Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

Chapter 971- Acquiring Few Henchmen (5)

It made even less sense for the other party to be a madman, after all, he himself recognised Simon. As such, there could only be one possibility.

Simon stood still for a moment, then slowly reached up to the trinket hanging from his neck. He held the small, unassuming object in his hand, his fingers brushing over the intricate carvings.

The Trinket of Grimlock—a powerful artifact that had allowed him to mask his true identity and mingle with the humans and now, it was the time to unveil it.

He glanced at Vordanaz, a smirk curling at the corner of his lips. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"I suppose there's no need to keep this charade up any longer," Simon muttered, his voice was low but clear enough for everyone to hear him.

With a flick of his fingers, he dispelled the effects, and in an instant, the illusion covering him shattered. The room seemed to freeze as Simon's body shifted, reverting to its original form.

A tall and chiselled frame that was uncharacteristic of any human came into view. The figure wore finely tailored crimson clothes with golden accents. His eyes were heterochromatic—one a vivid crimson, the other a deep, unsettling gold.

Long, jet-black hair cascaded down his back, framing a face that was both handsome and sinister, exuding a devilish charm. And the smile on his lips—an evil, thuggish grin—was enough to make everyone stare in a daze.

His presence was so charismatic that he seemed to outshine even Vordanaz himself. The figure radiating power and command was none other than that of a Demon Noble. The moment the disguise fell away, the room was engulfed in shock.

Eyes widened, jaws dropped—no one could believe what they were seeing. Even Vordanaz, who rarely showed emotion, couldn't hide the look of surprise that crossed his face.

Simon's change might have been fast but it was striking enough to not elude the eyes of a Demon Duke. At that instant when Simon changed, he realised that the one standing in front of him was not a human but a bonafide Demon Noble.

Everyone in the room had varied reactions but the most pronounced reaction came from Melkan and his group. The Demon Earl's face twisted into an expression of utter disbelief, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to find words.

"You...! A demon noble... you were a demon noble in disguise all along?!" His thoughts were a jumbled mess. The realization hit him like a tidal wave.

"What does this mean? What are you playing at?"

Vordanaz finally asked, his voice low and laced with suspicion. Despite his outward calm, his fingers gripped the armrest of his throne tightly, betraying his unease. He was trying to piece together this new, bewildering puzzle.

"I'm not playing along, Vordanaz. I was serious the entire time." Simon replied. After that, He gestured toward the small object dangling from his neck—the Trinket of Grimlock.

In the dim light of the chamber, the talisman seemed unassuming and ordinary. If not pointed out by Simon, nobody would have even looked at it.

"The reason I was able to turn—or rather mask—as a human was because of this. It is called the Trinket of Grimlock. It allows me to morph my body and disguise myself as any being."

Vordanaz stared at the object, his brows furrowed as he processed Simon's words. Items that allowed one to disguise themselves were far from rare.

In the vast realm, there were countless tools, artifacts, and spells existed for deception. However, they all shared a fatal flaw: no matter how powerful the disguise, it was considered a low-level facade.

To high-ranking individuals, especially demons, such deceptions were trivial to detect. Aura, mana fluctuations, and even subtle shifts in presence were giveaways that no disguise could conceal.

And yet, Simon had walked into the heart of the Demon Lord's camp—into the presence of high-ranking individuals and a Demon Duke himself—and no one had sensed anything amiss.

The implications sent a ripple of unease through the room. Simon smirked as he saw the confusion deepen on Vordanaz's face.

"Judging by your expression, you've realized what that means. This is no ordinary item. The Trinket of Grimlock doesn't just disguise appearances—it eludes detection entirely. Your eyes, your aura, your senses... it allows one to mask their very presence causing even one next to the user to be unable to perceive them. That's why I could stand before you without raising suspicion."

Vordanaz stared at the trinket for a long moment, his expression growing darker. His eyes suddenly shrank and his body stiffened as he focused intently on the talisman. He raised a hand, pointing a finger at the object as if recognizing something.

"That aura..."

"As expected of a Demon Duke, your senses are indeed sharp. What you sensed wasn't wrong. This item was given to me by those existence" Simon affirmed causing the other party to be in a state of disbelief and… fear.

That's right, after hearing Simon confirm his suspicions, Vordanaz's composure cracked and his eyes looked visibly fearful when they stared at the locket.

The Duke's visible unease was clear to everyone in the room. His subordinates who had never seen their master falter like this before, stared on with astonishment.

For someone as powerful and composed as Vordanaz to show even a trace of fear—whatever Simon had revealed was far beyond the comprehension of the others here.

"But... how? No, why would they interfere in this matter?"…

"Why wouldn't they? In fact, I'm in the middle of a mission given by them when I encountered you"…

"What?"…

"I'd like to explain further but are you sure you want me to disclose the details here, in front of so many... ears?".

With an extremely grim expression, Vordanaz thought about it briefly before dismissing his subordinates.

"Leave".

Just one word was enough, his subordinates immediately obeyed, bowing quickly and retreating from the chamber.

The hall emptied swiftly, Melkan and his entourage were the last to leave. Their steps were more hurried and frantic, as if fleeing for their lives. The Earl cast one last glance at Simon before hastening out, his thoughts a chaotic mess.