Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

Chapter 970- Acquiring Few Henchmen (4)

Believing as if he had sealed the deal, the smile on the Demon Duke widened "Since you have made your decision by coming to me, tell me what is it that you want? As long as it's nothing too ridiculous, I'm willing to grant your wish. Now swear loyalty to…"

Before the duke could continue, Simon held up a hand stopping him from continuing any further.

The sudden gesture made the room fall into a deathly silence. All eyes turned towards Simon who stood there calm and collected even when subjected to so many cold and unfriendly stares.

"Duke Vordanaz" he sighed "You seem to be misunderstanding something. It is correct that I have made my decision but I'm not here to become your subordinate, nor am I interested in the power, immortality, or status you promise"...

"It's as you said earlier, the strong choose their own path. And I've chosen mine." n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

A bold statement, a daring declaration. Simon's words dropped like a bomb on everyone listening. For a moment, it felt as if all the air was sucked out of the room making it difficult to even breathe.

In the back, Melkan and his entourage stood frozen, their faces pale, bodies trembling visibly and beads of sweat forming on their foreheads. It felt as if though the temperature had plummeted, but there was no cold here—just the icy grip of fear seizing their hearts.

The implications of Simon's words were crystal clear. He had rejected the Duke's offer outright.

Melkan wanted to grab the human by his collar and ask him if he even knew what he was saying. To reject a high-ranking Demon Duke, a being of immense power and influence, was madness.

It was more than just a refusal; it was a blatant act of disrespect. It was the kind of insult that could provoke a wrath so terrifying that even imagining it was enough to send chills down his spine.

"What is this human thinking?!" He had fought quite a few battles before but for the first time in his long life did Melkan feel the shadow of death so close to him.

If he was like this, one could imagine what state his subordinates were in. All of them were drained of their colours and trembling in their boots.

When they arrived here, they entered with the human who had just spat in the face of one of the Demon Lord's most powerful nobles. To the others in the room, it was a small step to mistake them as accomplices of this insolent outsider.

And just as Melkan feared, after the shock of Simon's words settled in, it was as if a dam had burst. A wave of hostility surged through the room, all the hatred and resentment directed squarely at them.

The powerful subordinates of Duke Vordanaz drew their weapons in a flash, mana crackling in the air like a storm about to break. They were all enraged and murderous at the remark that belittled their lord.

"You dare reject the grace that Lord Vordanaz bestowed upon you?!" one of the subordinates of the Demon Duke snarled, "Looks like you've forgotten your place, human! You need to be reminded of it!"…

"You dare reject the grace the Duke himself bestowed on you? You will pay for this insolence with your life, and so will anyone who sides with you!"

Others added, their eyes gleaming in fury. The air crackled with murderous intent, and the room seemed on the brink of erupting into violence.

Melkan could feel his heart hammering against his ribs, his breath came in ragged gasps as the full weight of the situation settled on him. They were moments away from being slaughtered.

Who knew that following this human would cause them to seek their own death? With everything said and done, it looked like they would be sacrificed as a collateral damage in the fallout of this confrontation.

If he was given another chance, he would never choose to follow the human. Heck, he might not even bother with him. That said, regret as he much, there was no medicine for it.

Attacks materialised, but just as the subordinates were about to strike, the room was suddenly filled with an overwhelming pressure. Vordanaz released his aura, a dark, suffocating wave of energy that silenced the room instantly.

The crackling mana dissipated, and the demons took an involuntary step back, their expressions shifting from rage to caution. The murderous intent vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a fearful silence.

Vordanaz, who had been seated on his throne with a faltering smile, now leaned forward, his eyes locked onto Simon with a mix of confusion and curiosity. He stared at the human for a long moment, as if searching his face for something hidden beneath that calm exterior.

It made no sense. No human would dare come here, into the heart of the demon horde's camp, just to refuse an offer from a Demon Duke. It was suicidal, and yet Simon had done exactly that.

 "I don't understand," Vordanaz finally said, his voice a low rumble of genuine confusion.

"My offer should be incredibly alluring, not to mention unreachable for most humans. Power, immortality, status—these are things that people like you could only dream of. No matter how I look at it, you gain nothing by rejecting me"...

"What's more, you walked into my stronghold with your own two feet just to say no. That makes even less sense. If you weren't enticed by my offer, you wouldn't have come here at all."

His eyes narrowed, his suspicion growing.

"So tell me, Simon—why did you come here? Unless I was mistaken about you and you are a madman, you must have some reason".

He was not a fool, he could easily see that the human had a reason for declining his offer. What's more, that confidence when he came in here and even now when all hostility was directed at him, Simon did not even flinch the slightest.

Unless one had some impressive backing or assurance, they wouldn't be this calm.