Although Azazel had said it mostly because he enjoyed stirring the pot, his words were not without reason.
The war between the Old Maou faction and the reformists in the Underworld, as well as the election that followed, remained highly controversial for a long time afterward.
Devils placed tremendous importance on bloodlines, yet the four most important Maou positions had ended up in the hands of unrelated noble devils.
That led many old aristocrats who believed in bloodline supremacy to insist that the ancestral laws could not be changed. But because the Old Maou faction had been driven out, and the public had accepted the result, the matter was eventually left alone.
Although the policies issued by the current Four Great Maou over the years had indeed improved the economy and people's livelihoods, earning them a great many votes, if Katerea were to return to Lilith once more, it was inevitable that some conservative nobles would rally behind her.
That would not be good for the unity of the current Underworld government.
But the key issue was that Sirzechs and Serafall could not directly reject Katerea's demand.
Both of them still carried guilt over what had happened back then, which was why they had turned a blind eye even while the Old Maou faction trained troops in secret all these years.
To them, as long as the Old Maou faction did not rebel, they could do as they pleased.
And this time, Katerea had not only refrained from causing trouble, she had even turned on the battlefield and chosen to stand on their side.
By emotion or by reason, that made her a major contributor.
But the problem remained the same.
As someone from the Old Maou faction, she could not be allowed into the core of power.
Even if he and Serafall agreed, Grayfia, Ajuka, and Falbium would never agree.
Katerea read the expressions on their faces and immediately knew Rod had guessed right.
As someone carrying past sins, there was no way she would be allowed to return to the center of power in the capital, Lilith.
If she merely wanted to return to Lilith to visit her old home, perhaps the current government would even make a great public display of welcoming her back.
But this one matter was absolutely impossible.
At least... not now.
"It seems you're in a difficult position?"
"That's not it, Katerea, we..."
Serafall very much wanted to agree. After all, she was the one who felt the deepest guilt toward Katerea.
If not for her family, she had never wanted to become a Maou in the first place.
If Katerea had truly abandoned her old ways, Serafall would not have minded giving up the Maou position.
"Lady Serafall, please choose your words carefully."
At that moment, Grayfia, who had remained silent until now, suddenly interrupted what Serafall was about to say.
As a former opponent during the civil war, she was also one of the people who understood Serafall best.
She could guess with her ass what Serafall was about to say next. Something like, We didn't do it on purpose back then. It was for the future of the Underworld. If you're truly willing to lead the Underworld toward a better future, I would gladly return the name of Leviathan to you, and so on.
But setting aside the political and public-opinion issues, Grayfia herself fundamentally distrusted anyone from the Old Maou faction.
"Lady Katerea, please forgive us, but we cannot agree to your request. As for the reason, I believe you understand it well enough yourself."
Grayfia felt it was necessary for her to step in now.
Otherwise, Serafall's soft-hearted nature would only get baited into saying the wrong thing.
"Heh."
Katerea was not surprised in the slightest by that answer.
Everything had gone exactly as Rod said it would.
"Grayfia Lucifuge. I know of you. You're known as the Silver-Haired Extinction Princess of the Underworld. Back then, your father and family served Lucifer. It was only by borrowing the name of Lucifer that your house, which wasn't even one of the Seventy-Two Pillars, rose to become a distinguished family. And yet later, you betrayed Lucifer and chose to stand against us."
Faced with Grayfia's refusal, Katerea narrowed her eyes, her gaze full of hostility.
"Even a traitor like you can become one of the administrators of the current government, so why can't I, the legitimate descendant of Leviathan?"
"Back then, I simply made the most correct choice. As for the traitor label you place on me, I do not accept it."
Grayfia replied calmly, neither arrogant nor servile.
"So you're determined not to agree to my demand."
Katerea drew in a deep breath and looked at the three of them with a scrutinizing gaze.
"If Your Ladyship wishes to return to your former residence and live there without interfering in the current government, we would naturally welcome you with full honors and accord you the noble treatment you deserve."
Grayfia continued speaking.
"Then there's nothing left to discuss."
Katerea let out a cold snort.
Sirzechs and Serafall's expressions changed slightly, and they were just about to explain, but Katerea spoke again before they could.
"In that case, I have another demand."
"I want to completely sever myself from the authority of the current Underworld government and stay far away from your center of power. I will found my own nation on the borders of the Underworld, and your current government must recognize the legitimacy of my country."
"???"
Even Grayfia could not react immediately when she heard Katerea's new demand.
Michael let out a soft breath, while Azazel folded his arms and stared in surprise, not even bothering with what had become of his adopted son Vali.
"So you're using a feint to force the real move through. Katerea, with your intelligence, it's unlikely you came up with this yourself. Which means there must be some mastermind behind the scenes advising you, right?"
"This has nothing to do with you, Governor of the Fallen Angels!"
Katerea shot Azazel a fierce glare.
"So? What's your answer?"
Sirzechs fell into thought, while Serafall had already raised her hand in agreement.
"I agree! I agree!"
Grayfia frowned slightly.
Because this demand really was much harder to reject.
The Underworld's attitude toward the Old Maou faction all these years had basically been one of indifference. As long as they stayed out on the borderlands and did as they pleased, no one bothered with them.
But she had not expected Katerea to go so far as to found her own nation.
"If you won't even agree to this, then there's nothing more for us to say. Whether your current government approves or not, I will establish my own country."
Katerea spoke coldly.
At those words, Sirzechs lifted his head slightly.
"That isn't the kind of thing I can decide by myself."
"Let's do this. Give us two weeks. Two weeks from now, we will definitely give you an answer."
"All right."
Katerea agreed immediately.
Her objective had already been achieved. There was no point in continuing to push recklessly.
And, as Rod had said, as long as they did not reject it on the spot, the probability of them accepting it later would be over ninety percent.
With that said, Katerea slowly swept her gaze across the room, continuing to maintain the image of a cold, unyielding woman.
Then her eyes paused briefly on Rod.
The moment Rod caught that glance from Katerea, he suddenly had a bad feeling.
"So you're the wielder of the Longinus Incinerate Anthem. I never expected you to defeat both Creuserey after he used the power of Infinity and White Dragon Emperor one after another. To be honest, I'm very interested in you."
Hearing that, Rod suddenly felt an odd sense of déjà vu.
"I've heard you aren't one of the Three Factions. In that case, would you have any interest in coming over to my side? If you agree, I'll give you the position of chancellor. And perhaps... I might even dote on you in another way~"
"But don't be in such a hurry to refuse. Who knows? Perhaps you'll come around in the future."
As soon as the words fell, a magic circle appeared beneath Katerea's feet, and she teleported away.
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