Chapter 186: I Wish to Challenge You to a Duel
“Your Majesty Liliana, I have come here for one purpose—to lodge a complaint!”
Listening to this, Liliana narrowed her eyes slightly, fixing him with an interrogating gaze.
“A complaint? What complaint do you bring before me?” Liliana asked coldly, her aura slowly growing more intense.
As the Demon Emperor, she wielded control over the entire Demon race, and no one had ever dared to voice their grievances to her, despite potential discontent with her decisions.
However, does this guy, Merlin, have the audacity to voice a complaint to her?
Under Liliana’s sharp gaze, Merlin’s handsome face paled slightly, yet he displayed no sign of backing down.
“Your Majesty Liliana, the complaint I bring concerns your decision not to appoint me as one of the Demon generals participating in the impending war against mankind,” Merlin stated firmly, without a hint of fear.
In the impending war against mankind, he hadn’t been appointed as one of the participating demon generals by Her Majesty. Instead, she had chosen Lilith, Garan, and Teran, all of whom he considered weaker than himself.
As the foremost and most formidable demon general, how could he possibly endure such neglect?
Moreover, he had meticulously devised grand schemes for this war, intending to bolster his reputation among the Demon race and enhance his prospects of pursuing Her Majesty Liliana in the future.
Unfortunately, his non-participation in the war completely derailed his entire plan.
Nevertheless, he harbored no resentment towards Her Majesty’s decision. In his eyes, she was infallible in her judgment, and his complaints were merely aimed at prompting her to reconsider his involvement in the war.
Liliana raised one eyebrow upon hearing Merlin’s complaint, prompting her to fall into deep contemplation.
Her decision not to involve Merlin in the battlefield wasn’t driven by animosity towards him, but rather by pre-discussed planning regarding which Demon Generals would participate in the war—a discussion she had with Leon beforehand in her workspace.
Leon, a sword hero who had frequently engaged in battles against her eight Demon generals, possessed intimate knowledge of their strengths and abilities.
Moreover, he was well-informed about the capabilities of the human forces, which comprised two human heroes, a Great Mage, and the renowned female war general of the Holy Empire of Elysium.
Given Leon’s extensive understanding, she naturally supported his strategic planning for the war against humanity.
Emerging from her reverie, Liliana fixed Merlin with her usual indifferent gaze.
“The reason I didn’t appoint you to participate in this war is simply because it’s part of my plan. So, save your complaints,” Liliana stated in an indifferent tone.
Upon hearing this, Merlin’s hopeful expression froze, his eyes widening in disbelief.
“Your Majesty Liliana, I—” Merlin began, but Liliana’s cold voice cut him off.
“Enough, Merlin! This is my decision, and you have no right to question it!” she said, giving him a cold stare. “If you continue to challenge my decision, I will throw you into the outer palace underground prison and revoke your position as Demon General.”
Liliana felt she had tolerated this man for too long. Despite always treating him well, Merlin constantly made her upset.
If not for his talents and abilities, which were still of value, Merlin would have faced death a thousand times over.
Merlin’s expression turned pale at the mention of the ‘underground prison.’
In the outer palace, there were two places all demons feared—the purgatory room and the underground prison.
The purgatory room, as its name suggests, was a place where prisoners or criminals were subjected to severe and endless torture by eternal flames of black fire.
This room was reserved for those who had committed particularly grave and unforgivable crimes, such as instigating rebellion or betraying the Demon Race.
The underground prison, while not as terrifying as the purgatory room, was still greatly feared. Any demon sent to this place would never see the light of day again.
If he were to be thrown into the underground prison, his entire future would be ruined, and his dreams of pursuing Her Majesty Liliana would be dashed!
With fear etched on his handsome face, Merlin immediately bowed his head towards Liliana and spoke in a trembling tone, “Your Majesty Liliana, forgive me for my impudence. I hope you won’t condemn me to the underground prison, and I promise not to question your decision again!”
Liliana remained silent, her indifferent gaze fixed on him, intensifying Merlin’s fear and panic.
Meanwhile, Leon, who had been silently observing, couldn’t help but chuckle as he sipped his tea.
The reason he advised Liliana against appointing Merlin as one of the three Demon generals participating in this war was because Merlin was unsuited for a large-scale war like this.
Merlin was exceedingly arrogant, pretentious, and proud. Though outwardly indifferent and cold, he harbored a deep disdain for those he deemed weaker than himself.
With such arrogance, his participation would undoubtedly lead the Demon Race to defeat in this war.
Furthermore, the three Demon generals who participated were not the main leaders but merely aides to the main general, the Arch Demon, directly appointed by Liliana.
Thus, excluding Merlin was a decision Leon deemed highly appropriate.
‘Tsk! This guy is really quite desperate…’ Leon whispered as he shook his head and popped a grape into his mouth.
Although annoyed with Merlin, he had no intention of intervening, as this was Liliana’s issue with her subordinates.
“This is the last warning, Merlin. I won’t tolerate this behavior again,” Liliana stated firmly, deciding to end the matter there.
Apart from feeling lazy, she also desired Merlin to leave her sight, especially since he was interrupting her time with Leon.
Merlin breathed a sigh of relief and cast a fleeting, affectionate glance at Liliana, carefully concealing his emotions.
‘Her Majesty is still very kind to me.’ Merlin thought to himself, and his grievances instantly dissolved.
However, just as he began to feel a little better, his gaze inadvertently met Leon’s mocking stare, reigniting his anger instantly.
“What are you laughing at?” Merlin demanded in a tone filled with anger, causing Liliana to widen her eyes in disbelief.
She had already forgiven him, yet he dared to scold Leon in her presence?
As Liliana was about to administer severe punishment to Merlin, Leon unexpectedly extended his hand, signaling her to refrain from intervening.
Observing this, Liliana was taken aback and exchanged a glance with Leon, who returned her gaze with a gentle one.
“Leave it to me,” Leon stated calmly, prompting Liliana to blink in surprise before giving a slight nod.
Setting down his teacup with deliberate care, Leon rose from his seat, a faint smile playing on his lips as he made his way toward Merlin.
Halting in front of him, he lowered his head slightly and spoke in a casual tone, “Your name is Merlin, the first Demon general, known as the strongest among the eight Demon generals, correct?
With his towering height of 1.92 meters, Leon naturally suppressed Merlin, who was only 1.8 meters tall.
As Leon appeared before him, Merlin was engulfed by an overpowering sense of suffocation and imminent threat, prompting him to instinctively retreat a step.
“What do you want?” Merlin inquired, his tone cold and wary.
He hadn’t anticipated the formidable aura emanating from this man, instilling in him a palpable sense of impending danger.
Leon smiled slightly as he focused his gaze on Merlin, his golden eyes emitting a faint white light that Merlin failed to notice.
“I wish to challenge you to a duel, Merlin.”
———-
A/N: Thank you and stay tuned!
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