Chapter 465: The Great Serpent’s Pass
Nathan turned to her again. "So you’re suggesting that I go?"
Jillia nodded. "Yes. I know you are still concerned about the death of the Watcher, but I do not believe the life of a mere Watcher would be enough to warrant the Demon King summoning the lords for a gathering of this nature...Whatever this is about, it appears to be a lot more important."
She paused before continuing.
"And if you were to disregard the summons, you would place yourself in a more dangerous position than you were after the Watcher’s death."
Jillia then lowered her voice to add this part.
"I know that Isabella, your son’s wife, has a certain influence over the Demon King. But I would not advise allowing that circumstance to affect your judgment. ...Whatever relationship exists between them, the King is still the ruler of this continent. We should not assume that her influence places you beyond the reach of his authority."
"If the King has called for you, my lord, then I believe it would be wiser to discover why he has done so than to give him a reason to question your obedience."
Nathan stared at Jillia for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.
Jillia was the one other person whose judgement and opinions he valued.
He then turned toward the area where Watcher Singon would normally have been stationed and gestured toward the empty space.
"We don’t even have a Watcher to teleport us there."
Jillia glanced in the same direction, but said nothing in particular.
Nathan knew that left them with very few options. He could fly to the Great Serpent’s Pass, but the distance was immense.
Even at his full speed, he would likely need one or two hours to reach the location.
However, there was still Astral Realm, which offered a much more convenient route.
Given the urgency of the summons, there was no reason to waste time travelling through the air when he could simply use his astral magic to reach the destination much sooner.
The moment Nathan decided that travelling through the Astral Realm would be the better option, he briefly glanced toward a connecting door to the other rooms within the palace.
He would deal with that situation later.
For now, there was a more pressing matter.
He turned back to Jillia and said "I’ll take us there."
She nodded, taking his arm as he reached out for hers. In the next instant, their forms folded inward on themselves, their bodies warping together before they both disappeared from the room.
Travelling through the Astral Realm was a relatively simple process, though the principle behind it was somewhat more complex.
The Astral Sea was a realm formed from collective consciousness.
Memories, thoughts, emotions, and the imprints left behind by people’s experiences all existed within it. Places were no exception.
Anyone who had visited a particular location could leave behind a mental impression of it, and over time, countless such impressions could form a recognizable Astral imprint of that place.
Nathan already knew the Great Serpent’s Pass. He had been there before, meaning his own memory of the location already existed within the Astral Sea.
And so, he entered the Astral Realm, he simply pictured the Great Serpent’s Pass in his mind and reached toward the corresponding imprint.
Using his astral magic, he established a connection between that Astral representation and the actual location it reflected in the physical world.
Rather than travelling through the physical distance between the two places, Nathan used the Astral imprint as a bridge to the location itself.
It was through this same method that Nathan had been able to appear at various locations around Gritnia during his time there two weeks ago.
Since he had already visited those places and held memories of them, he could use their Astral imprints to establish a connection and travel there directly.
Now, he used the same method to reach the Great Serpent’s Pass.
Nathan and Jillia emerged high above the ground, their forms materializing in the air before they slowly descended toward the gathering below.
A circle of demon lords had already assembled at the pass, accompanied by several of their right-hand aides, individuals who served much the same purpose for their respective lords as Jillia did for Nathan.
As Nathan descended, his eyes passed over the gathered demons.
Their appearances varied greatly. Some had grotesque features, others bore horns of different shapes and sizes, while some had unusual markings or strangely colored skin. Their clothing varied just as much, reflecting the different domains and personalities they represented.
Their expressions were equally varied. Some looked neutral. Others wore faint smiles, while a few appeared openly irritated.
Nathan said nothing as he reached the ground.
Neither did the other demon lords.
There was no greeting or exchange between them. Everyone seemed to understand that this was not the time for conversation.
It also seemed like they were waiting for the Demon King who had summoned them here.
He hadn’t arrived yet, and until that happened, there was little reason for any of them to do anything else.
Nathan simply stood among them, quietly observing the gathered lords as he waited.
—————
Back at the palace, Lilinlea paced around her room while Jaenera watched her with a growing look of confusion.
Her daughter had already asked several times what was troubling her, but Lilinlea had said nothing.
She continued pacing until, suddenly, she stopped.
It was at this time that she realized that she could no longer sense Nathan’s presence within the palace.
That was when she realized he had left.
Phase one of the plan was complete.
Lilinlea immediately sprang into action. "Jaenera, quickly. Call the rest of your siblings."
"Huh?" Jaenera barely had time to react before Lilinlea turned toward one of her servants.
"Call the rest of the wives as well. And find as many of Lord Krygon’s children as you can. Tell all of them to come to the throne room immediately."
The servants bowed. "Yes, my lady."
They hurried out of the room.
Jaenera rose from the mattress and looked at her mother with curiosity and surprise. "Mother, what is all this about?"
Lilinlea turned toward her daughter and placed both hands on her shoulders. "Listen to me, my child. It will all make sense soon. Just do as I say."
"Everyone needs to be there. You and your siblings, the wives, everyone we can gather. Go now. We don’t have any more time."
Jaenera stared at her mother for a moment before nodding. "Alright."
She turned and hurried after the servants.