The time for negotiation had finally arrived.
The chair set across from me was still empty. Gamigin had yet to arrive.
The murmuring around us grew louder. The Demon Lords were whispering among themselves. "What on earth happened?" "Why hasn't Gamigin shown up?" There were those who found the unexpected turn of events intriguing, and Demon Lords who saw this as an opportunity to mock Gamigin.
Just as I had expected... I supposed last night had been a bit much for the lady.
After all, she climaxed every single time I thrust into her. A perfect one-to-one ratio, no exceptions. She must have reached the peak thousands of times throughout the night. Women already experience sexual pleasure more intensely than men to begin with — I was quite curious what it would feel like to come thousands of times over.
I let out a wry smile and spoke loud enough for everyone around to hear.
"It seems Lady Gamigin holds quite the grudge against me. No matter how much she dislikes me, expressing her displeasure in this manner... I must say, I feel rather looked down upon. It's a hard life for those of us ranked so low."
It would have been foolish not to seize this perfect opportunity and weaponize it politically. I planted the impression that Gamigin had deliberately snubbed me because of my low ranking. It wouldn't actually help in the negotiation itself, but at the very least, I could shift the atmosphere of this room in my favor.
"What shall be done?"
Bael, who had been sitting in the mediator's seat in silence until now, spoke quietly.
"If you agree, I will adjourn the session."
"No, let us wait a little while longer. This is not the kind of matter where I can decide to end or continue it based on my personal wishes. The Plains Faction is strongly in favor of a peaceful resolution."
Gamigin's snub was not directed at me alone — it was a slight against the Plains Faction as a whole. I wrapped up my words with that precise nuance. That should be enough.
Bael nodded and closed his eyes. I could never tell what was going on inside that old man's head.
But still... the number-one ranked Great Demon Lord, Bael.
I knew virtually nothing about Bael. The reason was simple: I had only cleared Bael's dungeon once. In Dungeon Attack, I had beaten the other Demon Lords multiple times — some of them over a hundred times — but Bael, I had defeated exactly once.
With the Plains Faction having now defeated Agares, the second-ranked, there was no longer any faction that could recklessly provoke them. The only remaining concern was the Great Demon Lord Bael.
Even Agares had demonstrated fearsome power. So how much more so Bael?
I needed to probe Bael's true intentions while I had the chance. It was fine. Right now, I was the Plains Faction's representative. No matter how powerful Bael was, he could not afford to treat me carelessly.
Let's see, Bael's personality is... hmm. Considering his in-game dialogue, he likes confident and honorable warriors. The way he dotes on Barbatos proves that too.
Should I go with that kind of image?
"It would be boring to just sit here until Lord Gamigin arrives. How about it, Lord Bael? I know I'm not much, but would you humor me for a little while?"
"......"
Bael opened his eyes and glanced at me.
The other Demon Lords nearby stopped whispering and turned their heads this way. For a mere seventy-first ranker to address the first-ranked on his own initiative was an unprecedented breach of etiquette. But if my guess was correct, Bael hated such formalities more than anyone.
"I've heard that Lord Bael was once an ordinary Demonkin long, long ago."
"Ah, yes. I was a Vampire."
A smile crept onto Bael's lips, and he answered readily. It meant my guess had been right.
"But looking back from today's perspective, I'd say you weren't exactly ordinary."
"Why do you say that?"
"Back then, the only Vampires were True Ancestors. There aren't even ten of them left now."
Oh, so he was a True Ancestor.
True Ancestors referred to pure-blooded Vampires. Since crossbreeding with other races was possible, the number of pure-blooded Vampires had dwindled over time. In Dungeon Attack, the only True Ancestors who appeared were Ivar Lodbrok and the owner of the Kunkuska Trading Company.
"That's a bit different from what I'd heard through the grapevine. I was told Lord Bael started from the very bottom as a common soldier and worked his way up to his current position. Wouldn't a True Ancestor be treated as nobility even in the Demon Realm?"
"Use your imagination. Were the Vampires the only race that was once noble and pure?"
"Ah, the same must have been true for other races. I see..."
Those around us stared at this way with astonished expressions.
By any common sense, asking the number-one Demon Lord, "So you used to be a nobody Demonkin back in the day?" was insane. And yet here I was, chatting with Bael in a relaxed tone as if we were old friends.
Should I push it a little further?
"With all due respect, Lord Bael. While negotiations were underway, Lord Agares launched an invasion. Of course, Lord Agares has his reasons for doing so. However, I was wondering — might you have any particular thoughts on the matter?"
Bael stared straight through me.
The corners of his lips curled upward.
"Is the whole world a stage for you? Is that what amuses you?"
"What?"
"Drop the act in front of me."
Bael slowly closed his eyes.
"……."
I was thrown off, unable to say anything for a moment. What did he just say? Drop the act in front of him? What was he implying?
What Gamigin had said to me came rushing back — calling my way of living a parasite's existence. Did Bael really think the same thing? Heat began to rise from within me. But I did not forget that the person before me was the supreme ruler of the Demon Realm. Carefully, thoroughly, I buried my anger.
"Understood. Then let us relax and wait for Lady Gamigin to arrive."
Thirty minutes passed, and Gamigin still had not shown up.
By now, the Demon Lords were openly grumbling with discontent. These were Demon Lords whose pride reached the heavens, every last one of them. Gamigin had made them all wait. It would have been stranger if their complaints had not erupted.
"Is she playing games with us right now?!"
"Just because you are a High-Ranking Demon Lord does not give you the right to be this rude. It's horrifying to think how far the discipline of the Demon Lords' ranks has deteriorated."
Several Demon Lords stormed out in anger.
Gamigin arrived a full hour after the originally scheduled time. She walked to the center of the hall with calm, unhurried steps.
"I sincerely apologize for making everyone wait."
Gamigin bowed at the waist to offer her apology.
She was wearing thick clothing. Considering she usually wandered around in loose, baggy robes, this was quite heavily layered for her. The moment I saw it, I understood.
She's still drenching herself in sweat and arousal fluids like crazy!
My mood, soured by Bael, instantly refreshed. That's right. Gamigin hadn't been able to flush out all the lingering drug effects from her body, even with a Demon Lord's regenerative abilities.
If Gamigin had worn her usual thin robes, the sweat would've made the fabric cling to her skin, leaving everything underneath shamefully visible. She had deliberately dressed in layers thick enough to conceal her body. She'd probably cast some kind of magic on the inside of her clothing to eliminate bodily fluids and scent as well.
The Demon Lords taunted her mercilessly.
"Gamigin! No matter what, isn't this far too late!"
"Yeah, sorry. I'm really sorry. I'm sincerely apologizing."
"Hah. There's absolutely no sincerity in that apology...!"
Gamigin responded mechanically, maintaining a blank expression throughout. Naturally, not even a shred of sincerity could be detected. The Demon Lords were furious, but of all the people here, only I knew why she was acting like this.
Right now, she was struggling just to maintain her composure in speech and expression.
If she let her guard down for even a moment, her face would crumble instantly. Pleasure-drenched moans would slip out. While her body was writhing in ecstasy and screaming for release, Gamigin had no choice but to remain perfectly, meticulously expressionless.
I clapped my hands.
"Now, now. I completely understand why the Demon Lords are upset. But surely Gamigin had 'various' circumstances, didn't she? Let's be gracious about it."
Coming from me — the one who should have been the angriest of all — those words gradually calmed the other Demon Lords down. Gamigin bowed to me.
"...Thank you for being so understanding."
"Don't mention it."
I flashed a broad smile.
"I too sometimes fall ill and arrive late to appointments. Unexpected things do happen in life, after all. Well, how well a person can control those unforeseen circumstances is what determines their character... but who among us can always be perfect?"
"......"
"I understand you, Gamigin."
In that instant, Gamigin clenched her teeth. She had returned to her blank expression, but since she had turned her head in my direction, I could clearly see it — at least from where I stood.
Oh, that wouldn't do — revealing emotions so easily would be a problem. There were still plenty of enjoyable things left to come.
"Now then, Lady Gamigin. Welcome. We should begin the negotiation."
"……."
Gamigin approached with extremely slow, deliberate steps. She sat down cautiously at the negotiation table, and the moment her hips touched the chair, the very tip of her lips trembled ever so slightly. There was no doubt — simply making contact with the chair had been enough to push her over the edge.
Impressive.
Now I understood why Gamigin had been an hour late. There was no way she could have walked to the meeting hall in that state. Within Niflheim, private teleportation was strictly forbidden. That meant the only option left for Gamigin had been to take a carriage.
How many times had Gamigin climaxed during that bumpy ride? She must have had to ask the driver to stop — multiple times, dozens of times — just for a moment. Shaking, she endured her climax alone inside that carriage……
"Lady Gamigin wouldn't want this meeting to drag on either, I'm sure. So I'll be direct. On behalf of the Plains Faction, we acknowledge that Lady Gamigin was a victim in the outbreak of this civil war."
The Demon Lords murmured loudly among themselves. Well, it was a rigged game from the start.
"It has just come to light that the hidden forces you, Lady Gamigin, had stored away have joined our army. Lady Gamigin and Lord Agares had absolutely nothing to do with it…… we are willing to accept that judgment."
"Yeah. That's right."
Gamigin spoke in nothing but a mechanical tone.
"Like I already said, I had no idea how Agares was going to act."
"On behalf of the Plains Faction, I extend our gratitude for Lady Gamigin's military cooperation. Furthermore, as a small token of appreciation for this cooperation, we hereby transfer governance rights over the Moravia region to you, Lady Gamigin."
"Thank you for the generous proposal."
I applauded.
"Wonderful. Until now, we had been misunderstanding each other, but that misunderstanding has been resolved, and now only the path of harmony shines brightly all the way to the horizon!"
The Demon Lords were staring at us with bewildered expressions. A few among them brought up the rumor that I had left Gamigin's estate just this morning, casting suspicious glances our way. Something must have happened — that's what they were all thinking.
By tomorrow, the rumor that Gamigin and Dantalion were in a passionate relationship would spread like wildfire. That was exactly what I wanted. The more entangled Gamigin became with me, the more people believed there was something between us, the harder it would be for her to betray me.
That is, if she didn't want to earn the reputation of having betrayed the man she loved.
Could Gamigin, who was playing the part of an innocent maiden, really risk that kind of reputation?
I stood up and spread both arms wide.
"Come now, Lady Gamigin. Let's seal our reconciliation with a hug!"
"Wait—just a moment—."
Before Gamigin could get another word out, I pulled her into a firm embrace. My forearms wrapped tightly around her body. In my arms, Gamigin let out a soft "Mmnn…!" She trembled like a small animal.
I spoke.
"I would like to invite Lady Gamigin to dinner tonight. To affirm the eternal friendship between the Plains Faction and Lady Gamigin. You wouldn't refuse, surely? Between the two of us, that is."
"……, ……."
Gamigin nodded.
She nodded because she couldn't bring herself to say a word. But watching her flushed red face from a distance, the other Demon Lords were sure to draw their own conclusions. I could already hear the delighted squeals of noble ladies from across the hall.
And so, everything was resolved peacefully.
A joyous occasion, a joyous occasion indeed.