Chapter 361: Small Conflict
"So I gathered you all here because you're the ones who'll be most involved in this, and as queen I obviously have to start by saying what we'll do next," I say to everyone at the table.
Here at this large planning table are Eve, Shizuka, Grace, Marie, Laplace, and through a communicator Esther is observing everything from the meeting and telling me what to do since she's the one who'll actually be leading.
"Evelyn-sama, I'll activate the map," Eve says as she places a cube on the table, an object puppet I used to create a map of the angel kingdom when thousands of tiny insect-like puppets mapped out the angel kingdom a few days ago.
"Here, as you can see, is the entire 3D map of the angel kingdom, which is quite large, not to mention the area surrounding the kingdom that's heavily defended," I say to everyone as the map covers the entire table, it's so big.
"The angel kingdom won't be easy to invade! Laying siege to the kingdom is unnecessary so... it's best to advance through the main gate," Esther said the angels have nowhere to flee, surrounding their kingdom is just wasting forces on something useless.
"Since the angels will focus on aerial combat, most of the demons will receive equipment to attack the angels from a distance, be it weapons or relics," With all the materials we collected from the cities along the way I created thousands of useful relics.
"While the soldiers handle the angels, those of us who are the strongest will need to finish off the strongest enemies! The angel queen will hardly enter combat, so she's not a direct concern," The angel queen will probably stay in her castle/palace waiting.
"Evelyn... what will you do with the angels?" Laplace asks in a somewhat restrained way. I look at her clothes, they look like something a show-off whore would wear, Laplace really has fallen far.
"Kill them all. I don't care if you want to do something with them... just do whatever you want, I won't take prisoners," Esther said not to take anyone prisoner and to simply keep decimating them until they surrender or are exterminated.
"So that's it? You're just going to kill everyone? What a queen," Grace says with a sarcastic tone. Marie looks like she wants to say something, but she says nothing, probably because she agrees with me on killing everyone, and doesn't want to anger her wife.
"...I am the demon queen... it's not my responsibility to deal with angel deaths. If you don't like it, you can leave. Your help isn't much to speak of," When I say this Marie glares at me with anger.
"..."
"Got a problem, Grace? Think we need a hero?"
"You've gotten really arrogant after becoming queen! I'm only helping for Marie's sake, not yours! Honestly, the moment you got decision-making power is when you showed your true colors."
"Not only did you poison the rivers, undoubtedly affecting thousands of innocents, now you can't even show a shred of mercy for innocent civilians who have nothing to do with this," I look at the communicator, waiting for Esther to tell me something.
"..." Shizuka stays huddled in her corner not wanting to get involved while Eve gives Grace an ugly look, Grace receiving no support.
"Evelyn, I think you should... change the plans a bit. We don't really need to kill everyone, right? The angels are weak, a few civilians left alive won't be a problem," Marie says something surprising.
That super arrogant Marie who used to even kill servants over the smallest things asking to leave our enemies alive — it just shows Grace's incredible ability to change people.
"No," I refuse. Esther doesn't want anyone left alive, so I won't leave anyone alive. Obviously I don't want this massacre, but if Esther says it's for the best, I'll trust what she thinks.
"Why?!" Marie shouts at me.
"Why should I listen to the foolish request of someone who can only see as far as the nose in front of her face? If your ideas were any good, you wouldn't just be a subordinate," When I say this she becomes furious.
"You cow! You think being queen makes you better than me? You're still the same failure as always! You think I haven't noticed that you're completely dependent on these stupid toys of yours?" She gestures toward Eve and Shizuka.
"..." I look at Laplace and her gaze is dangerous toward me.
"So that's it? You think I'm completely dependent on puppets for power? That I'm nothing without them?" I question, giving her a chance to back down from her arrogant words.
"That's exactly right, you—"
Crack.
Marie is driven into the floor by a punch. Blood begins to spill from her head as everyone in the room goes into shock.
"Marie—" Before Grace can stand, she takes a punch to the face that sends her flying far away. Her body rips through the tent as we hear the sound of trees breaking and falling.
"Does anyone else here think I depend only on Eve and Shizuka?" I look at the communicator. Esther is staring at me, clearly wanting to know what that was.
'...Shit...' It was the Esther Puppet, a temporary partial manifestation of only her left arm. She is truly monstrous.
"Anything to say, Laplace?"
"N-No," Laplace avoids trouble, losing that rebellious look in seconds. If I let this image that I'm weak and dependent on puppets grow, traitors will start popping up left and right.
"..." I see Grace coming back furious with blood dripping from her nose and forehead. She's pretty strong. Marie was instantly knocked out, but she took a punch to the face without losing consciousness.
"You've crossed the line," Grace speaks with hatred as her body becomes covered in golden Hikishin. She looks at the injured Marie and clearly becomes very angry with me.
"You think I'll let you hit my wife and let it slide?" I sigh as she draws her sword, which makes Eve draw her sword as well, but I give Eve a nod to stay in place.
"..." Grace tries to move her sword, but the Esther Puppet's arm holds her blade and squeezes it with such force that I hear the metal groaning as if it's about to give way. This frightens Grace. The sword every hero uses, a sword once considered unbreakable, is groaning as if it's about to burst.
"..." Trying to pull her sword back, Grace turns red from effort, but the blade doesn't move a single inch. The Esther Puppet's right arm manifests, grabbing Marie by the throat while she's unconscious.
"Grace, I suggest you respect for the demon queen standing before you. You are a mere hero, and if you don't want me to crush your wife's neck, you should bow properly before me, shouldn't you?" She, still with a rebellious look, tries to pull the sword.
This makes the right arm squeeze Marie's throat, making her cough up blood. This makes Grace stop.
"...P-Please don't kill her—"
"Bow."
"..."
"Bow right now. I won't say it again. Killing Marie here won't make a difference. A puppet made from her corpse would be more useful than Marie herself," This is a fact.
"..." Grace kneels on the ground, placing her forehead on the wood of the tent. The left hand releases the sword, which falls beside her head, the heavy blade sinking into the floor with a dry crack.
"Do not challenge me again, Grace. I am not that lenient," I need to maintain power — not just because I don't want to be betrayed, but because if the people lose faith in me, if the demons stop seeing me as their queen, Esther will take total control of everything.
And she already has too much control. I cannot let Esther grow even more in power than she already has. Currently authority is divided between her and me. Any challenge will break this fragile balance.
"I-I won't do it again..." When she says this, the right arm throws Marie's unconscious body on top of Grace.
"Leave. The meeting is over... only you, Eve, stay here. I have some things to settle..." I say to everyone. Esther speaks through the communicator, which only I can hear, saying we'll have a lot to talk about when she leaves the castle and returns to my room.
'Shit... damn Marie...' If it weren't for her, I would have managed to hide the Esther Puppet until far into the future.
In the end, Marie is right. I am 100% dependent on my puppets, but I'm not dependent specifically on Eve or Shizuka. I have power now, power to defend myself, and I have the Esther Puppet, the best shield and spear I could ask for to follow my will.
"..." As everyone except Eve leaves, I keep staring at the communicator.
"E-Esther I... I'll explain this to you later..." Esther is going to be angry that I hid this. Fortunately, the Esther Puppet can no longer be removed from my soul. Esther cannot take my power from me.
"[You'd better. Marie and Grace compared to me right now are pretty weak, but even so... Marie is among the ten strongest demons, and Grace is still a hero. If I'm not satisfied with how you did this, expect punishment,]" Esther threatens, clearly not pleased.
Since she doesn't like it when I have autonomy or strength to challenge her, she obviously fears the day I become stronger than her and can distance myself from her, even though that will never happen.
"I... I have a really good explanation..." It's so ridiculous. The same power that humiliated Marie doesn't give me the courage to challenge Esther, nor is it even capable of trying.