turn make resource trading more difficult…" Shalltear paused as she pulled out a map out of the bow decorating her headdress. She unrolled it and with a light touch let it float vertically in front of them.

"I think you could take half of these plains while we leave the rest to her. An unknown, weaker Demon Lord will cause less of an alarm than an ancient powerful Demon Lord of the most fabled legends," Shalltear offered.

Under the guidance of both her father and Albedo, she had become a decent enough negotiator to fill the role of her father's second in command of the whole company. With a few short back-and-forth messages, she made an offer that benefited both Tempest and UTC that Dagruel couldn't possibly refuse without illogical reasoning.

"That works for now." Dagruel nodded and then addressed Toltecatl. "Do you plan to fight us for this?"

"No, it works for me. I will take the rest of the lands and UTC can make free trade as long as I get my share. Fighting either of you won't benefit me." She let the two stronger parties do whatever they wanted at the moment. Sooner or later, she would worm her way in between them and reap benefits that way. If they wanted to play economics, she would allow them to dance while she rigged the dance floor.

"It seems you know your place. My father will assign an advisor to you directly for more effective cooperation. And between you and me, I am quite curious what sort of vampire you'll be, unlike this one." Shalltear smiled, displaying her razor-sharp fangs as she jerked Luminous into her kicking foot.

"A very old one. I feel you and I are not that different after all, unlike that one that shames our kind. Would you be interested in a hunt? Some of my bipedal cattle are getting trained to be decent prey to catch." She offered, grinning.

"I might take upon that offer if time permits. But first, prove you are worth paying attention to. Not being an embarrassment like her is not enough to earn my respect." Shalltear yanked Luminous, who was showing no reaction to constant annoyances.

Her foot was in the door. She could have her kingdom and from there, a lot more options could open up.

Editing by aidan_lo.

Proofreading by aidan_lo, Sluethen, Cay, clagan, Malguis, Onii-Chan, CakeEight, IAMTHEPLOKOKIOPO, fvvck, NuggetLover, Working_Stiff and Stac.

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