Chapter 471: Cooperation (4)

|I have just learned browbeating is a word, yeah, this is random.|

Perseus POV

'Are you there?!' Leilah texted, 'Or are you currently proposing to another woman?!'

'I'm eating with Rosa. Besides, I won the bet. It's good for us since that would mean that Ruka is responsible for everything.'

'I'm not mad since you actually tried to tell me beforehand, but...I'm still mad.'

I then showed the text to Rosa. Just to see if she can understand it and help me in the situation, but no.

'That doesn't make any sense.'

And she left it on read.

I then read the reports that the others sent to me, Leilah managed to follow some of the heroes and learned that the heroes were once again going to go on an offense against us and target someone in particular, though we don't know who specifically.

She then also noticed that they're arranging some important meeting in Tehios with the demons, they're trying something...are they temporarily teaming up with the demons? If so, that's not good. We're already...that's not good, Tartia shares land with us and can easily block any escape routes on land while the rest then team up to block and kill us on both land and water.

I'm going to expedite the whole process, I'll have to interfere in their peace talk if what I'm saying is true, and make sure that any kind of negotiation will go wrong. This peace talk, it's a threat. It could end the way things have always been, the balance we've maintained.

I'll need to be strategic and find ways to disrupt the harmony they're trying to create. It might mean playing with words or dropping hints that cause confusion or mistrust. Perhaps I can even fabricate scenarios that create tension, and make them doubt each other's intentions.

Before the meeting, I've got to sow seeds of mistrust deeper than ever. If I can create enough tension beforehand, the actual negotiation will be in a minefield. Maybe leaking false information that pins one party against the other or orchestrating a scenario that makes them doubt each other's integrity entirely.

Should be easy since they hated each other from the get-go.

But during the meeting, the stakes are higher. Perhaps a staged incident escalates emotions, creating chaos and confusion, enough to push them to the edge. A well-timed revelation, real or not, that discredits someone crucial to the talks. That chaos might just be the catalyst for a complete breakdown, the perfect moment to stage a coup, or something more drastic.

Assassination, maybe?

No, it's too obvious. They'd anticipate such a move, heightening security and making it nearly impossible to pull off. The last thing I need is to draw that kind of attention to myself or our faction. They'd probably want me to make myself a common enemy by killing one of em.

But...it's held in Tehios, I can exploit that. The coexistence of humans and demons was always a delicate subject. Human supremacists clung to notions of purity, their ideologies fueled by centuries of fear and tales of demon savagery. Meanwhile, demon extremists held tight to their beliefs of superiority and yada yada yada.

These factions operated in the shadows, well some in broad daylight, exploiting any crack in the fragile peace between the two races. They manipulated historical grievances, perpetuating myths and legends that painted the opposing race in a bad light. They'll probably...

Human supremacist groups will definitely narrate demon treachery and violence, using any small incident to magnify fear and mistrust among the populace. Similarly, demon extremist factions will highlight human oppression and injustices, fueling the flames of resentment within their own community.

The peace talks became the perfect stage for these factions to escalate their divisive tactics. These actions weren't aimed at resolution, they were calculated moves to prevent any semblance of harmony from emerging.

The sad truth was that these factions didn't want reconciliation. They thrived on the discord, their power and influence growing stronger as the rift between the races widened. And as long as these extremist elements held sway over significant segments of the population, any hope for genuine unity...I have to use them.

I knew their ideologies were toxic, but their influence couldn't be ignored. They held sway over substantial portions of both communities, making them instrumental in perpetuating discord. With the blame pinned on them, I can just do all of the above, taking Tehios out of the equation for a while, the rest never team up...and...

Sometimes my genius is almost frightening.

*****

As soon as I got home, Leilah threw herself at me and kissed me right at the entrance. We then headed to the living room where she sat me down with Ruka nearby reading a magazine, but the one that was pissed was Lilith, who had a nervous pouting Maple hiding right behind her.

"So...you've dated and slept with me first, and yet you proposed to Ruka before me?" she asked calmly

"Well, technically I proposed to him." Ruka corrected

"I proposed to him first, he accepted to marry me after the war was over. Yet...it still ticks me off a bit that I didn't get anything."

Oh, that was a proposal? I just thought that we were discussing how our relationship would go, but this is good for me, almost every woman I've had some sort of romantic relationship with is marrying me.

"I thought that you hate jewelry." Ruka pointed out

"I do," Lilith confirmed, "But from his facial expression just now, he had the 'Oh, that was a proposal?' face."

"What? I'm serious about you."

"I know, but since you've given the rest a ring, give me one too." she requested

"Sure."

"Or other things, make me stand out."

"Of course, anything for you."

"If it makes you feel any better, me and Perseus aren't engaged." Ruka chimed in and placed the marriage certificate on the table, "We're married."

"What?!" everyone exclaimed simultaneously, including my parents from the kitchen.

"Wait, you guys didn't know?"

"We just thought that you were engaged..." Lilith muttered under her breath.

She and Leilah then just gave this look to each other and then pulled me to the bedroom.

"Um...what are you doing?"

"Showing you who you belong to." Lilith replied

"Wait, I promised to spend time with Rosa."

"Do that after, I'm going to reap my reward."

"No-"