Chapter 224
Bidled’s excessive reaction momentarily startled both Kusios and Bué, who were nearby. Not only them, but even the relatively composed demon lords like Phynox, Malepare, and Marbas had their eyes wide open in surprise.
As for Barbatos…
“Kuh, kuh… Why is that guy acting like this?”
He couldn’t hold back his laughter. Bidled’s voice had been excessively loud, enough to gather the gazes of all the demon lords gathered in that place.
Bidled quickly realized his mistake, coughed a couple of times, and then spoke.
“…I’m glad to hear it’s Shian. It seems there are many issues with the ranking.”
“Given your intense reaction, it does seem like that. Tell me what the problem is.”
Despite his tone seeming to invite a discussion, Belzebut’s voice was chillingly calm. Bidled trembled momentarily, but he had to say what he needed to. There was a reason for his heightened reaction too.
“Though my rank hasn’t changed, how is it that Lady Lezargie, who was ranked 12th, has now risen above me? And also, it seems that Seere von Debata’s rank, which was 46th, has risen far too much!”
Bidled’s intense reaction was indeed due to Lezargie entering the upper ranks. If someone were to ask if Lezargie couldn’t become a top-tier demon lord, he would have answered otherwise. She had lost an arm but was still powerful, and the one who most openly defended her was the representative of the martial faction, Barbatos.
However, the problem was that her rank had surpassed Bidled’s. Nahun, who did not understand the reason for the intense reaction at that moment, was now clear along with all the demon lords present.
“Why is it that while other demon lords moved up one rank, I remain the same while Lady Lezargie takes my place?”
Bidled could not acknowledge Lezargie’s rank. While saying this, he didn’t forget to mention Seere von Debata’s rank as well.
“The same goes for Seere von Debata’s rank. While many demon lords like Jepar and Morax sadly lost their lives in this war, the rankings of the lower-ranked demon lords should have been raised one after the other. Yet suddenly raising a demon lord who was ranked 46th to 15th? Many demon lords will find this hard to accept!”
That was the truth. The moment Seere’s rank was revealed to be 15th, demon lords ranked in the 20s had scowled in anger internally. The same was true for the demon lords like Iphoros, Bashing, Salenos, and Purson, who had risen in rank.
“Indeed.”
“I can’t understand it.”
They seemed unable to comprehend that the young demon lord Seere von Debata was standing before them. Then, Belzebut spoke.
“First, to address why Lezargie’s rank has risen so much is due to the comprehensive judgment.”
“Comprehensive judgment?”
“From a military and political standpoint, there’s nothing to be lacking, and it reflects her performance in the recent War of the Heavens. Though she lost an arm after meeting Mikael, it was very much an accident. It’s not like they don’t know that she was sounding the victory trumpets alongside Barbatos before that.”
At the mention of reflecting the performance in the War of the Heavens, Bidled flinched slightly. There was a sense of guilt, and it was because Belzebut was glaring at him.
“Bidled, when you were avoiding action during the War of the Heavens…”
“…Avoiding action? That’s a misunderstanding. I simply had no opportunity to participate.”
While Bidled stated that, he could no longer contest Belzebut’s words. Lezargie’s injury had certainly been incurred while rescuing Barbatos, but she had still done commendable work in the War of the Heavens.
Moreover, it was close to the truth that Bidled had been avoiding action during the War of the Heavens. As Bidled quieted down regarding Lezargie, Belzebut continued.
“And the subject of greatest controversy seems to be Seere von Debata’s rank.”
This time, he appeared ready to discuss Seere von Debata’s rank.
“This too was judged as comprehensively as possible.”
“Are you telling me that resulted in a 31-step rise?”
“There’s nothing impossible. Instead of another demon lord stepping back, she led the last battle of the War of the Heavens to victory. Can that be denied?”
“That’s…!”
“As she came to the Demon World, Mikael must have weakened, the Heaven’s army became weaker, and our demon lords had a favorable battlefield… I understand there are many speculations.”
While saying this, Belzebut scanned those dissenting to Seere’s rank.
“However, it’s all mere speculation. The undeniable fact is that Seere von Debata and her allies successfully drove out the Heaven’s army from the Demon World. Even if one says she was fortuitous or acted out of sheer luck, achieving what an entire alliance of demon lords could not do is to be praised. Furthermore…”
Belzebut’s gaze turned towards Seere.
“This time, she proved her own strength. She is not a demon lord who belongs to that rank.”
But in that moment, Nahun sensed it. The gaze directed at Seere had momentarily passed through him.
‘…As expected.’
He thought Belzebut might know what kind of great demon he was. It made him think seriously. Nahun narrowed his eyes and waited to see what impact Belzebut’s words would have.
“However, isn’t a rise of 31 steps too much…?”
“I think so too.”
Still, many opposed Belzebut’s decision. But their opinions were just that—opinions—and did not affect the determination of the ranks.
Ultimately, the decision rested in the hands of the eleven strong demon lords, now that Amon was absent.
“What does everyone think?”
Knowing this, Belzebut asked for opinions not from other demon lords but from those around him. Then, Basago, who had supported Belzebut from the beginning, spoke.
“The army I led and the legion led by Samygina couldn’t withstand the Heaven’s army led by Mikael. No matter how unfavorable the environment was due to our battles in the human realm, I believe the difference in environment is less significant than the difference between a ranked 3 demon lord and a ranked 46 demon lord. That means, ultimately, that Seere von Debata’s ability is exceptional.”
Basago spoke with his characteristic intellectual tone.
“I don’t see it as an unfair rank. Rather, it should be viewed as having been undervalued before.”
“That’s right.”
Following Basago’s supportive opinion, Agreas subsequently added his support.
“Although weakened in the Demon World, is it easy to drive back the Heaven’s army led by an Archangel? Whether in terms of military might or strategy, something must have supported her to create such an outcome.”
Their comments were changing the atmosphere in the conference room. However, Nahun maintained a calm expression. After all, the actual meeting had yet to begin.
—
The fact that everyone supporting Belzebut’s opinion were all top-tier demon lords who had fought in the War of the Heavens posed a problem.
While they were not fully convinced, the thought that if top-tier demon lords evaluated it to such an extent made watching acceptable began to arise.
“What do you think, Barbatos?”
Belzebut then inquired of the other demon lord who had stood at the forefront of the War of the Heavens, Barbatos. Since he had fought directly in that war and appeared to have a close relationship with Seere von Debata, Belzebut assumed he would naturally agree with this ranking.
Based on Barbatos’s character, if a demon lord he was friendly with rose closer to his rank, he would most likely welcome it. Belzebut thought there would be no counterarguments to this stance, but that assumption was flawed from the outset.
“I see. It seems like a decision with merit.”
“I see, then…”
“However, I’m opposed.”
“…What?”
He had not considered that Seere von Debata herself would not want such a high rank. Barbatos, who had been asked in advance, stated with a disinterested expression.
“Chairman, I’ve said I’m opposed.”
“…Do you have a reason?”
“Even so, raising a demon lord who was ranked 46th directly to 15th is, I believe, a disturbance to the order of the Demon World. If one can elevate a lower-ranked demon lord like this, then what on earth are the middle-ranking demon lords striving and fighting for?”
Barbatos said, narrowing his eyes.
“Of course, I understand your opinion and the opinions of those who supported it. I think there’s a sufficiently plausible reason, but there’s a threshold that others can accept too. Even if an award is given, maintaining that threshold will prevent rebellion and disorder.”
In the moment Barbatos voiced his opinion, the mood in the conference room shifted from accepting Belzebut’s opinion to an opposing stance. Belzebut noticed this change and attempted to let Samygina speak, but someone else beat him to it.
“I think so too.”
It was Phynox. She echoed Barbatos’s opinion and presented her views to Belzebut.
“I also think Seere von Debata’s rank should undoubtedly be higher than it is now. But if she rises 31 steps at once… While I may not like it, I believe Barbatos is correct. I see it as a disturbance to the order.”
Phynox was the leader of the Plebes faction. Among the demon lords of the Plebes faction, there were many ranked from 15th to 25th. At first glance, it would seem she was acting for their sake, so it wouldn’t have been surprising for her to support Barbatos’s opinion. Instead…
“Phynox is helping us…”
“We’re so touched.”
Loyalty towards Phynox from the Plebes faction was only increasing. Phynox said, “There has never been a case in the Demon World General Assembly where a rank has risen more than 20 steps. Changes beyond that are likely to cause confusion, as the Chairman must know well. Considering Seere von Debata’s achievements, I believe a rise of about 20 ranks is the most appropriate.”
“In that case, it would be appropriate to set it at 25th.”
The demon lord who said this after Phynox was none other than Marbas. Both Belzebut and the other demon lords who were not in the top tier were momentarily taken aback.
‘The leaders of the three factions?’
Equites, Plebes, Nobilis… The leaders of the three largest factions in the Demon World were all expressing the same opinion—that Belzebut’s proposition was wrong. Of course, Marbas was not currently the leader of the Nobilis faction, but the perception of him was still strong as a key figure in Nobilis.
With the leaders of the three factions voicing their dissent, the foundation for accepting Belzebut’s proposition completely vanished. Instead, the opposition seemed to heighten, and Belzebut’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Marbas, what is your reasoning for saying that 25th is appropriate?”
“Looking at the opinions, it seems there is agreement that Seere von Debata’s rank should indeed be raised. However, if a rise is too high, then according to Phynox’s opinion, raising it by about 20 ranks would suffice. But the reason we have never seen an upward change greater than 20 ranks is that there hasn’t been anyone who has demonstrated such a level of performance.”
Marbas controlled the atmosphere within the conference room with his uniquely gentle voice. Because he was the original demon lord and was known for his benevolence, few demon lords opposed him, and the agreement to his stance grew stronger whenever he voiced his opinions.
“However, this time, Seere von Debata’s achievements surpassed those of the previous demon lords and have astonished many. It wouldn’t be at all surprising for the Chairman and the top-tier demon lords present here to believe she deserves a 31-step rise.”
Finally, Marbas concluded his opinion.
“Thus, I propose a rise of 21 ranks. This would not only reflect her achievements while also setting a benchmark that adequately accommodates opposing views.”
In terms of the rank fluctuations, setting a new high while appropriately placing Seere von Debata within the ideal rank range that Nahun envisioned.
‘This truly shows experience.’
Nahun nodded in admiration at Marbas’s opinion. Marbas looked at Belzebut with a benevolent smile.
“What do you think, Chairman?”
“…Opinions are quite divided. If so, I believe it would be wise to accept Marbas’s suggestion and hold a vote for or against it.”
“That sounds good.”
Finally, Belzebut had no choice but to hold a vote. The question was whether the 11 demon lords with voting rights would support Belzebut’s opinion or oppose it in favor of Marbas’s suggestion.
As the voting began, it soon led to a surprising outcome. To ensure fairness, Belzebut entrusted the ballot count to Kusios, who had not offered any input.
When Kusios announced the results, it was enough to raise suspicions among Belzebut, Agreas, Basago, and Samygina’s eyes.
“…What?”
“The voting result shows 5 in favor, 6 against.”
Those in favor included the two demon lords who had recently sided with Belzebut, along with Samygina and Kusios himself. So, the remainder…
“Ah, how unfortunate for you, Chairman.”
The two opposing opinions came from Marbas, Barbatos, Phynox, and Bidled, in addition to two other demon lords.
Malepare and Bué had cast their opposing votes. While Bué was within Belzebut’s expected range, being a member of the Plebes faction and essentially second-in-command, Malepare…
He had been the one Belzebut had directly hinted at earlier—he had been advised to vote in favor. The fact that he did not do so meant that Malepare was rejecting Belzebut’s hint.
“Malepare…!”
“I’m sorry, Belzebut. I think the same way.”
Even under the immense pressure of a formidable being like Belzebut, Malepare followed through with his promise. Perhaps for Malepare, fulfilling it was nothing less than natural. The target of that promise was none other than the one he deemed more important than his own life.
