The prison guards changed shifts, and the newly assigned guards made their way toward the cell where Metatron had been confined while Siegfried and his party were making their way out of the sewers after rescuing Metatron. “By the way, how’s your promotion coming along?” “Who knows? I’ve tried greasing some of the higher-ups but...” One of the guards glanced toward a cell and tilted his head in confusion after noticing that the cell that was supposed to be holding Metatron was completely empty. “M-Metatron is gone!” The guards were shocked after seeing Metatron, who was supposed to be restrained, had vanished without a trace. “W-What the hell is going on...?!” “It hasn’t even been five minutes...” Metatron’s sudden disappearance while they were changing shifts left the guards in complete panic. Their reaction seemed exaggerated, as they could simply report it to their superiors and have soldiers track them down. They would get reprimanded, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. However, Metatron was no ordinary prisoner. Among all of the prisoners, he was the most important one. In fact, his importance far outweighed the importance of all other prisoners combined. In other words, his disappearance was nothing short of a catastrophic disaster. For the guards responsible for watching over him, this was not just a matter of being reprimanded or demoted. They could very well be executed for this. “W-What do we do?! If we report this, then...” “Report?! Are you out of your mind?!” “Do you have any idea what will happen to us if we report this?!” “Do you want to get executed?!” “Hurry! They will come after us too if the other guards see this!” Thus, the guards in charge of watching over Metatron’s cell chose to flee rather than report what happened for fear of getting executed. Thanks to the cowardice of the guards, Siegfried and his party successfully made it out of the sewers without being discovered. Metatron’s escape remained unnoticed for nearly an hour after his disappearance. “Where should we go now?” Siegfried wondered, studying a map of the Seventh Domain of the Demon Realm. The gate couldn’t just be opened anywhere. It could only be activated in a specific location where dimensional travel was possible. Upon checking the map, Siegfried found that the gate could be opened in four locations. The Yellow Forest, the Central Plaza, the Demon Army Drill Grounds, and the outskirts of the Seventh Domain. “Which one should we go to, though? The Yellow Forest is not an option so...” he weighed their options. By now, Baroque’s soldiers were likely combing through the Yellow Forest, which meant that they would be walking right into their deaths if they went there. The Central Plaza was also out of the question, as it was practically at the doorstep of the Demon Lord’s Castle, making it far too dangerous. The Demon Army Drill Grounds were even worse, as it was located inside a military base. It would be a miracle if they somehow even managed to sneak into it, but opening a gate in plain sight and escaping would be impossible. That meant there was only one viable option... “The outskirts of the Seventh Domain...” With that, Siegfried made up his mind. “A good choice. I believe the best route would be to follow the Styx River,” Balag said approvingly. The Styx River was a massive waterway that flowed through the entire Demon Realm. “If we follow it downstream, we will eventually reach the docks. From there, we can take a boat and travel directly to the outskirts.” “That sounds like a plan,” Siegfried replied with a nod. “We don’t really have any other options,” Balag said. “Then let’s head toward the docks by the Styx River and take a boat down to the outskirts. From there, we will open the gate.” And so, Siegfried’s group pulled their robes tightly over their heads and made their way toward the docks. Whiiiiing! Whiiiiiiing! Sirens blared all over the capital city of the Seventh Domain, the City of Vengeance. — All citizens of the Seventh Domain! — The traitor, Metatron, has escaped! — I repeat! Metatron has escaped! — The entire city will now be under lockdown, and martial law is now in effect! — No one is to be out on the streets! Anyone found outside will be deemed an accomplice of the traitor and executed! Martial law was declared, and the entire city was on high alert after Metatron’s escape finally came to light. “Tsk...” Siegfried clicked his tongue in frustration. Escaping the city before the lockdown was enforced would have been ideal. Still, the fact that they at least made it out of the sewers undetected was a silver lining. “What do we do now? Can we still escape the city?” Siegfried asked. “It’s impossible now. It would be wiser to find a place to hide within the city,” Balag replied. “With the lockdown in place, getting out is no longer an option. Our best bet is to lay low for a few days until things have settled down.” Given their current party composition, breaking through a city under martial law was impossible. At times like these, the smartest choice was to hide and wait for the restrictions to be lifted before making any further move. “Then where should we hide?” Siegfried asked. “We won’t be able to get far... But I do have an old mansion nearby. It has been abandoned for the past two hundred years, so it should be a suitable hiding place.” “That sounds good enough.” And so, led by Balag, Siegfried and his group made their way toward the old abandoned mansion that had once been the home of the Seventh Domain’s most powerful warrior. Meanwhile, Baroque was absolutely furious. “Damn it all! Does this even make sense?! How can he disappear from right under our noses?!” Metatron suddenly vanished without a trace in the castle’s dungeons, so it was only natural for Baroque to be enraged. ‘Han Tae-Sung... That filthy rat...’ Chae Hyung-Seok gnashed his teeth and cursed inwardly. Amidst Baroque's fierce scolding, Chae Hyung-Seok became convinced that Siegfried was the mastermind behind Metatron’s escape. ‘I’ll have to calm Baroque down first before anything else...’ With that thought in mind, Chae Hyung-Seok carefully spoke up. “Please compose yourself, Your Majesty.” “Compose? Did you just tell me to compose myself? Do I look like I can do that right now?! Hyungseokius! I placed my trust in you, yet you keep messing up—” Baroque’s demonic energy suddenly went out of control after his outburst, causing him to clutch his chest in agony. “Damn it...! How long am I supposed to endure this torment...?!” “They have nowhere to run, Your Majesty. They are no different from rats trapped in a cage,” Chae Hyung-Seok said calmly. “Rats trapped in a cage...?” “Yes, Your Majesty. The entire city is already under martial law, and we have blocked all possible escape routes. Their only option now is to force their way through.” “That may be true, but...” “If we systematically search the entire city, we will catch them without fail.” “Please, entrust this task to me. I will capture those wretches and bring them before you. And I will also deliver the Avenger in Your Majesty’s hands.” “Argh... Hyungseokius,” Baroque growled, still clutching his chest in agony. “This will be your last chance.” “Make sure... you succeed this time. Failure is no longer an option. Do you understand?” “Yes, Your Majesty. I will complete my mission and bring them before Your Majesty without fail,” Chae Hyung-Seok replied with a firm, unwavering voice. “Very well... I shall trust... you one last time.” With that, Baroque collapsed on his bed, clutching his chest. The rampaging energy within him was too much to handle, so he needed to rest. Fortunately, Siegfried’s party successfully reached the mansion where Balag once lived without any trouble. “Go to the basement.” Balag led them to his personal training hall hidden beneath the mansion. It was a vast space that was well-concealed, making it the perfect place for them to hide. Once they were in a safe place— “Thank you very much, Your Majesty. I never expected you would come to save me. For that, I am eternally grateful,” Metatron said, kneeling on one knee before Siegfried and bowing deeply. “Well, yeah. I wasn’t exactly eager to take such a huge risk, but... ignoring your plight didn’t sit right with me,” Siegfried replied with a shrug. “You must have been through hell. Sorry, I should’ve sent you on leave to the Demon Realm long ago,” Siegfried said, patting Metatron on the shoulder. He felt guilty that Metatron had never gotten the chance to see his father, as the latter was now gone. “N-No! That is not true, sire! You granted me paid leave several times!” Metatron exclaimed, quickly waving his hands. “Well, I guess I did?” “In all honesty, I could have gone to the Demon Realm if I really wanted to. But I just... did not have the courage to face my father.” “You idiot...” Siegfried muttered, looking at him with sympathy. Then, he asked, “So, what do you plan to do now?” “I will seek vengeance,” Metatron said firmly. Then, he clenched his fist and added, “I might not be able to do it now, but once I return to the Proatine Kingdom... I will grow stronger and return to the Demon Realm to avenge my father.” “Hmm...” Siegfried pondered for a moment. Then, he said, “Why not just become the demon lord?” “I mean, I could just give you the Avenger, right?” The moment Siegfried said those words— Both Balag and Chaos flinched. If Siegfried were to give the Avenger to Metatron, then a new demon lord could rise. However, things were not that simple. “I appreciate the offer, but having the Avenger alone will not automatically make me a demon lord,” Metatron said, shaking his head. “The Avenger and immense demonic power. Only when those two things are combined can one truly claim the title of Demon Lord. Even if I wield the Avenger, I cannot defeat Baroque, who has absorbed my father’s powers,” Metatron said, his voice carrying a hint of bitterness. “I see...” Siegfried nodded. Then, he shrugged and said, “Oh well, I guess becoming the demon lord with just a sword doesn’t make much sense.” “If my father was alive... he could have passed his powers to me. But that is no longer possible. Without his powers, the Avenger alone will not be enough to—” Chaos, who had been silent this entire time, suddenly raised his hand as if he just realized something. “S-Soul Coins! What about Soul Coins?!” “Huh? What about them?” Siegfried asked, tilting his head in confusion. “Your Majesty! What if you transferred your Soul Coins to Lord Metatron?! If he absorbed all of them, he might just stand a chance! No, he might even surpass Baroque and claim the throne as the new demon lord!” “Oh?” Siegfried paused for a second. “The Soul Coins are only of value to demons, so Your Majesty will have no use for so many of them!” The idea proposed by Chaos made a lot of sense. After all, the Soul Coins were the currency of the Demon Realm, one that could be exchanged for demonic power at the Demon Bank. Somehow, Siegfried had billions of them. What if all of those Soul Coins were converted into demonic power and transferred to Metatron? A new demon lord would certainly be born. Even without inheriting Vernas’ powers, Metatron would ascend to the throne using his own strength. ‘Oh-ho? If Metatron becomes the demon lord, then that means my subordinate is a demon lord, right? That would make the Seventh Domain a vassal state of the Proatine Kingdom, no?’ Siegfried thought, his mind spinning rapidly. What if he could control a demon lord as his underling? Just imagining it sent shivers of ecstatic excitement all the way down to his tailbone. “Hey, Metatron,” Siegfried grinned and called out. “Yes, Your Majesty?” Metatron responded while tilting his head in confusion. “I’m gonna make you a demon lord,” Siegfried said with a questionable smile. Thus, he declared his intention to turn his underling into the ruler of the Seventh Domain of the Demon Realm.