Chapter 1025 - How Can I Become The Demon Lord?
After that brief moment of surprise, a pin-drop silence descended into the entire hall.
No one dared to speak.
No one dared to shift their attention away from William.
For they knew that anyone who dared to entertain the black-haired teenager's words was akin to treason.
Two minutes passed before the rustling of robes broke the tense silence inside the room. Lorcan, who had been seated in the seat of honor, stood up, and walked towards William. He had a pale expression on his face, and yet his steps were steady and firm.
When he was only half a meter away from William, he lowered his head until his face was mere inches away from the black-haired teenager.
"You wish… to become the Demon Lord?" Lorcan asked.
"I am considering it," William replied. "Well, is it possible?"
Lorcan stared long and hard at William before walking back towards his seat. A long sigh escaped his lips the moment he had sat back down.
With just a glance, one could tell that he seemed to have grown several years older, as if William's words had caused this sudden change in his physical, emotional, and mental state of mind.
"If you are asking if it is possible for you to become the Demon Lord then the answer is yes," Lorcan replied. "However, this is easier said than done. In order to become the Demon Lord, you need to have the support of seventy, out of the one hundred major clans. Then and only then would you be able to challenge the current Demon Lord in a duel. If you win then you will take his place and sit upon the throne as the strongest amongst us."
William crossed his arms over his chest as he gazed at Lorcan with a smile.
"Sounds like a tedious thing to do," William commented. "Perhaps after I complete my purpose for coming here, I'll consider this massive undertaking. But, tell me, Lord Lorcan, what is the fastest way to make the other Major Clans support my cause?"
'Well, the first thing you need to do is to hide your true identity from the rest of us,' Lorcan replied to Wiliam via telepathy. 'Do you really think that the Major Clans would agree to support the son of the man that made all of us return to this continent in defeat? You've got guts boy.'
William chuckled. "How did Old Zeph know?"
He couldn't talk back to Lorcan using telepathy, so he decided to just ask in a casual manner.
'He has a lot of connections, and has forged friendships with many people… including the Demigod that guards the South,' Lorcan replied. 'Joash and him go way back, and both have a mutual understanding of each other.'
"I see. So, that is how he knew," William muttered. He had placed Kira under a powerful contract, so he was sure that his "Bro" hadn't betrayed him. The only other explanation was Kira's grandfather, Zeph, who had flattered William non-stop with his spittle flying in every direction.
'Do not mention this matter again in a casual manner,' Lorcan stated. 'The eyes and ears of the Demon Lord are everywhere. I'm sure that the moment everyone leaves this room, the news will travel to the delegates that are currently staying in this residence.'
"I see." William nodded. "Well that's fine, too. I have no time to look for him, so it would be better if he looked for me instead."
Everyone in the room could hear the beating of their heart as they listened to William's solo monologue. Although they assumed that their Patriarch, Lord Lorcan, was communicating with Wiliam in some manner, unless it was proven, no one would be able to use it as evidence against him.
This gave Lorcan's sons, and grandsons, some peace of mind because this might cause problems for their families in the long run. The people of the Gremory Family were currently inside the Rhanes' Clan Residence. If they were to get wind of what was being discussed inside the hall, heads would start to roll.
'Did you find them, Optimus?'
William laughed internally because he was quite curious about what these delegates had to say. Right now, everyone inside the hall was under Optimus' observation. Even their heart rates and their blood pressure were constantly being monitored.
An awkward silence descended inside the hall as William stopped talking on his own. The minutes passed, and yet, no one dared to move from their spot. It had been a rule of the Rhanes Clan that without the Patriarch's explicit orders, no one would be able to leave the Ancestral Hall once a meeting had started.
Two minutes later, six people entered the hall in an arrogant manner. The two in front announced their arrival as they walked towards Lorcan, who gave them a brief nod.
"Lord Lorcan, I apologize for barging into your discussion, but I am quite curious about this guest that has arrived in your residence," a middle-aged man with tattoos of skeletons on his bald head stated crisply. "I hope that I am not disturbing anything?"
"Well, I don't particularly mind," Lord Lorcan replied. "But, I can't say the same for my guest."
The bald man turned around and looked at William with a smile. His Patriarch, Lord Alvah of the Gremory Clan, had already told him about the black-haired teenager's current route. Since he was already in the territory of the Rhanes Clan, Lord Alvah had asked him to meet this person personally.
"You must be Lord Raymond," the bald man said with a smile. "My Patriarch, Lord Alvah, had many good things to say about you. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jasper, pleased to make your acquaintance."
Jasper extended his hand for a handshake, but William arched an eyebrow as he voiced his opinion.
"I am currently having an important discussion with Lord Lorcan," William stated. "Do you mind sitting on the side and just listening to our discussion in silence?"
"Of course," Jasper replied as he returned his hand to the side as if he hadn't tried to initiate a handshake. He then made a gesture for his subordinates to move to the side of the room, where they sat on the seat cushions that were provided for them.
"Now, let's go back to business, Lord Lorcan," William said after giving Jasper and his cronies a side-long glance. "How can I become the Demon Lord?"
The hearts of the members of the Rhanes Clan almost jumped out of their throats, as the black-haired teenager purposely asked a question that could condemn their entire clan for treason.
Lorcan's hands shivered as he grabbed the walking stick beside him with the intention to smack the good-for-nothing Half-Elf who currently had a devilish smile on his face.
Lorcan's sons immediately grabbed hold of their father in an attempt to stop him from whacking their guest. However, deep inside, they wanted to steal their father's walking stick and smack the black-haired bastard with all of their might!
Kira and Cassey moved their bums to the side, in order to distance themselves from the troublemaker, who was trying to bring them down with him.
Walric, Orryn, Hector, and Horace—the four candidates to become the heirs of the Rhanes Clan—looked at William with horrified expressions on their faces.
They thought that William getting their Protector Beast was already a big blow to their family, but they were wrong.
The only thing they could do now was glare at the smiling Half-Elf, whose eyes were telling them that if they didn't want to jump into the frying pan, he was more than willing to cook them in an open fire.