To say Satanick was all smiles that day was overemphasizing how he felt regarding the current state of affairs concerning his upcoming war against the Gray Garden. There was indeed a sophisticated smile on his face due to the preparations all set and ready to go, yet there was more to it. While the supply caravans were arriving in due time with large regiments of guards defending them from getting robbed, there was hardly a need to worry about them. Routes taken by the caravans were all kept secret and known only to those who took them as well as the Gentleman Devil himself and Yagi. Each convoy was well-defended and carried everything loaded up for the legions within In Between and also those that would've been arriving in the Gray Garden. Not to mention the legions were already almost there. Satanick hoped to trigger the invasion within due time by having his military move in at once to crush his foes quickly. That initial assault would've been the deciding factor determining who'd seize victory because he would order every legion present to all move in at once to overwhelm the Gray Garden. Only the legions stationed between the Flower World and the Shadowed Sanctuary to the Gray Garden would've been held back. The reason for that was to ensure they'd keep the inhabitants of that world trapped and surrounded when Satanick's military eventually seized victory.
The only unfortunate setback was Lil because his wife defended that world from his forces as reports came in on the failures of each raid performed to try weakening them. Satanick knew his wife was a problem he'd need to handle personally with some assistance to wear her down before she could either be captured or executed. He really didn't care about her anymore at this point as the divorce papers were already signed by him and a subordinate who forged Lil's signature just to make it look like she did sign them. Legal documents had to be signed by the appropriate individuals pertaining to whatever the issue was, and he certainly did require those divorce papers to appear as such. Even though Lil didn't sign them, the divorce would be authorized whether she liked it or not—obviously, she'd relish being divorced.
However, another incident he had to consider was the report from Lieutenant Ken regarding Mors. For some reason Reficul's son passed through the Gray Garden en route to his home underworld and demanded to be granted passage back home. Ken had caved, informing the Gentleman Devil that Mors placed him in a position in which he'd have been negatively impacted by refusing or following orders. Satanick understood the ramifications of that problem, how refusing the son of another Devil passage into his home underworld would've been too costly as Reficul would've demanded why her own son was denied access. Additionally was the concern of Mors having been harmed, which, fortunately didn't pass, but nonetheless Ken's remark about changing his mind was also something Mors was going to report to his mothers. That was a stupid remark on the lieutenant's part and Satanick was going to have him executed for that if only to make an attempt at smoothing over relations with the Stoic Devil and her underworld. Making the news known that a war was being fought between the Gray Garden and his own Devil's Kingdom should've probably kept Reficul from interfering unless it was to defend her son or preserve commercial trade. Nonetheless, Satanick had hope she'd listen to his silver tongue spinning yarns of how he'd promise to split the spoils of war with her and Rosaliya to prevent them from acting. It was one truth he wasn't going to lie about, for he really would've given them each a cut.
Unfortunately, negotiations with them both haven't begun yet. The Gentleman Devil planned on contacting them first and putting forth his offers to them prior to the invasion beginning on his orders to quell any resentment they possessed against him. Reficul and Rosaliya hadn't sent word to him yet expressing their dissatisfaction, so perhaps they hadn't received word yet from their own subordinates that the war was ongoing. Still, Satanick believed they'd see things his way. They were Devils like himself after all and were in allegiance to Her Majesty, the Queen. Kcalb, though still a Devil, wasn't, thus portraying him as a potential enemy to the royal dynasty. All Satanick had to do was make that case to them and wield his silver tongue to make them come around with his ideas of victory for complete hellish supremacy.
Speaking of GriRea, he'd actually been contacted by her earlier and had used his demonic powers to warp straight to Snowflake Keep where she resided and presided over the region of Winter's Grace. Usually he would've traveled by way of locomotive for the scenic tour of the other regions located in between his and hers, though with his invasion taking precedence he had to make this quick. It wasn't a social visit, and it didn't seem like that from how the email was written. A political or economic venture perhaps, maybe business of demanding how he was fulfilling his office as the Devil of this underworld. Whatever the case, the Gentleman Devil always paid his fair share of tribute to GriRea when he was required to. Dealing with her wouldn't have been an issue so long as it was short and to the point.
While strolling through a lavishly decorated corridor with walls painted dark blue and decorated by various tapestries and portraits of: landscapes, individual demons, historical events, and ordinary paintings along with typical furniture one would've found in a hallway such as: tables, chairs, display cases, and mirrors, he thought of his victory. Seizing victory over the Gray Garden under the conditions he sought to implement against it would've been a cinch. Unconditional surrender was what he sought, seeking the resources and territory he'd share with the other Devils and GriRea to keep them appeased. The resources consisted of everything everybody owned and everyone themselves as domesticated servants and slaves whereas the territory would be property and land. To make matters better, he hadn't heard word from the Corporate Heaven either since Fumus must've been too busy with his own work to figure out what to do. Even if the Smoking God did try to get involved for the sake of preserving commercial trade, he still had to fix problems caused by the raids committed against border communities on his side of the border between his heaven and Satanick's underworld. That would've taken time, buying the Gentleman Devil all the time he needed to deal with the Gray Garden prior to invading the Corporate Heaven over the issue of Cosmea and her drive for vengeful justice as the Cherub angel was responsible for not only attacking Macarona, but also one of the maids who worked for Satanick.
Although Cosmea was nowhere to be found, however, the Gentleman Devil easily assumed she was alive if wounded by Macarona—either that or Macarona had killed her. If alive, she could've made another attempt once her injuries healed and she fully recovered. If dead, Satanick then had the means of fabricating a story of how Macarona murdered an innocent angel from the Corporate Heaven to keep herself from getting caught in an escape attempt. It wasn't important whether she was alive or dead so long as he could eventually dispose of the younger angel he still held captive. In spite of the fact Macarona might've had her uses, she was a threat he couldn't have fighting back against him and Warwick. That was why the young angel had to perish, though so far Satanick could pursue that to his leisure. Macarona came back alive and so had Medouco after their visit to Moonshadow Manor, yet it was likely they certainly encountered Cosmea at some point and fought her. What he believed wasn't likely was that they had conversed over current affairs, particularly Daimonji's death which he knew was a touchy subject for the Cherub angel. Cosmea would have definitely continued to pursue them just as the Gentleman Devil would've taken his time with them all, no rush.
Those two inexperienced guards he sent ahead of the experienced veterans who knew how to capture and kill Cherub angels were definitely reported dead. The cause was unknown and neither Satanick nor the investigators saw a reason to request Ludwig's professional opinion on the subject. He was busy constructing magical weapons and armor after all, so everyone figured they'd let him and his subordinates be for the time being. The war came first and foremost.
Nothing else was plaguing the military operation and no problems occurred during the past several days. He possessed enough freedom of mobility and control to regulate the war effort as he saw fit. This visit to see Her Majesty and his talks with the other Devils were of no concern to him regarding that. Everything felt clear and easy to handle.
"You summoned me?" he asked after stepping into a grand hall that served as part of an imperial art gallery that was open to those inside the castle. Staff cleaned it on a daily basis and determined what: portraits, ancient relics, and weapons with matching suits of armor went on display. Those invited to Snowflake Keep could view these priceless works of art and history freely unlike in museums that required entry fees for one-time visits or daily subscriptions to memberships that provided access and greater privileges. It was a beautiful grand hall, decorated by benches and chairs with bookshelves lining the walls too containing manuscripts about each piece of art displayed and the creators. Windows on the far wall showed the snowy garden below filled with beautiful plants that survived only in winter along with impressive ice sculptures that hardly melted, but were often deconstructed on purpose to produce different images with the ice. Adjacent to these was a labyrinth of hedges covered in snow as well as a frozen lake for ice skating if anybody was interested. Watching the outdoor scenery as a gentle snowfall descended from the cloudy sky proved itself to be a daily activity too since the weather was so graceful and sophisticatedly serene that it was peaceful. Stood before the windows doing just that was GriRea, observing the snowfall with her back turned to her vassal so she could watch the scenery.
Upon hearing him approach, the Queen simply turned her head to acknowledge his presence for a moment before averting her attention back to the falling snow. The facial expression she displayed was a usual one, her eyes full of aristocratic solemnity whereas a frown showed her feelings were quite neutral towards the vassal. Granted, she was always like that towards others since she usually didn't display any emotions of any sort. One might've considered the lack of feelings to be a lack of humanity, though this was actually expected of somebody of such regal status as her. GriRea was the Queen of all underworlds and as such had to behave and act like one accordingly in order to please her vassals and the people she served as their ruler. Everything she did had to be examined by her with intense scrutiny, yet everybody was doing the same to her because she was expected to be a good ruler. It was more or less evaluation of GriRea's responsibilities from both herself and others, and it was also why she, like her predecessors, allowed Devils and demons under her guidance to have great autonomy in determining what the hells they governed were like. Although GriRea still acted as an administrator to them to ensure their power was in check and didn't supersede hers, they were considered to have had true power in that sense. Of course, she was still much stronger than all the Devils combined. "You've come as requested, Satanick," she commented blandly as he strolled over to join her. "I am grateful you took time out of your busy schedule to come and deliver your report concerning how the Devil's Kingdom is surviving under your reign. I must admit I am always curious as to how it's able to live in spite of such appalling conditions in place."
"It's because both the economy and monarchial government are in good hands experienced to regulate them," the Gentleman Devil replied to give her an obvious answer, one she knew very well from his previous reports on the matters she demanded to hear from him. Still, every time he visited she would make that same remark as if she were unfamiliar with it and expected change. Reform never came, however, yet the Devil's Kingdom still lived. Stuffing his hands inside his pockets while watching the snow with her, he pondered on the moment in question. They were alone together and he was secretly working with Warwick. If he assassinated GriRea now, it would have benefitted the black market by turning everybody's attention towards a successor as the Queen had no heir while he and the Business Devil went about their business while the Right Hand offered support during the underworlds' infighting. Unfortunately, that might have accelerated their plans a bit too quickly and could've placed unwanted attention on them which was why Satanick decided now wasn't the best time even if he was secretly armed to commit the treasonous deed. Nonetheless, it never hurt to keep the dagger and his demonic powers at the ready in case things went south. "Truly beautiful weather we're having," he remarked while they watched the snow together. "Perfect for an amicable chat wouldn't you say?"
"Am I to assume you are planning something in secret, Satanick?" Her Majesty inquired rather suspiciously.
The Gentleman Devil shook his head. He had to admit the way he phrased that was distrustful, though he'd simply allay her concern as nothing more than sheer paranoia at the thought of possible enemies around her who may have taken an opportunity to assassinate her. Perhaps she thought he was and might've known he was armed, though Satanick sought to quickly reassure her it wasn't the case. "Not at all, Your Majesty, I am simply commenting on the moment and the vista that makes it so stunningly serene. Though I will admit I carry a weapon on me in addition to my devilish powers, it is only for your safety, Your Highness. It wouldn't do to have the moment interrupted by a threat."
GriRea cast a suspicious glance at him, but nevertheless returned her gaze towards the snow. "I see…" she murmured quietly, but still loud enough for him to hear. Maybe she bought his fabricated response to some extent if not fully, but at least it seemed she was no longer concerned about what he was planning for this moment as if it became unimportant in the face of what she would demand of him. "Now, what of your report? How is the Devil's Kingdom faring as of late outside the region of Winter's Grace? Is the economy in shape enough to provide for its citizens by sustaining the population? Has your government made strides in domestic affairs? Were negotiations with foreign underworlds and worlds not governed by either deities or Devils handled fairly towards both parties? What of current relations with the Corporate Heaven? Have you ensured our wellbeing is being administered to with our civilization protected from any and all threats that might be posed from whoever may arise to cause discord and chaos among us?"
"So many questions as always, Your Highness," Satanick chuckled, not bothered by her asking the same kind of questions she normally inquired of her subordinates and vassals. "If I may suggest, why not ask one at a time before putting the rest forward all at once? But nonetheless, I have the answers you seek. As I've just said, the monarchial government and our economy are in experienced hands that know how to take care of them for the populace. Other regions not under your control are intact even if you find the restrictions my predecessors and I placed on wealth and gender to be too constrictive and overly obstructive. They're the same as always with negotiations faring well on every front, both domestically and internationally. Why, the future Youkai Kingdom has made additional progress with its secession from our underworld as its own world; unfortunately, however, it requires a male heading its government. Nevertheless everything is running smoothly, including our relations with the Corporate Heaven; the Smoking God possesses no motivation to attack us where there is none. He is still a valuable ally when we're not at war, but I must say we cannot expect him or any subordinates of his to become an issue, hence why we must always be constantly wary."
"Would that explain why there are a couple legions stationed at the border of our hell and his heaven? They've not caused trouble to give him a reason to invade, have they?" the Queen inquired, focusing on those legions. GriRea's awareness of them wasn't so surprising to the Gentleman Devil since he thought she'd find out, but he'd assure her the legions weren't a problem and wouldn't cause any issues. Of course, it would be a lie he'd intentionally say to her.
"But of course not, Your Majesty. My legions are not so ignorant and foolish as to attack him without orders."
"You have not given them any orders of the sort?"
Satanick shook his head. "Not at all, Your Highness."
GriRea directed another suspicious glare at him. "And what of the legion presently near Winter's Grace?"
"Again, for your protection, my Queen," the Gentleman Devil responded simply, no elaboration needed. She appeared to be too suspicious of a legion sitting directly on the border into Winter's Grace. Said legion was only there because Satanick didn't want her to participate in the war. If it came down to it, he would definitely order it to invade Winter's Grace and damage the region's society or outright destroy it. Again, it was another circumstance that could've either accelerated surreptitious planning or drawn unwanted attention. However, the legion was instructed to be known since the Gentleman Devil expected the Queen would've probably contacted him as she'd already done. Henceforth Satanick was in a position to make his case to GriRea that it was to ensure she'd be safe while keeping the clandestine motive of preventing her from acting in the war in any way concealed. It was the perfect strategy with his silver tongue. "There are would be pretenders to the throne everywhere in the shadows, waiting to stake their claims and see to your assassination for dominance over the underworlds. We, your vassals, as well as the citizens support you; nonetheless pretenders might emerge. Besides false rulers are enemies of the hells, heavens who must conflict with us as per the natural law. Even worlds not governed by deities or Devils may prove themselves problematic as possible threats."
"Such as the Gray Garden, Satanick?" the Queen raised an eyebrow at this inquiry of hers. "You are aware it's peaceful, a tranquil world of harmonious coexistence between angels and demons in addition to their Nephilim as well?"
"Appearances can be deceiving, Your Majesty," he attempted to correct her by reminding GriRea it was not a good idea to judge a book by its cover. "You must understand that a rose can very well become a ruse. I suppose you received word from your royal couriers who deliver the news to your ears on a daily basis that our hell is at war with the Gray Garden. One of their citizens murdered one of my subordinates during an operation in which we were trying to rescue my wife from their clutches after she'd been kidnapped while simply passing through. As per the international regulations, the perpetrator—a trained guard who served the White Goddess and Black Devil—has been apprehended and shall face justice. Although, I admit I'm not following them strictly because I believe she'll be let off the hook."
"So rather than allow her to be tried and convicted in her own world as you negotiate with the Gray Garden, you've essentially arrived at the conclusion a war will be more beneficial? Did you even negotiate, or did talks fail?"
"We've negotiated with them, though everything fell through, hence the war," Satanick replied with what could've only been described as a half-truth and a half-lie. "Regretfully we must eliminate a world that has become so beneficial to us indirectly by way of commercial trade with the Corporate Heaven, the Shadowed Sanctuary, and the Flower World. Even so, there is a silver lining, Your Highness. From this war, we can acquire resources and territory for the underworlds and possibly use it as a front against the heavens in times of strife against them. Consider it, a world wherein the Black Devil who resigned his duties as one of your vassals to make peace with the White Goddess once again comes under imperial authority. Then we'd have two worlds under our complete dominance—three if counting Warwick's Black Market World. We'd outnumber the heavens with demons stronger in numbers and power if we're consolidating our resources and territories against the deities. If we gain support from worlds with no divine influence, we'd be set and underworlds would be paving the way towards hellish dominance over all of the worlds in existence."
Having directed her attention to him once he finished speaking after looking out the windows to visualize the scenario her vassal laid out for her to consider, GriRea put some thought into what the benefits and consequences of dominating another world to oppose the heavens would've been. "That does sound…" she paused, considering the correct term to apply, "tempting." Her assumption was right as Satanick's idea was enticing. Of course, that was if it worked out properly. What he left out were the consequences of declaring a war against another world: fighting two to one against its Goddess and Devil unless support from the other Devils and royal authority came in; time consumed by conflict with that world; regulation also taking time to ensure it was up and running; spreading supplies there that may have caused said supplies to be spread too thin elsewhere; and running out of resources and territory too quickly. These were all factors that needed to be considered, and she wondered if the Gentleman Devil thought of them as he was thinking about how preparations were going. As alluring as his offer was, she still wasn't convinced. "Yet I don't think a measure such as this war is necessary, really. Kcalb's one of my former vassals as you've noted; despite his resignation, my authority over him still holds and I'm positive he would respect said authority by carrying out any of my requests."
"At the very least I encourage you to think about it, Your Highness," her vassal attempted to make the Queen consider pondering on it further. "I have already taken the necessary precautions and ordered for all preparations to be carried out at once. It's been a long time since the Devil's Kingdom has gone to war against another civilization; the soldiers are all itching for a fight as it'll be good exercise for them to hone their skills by using the war to train and gain experience. You wouldn't want to quell their need for opponents by ordering them to stand down after everything's completed, right?" He smiled, trying to come across as persuasive as possible to make her come around eventually. A defense or offense against heavens was fine so long as there was a justified reason for conflict, but it still needed to be authorized even though a lot of her other vassals didn't seek her approval. While she still needed to sign her consent to allow a war to be fought, GriRea didn't really do anything to oppose her Devils if they started a war unless it would've been detrimental to the underworlds as a whole. "Please, do consider the needs of our people, your ever loyal subjects."
"I always do," the Queen replied as he began to walk away after bowing out of respect for her.
"Then I'm sure you'll weigh the option of this war fairly," Satanick commented as he strode away. "Now if you'll excuse me, Your Majesty, I must be taking my leave now. I've duties of my own to administer to, so I'm afraid I must cut this visit short. It would've been nice conversing with you on a social level, though another time will suffice."
"Just a moment, Satanick," GriRea remarked aloud for him to hear, making it an official order. "I have not authorized you to depart just yet. There are still issues that have risen as of late concerning this war you seek to start."
"What problems would they be, Your Majesty?" the Gentleman Devil asked calmly, turning back to her to see she wasn't even looking at him. He couldn't tell what facial expression she was pulling as her back was to him, so he didn't know she had shut her eyes to go over the issues she'd begun to bring up. "If they're a nuisance, I can deal—"
She didn't allow him to finish the thought, interrupting Satanick by assuming command over their dialogue. Had she done so she'd have known he'd simply say he'd take care of things on her behalf. Even without that confirmation, GriRea still knew it was exactly what he'd promise based on how far he got before she spoke up sharply. "This war you're declaring against the Gray Garden over the death of one of your subordinates; shall it really be of benefit? To whom shall it aid in the coming long term rather than the short term: all hells, or Warwick?" Her inquiry bordered on suspicions again, yet Satanick knew she was getting further to the truth. He wasn't worried, however, for he knew she knew he had once highly supported Warwick—secretly he still did—and the allusion he made to the Business Devil must've reminded her of that old truth. "Am I correct in assuming you wanted to declare this strange war all along?"
"It'll benefit all underworlds, Your Majesty, and I'll concede I did plan in advance for the war to occur."
"Yes, your financial records and troop movements of your military did indeed confirm that crucial fact."
Satanick narrowed his eyes somewhat, raising an eyebrow in confusion. He had also figured she'd discover where his legions were and how large each one was in addition to the organization of each particular legion. What he hadn't counted on were the financial documents pertaining to the war. Though he thought as well she would estimate what it cost to build up the military and mobilize it towards the Gray Garden, her awareness of those records was a surprise even to him. Nevertheless he wasn't bothered by it since he knew she was capable of acquiring the documents. "Pardon?" he simply murmured a single word, unsure why she even mentioned them to begin with. Now he was the suspicious one, thinking she was gradually beginning to piece together a coherent account of his relations to Warwick. Irony abounded in the moment as he wondered how she came about that information without his knowledge of her request. If she did, he'd have been the first to know. "Perhaps I misheard you, Your Majesty. Did you cite pecuniary papers that pertain to my military and the mobilization of said military just now? This is the first I've heard of it from you."
"Is it?" the Queen turned around and still stood at her place by the windows. "I've made numerous requests concerning similar issues in the past. Some have been fulfilled, but a few haven't reached me even as of yet. Although several of the reports I speak of were truthful, there were some that seemed to be fabricated somewhat or entirely."
"Miscommunication on my end, it seems," the Gentleman Devil nodded with a smile, understanding this concern. "Those reports might've been worded in a way you might be unfamiliar with, containing vocabulary jargon which might not be understood well if they were written in another language or used phrases and such not commonly associated with what must be said. That may explain the lack of pure clarity within those reports. Other than these, the requests that didn't make it most likely haven't reached my ears due to other issues that likely took precedent." He was hoping she'd buy that, yet he would have to comply in order to make it convincing. "I'll personally look into it on your behalf, Your Highness, and get back to you as soon as everything's properly in order from beginning to the very end."
"Will you now, Satanick?" GriRea demanded coldly, appearing as if she weren't believing it in spite of his assurance he would cooperate—if not fully as he could've covered some things up. "Considering how I've numerously demanded you respond by certain dates in the past and followed up by contacting my staff to keep me informed of problems and the like in addition to whether you've received the requests or not, I'm no longer so certain. Why, you'll possibly conceal something of value to the court that may be of crucial importance to them. In that case, I'll personally assume full control of this investigation by taking it into my own hands as necessary to ensure I understand the truth."
"I don't believe that would be at all necessary, Your Majesty," her vassal attempted to politely persuade her not to. He shut his eyes, shaking his head while waving a hand to dismiss the notion she brought up despite knowing this gesture and his denial would've made her more suspicious. Still, she had no concrete evidence. "As the Queen of our underworlds, you are obviously busy governing and administering to all of them, including ours. Please, allow me an opportunity to assist via full cooperation in your investigation. I'll oversee everything personally as promised, thus reducing any stress you may feel from the weight of having to perform your responsibilities. I am your vassal, after all."
"And as my vassal I am ordering you to stand down so that I may assume this responsibility since I do not believe you'll comply, or least not fully. It is indeed most necessary because I'm not so sure I trust you on this matter." Saying so she raised an arm and outstretched it forward, holding her hand out to use her fingers to gesture for something she needed at the moment. At first Satanick thought she was referring to him, but a tape recorder gently being thrown past him caught his attention as he turned to face whoever threw it. An invisibility spell was immediately dispelled to reveal another individual standing there, a dog—jackal—demon in a suit whom the Gentleman Devil quickly recognized.
"Sibuna…" he hissed sharply, disapproving of the Queen's Steward eavesdropping on their conversation. Something told him the other demon's presence was intentional, however, as GriRea's gesture was meant for Sibuna. Under any other circumstances the dog—jackal—demon might've responded, but instead he remained very quiet. Nevertheless his presence made Satanick very suspicious now because of the tape recorder which might've contained evidence on the audio track and also due to other demons present. The Gentleman Devil could very well deny what anything on that tape recorder was because it was nothing more than an oral testimony without evidence, so he was confident in his silver tongue to falsify an account against it by claiming it was nothing more than oral testimony that might've been a lie conceived by somebody who wished to frame him for any crime GriRea would've prosecuted. Satanick's bigger concern, however, was the number of other demons present and if they were nightblades, assassins, or inquisitors. While he could probably handle them, his abilities wouldn't have been enough against the Queen's powers.
Averting his attention back to Her Majesty, he listened as she played the tape to discern who was speaking and what the dialogue was about. He made out the voices of Macarona, Medouco, and Maekami, recognizing that they were in fact discussing secretive matters regarding the Gentleman Devil's status as Warwick's Left Hand with Maekami as a Finger. It displeased him even though he didn't show it, yet another factor he despised was Cosmea's voice as well indicating she wouldn't have been a threat to Macarona anymore. This didn't perturb him since he could've simply eliminated both angels via other methods that would've accomplished what he set out to use them for. Unfortunately, Satanick also recognized Chlomaki's voice on the tape recorder as she gave away crucial information too. It was bad enough the Witch of Shadows was involved too because he knew one of her familiars was a permanent resident of Snowflake Keep to maintain a close connection with GriRea because Chlomaki herself had a connection to the Great Witch. Henceforth the Queen could maintain relations with the Witch World and contact the Great Witch whenever witches and their craft were required for something or to place a witch within an underworld. "Allow me to get things straight, Satanick," Her Majesty spoke sharply as she paraphrased the content of that audio log. "You are working with Warwick for whatever purposes when I specifically ruled that his black market and all contact with him was forbidden. One of your retired subordinates, whom stated he was stronger than you, provided all of this information with a witch. Additionally, you attempted to frame the angels from the Gray Garden and the Corporate Heaven as well by putting both at odds with another to incite conflict between them. Am I correct in assuming this and the fact you'll mop up both?"
The Gentleman Devil smiled coolly, unperturbed by the recording because it was oral testimony, not evidence. "I'm afraid you've come to an erroneous conclusion, Your Highness," he stated to begin allaying her concerns, using an easy account that should've bypassed her beliefs to make the truth known to her—the 'truth' he was seeking to make when he was really lying. "What you hold in your hand is an audio log. That is merely a piece of oral testimony right there without concrete evidence to support it. It is not a tangibly solid form of proof to confirm suspicions it may raise. If I may suggest, perhaps you should also consider who's saying that and why. Perhaps they are enemies seeking to uproot everything we've worked hard to accomplish and sustain. As the party they're making the claims against, it seems likely they seek to get rid of me since they'll likely want to damage the Devil's Kingdom and potentially go after you next."
"Maybe so, but I would rather hear the whole story from all parties involved in this farce of yours," the Queen stated in opposition to his remark, claiming she wanted to know everything about what was going on from everyone.
"Even if they'll fabricate their claims to make their story believable?"
"You mean by doing precisely what you are doing now, Satanick?" GriRea asked rhetorically, not buying his fabricated claim and stepping forward to close the gap between herself and him. The Gentleman Devil attempted to say something, requesting she didn't lump him together with liars without any evidence that was solid, concrete, and also tangible with well-constructed logic holding it together with what she heard. Unfortunately for him, the Queen wouldn't allow him to say anything against her remark as she delivered a scathing order to him. "Know this, Satanick: I shall be assuming direct command of this investigation myself, and I shall hear from ALL parties involved in the court during trial prior to you authorizing the order to initiate further conflict and the beginning of fighting in this war. That means I'll personally address all of your subordinates one by one, and the same goes for the White Goddess and Black Devil in addition to their citizens, especially Macarona. Furthermore, I am to also hear testimony from your wife, Lil, herself." Stopping directly in front of him, acknowledging that he himself was likely inwardly seething just as she was, GriRea ensured she was close enough to let him see how enraged she was. Her fury, while controlled, was quite livid. "Am I clear, Satanick?" she inquired to know if he understood. "Or must I repeat this command to all of your subordinates?"
Though angered by her refusal to accept his request to let him handle it so that he truly could conceal what GriRea expected to find, Satanick didn't express his displeasure. He did frown while she was speaking, yet had not thought anything of her threat, nor why she wanted to hear from Macarona in particular. The Gentleman Devil merely assumed the Queen only mentioned her name because he believed she referred to the audio recording and how the angel's name was mentioned on it. However, he also knew she must've figured out she was the angelic guard he was speaking of prior to his report taking the turn it did. He only required some time to prepare for accommodating her, so Satanick knew he could possibly request enough time to cover anything up before she took over. "Certainly, as you command, Your Majesty. I understand you fully," he smiled and bowed his head to concede. "If I may, might I ask for some time so that I may have everything in order for either your arrival in Zlienderstrom, or bringing what's necessary to your palace? Everything would have to be fully prepared to meet your expectations, and thus I believe it'd be best—"
"Denied," Her Majesty outright rejected his request without letting him finish making it. "I am demanding for either your confirmation as to the charges against you now—to save time on the investigation by having you turn over everything immediately with no trouble—or for the trial to commence as per court regulations so you may prepare a defense in your name against the charges. Of course, I'm already well aware you'll choose the latter to make your case. Henceforth I shall be calling my first witness in but a matter of several hours and will contact the other parties involved."
"Of course, Your Highness," the vassal replied and stepped back to bow out of respect for her. Externally he portrayed himself as rather calm and collected, but inside he was fuming and outraged at her conduct towards him. Though he knew she was correct in her approach towards the case, Satanick also knew her investigation was actually problematic for him for she could somehow discover he was still working with the Business Devil. Still, he maintained hope that all would work out well for him because he had already begun processing ways of how to make it turn out perfect in his favor even way before he put his plan of declaring war on the Gray Garden into motion. That world was merely a subject that could've been replaced by other worlds, heavens, and even underworlds; thus it didn't matter who was on the receiving end of his plots so long as he could get away with it. "I shall be preparing my case straight away."
"Good, but first you shall deliver Macarona to me. I'll hear from her first. It'll be nice to see her again."
"But of course, Your—" Satanick initially seemed ready to comply until his eyes widened when he opened them upon hearing her remark. He hadn't known she'd have chosen Macarona as her first witness, but was thankful for having several hours to 'prepare' the young angel for GriRea—by murdering her first. Yet the biggest surprise to him wasn't the Queen's decision to make Macarona her first witness, but rather that last part of the statement she made.
"It'll be nice to see her again."
That was the largest shock that, for once, actually caught him off guard.
"Again."
At once he discovered precisely one other reason why GriRea chose Macarona: she met the angel before.
"Is there a problem with my order, Satanick?" the Queen demanded a reply from him. "Do you take issue with my decision to speak with Macarona first? If so, then allow me to make it clear for you: if Macarona does not arrive here at my palace in one piece later today, alive and unscathed, I shall have your head on a pike, both figuratively and literally. As you've stated, your troops are itching for a fight as exercise to hone their skills by training to get experience in the war. I'm not about to quell their need for opponents if I'm to be theirs and yours as well now that you're all ready for a fight."
…
His head on a pike…That would've been the end of him. It hadn't even been minutes since he left Snowflake Keep via warping back to Nightrise Castle and already he was feeling the cold, bony fingers of death creeping towards him. In his mind he imagined himself in the grave, his head decapitated, separated from his shoulders and inserted on a pike firmly impaling it. Usually such victims would've had expressions of terror or stupidity even written across their faces; not him, for he would be slain with dignity as the Gentleman Devil. Satanick could feel their wriggling all over his head as they feasted upon the severed head that belonged to him, the maggots enjoying the meal they developed upon while his head continued to rot for all of eternity. Such a vivid vision of one's death normally imprinted horror on the beholders who thought of their own deaths and did everything they could to stop it during their span of living their lives normally. They'd try to accomplish as much as they could before death came knocking on their doors, an image of a figure who'd appear similar to Shikabone approaching at either a fast or slow pace. The sad reality was that death could arrive at any time and couldn't be prevented unless somebody happened to discover a means of achieving immortality. Satanick unfortunately didn't possess the means, nor did he know where to look. He wasn't terrified of death's advent, though rather enraged it was coming so soon just when his plans were soon blossoming into fruition. It infuriated him, leaving the Gentleman Devil with a burning desire to take revenge against GriRea for having issued that damn threat.
He planned on betraying her with Warwick anyway, but another matter came first and foremost, however…
Standing behind him was Anten and his council—well, most of them with the exception of Murdock who wasn't present for whatever reason. The wolf demon had to have heard the summons Satanick sent out the moment he returned from delivering his quick report to the Queen. Still, it didn't matter too much whether his Steward was there or not. The Gentleman Devil's cold, callous tone over the phone to have them arrive in his office immediately was enough for them to know something was gravely wrong. Not everyone could see his facial expression, yet they knew their superior was livid and with good reason since they figured the meeting with Her Majesty had gone south. Perhaps that had been why Murdock hadn't shown; he must've tucked his tail between his legs and fled the moment he heard the Queen summoned her vassal. Satanick could've sent Anten after him, but sought to keep the assassin reserved instead.
Nobody said anything for several minutes, appearing tense and on edge. Only Yagi and Storm maintained their rather calm demeanor, patiently waiting like everybody else present for orders on how to mend their dire predicament. Ludwig and Anten were both tense, the former expressing tense, nervous caution at the thought of their plans for the upcoming war failing. When nobody spoke after what felt like an eternity of dreadful silence full of nothing but anger, only Anten was the one who figured somebody had to shatter the unnervingly quiet tension. "S-so…" he murmured, hesitating somewhat to continue out of respect for his boss and fear for enraging his superior further. "How did the meeting with Her Majesty go?" That very question usually garnered responses about how well interacting with other individuals went even if the subject wasn't a person. It could've been an event that stirred up thoughts and reactions to whatever it was. As the inquiry fit both parameters, the assassin knew he'd get a response—if not one he expected.
Satanick tensed up, his body trembling in anger he attempted to manage calmly so he could think clearly. His struggle was a tough one considering what he had heard from GriRea and what she demanded he do by way of a death threat intending to subdue him. Sadly for the Gentleman Devil, it worked perfectly in her favor as her suspicions about him seemed to have been proven true somewhat as Her Highness was leaning towards opposing him. With a loud cry of intense, wrathful rage, he whirled around and whipped his hands across the desk to knock everything onto the floor. Behavior of that sort was childish as tantrums were conduct Satanick would've never displayed, yet his anger was still boiling over and he no longer gave a damn about how he expressed himself anymore. To further emphasize how mad he'd become, he took one side of the desk and with enough strength threw it onto its surface, the legs pointed up with a pair having penetrated the glass of his display case for oriental blades to shatter it. Though the shelves still stood, a sword toppled from one onto the floor before the enraged Devil snatched it up immediately to point it at his subordinates. "How?!" he demanded in anger, shaking the weapon at them without unsheathing it. "How does the damned Queen know that wretched angel?! What have you idiots been doing to ensure that blasted girl didn't oppose us?! Did you do anything—ANYTHING—at all to try and kill that little bitch so we wouldn't be in this bloody mess right about now?!"
"S-sir, I believe it'd be best if you'd calm yourself and tell us—" the Court Mage tried to speak, but couldn't.
"Calm down?!" his superior barked at him, throwing the blade down in rage and storming over to the window. "You expect me to calm myself after I've been threated to be sacked from my position by way of death?! The Queen herself stated my head would be on a damn pike she would probably display outside her goddamn palace for all the worlds to know we screwed ourselves over big time! How could we have not ever seen this coming at all?! HOW?!"
"W-with all due respect, s-sir—" Anten attempted to soothe his boss' nerves, but was interrupted by him too.
"Shove that damn respect up your ass, Anten! We've got bigger problems on our hands because the Queen knows Macarona! Did you hear me?! QUEEN GRIREA PERSONALLY KNOWS MACARONA! I heard her say that myself when she delivered that threat to me, demanding the blasted angel be unharmed and brought before her at once within just a few hours! We don't have time to be showing respect, Anten! We only have several hours of life left!"
"In the event of such a catastrophic apocalypse such as that," Yagi spoke up to cheer the Gentleman Devil up somewhat at least, "I have authorized the command to have all physical evidence destroyed and everyone useless to our cause assassinated by Storm's spy network to purge ourselves of anything and anyone who could potentially turn over whatever would prove we're colluding with the Business Devil. Storm and I have also constructed a team to murder Macarona and Medouco, plus we've prepared one for Ludwig to find Cosmea as well and send her to the grave too."
"There, at least somebody's doing something right!" Satanick spat and stormed over to a counter for some wine. Pouring a glass to try calming himself while quenching the thirst that came about by his screaming rage, he downed a glass to hydrate his throat before pouring another immediately after. Averting his attention back to the group, he spilled some of that wine by accident onto the carpet when he whirled towards them dramatically. "I want her dead…that damned angel, Macarona, set the gears of opposition against us by revealing everything to Her Majesty's Steward. It's why the royal court now has an audio log with the voices of all those wretched girls on it, plus Maekami's to boot." He didn't need to emphasize that fact by fudging it further; the mention of Maekami's name alone was enough to show Satanick was concerned because it was a known fact he was actually much weaker than the demonic bar owner. "I don't give two shits from a rat's ass anymore about Macarona being Rigatona's reincarnated descendant. I want her dead…" His subordinates would've told him such a perspective was risky, but he spoke again. "And where the hell's Murdock?!"
"Gone," Yagi answered him with but a single word before elaborating on it. "He bolted as soon as he heard you've been summoned by the Queen, and he's taken significant funds with him as well. Those finances would have been beneficial to us as part of the war effort besides his administration over the economic transport of said finances. Although we've taken a huge economic hit because of his cowardice, our military is still strong enough to seize victory." His brief explanation of Murdock's craven betrayal and theft confirmed Satanick's suspicions of the Steward's absence. Nevertheless it also indicated there was a silver lining they could've taken advantage of provided they acted at once.
"Good, so long as all of the legions are in place, we'll achieve our goal of defeating the Gray Garden," Satanick stated and began to alter those plans with critical changes. "However, we can no longer remain in this underworld any longer. With Macarona dead, the Queen will have outlawed us as traitors when that damn angel's not brought to her in time. We'll be moving into the Gray Garden for a different purpose once we subdue its military and population while murdering its leaders. That world shall become our safe haven for some time, and we'll hold its citizens hostage for our sakes to prevent the other underworlds and even the heavens from acting against us. They'll not want to fight back if we've got hostages as live shields we'll take with us to the Black Market World as products for the black market that can eventually be sold in secret for whatever purpose suits the buyers. Our enemies would not want to be held accountable for a mass genocide that'll exterminate the entire population of the Gray Garden, leaving no survivors in that world at all."
"And if they take the risk, then what?" Ludwig asked, pondering on the consequences of that.
"Like I said, we murder every single individual living in the Gray Garden, leaving no stone unturned," the Gentleman Devil replied, calming down a bit and no longer needing to raise his voice anymore. "But in that case, we'll need to come up with a backup plan if the heavens and other hells are willing to sacrifice a single world to stop us." As Satanick finished his second glass of wine, his eyes fell upon the lone assassin standing within the room. "Anten."
"Yes, sir?" said assassin responded as his superior approached him to give an important order.
"I want you to head the squad that shall be killing off Macarona and Medouco. Failure is not an option for you this time, do you understand?" he commanded the Pinky Finger in a cold tone of voice. "Fail, and I will end you."
Anten shuddered, concerned of the chances he'd truly fail to fulfill that order. Still, he had to accept. "Yes, sir."
Their plans and their lives depended entirely on success. Failure wasn't an option; they couldn't cut any losses.