There was a huge cave in the northern part of the Muivell Kingdom.
It was a limestone cave that seemed to have been cleared up to make a clear floor and ceiling.
A giant hall was constructed inside the cave. It looked like a box with a length of at least thirty meters. There were even multiple floors inside.
However, there was a smaller box that was constructed on the opposite side. The box took up ten percent of the hall's overall size. Its sides were covered with solid walls, while the one facing the hall was covered with a solid wall and curtain so that someone could enter and talk from behind the quilt.
Outside the box stood two people. The first one was an old lady with long white hair. She looked calm and dignified, but her eyes were so sharp that it felt like she was looking at her prey.
The second one was a muscular man in his forties. His size was similar to Igor, but his body was naturally exuding killing intent. He had a confident face, showing that he could tackle all problems.
However, his confident smile disappeared the moment another man similar to him entered the room.
"!!!" The guy suddenly turned around, finding the same muscular old man that ambushed Noel and the other groups.
Yes, he was the strongest Devil Saint, who was said to have become the Spirit Transcendence, Alexander Brighthammer.
"To think you would be coming here…" The guy tried to strike up a conversation, but he still felt pressured by Alexander's gaze alone.
Alexander looked at both of them until he was a few meters away from the box. He then knelt down. "Long live the Supreme Devil."
"Thank you for your hard work. It's thanks to you that we can kill two captains and injure that Oscar." A voice suddenly resounded from behind the curtain. The voice was deep, but the tone was flat and devoid of all emotion.
"It's for the sake of the organization." Alexander shook his head calmly, showing that he was just fulfilling his duty.
"It seems that all of you have gathered here."
The moment they heard those words, the muscular guy and the old lady walked toward Alexander and knelt next to him.
"Please wait." Alexander stopped him.
"Alexander." The old lady furrowed her eyebrows as she didn't tolerate any disrespect toward the one behind the curtain.
Alexander ignored her and explained his reasons. "I know that you're going to discuss the so-called Noel Ardagan. So, I think there is one more person that should have come."
"…" The person behind the curtain didn't answer him immediately. However, the old lady snorted, correcting Alexander. "Do you mean the one who has failed to capture a kid multiple times?"
"The Supreme Devil hasn't spoken. It's also not your turn to speak, Qiel." Alexander pressured her back. "Besides, if we're planning to talk about that kid, we should get him to speak about everything. He might have failed multiple times, but you can't deny his talent as he might be able to become another Spirit Transcendence among the Devil Saints."
"That's enough." The man stopped their fight and said, "That's true. After all, he has been the one following him the most. Although I'm a bit reluctant to see him, he can enter as well."
"In that case, please forgive my rudeness." Alexander immediately stood up and turned around, calling the name out loud. "Laufey. You may enter."
The moment his name was called, Laufey entered the room with his head hung low. He had failed multiple times and cost the lives of a lot of Devil Bishops, so he couldn't be forgiven easily.
His expression was calm, but he didn't appear to show his dignity. He immediately fell onto his knees behind Alexander. "Long live the Supreme Devil."
"As you might already know, we will be discussing how to get that kid, Noel Ardagan, into this place." The Supreme Devil looked at Laufey from behind the curtains. "So, what do you have for us, Laufey?"
"I believe that we have to apprehend him right away." Laufey didn't hesitate to show the urgency. "It would be a problem to create an international issue since the other kingdom might mobilize their force to help the Demon Banner Army to suppress us."
"However, I believe I have told you about the secret of the Ardagan Family. According to my spy, his conversion rate is far below Anna Stargaze. Yet, why could he keep up with her progress? That's where I finally believe the secret that I've stolen from the Ardagan Family."
"Noel Stargaze has received the inheritance of his ancestor, the only Spirit King ever known in the Muivell Kingdom's history."
"I thought that the Spirit King's inheritance and record were left behind in those books. So, I had been trying to steal those books while I was a member of the Ardagan Family. But it turned out the true inheritance was the sword."
"Unfortunately, the moment he was recognized by the sword was the time Dimitri joined the Ardagan Family. I couldn't steal the sword and was forced to flee."
"With his current speed, it is not impossible for him to become a Spirit Grandmaster within one year from now. When that time comes, it's going to be hard to capture him. Hence, I suggest we capture him now."
"With the inheritance of a Spirit King, we would be able to produce a lot of Spirit Transcendence, and Your Excellency, the Supreme Devil, might be able to become a Spirit King yourself."
Laufey ended his explanation with a temptation.
Alexander had a grim expression. He knew that the Supreme Devil was a rare talent as well. It wouldn't be weird for him to become a Spirit Transcendence sooner or later. And if he truly received whatever Noel had, he might be able to become a Spirit King in his lifetime.
"His words are tempting. What do you think, Qiel?" The Supreme Devil asked the old lady.
"I believe that we need to apprehend him quickly." Qiel actually agreed to Laufey, but she added, "But… Laufey won't be the one doing it. He has failed multiple times."
"Then, who do you think will be ordered to go? Are you suggesting Alexander?"
Alexander hurriedly replied, "If I'm ordered, I will immediately go after him. Even if I have to ignore all the captains in the Demon Banner Army, I will definitely catch him."
"No." Qiel shook her head. "While Alexander can do it, he is still occupied with the commander of the army. Hence, he can't do it or we can't predict how the Demon Banner Army will react."
"Then, who will go?"
"Please let me be the one to capture him." The muscular man suddenly raised his voice. "I will definitely capture him."
"I don't think Nelfer is suitable for this. There is a chance that he is already approaching the Atrecaeca Kingdom. It would be troublesome if he ended up massacring the people over there and caused international dispute." Qiel paused for a moment. "Hence, I shall go this time."
The Supreme Devil paused for a moment as if contemplating her suggestion carefully. However, Laufey and Nelfer showed their unwillingness. Laufey obviously wanted to get the first benefit, while Nelfer might be rough but extremely loyal to the Supreme Devil. He just wanted to contribute.
Alexander, on the other hand, added another point to consider. "I encountered him once when we were trying to inflict serious damage to the Demon Banner Army. I thought that he was just a weak person that I could easily capture after dealing with those captains."
"But my opinion changed when I saw Dimitri use his True Spirit Body without hesitation. The other two captains seemed to hold him in high regard as well. I also found out that he had made all kinds of escape routes."
"So, I looked into his deeds. It appeared he was the one who had caused a lot of our failed attempts in the past like killing the Water Lord, the Demon Farm, and other things. And with his current strength, he could be said to be the combination of Qiel and Nelfer. With Dimitri by his side, it wouldn't be wise to approach him without preparations."
Qiel and Nelfer were surprised that Noel got such high praise for Alexander. Even the Supreme Devil paused for a moment and asked, "How about Anna Stargaze, his nemesis?"
"She seemed to be preparing to become an arbiter. The king over there is planning to observe whether she can be a pawn or not. There is a chance that the king will use her to lure out Noel Ardagan and kill him." Qiel replied.
"Should we eliminate Anna Stargaze as well? Her talent is also no joke since she could keep up with Noel, who had the Spirit King's inheritance." Nelfer asked.
"Taking care of her would be problematic since we would directly provoke the Arbiters." Qiel shook her head. "We should capture Noel first and end the conflict with the army before moving to her. We are also spreading our influence in the royal court. Two Arbiters are about to be on our side."
The Supreme Devil didn't answer them immediately. Seeing Noel's ability and the complicated conflict in the Muivell Kingdom, he couldn't easily send his subordinates and ended up weakening the organization itself.
"In that case, Qiel will be chasing after Noel."
"Understood." Qiel lowered her head, but soon she was startled when the Supreme Devil added, "And bring Nelfer with you."
"What?!" Qiel looked unwilling because she knew how hard to work with Nelfer.
"Nelfer will be following your every command. If he doesn't, you may report it to me."
When she heard the condition, she reluctantly agreed. "I understand."
"Remember. Use the method with the least loss. Even if we can't capture him now, there is another chance. If my prediction is correct, he will be rebuilding the Ardagan Family soon."
"!!!" Qiel could see what the Supreme Devil was planning. "Even if we can't capture him now, we can attack the new Ardagan Family. With a bigger target, it would be easier to lure him out."
"That's right. Alexander will maintain the conflict with the Demon Banner Army. And Laufey, you are going to help the Third Prince in his plan. We will use him to distract the Royal Family. Besides, he was the one taking care of Noel during his time in the army, right? Use him to get all the information about Noel Ardagan. And you could tell him to force Noel to do something where we can trap them."
"I've received your order." Alexander nodded without hesitation while Laufey lowered his head. "I shall not disappoint you."
Qiel and Nelfer exchanged looks before lowering their heads to show they had understood their assignment.
"All of you are dismissed."
