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.

high enough to attract the

for her to beat. Her goal was to recruit as many talented people to her side

other demons would see

though there is a spy within

as she peered at her servant through the corners of

his body for a split second before finding it disappear into thin

"Disappear from my sight."

"Understood."

fade of his words, his figure quietly melted into the background of the room,

Tak. Tak.

room as she walked toward the chair of her desk and donned a fur-trimmed black

open with a light swing of her arm, the cape followed her as she walked toward the

to make do with

***

you sure that

while carefully examining our surrounding environment, his eyes darting toward his

holding his hands at the edges of his hood, trying to pull it down as far as

energy has also started to affect

"Haa..."

sighed to myself, placing my hand over

Look, we're not the only group wearing hoods. If you look carefully, apart from a

people 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 demons, but a closer inspection revealed that there were also orcs and members of

referring to the people I could

the same plan as us and were concealing their identities by donning hoods that

out even less as we perfectly blended with the

"You're right..."

the other hooded figures that were surrounding

"Has everyone gathered?"

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

it effortlessly made its way into the heads of everyone present, and there was a slight alteration in the expression

control

on the level of

Tak.

balcony of a white building that stood adjacent to the plaza, and

instant she appeared, the faces of many people present changed,

'This is dangerous.'

to that of Suriol, an individual who had been close to achieving the rank of prince and was the

be able to

that she wasn't even one of the strongest demons in this

notch as I took a small

"Hm..."

same time, I became aware of a second figure that was erecting itself behind her. He was also a demon, and he was dressed

while maintaining a calm and