Lord of Entertainment

Chapter 285 - Joseph

(3rd Person POV)

Arthur knew very well that his power had already surpassed Azazel's. If his brother could survive the Netherworld, then surely, he could too—especially now that his strength had grown considerably.

'Compared to months ago, I'm far more powerful,' he thought inwardly. 'My cult has grown, my entertainment points have skyrocketed... I've even acquired several Divine Skills and Items from the Divine Shop. That realm might not be much of a threat anymore.'

He remembered clearly the first time he stood before the Anus Gate and felt an overwhelming sense of danger—yet that was when he was still far weaker. Now, the pressure from that gate wouldn't weigh on him as heavily.

Eventually, Arthur pocketed the strange box that Azazel had handed to him and said with a calm smile, "Thank you for this gift, Mr. Azazel."

Azazel raised a brow. "Mr? Don't be so formal. I'm your brother. Just call me 'bro' or something, yeah?"

Arthur smiled faintly. "I was exiled from the family, remember? Technically, we're not brothers anymore."

Azazel chuckled and patted his shoulder a few times. "I don't care about that nonsense. I never acknowledged your exile in the first place. You don't need to treat me like a stranger. Just talk to me like how you do with Apollonia."

There was a brief pause before Arthur gave a small nod. "Alright. Then... 'bro' it is."

"That's more like it." Azazel grinned, a warm, genuine smile lighting his face.

Arthur was slightly caught off guard by his sincerity. He had already sensed through the Force that Azazel's emotions were honest—there was no hidden agenda in his words or gestures.

"I don't like taking gifts for free," Arthur said after a moment. "So, I'll make sure to repay you one day... maybe with a dragon."

Azazel blinked. "A dragon?" He laughed lightly. "You don't need to go that far. Besides, I doubt either of your dragons would willingly leave your side."

Arthur smirked. "I wasn't talking about Red or Yellow. I know a place where I might acquire another one."

Azazel looked mildly surprised. "You do?" He tilted his head, clearly intrigued. "Where?"

Arthur only smiled in response, keeping the details to himself.

While they chatted, Arthur noticed the subtle, observing stares from his father and mother across the hall. He didn't trust them—not even for a second. And while he was certain Azazel wasn't part of any scheme, he still preferred to keep things balanced.

That's why he didn't want to owe favors too deeply. A dragon in return was more than fair. Simple, clean, and direct.

For now, he kept things cordial—and calculated.

---

The party carried on, but most of the attention throughout the evening remained focused on two figures—Crown Prince Enril and the mysterious little creature, Yoda. While many nobles were still wary of him, a few couldn't resist their curiosity.

Agustin Asmodeus, the heir to the prestigious Asmodeus family, finally approached Yoda, studying him with a fascinated expression. "What kind of breed are you exactly? Your appearance is... unique. Who were your parents? Elf and goblin? Dwarf and imp?"

Yoda simply looked up at him and offered a faint smile.

Soon after, Morpheus Belphegor, another heir from one of the Great Families, joined in. "That martial art technique you used earlier... I've never seen anything like it. Where did you learn it? You wouldn't happen to be willing to teach me, would you?"

Questions came one after another, but Yoda remained calm and mostly silent, only offering the occasional cryptic reply. "Whatever I am, whoever I was, or wherever I came from—that is mine to keep." He then added with a mischievous glint in his eye, "But my name, that I can share... Yoda."

Across the hall, Lucy had finally called Joseph over to formally introduce him to Arthur.

The young demon approached slowly, clearly shy and uncomfortable under the attention. His posture was nervous, his steps uncertain.

"Hey, disgrace from the Jackson family—introduce yourself to Mr. Pendragon," Lucy said sharply, her voice laced with contempt.

Joseph bowed his head awkwardly, his voice deep yet hesitant. "He-hello... I'm Joseph."

Arthur raised an eyebrow slightly at the sound of his voice. 'Hmm... deeper than MJ. Not soft-spoken like him either. But still... there's something.'

Even if he wasn't exactly the same, Arthur decided the gamble was still worth it.

"Joseph," Lucy said smugly, "The person in front of you—Mr. Pendragon—is interested in taking you under Hellfire's Talent Agency." She smiled mockingly. "He's even willing to buy you out of my agency. Quite a favor to me, really."

Arthur expected Joseph to be excited, but instead, the boy's expression turned pale. "Y-your Highness, please don't! Don't throw me away like that!" His voice trembled. "If my family finds out I was transferred like a product, they'll disown me completely..."

Lucy scoffed, folding her arms smugly. "This is the perfect chance for me to get rid of you while making a profit. No way I'm passing that up. So be a good boy and accept your fate." Her voice dripped with mockery. "If it weren't for Leonardo—your precious brother—I'd have tossed you aside a long time ago."

Then she turned to Arthur with a sneering smile. "Still, I suppose I should thank you. I'm glad I held onto him this long. Who would've thought someone as foolish as you would actually want someone so talentless?"

Arthur gave a casual laugh. "Are you calling me foolish now? Maybe I should reconsider my offer."

Lucy's expression froze, and she quickly backtracked. "Forget what I said," she waved her hand dismissively, changing her tone. "Two million. I'll give him to you for two million. That's a generous deal, don't you think?"

The greed in her eyes was blatant.

Joseph, who had been standing quietly, suddenly dropped to his knees. The hall fell into a hush as all eyes turned toward him.

"Please, keep me!" Joseph's voice cracked with desperation. "I'll do anything!" He even crawled toward Lucy, grabbing the hem of her dress.

Disgusted, Lucy snapped her leg forward and kicked him away without hesitation. He tumbled across the floor, landing with a dull thud. "Useless thing," she snorted.

Arthur immediately stepped forward, reaching out a hand. "Hey, are you alright?"

But Joseph slapped his hand away, eyes burning with frustration. "I don't need your help," he snapped, then pushed himself to his feet and stormed off toward the exit.

Arthur stood still, watching him go. Around them, quiet murmurs stirred among the guests.

'Well... that didn't go quite as expected,' Arthur thought, his expression unreadable.

Lucy, unaffected by the scene, turned back to him. "So? Two million. Fair deal, right?"

Arthur's gaze returned to her. He still wanted Joseph—but that didn't mean he'd dance to her price.

"You said yourself you don't even want him," Arthur said coolly. "Maybe you could lower that number."

Lucy raised an eyebrow, about to counter, when a new presence approached—a feline demon dressed in a fine formal suit. He bowed respectfully.

"Your Highness," he said, voice calm and refined, "your father has summoned you."

Lucy smiled, assuming the message was for her. "Oh? Let's not keep him waiting—"

"I was referring to Prince Arthur."

The words stunned her.

Arthur narrowed his eyes slightly. "You must be mistaken. I'm not a 'prince' anymore."

The feline demon straightened. "There is no mistake, sir. The summons was specifically for you."

Arthur tilted his head, amused. "I was exiled. You're aware of that?"

"I am," the feline replied evenly. "But your father wishes to speak with you. He said... he's ready to welcome you back into the family."

Arthur's gaze sharpened at that. His expression turned colder. "Not interested," he said flatly. "I thought I made that clear."

The feline noble hesitated for a moment before bowing again. "Even so... would you consider at least hearing him out? Just once?"

Arthur didn't answer immediately. He glanced toward the upper floor of the palace, where he knew King Luke was watching from the shadows, then looked away again, unfazed.

Lucy remained quiet beside him, but inside, her heart was uneasy.

She didn't want Arthur to return to the royal family. Not when he was already more powerful and more influential than all of them. If he did... she'd lose whatever little edge she still had. So when Arthur refused, she couldn't help the faint glimmer of relief behind her composed smile.

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