Solomon could feel the angst building up in Astaroth's mind already and raised his hand toward him.
"Do not fret, young man. I won't let anything bad happen. Should you accept to fight him under his conditions, he agreed to swear eternal fealty to you. Should you back down… I recommend never using his powers again.
"Whether you win or lose, nothing bad will happen to this place or anywhere else. I will rein him in before that. But winning against him under his terms also has its good points. It will serve as a good show of strength to the other demons who might still have their reserves about you."
Astaroth listened to the sage, weighing the pros and cons at the same time. It wasn't a simple decision, since he would have to fight against a powerful demon, while having his strength still slightly weakened.
But winning against him almost guaranteed good results for the future. He wanted to take that bet.
"I'll do it."
