Now it's Leon's turn to get investigated by Dad, in front of us.
And yes, Dad's spell is still in effect, though I felt a bit groggy listening to most what they were talking about.
Dad was asking Leon why he was under Maelsa's thumb when he is the Chieftain Monarch.
He's right! I always wondered about that.
Everyone turned to Leon, who looked down in shame as he admitted that...
What? I can't hear him! His voice is too low!
After everyone complained they couldn't hear him, Leon raised his voice loudly that we all jumped in surprise, confessing that he had made a deal with the High Council.
What the?!
At this point, I'm just trying my best to be polite, but in my mind, I'm cursing Leon, whose stupidity is beyond sense.
It's not only me who thinks Leon is stupid beyond reason. Dad told Lion to cover my ears, saying that what he was about to tell Leon might cause me trauma.
Trauma? I don't believe...
Upon seeing the terrifying look in his eyes, I just kept my mouth shut and allowed Lion to cover my ears. Mercifully, Sly covered them too.
To be safe, as Dad looked extremely scary, I also covered my ears for good measure.
I was quite thankful for Dad's warning, as Lion and Sly looked like they wanted to cover their ears too.
Everyone, except me, looked like they were facing the final judgement, with Dad as the ultimate judge of the heavens.
At this point, my curiosity took a vacation.
.....
He made a deal with the high council for more power to take revenge against Lion's mother.
In return, he was ordered to obey whatever Maelsa wanted him to do.
And let me guess, despite the deal, he wasn't able to defeat Lion's mother, right?
Seeing Leon avert his eyes, I don't need to hear his answer after all.
Dummy.
I just sighed while Lion, Sly and I covered my ears again.
Then Dad gave Leon a smile so terrifying that I instantly closed my eyes and started to imagine all sorts of pleasant things.
I'm just glad that Dad is on my side.
.....
And Leon received another round of 'gentle scolding' after I told everyone that Maelsa is working for the Demon King, a fact Asmodeus inadvertently let slip.
Despite everyone being in outrage over Maelsa, Asmodeus and Subus, Dad gave a warning glare, saying that no one, under any circumstances, should let their real emotions show, as no one can manage to fight against hordes of demons, much less against Asmodeus and the other archdemon.
Dad admitted that it was different back then and that he could put up a fight, but he is at a huge disadvantage because it would take him centuries to develop his skills and now we are running out of time.
He also reminded everyone of what they saw when I was trying to hit Maelsa in my other form. Since the High Council has ordered Leon to obey Maelsa, it is quite obvious now that Maelsa is a member of the High Council.
Dad admitted that despite my other form having huge potential to fight an archdemon with a bit of training, he doesn't want me to use it. He said that the more I transform, the more I would eventually lose my identity and wouldn't be able to turn back into a human.
He gave me a piercing stare, as he knew that I would not listen to his warning despite the risk, if the safety of those that are dear to me was compromised.
Right then and there, everyone made a vow that they would do everything to prevent me from transforming into that form.
By the way, if I can't control my wrath, rage or vengeance, I might involuntarily transform into that form.
The transformation stone isn't the problem, but someone corrupted it and placed demon blood within it, making it extremely dangerous to anyone.
Leon pondered for a moment before exclaiming that someone must have killed the real guardian of the magic stone, resulting in a curse on whoever took it.
Sigh.
I never wished for any of this.
.....
While I curled up underneath the blanket, Dad asked Leon why he made the pack fight against each other at the start.
Leon admitted that he was just following Maelsa's orders, even though most of it didn't make sense to him.
Of course, he was also curious about Lion and Alpha's abilities back then and wanted to see them with his own eyes.
Dad narrowed his eyes and asked him his reason for including me in the duel, like I'm some sort of a prize.
Yeah, Dad! Scold him!
Leon's reason? I am the prize. Except for Alpha's brothers and Lion, the rest don't have mates yet, especially Alpha, since he is the heir.
What the...
I WANT TO WRING HIS NECK!
Lion simply stared at his father, with an expression as if he was silently telling me to get in line to wring his neck.
Not only him, but the others as well.
Despite Khamsin staying silent most of the time, he suddenly couldn't contain his curiousity and asked Ghost for the context.
Ghost took him on a detailed trip down memory lane while Dad murmured that he wanted to have a lovely chat with Leon after the meeting, much to Leon's horror.
Seeing Leon's face, I have an idea who won the duel between them.
Serves him right.
.....
Everyone looked grim when I told them what Asmodeus said about the magic stones and how the Demon King used them to 'upgrade' the 'incomplete' archdemons.
Of course, only two magic stones were used, as one was destroyed and the other is embedded in my forehead.
I told them that there are supposed to be at least seven archdemons, according to what I read in my previous world.
Since there are currently two archdemons present, the Demon King needs five more. He will be unstoppable as soon as the seven archdemons are complete.
Everyone took a long, deep breath, realizing the severity of the situation.
There's no escape, as no one had managed to open a portal to another realm, let alone another universe.
Then who the heck did Alpha make a contract with?
Dad must have been thinking the same thing when he asked Alpha for the identity of his contractor.
Alpha looked at Dad in terror before admitting that he made a deal...
With a former High Council member.
While I can't get angry with him, it's because of his stupidity that I can return to this world.
Thankfully, Dad thought the same thing. He sighed and admitted that even though what Alpha did was stupid, it was for me and he couldn't get angry about that.
Unlike the father and son duo.
The guilty ones simply bowed their heads in shame, while Alpha snuggled his way towards me.
But who the heck is that former High Council member? And how did Alpha know about them?
At this point, Leon cleared his throat and reminded me that there are things I am limited from knowing.
He told me that while still bowing down in shame.
I see.
Alright, I won't argue with that, as it's for my own safety.
.....
While Alpha and I were cuddling on the bed and the rest were forced by Dad to sit in front of him, Dad led a lively discussion about these topics, such as:
1. The demons at the Snowy Mountains.
Dad exclaimed, demanding to know why no one was alarmed by it.
No one answered.
2. Rahab trying to kill me at the palace.
Dad berated Leon again, even though Maelsa had told him to just watch.
3. Why I died at the Five Seas.
I covered my ears at this point.
4. How Rahab had managed to harm me.
Dad refused to listen to anyone's excuses. He declared that once everything was discussed, they would undergo intense training.
Sleep and Eating are for the weak. Dad hates weak individuals.
No excuse at all. Everyone must participate, including Leon.
Leon protested, giving an excuse as to why he can't fight against the High Council...
Dad smiled at him, asking if all the hordes of demons in the Netherworld are members of the High Council.
No.
Leon's shoulders slumped as he stared at the floor in front of him.
I wonder how powerful Dad really is?! To think he is going to train Leon as well!
Lion softly protested, worrying aloud that I would have no one to protect me if everyone else were training with Dad.
At this moment, Ten entered the room carrying refreshments for everyone, not noticing the tension.
Or maybe he chose to ignore it.
Dad simply nodded toward him, signaling to Lion that despite his timid appearance, Ten can hold his own against the pack and Khamsin, even when outnumbered.
What!
I did not expect that!
Ten glanced around curiously and upon seeing Dad looking at him, he gave a little shriek and hurriedly went out of the room.
Now I'm extremely curious to see Dad using his powers!
...
Surprisingly, even though liches have no sense of taste, what Ten made was quite good.
I don't know what he did, as I can't identify any of the ingredients he used, but it's quite good.
Ghost seemed to think the same, frowning as he tried to figure out what ingredients Ten had used in the refreshments.
While everyone was busy consuming the refreshments, Dad said he would keep the meeting going.
I mentioned to Dad that I heard a voice when I took the first three magic stones, but I didn't hear anything with the fourth one.
Dad said he would look into it, but he thinks I couldn't hear the voice because that magic stone was corrupted.
Ah, yes. That should be common sense. I wonder why I didn't think of that?
But Dad warned me never to listen to random voices, saying that even if they sound pleasant, they might be manipulating me. He reminded me I'm close to losing my sanity for good, so I need to be extremely careful with my thoughts.
I promised him and he finally looked satisfied.
Uh... Did he forget that I'm still communicating with Asmodeus?
No, he didn't. Dad said I should continue talking to Asmodeus, because if I abruptly try to avoid him, he might get suspicious and we'll be at risk of attracting the Demon King's attention.
I should stay calm when talking to him since he doesn't seem hostile. In fact, Dad thinks humoring him might be the best way.
Ew!
If I were to humor Asmodeus, it would end with me underneath him. I don't care if he's the Archdemon of Lust. I would rather have my soul destroyed in an instant than to entertain the thought of it!
Seeing me in outrage, everyone became paranoid and tried to calm me down, asking me why I am getting so...
After telling them what Asmodeus is famous for, it is their turn to be outraged at the very thought of humoring him.
Since they were not familiar with the seven archdemons, except for Dad, I gave a brief summary of each one. I explained what made them famous, though I had no idea what kind of skills or magic they possess here.
I told them that Ghost managed to fight Asmodeus back in the desert, but it wasn't even a fight after all. Asmodeus took down Ghost in the blink of an eye!
Ghost looked at me incredulously as he exclaimed that what he experienced wasn't a dream after all, but he couldn't seem to recall the look of Asmodeus his ultimate form.
Dad nodded and told them that's how powerful they are. Even though they managed to take down Rahab, it was them against only him and he was a general, not an archdemon.
And despite being a general, Rahab can manage to create strong monsters that none of the pack can fight one-on-one.
Dad reminded them to manage fighting strong demons or monsters on their own, so that if the time comes when the seven archdemons appear and the Demon King tries to claim me, they can prevent them from taking me to the Netherworld.
And no, Dad can't help them. He and his underlings will be busy fighting off the other demon hordes.
Dad reminded Khamsin to strengthen his city, told Leon to also strengthen his territory and asked Sly to tell Aagon that One says hi.
Huh?
Is that a secret code or something?
Dad simply grinned at Sly's confused expression without saying anything else.
...
The Demon King didn't take my soul when I 'supposedly' died.
Because I was not completely dead.
Dad looked pensive for a moment when I told him about Ahuizotl's fate, then murmured that it was a shame as he would be helpful in our current situation.
And it was he who taught Ahuizotl about the forbidden spell.
Awww! Thanks Dad!
I hugged Dad, much to his amusement, thanking him for teaching Ahuizotl about the spell, though he commented that if Ahuizotl were here, he would have a lovely chat with him about showing others the spell.
Bah.. I don't care.. it's because of Dad that I can still live!
After discussing several topics for a long time, one of which was Rahab being a high-level High Council member, I asked Dad who made the magic stones, as they are surely quite powerful.
No, he doesn't know, but he's sure that it was one of the 'ancients'.
For what reason?!
Duh! He doesn't know, as he wasn't the one who made it. Despite having lived for a long time... so long he can almost be considered ancient, he never met the creators of the magic stones, though he wanted to.
Dad asked me if there's anything else I wanted to know before he adjourned the meeting.
Ah, there is something I curiously want to know but...
Seeing the reluctant look on my face, Leon laughed and told me to ask without hesitation.
Okayyy.. he told me to ask for it.
I asked Leon if it was he who invented the debauchery event at the palace.
I've never seen him looking extremely embarrassed while the rest of the group looked like they wanted to know too.
As for Dad, he shrieked with laughter as he kept on mocking Leon.
To make a long story short, it used to be a long-forgotten tradition but was revived when Leon became the Chieftain Monarch.
He explained that it was Maelsa who advised reviving the event.
Huh...
I made a comment that maybe the debauchery event was revived as another effort to make those females that were present to get pregnant so that...
What?
Ohh..
Everyone, especially Dad, looked serious as they also realized what I said.
It was another way to create a specimen for the Demon King.
No wonder everyone was forced to join.
All sorts of aphrodisiacs were there, so everyone gave in to their pleasure without a second thought.
Though I was still in my right mind at that time, my body somehow reacted and...
Dad's voice interrupted my thoughts, reminding Leon that it was almost time for that event again.
Oh my gosh.
Dad continued, saying that Asmodeus might be present at the next event, since what I said implied he would gain powers from it.
He's right! Not to mention, he might make it even worse!
What's even worse is that everyone here is an elite and they definitely can't be absent or else Maelsa would be suspicious!
But I don't want to attend!
I can hear Khamsin whispering to Ghost, asking what they are talking about, much to Ghost's embarrassment.
It's not only Ghost who is embarrassed, but the rest of the pack too.
Not to mention, Leon's face is getting redder.
Why is he embarrassed? The event had been happening regularly in the..
Ohh...
I see..
Hahaha!
His false form must have prevented any urges! That's why he didn't attend that event.
Aside from Lion's mother, he doesn't have any experience with other females!
Hahaha!
And to make it worse, whatever happened between him and Lion's mother had happened centuries before.
Hahaha!
My inner laughter died down when Dad warned the group to keep me safe as there might be demons in disguise during the event.
He offered everyone a potion that would prevent them from being affected by any aphrodisiac.
Everyone took one instantly and promised Dad they would drink the potion at the time of the event.
Er.. Dad? What about me?
To my horror, Dad laughed and told me that, of course, he doesn't have one as he is a male and there's no need for me to take one because everyone will try to keep me safe.
The heck? I can still be affected by the aphrodisiac!
When that stupid event comes, I'm definitely visiting Puma!