The Actor

"Your Highness, are you planning to hijack the prison?"

Zennas had just had the Water Elemental Servant wash I Nuo, the young succubus, and change her into a proper set of men's clothes before bringing her before Joshua. There, he learned of Joshua's latest order.

Zennas was not at all surprised by Joshua's seemingly suicidal idea. He had followed Joshua as his guard ever since his birth and had long grown used to it.

The Third Prince had always come up with several terrifying ideas without warning. Hijacking a prison was relatively mild; one of the Third Prince's experiments two years ago had nearly torn down the entire palace in the Imperial City.

"It isn't an actual hijacking. It's just a metaphor."

Joshua gestured for Zennas not to make that eager-to-try expression.

Provoking the Overseers' authority at a time like this was clearly an unwise decision.

"I've decided to play a Human Hunter and rescue those humans imprisoned inside. Of course, the Overseers will know about everything beforehand. Simply put, it'll be a performance—a performance meant to make those humans believe they've been saved."

"A performance... Your Highness, sparing those humans is already merciful enough."

When Joshua had first decided to imprison those humans, Zennas had assumed they were specimens for some kind of experiment.

"Mercy? I'm not sparing them out of mercy. On the contrary, I hope they'll obediently cooperate with me in doing something. Zennas, how many of them do you think could be made to submit through force?"

Joshua once again threw another question at his most loyal subordinate.

"Most of them. Humans are far too cowardly."

When Zennas said this, Joshua heard a trace of dejection in his voice.

From the perspective of the Sin Demons, humans as a race were simply too weak. So weak that Zennas could turn a human into charcoal with a single breath of fire.

Yet Zennas had to admit that there were indeed some formidable exceptions among humans. This was why, despite his intense aversion to humanity, he never dared underestimate them.

And when Zennas had restrained his flames and tried to speak with a human before, that person's reaction had been to flee in terror.

"Indeed, most people will choose compromise when their lives are threatened. But force only compels them to submit to you. What happens after you leave? They'll do everything they can to escape. And the moment you lose your strength, they may even try to kill you."

Fear was the most efficient way to control a person, and also the stupidest.

Wars were fought through invasion and plunder in precisely this manner. A nation with powerful military strength could easily seize the land of a weaker country, but its people would never truly submit. They would do everything they could to start a revolution and resist!

That was human nature. Even the most cowardly person had a mad side.

"That's why I'm using this... more tactful method."

Joshua watched the Sin Demon sink into thought. He still seemed unable to understand what Joshua meant.

"Zennas, can you imagine a day when humans no longer hate or fear you, but instead like you—perhaps even worship you? Can you imagine people traveling thousands of miles just to see you, eagerly offering you flowers, hoping for your signature and a photograph with you?"

Zennas did not understand what signatures or photographs were, but... he lowered his head and looked at his hands. His claws were sharp enough to sever anything, while Dark Green Flame spilled from his palms and danced without cease.

Those ferocious hands of his were destined to never hold something as fragile as a flower.

So...

"My apologies, Your Highness. I... simply cannot imagine it."

Zennas had tried many times before. Not just humans—even many other demons in the Demon Realm feared Sin Demons. Forget getting close to him; they would run far away the moment they saw him.

"That day will come. Believe me, Zennas. You'll become a Superstar. Human girls will scream because they touched your mane. They'll take pride in standing beside you... and everything I'm doing now is for that day to arrive."

Joshua took out a Parchment Scroll containing a map of the prison's interior.

The prison was located near the Imperial City. This was not like Earth; in the Demon Realm, the higher one's status, the stronger one generally was. Naturally, they did not fear criminals, and placing the prison there also served as a deterrent.

Joshua drew a red circle around an Interrogation Room in the prison. This was where he planned to place the Teleportation Portal. The specific details of the plan had all been delivered to Cecily in letter form.

"Zennas, go establish a Teleportation Portal here. Open it when I make this gesture."

Joshua snapped his fingers, giving no thought whatsoever to how the wardens in the prison might feel.

However, several Restriction Barriers separated the Interrogation Room from the cells holding the prisoners. Other criminals escaping was not something Joshua needed to worry about.

"As you command."

Though Zennas did not understand the meaning behind Joshua's words, he felt a strange sense of anticipation.

Since his birth, aside from Joshua, the only people who had been able to speak calmly with him were other Chaos Demons...

Who did not long for friends? There were no creatures in the world that were absolutely solitary. Even tigers needed a companion during mating season.

Thus, Zennas took the Parchment Scroll, accepted Joshua's order, and hurried away.

Next, Joshua needed to arrange the task for the female lead of "Beauty and the Demon."

Joshua turned and fixed his gaze on I Nuo, who stood in the room.

I Nuo had now changed into a proper set of men's clothes. The outfit was plain, but its quality was far superior to the shabby rags she had worn earlier.

Joshua had to marvel at how worthy I Nuo's race was of being called succubi. Even dressed as a man, every one of I Nuo's movements was still enough to stir any man's protective instincts. She looked somewhat like a rabbit curled into a ball while hugging its long ears.

"Your Highness, is there anything you need me to do? Whether it's cleaning or attending your bed, I'm capable of either."

I Nuo was not comfortable in these clothes because she had to hide her wings and tail to wear them.

Succubi possessed the ability to alter the appearance of certain parts of their bodies. Hiding their tails and wings was merely one aspect of it, though I Nuo rarely did so.

"I told you already, I didn't hire you as a servant. I Nuo, I need your acting skills. Put another way, I need your ability to deceive people. Aren't succubi the best at that?"

Joshua did not have much time to cultivate a relationship with this succubus. If he wanted to do that, he might as well do it while filming.

"Your first task is to mingle with those imprisoned humans while posing as a human. You'll play a brave, warm-hearted, and curious woman named Belle."