Nathan went on to explain that the moment he uncovered those rumours, his first priority had been ensuring the information never reached the Demon King.

Thankfully, the Demon Continent was vast.

Each province functioned almost like an independent country, possessing its own nobility, armies, politics, and internal affairs.

It was entirely possible for major events to occur within a province without the knowledge of the capital, provided those events were sufficiently concealed.

Nathan had used that to his advantage.

His growing mastery over the Astral Sea had also allowed him to identify those who possessed knowledge of Carrion, as well as anyone capable of relaying that discovery beyond Krygon Province.

One by one, those individuals disappeared.

Nathan ensured that every possible route through which news of Carrion could reach the Demon King was quietly severed.

It was only after securing that secrecy that he began the second phase of his plan.

House Tisseus was the family responsible for Ishtar’s imprisonment. Under the orders of Lord Krygon, they continued studying the young girl in an effort to uncover the full extent of Carrion’s power.

So, over the next few months, Nathan carefully orchestrated a sequence of events that eventually granted him an opportunity to infiltrate House Tisseus itself, much like how he had gained access to House Azazel.

The assumption of another identity.

From there, he gradually worked his way into the group assigned to study Ishtar.

It was through that position that Nathan was finally able to come into direct contact with the demon girl for the first time.

—

It was also at this point that Eduardo finally understood how Nathan had become connected to Ishtar in the first place.

—

Nathan continued his account.

He explained that every Demon Lord, and certainly the Demon King himself, understood exactly what the power of Carrion represented.

It was a force capable of elevating an individual beyond their natural limits, granting them even more diverse abilities.

But more importantly, it possessed the potential to empower entire armies, transforming the most ordinary of soldiers into a military force of terrifying proportions.

Lord Krygon’s objective was to convert the power of Carrion into a source only he could wield.

So was Nathan’s.

He was pursuing that exact same objective because he believed it was the only path that might eventually allow him to stand against the Dragon Emperor.

Nathan went on to explain that, during one of the countless experiments conducted on Ishtar, something unexpected had occurred.

She had lost control over the power within as it erupted from her body in an uncontrolled surge that swept through everyone present inside the research chamber.

Some of the researchers were struck directly by the eruption and died instantly.

Others suffered grevious injuries from merely being caught in its wake.

Chaos consumed the entire facility, but for Nathan, the effect had been different.

He admitted that what happened to him that day could only be described as fortune... or perhaps fate.

Unlike everyone else, Carrion had flowed into him.

Ishtar, without even realising it, had unwillingly used Carrion to strengthen him.

It was through that incident that Nathan finally began to understand the true nature of the Demon God’s power.

It did more than enhance one’s magic and strengthen the physical body.

It enhanced every aspect of a person’s existence simultaneously. Even his Astral Body had undergone an extraordinary transformation.

Nathan explained that the moment he truly grasped the extent of Carrion’s potential, he realised that simply being one of the researchers studying it was no longer enough.

He no longer wanted access to the project, he wanted ownership of it.

And to own the operation, he would first have to become Lord Krygon himself.

That decision marked the beginning of yet another long plan.

Over the next two years, Nathan exploited the advantages of being able to interact with the Sea of Collective Subconsciousness.

Using the Astral Sea, he gradually entered the Mind Islands of every member of House Krygon.

The process was slow, as each alteration demanded immense precision, and every change placed tremendous strain upon him.

He explained that memories did not merely define what a person remembered.

They also shaped how that person perceived the outside world.

So, by carefully rewriting those memories over an extended period, he was able to alter their perception of identities themselves.

Little by little, every member of House Krygon came to believe that Nathan was the true Lord Krygon.

The real Lord Krygon, however, was a different matter.

As a Demon Lord, the strength of his mind exceeded that of regular demons, and even most high-ranking demons. His Mind Island could not be easily infiltrated and rewritten the same way as the others.

Therefore, with Lord Krygon, it ultimately came down to direct confrontation.

With the rest of House Krygon believing Nathan to be their rightful master, they rallied behind him and turned their blades against the one they now perceived as an impostor.

Outnumbered by his own household, the true Lord Krygon was eventually slain.

——

Eduardo remained silent for a long while after hearing all of it.

Everything Nathan had told him finally fit together.

From how he had become Lord Krygon to his connection with Ishtar.

How every decision had eventually led him to where he stood today.

But despite understanding it, one fact still remained.

He sighed before looking up at Nathan. "Demons may live for a very long time, but in Ishtar’s case... you knew she was just a child, Master Nathan."

"You carried out different experiments on a child."

"Of course I knew," Nathan cut in immediately.

He shook his head with disappointment before meeting Eduardo’s eyes once more. "I’m no longer the same man you once served."

"Eduardo... Irene has spent an entire decade imprisoned. Every passing day she remains there is another day she continues to suffer."

"Do you truly believe there is anything in this world I would not sacrifice to bring my wife home?"

"Do you believe there exists any line I would refuse to cross if it meant saving her?"

Eduardo lowered his eyes. After a long moment of silence, he finally spoke again. "I understand why you’ve done everything you’ve told me."

"But understanding doesn’t mean I can agree with it."

He looked back at Nathan. "I still cannot accept handing that girl over to you."

The two of them stared at one another for a while.

Then Nathan smiled and said, "Come with me. I have something I want to show you."

——

A/N: Hi guys! I know we’ve been slow for a while but these were all necessary to fill in the holes and questions from previous Chapters.

The story continues as normal with the next set of uploads. Bear with me