The Author's POV

The room was beautifully illuminated by a glittering chandelier placed in the middle of the ceiling.

Click―!

The handle on the door to the room clicked as it was opened, and a moment later, a tall, graceful figure dressed in black clothing that were rather revealing entered the room, casting about.

Priscilla Pertinol didn't look around as she quietly walked toward the far end of the room, where a large window stood.

Arriving at the window, by her side, was a massive, 10-foot-tall glass pane that was gently tilted toward the side of the wall.

Reflected in the mirror was a graceful figure with long pink hair that reached the ends of her back, stopping right above her waistline. Two thin horns protruded from the top of her forehead, separating her hair and leaving her unable to hide her pristine looks that seemed to make any man drool.

Her face was carefully composed in an almost-statuesque placidity, absent even of the slightest emotion as her red eyes gazed past through the window.

"How many people have decided to sign up for the task?"

In the moment that she opened her mouth, the area behind her warped, and a black figure appeared out of thin air, with one knee to the ground and a respectful expression.

"We've received several applicants so far."

"A rough estimate."

"About a hundred or so."

Priscilla's delicate brows furrowed ever so slightly, unable to disguise her annoyance.

"This little?"

"Yes...it appears as though the other houses have put up similar quests."

"I see."

Priscilla gave a curt nod, the hint of a frown on her lips indicating that she did not appreciate having her hand forced in this manner.

"Looks like they caught on to my intentions."

"It appears so..."

The servant answered, his head lowering and his voice becoming quieter.

"What do you plan on doing? Will you still proceed?"

"..."

Silence filled the room as Priscilla contemplated. Originally, she had anticipated having more than a thousand different participants join her on this quest.

It wasn't just about her fame and good looks that attracted people to join her mission; it was also the fact that the monetary reward was high.

definitely high enough to attract

was to recruit as many talented people to her side in order to aid her with the incoming fruit harvesting event―World Decree―that would soon

demons would see through her intentions and perform similar mass

as though there is a spy within my

she peered at her servant through the

quietly kneeling on one knee, suddenly felt a powerful pressure bear down on his body for a split second before finding it disappear into thin air, and what followed was Priscilla's

"Disappear from my sight."

"Understood."

his words, his figure quietly melted into the background of

Tak. Tak.

walked toward the chair of her desk and donned

her arm, the cape followed her as she walked toward the far end of the room,

with what I have for

***

you sure that they won't

our surrounding environment, his

at the edges of his hood, trying to pull it down as far as he could, he didn't look much different from someone who

like the demonic energy has also started to affect

"Haa..."

placing my hand over his shoulder, and

only group wearing hoods. If you look carefully, apart from a few, most people here are also wearing

surrounding us as we stood in the middle of a large plaza. One look was enough to tell that the vast majority of them were

course, I was only referring

a few other people who had the same plan as us and were concealing their identities by donning hoods that were very

less

"You're right..."

became calmer after becoming aware of the other hooded figures

"Has everyone gathered?"

reverberated through the room, reaching the minds of each and every

of everyone present, and there was a slight alteration in

fine control of

the level

Tak.

plaza, and with the tap of

of many people present changed,

'This is dangerous.'

the demon was comparable to that of Suriol, an individual who had been close to achieving

able to win...but the price will definitely

one of the strongest demons in this city made me aware of just how dangerous the place I

a notch as I took a small

"Hm..."

of a second figure that was erecting itself behind her. He was also a demon, and he was dressed in what appeared to be

behind her while maintaining a calm and emotionless