Chapter 268: Peace Pact and Problems
What did he think?
Haruto was, of course, all for peace. He was never a battle maniac or a war fanatic, nor did he hold any deep grudges against the three factions.
Moreover, he planned to acquire the bloodline talents of all the races.
"I naturally hope for peace, but will things really go so smoothly?"
Haruto shifted his gaze to Vali and Shemhazai. "Leaving others aside, won't the fallen angels try to assassinate me?"
Though Azazel's death seemed to have been suppressed, the underlying danger remained.
Putting aside Azazel's status and reputation among the fallen angels for now, the Vali Lucifer before them was also adopted by him.
Shemhazai and Azazel were even sworn friends who had been through life and death together, their bond unbreakable.
Everyone present was intelligent, and the meaning behind Haruto's words was instantly understood, shifting the pressure onto the fallen angels' side.
Shemhazai, who had the appearance of a scholar, adjusted his glasses, pondering how to respond in a way that would seem both persuasive and not make them appear heartless.
"Azazel adopted me, otherwise I might not have survived until my powers awakened."
Vali suddenly spoke up: "But over the years, I've done plenty of work for the fallen angels, basically repaying the debt in full."
Vali Lucifer possessed ancient devil genes and was also a human-devil hybrid. Coupled with his eccentric grandfather and father, his childhood could be described as living in dire straits.
Thus, he chose to escape his family. With the desperate help of household servants, he successfully ended up being adopted by Azazel.
Later, his abusive father was casually killed by his grandfather, while his human mother had her memories erased and was abandoned in the human world.
His childhood experiences made him mature early, and he clearly understood that what was called "adoption" back then was more accurately described as seeking refuge.
Azazel protected the White Dragon Emperor before he had fully matured, at the cost of binding himself to the fallen angels and serving them.
There was some affection between the two, but not much.
After Azazel's death, he had considered seeking revenge, but was ultimately stopped.
"Ahem..."
Shemhazai interjected, "As a close friend, I am both saddened and angered by Azazel's death, but peace was also his wish."
"To fulfill our friend's desire, no matter how furious or resentful we may feel, we will restrain ourselves properly."
His words sounded noble, but if Haruto hadn't known that this man's wife was a devil and they already had two children together, he might have actually believed it.
"Of course I trust everyone present." Haruto smiled. "But what if the rats in your respective households become restless?"
The gentle and handsome Michael said, "Red Dragon Emperor, please rest assured. If any rats appear, feel free to deal with them. Not only will there be no repercussions, but we would actually thank you for it."
Internal rats had always been a headache for the three factions. Eliminating rats meant helping them—they would be delighted.
As for who these rats were...
Anyone who didn't obey would be considered a rat.
Now that they sought peace, anyone attempting to destroy peace would be treated as a rat.
"Alright, then I have no further questions."
Having confirmed the fallen angels' and White Dragon Emperor's stance, and obtained permission for self-defense, Haruto was quite satisfied.
"Then after establishing the peace treaty, the most important matter will be the reproduction and survival of our races."
Shemhazai removed his decorative glasses and said in a seductive tone, "Has the Red Dragon Emperor considered visiting the fallen angels headquarters? Many charming fallen angel maidens are very curious about your dual cultivation abilities."
"No need." Haruto refused decisively, completely unmoved.
Were there no powerful female fallen angels? Would he go there to selflessly dedicate himself?
Setting aside the angels for now, there were currently two powerful women on the devil side.
One was Grayfia, who came with Sirzechs, and the other was the only seated woman present—Serafall.
The latter was a genuine Devil King, even a super Satan-Class powerhouse.
"What a pity."
As the discussions were nearly complete, Shemhazai couldn't be bothered to put his glasses back on and simply tossed them aside.
"Then let's proceed with signing the treaty now."
"Wait, before that, I have a question for Michael."
Haruto had a rather good impression of the gentle pretty boy, addressing him more respectfully.
"Please speak, Red Dragon Emperor."
"Well... why was Asia exiled?"
Before Michael could react to Haruto's question, the little blonde nun gasped in surprise.
Haruto had noticed Asia's unusual expression ever since she saw Michael, and could easily guess the reason.
Since the little nun couldn't bring herself to ask, he would help her.
"Why exile Asia, who trusted God so deeply?"
Haruto knew the reason, but only hearing it from Michael's own mouth would be most convincing.
The gentle pretty boy didn't disappoint, showing no offense but explaining in a soft voice: "Since the gods disappeared, only the system remained."
"The system could be described as a power that hosts blessings, mercy, and miracles, currently operating with me at its center, though barely maintaining function."
"With the gods now gone, the system is crucial to us, and the faith of believers is an indispensable part of it. Therefore, it is necessary to distance ourselves from anyone who negatively impacts the system."
The meaning was clear by this point. Asia's ability to heal devils, even if unintentional, would still adversely affect the faith of those around her.
Similarly, those who discovered the truth that gods no longer existed would also be exiled.
The angels placed such importance on the system fundamentally due to the long years of war.
Whether angels, devils, or fallen angels, all three factions now had very few pure-blooded members. The devils had developed Evil Pieces to increase their numbers through reincarnated devils.
Angels had also created a reincarnation method using playing cards as tools to boost their numbers.
The principle was almost identical to that of the Evil Pieces.
There were fifteen playing cards in total, from Ace to King, plus the Big and Little Jokers.
The Big Joker corresponded to the King, the Little Joker to the Queen, and so on, matching one-to-one with the fifteen Evil Pieces.
This reincarnation method was inextricably linked to the so-called system.
If the system collapsed, the process of reincarnating angels would malfunction.
Hearing Michael's explanation, Asia's anxious and troubled expression finally faded, returning to her usual somewhat naive, simple smile.
"Lord Michael, having been raised by the church for many years, I do have some regrets..."
The little blonde nun glanced gratefully at Haruto, then bowed slightly to Michael.
"But I am also very satisfied with my current life as a devil."
She had never blamed the church or the gods; it was just that this question had remained unanswered, causing her distress.
Now that she knew the truth, it felt like a weight had been lifted, and she could peacefully live as a devil from now on.
The gentle, handsome man lowered his head. "Thank you for your tolerance and understanding."
Seeing this, Haruto's opinion of Michael improved even further.
As the conversation touched upon subordinates, Shemhazai instinctively glanced at Yuuma and the other two.
They were Azazel's subordinates, but as the current Governor and former Vice-Governor, he naturally knew the relevant information.
However, he tactfully didn't mention a word, pretending not to have noticed.
The atmosphere of the meeting was positive. After Haruto finished speaking, he stepped back into position. Just as the three factions were about to sign the peace treaty, a violent tremor suddenly shook the ground.
This was no ordinary tremor. Even Yuuto and Tsubaki, with their A-rank strength, nearly lost their balance and fell.
Asia, with the lowest strength, would have landed flat on her bottom if Haruto hadn't steadied her.
"Is this... an attack?"
The barrier enveloping the villa was torn apart. Angel soldiers and fallen angel soldiers, who had been confronting each other, began fighting a group of suddenly appearing enemies.
Shemhazai stood up, pushed open the window, and glanced at the giant magic circle in the sky.
"Magicians?"
Michael also walked to the window, frowning. "Judging by their attire, they should be clones created using biological alchemy."
Haruto looked at the attacking enemies. All the assailants had their faces hidden by hoods, but from the slight features visible, it was clear they were mass-produced.
Like the angel and fallen angel soldiers outside, they looked almost identical and had ordinary strength, roughly B-rank.
There were two types of enemies, one of which resembled an elderly male.
The other type is a busty, silver-haired female mage with a sexy figure. Though her face can't be seen, her body is truly top-tier.
I nearly drove myself into a dead end earlier, getting tangled up in world-building and settings until my mind went numb.
Yesterday, I spent six hours writing five thousand words but still didn't finish, almost pushing me into despair.
Today, it took me half a day to sort out my thoughts. I'm just an amateur writer, and I'm writing simple, fast-paced wish-fulfillment fiction!!!
If even I feel uncomfortable writing it, how can I expect others to enjoy it?
No need to worry about it turning into a progression-focused or conquest-focused story.
Kill, kill, kill; fight, fight, fight. If you can't win, lie low first and work hard on dual cultivation to level up.
In short: eliminate the scum, keep the beauty.
After saying this out loud, I instantly felt refreshed, though I almost forgot how to write QAQ