Once the ’Emperor’ made his request and decree, he turned around and left, leaving the beasts to retreat as well. Laz, looking down from the wall, knew this tactic as he had watched a ton of historical drama shows in his life and knew that the result was never what was offered. If anything, it was a Trojan Horse in disguise as opposed to a real way to live. Even if he was telling the truth, this would only buy them more time but at the cost of locking them in for destruction.

The problem with any trojan horse was that there were always some high minded fools that would believe what they were being offered, if only because their cowardice wanted them to. And this time was no different.

"It’s only a few garments and his royal seal. Without the palace, there isn’t any worth to that thing anymore anyway."

"I don’t see why the Empress needs to be so hard headed about such useless things."

"Are we all going to die just because she can’t part with her ex-husbands junk?"

Over and over again, words spread of the Empress’ rejection of the proposal. While she had carried our a massacre, disposing of those who lacked loyalty to her, she didn’t wipe out their entire families and retainers, leading to the current issue.

By the time some of the rumors had made their way to Laz’s ears, he was almost shocked silly.

’One would think the Emperor is alive and well and all this is nothing more than a messy divorce proceeding. Just how foolish can people be?’ Laz thought to himself while strolling the corridors of the fortress.

When Laz finally came upon the room where Hera was holding conference, there seemed to be just as many dissenting voices as there were support which struck Laz as odd considering that the ones present should be the ones who were loyal.

Laz entered quietly and sat down, Nesha saw him enter and made her way over to him.

"What’s all this?" Laz asked the young demon girl who he hadn’t seen since he had gone out to battle.

"What does it look like? When the enemy was a distant figure and there was peace here, these people were fine to follow her majesty. But now that the enemy is at the gate and a way out has been offered, they show their true selves more clearly than ever," Nesha replied before stopping herself from spitting on the floor after remembering where she was.

Laz couldn’t help but nod his head when he heard this. It had occurred to him that this might happen, especially with the big trojan horse right outside the gate, but he thought that it would be a much lower number of people and not the half that now stood in defiance of the Empress. While he watched them, he noticed the Empress’ face on the subject as well and could sense the doubt within her eyes.

"You’re seeing her face as well, aren’t you? That’s what’s giving them the balls to actually speak up about this. While the fight was further away, she only had to worry about those within these walls. But now that things had gotten this far, she has to consider things from the aspect of her remaining people. There might only be tens of thousands of people living here right now, but she still has to do everything in her power to try to protect those people. The world’s fallen and there is almost no hope to get out of here alive. If there is a chance at survival, she must take that chance seriously or put everyone’s lives on the table," Nesha explained.

"I get that... but at this point does anyone here believe that the beast will keep it’s word?" Laz asked quietly.

"Yes. They do. If only because the Empress believes it will. Once it gets what it wants, it will leave to go do as it pleases while the beasts will return home. As for how long that peace can last, no one can be sure. But many take that as being preferable to just sitting here and waiting for death.." Nesha explained, having been giving training in the art of politics from her mother.

Laz watched on while the back and forth continued to happen, unsure if he should step in or offer his opinion. Whatever they chose to do wouldn’t change what he had to do and that was to get back home alive. The hard part was their decision to do this would mean he would be trapped here with the rest of them, waiting for the ones coming in to kill them all.

Because of this, the more he listened, the angrier he had become.

What he didn’t realize was the effect his anger had on his aura or the energy coming from him. Soon, all of those gathered were taking measured glances at Laz as he sat there, his anger clear by the expression on his face as his royal aura seemed to cover the entire conference room.

At some point, some of the gathered representatives could no longer stand it.

"I assume you have something you wish to say?" He looked over to Laz, his middle aged face lined with anger and impatience. None of these men had been at the gate when the Emperor fell and left the Empire to Laz, or what little remained of it. None of them had witness what had happened when an Asura became a ruler, therefore, they had no idea just what awaited by showing him their frustration towards him.

As for Laz, his reaction was far more charged that he had intended it to be.

"Why do cowering worms wear human skin? I didn’t know such a thing was possible..." Laz said, before thinking better of it.

"YOU BASTARD!"

"YOU DARE?"

"SOME LOW LIFE COMMANDER THINKS HE KNOWS BETTER THAN US?"

The insults continued and Laz couldn’t help but smile.

’Fuck being polite. Let’s let the asshole out for a change...’

"You sit here and insult the queen, insult the men fighting for you, insult the very Empire that gave you everything you have now and yet you fling accusations at me? What do you think any of you fools will accomplish by doing this? Do you really think you will live long under that beasts rule? Do you even know what will happen when if it gets the things its asking for? None of you trusted her majesties decision and instead are only thinking about saving your own hides. But for how long? A week? A month? Do you really think that was the Emperor speaking to you? Because if you’re that foolish, you should do us all a favor and throw yourself from the ramparts before your stupidity infects the rest of us. And if, and I do mean if, you’re not that stupid, then that means you plan to trust the beast who destroyed the empire and ransacked the world to suddenly leave you alone to what? What do you think will happen in the mountain fortress? You will start growing food in the stone? You’re going to start hunting wild game and the beasts who roam around will leave you alone? Are any of you fools thinking that any of this is a long term solution?"

While Laz’s voice wasn’t loud, it bore deep into the souls of the listeners, forcing them to take the words in even if they didn’t wish to hear them.

"But it even offered to open up land for us?" One of the stronger willed individuals managed to say.

"So that you may serve another as a slave. You think these beasts can till the land themselves when there will be plenty of slaves to do the work for them? Is that how you wish to live out your lives? Even the peasants of the Empire were treated fairly and paid for their work. Do you think the same will apply to you? Laz responded with a smirk. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

They didn’t have an answer back as these men were many things, but they wouldn’t have survived long in power if they were stupid. With the strength of his Asura bloodline and the royal aura he had now gained, they could barely raise their heads to look at him.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" One of them finally broke down and asked.

"We need to live long enough to escape..." Laz said, a thought forming in his mind.

"Escape? To where?"

"The outside world. It will be a far different life than the one you lived here, but you will be free at least."

"Is... is that possible?"

Tamesis had come into the room while Laz was making his speech and Laz looked over to her now.

"I’m not sure what you’re planning, but would we be able to move this place to somewhere else? Most likely yes. As long as you don’t plan on taking all of the land with it this time," she responded.

And with that, the plan for an escape had begun.

The question was if they would be able to live long enough to see it through.