Balzefen's hoarse, desperate shout immediately silenced the Bronze Hall, which had erupted into an uproar. Everyone turned to look at the foremost of the infernal generals, their expressions varied.
Clang!
The devil guards in the hall drew their weapons as one and leveled them at Balzefen. Bael, the guard captain before the throne, barked, "Mind your station, Balzefen!"
The implication was clear: this was Avernus's internal meeting. Letting him sit in was already a courtesy. What right did a mere infernal general have to object?
Li Wei, seated upon the throne, raised a claw, and Bael and the devil guards all sheathed their weapons.
"Go on, Lord Balzefen." Li Wei propped himself up on one claw, studying the infernal general with keen interest.
Balzefen drew a deep breath. Knowing that the Silver Dragon Grand Duke before him was no weakling to be kneaded at will like Bael, he bent his once-straight back and bowed in respect. "Please forgive my earlier discourtesy, Your Majesty. But since the Primeval Pact, Barto Hell and the Seven Heavens of Mount Celestia have never once joined forces. And we devils have never deigned to keep company with those hypocrites!"
Seeing this hard case finally put away his lofty, untouchable air, Bael, standing at the dragon's side, felt a strange surge of satisfaction—along with a faint, lurking anxiety.
If it had been in the past, when he himself sat upon that Bronze Throne and ruled, he would never have dared speak to these eight brutes like that. He would have been groveling to curry favor with them if anything.
More importantly, Bael had already wasted centuries over this! More than anyone present, he wanted to push the front line into the Abyss, all the way to Severed Domain Town, and wrest his wife, Red Shroud, back