"Guard training isn't that simple," William said, glancing at Raizang, who was hiding invisibly in the nearby thickets. Seeing Raizang subtly shake his head, William smiled. "These secretive training methods that have existed for centuries or even millennia were built on talent and lives. I seriously doubt people today could endure training that punishes failure with pain—or death."
Richard was stunned, then quickly understood. Considering the current mindset of the British public, even mild discipline was enough to make most people quit at the first sign of hardship.
Seeing Richard's disheartened expression, William added with a smile, "And even if they complete training, they'd have to follow strict, outdated rules we'd find utterly unreasonable. I'm not about to waste resources building a covert guard unit only to spend all my time hunting down traitors."
That wasn't alarmism—it was a guarantee.
And deep down, like many East Asians, William had no desire to let outsiders learn these highly specialized skills.
"Alright, let's move on," Richard waved off the topic. "Tell me—who exactly are you scheming against? And do you already know the demons have a plan to enter Earth?"
Snap.
With a crisp finger snap from William, the motionless bully dog and bulldog lying on the grass in the distance twitched, then quickly trotted over.
Without a word, William released a mirror dimension and ordered, "Show your true forms."
Freddy and Fisher exchanged a glance, unsure of what was going on, but they obeyed. Under Richard's widening eyes, the two reverted into their true forms—a nightmare demon and a hellish fiend.
Richard recoiled in his chair, and if not for William's telekinetic force stabilizing it, the old man would've toppled straight onto the lawn.
"Gahahaha—"
Freddy and Fisher cackled, clearly amused by Richard's fear.
But to Richard, those laughs were more terrifying than anything he'd ever heard.
"Silence."
At William's word, the two demons obediently reverted into their dog forms and lay down like well-trained pets.
"Wh-what... are they?" Richard finally caught his breath and looked at William, waiting for an explanation.
"These two are demons I captured and tamed in the States. One's a hellfiend, the other a nightmare demon," William said flatly.
He then pulled two soul coins from his storage space and let them float in the air. Instantly, ghostly flames erupted and scorched the coins.
Flames burst from Freddy and Fisher's bodies, setting them ablaze.
"M-Master! We won't do it again! We swear!"
But William ignored their cries. Only when the two were nearly charred husks did he dispel the flames and say coldly, "Any act of insubordination is defiance of my authority. Understood?"
"Yes, yes, Master!"
Turning away from the smoldering demons, William looked at the shaken Richard. "Don't let their pitiful act fool you. When these creatures show their true fangs, you'll realize any punishment you saw today is nothing."
"I… see…"
"Think of every story you've heard about demons—how cruel and cunning they are. Then multiply that by ten. That's reality."
"Alright. You're the expert in this field," Richard muttered, taking a long gulp of wine before regaining composure. "So why show me all this?"
William pulled out a stag-headed ring and let it float in front of Richard. "This is a Holy Light magic ring. Wear it, and regular demons won't dare approach you. It can also fire three bursts of Holy Light."
A magical artifact? Richard's eyes lit up as he reached out and took it. William continued, "Holy Light is like poison to demons—utterly lethal. For humans, though, one burst is like a healing spell. As long as you're not immediately killed, it can heal most wounds."
William then glanced at the two charred demons on the grass and grinned. "Play dead any longer, and I'll make it permanent."
Freddy and Fisher, trembling, finally began devouring souls to recover.
Watching it all unfold, Richard wasn't so much disgusted by the demons' slyness—he was beginning to fear William instead. "If I accept this ring, does that mean I'm now under your command… or your control?"
William rolled his eyes. "Do I look like someone who cares about mundane power?"
Given William's hands-off approach in recent years, Richard actually believed him. But Abigail? That fiery woman wasn't so passive.
Richard sighed. "But the reality is, you already control 60% of England's electricity, gas, and water systems. Your independent media companies, plus your stake in Facebook, give you dominance over half the public discourse.
Then there's the portable med-tech, cars, bulletproof civilian gear, batteries, new energy tech, LED lighting, even football—The Devonshire family has become so massive we don't know how to deal with you anymore. If this keeps up, even if we don't want to oppose you, the capitalists going bankrupt from your competition will."
"Let those failures whine, or you can try taking me down," William said, smiling. "See how the nobles and capitalists who've made fortunes with me react to that.
Besides, our exports have massively boosted Britain's global influence. I haven't skimped on taxes. And don't forget—nearly 100 tons of gold a month flow into your coffers. That's not fake.
Anyway, cut the nonsense. If anyone wants trouble within the law, Master & Star Law Firm is dying to take them to court. Those sharks would love to milk me for a big payday."
He glanced at Freddy and Fisher.
"As for dirty tricks… heh."
Sensing William's intent, the two demons instantly changed—from cute pets into clawed beasts with razor-sharp fangs.
"You…"
William waved his hand again. Freddy and Fisher turned back into docile dogs and lay flat on the ground.
"So tell me," William continued, "Should I just hand over profits to competitors who couldn't beat me? Or stop expanding entirely?
If I did, what would I tell the shareholders and investors hoping for growth? What about the venture funds lining up to join the Devonshire Group?
Blame the world we live in—a world ruled by capital. And trust me, capitalists care more about profit than demons ever could."
Richard said nothing, staring silently.
William laughed. "Fine. I'll have Abigail focus on industries where Britain is weak. I won't compete with your local losers anymore."
"You've got a new direction?" Richard immediately perked up at William's assurance. He slipped the Holy Light ring onto his left pinky and grinned, "Perfect fit."
William rolled his eyes.
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