Chapter 238 A name echoes in a corner where no one cares

Magic City, Cabinet Building, Office of the Minister of Military Affairs.

The magic flame lamp cast shadows on the walls, and the obsidian desk stood steadily in the center of the room, exuding an unspoken majesty.

Atlan Hephis, the Balrog councillor, walked in slowly in formal attire. The ruby ​​on his collar flickered with a faint fire, and the sound of soft leather heels stepping on the floor was light and steady. His angular face was covered with flame-like lines, and his pupils flashed with the hot glow of magma. Under the dim light in the room, his figure was like a dormant volcano.

Behind the desk, Prince Caesar Colin, dressed in a black military uniform, sat quietly in a chair. He glanced at the visitor with his dignified eyes, then continued to flip through the documents in his hands.

His movements were unhurried and his expression was calm, and although he had a human face, his aura completely overshadowed the Fire Demon Councillor in front of him, like an endless mountain range.

As a demigod-level warrior, one of the agents of His Majesty Bayali's earthly power, and one of the six cabinet ministers, he stands at the pinnacle of hell in terms of strength and power.

However, when facing Senator Hephis who was weaker than him, he did not look down on him like 90% of the steel-level demons did when facing ordinary demons. Instead, he was quite approachable.

"Please take a seat, Councillor Hephis," Colin said in a steady voice, tapping his fingers on the table.

Atlan nodded slightly and sat down on the chair opposite.

He didn't exchange pleasantries, but went straight to the point: "The hearing has just ended, I came to report to you on the progress."

"Oh?" Colin put down the documents in his hand, a hint of interest flashed in his eyes, "How is the situation?"

Atlan gathered his thoughts and said in a deep voice, "The Demon King of the Thunder County Labyrinth showed a tougher attitude than expected at the hearing. Not only did he promise to solve the mobility problem of the magic crystal cannon within three months, but at the end of the hearing, he also asked the Ministry of Truth to investigate General Sebes's negligence in the Battle of Port Saldo. His reason was, uh... to seek justice for the 80,000 soldiers who died in the battle."

At the end, Atlan hesitated, because this was indeed very rare.

Colin raised his eyebrows slightly, his expression still as calm as a mountain. He raised his hand to pick up the silver pipe on the table, lit it carelessly, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled a wisp of white smoke.

"Oh? He actually dared to mention this matter..." He chuckled, with a hint of teasing in his tone, "We underestimated him."

Atlan observed Colin's expression and continued, "Indeed, he acted more decisively than I thought. He did not let the logistics officials lead him by the nose. He turned the tables on Deputy Minister Harvik who was making things difficult for him and put him in a passive position several times. Moreover, the transformation plan he proposed, 'to make the magic crystal cannon move and give it the mobility of an abyss beast', successfully attracted the attention of many military generals, including me... At least for now, the advantage is on his side."

Of course, the prerequisite is that he can fulfill the promise he made at the hearing.

If that guy was just bragging, then he undoubtedly did a stupid thing.

Colin did not respond immediately, but tapped his pipe slowly, letting the ashes fall into the silver tray.

His eyes were still fixed on the report in front of him, and he didn't seem to be fully engaged in the conversation, but Atlan knew that Colin was always like this - he didn't need to say too much, nor did he need to express his opinions directly. His silence itself was an attitude.

Atlan paused for a moment, and said with a deep look in his eyes, "However, regarding the Battle of Port Saldo... I have to say that there is indeed something strange about this defeat."

Colin finally put down his pipe, intertwined his fingers, leaned back in his chair, and said in a flat tone: "Talk."

Atlan leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice: "It was indeed windless on the battlefield. The Imperial Navy used the artillery smoke screen as a cover, which worked. But the strange thing is that if the smoke screen was really thick enough to completely block the view of the high ground, the Griffin Knights should not be able to see it either. It would be impossible to accurately raid the artillery position in the thick fog. What's even more strange is that after the battle, not a single goblin artilleryman survived... It's hard not to wonder what they might have encountered before they died."

Both of them had been to the battlefield, and this was the biggest difference between them and the bureaucrats; they could put themselves in the shoes of both the attacker and the defender and see things that were not visible in the battle reports.

Atlan's words have two meanings.

The most intuitive meaning is that the Griffin Knights' battle mages cast illusion magic on the goblin artillery and penetrated the artillery position's defensive barrier across a very long distance.

The second meaning is——

Those artillerymen might have been interfered with from the rear, and even the barrier that protected them from abnormal conditions was cancelled at the critical moment.

Colin was silent for a moment, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table, as if he was thinking, or testing the other person's patience. The air in the room seemed to become more oppressive, as if there was a sleeping beast hidden inside that could be awakened at any time.

Finally, he spoke slowly, his voice indifferent and calm.

"I know."

Atlan's pupils shrank slightly. He was not surprised that Colin already knew the inside story, but the other party's attitude was - too calm.

"So," he began tentatively, "how are you going to handle this?"

Colin thought for a moment and shook his head.

“It’s not appropriate to make a big deal out of it.”

Atlan's eyes changed slightly, and he immediately understood what Colin meant -

He doesn't want to get involved in this matter!

The reason is not hard to guess.

The eighty thousand lives themselves were the result of a series of added costs. In order to draw the attention of the rear, there were countless goblins and imps mixed in the battle report. Even the undead cannon fodder with incomplete souls might have been counted in.

As the Minister of Military Affairs, Colin certainly couldn't say that these 80,000 soldiers were not important, but for the demons who truly understood the front lines, they were indeed just a fraction of the larger battle report and were not worth writing about at all.

As for the deployment of the magic crystal cannon that Colin personally promoted, nothing will change because of this hearing. Even the route dispute between the Logistics Department and the War Department is just the tip of the iceberg. The real players from the very beginning have been the Demon King of Thunder County and his political enemies in the Magic City.

No matter which side of the wrestling finally wins, it will only affect the distribution of the cake, not the overall situation.

Atlan slowly leaned back in his chair and sighed inwardly.

Of course he understood Colin's position. After all, Colin was promoting the popularization of magic crystal cannon technology rather than focusing on the outcome of a specific battle.

For the Cabinet Military Minister, this matter is only part of the interest, not the core.

He nodded gently, and did not continue to ask questions, but changed to a more relaxed topic: "By the way, Mr. Colin, what do you think of this kid Luo Yan?"

The corners of Colin's mouth slightly raised, and his tone was calm but with a hint of amusement: "An interesting young man."

He stood up and walked to the window of his office, overlooking the gloomy sky in the distance of the Magic City. After thinking for a moment, he slowly said, "He is more decisive than I thought, and is better at seizing opportunities. I am not surprised at all that the Padrich family chose him. As for his strength, he may be a little weak, but that is the least important thing."

Ordinary people in hell often attach too much importance to the strength of supernatural powers, but the real ruling class knows very well that although that thing is important, it is not important in an absolute sense.

That thing is like the test scores at Demon King Academy.

To put it bluntly, they are "supernormals" themselves, so how can their fate be determined by supernormal power? When he said this, Colin paused for a moment and said in a half-joking tone.

"To be honest, I even think that the young lady from the Padrich family is not worthy of him. Vivian is a better match. If he is willing to marry into the Colin family, their advantages can complement each other. Especially since this guy grew up in a temple. Haha... I was just joking. Don't tell anyone. Mr. Padrich and I have a very good relationship."

Atlan was sweating profusely after hearing this and hurriedly spoke.

"I will definitely not tell anyone..."

Colin smiled and continued.

"I believe it. Anyway, I am still very optimistic about him."

The surface of the highly maneuverable magic crystal cannon was drawn for the hearing, but it might also be drawn for myself who is standing behind the hearing.

And to be honest, Colin was really interested in this, even to the point where he couldn't help but want to get involved.

You bunch of traitors, why don't you stop fighting and at least get someone to make this thing first? A magic crystal cannon that can maneuver on the battlefield and has a defense that is not inferior to that of the abyss war beast... He could even imagine the look of astonishment on the faces of the empire's soldiers after seeing it.

Atlan frowned slightly and became serious again.

"Do you think he can make it? On his own?"

"I don't know." Colin shook his head slightly, his eyes revealing an unfathomable smile. "No one can predict the future, and I am no exception. I'm just curious...how he plans to deal with the conspiracy against him."

Outside the window, the night of the Magic City quietly falls, and the quiet atmosphere spreads silently in the room.

Tonight is particularly eerie.

A storm is brewing silently...

…

A tavern in the slums of Magic City.

The dim lights flickered on the ceiling, and the Black Scale Tavern was filled with a mixed smell - the pungent smell of strong liquor, the lingering smell of sulfur, and the dull smell of blood, flesh and tobacco.

This is the favorite gathering place for veterans in Shanghai.

Like the high-level demons in the Magic City, the demons living at the bottom of society also have their own ways to relieve loneliness, but their banquets are not as luxurious and elegant as the former's.

Faded battle flags and torn armor hung on the dirty walls, as if telling the aftermath of countless fierce battles, and the sounds of clinking glasses and laughing and cursing seemed to echo the shouts of killing on the battlefield.

At this moment, the tavern was filled with demons or hellish creatures from all directions.

Among them are hell dwarves with old scars still on their shoulders, demons wearing tattered armor and whose eyes have long been dimmed by the smoke of war, and taciturn undead officers with bandages wrapped around their fingers.

They are either veterans who survived the battlefield, or wounded soldiers abandoned by the war, or simply mercenaries who can't find work.

But there is one thing in common.

They had all contributed their flesh and blood to Hell's fighting machine, and had their futures devoured by it.

As night had just fallen and it was far from the busiest time for the tavern, the atmosphere in the hall was still a little stiff.

At this moment, in a corner of the tavern, a goblin waiter was wiping the wine glasses skillfully, while the demon bartender next to him was wiping the table while looking up at the newspaper nailed to the wall.

——Those are the "Magic City Daily" and "Abyss Times" that were just delivered today.

He glanced at the headline of the Magic City Daily:

[Battle Report of Port Saldo—Logistics Department and War Department hold hearings on the mobility of magic crystal cannons]

He curled his lips.

The same bureaucratic tone as usual, a lot of arguments and shirking of responsibility, but not a single word that could make people's blood boil, as if the wrangling among those bureaucrats in the parliament hall could make the boots of the soldiers of hell set foot on the Old Continent.

"It's really hopeless."

He shook his head and looked away, preparing to concentrate on his work, but soon his eyes were attracted by the headline of the Abyss Times next to him.

[The Demon King angrily denounced the bureaucrats for their cowardice and incompetence at the hearing, and claimed that he wanted justice for the 80,000 soldiers who died on the front line! ]

These words were like a burning flame that exploded in the cold tavern, bringing a touch of warmth to this little nest in the darkness that didn't belong to hell.

"justice?"

The bartender couldn't help but mutter.

This word is so rare in hell that his brain froze for a moment when he saw it.

Here, there is only the will of the strong and the power of the winner. No one will discuss what is right or wrong.

You don't need to be a veteran of the front line. Any living or dead thing that grew up in hell knows that disappearing on the battlefield is just a matter of course. No one will argue for you, and no one will investigate the reasons behind it.

They will soon be forgotten anyway.

At this moment, a voice from behind woke him up from his daze.

The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!

"Is this true?"

The speaker was a hell dwarf named Bulger, whose red rosacea looked like an overload of fire crystal.

This guy is a well-known drunkard in the neighborhood. He shows up in this pub every day, regardless of whether he has money or not.

The demon bartender came to his senses and continued to wipe the table, hiding the fleeting gaffe on his face, and answered mumblingly without raising his head.

"…It is said that it was a Succubus staff member who wished to remain anonymous. He probably heard some inside information from the hearing. Whether it is true or not, you can judge for yourself."

Bulger didn't say anything, just stood there in silence, reading the headlines nailed to the wall, then looked at the demon bartender and said.

"Give me a copy of... that Abyssal Times."

The demon bartender looked up at him in surprise, but soon came to his senses and hurriedly took out a newly delivered newspaper and handed it to Bulger.

These guys rarely pay for anything other than drinks, but today they actually bought a newspaper? The crystal dome is really lit up at night! Bulger returned to the wooden table in silence with the snacks he bought with 5 kelas.

He poured cheap beer into his mouth while reading the contents of the newspaper. The tip of his nose buried in his beard twitched from time to time, as if he was driving away flies from the edge of his beard.

The drinkers sitting nearby looked at each other, with expressions of surprise on their faces.

An old goblin soldier said jokingly.

"It's strange, Bulger, when did you start to like reading newspapers?"

Bulger looked at the goblin with disdain and sneered.

"I've been watching it all the time."

The one-eyed demon burped and said with a sneer.

"Why read the nonsense that politicians say? I can tell with a bottle that it's going to be bullshit again."

Bulger suddenly laughed out loud.

"Haha! Then I'm sure you guessed wrong this time!"

His weather-beaten face was flushed with two spots of red. He spoke loudly as if he was drunk, even though he had just started drinking.

Hearing Bulger's voice, the surrounding goblin veterans looked at each other, jumped down from the wine table, and came to the side of this stinky hell dwarf.

Not all of them were literate, but by putting their contributions together, they were able to piece together the content of the headlines.

And when they read that key title, a goblin couldn't help but sneered.

"'Fair'? Is this Demon Lord drunk?"

"Seeking justice for the 80,000 soldiers who died in Port Saldo? Ha, don't be ridiculous. I've lived for more than 30 years, and this is the first time I've heard such nonsense... 80,000 brothers are nothing."

“That’s right!”

Bulger shook his head and grunted.

"A bunch of guys without dreams."

The goblins didn't listen to what he said, but just talked among themselves.

But as they talked and talked...the wind direction gradually turned 180 degrees.

"But it was a parliamentary hearing after all... no newspaper would make up rumors there."

"So what? No matter how much they argue, in the end, aren't the decisions made by those big shots? Do you believe that?"

"I don't know, but no one has ever mentioned the word 'fairness' before. Maybe this time... is different?"

Someone muttered something in a low voice, and there was a brief silence in the tavern for a few seconds.

Several veterans looked at each other, and their originally playful expressions gradually became somewhat subtle.

They were not naive young goblins and knew that many of the words were just political performances, but this time...it seemed not to be the same as before.

They had met countless lords, generals, and parliamentarians. Every time a war failed, they would either remain silent, or be busy modifying data in the battle reports, or fight over who should be held responsible. But no one had ever stood up in parliament to seek justice for them.

This is ridiculous, so ridiculous that it makes people want to laugh, but for some reason they can't laugh.

In the tavern, a goblin with a bandage on his head and a missing ear licked his lips and said with a complicated look: "...If it is true, then this demon king is quite unusual."

"It might be true." A demon whispered, recalling the rumors he had heard recently, "The goblins in Black Wind Castle seem to trust him. Before he came, the entire goblin community was soaked in water, and he was the only one who could really solve their problems."

Regardless of why the Goblin community was submerged in water, it was the Demon King who solved the problem.

He had also heard more distant legends.

It is said that in the distant Thunder County Labyrinth, there lived a group of extremely powerful idiots. They did butterfly strokes in the barn and took baths in beer... Even if this was a rumor, it must be half true, right? The hell dwarf Bulger slowly put down the newspaper, raised his head, looked at the half-finished bottle of liquor, was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly picked up the cup and drank it all up.

Then, he slammed the empty cup on the table and said in a deep voice:

"...A toast to the Demon King!"

In an instant, the entire tavern fell silent, and everyone looked at this strange guy with strange eyes.

About half a minute passed.

A certain undead who had been sitting silently in the corner suddenly spoke.

"This cup is mine... Let me toast to the Demon King! Bulger drank it for me!"

There was a commotion in the tavern, and everyone, including Bulger, looked at the undead in surprise.

He didn't know the guy's name. He only remembered that the undead was sitting in the corner of the tavern on the first day he came to the tavern. No one had ever seen the undead speak, so he even suspected that the undead had forgotten his name and the way home...but he didn't expect that it even remembered his own name.

The demon bartender came over to Bulger with a bottle of beer and placed it steadily on the latter's table.

About half a minute later, a goblin veteran stood up and raised the cup in his hand.

"Damn it, I also... toast to the Demon King of Thunder County! Not for anything else, just because he is a man, and dares to bully those high-handed old men!"

He seemed to have forgotten that the Demon Lord was also one of the Masters, but it was clear that they were different.

They had a quarrel in the newspaper!

The shrill voice was like a match thrown into a coffin, igniting the fire with a bang.

The air in the pub suddenly became hot.

There was a first, then a second, and finally all the cups were raised.

"To the Demon King!"

"Respect the damn 'fairness'!"

"I did it!"

The glass cup collided with the metal cup, and the beer foam spilled onto the table, looking like pus from a rotting scar under the dim candlelight.

In the tavern, those weathered veterans grinned, and tears came out of their eyes as they laughed.

What they drank was not just wine, but more like the souls of the dead who were drowned by the passionate voices.

Those high and mighty guys are finally not just singing about their own deaths.

Rather, we ask whether their deaths were worth it.

The goblin waiter standing behind the bar looked at the people in the tavern in surprise, and couldn't help but be infected by the emotions overflowing from the beer foam.

That night, a story began to spread among the lowest level communities in Magic City.

The protagonist of the story is not the chosen one of the Demon God, nor is he a great commander...

But it was a demon king whom he had never met before.

(End of this chapter)