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

The operation to wipe out the last faction of the Demon Order—"Lust for Power and Domination"—ended with an efficiency and precision far beyond what could be imagined.

After gaining partial control over the plane, Gray's perception of the world's underlying rules reached a whole new level.

One of the most direct applications is the insight into "heterogeneous forces".

Demonic power, this filthy energy originating from the seven primordial demons and incompatible with the beings of the prime material plane, is like an ink stain on a white sheet or a torch in the dark in Gray's eyes now. No matter how its holder disguises, dilutes, or hides it with magic, treasures, or rituals, it cannot escape his scrutiny, which is almost like "rule vision."

Within his field of vision, he could determine with a single glance whether a target's soul was tainted by the mark of a demon, with a clarity comparable to directly reading the target's list of sins.

With this almost "cheating" ability, and close access to the kingdom's upper social circles under the cover of Princess Philippa, the investigation process became direct and brutal.

One aristocratic banquet, court council, and private salon after another, convened or attended by Philippa, became Grey's silent trial court.

He was like a grim reaper strolling through the halls of power. His calm gaze swept over the faces that were either obsequious, arrogant, or hypocritical, and he could easily discern which, beneath their impeccable attire, beat hearts corrupted by the demons of lust for power.

The results were startling and solved many past mysteries.

First, a piece of great news completely put Philippa's mind at ease: her father, King Reginald Ravenhill of the Olmecs, had a pure soul and a firm will, and there was no trace of demonic power on him.

This king may have had his political considerations and monarchical methods, but he was by no means a degenerate cultist.

Philippa's tragic declaration of "sacrificing family for the greater good" ultimately came to nothing, which left her with a sense of heartfelt relief amidst her heavy heart.

However, the bad news far outweighed any sense of relief.

The list of names to be removed is longer than anyone imagined.

In the heart of the Olmec Kingdom, more than half of the powerful nobles, key court officials, and even a few prominent distant relatives of the royal family... their souls are all more or less entangled with the filthy threads of Domri, the demon of power and domination.

From mild temptation to profound sacrificial conversion, the degree varies, but all have undoubtedly betrayed the human race, selling their souls to twisted desires and demons.

When Gray combined this invisible list with years of empirical evidence gathered by the Shadow Court regarding the unusual behavior, secret gatherings, and policy leanings of these noble officials, a shocking picture emerged:

The final faction of the Demon Order is no longer a secret society; it is like a deeply spreading malignant tumor, its malignant cells having infiltrated every key part of the kingdom's ruling body.

"No wonder... government orders sometimes become strange, conflicts in certain regions are deliberately intensified, and some people who are clearly unworthy of their positions can rise so quickly..."

Philippa recalled some perplexing political phenomena from the past, and now she has found the answers.

Although Tarik and Sofia were not particularly politically astute, they still felt a chill run down their spines—the country they had once protected had become so corrupt at its top.

Such a large-scale cleanup means that the Olmec Kingdom's leadership will experience an unprecedented "earthquake".

More than half of the ruling elite will be uprooted, and the kingdom's administrative system faces the risk of being paralyzed instantly.

There was no way that this matter could be kept from King Reginald.

In response, Gray and the others reached a simple and brutal conclusion: no more hiding it, let's lay it all out.

"The cleanup operation must be carried out. As long as these malignant tumors exist, the kingdom and even the human race will not have peace, and they also leave a channel for the demons that may awaken to attack from within."

Gray's attitude left no room for doubt: "As for how to explain it to your father afterwards... I will personally go and say it through your introduction."

Lay everything out in the open: the truth about the gods, the current state of the Demon King and the Hero, the infiltration of the Demon Cult, and why we must carry out this purge.

He looked at Philippa, his tone calm yet containing absolute power: "Your father may be furious, may find it hard to accept, or may worry about the turmoil in the kingdom."

But the situation has changed.

With me here, and with you having complete control over the power of the hero, no 'opinion' can change the outcome.

We told him it was a notification, to let him know the truth and take steps to handle the aftermath, not a request for permission.

Philippa took a deep breath and nodded.

She understood that this was the growing pain that had to be endured in breaking the old order.

Grey's strength and the full return of her own power gave her the confidence to face her father and shoulder this heavy responsibility.

She even secretly thought that perhaps she could take this opportunity to also deliver another "notice"—about her relationship with Gray.

Well, it's just to inform her dear "Old Deng" father who she's going to marry, without asking for his opinion or leaving any room for objection.

After setting the course, the Demon Shadow Court's sharp blade was quietly drawn.

The operation to eradicate the "lust for power and domination" faction, under Gray's absolute insight, became a precise surgical operation.

There were no large-scale battles, no unrest affecting civilians. The target was "invited away" at banquets, "visited" in studies, and "invited" in dreams.

Alpha's ten Shadow Servants moved like ghosts, their efficiency astonishing, thanks to the real-time "coordinates" and "identity verification" provided by Gray.

When the two largest "fish" were caught, it did not cause too many unexpected waves, but it cleared up many old doubts in Philippa's mind.

The archbishop of the faction was none other than the kingdom's prime minister, Cassien Valestrid.

This powerful and seemingly selfless old minister was actually the head of a demon worship movement. Over the years, he used his position to facilitate the resurgence and infiltration of evil, sacrificing countless political enemies and innocent people to his twisted lust for power.

His son, Lucas Valestried, was also a high-ranking member of the faction, a young cultist deeply "influenced" by his father.

When the result reached Philippa's ears, she was slightly surprised at first, after all, the Valestrid family was so powerful that it seemed unnecessary for them to take such a risk.

But upon closer reflection, everything becomes perfectly reasonable—isn't the endless desire for power the perfect breeding ground for "power lust and domination"?

Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and when secular power can no longer satisfy the expanding desires, seeking more and more absolute "dominance" from the devil seems to be a logical choice.

“No wonder…” Philippa murmured to herself, recalling several unpleasant encounters with Lucas Valestrid in the past.

That noble young man who always wore a fake smile once made her instinctively feel extremely disgusted and repulsed. In the past, she only thought that it was his affectation or the list of consorts of her father that made her feel disgusted.

Now she understood that it might be the most instinctive rejection reaction of a brave soul with the power of light against the deep-seated evil filth!

She suddenly remembered her experience in Emerald Valley. (Chapter 315 onwards)

During that adventure in the secret realm, demonic minions and a large number of corrupted monsters suddenly appeared. The investigation revealed traces of cult activities, but the source has not yet been found.

In retrospect, Lucas Valestrid and his "large adventure team," who were also near Emerald Valley at the time, instantly became prime suspects.

It is likely that they, using the wild and secluded wilderness of Emerald Valley as cover, carried out some kind of summoning or contamination ritual!

“He’s the one who did it!” The last bit of lingering resentment and confusion about the past vanished from Philippa’s heart, replaced by a deeper disgust for the cultists and a determination to confront her father and thoroughly purge the kingdom.

With the quiet elimination of Cassandra and his followers, the last organized faction of the Demonic Order in the Prime Material Plane was destroyed.

What remains is an Olmec kingdom where the aristocratic system has collapsed, in dire need of restructuring and explanation, and a king who is about to learn a shocking truth and will have to face his daughter's "information".

The storm is about to break out of the shadows and into the light. And Gray and Philippa are ready to face it all.