Lord: Starting from a Goblin Nest

”How could you—”

Ron’s reaction was already incredibly fast. Even in the face of such a sudden ambush, he still managed to cast Shield Magic, raising a barrier in front of himself.

But the power of this Pollution Worm Demon was far beyond what he could handle alone. With a sound like shattering glass, the tongue—a weapon used for attacking, laying eggs, and controlling others—shot past Ron’s ear. Had it been off by a mere two or three centimeters, it would have bored a hole straight through his skull.

No one had expected the Pollution Worm Demon to suddenly lash out with its tongue. It had just relaxed its defenses, clearly signaling its intent for a peaceful exchange!

Constance was probably the first to react, but she was nowhere near strong enough to inflict any effective damage on the Pollution Worm Demon. By the time the others reacted, the deadly tongue had been pulled taut. The Pollution Worm Demon, unable to maintain its previous seated posture, lunged forward and collapsed on the ground.

A slender hand appeared out of thin air at Ron’s side. With its index finger and thumb pressed together, it pinched the Pollution Worm Demon’s spear-like tongue between its fingertips. With a simple tug, the owner of the hand effortlessly robbed the Pollution Worm Demon of any ability to resist.

”Datina, one of the five demons with a true name that the ugly monster Glazter left behind in the Delusional Land,” a sweet, feminine voice that could haunt Ron’s nightmares rang out from behind him. ”I’m quite curious what a priceless look he’ll have on his face when he learns of your betrayal.”

”Hiss... I’m afraid you will be disappointed,” the Pollution Worm Demon said, seemingly not needing its captive tongue to speak. ”To him, the successive queens of the Farama Empire are likely just an insignificant fraction of his countless playthings. As for me, I am but a humble ant struggling to survive—utterly insignificant.”

”Is that so?” Though Ron hadn’t turned around, he had no trouble recognizing the speaker’s voice. ”A common ant wouldn’t be qualified to even sense my presence, let alone attack me.”

The scent of red wine and perfume mingled with the sulfurous air as a tall, devilish figure strolled out from behind Ron. She released the Pollution Worm Demon’s tongue, letting it get to its feet, while unfurling her translucent, shadowy cloak. The famous Duke’s attire was slightly different this time; most notably, she had forgone the pair of leathery wings on her back, replacing them with a pair of soft, feathered ones.

But in essence, she was still, without a doubt, Gracia.

”So that’s your Sect Leader?” Sera nudged Yelena with her shoulder. ”Doesn’t look that tough.”

”I thought all devils were supposed to be three-meter-tall, half-ton heavy-hitters.”

”Don’t lump me in with those inferior things, barbarian.” Pink eyes glanced casually at Sera, and a thick, purple-black chain immediately burst from the ground at the barbarian’s feet, binding her tightly. No matter how much she struggled, there was no chance of breaking free.

”Consider this a lesson. Remember to show some respect to your betters,” Gracia sneered, raising a hand and lifting the Pollution Worm Demon into the air from a distance. ”As for you, I’m still thinking about what to do with you.”

”I beg for your mercy, don’t send me back...” Facing a great devil—even if it was just an avatar—the Pollution Worm Demon had lost all will to resist. ”Just kill me. Erase me forever. I know you can do it!”

”No one is more familiar with Glazter’s madness and cruelty than you. I don’t want to—”

”Alright, alright, quiet down. You’re giving me a headache,” the Desire Demon Queen tossed the Pollution Worm Demon back onto the ground. A red light glowed on its body, and the sound of a key turning in a lock seemed to echo through the room. ”I don’t intend to send you back, but it would be a bit of a waste to just kill you.”

”A demon that forsakes its own faction is a rare species. It would be a real shame to just kill it—you said before that no one was willing to take you in?”

”Could it be... you?” The Pollution Worm Demon looked up in shock, its moth-like eyes filled with disbelief. ”You’re willing to take me in?! A demon?!”

”Do I look like I care what you are?” Gracia gave a wicked smile. ”Ah, that’s right. I just had a great idea—come, sign a contract with me. I’ll guarantee that Glazter will never be able to restrain you again.”

”In my Gold Coin Legion on other planes, I have a place that needs someone with your talents for infiltration. If you’re willing, you can work for me, primarily on the Material Plane. No demon or devil will be able to cause you trouble.”

As she spoke, she threw out a long scroll of a contract, which landed in front of the Pollution Worm Demon. ”I can give you ample time to think. Don’t worry about me deliberately setting a trap for you. I am very ’respectful of the law,’ after all.”

”That sounds about as convincing as Zarell claiming to be a pacifist...” Polly muttered under her breath, and was immediately tossed into the stream by Gracia. It took her a great deal of effort to crawl back onto the bank.

The Pollution Worm Demon picked up the contract and read it, line by line. ”I thought you would delight in drafting clauses with vague wording. This looks... very fair.”

”Only amateurs enjoy fiddling with loopholes in the wording. Unfortunately, there are far too many such devils, even a great number of such blockheads under my command,” Gracia said, not minding the Pollution Worm Demon’s wariness. ”Feel free to look it over. If you refuse because you believe the deal is unfair or has a loophole, I’m willing to pay the price to directly transform you into a high-ranking devil and give you one hundred Soul Coins as compensation.”

”No, that won’t be necessary. I am willing to be your servant, join your legion, and act in your interests. I have only one request: could you wait a few more decades for me? I wish to personally bury the last of the Farama Kingdom’s bloodline, as a way to wrap up my work.”

”That’s simple,” Gracia approved its request. ”Your loyalty to that queen is worthy of praise. I hope you can maintain that same loyalty while working for me.”

”I will.” After carefully weighing the pros and cons, a demon signed its true name on the contract, selling itself to a devil.

”An unexpected gain,” Gracia put away the contract with satisfaction and turned to Ron and the others. ”As for you all, what are you still waiting for? Those demons went to great lengths to prevent that queen’s resurrection. Just standing around waiting won’t free her.”