A long, heavy silence filled the chamber after Naelira finished her report and quietly returned to her seat behind Tuf.
Then, Caelum finally spoke.
"Tofu," he said, calmly yet firmly, looking directly at his third-born. "You will personally monitor the human kingdoms. Start in Aquilonis. Bring people with you."
Tuf's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You're sending me to live with humans? Unnoticed?" he asked, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Father! You know how much I hate humans."
"That is your punishment," Caelum replied, utterly unmoved.
Tuf frowned, clearly trying to think of a way out. "I have businesses that need my attention, Father. Why not send Luna instead? She could simply eliminate the new Beast Master. Problem solved." He gave Luna a pointed glare.
Caelum didn't flinch. "You said it yourself, you have the best people working for you. Your business empire will be fine."
His gaze sharpened. "Or are you defying my order now?"
Tuf held his breath, then sighed in surrender. "Of course not. So... what exactly am I supposed to do there?"
"Just observe," Caelum replied, before turning his attention to the rest of the room, the representatives, the mayors, the entire council. "Now that Seiryu has been awakened, the others will follow. That is inevitable. The other human kingdoms will feel threatened. They will scramble to awaken the Holy Beasts slumbering in their lands. We must be prepared."
He looked around the table, his voice calm but commanding.
"But we will not create chaos among our citizens. You are to inform your people that a Holy Beast has awakened, and that it is under control. Begin preparing for possible defense, but do it discreetly. No panic. No disruption. Life must go on as normal."
The mayors and senior representatives nodded in agreement.
"My Lord," Drazmiel suddenly spoke, his deep voice echoing across the chamber for the first time. "There have been whispers of rebellion… I've been informed it's coming from among the younger leaders."
The chamber tensed.
Eyes widened, especially among the young representatives.
Vaelorin froze. Though he had not joined any rebellion, he had been approached. He swallowed hard and cast a glance at Caelum. But the Demon Lord's expression remained unreadable, as though he had already known.
And the siblings?
They didn't even flinch.
It was as if Drazmiel had simply reported a new device from Peanut's labs.
Caelum calmly turned to Kaelith.
"What is the reason behind your rebellion?" he asked, without hesitation, as if he already knew Kaelith was the one pulling the strings.
Kaelith froze. His throat tightened.
"This is why we have a council," Caelum continued. "If you have grievances, or if there are things you wish to challenge in our current structure, speak now. That is the purpose of this table."
The younger leaders exchanged nervous glances.
Then, a sudden voice pierced the quiet.
"Off with his head!" Pixie shouted from where she lay curled in Caelum's lap, half-asleep. Her voice was shrill and unforgiving, startling everyone, especially Kaelith.
A wave of panic hit the young leaders. Some even flinched.
Caelum chuckled softly, brushing Pixie's platinum blonde hair. "Shhhh... Go to sleep, doll," he whispered gently.
But when he looked back up, his gaze was firm again. Direct.
No one spoke. The memory of Luna's aura was still fresh. The tension in the room said clearly: say the wrong thing, and you may not leave alive.
"A few demi-humans believe we should no longer remain hidden from the humans, My Lord."
Kaelith's eyes widened, turning sharply to his sister. "Virelya, !"
"Do you think we're hiding?" Nugget asked, her tone curious but sharp.
Virelya offered a charming smile. "Of course not, Mistress. But that's what some demi-humans believe. Especially with the Blinding Mist hiding our empire from human kingdoms. They believe we are superior, more powerful, more advanced. So the question they ask is simple… Why don't we reveal ourselves? Why let humans dismiss us as myth and legend?"
She said it smoothly. Eloquently. But the implication was bold.
Caelum's expression remained unreadable as he gently brushed Pixie's hair, his golden gaze sweeping across the young leaders seated before him, each of whom struggled to meet his eyes.
There was no threat in his posture. No menace in his tone.
And that was exactly what made it terrifying.
"Tofu," Caelum said after a moment, still calmly stroking Pixie's hair, "bring them with you."
Tuf's head snapped up, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"You want me to babysit these fucking mosquitoes!?" he shouted, voice rising in outrage. "Living with humans is already punishment enough, but now you want me to chaperone the rebels too?!"
"Tofu! Mind your tone!" Alpha's voice cracked like lightning across the room, the eldest sibling rising slightly from his seat, clear disapproval in his eyes.
Tuf didn't respond to his older brother, but his tone dropped, begrudgingly calmer.
"Father, this is unfair," Tuf said, clearly feeling wronged. "Why am I the only one being punished? I wasn't the only one who played the game! Peanut, Milo, and Vivi did too."
Caelum chuckled softly, eyes twinkling with amusement.
"Life is unfair to everyone, cub. That's what makes it fair."
"And besides, we all know your siblings are the sheep. You're the shepherd, especially when it comes to chaos."
The grin never left his face as he turned his gaze toward the young representatives, then back to Tuf.
"You don't need to keep an eye on them," he said. "But to pass through the Blinding Mist without triggering its defense mechanism, one of you, one of my children, must create the path. That's why they're going with you. Since you're already going, they might as well tag along."
Then he turned to the young leaders, his tone shifting, not colder, but clearer. More grounded.
"This is not a punishment. As Virelya said, only some of you believe we should reveal ourselves to the humans. Not all of you share that sentiment. So only those who do may go beyond the Mist. Do what you wish there, test your beliefs. Prove yourselves. But remember this clearly: your actions are your own. If something happens to you, the council will not risk the peace of Velrathis to bring you back. You will be on your own."
The new leaders exchanged uneasy glances.
"And if you wish to return," Caelum added, "you can only do so with Tuf's help. He alone will create the path back through the Mist."
They nodded hesitantly, still uncertain. They weren't sure if this was a test… or a trap. The calmness of the Demon Lord and his children was more terrifying than rage.
Then Caelum's eyes sharpened and his smile disappeared, replaced by a face that even the elder leaders had rarely seen, cold, regal, final.
"You may bare your fangs and claws to the humans," he said. "You won't hear a word from me. But bare them toward Velrathis, and I will end you myself."
Silence.
His tone left no room for misinterpretation.
"Those who wish to cross the Mist will be allowed to do so without judgment. If they wish to reveal themselves to humans, so be it. They will not be branded as traitors. That is their right. Just as those who wish to remain in peace will not be forced to believe otherwise. Do not take from others what you claim for yourselves."
His gaze swept the table.
"Am I clear?"
"Yes, My Lord!" came the unanimous reply.
Caelum nodded once, satisfied.
"Good. I believe that concludes what we needed to discuss. Let's end this session here."
As Caelum stood, Pixie stirred with a soft yawn, arms wrapping around his neck. She blinked sleepily, her golden eyes scanning the table, until she noticed something was missing.
"Papa," she mumbled. "Where's my ice cream?"
Tuf didn't miss a beat.
"Alpha ate it," he whispered, lips barely moving as he tilted his head toward the golden container that now sat innocently in front of their eldest brother.
Pixie's eyes widened in horror. She looked at Alpha with betrayal so pure, it cut through the air like a dagger.
Alpha blinked.
His jaw dropped.
"I—What—Tofu!"
But Tuf was already gone, sauntering out of the conference room with the most satisfied smirk on his face.
And the final moment of the most important Council meeting in the past century ended not with a rebellion…
…but with the youngest member of the Demon Lord's family wailing in heartbreak because her favorite brother ate her ice cream.