A colossal wave of terror instantly swept through the mansion.
Not a single soul remained standing. The mere fact that they hadn't fainted was commendable.
Half of them were already unconscious. Thankfully, it seemed no devils had perished.
The devils, either collapsed or kneeling, trembled as they looked up at Frondier. Still unable to rise.
It wasn't that Frondier was continuously using the devil's power or suppressing them with his aura. They could stand up if they wanted to.
It was simply that they were paralyzed by the question: "Are we allowed to stand up?"
"I might have overdone it a bit," Frondier said, glancing at the unconscious devils.
The devils couldn't decipher the emotions behind his gaze. Ever since their first encounter with Frondier, they had been unable to read his emotions, just like everyone else.
His face appeared languid and peaceful. With that same expression, he had just rendered half of the devils unconscious. His expression before and after remained unchanged.
It's a relief we didn't faint.
It's a relief we weren't singled out by Frondier's gaze, which seemed to memorize the faces of the unconscious devils one by one.
The devils' hierarchical consciousness was truly remarkable.
After Frondier displayed the devil's power, they swore their allegiance on the spot. Of course, no one doubted whether Frondier was a devil anymore.
To them, the devil's power was exclusive to devils. As long as he could wield it, no matter how suspicious Frondier seemed, he was a devil.
Even if a devil with the desire to "consume" felt that desire towards Frondier, they couldn't utter a word unless they wanted to die.
It was difficult to distinguish between humans and devils. While this made it hard for humans to identify devils, it naturally applied the other way around as well.
'In that sense, Arald's insight is impressive.'
Arald, the chairman of Hitchcock, had witnessed Frondier using the Obsidian, the mana of Helheim, and suggested the possibility that he could wield the devil's power.
In other words, he knew the true nature of the Obsidian from the beginning, and he also understood the fundamental essence of the devil's power.
'I need to be careful with that guy.'
Like it or not, Frondier had no choice but to use the devil's power for now. It was currently the most rational solution. So, he was essentially playing into Arald's hands.
However, whether Arald's request for him to become the "King of Devils" was truly sincere remained unknown.
"Lord Frondier, what should we do?" Bart approached Frondier and asked after everyone had regained their composure and the surroundings were settled.
"It would be good to give you orders, but first..." Frondier surveyed the surroundings once more.
The current situation, where his power was imprinted on them, was too precious to waste.
"Everyone," Frondier raised his voice slightly. The devils reacted instantly. Their gazes focused on Frondier like before, but the meaning was entirely different. �
"As you know, the devils from the west will come. It's a stroke of luck that they haven't arrived yet."
The Knights at Manggot were the first to discover the western devils. There was no contact from them yet.
Frondier had heard from Arald about the estimated time of the next attack from the western devils.
Burning with vengeance after their devastating defeat in the first raid, they would also become more cautious. Not a single devil had returned alive.
In this case, the western devils had two options: uncover the cause of their annihilation or launch a second attack on such a massive scale that annihilation would be impossible.
Arald had predicted the latter.
"Why? That would be a reckless choice," Frondier had asked.
Arald had shrugged and replied, "They lack patience."
It was a simple answer.
But in retrospect, that answer explained almost everything.
The western devils were driven by the keyword "revenge." They had a score to settle with the devils from the Demon Realm. They were probably Satan's devils.
They had nurtured their thirst for vengeance for a very long time, and the moment the restraint named Belphegor disappeared, they began their invasion of the Empire. So, their patience had already burned out.
Devils who valued their lives less than humans. Their choice was clear.
Frondier addressed the devils again, "We probably have no more than three days left at most."
The devils remained silent, but their expressions grew heavy with worry.
"You may want to run away, but for those of us hiding in the Empire, there's nowhere left to escape. If we make a mistake, both the western devils and the entire Empire will become our enemies."
Frondier used the term "we." It was an appeal that he was also a devil, and this term worked quite effectively.
"So, we must fight. Fighting is our only way out."
At that moment, a devil cautiously spoke up.
Their voice was hesitant and stammering, yet...
To the other devils, it was an act of immense courage.
"If we fight, can we survive?"
"I can't guarantee that everyone will survive."
His words were cold but reasonable.
"I could die too, just like all of you."
"Our numbers are few. The western devils have made that continent their own territory. It will be difficult to defeat them."
Another devil, perhaps gaining some courage, spoke cautiously.
Frondier shook his head.
"It won't be a battle of numbers."
The devils tilted their heads in confusion.
The fearsome aspect of the western devils lay in their overwhelming numbers. The western continent was inhabited by low-ranking devils.
Moreover, there were likely enough high-ranking devils as well, so there was a significant gap in power from the outset.
But it wouldn't be a battle of numbers?
Frondier explained, "Low-ranking devils are close to monsters."
"... That's true. But what does that...?"
To the still-questioning devils, Frondier smiled.
"I intend to test just how close they are."