Chapter 461: Must Maintain Image in Front of My Beloved Brother
The mountain-sized black toad erupted from the golden forest.
Wrinkled, viscous skin tore free from the black whirlpool, stretching out long threads of sticky filth.
The toad's massive bulk swayed unsteadily, while razor-sharp maws split open around it, constantly gnashing and grinding.
Even the blue-black sky surrendered to greasy, pitch-black clouds.
Deep, sinister pressure crashed down from above, stunning the nobles into silence.
But what truly sickened them wasn't just the grotesque form.
The moment this towering demon emerged, a nauseating stench engulfed the entire hall.
Rotting meat mixed with animal waste—a putrid cocktail that swept over everyone.
One breath sent nobles' stomachs into violent revolt, faces draining white.
They fought desperately against the rising bile, but waves of nausea crashed relentlessly into their skulls.
Within moments, several nobles surrendered to their churning guts, retching violently.
The acidic reek burned their eyes. Thick, poisonous air clouded the First Prince's mind.
He stood in the courtyard, staring up at his brother's maniacal laughter atop the demon's head—eyes wide with vacant shock and profound horror.
Aubrey no longer recognized Owiser.
Or rather, he couldn't recognize this Owiser.
Manic. Twisted. Savage. Ravenous.
Wave after wave of malevolence consumed him entirely.
Never had he imagined his own family would appear before him like this.
Terror didn't just grip the empire's people—even the Elven Forest guests were paralyzed with fear.
They'd never witnessed such horror.
Elves clutched each other desperately, tears glimmering like scattered pearls.
Huddled together, they used natural energy to ward off the stench, trembling in the courtyard's corner.
At least their Elf Queen remained here.
That brought some comfort.
The moment the demon emerged, Cocotte had gone on high alert.
Arms crossed, one leg folded, she sat perched on a cloud, studying the greed demon intently.
Though elves bore no particular grudge against demons, the endless malice radiating from this creature made her deeply uncomfortable.
Lia, teleported to safety, placed one hand on her hip, the other shading her eyes.
Squinting, she craned her neck to study that massive, writhing form.
"This is really..."
Familiar.
Wasn't this the exact demon that had terrorized the royal capital six months ago? The one that had torn through the Royal Academy?
Half a year later, it had returned to the capital.
Lia frowned, regarding the massive, reeking demon with disgust. Not fear—confusion.
"But this thing... didn't Viktor already deal with it?"
She distinctly remembered Viktor telling her this demon had been completely eliminated. No need to worry anymore.
And its connection to the Reiser family had been confirmed.
So what was happening now?
The Second Prince had brought this demon to the empire's grandest banquet hall, letting it devour half the building.
Taking the blame just to clear the Reiser family's name?
The situation made less sense by the moment.
Fortunately, a powerless woman like her didn't need to handle this.
She lowered her gaze toward Viktor at the front.
The sky grew heavier, more viscous. The foul smell intensified like choking fog.
Greasy malice rained down like acid, suffocating everything.
Sensing the surrounding evil, Viktor slowly raised his head toward the Second Prince—twisted with madness atop his demon.
Hands casually pocketed, expression serene, his profound eyes reflected his opponent's deranged form.
His tone carried mocking disdain:
"Hard to imagine you'd worship a failed toad as some precious treasure."
Viktor's voice steadied many nobles' nerves.
Right—this demon had been defeated before.
Just a beaten opponent.
The knights felt their fighting spirit rekindle, eyes clearing as they raised weapons again.
They quickly formed protective lines before the elves and nobles.
The nobles were expendable—let them die if they must—but the elves' safety was paramount.
The Second Prince slowly lowered his head. Manic expression vanishing, replaced by eerie calm.
Twisted light flickered in his eyes as he stared at Viktor, voice soft with challenge:
"...Failed?"
"Count Viktor, you haven't grasped the truth yet."
The Second Prince closed his eyes, deeply inhaling that corrupt, putrid air. Then his eyes snapped wide, voice rising to a mad shriek:
"As long as desire exists, demons never fail!"
The giant demon began expanding.
Its pitch-black maw gaped wider. Skin twisted and warped, blood vessels bulging visibly.
Tendrils of pure malice stretched outward like grasping fingers, waves of chaos spreading into the world.
Putrid stench mixed with frenzied snow, whipping through the gloomy sky, spiraling thousands of meters high.
Viktor remained motionless, quietly observing the chaotic maelstrom.
The elves behind him watched in horror as dark auras surged toward them like tsunamis.
Viscous blackness flooded the space, spawning countless mad demons that crawled across earth and sky.
Yet these auras passed through them harmlessly.
They could only stare as the corruption drifted past their eyes.
With a twist, the smaller demons dissolved completely—absorbed like poison into the human nobles' bodies.
The Second Prince spoke with cold satisfaction:
"Why don't you witness their true ugliness yourself?"
Viktor made no response.
But the knights couldn't help looking back.
The nobles who'd inhaled the evil aura writhed on the ground in agony.
Hands clutched desperately at their chests, eyes shot through with blood.
Soon their mouths stretched into grotesque grins, nearly splitting to their ears.
Drool poured uncontrolled from their lips as consciousness fled entirely.
The Second Prince casually pulled several gleaming Geo coins from his pocket, tossing them down with theatrical flair.
Clang—
Gold coins struck stone with crystalline chimes.
All other sounds vanished from the nobles' ears—only that metallic ring exploded like artillery in their skulls.
They dropped to all fours, elegance abandoned.
Like rabid beasts, they lunged toward the coins with savage desperation.
"Geo! Money!"
"Mine! It's mine!"
"Don't you dare touch it!"
The nobles descended into complete madness, a writhing mass of greed and violence.
Fighting tooth and claw over coins they could normally earn without effort.
The chaotic spectacle shattered something deep in the knights' hearts—as if sacred walls had crumbled to dust.
From childhood, they'd been taught one sacred duty: protect the people, guard the nobles, sacrifice everything for their sake.
Now they saw the truth—they'd been protecting nothing but beasts enslaved by desire.
The swords in their hands, once symbols of honor, now felt impossibly heavy.
Yet this greedy corruption didn't affect everyone.
The knights noticed the elves showed no reaction to the gold.
And Miss Lia—the only human besides themselves who remained unaffected.
She stood apart from those nobles entirely.
Though also a merchant, she hadn't descended into their blood-soaked scramble.
A dignified figure emerged from the banquet hall's ruins.
Applauding lightly, he smiled with satisfaction:
"Merely amplifying their greed tenfold—yet look how hideous they become."
Rippert's eyes opened, golden sand flowing rapidly beneath those noble, mysterious orbs.
Under his gaze, every desire-corrupted noble lay exposed.
Then he noticed Lia, standing unmoved amid the chaos.
The elves' immunity made sense—their isolated lives naturally lacked worldly desires.
The knights' composure was expected too.
Becoming a knight required unwavering faith and noble character.
Especially the empire's Royal Knights, selected through rigorous trials.
But Lia was just an ordinary human, yet completely immune to greed's erosion.
This intrigued Rippert.
Did she simply not care about money?
Or did something more precious than gold command her desires?
Only Lia knew that answer.
She stood watching the nobles' disgusting scramble, face twisted with contempt.
Not like money? Absolutely false.
But compared to these few coins... she considered carefully.
If she joined that pathetic display, humiliating herself before so many witnesses—elves included—the shame would be unbearable.
Gwen, Cocotte, Viktor were all watching.
She refused to make such a fool of herself.
Her restraint and dignity had conquered desire amplified tenfold.
Besides, honestly?
She'd always earned money for Viktor's sake.
Viktor wasn't short of funds now—no need to disgrace the entire Kravina family over pocket change.
Suddenly, Lia felt a penetrating gaze withdraw.
Looking up, she caught Rippert's golden eyes casually turning away.
Rippert faced Viktor:
"Now do you understand? A few gold coins can make them tear each other apart."
"Given real opportunity, they'd be far more insane than me—"
"Have you said enough?"
Rippert's elegant smile stiffened.
Viktor lowered his head, gaze shifting from demon to merchant.
BOOM—
Air waves exploded overhead, thunderous roars tearing through the suffocating atmosphere.
Multiple azure formation arrays connected like massive gears, rotating in perfect synchronization.
Brilliant sapphire light cascaded from behind Viktor.
Countless patterns came alive as serpents, racing around the formations at impossible speeds.
Binding scattered runes tightly into the arrays' intricate edges.
"If you're done talking, then get lost."
"Get caught in the blast—that's your problem."
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