"Hm?"
The executives perked up at this news.
Not submitting?
Then they'd make them submit!
The Monster Kingdom's friendly stance toward the Tengu was entirely due to the connection between Hakurou and Kaede.
Otherwise, with any other race, they would have already steamrolled them.
Yes, that means you, Lizardmen!
Shion and Ice Empress had already agreed.
Once the Tengu issue was resolved, they'd petition Damien to lead the charge in subduing the Lizardmen's wetlands.
"My lord!"
Hoshiga declared, "The Star Wolves will take the vanguard!"
"Yesterday's battle left the kijin warriors unsatisfied." Akahiko added, unwilling to be outdone. "I hear the Tengu boasts divine strength. The kijin have long wanted to test their mettle!"
"And don't forget us goblins." Rigurd chimed in, flexing his muscles and striking poses. "Leave managing captives and transporting supplies to us, Lord Damien!"
"Alright, alright."
"Calm down, everyone." Damien said, shaking his head. "The Tengu's strength is no small matter."
"From what I know, the leaders of the Tengu across generations are blessed with the power of the God of the Mountain."
Damien continued, "Their strength is comparable to a Demon Lord Seed."
In terms of magicule count, Momiji was roughly equivalent to a Demon Lord Seed with 300,000 EP.
Of course, that was just in terms of magicules.
A majin's strength depended on two factors: magicules and skills.
Momiji lacked any standout unique skills.
So, in a real fight, anyone with over 100,000 EP could be considered her equal.
Below 10,000, 10,000 to 100,000, and 100,000 to 1,000,000.
Within these tiers, magicule quantity wasn't the deciding factor... unique skills were.
"Special A-rank…"
Hearing Momiji's strength, the executives realized they likely weren't her match.
Artoria, Snow Empress, and Ogerpon, however, remained unfazed.
"So, Benimaru isn't her match?" Akahiko asked, concerned his son might struggle.
Of course, he didn't care if Benimaru came back battered or bruised.
His worry was whether Benimaru had embarrassed Damien.
Classic kijin father... daughters are treasures, sons are expendable.
"No, that's not the case." Damien reassured.
He had anticipated potential conflicts.
With plenty of magicules at his disposal, he decided to boost his followers' strength.
Right then and there, he sent enough magicules to Benimaru, elevating him to Special A-rank.
Shion, Shuna, Souei, Ice Empress, and Justeaze received the same enhancement.
"With his unique skills, Special A-rank Benimaru defeated Momiji." Damien explained.
It wasn't the instant victory seen in the original story, but he still won with relative ease.
"She lost and still dares to act defiant?" Ice Empress fumed. "Some of those Tengu are too full of themselves!"
Now also at Special A-rank, she believed her strength surpassed Benimaru's.
If he could win, so could she.
"It seems there's a major issue within the Tengu." Artoria analyzed. "Momiji, their strongest, lost to us, yet they remain defiant."
What did this mean?
Some Tengu didn't take Momiji seriously.
They didn't acknowledge her strength.
Or rather, her defeat didn't intimidate them.
"So, who's behind it?"
Snow Empress, as sharp as Artoria, also sensed the internal conflict within the Tengu.
"The isolationists... or rather, the hawk faction." Damien said. "They're the ones blocking our plans."
Damien had approached the Tengu with good intentions.
Joining him meant every member would receive a name.
For a clan of tens of thousands, this was an incredible opportunity.
As for becoming his subjects through naming?
Naming a majin could, in severe cases, kill the one bestowing the name.
Damien was taking a huge risk to name them.
Offering loyalty in return was only fair, wasn't it?
"However, only Kaede-san knows about my willingness to name them." Damien said seriously. "I'm not some saint who goes around handing out favors."
"So, this is a test for the Tengu?"
Snow Empress immediately grasped Damien's intent... he was screening for those worthy of his acceptance.
"Kaede-san is a wise woman." Damien said. "Or rather, she trusts Hakurou deeply."
Kaede believed Hakurou wouldn't joke about such matters.
If the naming offer was genuine, Damien's sincerity was overwhelming.
"No wonder she's led the Sacred Mountain for 300 years."
Snow Empress nodded silently, impressed by Kaede.
The other executives shared her sentiment.
No one disliked a clever ally, especially one tied to Hakurou as his wife.
"Hakurou's wife, huh? Practically family."
Damien knew Kaede's situation.
After giving birth to Momiji, she passed nearly all her magicules to her daughter and named her.
Depleted of magicules, Kaede was now bedridden, her condition critical.
"Is there a way to heal her?" Shion and Shuna asked, concerned for Hakurou's wife.
"A minor issue." Damien said dismissively.
Magicule depletion was no problem.
With Violet's 8 million EP reserve, restoring Kaede to full health would be easy.
"She made a small request in return." Damien added.
"A request?"
Shion said, "Since she's Hakurou's wife, we can hear her out."
"But if it's too much, Lord Damien shouldn't agree." Ice Empress added.
"Haha." Damien laughed at their reactions. "It's not a big deal... just a marriage proposal."
"Marriage?"
"With who?"
"If it's with you, Master, that's unacceptable!"
The women in Damien's household erupted at the word "marriage." Their reactions fiercer than when they heard about the hawk faction's resistance.
"Ahem, no, not me." Damien quickly clarified, cutting off their wild assumptions.
If Snow Empress and Ice Empress thought the Tengu wanted to marry Damien, they'd probably storm the Sacred Mountain and wipe them out.
What kind of nerve, making such a demand!
They'd be asking for trouble!
***
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