Tower of Avarice: A LitRPG story

Chapter 89 – Floor 9: Part 10

The Thirteenth Demon Lord. Mathew the Enduring.

Yule had heard tales of him during her time with the Cathedral of Knowledge, the faithful adherents to the god of Accumulated Understanding. Unlike other groups involved in the world's politics and battles, their order was dedicated to collecting knowledge and chronicling their world's events.

Her ancestors had even been amongst those who wrote the story of the defeat of the first Demon Lords hundreds of years before. It was part of why Yule was selected for this particular task.

The young woman stared at the town of Reesh in the distance. She had heard that it was a small backwater hamlet a year before, but that image couldn’t enter her mind when she saw what it was today.

Tens of thousands of people lived here in a town constructed of stone quarried from the hills nearby. The river teemed with fishing boats and ships used for trade. The market in the center of town was bustling with people, but the statue at the heart of Reesh caught Yule’s attention.

It showed the Demon Lord Mathew, who ruled Reesh with an iron fist. His word was law and enforced through his demonic strength and army of black-coated thugs. But, unlike what Yule expected, Reesh seemed peaceful.

She had heard that the Demon Lords controlled their territory in different ways, their methods as different from each other as the stars in the sky, but Demon Lord Mathew had clearly defined laws that everyone adhered to. While strong and rough-looking, his army did not step a single foot out of line.

Reesh was peaceful and controlled, but there was a sense of fear in the town that emanated from the large mansion on a hill overlooking the city.

Yule made her way through the streets, marvelling at how clean everything was. People chatted on street corners while merchants plied their trade in stalls or shops. She saw goods from all over the world, likely brought here by the ships berthed in the long, stone docks that stretched out into the wide river.

Sword- and spear-carrying town guards, wearing black clothing with red and gold apples on the breasts of their jackets, watched the populace, ready for any sign of trouble. But, to her surprise, they didn’t accost anyone. They were more disciplined than she expected.

The red and gold apple was a strange symbol for a Demon Lord, and no one had been able to parse its meaning. Each Demon Lord was defined by some aspect or symbol that represented them. Aster, the twelfth Demon Lord, used a crossed sword and spear against a field of gold as her symbol. In comparison, several of the others had various animals or objects.

But an apple was a mystery to Yule.

Ignoring the looks the guard gave her, probably due to her pristine white robes trimmed in blue with a large book on the back to indicate her adherence to the god of Accumulated Understanding, Yule passed under the massive statue that dominated the heart of Reesh.

Even now, during the middle of the day, the black flame the Demon Lord Mathew held in his hand flickered with life. He made both an inspiring and terrifying figure. But all statues were created to serve that purpose. She doubted the real Mathew would be like it.

While claiming to be powerful and superhuman, the Demon Lords were often as mortal as the people they conquered. At least, that was what the chronicle said.

She couldn’t help feeling apprehension and nervous while approaching the large mansion. The path to the front entrance was lined with guards holding large halberds, while gardens and flowerbeds had been planted nearby. Filled with exotic plants and flowers, Yule couldn’t help admiring them.

Finally, she was stopped on the precipice to seeing Mathew, the Thirteenth Demon Lord.

“And you must be our chronicler, come to document Lord Mathew’s rise.” An older woman said as she stepped out from the darkened entrance to the manner and into the bright summer sun.

She was middle-aged, and her dark hair showed signs of grey. She wore a long, black dress with a thick shawl over her shoulders that bore the Silver Apple on the side. Mayor Goodwin was a familiar name to Yule. The Demon Lord’s first follower, she was responsible for much of the work being done in Reesh.

Of course, the Lords and Ladies cursed her as a traitor, but Yule admired the woman. She hadn’t much of a choice but to follow when a Demon Lord appeared in her town. Against the might of such a person like Mathew, you could do nothing more but bow your head and obey.

“I am Yule, of the Cathedral of Knowledge.” Yule replied, bowing to the other woman. Her long, brown hair fell in front of her face, obscuring it for a moment as she bent over. Goodwin studied her for a moment before nodding.

“Very well. Lord Mathew is expecting you. You’ve arrived just in time; the Demon Lords will be gathering in a few days to discuss the campaign against the Lords and Ladies of Lineage.” Mayor Goodwin explained, and Yule felt a thrill of excitement.

A gathering of the thirteen Demon Lords! She had heard tales of the exploits of the Demon against the Lords and Ladies. Mathew himself had fought Lord Algrond and several of his allies outside of Reesh a handful of times, with the Lords withdrawing unsuccessfully.

But Mathew was said to be the weakest of the Demons, while Algrond and those with him were only minor Lords and Ladies. The true conflict was approaching swiftly, everything else could be considered skirmishes or attempts to test the abilities of the other side.

Yule didn’t know much about Demon Lord Mathew’s abilities; the conflict between him and Lord Algrond had taken place in a secluded forest outside of Reesh. Rumours told of a fire so intense that it could be seen in the night sky from a hundred miles away, and the sound of explosions shook the ground for an entire day.

She had passed the spot on her way into Reesh a few hours ago. The land was scarred in places, and the forest hadn’t recovered much in the months since the battle occurred; she could still find evidence of the conflict that spoke of the terrible magics unleashed there.

Algrond had withdrawn, with only minor injuries, according to the other Chroniclers, but Mathew had returned to Reesh unscathed. The Enduring was a fitting title for the Demon Lord. A Lord or Lady of Lineage, even a minor one, could destroy a city.

‘How strong was Demon Lord Mathew?’ Yule wondered as she followed Mayor Goodwin through the entrance and into a large vestibule. Passing through a set of wooden double doors intricately carved with fanciful designs, she entered a massive hall that housed the Demon Lord's throne.

Yule was left speechless by the atmosphere inside.

Page Break

Mathew sat on his throne and studied his status screen intently. He had been doing the same for weeks, wracked with indecision on what he should do with his accumulated Aether.

He had amassed several million units of Aether, and he wasn’t sure whether he should spend them on new Blessings, level ups or upgrades to Reesh. His gut instinct was to save them, to hoard them for now until a clear need for it arose.

Part of the reason for his hesitation was from the revelation Lord Algrond had delivered to him. The Lords and Ladies of this land had a way of assessing and ranking the power of the Demon Lords. He wasn’t sure how accurate it was, whether they just looked purely by the Player's level, Blessings or amassed Aether.

What he did know what that Demon Lord Mathew the Enduring was ranked Thirteenth and that afforded him some protection. As the ‘weakest’ Demon Lord, he had a much smaller target on his back than the other Players. At this point, only Algrond and a few other minor lords had bothered him.

The fight outside of Reesh had been an entertaining and valuable experience for Mathew. He learned that he could handle a dozen minor Lords and Ladies at once, giving him a good idea of where he stood against the locals here.

But if one of the more powerful Lords or Ladies of the Lineage came, even alone, Mathew wasn’t sure what would happen. Thankfully, they were much more focused on some of the more powerful Players to the far east of Reesh.

He was both the weakest and the most isolated of the ‘Demon Lords.’ And that was exactly where he wanted to be. So, he resisted the temptation to use his Aether and waited.

While he was perusing the Shop, Mayor Goodwin and a young woman dressed in long white robes entered the hall. With brown hair and pale skin, she gave off a scholarly feeling when matched with her glasses and the satchel hanging from her side with papers poking out of it.

“Demon Lord Mathew. This is Yule from the Cathedral of Knowledge. She had come to chronicle your achievements.” Goodwin introduced and Mathew banished the screen lazily as he reclined on his throne.

“Yule. The god of Accumulated Understanding has arranged for your presence here. They have clarified that it is my responsibility to ensure your safety and not impede your work.” Mathew explained, his tone mildly irritated at the last part.

The god had sent him a message a week before. Rather than offering a reward, the god had used the threat of a punishment Floor if any harm should come to their Chronicler.

‘They could have just offered me a bonus.’ Mathew thought as he waited for Yule to respond.