To the point that people would inadvertently doubt themselves and think that.
Regardless, his highness was holding a blade in his hand which was dripping with blood. The dripping blood adamantly rid people of any doubt.
I wonder if it was because the person who had caused the incident was so relaxed. The plaza that was buzzing with noise a second ago, had started to quiet down. A suffocating silence fell over the plaza. In that silent air, his highness Dantalian’s voice echoed lowly.
“Lapis Lazuli.”
“Yes, your highness.”
I immediately bowed my head.
“Recite the occasion a Demon Lord is allowed to attack another Demon Lord.”
“As this one is ordered to. For a Demon Lord to do harm to another Demon lord, one must first respectfully warn the other party twice. When the other party clearly ignores the warning, and proceeds to severely damage the honor of the first Demon Lord, then that Demon Lord may attack the other.”
A common law.
Because Demon Lords were sacred, they were free from earthly laws. However, if conflict were to occur between Demon Lords, then they had to be confined to the common laws. The common law that I had just recited was known as the 「Coctyus Warning」.
According to legends, if a person were to die then they had to cross over 5 rivers. Acheron, Coctyus, Phlegethon, Lethe, and Styx…… Coctyus was the second river. If a deceased were to cross over the Coctyus river, they would eventually reach Phlegethon, where instead of water it was a river of lava. Here people would fall into the river and have their souls lit aflame. That was why, when giving the Coctyus Warning, it meant that you were telling the other party to back off before they got burned.
Andromalius groaned.
“C-Coctyus Warning……? Keuhk! You bastard, do you even know what nonsense you’re saying!?”
That kind of response was natural.
Normally, Coctyus Warning was only used in the events of a war. If a Demon Lord wanted to attack another Demon Lord’s base, then they had to send a declaration of war twice. The warning was used in this kind of situation.
Its original purpose was to prevent war. By declaring that sudden attacks without having sent a declaration of war beforehand was illegal, in conclusion, had the effect of restraining conflict. His highness Dantalian was cleverly abusing this common law.
Andromalius howled.
“Keuk, it’s the end for you bastard! Dantalian! The end…… The other Demon Lords won’t let this slide easily…… keub! It’s too late to cry and beg for forgiveness! This great one will never forgive you!”
“The one at their end is you.”
His highness Dantalian stepped on the back of Andromalius’ hand. The sound of bones breaking echoed. Andromalius cried out even more sorrowfully and flailed on the floor.
“Rank 72nd Demon Lord. The crimes you have committed are as followed. First, you had mocked and beat the escorts I had hired without any reason. Second, you had irrationally assaulted my lover.”
His highness Dantalian looked around and spoke in a loud voice.
“I had respectfully requested for Andromalius to stop, but he had ignored me. He had not only threatened my safety, but he had harmed my honor as well. Everyone here is a witness!”
The people in the plaza started to mumble amongst one another.
Andromalius was most likely no longer in his highness’ thought anymore. His highness Dantalian was aiming to drag these people here in as witnesses.
“Look here!”
Taking off his gloves and throwing them aside, he grabbed my left hand as well, followed by taking off the glove that was on that hand. And as if to show the world, his highness raised my left hand high.
The ring on my annular finger.
A blue diamond shone brightly and sparkled.
A similar ring was on his highness’ annular finger as well.
“I am a Demon Lord. This youngster is a peasant. Us two are not permitted to be wedded. However, swearing to the Goddess Aphrodite, I, Dantalian, the rank 71st Demon Lord, declare my love for this girl! This ring is proof of that! Even if society were to forbid our marriage, our hearts are already connected!”
The people let out a gasp.