We entered the room. Upon entering the six princes instinctively knew that I was the guild master of the demon hound guild when they saw duke Azara and princes Sophia behind me.
"Alex! What are you-"
Before the third prince could finish what he was about to say Sophia's demon, Asmodeus have already charmed the six princes all at once.
The six princes were struggling to fight the demon's power.
"You six will now be infatuated to this person"
The six princes sat down calmly while looking at me intensely.
I put the slave collars and slave contract on the table. Though it is called as a slave collar it has the ability to change its size, if I wanted to, which is very handy.
The six princes then wear the slave collars(rings) and sign the slave contract.
Whoosh.
The slave contract then were set aflame. The ashes then gathered and created a mark on the back of the right hand, symbolizing that these six are now my slaves.
"Why do you need them to sign a slave contract when they are already wearing a slave collar?"
"Currently, you have [8] circles around your heart. Meaning the slave collars can be destroyed by someone who also has [8] circles such as the saintess and pope from the kingdom of Otvon and the tyrant ruler from Elnhes. If they sign the slave contracts alone they would still be able to remain their sense of reasoning and attack me indirectly somehow"
"I get it"
"What do you mean?"
"The slave collar makes the person 'absolutely loyal' to someone but is breakable. While the slave contract makes the person do 'absolute cooperation', it is impossible to break but rebellion from the slave is highly possible as long as it is not direct"
"So the slave collar binds the body but breakable since it is a physical object while the slave contract is unbreakable because it binds the soul?"
"Yes"
Benedict answered Sophia's questioned. Now everyone understood why I did it.
With Sophia's command Asmodeus release the princes from being charmed.
As soon as they regained their senses they started yelling and curse at me. It was quite the sight honestly.
If this is not funny then I don't know what is.
"All of you sit down"
They sat down.
"For now all of you should rest. Sleep in this palace. Tomorrow I will be lecturing the six of you"
The six princes obediently obeyed my order and followed Vassago so that she can lead them to their rooms for tonight.
Eddie then entered the room, leaving the security work for Theodore.
"You all must be wondering why I know so many things, right?"
"Obviously" Sophia said as if saying the obvious.
"Are you going to tell us?"
"Yes. It is because I already know what will happened in the future as well as others' past. What I can tell you with confidence is that if I don't do all of this then all of us will die"
"How?"
Alexander who saw that I am not lying with the power that borrowed from an angel verified that what I said was the truth and ask first because he was sure that I was telling the truth.
"That I cannot tell you. What I can tell you is how you guys will die"
I then told them how they were originally supposed to die. Duke Azara will die from Vassago's hands. Sophia will die from bandits who she stumbled across while going to another country after the kingdom of Dilirea was destroyed. That Eddie died from Alex's hands because he betrayed him.
The three were frozen in place. They can't believe what I just said but they too knew the fact that lying won't give me any advantage at all. What's more is that Alex confirmed it which force everyone to believe what I just said.
"How will I die?" Alex ask.
He wasn't sad or anything. He was expecting an answer that he'd be somewhere completely unknown.
I glance at Sophia. She then took both Benedict and Eddie away to give us privacy.
"If you had kept on loving Rose Haiden, you would have died inside a dormant volcano near the harbor town that you own"
"....."
"There was a small lake inside. There, you were looking at the stars above while floating on the water as you lose blood every second. Your last words were [If only someone loved me for who I am, I wouldn't mind dying alone like this]. When I knew about your death I cried a lot"
"....."
"You are someone so innocent and pure. If you do not have anyone to receive love from I will give you all of mine"
"....."
"That is how I fell in love to you. Not because of your wealth or your status but because of who you are. I know more than anyone else that you are an innocent man who is broken on the inside"
I hugged him.
He was sitting there like a statue or as if time have stop momentarily. The sound of his breathing and my hear beat echoed through the room.
It has been a long time since I've been emotional like this.
"How can you love me that much despite not seeing me ever before?"
"Let's just say that it was as if I was struck by lightning. Completely unexpected but powerful"
After the banquet we went back to our room sharing each other's warmth.
...
Though Sarah is currently taking in charge of the Dominique duchy ever since the remaining Benzel family became a part of the Dominique duchy she doesn't have all the authorities to make decisions for important topics.
"Sophia what do you think of going to the empire under the pretext of sightseeing with your fiance?"
"Why?"
"Vacation and to establish authority. The northern nobles still haven't heard of the fact that their lord is engaged with you. Instead of being targeted later on won't it be better if you firmly establish your place there"
"That is true. But hey, why do you need my demon's blood if you were going to make me charm the princes?"
"I'll be going to Temal with Alex. I have a target there based on the recent info I got"
"Another psychopath?"
"Another psychopath"
We then entered the room where the seven princes and the two dukes are.
"May I know the reason as to why you turned all of us into your slaves?" Prince Ezekiel asked.
"Why are you being so polite to a commoner?" (Prince Oliver)
"And also, why are you being so obedient to that bitch, huh?!" (Prince Charles)
"All of you be quiet"
With that line alone from the first prince the other princes shut their mouth.
"The reason, I think, as to why she did all these is because she already knew what we are doing" (Prince Ezekiel)
"What do you mean by that?" (Prince Lucas)
"The guild master of the demon hound guild hunts nobles that engaged in illegal activities, that includes us. Now that Alex is under her control it would make sense why she would do this to us"
"I thought that they kill their 'preys'?"
"I think the reason why she didn't kill us is because she is planning to use us for her own benefits. Besides, if the six princes died simultaneously in the night that she participated in the whole royal family as well as the kingdom will be in a state of jeopardy"
As expected from the three, they sure catch onto things quickly.
Though they want to kill me they won't be able to do that and would instinctively jump and sacrifice themselves once I'm in danger whether they like it or not.
"Prince Ezekiel, if you already knew what I was going to do with you all then why bother asking me?"
"I was asking what you want us to do"
"If its about that then it would be simple"
I handed them a paper for each of them.
"This is an order. The things that you guys will be doing are written on the upper part while the things you are not allowed to do are in the lower part. It is separated so I doubt that you guys would mistake the two. Do you all understood what I said just now?"
"Yes"
The six princes answered simultaneously by force.
"From now on prince Leonard will be taking over the city that prince Ezekiel is governing. Prince Ezekiel will be transferred to the city that baron Goed is ruling over"
"That would violate the law of the kingdom"
"Normally, it would. But, the second son of baron Goed will be wed to the daughter of viscount Krog. The Goed family will go to the Krog's territory and will merge. Therefore it is legal for you to take over that place"
"You want me to create your very own place?"
"Yes"
"Based on what you said just now I assume that the baron is already on the palm of your hands. So why would you make me go there?"
He's too sharp for his own good.
"Your connection and ability to plan is much higher than the baron. Basically you are much more useful to me. You do your job properly and I will lessen your restrictions"
"Why is he the only one gets to be free?!" Yelled by prince Leonard.
"You sure are an idiot. I'm punishing you all based on the degree of what you guys did. prince- wait why do I even need to formally? Anyway, Ezekiel is the one with the least crime among you six. That's why"
The only thing he did was to import and export illegal drugs and stole goods from the kingdom's treasury. What he did is by far better than these assholes. And he has the audacity to demand something from me? Ridiculous.
I was looking at the six princes but I can tell that Benedict and Eddie, who are behind me, were trying to calm down Alex and was making sure that he won't kill his brothers.
"All of you other than the second should go back and do your jobs"
The five princes stood up and went out to obey my orders.
I turned around and look at the two who were struggling to calm Alex.
"The three of you, go out, now"
Alex stop resisting. He then carried the other two and swiftly went out of the room with no hesitation in his eyes.
For the first time he actually trusted me for my own safety. I was a bit touched honestly.
Me, princess Sophia and prince Lucas were the only ones left in the room.
I took the paper from Lucas and toss it to the fireplace.
"From now on you will be part of the demon hound guild reconnaissance team under secretary Ezra's supervision. Before that happens Jerome will be teaching you how to fight"
"Why do I have something different from my brothers?"
"Why you ask. That's because you have committed the most inhumane sin among the six"
Back in my world cannibalism was the norm. Because there were no food due to the radiation. People swallowed their own humanity and ate their own kind to survive.
But this scum ate people for fun and pleasure.
When I saw his memories, when his childhood was reenacted right in front of me I genuinely felt disgusted. I wondered how such a man was born to this world.
He didn't suffer from anything, be it physically or mentally since birth. He had everything people would want. I wonder what made him to step so low.
"Death would be too kind of a punishment for you. That is why you will face hardships from now on"
"You will starve me as I train?"
"No. I'm not petty enough to do something like that"
I handed him a different paper. It was written there the location where my house is in the forest.
"Make sure that no one follows you. Make sure to go alone"
"...Understood"
I exited the room with Sophia who heard everything I said.