Chapter 260: Chapter 4 Familial (Yakuza Category) State

“Yawn~”

Satan Ye gently opened her eyes. Wearing adorable patterned pajamas, she rubbed her eyes and then sat up, looking at the familiar ceiling of her bedroom before lazily leaning back onto the bed again.

*She really was exhausted from running around the theocratic country.*

“Your Highness Satan Ye, you’re awake…”

Hilena, who was waiting by the bed, asked. Seeing Satan Ye nod, she began to help the still groggy girl get dressed… This was how Satan Ye always woke up.

So, it could be said that Hilena was a very competent Chief Maid (mother figure).

…

“Everyone, long time no see. Is there anything that needs to be reported recently?”

Satan Ye asked, as she always did. Each leader had indeed accumulated some work content and intelligence over this period.

“During the time you were away, the war between the Empire and the Duchy has intensified.”

Senata reported, passing on the intelligence gathered by her spies, “Originally, the Duchy’s strategy was conservative and restrained, but with the appearance of a unit called the ‘Caesar Royal Guard,’ the Duchy’s strategy has become aggressive and belligerent.”

Senata looked at the battlefield reports in her hand and briefly summarized the recent battle situation: “The Duchy, which had originally lost four territories, has now regained two of them with the combined forces of the councilmen’s troops and the Royal Guard… The warfare is still in a deadlock.”

*It sounds like the Duchy suddenly toughened up…*

For Satan Ye, who had little understanding of the Duchy, this matter was perplexing. Even the other leaders found it strange that the Duchy would suddenly change its stance. As far as they were concerned, the Duchy’s strategy should have always been to stabilize its internal situation by leveraging external forces.

But now, the Duchy seemed determined to see the war through to the end, because the Empire would not allow the Duchy to regain territory while solving its internal conflicts.

*You can’t let the other side have all the advantages.*

In other words, it seemed that the Duchy had truly found a weakness in the Empire, or perhaps they found something that gave them the confidence to defeat the Empire… but such a thing shouldn’t exist.

Yila frowned in thought, then shook her head at Satan Ye, indicating that she couldn’t offer any insight on this matter. So, they decided to let the issue pass for now.

Nevertheless, Yila decided to ask Duke Novak about it later.

“Our sales of Bee Flower Snow Moon have also been affected as a result.”

Youyou pushed her glasses up and reported, “Luckily, the impact on sales has not been significant for now, but I can’t predict if the continued war will cause sales to drop further.”

That was understandable, since war would gradually decrease the price of luxury goods, eventually aligning them with their actual value.

“Next up, about the Little Demons and the goblins…”

Hilena said, standing next to Satan Ye, and spoke about the changes in the Little Demons over this period… or more specifically, the changes in the little creatures that had only recently been discovered.

“In the past few days, the Little Demons born from the Blood Pond and the newly-born goblins have all exhibited varying numbers of ‘Mana Adaptability.’ It’s not strong, but it does allow better control of the Automatic Magic Wands.”

Yila nodded in response to Hilena and the leaders who showed surprised expressions. “This is similar to the findings of the Three Towers’ earlier investigations… it appears that the gap between races and bloodlines is shrinking.”

This was undoubtedly good news, especially for the Demon King Territory… Indeed, if even the civilians (little creatures) were getting stronger, the Demon King Territory would undoubtedly have an advantage over other nations.

Both in terms of numbers and the loyalty of its civilians.

“As for us, those Beastmen whom you rescued from Hezlosa requested our Insect Men to teach them about the forest. We agreed… They’re now undergoing rigorous training.”

It seemed like the Insect Men and those Beastmen kids were getting along well. This was a good thing; come spring, they would have more people to participate in hunting the Magic Beasts.

In the future, they might also need to cultivate more Demon Dog Trainers to lead the non-quadruped creatures in large-scale hunts for the quadruped Magic Beasts… In this regard, the Demon King Territory and those beasts were in a shared interest.

“Recent trades with Silver Moon Tree Court have faced increasingly frequent encounters with Big Sea Beasts on the routes. Although none are as large as the giant octopus sea beast from our initial trade attempt, the frequency is quite annoying.”

Wolf, fully integrated into the atmosphere of the Demon King Territory, reported with a helpless expression, “Jana asked me to find a way to forge more powerful Magic Armor… but I turned them down.”

Indeed, there was really no more powerful Magic Armor available.

Yila thought about it for a moment and then said, “If they feel their guard strength is insufficient, they can directly talk to Hilena, who can arrange for some available creatures to assist.”

Then, seeing that no one else seemed to have anything to report, Yila gave a slightly embarrassed smile… Then, under the concerned glances of everyone, she pulled out the Sheepskin Book from her bosom.

“I have quite a lot to say this time…”

Yila said this while looking at the leaders who were already breaking out in cold sweats, and even a shocked Satan Ye. She glanced at the faintly lit sky and pulled over a whiteboard, “Mr. Lime, you probably don’t need to listen, could you make some food for everyone?”

For some reason, Mr. Lime, although his expression couldn’t be read, clearly seemed in a better mood.

“After all, I worry that the leaders who didn’t eat breakfast won’t hold up… This explanation might go on until noon. I’m sorry, but it’s indeed very important. I hope everyone listens carefully.”

Yila said this, seeing the leaders rolling their eyes, on the verge of fainting, she put away her smile and said seriously, “This concerns the life and death of the Demon King Territory.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Almost instantly, the entire hall’s atmosphere changed… From a somewhat comedic and playful atmosphere to one as heavy as the Nine Nether Abyss, every leader became serious.

The speed of this shift was so sudden that it was jarring, yet it must be said… this family-like attitude was the norm for the Demon King Territory.

*Strangely, this kind of nation felt really cool.*