Generally speaking, there exists something called a dimensional barrier between the Underworld and the human world.
Although the various pantheons all exist alongside Earth, they are fundamentally separate from the world where humans live.
And between those two worlds lies something akin to a dimensional wall within the cracks of space.
Under normal circumstances, it is impossible to travel freely between the two worlds. Only after a fixed teleportation point has been established in both locations can teleportation magic be used to cross over.
Of course, that is only the standard method.
There is another formal way to travel between the human world and the Underworld, by taking a dimensional train.
There was one such exclusive dimensional train belonging to the Gremory family beneath Kuoh Town.
But the Old Maou faction clearly didn't have anything like that.
Katerea brought Rod to Old Maou territory in the Underworld through teleportation.
The dim room at Khaos Brigade headquarters changed in an instant, replaced by a vast open landscape stretching as far as the eye could see.
The sky was a dark violet, and yet there was still a sun hanging overhead.
But despite the bright sun, the air didn't feel hot against the skin at all.
Other than that, the thing that struck Rod most was the smell of the air.
Compared to the dry, PM2.5-saturated air of the human world, Rod could responsibly say that the air in the Underworld smelled almost sweet.
If someone with respiratory problems stayed here for a while, they might recover on the spot.
No wonder most pure-blooded devils didn't like living in the human world.
Comparing the comfort of the air between the two worlds, anyone with half a brain would know which one was better for long-term living.
"This is the Underworld. Judging by your reaction, this should be your first time here."
Seeing the look on Rod's face, Katerea smiled slightly.
The Underworld was her homeland, so seeing an outsider react like this naturally pleased her.
"This place is the territory of our rightful Maou faction. After that group of thieves stole my throne, they drove all the devils who refused to submit to them out here to fend for themselves. One day, I will reclaim the title of Leviathan Maou!"
As she said this, Katerea clenched her fist, looking absolutely certain of herself.
Seeing that, Rod couldn't help sighing inwardly.
The so-called righteous side drifted through life like slackers, while the villains not only had clear goals, but worked tirelessly toward them day and night.
So who exactly was the real villain here?
Still, Rod made no comment on the dispute between the new and old Maous.
Sirzechs and the others were indeed the protagonists' side in the story, but from Katerea's perspective, as a descendant of Leviathan, the people like Serafall who took the throne really were thieves who had betrayed the Maou.
"Take this pass. With it, you can move freely throughout the territory of our rightful Maou faction, as long as you stay out of the forbidden zones. If anyone tries to stop you, just show them this."
The so-called pass was actually something like a scale.
"Huh? This is a scale?"
"That's right. It's a scale shed from my true form. As you know, I carry the pure bloodline of Leviathan."
The moment Katerea brought up her bloodline, her expression turned proud.
"So… this is basically flakes from your skin?"
Rod muttered it under his breath, instantly making Katerea grind her teeth in irritation.
"I have other matters to attend to. When I have time, I'll come find you."
Katerea was about to leave when Rod stopped her.
"Wait. There's one more thing I want to ask."
"What is it?"
"I want to ask where the treasure vault of our old… I mean rightful Maou faction is. Don't look at me like that. I'm just asking out of curiosity. Pure curiosity."
"..."
In the end, Katerea still did not tell Rod where the treasures were stored.
She didn't know what exactly he was planning, but she had a bad feeling that telling him would be unsafe.
And before leaving, she even warned him not to force his way into the forbidden zones. Even with the pass, it wouldn't help him there.
"..."
After she left, Rod wandered around the territory of the Old Maou faction on his own.
Rod remembered that the surface area of the Underworld was roughly comparable to that of Earth. And because it had no oceans, only lakes and land, the amount of usable space was astonishing.
On top of that, the population of the Underworld was sparse, so many areas remained undeveloped.
Even the Old Maou faction, despite losing the war and being barred from entering the territory of the current rulers, still had a considerable range of movement.
That said, the Old Maou faction's living standards were pretty bad.
There weren't many tall buildings along the way. It wasn't exactly primitive living, but the place looked like it was stuck in the eighties or nineties.
It couldn't compare at all to the modernized government of the new Maous.
No wonder Katerea wanted to reclaim power. Compared to the luxurious life she used to have, living like this now was something no one could tolerate.
That suddenly made Rod think of the blank check Katerea had given him.
Sure, he could fill in any number he wanted, but that didn't mean there would actually be money in the account.
........
In the end, Rod still failed to find where the Old Maou faction stored its treasures.
But he had explored nearly half of the Old Maou territory and had also activated the teleport anchor there.
That meant that from now on, he could move freely between the Underworld and the human world whenever he wanted.
Some time later, just as Rod was starting to get bored, several devil soldiers appeared before him and told him that Lady Leviathan was looking for him.
"So? Are you getting used to our environment here?"
"Not bad. It's just too poor. There's absolutely nowhere to have fun. There isn't even an internet café."
At that, Katerea's lips twitched.
Entertainment venues?
How could something like that possibly exist in her territory?
"Those kinds of facilities that erode one's will do not exist here. But once I reclaim the capital, everything you want will be there."
"Rod, let me ask you one more time. Are you willing to help me reclaim the throne of Leviathan Maou?"
The moment Katerea finished speaking, a system panel popped up before Rod's eyes.
[Mission: Leviathan Maou]
[Objective: Assist Katerea Leviathan in ascending the throne once again]
[Mission Reward: Katerea Leviathan Affection +50, Random Reward ×2]
After reading it, Rod had to admit the rewards were fairly generous.
The only problem was that the mission itself was rather difficult.
Judging from the original plot, the bunch of rotten fish and broken shrimp in the Old Maou faction would struggle to beat even Sirzechs alone, not to mention that there were two Maous as strong as him. And Serafall and Asmodeus were several times stronger than the Old Maous as well. Even if people like Katerea ate a few "snakes," they would still only end up getting crushed instantly.
And on top of that, the Three Factions were clearly moving toward peace talks.
If anyone attacked the Underworld, Michael and Azazel would never sit by and do nothing.
But Rod quickly came up with a new idea.
The mission only required Katerea to ascend the throne again. It didn't say he had to start a war with the Three Factions.
Why not just declare a new kingdom inside Old Maou territory?
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