Actually, there was a way to perfectly resolve this matter.

The best person to untie a bell is the one who tied it. While those dignitaries might ignore others due to their infatuation, if Shafney herself appeared, a single word from her would make them willingly do anything, even sacrifice their lives.

Therefore, as long as Shafney was willing to step forward, appeasing these people wouldn’t be difficult.

Moreover, Shafney was a Demon Lord, one of the apex beings of the Demon Race. No one would dare to offend her, due to both her strength and her influence. A single word from her could resolve this perfectly.

But would Ancil dare to ask Shafney to do this?

He might not only fail, but also offend her.

Shafney’s disdain for her admirers was well-known. Asking her to appear before these people, whom she wouldn’t even glance at normally, and put on a fake smile, she would definitely flip out.

A capricious Succubus, this was Shafney’s reputation in human history.

Coupled with her charm, Ancil didn’t even dare to meet her casually, let alone ask her for such a favor. It was better to endure these dignitaries’ harassment than to offend a Demon Lord. That might be easier to resolve.

“There’s no other way,” Ancil said, turning to Lucy.

Lucy understood.

“I understand,” she said indifferently, “I’ll personally go to the Buztout residence.”

At this stage, the only one who could control these dignitaries was Lucy. The Kingdom’s Treasure, backed by the God Race, the inheritor of Hero Mitra, favored by the Goddess of Fate, with her appearing, those people wouldn’t dare to cause trouble. At least, compared to Shien, she was more suitable for this task.

After all, Shien was a man, the man who publicly took Shafney away. Shafney’s admirers would definitely be hostile towards him, and unless he used force, it wouldn’t be easy for him to subdue them.

These people, blinded by their infatuation, wouldn’t be so irrational as to gather and offend Shien otherwise. And everyone present knew that Shien had a short temper and wouldn’t tolerate any disrespect.

If anyone provoked him, he would definitely retaliate, turning this conflict into a diplomatic issue.

This was precisely what Ancil and the others wanted to avoid. As members of the royal family, they couldn’t ignore such matters, even if Shien himself didn’t care.

To prevent the Kingdom from suffering the consequences, sending someone influential to intervene was unavoidable.

“Go quickly, Lucy,” Ancil urged.

“Be careful,” Lia said.

Aldia and Charl also looked at Lucy.

Lucy turned and left, her golden eyes shining.

…

At the same time, Shien was still “playing” with Shafney.

Shafney, naturally not willing to let Shien’s threat go, used her most powerful weapon, showcasing her charm and teasing him, trying to make him lose his composure.

Shien was struggling. This woman was a true enchantress, and even he, somewhat accustomed to her by now, couldn’t withstand her constant teasing, his desire stirring.

His body, which he had been planning to “rest,” was now burning with passion under her relentless seduction.

“Woman, you’re playing with fire,” he finally said, unable to bear it any longer, and pounced on Shafney.

Shafney, realizing she had gone too far, tried to escape.

Unfortunately, due to the double-edged nature of [Ripple Heart Demon], the moment Shien grabbed her hand, her strength vanished.

“Damn it, I’ve been played again,” she thought, her heart sinking as her clothes were torn, on the verge of tears. This damned man was truly her nemesis.

Just as she resigned herself to her fate, a commotion erupted outside, loud enough to disrupt even Shien, his passion instantly extinguished.

“What the hell!?” He got off Shafney, his face dark, his desire turning into anger.

“…” Shafney quickly got up, picking up her discarded clothes and putting them on, a slight blush on her beautiful face, but also a hint of coldness. Although unwilling to admit it, she had also been aroused, and being interrupted like this, even she was now angry. No, precisely because she was Shafney, she couldn’t tolerate this.

“Humans are still the same as before, with their short lifespans and complex minds, they lack a proper awe of the strong,” she said, her seemingly calm words carrying a chilling undertone.

With [Ripple Heart Demon], she only needed to sense slightly to understand what was happening.

Undoubtedly, it was those annoying, insignificant creatures causing trouble again. If this were the Demon Realm, where strength was paramount, even if they were infatuated with her, they wouldn’t dare to act so recklessly.

Back in Succubus City, after Shien demonstrated his power, no one dared to challenge him.

The same applied to the Supreme Castle. Countless demons saw him constantly with the Demon Lord sisters, their hearts filled with displeasure, but no one dared to approach him. They knew he was the Hero, a powerful being not to be trifled with. Challenging him would be humiliating.

In the end, it wasn’t Hart, who initially showed hostility towards Shien, but Gray, a human, who came to him. This was ironic.

Just as Shafney said, only humans lacked a proper awe of the strong, their memories short, not learning from their mistakes, not seeing the truth, blindly trusting themselves and those they relied on, thinking they could do as they pleased.

Those without power were proud of their status and authority, believing power was secondary, that even those with strength could be controlled by those with authority.

Those without status were proud of their intelligence, believing brute force was inferior to intellect.

However, everything had its limits.

Those with high status might be able to control Legendary-level experts, but not Limit Level or Transcendent Level beings.

Intellect could indeed defeat brute force, but when brute force could move mountains and shake the heavens, even the cleverest minds were useless.

Why were the Demon King and the Supreme God always at the apex, unattainable by others?

Not because of their status or intelligence, but because of their overwhelming power.

The Demon Race always upheld this principle, respecting strength, not to give the strong a higher status, but to tell their people that only the strong could obtain everything, therefore, everyone should strive to become stronger. Because of this, their respect and awe of the strong were ingrained in their very being.

Even Hartley, a Limit Level expert, would respectfully bow before Shien, who wielded the Holy Sword and could threaten her.

In the eyes of such a Shafney, the actions of those so-called admirers in the Human Realm were truly childish.

“Publicly gathering and provoking the Hero might have worked on those self-righteous Heroes of the past, but it’s useless against our Hero.”

Shafney could already foresee the outcome.

As expected…

“Wait here, don’t go anywhere,” Shien said to Shafney with an impassive expression, then turned and vanished, his words domineering.

This, however, didn’t displease Shafney, but made her chuckle.

“Even if I search the entire world, you’re the only one who would make me wait,” she said, not bothering to get dressed properly, covering herself with a single piece of clothing, her shoulders bare, and walked to the window, looking out. There, a good show was about to begin.

…

Buztout residence, plaza before the main gate.

The crowd here had grown even larger.

But it was no longer as crowded as before. Powerful caravans arrived, scattering the crowd and occupying the plaza before the Buztout residence’s gate. Countless strong knights, raising their shields and drawing their weapons, surrounded the plaza, suppressing and driving away those who came to visit.

“Stop!”

“What right do you have to drive us away!?”

“Do you even know who I am!?”

“Bastards!”

Those driven away cursed, then quickly fell silent.

The reason was simple.

Those emerging from the luxurious carriages, surrounded by powerful knights, were all influential figures they couldn’t afford to offend.

“Is… isn’t that King Misji of Laraby?” A man in royal robes, wearing a crown and holding a scepter, emerged from a carriage, protected by a powerful-looking magician.

“That’s Josef, the Wind Sword Saint!” A knight with a sword on his back also appeared with his entourage.

“Even Pope Yuler is here!” The kind-looking Pope, supported by a priest, also emerged from a carriage.

And then, more and more dignitaries arrived.

The entire plaza fell silent.

In the crowded plaza before the Buztout residence, as more and more dignitaries arrived, their guards, knights, and attendants spread out, occupying a corner of the plaza. Those with lower status and weaker strength were naturally pushed to the outer edges, forming their own groups, watching the powerful figures within the plaza, their faces filled with resentment, but not daring to speak up.

These truly powerful figures, however, ignored the surrounding crowd, only observing those on their level, a hint of vigilance in their eyes. They knew why the others were here. They were all competitors.

Of course, despite their inner vigilance, they maintained a polite facade.

King Misji was the first to speak, breaking the silence. “I didn’t expect everyone to be here. It’s quite lively,” he said, his hearty laughter and friendly greeting making him seem like an ordinary, approachable man, without any airs of a king.

However, no one present dared to underestimate this king. He was not only resourceful, but also a level eighty-eight magician, wielding a rare and unique type of magic that even Legendary-level experts had to be wary of. Moreover, beside him stood a silent, intellectual-looking, calm, and sturdy magician: Meldo Bishus, the strongest in the magical nation of Laraby, the leader of their renowned mage corps, a Legendary Grand Magician at level ninety-seven.

People looked at these two pillars of Laraby, silent. Only a few dared to speak before them.

“Your Majesty, Misji, you arrived quite promptly,” said a beastman even sturdier than Meldo, over two meters tall, his arms thicker than an average person’s thighs, his muscles bulging with power. He had white tiger ears, whiskers on his face, and a tiger tail swaying behind him, also exuding power, like a whip cracking through the air, an intimidating sight. He was Nobu, the chief of the second strongest warrior tribe among the Beastmen, commanding hundreds of thousands of beastmen warriors, himself a renowned, top-tier Legendary expert at level ninety-seven.

Around Nobu were a group of powerful-looking beastmen subordinates, several above level eighty, the rest above level seventy, their fierce expressions warning everyone present not to trifle with them.

Only someone with such powerful subordinates and his own considerable strength would dare to speak so frankly before the King of Laraby.

The world’s third strongest military and magic power wasn’t a title to be scoffed at. Few were qualified to speak to their king as an equal.

However, there were such people here.

Nobu was just one of them.

“It’s been a long time since I last saw Your Majesty,” said a knight with a sword on his back, surrounded by several powerful attendants. He was the most ordinary-looking among the dignitaries present, his appearance and physique average, even in armor and with a sword, easily lost in a crowd. However, a keen observer would notice the sharp sword energy occasionally emanating from him. He was Josef, a Legendary expert who rose to fame twenty-five years ago, known as the Wind Sword Saint, but suddenly announced his retirement at his peak, only to reappear today.

It wasn’t strange for Josef to greet Misji.

After all, he once served Laraby, their strongest knight.

“Josef,” Misji said, surprised, “I didn’t expect to see you here. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

“Indeed,” Josef nodded, a simple smile on his face, “We haven’t seen each other since I retired.”

“Truly, a long time,” Misji said with a sigh, “I often think that if Josef hadn’t left, then Laraby wouldn’t just be known for its magic, right?”

Before Josef could reply, Meldo spoke. “I’ve also often heard His Majesty mention you, Master Josef,” he said, his tone stiff. He rose to prominence after Josef left Laraby, gradually gaining Misji’s favor and reaching his current position.

Although now second only to the King in Laraby, Misji still often mentioned Josef with regret, believing that with Josef, Laraby could have become even stronger, not just a magical nation, but also a nation of knights.

Hearing this so often naturally displeased Meldo, who believed that even without Josef, under his leadership, Laraby could still grow stronger. Therefore, he harbored a subtle hostility towards Josef.

Josef, the renowned Wind Sword Saint, however, seemed oblivious, shaking his head casually.

“You flatter me. I know my own limitations. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have lost to the previous head of the Elvenbein family, and even after twenty years, I still haven’t reached Limit Level.”

This was one of the main reasons for his retirement. Twenty-five years ago, Josef was already a famous Legendary-level expert at level ninety-five, his swordsmanship so superb that he even challenged and defeated those stronger than him.

At that time, although Gray had also made a name for himself in the Human Realm, in the eyes of those at Josef’s level, he was still just a junior, not yet a Legendary expert. Josef, already a renowned Legendary expert, and a powerful one at that, was naturally full of ambition.

It wasn’t until he recklessly challenged the previous head of the Elvenbein family, Aldia’s father, Diere’s grandfather, the previous commander of the Royal Knights, a top-tier Legendary knight at level ninety-eight, that he was defeated and taught a harsh lesson. Since then, Josef realized his limits, his potential, and, disheartened, announced his retirement, settling down in a remote mountain.

Even so, he was still a famous Legendary expert in the Human Realm, his title as the Wind Sword Saint attracting countless young disciples who traveled great distances to learn from him. Those around him now were his disciples, their strengths varying, some young, some old, several even above level eighty, attracting the attention of those around them.

This showed Josef’s fame and influence in the Human Realm, not only for his own strength but also for the many disciples he trained, some even from wealthy noble families, judging by their attire.

This time, he was brought out of retirement by his disciples. His goal was simple: to meet the person he had been dreaming of at the three-race meeting. Therefore, upon learning of Shafney’s arrival, he immediately came here with his disciples.

Unfortunately, his rivals were everywhere.

“Limit Level is the ultimate limit of life, the pinnacle for countless beings. The God Race and the Demon Race aside, we humans all start from level one. Reaching the limit of life isn’t easy,” Nobu said, looking at Josef, a glint of fighting spirit in his eyes.

“And excluding the non-existent Limit Level experts among humans, among the current Legendary-level experts, the Wind Sword Saint can be ranked among the top five. I’d like to have a spar with you and see whether your sword is sharper, or my claws.” A powerful aura and a suffocating wildness emanated from Nobu.

Josef, however, remained calm and indifferent.

“There’s no need to rush, Chief Nobu. We can spar anytime, but not here,” he said, declining Nobu’s challenge, then turned to another important figure who had been silently observing.

The others also restrained themselves and looked at that person.

“Your Holiness,” Misji, Meldo, Josef, and Nobu all said respectfully.

He was Pope Yuler, the representative of the God Race in the Human Realm, not only backed by the God Race, but also a Legendary expert even more renowned than Josef. While Josef’s active period was twenty-five years ago, this Pope’s was fifty years ago. At that time, he was known as the strongest user of Divine and Restoration magic in Omnipotence.

Yes.

The strongest in Omnipotence.

In other words, the strongest in the three realms.

This was Pope Yuler.

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