Before the Negotiations

Nogs stood outside The Demonic Realm Royal City. This place had once been fertile farmland, but now the earth had ashed into dust, and the demons who once lived here were nowhere to be seen.

"After Father passed away, did Cecily become the Ruler of the Royal City?"

Nogs knelt on one knee, picked up a handful of gray soil, and gazed at the Demon Realm Royal City in the distance.

Although the land outside was desolate, the Royal City itself seemed to have grown far more prosperous. Human-made creations streamed endlessly through its gates.

"No. Your Highness Cecily is managing the city, but she has not announced to anyone that she has inherited the position of Ruler."

An Overseer standing behind Nogs spoke.

Nogs had guarded The Demonic Realm Border for years, but he had planted plenty of informants in the Royal City. When he learned that his father had died, his first thought was that his younger sister had used some despicable method.

But the intelligence brought back by his spies was extremely unfavorable to Nogs.

Two of the Four Dukes appeared to have sided with Cecily. On top of that, the blizzards on the Frost Plains had stopped, leaving Nogs with no time to extricate himself and deal with the conflict in the Royal City.

"Still not? What exactly is she waiting for?"

Nogs released the soil in his hand, which had already crumbled into ash. A month was more than enough time for Cecily to turn the Royal City, even the entire Demon Realm, into her possession.

At present, both Cecily's and Joshua's actions were impossible for Nogs to read. He could not even be certain whether Joshua's invitation this time was genuine.

But... Frost Country showed no signs of mobilizing troops. Nogs intended to use