Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

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The once beautiful attendants, who had appeared radiant and graceful, had been replaced by wretched looking beings with multiple arms and weird body shapes. Their forms distorted and their countenances twisted and grotesque.

These were the true nature of the elegant figures that attended to the demons. As for the melody that once enchanted the air, it now took on a sinister and demonic theme.

The once soothing tunes morphed into dissonant, eerie notes that evoked a sense of violence and malevolence.

As Simon stepped foot into the grand stage, an overwhelming sense of seriousness engulfed his body. He realised that this gathering will mark a turning point in his life from which there is no going back.

This was the Hexennacht, the social gathering of the demons and the pivotal juncture of his life that will determine the fate of his territory and his standing among the demon hierarchy. The stakes are high, and failure was not an option.

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Quite some time had passed since Simon and the other stepped into the venue and mingled with the crowd. Most of the high ranking demons and those making their way from the Ten Thousand Bones Mountain Range, had also arrived.

Nevertheless, the event hadn't started yet. The reason for that was simple, the host of the event, that is the Demon Lord of Envy was yet to arrive. Besides, the Hexennacht usually went on for days to even weeks depending on the issues discussed. As such, nobody was in a hurry for the start of the event.

For the demon nobles whose lifespan extended for aeons, their sense of time was quite distorted. To them, the passing of a few days, weeks or even a year, felt like nothing more than a gentle flicker of a candle flame.

It was more so for the demon's ranking above Demon Marquess. Their long lifespan of hundreds of years has afforded them a high level of patience and wisdom. Compared to that, what was waiting for a few days or weeks amount to?

The Hexennact was unlike all the other demon gatherings, here they not only discussed various issues of the demon world, but they also used this chance to associate with other demon nobles and expand their network.

For high ranking demons, the Hexennacht was a stage where they can grow their faction and as for the average ranking ones, it was their chance to join one.

One need not even explain how beneficial joining a faction was for demon nobles like Demon Earl and all. Doing so not only provided them with benefits from that high ranking demon, it also protected them from the retaliation of other demon nobles and factions.

The power and the force that an average ranking demon noble can muster is only so much. It is nowhere enough to deal with unforeseen danger for say, a dungeon war, where another demon noble had suddenly declared war on them or when their dungeon is on the verge of getting destroyed because the levels of the adventurers were simply too high to deal for them.

During such events, the benefits of joining a faction becomes more evident. Not only do the faction behind them back them up with additional forces to safeguard their dungeon, but they might also go as far as to start a dungeon war on the other party.

Thus when a demon noble joins the faction, not just anyone can start a dungeon war on them willy nilly. The other party would have to think about the variables coming from the target's factions and the consequences of their action.

It is for this reason that the venue was buzzing with conversation, bootlicking, banter and shameless self promotion of the various demon nobles.

For the average ranking demon nobles, if they could associate with a high ranking demon noble or at the very least socialise with someone in their factions, it raises their chances of getting into a faction dramatically.

That's right, not just any demon nobles are allowed into a faction. The high ranking demon who leads their factions only pick those demon nobles that can actually empower or strengthen their faction in some way or other.

For the high ranking demon nobles, the faction was their force and represented their status in the demon society. As such, they wouldn't allow any demon noble in if they didn't see any benefit in them.

To that extent, every average ranking demon nobles here were very fervent to get into a faction. Hence the hubbub.

Most factions that had some status and were famous in the demon society, glossed over the Demon Earl who created their dungeon and mostly focused on Demon Marquesses. That said, it was not like the Demon Earls weren't getting any offers.

There were always exceptions to the rules like for example there happened to be a Demon Earl who was quite close to a very famous Demon Duke and garnered much attention from the many high ranking demon nobles present in the venue.

It was only natural for such an exceptional Demon Earl to get invitations from some famous factions that not just any demons can get into.

"Thank you for the invitation, I will think over it and let you know" Simon spoke with a smile and politely kept the invitation in his pocket.

How many times had he repeated those words? Simon sighed in exasperation. Including the card he got just now, he had already received more than seven invitations.

"Woah, look at all these invitations, even the biggest faction led by a demon duke, the Demonic Enclave is also interested in you. So what are you going to do?" Oswell asked laughing at his predicament.

"Please, the one they are interested in are you. All those factions are sending me invitations because they happened to see us together. In the first place, this is all your fault. I told you before that we should mind our own business once we reach the venue. So why are you still following me?"

Simon spoke a little vexed by all the attention that he was getting from the surrounding demon nobles. It might not look like it, but Oswell had a very high status in the demon society. He was not only favoured by various Demon Archduke factions, but even some Demon Lords are also interested in him.

Naturally, walking side by side with him, Simon was bound to garner attention. His plan of keeping a low profile was thrown out of the windows.

"Don't be like this, aren't we best friends? Besides, I don't want to deal with those pesky Demon Dukes and their factions. Having you by my side makes things easier for me… Haha. Hey, that food looks delicious, let's go and try it". Saying that, Oswell strutted towards a table decorated with food.

Simon could only sigh helplessly and tag along. The other party did help him a lot on the way after all. As such, he had no choice but to accept the role he was thrown into all of a sudden.

Sighing for the umpteenth time since coming to the venue, Simon was just about to follow Oswell, when a demon noble stepped in front of him.

"Ah, a moment please".

Screaming in his head 'Not again' Simon glanced at the demon standing in front of his path. Extravagant dress and decorated in ornate items, they gave off a commanding pressure. Their presence was like a vast mountain, grand and immense. It was enough to give him a faint pressure that originated from his bloodline.

There was no mistake, the demon in front of Simon was no average demon but a Demon Marquess. It needs to be mentioned that a Demon Marquess is a formidable entity within the demonic hierarchy, possessing immense power and authority.

They possess their own armies and are masters of intermeditate tier dungeons. They are cunning and extremely ambitious as they navigate the intricate politics and power struggles among demon nobles, ever seeking to increase their dominion and influence.

Their strategic acumen was what made them a force to reckon with. Be that may, this wasn't the reason why Simon was so surprised, it was because, for some vague reason he felt like the other party looked familiar to him.

Especially that kind of dressing sense, those flowing garments that blends the rich colours of the desert, those intricate embroideries reminiscent of winding serpents or flames and their attire that incorporates deep shades of gold and ebony, representing both the infernal essence and the blazing sun of their domain.

Where did he see a demon noble like him before?

"Ahem" While Simon was lost in his own thought process, the Demon Marquess facing him coughed and introduced him.

"I'm Demon Marquess Vargel. Listen well demon, I came here on behalf of my father, the Demon Duke of Sphinx to give you the invitation to join his faction, the BloodMoon Pact. Consider it as your greatest stoke of luck and strive to work hard for the faction".

The Demon Marquess introducing himself as Vargel, spoke. Although his tone was haughty and condescending, it was still far better than others who came to Simon before.

Simon took the invitations and spoke some vague words saying how he will think over it and let him know. Although Vargel was a little unsatisfied with the response, he nevertheless did not say anything and turned around to leave.

Seeing the Demon Marquess leave, Simon sighed in exasperation. This made it the Eighth time. Seriously, it was turning out to be more hassle than he thought.

It was not worth it to make enemies with all these factions. Fortunately, he kept his answers vague which left a path for him open.