Chapter 220. Holy Relic (1)
The Maginot Line.
A fortress built by France along its border with Germany in 1936.
France invested the enormous sum of sixteen billion francs into constructing what was meant to be an impregnable defense for its territory.
But in actual history, the Maginot Line failed to fulfill that role.
During World War II, the German army advanced into France through Belgium.
Rather than breaking through the Maginot Line, they simply went around it.
Nearly a century later...
the Maginot Line had been reborn as a Pandemonium stronghold.
The demons had remodeled the fortress, strengthening its defenses to their absolute limit, while forty legions had been stationed inside and around it.
At last, the Maginot Line had truly become an impregnable fortress.
“No matter how many times I see it, its grandeur is impressive.”
As Belial spoke and turned his head, the demon in the form of a beautiful woman frowned.
“What exactly did you come here for, Belial?”
“You wound me when you speak so coldly, Astaroth.”
Astaroth.
Number 29 of Pandemonium’s Seventy-Two Demons.
She held the rank of duke and commanded forty legions.
A tremendously powerful demon, she had once been considered one of the three most influential figures in all of Pandemonium.
Currently, Astaroth was the supreme commander of Pandemonium’s Western European front.
That made the Maginot Line effectively her headquarters.
“Weren’t we comrades who fell from Heaven together?”
“Don’t make me laugh.”
Like Lucifer and Belial, Astaroth was a fallen angel who had once held a place among the angels.
But there was no trace of camaraderie in her eyes.
“You traitor. You really have some nerve saying that.”
“Traitor? Whatever could you mean?”
“Do you think I don’t know? You were the one who pushed Gremory into betraying us, weren’t you?”
“Gremory? Ah, yes. She betrayed us in China recently.”
After Asmodeus and Sabnock died, Gremory had been left solely responsible for the Chinese region.
Then, not long ago, she suddenly betrayed Pandemonium and sided with humanity.
She was currently allied with groups such as the Black Dragon Society and driving the pro-war demons out of China.
“And you’re saying I was the one who instigated Gremory?”
“Weren’t you one of the leading figures of the peace faction?”
“That was a long time ago. Do you really think Gremory listens to me now?”
“As you know, I have almost no power left inside Pandemonium. My territory is tiny too.”
“The west coast of the Korean Peninsula, was it? I heard you had already established friendly relations with humans there even before Gremory betrayed us.”
“We simply had active trade. As you know, my territory is so small that we can barely survive without trading with outsiders.”
“Don’t make excuses. I heard you’ve practically been living among the humans lately.”
“As you know, the Contractors on the Korean Peninsula have become extremely formidable. If I don’t lower my head and behave, I won’t survive.”
Pandemonium’s forces in the northern Korean Peninsula had all been wiped out.
And yet demons still remained in the western coastal region ruled by Belial.
That was because he had made a political deal with the Eight Guardians through Ma Taesu.
“Ridiculous. If you personally stepped forward, you could sweep away humans like that in an instant.”
“Surely not. These days, I’m merely a washed-up relic without any power.”
“Are you going to keep playing dumb until the very end?”
Killing intent seeped from Astaroth.
“What exactly are you plotting?”
“That’s what I should be asking you, Astaroth.”
“What?”
“Why is the Demon God Assembly doing nothing?”
"..."
The Demon God Assembly.
A council attended exclusively by the Seventy-Two Demons of Pandemonium.
Its origins went back to ancient meetings held by the fallen angels who founded Pandemonium, where they discussed future policy.
Now it functioned as Pandemonium’s standing ‘parliament.’
Even commanders stationed outside the core territories required the Demon God Assembly’s approval before launching military actions.
But it was rare for all seventy-two demons to gather opinions and reach a true consensus.
Most decisions were made by a handful of demons with especially strong influence.
“Phenex died in Korea. Asmodeus and Sabnock died in China. Forneus died in the Russian Far East. Marbas died in France.”
“And Crocell was apparently attacked and killed by someone in Siberia as well.”
"..."
“The Eastern Region has been completely devastated, and Gremory betrayed us to join the humans.”
“Pandemonium is facing an unprecedented crisis.”
“And yet... why has the Demon God Assembly still not ordered a counterattack?”
“That’s a strange question, Belial.”
Astaroth answered as though the question itself was absurd.
“You should know the Demon God Assembly’s situation better than I do.”
“I haven’t been attending lately.”
“Don’t make me laugh, Belial.”
Astaroth snorted.
“You stopped attending because you thought the pro-war demons would seize you and tear you limb from limb the moment you showed your face.”
"..."
“That’s why you came to me, isn’t it?”
“You figured someone like me, who belongs to neither the pro-war nor the peace faction, might give you a relatively objective explanation.”
“My, my. I can never get the better of you.”
Belial smiled and shrugged.
“You’re right.”
“I’m in a rather difficult position these days.”
“As you just said, everyone seems convinced that I was the one who pushed Gremory into betraying us.”
“That’s why you should’ve behaved yourself in the first place.”
“But I’m innocent, Astaroth.”
“I’m not naive enough to believe you, Belial.”
Astaroth crossed her arms.
“Still... I can probably answer your question.”
“The reason Pandemonium has been quiet lately is because of His Highness Bael.”
“Bael?”
Bael.
Number One among Pandemonium’s Seventy-Two Demons.
After Lucifer’s death, he was effectively the single most powerful demon in Pandemonium.
Neither pro-war nor pro-peace, he maintained a neutral stance and kept the Seventy-Two Demons under control.
“The pro-war faction led by Moloch is screaming that we should wipe out the humans immediately.”
“But His Highness Bael is stopping them.”
“Why? Don’t tell me he wants peace with humanity?”
“No.”
“He’s also blocking the peace faction’s argument that we should use this opportunity to sign a peace treaty with humans.”
“Then what exactly does he want?”
At Belial’s question, Astaroth lowered her voice as if worried someone might overhear.
“His Highness Bael is searching for holy relics.”
Holy relics.
Belial could hardly believe his ears.
“You mean objects associated with Christian saints?”
“Not those pathetic things.”
“He is searching for objects connected directly to the ‘Son of God.’”
“Don’t tell me...”
“The Holy Grail.”
“The Holy Spear.”
“The Holy Nails.”
“From our perspective as demons, they are terrifying sacred objects.”
"...!"
The Holy Grail that received the blood of the ‘Son of God.’
The Holy Spear that pierced the side of the ‘Son of God.’
The Holy Nails that fastened the hands and feet of the ‘Son of God’ to the cross.
“Did you know?”
“Marbas recently obtained a holy sword containing a fragment of a sacred relic.”
“That was also under His Highness Bael’s orders.”
