Reincarnated With The Strongest System

Five minutes later inside the main hall of the One-horned Clan…

"Everyone, I am very happy that you have traveled many miles just to see me," William said as he sat on his seat of honor. "Unfortunately, I have no intention of expanding my faction at this point in time. There are places I need to go, and I will not stay in this Domain for long. It is best if you seek protection elsewhere." 

The other clans who had come to offer their allegiance to William lowered their heads in disappointment. Just as Vesta, Kira, and Athrun had done during the battle, some of the elite warriors of the different Clans had gathered to spectate in the battle between the One-horned Clan and the Greenskin Clan. 

When they saw William's overwhelming might, they knew that this was a golden opportunity to break free from their previous Masters, who treated them as cannon fodders whenever they declared war on their rival Clans.

This was a very common occurrence in the Demon Realm, and only the Major Clans, as well as those powerful and influential families, had this privilege. 

Polox sighed internally when he saw the grief on his acquaintance's faces. He understood their suffering because their own clan had desperately fought against this fate when the Greenskin Clan decided to declare war on their domain.

"Lord William, I beg of you, please, we will do anything, just please, take us under your wing!" a demon whose arms were encased in metal bowed his head and pleaded. "We won't ask much of you. You can go anywhere you like. We will not ask anything of you, so please, just accept us. This is the only way that our clan will survive from oppression. Have mercy on us, Your Excellency!"

"Lord William, please, we beg of you."

"We are willing to pledge our lives, just please, have mercy on us."

"Lord William… Please, make us your vassals."

"Give us a way to survive in this world, Your Excellency!"

The pleas of over a dozen patriarchs, who were begging for William's mercy, reverberated inside the room. The previous festive atmosphere disappeared, and was replaced by a heavy presence that reeked of desperation, and agony.

William closed his eyes, as he crossed his arms over his chest. Before he appeared in the hall, he had asked Polox to have a private talk with him, so that he could become aware of the different clans' circumstances.

Although he had promised Vesta that he wouldn't accept them as his vassals, he found their situation quite dire. The clans who had begged for him to take them under his influence were former Nomad Clans.

These were the Clans that would travel the Demon Continent in search of a place that was not under anyone's rule. Unfortunately, during their travels, some of the patrols of the Major Clans discovered them and forced them to choose between submission or Clan extermination.

Since then, they were treated like dogs. Their young women were taken by force, their sons drafted as conscripts, and their unborn childrens' fates were sealed before they were even born. 

This was not a life that anyone wanted, and yet, they endure it with each passing day.

As William was deep in thought, Optimus, who had been keeping his silence proposed a bold idea.

< Why don't you just take them inside your Domain? >

'Are you mad?' William replied. 'Why would I bring them inside my domain?'

< The Deadlands is uninhabited at the moment, and it could easily fit twenty million people. These Nomad Clans wouldn't even number half a million even if they combined their Clans together. Also, they would become free manpower.

Right now, you have over thirty million God Points as a reward for clearing the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon, stopping Morax's plans in the Deadlands, and dealing with Apophis. You can easily buy several hectares of land that they could use to cultivate and plant crops. This would allow your domain to become more self-sustainable. >

William smiled because he understood that Optimus was just trying to find a way to make the Half-Elf agree with him, in order to prevent him from feeling guilty for abandoning the Demon Clans who were on their last legs.

< Chiffon might be a glutton, but she is a Demon Princess. Who knows? Maybe she can become a future Demon Empress if she gains enough vassals under her command. >

'You're like a merchant doing some hard selling right now, Optimus,' William chuckled internally. 

However, he didn't dislike the idea of having his pink-haired wife, who was almost always stuck in the Thousand Beast domain, supervise the demons who were suffering under her father's rule.

Minutes passed before William opened his eyes. The patriarchs were still kneeling on the ground and pleading for his help. Even Vesta was now feeling sorry for them because of their current predicament.

"Very well," William said with a serious expression on his face. "However, I have a condition."

"We will accept any condition!"

"Lord William, just say the word, and it shall be done!"

"We will go above and beyond to satisfy your wishes, Your Excellency!"

The Patriarchs raised their voices one after another, and made promises to fulfill whatever condition he had in mind. It was as if they were afraid that the black-haired teenager would change his mind, so they did their best to appeal to his good grace.

Vesta looked at William with the "Don't you even think about it, Mister" glare that made the lips of the Half-Elf curl up into a smile. 

"You wish for salvation? I cannot give all of you what you want," William stated with a devilish smile on his face as he looked at the kneeling patriarchs of the clans in front of me. "There was a time when my back was facing the wall, and there was no other option but to grit my teeth and fight for my survival.

"Tell me, Demons of the Demonic Continent. When the time comes, when I no longer have the power to shield you from the wind and the rain, will you find other Masters to pledge your allegiance to and break all the vows you have made to me?

"Remember this, I have the powers of a Demigod. Lies won't work on me. So, save your flattery. I am no different from your current masters. I will also treat you as dogs, playthings, as well as cannon fodders to fight my wars for me. Are you sure you want that kind of life? If not then you may leave this place unharmed.

"I swear on my name that I will not find any trouble with you and your Clan. All of you will be able to live your lives as if we didn't have this conversation. So, who among you wants to become my dog? Who among you wants to bark for me?"

William was not a fool. If these Demonic Clans could turn their backs on their previous masters, they could easily do the same to him. He wasn't running a charity, and he had faced so many things in life, that he wouldn't just take things at face value.

Perhaps, they saw him as someone so powerful that he could intimidate their oppressors with a single glare, and make them run away with tails tucked in between their legs. The current Half-Elf was indeed capable of doing such things, but he would not do it for everybody.

Only those that had earned his acceptance, would gain this privilege. 

One by one, several of the patriarchs left the hall, while shaking their heads. They came so that they would no longer become lackeys, and yet, what waited for them was a similar fate. If that was the case then they would rather be chained to their current masters, and let their lives continue the way they were.

Although it was a very difficult life, they had more or less gotten used to it over the passing of many years. 

In the end, out of more than a dozen Patriarchs who had come to plead for William's help, only five remained. 

William looked at the remaining patriarchs with an indifferent expression on his face.

"Are you sure you don't want to go?" William inquired. "You can still change your mind."

One of the Patriarchs sighed and shook his head. "Our clan has nowhere to go. The Demon Continent might be vast, but we are merely sheep waiting for the wolves to sink their fangs into our flesh. Since that is the case, we would rather serve someone who had decided to personally step in to stop a battle between two rival clans who were hell bent to fight each other to the death."

The other Patriarchs nodded their heads in agreement.

"Although I do not sense the power of a Demigod in your body right now, I believe that if it's you, I can bark like a dog in contentment,' a middle-aged looking Patriarch said with a serious expression on his face. 

"You did not have any reason to stop the war between the One-horned Clan and the Greenskin Clan, and yet you still did it. Even going so far as to resolve the conflict by forcefully absorbing both clans as your vassals.

"I can tell that it was a decision made on a whim. A decision that was made because of the current circumstances, and yet, I feel that it was done in good faith, and sincerity. I, the patriarch of the Steel Fist Clan, hereby pledge my allegiance to you, Lord William."

"I also pledge…"

"By my Clan's name…"

"We are honored to become your retainers…"

One by one, the five Patriarchs, and the subordinates who had accompanied them, made their pledge. 

Polox became teary-eyed as he saw this scene, because although William's words were crude, and indifferent, he sensed humility in it. It was at this moment when he really got a better understanding of his new Lord, and rejoiced for being the first clan to be able to pledge their loyalty to him. 

Vesta sighed, when she saw this scene as she drank the cup of wine in front of her. She no longer cared about what was going to happen to the future. This was all William's responsibility, and she had nothing to do with it.

Kira and Athrun both had solemn expressions on their faces. It was as if they were having an internal battle inside their minds as they watched the patriarchs pledge their loyalties to William. 

In the end, William stood up from his seat and walked towards the Demons who had decided to become his vassals. 

He then rested his right hand on the shoulder of the Patriarch of the Steel Fist Clan, who had taken the initiative to pledge his clan's future to him, which made the middle-aged man raise his head to look at his new Lord and Master. 

"Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words that were spoken to me by my father several years ago,," William stated with a devilish smile on his face. The memory of Maxwell's domineering smile when he said these words to him had been etched in his very soul. 

"I. AM. NEVER. ALONE. And from this moment onwards, all of you will no longer be alone."