Chapter 280: The Betrayer
"Ah, so Elisia was involved. It was the truth. Death Domain schemed against us. I’ll have a fun time talking to them," Vampire King muttered as he walked back to his throne. He looked at Ryder.
"He doesn’t know anything else. I don’t believe he lied, so there’s no benefit in me asking more questions. The questions I need to be answered can only be received in the Death Domain," he muttered as he closed his eyes.
"He’s under the effect of my Poison. Ask your questions before the effects take place. He’ll answer them all," Vampire King muttered as if he was telling others to be fast.
Ryder nodded his head as he glanced at Mao. He narrowed his eyes as he prepared to ask his question.
"I only have one main question. It is impossible for you to make such an extensive scheme targeting our Demon Realm without any insider support. As for that insider support and the people that betrayed us, I’m sure they are inside this Palace today. Tell me who they are. Tell me the names. Tell me who betrayed us!" Ryder asked Mao.
Master Mao was wriggling in pain on the ground when he heard the question.
"It’s Master Lu! Master Lu helped us! Please stop the pain! Please stop it! I am telling you everything! Please stop the torture!" Mao screamed in pain.
Ryder heard the name, and he was confused. It was the first time he was hearing that name.
"Who is Master Lu? Is there anyone with that name in your Palace?" Ryder asked Devilia in confusion.
"No. I don’t know of anyone with that name," Devilia replied, shaking her head.
"Who’s Master Lu! What is his position here! Tell me everything about him, and I’ll think about stopping the pain for you!" Ryder asked Mao once again. Since no one here knew who Master Lu was, only Mao could answer that.
" Master Li is a Death General in the Death Domain! He has the same position as me in that place!" Master Mao let out as he clenched his teeth to control the pain. "Please stop the pain now! Please stop it!"
Ryder heard his answer and didn’t know how he should react. He looked towards the Vampire King in confusion.
"Is the poison screwing with his brain? Is it making him lose his abilities to understand questions?" Ryder asked the Vampire King.
"It has no such effects. It only affects his body. He should be able to understand your question and answer them perfectly if he has the answers," the Vampire King responded as he sighed.
Ryder glanced back at Mao, who was begging for the pain to stop.
"You idiot! I asked you who betrayed us! Who was a part of the Demon Realm that helped you infiltrate?! Who helped you with setting up this trap in Devilia’s Palace?!" Ryder asked again as he started getting annoyed.
"As long as I don’t get the right answer, I’m not going to move even a finger to stop the pain for you," he continued.
"I-i’m not lying! Master Lu helped us! Master Lu has a skill that helps him disguise himself perfectly! He has been living in the Demon Realm for months! He was also in this palace," Master Mao told Ryder.
"Hmm? So there was an Imposter in this place? Interesting. Who was disguised as? Is he still here? Is he one of us?" Ryder asked curiously. He only doubted Devilia. If Master Lu had killed the Real Devilia before Ryder’s visit and he was pretending to be her, then it made sense that Devilia didn’t know anything about this.
"I don’t know who he was disguised as since he was in his real form when he met us, but it must be a significant position since he was able to set up the formation outside the Great Hall and the formation to get us back home! That’s all I know! I’m sure that he already escaped through that position when he saw us getting caught! Even if he’s here, there’s no way we can recognize him," Master Mao explained as tears fell down his eyes because of Vampire Position.
"So he can still be hiding here. I have an idea. We can easily test it. Demon Blood is distinct from the blood of Death Dwellers. We can cut out fingers and let our blood prove that we are not imposters," High Duke Oris suggested.
Everyone likes the suggestion except Ryder, who was thinking about something else.
’We can’t do that! If Rale or I bled, then the Vampire King would know that we were in the Valley of Wandering Souls when his General went missing. That wouldn’t be good,’ Ryder thought as he frowned.
"I can say for sure that I, Rale, and the High Dukes can’t be the impersonator. We can check everyone else," Ryder let out casually as he subtly got himself and Rale out of the testing.
He didn’t have any good excuse to stop this test, so this was the best he could do.
"True. Prince Hades was holding the Moon Scythe. No one except him can hold that, so Lu is not him. As for Rale, I know that he’s safe as well," High Duke Oris said as he nodded his head.
He didn’t openly say that Rale was safe because he was actually a lot stronger than a Duke. Master Lu was a Death General from what they were told. A Death General can’t kill Rale that easily. Also, High Duke Oris had seen Rale Unseal his real strength when he attacked the Black Skeleton King. Since then, he had been with Ryder. There was no way Master Lu could kill Rale and pretend to be him.
Devilia and the Vampire King were the only ones in the room that were not said to be safe.
"The Vampire King should be safe as well. He’s too strong for the Vampire King to impersonate him," High Duke Eston chimed in.
"That only leaves Devilia. Even though I trust you a lot, you have been here before we arrived. It’s possible that Lu did something when you were taking care of this Duchy alone. Just to be on the safe side, let’s start this test with you," High Duke Mila said what Ryder wanted to say, but he was hesitating.
Ryder didn’t want it to seem like he was suspicious of her, but High Duke Mila knew that he was suspicious, so she asked Devilia to go through the test intentionally.
Devilia looked at everyone blankly as she sighed.
"I am me. You should trust my ability to defend myself. It’s impossible for a Death General to defeat me and pretend to be me. Trust me! I am me!" Devilia ket out as she sighed.
"We know that you are Devilia, but just to be on the safe side, please go through the test," Ryder said as he found her behavior suspicious.
"No! You do not only doubt me, but you doubt my abilities as well. You know that I helped you so much. I suggested the plan of Dreimaia to search for the Black Skeleton King! I did so much to catch him! I don’t like you doubting my abilities and my dignity. I won’t stand for it!" Devilia said, shaking her head.
" I know you suggested the use of Dreimaia, but you also know that it was what Elisia wanted as well! If High Duke Eston had linked to Dreimaia and we were careless, the outcome would be different. Now, I’m not saying that your suggestion was wrong. The suggestion was right, looking at the situation, but it can’t be used as your Defence. Please believe that it’s for the safety of our home. Please go through this test," Ryder insisted as he glared at Devilia.
" No! I can’t accept it! How can you say that a Death General can defeat me? I am a Duke of Demon Realm! It’s insulting to me that you believe that I can be defeated by him while Rale can’t! I would not accept it. Test everyone in this hall first! I won’t be the only one that gets this lack of trust," Devilia let out as she rolled her eyes.
"Duke Devilia, Please understand that it’s not about trust. On the other hand, you’re really acting suspiciously now. Go through the test right now," High Duke Eston let out as he looked at Devilia suspiciously. Ryder and the others also found her behavior strange.
"It’s enough. I need to see if the repair work of the palace is going smoothly or not. I’ll be right back," Devilia said as she stood up and started to leave.
" Duke Devilia, I’m warning you! Stop and go through the blood test, or we will be forced to make you go through it," Ryder thundered as he stood up. His voice echoed in the chambers of the entirety of Great Hall as he used his Intimation Skill as well.
