House Lowin's Estate. The Last Blood Bastion.
"Any word on that bastard Grimdawn?"
Demonmir inquired of Ariella Lowin, his tone grave.
They strode side by side, their conversation carrying them toward a raised platform not far in the distance. The gathered Rankers in the open hall yielded to them, heads bowed in reverence to Demonmir.
These assembled Rankers were all under Demonmir's command, including some half-bloods from House Lowin.
"He's been absent from the battlefield since the full-scale war began between the two kingdoms," Ariella replied, her voice carrying concern.
"Even the people of Edinburgh are hunting for Eren, but he's gone off their radar. Moreover, it appears his guild hasn't dispatched the requisite number of Rankers to the battle. If he doesn't appear within a few hours, it's likely he and his guild will face persecution from Edinburgh's central administration," she provided Demonmir with all the available information on Eren.
"Where could that motherfucker be?"
Demonmir muttered to himself as he processed Ariella's report. He swiftly dismissed his doubts before speaking aloud.
"I guess it doesn't matter. He'll reveal himself soon enough if a warrant has been issued for his presence. Hehehe. It seems my moles within Edinburgh's central administration are still diligently working for me. They promptly issued Grimdawn a warning at the first opportunity," Demonmir thought to himself with a chuckle.
Demonmir had numerous subordinates still embedded within Edinburgh's central administration. He had refrained from contacting them casually to avoid exposing them as his informants. Yet, his subordinates seemed to continue executing his directives, seemingly poised to seize upon any slip-up by Eren for lawful prosecution.
The night's hush was disrupted by the rhythmic echoes of footsteps within the open hall, bereft of walls but marked by towering pillars. As Demonmir and Ariella conversed, their exchange of news continued.
"Very well, Ariella darling. What can you tell me about House Fenris or Sage Edgar?"
Demonmir inquired as they paused several steps away from the raised platform. Before addressing his assembly, he aimed to gather all the intelligence Ariella could provide.
Ariella contemplated for a moment before responding. "In the Last Blood Bastion, it's common knowledge that House Fenris is wholeheartedly loyal to Eren. So, when you shared your intentions to take action against Eren, House Fenris immediately appeared on my watchlist," she began.
"Unfortunately, I couldn't gather much information about them. They've isolated themselves in their estate a few days ago, and it seems they're preparing for big moves. They've also withdrawn considerable resources from the Last Blood Bastion's treasury, paying a hefty amount. But I haven't been able to ascertain their exact plans or targets," Ariella reported in a neutral tone.
"As for Sage JJ Edgar," Ariella continued, pausing to gauge the crowd's attention before raising her voice slightly.
"He's stated his intention to join the battlefield during the impending conflict. However, Sage Edgar has clarified that he wishes to participate in the broader war between the two kingdoms and doesn't have any direct involvement in supporting Demonmir's campaign against Eren Idril.
He also won't obstruct us from pursuing our objectives, as he views both kingdoms as enemies of the half-bloods," Ariella announced, ensuring her words reached everyone assembled beneath the pressed-pyramid-like roof, supported by massive white pillars.
It was evident that Edgar harbored deep-seated resentment toward both kingdoms, particularly stemming from the Edinnica Arena incident a decade ago. He had taken Demonmir under his wing as a direct affront to the Anfang Alliance and had supported Demonmir's efforts to sow chaos on the battlefield.
However, he refused to target Eren or fully support Demonmir in his vendetta against him, deeming it beneath his stature as a Sage to engage directly with a Master Ranker. Even though Eren was in a different faction and not exactly an ally of House Lowin, he was still a half-blood. As such, not directly targeting Eren was the most Edgar could do for him. Whether Eren survived Demonmir's attack on him or not, it would have to depend on Eren's own capabilities.
"Tch," Demonmir clicked his tongue with a trace of regret upon realizing Edgar's passive stance toward dealing with Eren. During the course of the decade, he had done much to secure House Lowin's backing, but it appeared it still wasn't sufficient to gain Edgar's full support.
'This old fool Edgar is still playing both sides, huh?'
Demonmir thought to himself with a clenched fist. He was more disappointed in himself than in Edgar for counting on the Sage' help.
'Fine. It's not like I need you to handle a puny fly anyway.'
Demonmir had been preparing ever since he realized Beelzebub was with Eren. He had dismantled all the runic constraints that might have hindered his actions against Eren.
In a way, Demonmir had defied the entire Last Blood Bastion with this decision, as it had been mutually agreed upon that neither he nor Eren would directly target each other, with the Last Blood Bastion acting as an intermediary.
However, after the loss of any possibility of cooperation with the Layos kingdom due to Saisha Goren's demise, Demonmir saw no reason to gradually align himself with the other factions within the Last Blood Bastion.
Ottoman lacked the time and patience for a cold war with Eren, as it had been for the past decade. Eren's targeting of Saisha Goen along with Arthur had influenced Demonmir to take these drastic steps.
Moreover, with the presence of another Demon Prince allied with Eren, Demonmir was unwilling to take any more chances. He had already persuaded some of his allies within the Last Blood Bastion to support his actions. He was prepared to deal with the consequences of killing Eren and quelling the Last Blood Bastion's anger as a whole, once he ensured the complete destruction of Eren and his guild.
Ottoman de Montmorency had summoned all the Rankers under his command, as well as his allies, at this point. He intended to lead them onto the battlefield from Layos' territory and strike at Eren at the earliest opportunity.
He was ready to eliminate Rankers from both kingdoms to achieve his goal.
At least, that was Demonmir's plan.
