“W-What?! You will make me a demon lord?!” Metatron shrieked in shock. “Yup. You’re the demon lord now,” Siegfried replied with a nod. “W-What do you mean by that...?” Metatron was at a loss for words. Becoming a demon lord was not like becoming the leader of a local gang. It wasn't something that would happen because someone had told you to become the demon lord. “Your Majesty...? I do not quite understand what you are saying—” “My lord, you see...” Chaos interrupted. Then, he walked up to him and whispered, “His Majesty has a staggering amount of Soul Coins.” “He has...” Chaos whispered the amount. “W-What?! H-He has hundreds of millions of Soul Coins?!” Metatron shrieked. He was absolutely floored after hearing from Chaos that Siegfried, a human, possessed hundreds of millions of Soul Coins. Metatron was well aware of the significance of the Soul Coins. Even the mighty demon warrior, Balag, was equally surprised by the sudden revelation. It was all because with that many Soul Coins, even a high-ranking demon could become a warrior on the same calibre as a demon lord without much problems. “No, wait! Hundreds of millions? Even an ordinary demon could wield the same powers as a demon lord with that amount!” Balag exclaimed in shock. Siegfried narrowed his eyes and asked, “What the...? Are my Soul Coins actually worth that much?” “Y-Your Majesty? Were you not aware? A demon will have to do a heist on a major branch of the Demon Bank to get that many Soul Coins,” Metatron explained. “Oh?” Siegfried raised a brow and turned to Chaos. “Head down, ass up. Now!” At the command, Chaos immediately dropped to the ground, planting his head on the ground with both hands behind his back. “Hey, you knew and kept it from me, didn’t you?” Siegfried growled. “You did!” Siegfried saw right through Chaos. The demon deliberately withheld information about the true value of the Soul Coins. “P-Please forgive me!” “You really have guys, I’ll give you that.” “Oh? Are you gonna fall down?” “Tsk... Damn it...” Siegfried clicked his tongue. Then, he explained, “Back when I raided the Fortress of Hell, I looted the Demon Bank over there.” “What the...?” Balag muttered. “P-Pardon me, sire...?” Metatron stammered. “I saw they had these coins, so I swept the place clean,” Siegfried added with a shrug. The Demon Bank branch inside the Fortress of Hell was one of the largest branches in existence. This was no surprise, as the Fortress of Hell was essentially a giant gambling den for demons. The demons stationed there would bet Soul Coins and gamble every single day, allowing the Demon Bank to rake in huge amounts each day. “Can you become the demon lord with this?” Siegfried asked. “Without a doubt, your Majesty. Well, the nature of the power I will wield would be different from that of a demon lord, but... it will be possible with this many Soul Coins,” Metatron answered firmly. “Hmm... Are you sure?” “Yes, Your Majesty. If you grant me the Soul Coins, I will destroy Baroque and his followers, reclaim my father’s powers, and claim the title of demon lord with my own hands.” “Good. Then, you’re becoming the demon lord, got it?” Siegfried said with a smirk. He liked the determination and resolve that Metatron was showing. “Thank you! Your Majesty!” “But where do we exchange these Soul coins?” “Well... We will likely need to go to the nearest Demon Bank to withdraw.” “But will they just give it to us? The demonic power you need, I mean.” “If we present the Soul Coins, they are obligated to provide the demonic power.” “Oh? So it’s just like handling normal bank transactions?” “Yes, you can say they are somewhat similar.” “Then what are we waiting for? We can just go now, right?” “Well, reaching the Demon Bank is one thing. But even if we exchange the Soul Coins for demonic power, absorbing it will take quite some time.” “Moreover, I am not sure if the Demon Bank branch over here will have enough demonic power stored to convert that many Soul Coins all at once. It is an enormous sum after all...” “I guess let’s go regardless.” “Yes, Your Majesty. That seems to be our only option right now.” “Besides, I think growing stronger and flipping the tables on them is much better than running away, right?” “Okay, let’s rest up for now. Then, we will take it step by step.” Thus, Siegfried decided on his next course of action, which was to turn Metatron into the ruler of the Seventh Domain of the Demon Realm. ‘If I were Han Tae-Sung... What would I do?’ Chae Hyung-Seok sat in the command center and tried to read Siegfried’s next moves while overseeing the martial law operations. ‘I know Han Tae-Sung better than anyone... I can figure out what he’s thinking. So, let’s think. What would he do in this situation?’ He was convinced that he understood Siegfried better than anyone else, so he believed that he could decipher his intentions as well. He believed that he would find the answer if he thought hard enough. ‘That rat is a master of deception. There’s a good chance he’s hiding somewhere and pretending that he has already escaped...’ Chae Hyung-Seok was certain that Siegfried was still somewhere inside the City of Vengeance, as there simply was not enough time for him to escape with Metatron in tow. On top of that, the Yellow Forest, Central Plaza, Demon Army Drill Ground, and the outskirts were thoroughly sealed off. Unless Siegfried had already opened a gate and escaped from the Demon Realm, he was nothing more than a rat trapped in a cage. ‘Han Tae-Sung will try to hold out for as long as he can. He will act as if he had already escaped from this place while bunkering down for weeks. That’s exactly the kind of persistence bastard he is.’ Convinced of this, Chae Hyung-Seok issues his next command. “From this moment on, conduct a full-scale search of the city. Leave no place unchecked. Search even the sewers. Make sure you seal off every entrance and conduct a thorough sweep inside.” After giving his orders, Chae Hyung-Seok personally led his troops out. He roamed the City of Vengeance and actively participated in the hunt. ‘I’m not going to let you slip away this time, Han Tae-Sung. This time, it’s my turn to be the hunter and you the prey.’ His eyes burned with rage as he scoured the city, determined to have his revenge. Meanwhile, Siegfried and his party were discussing how to reach the Demon Bank and exchange their Soul Coins while staying hidden. Unfortunately, they couldn’t come up with a viable plan no matter how much they racked their brains. With martial law enacted, the city was crawling with Baroque’s troops, so there was simply no safe way to infiltrate the bank. “Kyuuu! This is hopeless, owner punk! Let’s just bunker down here!” “So, you think we should just wait it out?” “That’s right! Kyuuu!” “Yeah, that does sound like the best option right now...” Attempting to go out on the streets when the enemy fully deployed their troops was reckless beyond reason. As frustrating as it was, waiting for Baroque to call off the search was the wiser choice. “For now, let’s just stay—” A loud crashing sound erupted from above. Everyone froze at the sudden noise. Something or someone was smashing through objects upstairs, and it was clear who they were. Baroque’s troops had entered the house and were searching it. “I’ll go check it out,” Balag said, volunteering to head upstairs. “Will you be all right?” Siegfried asked. “This place was my personal training ground, so it will be safe here. Rather than risking it, it’s better if I just handle things and send them away.” “There won’t be any trouble, so don’t worry.” “Then, I will be back.” With that, Balag left the basement and headed upstairs. ‘It should be fine, right?’ Siegfried thought, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes for a moment. Fatigue was slowly creeping in, so he thought that he should rest for a bit. After all, a short rest was already long overdue. Meanwhile, Balag went up to the door that the demon soldiers destroyed earlier. “What’s with all this ruckus?” he asked. At his appearance, Chae Hyung-Seok, who was leading the search operation, narrowed his eyes. “And who the hell are you? We knocked several times, yet you only show yourself after we’ve broken the door down?” he asked icily. “I was sleeping soundly and didn’t hear it,” Balag replied nonchalantly. “Don’t give me that bullshit excuse. There’s no way you wouldn’t hear us banging your door no matter how deep a sleep you were in. Can you at least come up with a believable excuse? Do you take me for a fool or something—” “W-Wait! Lord Hyungseokius! Please, stop!” His adjutant suddenly grabbed him and pulled him back in a panic. “You must not, Lord Hyungseokius!” “What? I must not? And why the hell not?” Chae Hyung-Seok growled. “P-Please! Stand down!” “And why should I? Wait, did you just tell me to stand down?” The adjutant hesitated anxiously, and the other soldiers seemed to be just as anxious as him. The demon soldiers had already recognized Balag and were struck by crippling terror. ‘What the hell? What’s wrong with these guys?’ Chae Hyung-Seok wondered. “L-Lord Hyungseokius...?” His adjutant leaned in and whispered in his ears, explaining who Balag was. “Huh? Balag? The Elder?” “Yes, Lord Hyungseokius. He was one of the most highly respected elders of our domain, and he was personally honored by the late Lord Vernas. A war hero and a figure revered by the demons.” “It would be best if we left immediately.” Chae Hyung-Seok was new, so he had little knowledge of the Demon Realm’s inner workings. This was the reason that he failed to recognize Balag and spoke to him harshly. “You must be the new Supreme Commander,” Balag said.” “Y-Yes, that would be me,” Chae Hyung-Seok replied, slightly stammering. “You seem to have your hands full.” “So, you wish to search my house? Then go ahead,” Balag said, stepping aside. Then, he cleared the way and added, “It’s only natural to cooperate with the orders of His Majesty, the newly crowned Demon Lord, Baroque.” “N-No, that will not be necessary...” Chae Hyung-Seok stammered, refusing the offer to have the house searched. Messing with the most respected elder of the domain could cause severe unrest, which could be more trouble than it was worth. “My apologies for the disturbance, Lord Balag,” Chae Hyung-Seok apologized with a bow. “Are you sure you don’t have to search my house?” Balag asked. “I may not know much about you, elder... but if my soldiers are correct, then you are a man of great honor. There would be no way someone like you would harbor traitors.” “If that’s how you see it, I appreciate your kind words.” “Again, my sincerest apologies for the disturbance, Lord Balag. And... about the damage to your door...” “Think nothing of it. I’ll take care of the repairs myself,” Balag said, waving a hand dismissively. “Are you sure, Lord Balag...?” “Aren’t you a busy man? You should be getting back to your duties.” “Thank you for your cooperation. Then, I wish you a... pleasant nap...” “Take care, new Supreme Commander.” With that, Chae Hyung-Seok withdrew from Balag’s estate. “Damn it... Of all places, we had to smash up that old geezer’s house.” “That was a close one, Lord Hyungseokius. Elder Balag has kept to himself ever since his retirement.” “Hmm? What do you mean by that?” “He has been in seclusion for years. In fact, we did not even know this estate belonged to him.” ‘Retired? He has been in seclusion for years? A respected elder who no one has seen for years suddenly returns? And in a decrepit estate that’s clearly been abandoned?’ Those thoughts made Chae Hyung-Seok come to an abrupt stop. A strange sense of unease gnawed at him, one that felt as if his instincts were screaming something at him. Then, he suddenly turned toward his demon soldiers, who were caught off guard and immediately froze in place. “Everyone stop,” Chae Hyung-Seok commanded. Then, he narrowed his eyes as if pondering something before saying, “Tell all troops... To rally to that estate." Tokki’s Thoughts: In Chapter 972, Metatron was aware that Siegfried possessed a lot of Soul Coins. This was the scene where Siegfried gave him pocket money and Metatron went like “How do you have Soul Coins?!” I’m guessing Author-nim had a small brain fart moment or something, but I decided to just stick to the story because it’s not a huge part. Also, does anyone else think Soul Coins are like crypto? lol