The maid squad is too strong, what use is there for me, the Demon King?

The moment those words were spoken, the entire conference room fell silent.

Taric nearly choked on his own saliva, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

No, sis, although we know you're indifferent to the Church of Holy Light, you're probably the least devout saint in human history.

But surely it's not right to launch a scathing attack on the Holy Light Church under these circumstances? Even family scandals shouldn't be aired in public...

Taric realized that Sophia's aversion to the Church of Holy Light was probably much deeper than he had imagined...

Philippa also opened her mouth slightly in surprise and looked at her friend.

But when she compared it to her own aversion to the palace, Philippa felt relieved.

It’s not that I can’t understand…

Even Phoenix, whose face was usually impassive, showed a fleeting look of astonishment.

He couldn't really comment on the saintess of this year's hero team, since he had no connection with the Church of Holy Light anyway.

Sophia seemed to realize she was in "enemy territory" and had been too blunt, so she quickly and somewhat awkwardly added, trying to salvage a (non-existent) friendly atmosphere: "Uh... I, I didn't mean to belittle the demons... I was just making a comparison..."

Gray: "..."

Beneath his calm expression, his inner thoughts were currently being bombarded with an invisible ellipsis.

He had initially thought Sophia was just a saint with an extraordinary obsession (and unusual orientation) with Philippa, but now he realized that he had underestimated this saint's... "uniqueness".

She wasn't just a nun; she showed absolutely no piety towards the Holy Light Church, which had raised her and given her her status. Her contempt was so extreme that she even compared the demons, humanity's mortal enemies, to them, finding the demons more believable!

How exactly did the Church of Holy Light manage to cultivate such a "talent"? Gray suddenly felt a subtle curiosity about the Church of Holy Light's internal education system.

However, there must be a reason for such hatred towards the church. Even the saints trained by the Holy Light Church are criticizing the church in this way, which shows that the Holy Light Church is truly "rotten to the core".

It seems that criticizing the Church of Holy Light has implicated her, but the saint made amends afterward and then let it go.

However, after the two little incidents involving Phoenix and Sofia, the atmosphere did become slightly more harmonious, but not by much.

He paused for two seconds, then decided to skip this unexpected little episode and get straight to the point. It seemed they had unexpectedly reached a consensus on the issue of "questioning the Church of Holy Light"?

“Very well,” Gray nodded, his tone regaining its usual composure, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. “In that case, let’s skip the unnecessary arguments. Next, I will tell you all the truth about the millennia-long cycle of this continent, the root of the hatred between demons and humans, and the common enemy that we all—including demons, humans, and even other races—truly need to face.”

Gray didn't elaborate; he used the most concise language possible to lay out the core message left by the "sage" and his own plan:

He explained that this place was a special secret realm independent of the main plane, painstakingly created by the "Sage" to prevent the gods from spying on it and to serve as a base for a final counterattack. This also explained why they had been suddenly teleported here.

He revealed that the endless war between demons and humans over the millennia was not rooted in racial hatred, but rather in the deliberate provocation and manipulation by the Holy Goddess of Light, who reigned high in the "Heaven," in order to maintain her own faith and power.

She is the real mastermind behind countless tragedies and the theft of the future of both races.

He displayed the "Demon King Sword" sealed in the bracelet, explaining that it was a weapon that gathered the fortune of the demon race over ten thousand years and was the only one that could possibly kill a god. However, its energy was limited, and it could only unleash one strike. Once used, it could not be replenished.

Finally, he put forward his goal—to gather all forces, find a way to ascend to the heavens, and at the critical moment, unleash the Demon King's Sword on the Goddess of Holy Light to end everything.

He solemnly requested cooperation from the hero's team, hoping to join hands to fight against this true and only enemy.

Information flooded in, impacting the perceptions of everyone present.

After a brief silence, the reactions varied.

Philippa nodded vigorously almost immediately, her amber eyes filled with unwavering trust and support for Gray.

As a member of the royal family, she was already estranged from the Church of Holy Light. Coupled with her newly established (though complicated) romantic relationship, she did not hesitate to choose to stand on Grey's side.

"I believe you! Whatever you need me to do, I will do my best to cooperate!" Her statement was swift and firm.

Sophia let out a cold, triumphant laugh, as if a long-held suspicion had been confirmed: "As expected! I knew there was something filthy hidden behind that false brilliance! What mercy, what salvation, it's all lies!" Her disgust for the Church of Holy Light reached its peak at this moment, even with a sense of relief that "I knew it," and she wholeheartedly agreed to cooperate against the goddess.

Master Phoenix nodded slowly, his aged eyes gleaming with wisdom and understanding. He said softly, "As expected, it aligns with the direction predicted in the family records... the 'Sage's' last will, the possibility of god-slaying... the Seramus family is willing to contribute its modest efforts to this cause." His acceptance seemed natural, as if he were simply putting the last few pieces of a puzzle into their correct positions.

However, in stark contrast to the swift and proactive attitude of these three, Tariq sat in the corner.

The light-attribute giant axe warrior's eyes were wide open, his mouth slightly agape, his face filled with utter bewilderment and confusion.

He glanced at the resolute Philippa, then at the indignant Sophia, then at the deeply agreeing Phoenix, and finally his gaze fell upon Gray (the Demon King), who sat calmly in the main seat, yet uttered startling words.

The overwhelming amount of information shattered his established worldview like a hammer blow—was the Holy Light Goddess of his faith the mastermind behind everything? Was the millennia-long war a conspiracy? Was the Demon King the one trying to save the world? And they even wanted to cooperate in killing a god?!

He felt as if his brain had been thrown into a tumbler, completely shutting down, leaving only a huge question mark echoing in his empty mind:

'Is...is there something wrong with me?'

'Why...why did they all accept it so quickly?!'

'Am I the only one who thinks this... this is absolutely outrageous, fucking outrageous—outrageous to the extreme?!'

Taric opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his throat dry and unable to utter a single word.

He could only helplessly clutch his heavy head, sinking into deep self-doubt and cognitive confusion, forming an incredibly comical yet realistic contrast with his three companions who quickly reached a consensus.

Gray took in everyone's reactions and wasn't surprised by Taric's struggle. He calmly said, "I know this is hard to accept immediately, especially for someone who has always believed in the Holy Light. Taric, you can process this slowly. But we have limited time, and I hope you can make a decision as soon as possible."