ã€ŠThe Demon King&#x27;s Dragon was Abandonedã€‹


 -1 - The Fall of the Legendary, General Dragon!

    The Demon King''s main force raged war on the East encampment of the human territory, trying to take over the camp to have access to the human supply routes. I bared orders to the demonic soldiers that charged against the human resistance, my body fully released into the demonic dragon form that was the symbol of the demonic dragon general of the Demon King¡¯s army and the prize of his lineage.

    The popping of human gunfire grew louder, as I heard bullets whiz by my wings. Crouching down to avoid the bullets covered in holy water, I made a beeline for the human operator of the large gun, launching up to come down with my talons ripping him in two. His pain-filled cries faded into the resounding of the melodies of war.

    It was just another human life that would be another addition to the casualties of this human and demon war. Across the battlefield, my eye caught sight of my second-in-command charging with a hoard of low-level demons to eliminate the group of mages that fired aerial shots into the middle ranks of the demon army. To the right of the field, my third in command should be leading the fleet of the undead to the walls of the encampment. Winning against these humans should be an easy victory. Mentally nodding to myself, I focused my attention on the rear of the human vanguard, eyeing the human bathed in gold armor, who was the leader of the defense vanguard that stood in the way of my army¡¯s siege to the East human encampment.

    Launching up into the arrow and magic-filled sky, I skillfully dodged the wave of attacks fired in my direction. The blue-flamed projectiles flew in my direction, as I soared toward the human general, who had yet to set his sights on me. The battle would be ours once I had managed to take out the leader of the vanguard and the Hellion Demon Army would see victory.

    The human general tore through a small group of demon soldiers that fought alongside a hellhound, who blared his fangs at the armor-clad human.

    ¡°Perhaps, the hellhound will complete the task for me,¡± I hoped, pausing my advance to take the opportunity to estimate the ratio of the remaining forces.

    Human bodies piled under the foot of the demonic forces, who raged death upon the upcoming attackers left from the vanguard. It was a massacre. Soon, my army would see victory and the conquest of the East would show favor towards the Kingdom of Helion. After another win, my father, Demon King, Zelkon Morningstar would be satisfied with the results of the war so far. I turned my attention back toward the human general, almost surprised at the scene that lay before me.

    The mighty hell-hound¡¯s mouth gaped open, a pool of black blood that confirmed its identity to those of the Kingdom of Hellion, trickling around its slashed body. The human general panted, his sword now cleanly cutting the head off the last demon soldier left. How could this mere human defeat a hellhound? My fanged jaw morphed into a smirk, which must have looked off-putting in the expression of a dragon.

    This human was commendable for taking down a hellhound.

    I folded my leathery wings, falling into a nosedive toward the human general, who dodged my plummeting attack. The earth resounded a great boom, as I landed, positioning my large body to face the human general. The bloodied dirt cracked under my impact, as my rudy eyes glared at the general, almost impressed at his battle capability.

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    I glanced between the panting general with fire in his eyes and the body of the hellhound that was littered under his boots.

    ¡°Not even some of my war chiefs can easily kill a hellhound with a mere sword,¡± I admitted, emitting black flames from the spikes that extended down my spine, as I smirked under my Hellion mask that covered my head.

    The general humored my appreciation but wasted no time lunging toward me. His sword glided inches from where I stood a second ago. I released the black-flamed columns, managing to burn his side.

    It was already over.

    He groaned, keeping a playful tone to his voice, ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors about you.¡±

    ¡°You have?¡± I asked, circling around the dying human, my head hung low to observe his dying efforts.

    ¡°Arsylm the Demon King¡¯s precious dragon and son. They say you were born in the lava of Hellion,¡± The general coughed, blood covering his lips.

    ¡°In contrast, I was born in the deepest cavern of Hellion.¡± I corrected him. This dying human had earned a bit of my respect.

    Blood trickled out from the burn wounds. The thing about black flames from the royal family of the Kingdom of Hellion was that they never stopped burning. This meant that the resistance of warriors that were unlucky enough to be scorched by the black embers was futile. They would slowly succumb to their wounds, even with the best medical treatment.

    Part of my pride as a soldier fell from the loss of talented fellow warriors, even if he was human.

    ¡°Fighting from here on out is meaningless,¡± I motioned my eyes to his wound from my flames, ¡°Surely, you are aware of the magnitude of your injury. The human forces have lost. Call off your force while you can,¡± I warned.

    The general laughed, clumsily swinging his sword as he slowly died, ¡°I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something.¡± The warrior chided, the light from his eyes fading.

    He made a dying lunge, yet the strength that the warrior once had was gone. Instead, in the weak attempt, pathetic slashes replaced it.

    I used my wings to block the weakened sword attacks that wouldn¡¯t deal any damage to me. The general was already on his way to the reaper.

    Still, I humored his last outburst as a warrior, ¡°Why would you presume that, dying human?¡± My eyes followed his body, as he collapsed under my talons. His sword fell inches from my body. Yet, there hadn¡¯t been a need to dodge in the first place.

    In his last dying expression, he smirked¡ªhis shaking hand pointed under to a parade of humans that marched onto the battlefield from the distance.

    ¡°Prepare to lose. ARC has finally arrived.¡± He announced, his arm dropping, as the last sign of life from his eyes faded amongst the souls of the battlefield.

    I stepped away from his body, craning my neck up to the parade of humans that charged into the battle, leaving bodies in their wake as they advanced quicker than I have ever seen.

    Unfolding my wings, I heaved up into the chaotic airspace of the battle, dodging newly formed magic missiles that hurled everywhere.

    ¡°What is going on?¡±

    How were these humans eliminating my forces so swiftly?

    These humans were different. A burning pain struck my left wing, as I found myself plummeting to the ground in a pain-filled roar. The ground crushed under my falling weight, as my body automatically forced itself into a smaller form. My talons shifted into human hands and my body dwindled into one much smaller. Pain consumed my senses, as my wings jerked from the wound out of control.

    ¡°Prince Arsylm!¡± A concerned cry echoed from my right, my vision was too blurred to see or even gauge what occurred around my pained state. I felt clawed hands, and lifted my limp body from the destroyed ground, along with the clashing of metal.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± I weakly managed, the question coming out in pained grunts. What human invention had the ability to injure the Demon King¡¯s Dragon?

    Through my blurred vision, I saw the horned figure curse, waving his sword in his hand before leaning down to my figure, ¡°It is I, Second General Adbeel, young prince.¡±

    My wings still jerked around from the pain, my feeling in them no longer present. A searing pain caused me to scream out, followed by apologies.

    ¡°It¡¯s light magic. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. Your wing, young prince.¡± Adbeel cursed.

    A silence followed, existing among the dying cries of what I presumed were my soldiers. What was going on?

    Another voice broke in the distance, moving closer. I recognized it to be my third-in-charge, a dark mage, Dagon.

    ¡°I will teleport us out of here,¡± Dagon informed Adbeel, who seemed to grunt in agreement.

    I moaned, weakly reaching up my hand to the blurred figures, ¡°The battle¡­¡±

    ¡°The battle is lost.¡±

    There was no further protest nor time for it. Even through my weakened state, I could feel the increase in mana density around me. Cold sweat riddled my skin, as I struggled to breathe in the vortex of mana. My wounded wing seemed to ache more in the teleportation spell, as my breath lurched.

    I could only repeat one word before the world around me went black.

    ARC.

 - 2 - Abandon your Third Son? The Wrath of a Father, Demon King

    My eyes fluttered open, staring at the dark marble columns of the castle¡¯s private hospital. I jolted up, flinching as my back flashed a searing pain. My body collapsed back onto the sheets of the bed, a pounding headache now starting to make itself known. I clenched my jaw, gripping the handles on the side of the bed to pull myself up slowly. The pain was less intense, as I finally positioned myself in an upward position. While struggling to get up, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that I was still in the human form that I was reverted to in the battle.

    Though, this time it didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable. It was easier to heal if the self-healing abilities were limited to a smaller body, even if my natural form was a dragon. Short periods of taking this form weren¡¯t too harmful, especially in this situation.

    No matter.

    Scanning the room, I peered out at the dark windows that viewed the upper court of the castle. The only lights that shone were the twinkling of starlight in the constellation sky.

    ¡°How long have I been out?¡± I groaned, holding myself up with my left hand with the bed handle.

    The last thing that I could remember was the cries of my dying soldiers after the powerful attack of the humans at the last minute. Then, I was blinded by the searing pain of what Adbeel described as light magic. That was impossible, right? The only creatures that were able to use that were the angelic species that declared neutrality a thousand years ago.

    I would have been informed if they had gone against the treaty. The royal family would have known if they were weary of the neutrality, and we never bothered them. Morally, maybe?

    ¡°How did the humans¡­ ¡°I corrected myself, remembering the cautions of the human general, ¡°How did ARC manage to wield such power? Where did they come from?¡±

    Everything happened so fast.

    This would be something I would have to present to my father, once he was in the throne room. The use of light magic could spell the downfall of the troops mobilized.

    My headache only grew from worrying. I sighed, inching myself back into a laying position and resting my head against the pillow.

    ¡°There was no point in worrying about this if I needed to focus on healing to head back out,¡± I concluded, closing my eyes to try to sleep before the nurses would be in.

    It would be nice to sleep.

    A click at the door ruined this prospect, as the lights in the room were flicked back on. My eyes struggled to adjust to the brightness, especially because dragons tended to be more sensitive to everything.

    It was a blessing and a curse.

    Adbeel strolled in, followed by Dagon who both rushed over as I was trying to sit upright again.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Adbeel got to my side first, gripping my arm too hard, causing a ripple of pain to course through my body like a sharp blade.

    A series of curses escaped my pained moaning, as I swiped at Adbeel¡¯s grip, and glared.

    He understood his mistake. Adbeel lurched forward into a deep bow, nearly hitting his horned head off the side of the bed.

    ¡°Apologies, young prince!¡±

    Dagon sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose under his glasses, ¡°You¡¯ll have to excuse him, sire. You¡¯ve been unconscious for about a week now. We only figured out that you woke up because Adbeel forced me to cast a spell that would alert us to your awakening.¡±

    Why did this not surprise me?

    I nodded, sending a weary glance over to Adbeel, who was profusely bowing in apology.

    ¡°.... Ah, it¡¯s okay. Really.¡± I was relieved to see that this ended the series of bows, but I was less ready to meet with the bawling eyes of my second in command.

    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay! You worried me out there, Young Prince. Especially with how you would react after seeing your wings. ¡°Adbeel hushed after this comment by a loud shushing from Dagon, who sent a telling look.

    My wings?

    I froze, rolling my shoulders and moving my back to feel any difference. Since waking up, I hadn¡¯t yet looked at them.

    I relaxed the human form slightly, lifting off the transmutation magic that I kept in my injured state. My nail beds relaxed into long black talons, my eyes sharped, and I leaned forward slightly to spread out my wings.

    Folded up, they seemed fine. I spared a glance at Dagon in slight confusion, who only returned it with a grim expression. I gulped, spreading open my wings.

    The right one opened with no discomfort, spanning its length, and nearly reaching the entrance of the medical center. My stomach grew nauseous, as a burning filled my senses. I lurched forward in curses, feeling the ripping sensation that came from opening my left wing.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    My body continued to shake for a few minutes as Dagon cast pain-numbing spells and Adbeel did his best to comfort my shaking body.

    The tremors ceased, my breathing returning to normal after the initial ripping sensation from my wing stopped. I shuttered, forcing myself to look over at my left wing. I knew it wasn¡¯t going to be good.

    I was right. An audible gasp left my mouth, as I stared at the ruins that my left wing was in. Panic coursed through my system, as I processed the corroded state of it. Half of the bottom leather skin was missing, with huge rips from where I had tried to open it seconds before. Small holes littered the thick leather-like skin of my wing, surrounding a huge chuck of the wing missing from the middle. The worst part was that it was this bad in a mostly human form. This meant that it was worse in my normal dragon state. There was no way I could fly on this. That thought was terrifying enough.

    ¡°It looks a lot better than it did when I found you on the battlefield,¡± Adbeel admitted.

    I slowly nodded, unable to look at it anymore, and buried my face in my knees.

    Dagon ceased the pain-numbing spells after I placed the transmutation magic back on myself. The talons, wings, and eyes returned to a human state.

    ¡°The nurses and doctors tried everything they could to fix your wing.¡± Dagon tried to comfort me but hesitated at my next question.

    ¡°Did my father visit?¡± I asked both, who grew silent. A passing glance from Adbeel to Dagon told me all I needed to know, but I still wanted to hear it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask one more time. Did my father visit?¡± I asked, this time projecting the royal family¡¯s authoritative power into it.

    Dagon shivered amid the command, he hesitated once more, finally choking out the answer I was waiting for, ¡°No sire, he did not¡­¡±

    Did I even need to ask at this point?

    The mood in the room grew tense from the use of authority. It wasn¡¯t their fault, still, I couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed at the lack of a visit. I brushed this off as best as I could and exhaled loudly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Thanks for worrying about me. It was comforting to be able to talk to someone after waking up in the dead of night.¡± I noticed that the tension dissipated. Lighter expressions of my generals replaced the tense ones from earlier.

    Adbeel heartily chuckled and scratched his head. He felt flustered by the comment, as it was not part of demon tradition to get praised for anything.

    ¡°It¡¯s early morning. The sun hasn¡¯t risen yet.¡± Dagon corrected, casting a spell that made the end of the bed light up with a projection of the sun¡¯s position.

    ¡°I see. Thank you, Dagon.¡± I thanked him, grateful for now having a bit more sense of what was going on.

    Adbeel seemed to dote on this spell, ¡°Wait, that¡¯s so cool! When did you learn that?¡± He raved, exposing his lack of magic usage.

    This was a simple triple-layer spell combining projection magic, scanning magic, and earth magic together. Dagon sighed, rolling his eyes at the comment of the demon a rank ahead of him.

    I decided to answer it in Dagon¡¯s place, ¡°He¡¯s known it for a while. Since we¡¯re in combat these types of spells aren¡¯t performed daily. That¡¯s why you haven¡¯t seen it before.¡±

    That was a lie. This muscle head has seen it millions of times but can¡¯t remember it.

    ¡°Oh! That makes sense!¡± He snorted, clapping his hands together loudly, which made me flinch from the noise.

    It kills to have hypersensitive senses. It drives you to want to murder anyone who is loud, smelly, or too vibrant. Adbeel pushed that button occasionally.

    Like the sadist he was, Dagon got a small chuckle from my pain before adopting a knowing smile.

    This light mood had shifted into a more serious one, I noticed this change instantly.

    ¡°Is there something you want to tell me?¡± I questioned Dagon, who gave a more apparent indication that there was something important needing to be discussed. Well, either that or Adbeel just wasn¡¯t informed of it. To be honest, the latter was true.

    My third in command nodded, dawning the same matter that he took in battle, ¡°Your second brother stopped by to inform you that your father has requested your presence in the throne room.¡±

    ¡°My father wants to see me?¡± I asked, shockingly.

    ¡°That is correct, sire.¡±

    I pondered this. Could it be about my injury? Did Father find out about their use of light magic and wanted to consult about it? Whatever it was, I doubted it would end well. There was a reason all the princes strayed from the main castle as soon as they were assigned their posts to live and maintain. I was no exception to this way of living. The Demon King may value his dragon, but it was in a way of cherishing a tool. It extended no further than that, nor could it ever.

    An equally horrific realization dawned on me.

    ¡°Wait.¡± I paused, ¡°Are you saying my second brother came to visit?¡± My mouth gaped, horrified at the thought.

    A sweat bead formed on the corner of Dagon¡¯s face, he sorrowed, ¡°Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do to stop him, sire.¡± He visibly cringed, thinking back to terrible memories.

    ¡°Actually, thank god I was unconscious.¡± I sighed in defeat and slight disgust at the thought of my second brother. That doting lunatic.

    ¡°What do you plan on doing about your father?¡± Adbeel voiced.

    There was no point in delaying it, as much as I didn¡¯t want to go.

    ¡°Is my father in the throne room now?¡± I asked, throwing off my sheets and wincing slightly as I moved to stand up.

    The effects of Dagon¡¯s pain-numbing magic made the pain more manageable.

    ¡°Yes, but sire. You should rest for now.¡± Dagon advised; Adbeel nodded in agreement.

    I shook my head, ¡°If there¡¯s one known fact about the Demon King, it¡¯s that he hates waiting. I¡¯ll go. You two go back to the post and keep my duties over the territory safe, understand?¡±

    They both bowed, realizing this was a command, not a request, ¡°Understood, your royal highness Arslym Morningstar.¡±

    I nodded, hobbling towards the door and opening it. It closed behind me, as I made my way down the west wing of the castle.

    The throne room was in the center of the castle, which meant that it wasn¡¯t that far from where I was. Compared to my original housing, princes claimed their own posts on the borders of the Kingdom. This ensured that the kingdom¡¯s protection was in royal arms instead of assigning lords to keep command of territories within the kingdom. It also gave the king absolute authority within the Helion Kingdom from his sons.

    Turning a corner, I saw the grand doors of the throne room, walking closer to them. The guard eyed my approach, recognizing me instantly and bowing down.

    ¡°Third Prince Arsylm Morningstar, how may I be of service to his royal highness today?¡± The guard declared while guarding the throne room doors.

    ¡°I¡¯ve come to fulfill the summoning of my father,¡± I replied.

    The guard stood back up and nodded. Grabbing the handles of the doors and prying them open.

    ¡°Third Prince Arsylm Morningstar!¡± The guard announced into the chambers when I entered and closed the doors.

    I walked further into the room and got on my knee, trying to ignore the pain that came from doing so.

    ¡°Your son, Arsylm Morningstar has come to meet your summoning as gathered from the second prince, Father.¡±

    I made no move to raise my head till I heard the voice of my father, the King of Demons.

    ¡°Raise your head, son.¡± My father commanded. I followed but kept kneeling on the ground, not daring to defy that gesture.

    Father cleared his throat, his eyes felt as if they were dissecting me entirely.

    A small chuckle echoed in the throne room, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen that form in a while. It¡¯s quite peculiar to not have to look at your massive dragon figure. If I remember correctly, you had to crawl to fit in here last time. I quite like your dragon form better.¡±

    ¡°Apologies Father. It¡¯s easier to heal in this smaller form.¡± I bowed my head and explained.

    ¡°Is that so? Then I assume you do this through transmutation magic?¡± He asked.

    ¡°That is correct, Father,¡± I replied.

    ¡°I see. I assume that you¡¯re wondering why I¡¯ve called you here, then.¡± He went on.

    I had no time to respond because he was already onto the reason.

    ¡°I heard from the doctor¡¯s report that you will be unable to use your wing for an extended period. Never? At least properly.¡± The king asked again, but it gave off obvious pressure. He already knew the answer.

    The mana density increased in the room; I would be a fool to not notice the fury of my father.

    ¡°Well?¡±

    I gulped harshly, ¡°That¡¯s correct, Father¡­¡±

    There was a curse that escaped from his tongue, ¡°If that¡¯s the case then¡­¡±

    His next sentence made my heart(s) drop.

    ¡°You are no longer welcome in the Helion kingdom. Arslym Morningstar, you are hereby banished from my sight. Come high noon I will send for your death if you are sighted within kingdom territory.¡± His voice bellowed in a venom.

    ¡°But father, I¡­¡± It was a mistake to try to defend myself, it only caused more of my father''s wrath.

    Father¡¯s pressure increased, causing me to choke from the intensity of the throne room. I doubted that my full dragon form could manage it.

    ¡°Be gone! Useless reptile! Let me remind you, son. A dragon that can¡¯t fly is a dead dragon. If you cannot be of use to my reign, then you do not deserve to live here.¡±

    It was impossible to hide my shaking body, as I nodded, keeping my head bowed.

    ¡°Understood, Father. I¡¯ll go to the portal room immediately.¡±

    The pressure increased.

    ¡°Father?¡± He scoffed, ¡°I don¡¯t have any useless sons.¡±

 - 3 - Bon Voyage, Prince! Troubled, Portals Incoming

    The portal glowed purple, as the castle mage activated it. There existed two ways to reach the human territories from the Hellion Kingdom and the portal was accessible only to the royal family. Otherwise, demons had to teleport individually to the human lands. Only the higher-ranked demons were capable of doing so and that was barely possible.

    Portals were mere entrances into the vortexes of mana that existed transparent from plain sight. Most portals could only be opened in certain places where mana is concentrated. The Demon King¡¯s castle was built around the existence of the concentrated mana location.

    Opening a portal took a majority of mana from the conjuror, leaving normal-rank demons deprived of their magic levels.

    Very rarely, would you happen across mana monsters that could do such.

    Few beings were capable of opening said entrances. The King¡¯s castle mage was one of the few able to do this, having a high mana deposit at their disposal.

    The royal family could easily open portals, but it would take mana that could be needed for sudden attacks. Frequent attacks were common in Hellion.

    A royal family member of Morningstar was expected to fiend for themselves. If they were weak, they deserved to die.

    Having a lowered magic level would jeopardize this self-protection, which risked a royal family member¡¯s lack to defend themselves properly.

    Therefore, it was tradition to bring in a king-appointed mage that solely operated the portal room.

    The castle mage was an old sorcerer that was abandoned by human legions and picked up by the Demon King, himself. The mage was like Dagon. He was human, originally, but trusted amongst the demon races.

    I knew not of his name, nor was I ever informed. I only knew of him as old man, as his graying beard complimented wrinkling skin.

    It was a rare sight in Hellion, as demons did not age in the same way as humans did.

    Thus, the title of old man fit wonderfully.

    Call it the foundation of youth, perhaps?

    The mage worked hard to conjure the layers of magic that would allow for the portal to be opened. It was a strenuous process that I watched curiously.

    Dragons tended to have extremely large magic levels. Watching this mage sweat to form the layers was perplexing to say the least.

    But he was the castle mage for a reason.

    Soon, the old man finished the final layer of teleportation magic and peered over to me, ¡°I wish we didn¡¯t have to greet each other like this, Demon King¡¯s Dragon.¡±

    I scoffed at the former human, ¡°I¡¯m not the Demon King¡¯s Dragon anymore.¡±

    He simply nodded, whispering under his breath, ¡°For now.¡±

    I don¡¯t think the old man knew I could hear everything within the wing of the castle, but I decided not to reply.

    My father¡¯s rage could last thousands of years. The king has proven that countless times - or so I was told by elders.

    The old man started another layer of location magic, ¡°Anywhere in particular?¡± He asked.

    The old man was more demon now than human from absorbing so much demonic energy in Hellion, but he was once human. It made him perfect for this position.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    If the old man knew something, it was the geography of the human territories.

    I had one type of location in mind. Nothing specific, really. It wasn¡¯t needed.

    ¡°Take me to a large, forested area. I¡¯ll need to spend more time learning how to manage this form,¡± I answered, pointing down to the human appearance.

    It would be impossible to maintain the human form. Between the draining mana levels that the transmutation magic took and the physical strain that the form took, I would end up damaging my body more.

    A time management between the forms needed to be played with.

    But that was a future problem.

    ¡°Oh,¡± I added, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry before Dagon and Adbeel find out about this.¡±

    The castle mage stared back with a blank face.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I raised my eyebrow, challenging his gaze.

    How dare this wrinkly pig look at me this stupidly? I couldn¡¯t describe it, but it bothered me.

    The foolish old man knew I was still his Prince despite my young age, correct?

    Unfortunately, my question was answered when I realized that his gaze bounded past me at the entrance to the room.

    Too late.

    I didn¡¯t bother to look back, instead, I braced for the impact.

    ¡°YOUNG PRINCE!¡± Adbeel wailed, flinging his arms around my shoulders, ¡°You mustn¡¯t go! The human world is dangerous!¡± He pleaded unending tears running down his horrifying-looking demonic face.

    This was a face that has made several human convoys fee just from the sight.

    Even for a demonic dragon, this was unsettling to watch.

    Absolutely terrifying.

    Dagon revealed himself from the entrance side, walking over to pull back the weeping second-in-command.

    He yanked Adbeel back, using a quick incantation to send him flying toward the wall, knocking him unconscious. Dust settled over his hunched over body.

    These fools commanded the best troop of the Demon King¡¯s Army.

    I couldn¡¯t let that sink in. It was depressing, sometimes.

    I just stared.

    Dagon swirled back around, collecting his annoyed expression, and making a slight bow, ¡°Apologies Sire. We had been on our way out but happened to pass the throne room as your banishment had been announced.¡±

    I groaned, shifting my attention toward the unconscious Adbeel and the huge crack in the stone wall, ¡°I see.¡±

    I guess that explains Adbeel¡¯s dramatic scene.

    Dagon walked up, glancing at the portal, ¡°Would you like one of us to accompany you, Sire? I¡¯m sure the King will call you back once your wing is healed fully.¡±

    It would be nice to have Dagon since he was familiar with human customs. However, the territory would be too vulnerable to foolish adventurers and monsters that lined our defenses.

    My absence would present a huge hole in security, itself.

    I shook my head, ¡°If my territory fell in my absence then I fear my father¡¯s tantrum would be everlasting. I¡¯ll leave you and Adbeel in charge of maintaining our position there.¡±

    Dagon nodded, ¡°I understand, Sire.¡±

    He pulled out a necklace made from Lava rock, ¡°May I?¡±

    Was it a parting gift? Surely not.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I lowered my head to allow Dagon to slip the necklace over my head, I fingered the darkened stone, ¡°What¡¯s its use?¡± I questioned my third-in-command.

    ¡°I¡¯ve embedded a mana crystal in it. It¡¯ll allow you to reach us, if you should happen to need it,¡± For someone, who understands the pride of a dragon, he corrected himself, ¡°Although, I know you don¡¯t need protection, Sire.¡±

    I almost smirked.

    ¡°Thank you, Dagon. I¡¯ll be back. It¡¯s like a vacation, right? Take care of the troops for me. Don¡¯t let Adbeel train them to death,¡± I waved him off in dismissal.

    Dagon nodded, bowing deeply before using magic to pick up an unconscious Adbeel.

    He walked over to the entrance, Adbeel floating near his side, giving me one final look.

    ¡°Take care of yourself, Sire. We¡¯ll be awaiting your return.¡±

    I nodded.

    I waited till I heard their footsteps move further away from the portal room, before returning my attention to the castle mage, who looked downcast from what I assumed were the goodbyes of my commanders.

    ¡°The portal is ready, Third Prince.¡±

    I nodded, stepping up to the portal, and staring at the twirling vortex of magic. The power of the portal radiated all around the room and the mana pressure in the air increased.

    ¡°Thank you, old man.¡±

    He waved my thanks off, ¡°No need to thank a servant, Third Prince. It¡¯s an honorable occasion to help one of the royal princes.¡±

    It seems that my father trained this man well.

    I stepped forward into the portal, closing my eyes as the mana surrounded me, sucking my body into a whirling tunnel of magic. My eyes closed, wanting to enjoy the dance of mana surging around the tunnel, floating my body towards what would be my adventure in the human world.

    The entrance of the portal room once closed a frail whisper of the old man managing to be auditable in the fading crack to the portal room of the castle.

    The last glimpse of Hellion Kingdom.

    A faint whisper.

    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, young Prince.¡±

    Darkness.

    This tunnel became my abyss for the next century.

    It would not be till later that I would discover that the magic in the portal had gone wrong. My body floated in the portal for years, remaining preserved in the mana-concentrated space. It stayed stagnant in an inanimate state, my internal clock stopping in the magic prison.

    Only much later would I learn of the hellish civil war in Hellion that came with my disappearance ¨C how the troops under my control marched to the throne room demanding the knowledge of my location.

    Knowledge that would not be given.

    My time away would cause my commanders to attack the castle with little success. There would be nothing that Adbeel and Dagon could do to stop the casualties and complete destruction of the territory that my father would destroy.

    Still, I would have no idea of the tragedies of the troops that had taken care of my being since I was a hatchling. The men that laid down their lives for my father¡¯s cause under my watch ¨C would burn to death in the same flames that they had been proud of in battles.

    And I, the general, their prince, and their bonded brother would have no idea.

    [If it had occurred to me that I would be absent for so long, I would have fought my father on the banishment and returned to the territory.]

    [Alas, nothing in the past can be altered for the future is set by the cruel hands of the fates. If I had known what would happen in the future, I would have woken Adbeel up and dealt with the doting.]

    [I would end up living my long life with painful regrets that came from my pure greed.]

    I would remain an unknowing fool for far too long, predestined to be trapped in vengefulness.

    A foolish dragon that had been trapped in the mana space of the sub-vortex.

    I would awaken one hundred years later in the human world.

 - 4 - Awaken Dragon, The Horrors of Human Teenagers

    I stirred to the sound of rustling from a bush nearby. Grumbling, I rolled over to open my eyes to the emerald-colored stare of a human adolescent. My body bolted into an upright position, my hand on my chest in shock.

    A thought occurred to me.

    Did I just get shocked by a hormonal human?

    Nonsense.

    The adolescent snickered at my jumping, prompting a scoff to escape from my mouth as I balanced myself back on my feet. I stood tall, my height spanning over his figure by two heads, I glared down at the hormonal boy.

    He smirked, holding a grin as he held his hands in front of him and backed up.

    The boy chuckled, ¡°Whoa, didn¡¯t mean to startle you. I just thought you were dead or something.¡±

    Taking a second to observe this boy, I noticed his raggy white shirt with torn pocket-covered pants. His face was muddy and his hair unkempt, pulled behind his head in a short ponytail.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way that I would be scared of something like you,¡± I clarified, rolling my eyes at his apparent disbelief towards my statement.

    ¡°Sure, tough guy. Whatever helps you sleep at night,¡± he mocked, peering around us at the wooded clearing, ¡°Don¡¯t blame me. Finding someone sleeping in the middle of a dense forest wasn¡¯t on my bucket list.¡±

    I glanced back at the matted grass from which I had been laying. It was peculiar to fall asleep after using the portal, especially for a small trip like this. I would have to contact Dagon about this later.

    Still, my goal during this temporary banishment was to gather enough information about humans and I had the perfect human guide at my disposal.

    First, I needed an excuse to ward off the weary expression of the hormonal human boy.

    ¡°...I came here to,¡± I paused. Now that I think of it what did humans do for fun? In Hellion, the average youth participated in bone carving activities and turned old corpses into beautifully carved toys. The last time I checked, I don¡¯t recall humans doing the same.

    The adolescent finished it for me, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You ran away from your parents, right?¡±

    In a sense, I suppose he wasn¡¯t wrong.

    ¡°Oh shucks, you caught me,¡± I played along, bringing my hand to the back of my head and plastering my best I ¡¯ve-been-caught expression.

    The boy sighed, turning on his heel and motioning for me to follow, ¡°I¡¯m not going to make you go back. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve run away for a reason but it¡¯s not safe in these mountains at nightfall. I¡¯ll take you to the small town where I work.¡±

    I nodded slowly, treading carefully behind him. This was the best way to blend in with humans, but I would need to be careful. I suppose that I could come back at night to relax in my dragon form once I went to inspect this human town. My body felt stiff from staying in the human form for this long, but I would have to deal with it till I found time. It was nothing serious from what I could tell.

    I was pleased with the location that the portal had brought me to.

    It appears that the forest that I was teleported into was extremely dense. The bed was covered in overgrowing plants and bushes. Thick trees formed into a heavy canopy above us. The castle mage had done well with the location, and it was quite convenient with a human town nearby.

    The woods were quite thick.

    ¡°What were you doing in the woods?¡± I asked the human boy.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Training,¡± He replied simply, I noticed the beads of sweat that covered the back of his neck as he ventured down the overgrown terrain, ¡°I¡¯ll come of age soon and be sent to the main city to take the exams for the army.¡±

    Youth in Hellion trained from when they were old enough to pick up objects. This body looked no older than fifteen years of human age. Thinking back to some of the battles, corpses at times were youthful looking. Humans followed the same scouting processes determined by age. Except, the demonic people had fighting bred into their everyday traditions. Violence was social normalcy.

    The boy peered over his shoulder, glancing at my attire, ¡°Are you from a hunter family?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± My attire was black cargo pants with leather straps attached to the thigh, normally they would be used to hold knives or potions but mine were empty. Dragons didn¡¯t exactly need weapons when their existence sufficed as a threat against enemy armies. I wore a simple, fitted black top. This was something that even the citizens of Hellion would wear, much less the royal family. I didn¡¯t understand what this human boy meant.

    ¡°Forget it muscles if you don¡¯t want to admit it then don¡¯t. I¡¯m just saying that not many people have the guts to be in these mountains and most people don¡¯t carry around weapon straps.¡± The boy retorted, moving a branch and snapping it back in my face.

    He snickered as he continued to face forward, exposing his back to a pissed-off dragon.

    I grinded my teeth, as I yanked the branch straight off the tree and threw it back into the bushes behind us. The boy didn¡¯t seem to notice but commented on the sound.

    ¡°Did you hear something snap?¡± he asked, balancing down a small descent.

    ¡°...Must be your imagination,¡± I explained through clenched teeth.

    This twerp was pushing it. If he weren¡¯t my ticket into human society then I would have eaten him already.

    My hands curled into fists; nails started to dig into my palms. I bit my tongue from releasing the foulest depth of insults that I¡¯ve learned from my short two-hundred years alive in the demonic barracks. Alas, I shouldn¡¯t.

    Actually, I couldn¡¯t because I needed to lay low to avoid fighting till my wing was fully healed. Being injured with light magic meant that demons couldn¡¯t heal normally. I was immune from the damage of most human weapons including bullets, and most magic spells, and took minor damage to holy water compared to other demons. Yet, light magic originated in the angelic species. They were the only race that the demonic species tried to avoid, seeing as their light magic interfered with the healing. If I were to compare the speed of the healing, it would be like a human losing a limb and having to grow it back at its slowed healing speed. My full energy would have to be focused on healing.

    The line of trees dwindled to a halt, leaving the appearance of a strange-looking human town in the distance. I observed the large houses that differed from the hutted ones that I remembered from villages. These ones were built of stone bricks and covered in burgundy-red tiled roofs. It looked advanced for humans. I spotted some walking on red-bricked roads in the approaching town. Some even zipped around using magic through decently crowded streets.

    ¡°Does this town have a surplus of gold?¡± I asked, puzzled at the sight. This was a richer town, perhaps? I was under the impression that wealthy lords could only afford these building materials.

    The boy¡¯s deadpan turned into an amused chuckle, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were a comedian,¡± he humored me. My question remained unanswered.

    What¡¯s a comedian? Human lingo was confusing.

    I decided to follow the boy through the meadow, soon stepping foot on an entrance gate that two chubby guards guarded.

    ¡°State your business.¡± One of the guards announced, staring down at us with observant eyes. I noticed him, eyeing the empty leather straps on my thighs and my blackened attire.

    The human boy pulled a card out of his pocket, handing it to the other guard, ¡°I¡¯m an herb collector for the potion maker of the town. My friend is visiting from a neighboring town,¡± He explained.

    I matched the glare of the guard that seemed suspicious of my arrival, ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯m visiting.¡±

    There was no broken eye contact, as the guard¡¯s face filled with disdain, ¡°Very well.¡±

    He added, now extruding a small killing aura. I struggled to keep myself under control. How dare he?

    ¡°Let¡¯s see your identification card then I¡¯ll let you boys in.¡±

    The boy sighed, noticing the tension, ¡°Just show him your identification card and they¡¯ll let us in.¡±

    I collected myself, exhaling deeply and discreetly positioning my stance in case this didn¡¯t work. I mustered an aloof face, as I looked back at the guard with teenage stupidity, ¡°Uh¡­I forgot it at home.¡±

    ¡°Then, I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t get in.¡± The guards stepped closer to the gates, blocking any attempted runs to enter.

    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± The boy rambled to the guards, swirling his arms in protest.

    As much as I wanted to rip the guard into shreds and snap his bones individually, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to fight or use up energy.

    I sighed, taking a step back and observing the walls that surrounded the town. Well, it was no siege, but these walls weren¡¯t that high. I¡¯ve dealt with worse, so this was manageable. In fact, there was no point in having a gate when simple thieves could figure out how to get in. I was positive that a baby hell-rat could squirm their way into this town.

    The human boy was still arguing with the guards. I walked over and grabbed his collar, dragging him behind me, still kicking and screaming. I held up a certain finger that Dagon informed me was the best way to say goodbye in human customs.

    I pretended to not hear the human curses that I¡¯d heard on the battlefield before coming from the glaring guard¡¯s mouth. I dragged the human boy that I owed for guiding me to the village, who had been pestering me with questions about what I was doing.

    I set him down after reaching a turning point in the walls that would be out of sight from the guards.

    ¡°What are you doing,¡± He exclaimed, plopping to the ground and swiftly getting to his feet, and marching towards me.

    This human was quite short, so I reached out my hand to hold his head. He fought against this, still trying to push forward.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± He shouted, swinging his fists that weren¡¯t even landing close to my torso.

    I nodded, staring up at the wall.

    ¡°Sure. Shut up for a second. I need to think.¡± I dismissed him, which pissed the human off even more. I ignored the short human boy.

    The wall was something that I could step on in my dragon form, but it would be easy to scale in my human form, even without any dragon features.

    Okay then. I turned to the human boy, catching his whining fists into a firm hold, and lifted him onto my back.

    ¡°Hey! Wait. What are you doing, you psycho?¡± He tried to hop off, but I held on to his arms and shushed him.

    ¡°Stop whining and hold on.¡± He didn¡¯t have time to protest, as I launched off into a sprint, jumping onto the stone wall, and quickly scaled up the pathetic wall.

    The human boy responded to this with curses and the tightening of his grip around my shoulders. I gripped the edge of the wall, easily pulling us fully up, and hopping down to the other side with a thump.

    The impact of the fall was enough to knock the boy off my back. He proceeded to get to his feet with bewildered eyes.

    I yawned, stretching my shoulder. It ached from where the boy lay where my left wing would be positioned.

    ¡°That counts as payment for guiding me out of the forest, right?¡±

 - 5 - The Boss of The Potion Shop, A Decent Guy

    Foolishly living.

    That would be the term I would use to describe my observation of humans in my years of living.

    There was a certain type of foolish tranquility that existed in human towns. I felt distaste towards the blissfully unaware habits of such weak organisms. Humans did not live more than one hundred years and succumbed to illnesses frequently. Still, they ravaged war to lower demonic species and put themselves in power struggles.

    It was like they had no self-preservation towards themselves or their position in the circle of life. But I was to coexist with the same creatures that I went to war with. Life was ironic, erasing the lines between the superior and lowly.

    I, a mighty dragon, could not understand. However, for the sake of my future conquest, I knew that I might benefit from doing so. It was unknown when I could go back and soon lead my army to ravage the very same village. I must learn all that I was able to.

    Against his wishes, I continued to follow the human boy that I had met in the forest. We were heading towards his lord that makes potions for the town. Trailing behind him throughout the afternoon crowd of humans, I refused to let an opportunity slip by.

    At first, there had been so much protest from the boy in letting me follow him. There wasn¡¯t much he could do when I made no motion to stop trailing him. Eventually, he gave in and told me to follow closely or else he would ditch me.

    We passed an assortment of differently distinguished individuals. Ranging from humans dressed in expensive clothes to beggars with sheets wrapped around themselves on the side of the streets.

    Like Hellion, social classes existed among humans as well. I knew very well from Hellion that there were noticeable differences among the classes of demons that lived in the kingdom. Although, unlike human society classified off money; demons decided matters on power and ability.

    Of course, the Morningstar bloodline produced the strongest demons.

    I had seen a variety of different humans on our way to see the human boy¡¯s lord. The potion shop was in the town center, bordering the massive water foundation that lay in the middle of the town. Oddly enough, the city¡¯s wealthier areas exposed themselves as we ventured closer to the shop.

    Soon, ladies in silk dresses traversed through hubs of vendors and shops along the streets of the town. Men in leather boots and grand coats wandered about with swords brandished on their sides.

    I felt a sense of pity looking at the raggy shirt and dirt-covered face of my human guide. It was the underlying sense of duty that came from protecting my territory in Hellion that led me to want to question him.

    ¡°Are you incapable?¡± I wondered if his bloodline was incapable of producing a powerful lineage. Such circumstances would explain his training in the woods and the apparent state of his lowly upbringing.

    I heard the human boy exhale loudly and walk faster, ¡°I¡¯ve never met someone quite like you. Really.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°Forget it,¡± He sighed, walking up to a small building in the middle of the shopping center, ¡°As promised, here¡¯s the potion shop.¡±

    A bell rang as we both entered the small establishment. Shelves of potions lined the walls varying in an assortment of colors.

    He stopped, sending a small glare in my direction, ¡°I¡¯ll fetch the old man. Don¡¯t break anything or I¡¯ll kill you.¡±

    Like he could do that.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    I wandered over to a shelf of ruby-colored potions, bending down to read the marking of the glass bottles.

    [ Health potions. Fifteen coins]

    Admittedly, I was impressed at the quality of the potions on display. The mana that radiated off each glass bottle was decent by human standards.

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say those ones match your eyes.¡± An old, jolly voice interrupted, emerging from another section of the store.

    I stood back up to meet the older human that was followed by the human boy.

    This must be his lord.

    ¡°Hello, you must be the lord of him,¡± I pointed to the cross-looking human boy that stood next to him.

    Another jolly laughter filled the shop.

    ¡°My worker warned me. Indeed, you are quite a funny fellow. I suppose that you¡¯re partly right, young lad. It¡¯s nice to meet you. I am the owner of the shop and his boss. Feel free to call me Mr. Homburg.¡± The old man chuckled, setting himself behind the counter.

    What was so funny?

    Once he was sitting on a wooden stool placed behind the counter, he motioned both of us over.

    ¡°Jamie, why don¡¯t you introduce me to your new friend?¡± The old man requested.

    ¡°We¡¯re not friends.¡±

    ¡°Jamie.¡± The old man doubled down on his request with more force in his voice.

    ¡°Fine. This is a strange person that I found in the woods and won¡¯t leave me alone.¡± The human boy, now known as Jamie, huffed.

    The old man turned to me, flashing a warm smile, ¡°I apologize for my worker¡¯s brash attitude. What¡¯s your name, young man?¡±

    Well, I couldn¡¯t give my actual name. As remote as this village appeared, I doubted that they never heard of the demon general Arsylm Morningstar. My name was well-known throughout the human lands.

    Instead, I gave a spin-off.

    ¡°It¡¯s Asta.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Asta.¡± The old man cheered, not noticing the sneer that Jamie shot from across the counter.

    He chuckled, fixing his glasses, and sighed, ¡°Jamie, go show him around the town before the night falls.¡±

    Jamie shot straight up to complain, ¡°Why do I have to show that weirdo around?¡± He argued.

    ¡°Because I told you so and I let you sleep in the store,¡± The old man gave him a chilling smile.

    I decided that I liked this older human.

    He scoffed, biting his tongue and grabbing my wrist out of the door, ¡°Let¡¯s make this quick then.¡±

    We set down on the busy street, brushing past the shop goers that were on their way from work. Passing humans flew in the sky using wind magic, soaring above the chaos below.

    Jamie marched in front of me. Occasionally, he would blurt out a building''s name as we passed in a mutter, but never really elaborated on anything. Other than that, we continued to navigate through the crowds, making turns here and there. It was difficult to push through the crowd.

    A person flew past us in the sky. I stared up, my eyes following the trails of magic that followed the flying people.

    It was simple wind magic, only a one-layered spell. Demon magic held different energy readings than human magic, but for a simple spell like this, it was doable.

    ¡°Jamie.¡± I called out to his fleeting figure, grabbing his wrist and pointing to the sky at a passing magic user, ¡°Can¡¯t we do that instead of pushing through the crowd.¡±

    Something like that would be more efficient.

    Jamie rolled his eyes scoffing, ¡°Stop joking. First, you make comments about my class, and now you tease me with this. Be serious.¡± He started to pull away, but I persisted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean. But isn¡¯t it quite simple wind magic?¡± I asked, even if he said no I would do it anyway. But it was simpler if he just agreed so I can continue to use him to find my way around.

    His expression relaxed, morphing into a confused one, ¡°...Do you really not know?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°That.¡± He pointed to another person flying in the sky using magic, ¡°You¡¯re saying you know how to do that.¡±

    I nodded.

    He sighed, ¡°...Prove it then. I don¡¯t know how to. But, if you can cast it on both of us, I¡¯ll be able to steer myself.¡±

    Simple enough. I wave my hand, a light blue glow forming around us, lifting both of us in the air.

    ¡°Holy!¡± He shouted, frantically looking down at the crowd below and then at me, ¡°You were serious! Holy heck! You weren¡¯t kidding!¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± Okay. I didn¡¯t think it was something to marvel at.

    ¡°Sheesh! You may be tall but you¡¯re younger! Where did you learn this? How old are you?¡± He spun around, his arms focusing on balancing himself in the air as we moved forward above the crowd.

    Actually, I learned how to use this wind magic a few seconds ago. At least, the way this technique is applying it. I should keep this hidden though to not raise suspicion. Magic took a while to learn but I had been surrounded by it since I was a hatchling. I had assumed humans did as well, but judging from the reaction from Jamie I questioned that theory.

    Or Jamie was just incapable. Both seemed like a feasible answers.

    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t sure how this body was placed in terms of human age. Factually, I was two-hundred-six years of age but that was extremely young in dragon sense.

    I was called young prince for a reason, not even five hundred yet.

    My human form reflected that. However, the extent of that was unknown. In Hellion, I stayed in my dragon form because the human one required the use of mana to maintain. The royal policy that held guidelines for protection requirements for assassinations prohibited my taking of this human form. I never had the opportunity to ponder the logistics of this form.

    ¡°...How old do you think I am?¡± Brilliant. Two birds, one stone.

    Jamie scoffed again, ¡°I¡¯ll humor you. My guess would be sixteen,¡± He pointed to himself, ¡°I¡¯m seventeen, which makes me older than you.¡±

    Sixteen, huh? Bold coming from a short human.

    I went with it.

    ¡°You may be right, but you¡¯re still short.¡± I reminded him, earning a scowl.

    ¡°Hey! Since I¡¯m older than you, don¡¯t you think you need to be respectful?¡± He pointed out.

    This human whined incessantly. I would be caught dead before I bowed my head to a human.

    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Like you deserve it?¡±

    I didn¡¯t stay long enough to hear the shouting that resulted from this comment. Though, I imagined his arms flapping around like they did in front of the guards.

    The wind supporting my body through the air increased in power, I zoomed ahead smirking, letting his fading shouts drown out in the wind.

    The moon started to rise, reflecting among the red tiles of the roofs.

    I laughed, wind streaking through my hair, as I soared ahead with wind magic.

    It felt like flying.

    But it was unfamiliar to me.

    My left shoulder panged once more.

    A ghostly pain that reminded me of reality. A dragon that couldn''t fly was useless to Father. To Hellion.

 - 6 - The Agreement, A Guard Shaped Snack

    At this moment, from the height of the stars, I gazed down at the human town below. The night air brushed between my hair, as I brought the wind magic to a halt, pausing Jamie and me in the sky.

    He seemed to enjoy being up high. It was apparent that he had never processed the ability to use wind magic. I was shocked, after remembering the strong magic that had been used by ARC during the battle that wounded my wing.

    I wonder if I would be able to learn more about ARC during my time here.

    Speaking of which, Jamie mentioned that he was going to be in the army. The warriors that my legion had battled in the wars had tremendous fighting and magic abilities. I wondered how skilled Jamie was in fighting, as it appeared that he lacked mana usage. I couldn¡¯t sense a strong reading of mana on him either. Mana was a born trait; it could not be developed; that was the rule of magic usage.

    ¡°You said that you¡¯re leaving to take exams for the army?¡± I asked, breaking the silence.

    Jamie hovered, staring down at the view of the town, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m heading to Trane. It¡¯s a large kingdom to the South of here. The main fighting organization is there.¡±

    I avoided making a surprised face at the mention of such an advanced kingdom. I had never heard of Trane, as I couldn¡¯t remember it being on the map.

    This meant that I must go.

    ¡°Does this Trane have strict visiting rules?¡± I pondered, trying to figure out if I was going to be able to get in without hassle.

    Jamie shook his head, ¡°No. But, we¡¯ll have to reinstate your identification card. We can do that in the morning.¡± He reassured, yawning and bringing his arms over his head to stretch.

    Oh yeah. Those guards asked for an identification card too. I assumed that it must be how humans maintained security.

    Would this be a hiccup? No. If anything, I can use suggestion magic to convince the teller to agree to my terms for the card. Although, I know there would be no previous information on me. I¡¯d have to think of a story.

    But first, I¡¯d have to find my way to Trane.

    This human appears to have relaxed around me. Perhaps?

    ¡°Would I be able to go with you?¡± I glanced around with pleading eyes. A little puppy eye from a dear dragon never hurt anyone.

    Jamie cringed, narrowing his eyes, ¡°I guess, but if you make that face again, I¡¯m going to ditch you. If you¡¯re able to leave after we get your card figured out, I will come of age in a few days. The trip will take a week since we¡¯ll have to go on foot. Is that too short notice?¡±

    I shook my head, ¡°No, that¡¯ll be good.¡± Checkmark. Being able to tag along with my human guide is beneficial. I was so glad that I didn¡¯t kill him in the forest.

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    ¡°It¡¯s getting late. And my legs hurt from walking all day. It gets dangerous at night with low-level demonic creatures roaming the forest. Stay inside if you can help it, most doors are able to hold them off if demons wander over the walls. Let¡¯s head back.¡± Jamie yawned again. Humans had low energy levels, didn¡¯t they? They ran at twelve-hour intervals.

    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go.¡± I waved the wind magic towards the direction of the potion shop, lowering us down in front of the darkened building.

    Jamie pulled a key out of his pocket, unlocked the door, and turned back to face me, ¡°Thanks for using your mana to fly us back. I¡¯m sorry if we got off on the wrong foot, but you¡¯re not that bad.¡±

    Little did he know, I was actually that bad. It was a tad amusing but I held my neutral expression towards the human. This really needed to work to accompany him to the larger town.

    He stepped into the shop, his eyes inviting me in, ¡°Asta if you have nowhere to stay, I sleep in the back. There¡¯s an extra set of blankets if you need it.¡±

    I nearly forgot that was the name I was using.

    The offer was tempting, but not like I needed it. But the more I thought about it, I would have to relax this form soon. My muscles felt stiff and slowly my body would revert itself if I weren¡¯t careful.

    I¡¯ve held onto this form for too long.

    I held my hands up, shaking my head, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll find a hotel. I saw one while we were touring the town.¡± That was a lie, but it seemed to work.

    He nodded, another yawn escaping his tired eyes, ¡°Knock if you can¡¯t find a place. Let¡¯s meet here in the morning to get your identification card.¡±

    I nodded, waving as he closed the door, waiting till it was closed all the way to drop the welcoming expression on my face.

    Phew.

    It was hard to butter people up, especially humans. Oh well, what choice did I have? Despite the pleasant conversions, I still didn¡¯t like humans. Jamie and the Potion owner, Mr. Homburg, were decent to use for my visit to this world.

    These thoughts were interrupted by my reminder that I needed to get out of this form. I peered down at my hands, noticing the darkening of the nails. I closed my eyes, checking the mana levels that went into the transmutation spells. They were lower than I would like. I exhausted too much mana on the wind spells all afternoon, which was messing with the transformation magic that had been constantly being put on my body.

    It was eight layers. If you thought of it as a gauge, with each layer representing a gauge, it assumed much of my magic to maintain. There was spatial magic that when into it. Sure, I could do cloaking magic but that wouldn¡¯t account for my normal size, mana type, voice, or physical touch.

    A real pain.

    There wasn¡¯t a point to stand here and weep over it. I stuffed my hands in my pockets, trying to hide the emerging talons. Although, it would have been fine to swing them about. Most likely. It was late and there were barely any humans out if you didn¡¯t count the passed-out homeless ones under their covers.

    My plan was to go back to the woods and hide there till morning. I wanted to try to contact Dagon too. He was worrying, and Adbeel was going to give him a headache if I didn¡¯t notify them that I was okay. Plus, if Jamie was correct and there were lower-level demonic creatures, then they wouldn¡¯t dare mess with me. Even if they did, it had been a while since my last meal anyway.

    Demons weren¡¯t the most loyal species when it came to them getting hungry.

    I could relax my form and chill till sunrise. Really, this trip was like a huge vacation. My father¡¯s wrath was the source of my listlessness for the time being. Who knows when I will get another chance like this to be a bum?

    I rounded the same street where I hopped over the wall and peered around to make sure no one was nearby. With a simple jump, I easily cleared the wall and landed on the grassy plains on the other side.

    ¡°Time to relax,¡± I cooed, starting to stroll towards the tree line. I didn¡¯t even make it halfway.

    ¡°Stop! You! Who goes there?¡± A deep voice yelled, followed by a heavy pounding coming my way.

    Huh? Should I walk faster?

    Before I could hurry to the tree line, a rough hand yanked my left shoulder hard, forcing my body to come face-to-face with the same glaring guard from earlier.

    I cursed, wincing as my other hand flew to my shoulder. Once again, a stabbing pain echoed throughout my body, jolting my senses.

    After the initial pain subsided a little, I met the eyes of the guard with deadly rage.

    How dare this human?

    His grip tightened, and he spits, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. Get back to the town, you twerp. It¡¯s dangerous out here.¡±

    He was right. It was quite dangerous here.

    He waved his hand; his face was smug as he motioned me to follow like a dog. This human had made no effort to hide his condescending nature.

    Suddenly, his eyes widened in fear.

    ¡°Your nails¡­¡± His hand jerked back, his sword already unleashed from his sheath, the metal centimeters away from my face.

    My nails had relaxed back into long-sharpened talons. Everything about them screamed that I was not human.

    I sighed, not taking my eyes off the point of his sword. My stomach grumbled.

    The guard stood alone, the other guard still at the entrance gates. He was a fool to venture alone out of sight.

    It worked for me. I peered around us, at the vacant grassy plain. No one in sight.

    A smirk.

    Well, I didn¡¯t want to waste energy to fight. But this chance? It was too tempting to pass up.

    ¡°Goodness, you¡¯ve seen way too much.¡±

    My form took a more horrifying one. A familiar one, as my body grew to tower over the walls.

    I¡¯d have to take care of this first.

 - 7 - Fighting a Smoke Weasel, A Traumatic Time!

    As it stood, the fat guard was useful for something. Whether it was according to natural selection or not, I reckon that everyone had a meaning to their life. While others worked hard to raise families and earn income, certain people were meant to serve an alternative route to benefit others. It was the inescapable grips of natural selection. The sick would pass and the dumb would perish.

    My stomach approved of this statement.

    I¡¯ll admit, I was impulsive about the situation. In my defense, between the slipping control of the transmutation magic and my hunger - good decisions were optional. Says the commander of the largest war legion in the Hellion Kingdom.

    Thankfully, I doubted anyone saw my form in the pitch black of the night. My scales barely reflected in the moonlight covering the grassy plains and due to growing up in consistent war, I¡¯d learn to control my noise output.

    Below, the forest ground seemed distant, as I towered above my surroundings trying not to snap at a smaller tree. Alerting everyone and their neighbor of a loud disturbance in the woods was not the move.

    My head rested near the top of the canopy, enough to stand at my full height. Unfortunately, that meant if I were to stretch my wings, they would stick up from the tops of the trees.

    Too risky. Not like there was a twelve-meter dragon in a clear field minutes ago.

    Despite the cramped space of the forest, I could feel my body relax without the extra drainage of mana. I did try to stretch my left wing once I had trudged further into the forest.

    Needless to say, my attempts to proceed quietly had been foiled. As soon as I found a clearing in the woods to do so, I slowly pushed the muscles out into a straight motion. Immediately, sharp pain flashed up the wing of my body, and it took everything not to exclaim from the pain.

    The wing had healed more than I expected it to. Strange, as it had not been more than two days since I departed from Hellion.

    The rips had started to mend themselves, many of them showing scarred tissue. It felt more stable, healing-wise. Still, it would take considerable time before it was ready to be flown on. I was still grounded.

    All I could do was wait and maintain the human form, so the healing was more concentrated throughout a smaller body. It was the best course of action now, considering I didn¡¯t have access to the high-level healers back at the castle. There wasn¡¯t much I could do but wait.

    I let the left wing lay straight, as I lay down in the wooded clearing. Better to allow the muscles to stretch to prevent them from cramping up next time, despite how painful it was.

    My head was big. In both ways. Physically though, I had to lay it along my front legs awkwardly to avoid impaling the nearby trees with my horns.

    I just know that Dagon would be hunched over crying if he saw how I was positioned. Adbeel would be fussing, trying to eliminate all the trees that made me uncomfortable.

    Head bent at an awkward angle, just barely avoiding hitting the nearby trees. Truly, it was unbecoming for the framed dragon prince of the demon king.

    My image proceeded itself. Luckily, this wasn¡¯t Hellion. Here, I was not the Third Prince, Arsylm Morningstar. No, I was Asta, the dragon that was trying not to impale the wildlife.

    Really, it felt like imposter syndrome.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    I could imagine his face contorted in laughter, waving that stupid staff around while doing so. I still needed to contact him, but it was better to wait till my mana restored itself a little.

    Instead, it was time to enjoy the peace of the forest.

    The trees were thickly covered, extending to the tops of the canopy to allow thin streams of moonlight to cascade down to the forest floor. Views like this didn¡¯t exist in Hellion, a place of war and blood. Most of the land was worn over in bloodied battles and the terrain was riddled with poisonous plants.

    That¡¯s why this sight was¡­

    Well, I¡¯m not sure if there were words to describe it that would do it justice.

    The moonlight streams turned into a stagnant rain shower that illuminated the entire floor of the clearing.

    I exhaled, burying my head in my legs and enjoying the moment.

    But my luck never lasted long.

    The snapping of a twig ahead of the clearing alerted me to an intruder. Wait, I was the intruder. Who would say no to a twelve-meter dragon though?

    My eyes shot toward the direction of the noise, hyper-fixating on the silhouette of a weasel or what some called a Bajang. It was a lower-level demon that was more of a spirit. I huffed loudly, a puff of smoke coming from my nostrils to communicate that it had been spotted.

    The Bajang scurried around, its fully black smoked form inching from the bush that it had been hiding.

    ¡°I¡¯m claiming the area at the moment,¡± I announced, not bothering to lift my head at such a small creature.

    The weasel-shaped figure chirped, tucking its tail between its shadowed legs.

    ¡°Sweak!¡± It roared meekly.

    Excuse me.

    A tone like that? You got to be kidding me.

    Was that attitude I sensed? I did not have the patience or energy to deal with a creature that was smaller than one of my scales. I rolled my eyes, lifting my head over the small creature that stood near my rear leg, close to my opened wing.

    I let out a low growl. Truly, it wasn¡¯t menacing but enough to get my point across. It¡¯s not like I could use authority over it. Demons that roamed these parts weren¡¯t ruled by the Morningstar bloodline. I was a little different though, I had authority from a monster standpoint. My demonic energy was one of the strongest of the demon race.

    A strong huff would kill this pipsqueak.

    It stood on its hind legs and growled. That was a growl.

    ¡°SQUEAK!¡± It bared its fangs.

    I audibly gasped.

    All right, it had balls of steel.

    ¡°You talk to your mother with that mouth?¡± I was mortified.

    Actually, I never knew my mother, but the statement still stood.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but you¡¯ll have to find another place to sleep tonight. I don¡¯t feel like moving and I think anything I try to do to move you would kill you.¡± I explained, observing the small sounds it gave in rebuttal.

    Another squeak. Instead of trying to reason with such an attitude, I flashed my fangs and glared.

    ¡°...squeak,¡± It chirped in defeat, retreating to a nearby path and disappearing.

    I listened to the fading footsteps of the small creature, only resting my head down when it was far enough away.

    Jamie had mentioned that there were monsters in this forest. They were low-level demons that didn¡¯t belong under my father¡¯s reign. Besides the Bajang, I sensed larger demonic energy within the forest. They were bound to be lurking along the woods but unlike the Bajang, these ones were smarter. I could tell they didn¡¯t dare come to my location in the forest.

    I would be unbothered for the rest of the night.

    All there was to do was kill time till sunrise. I could call Dagon through the necklace, but that would mean getting back into human form. I¡¯ll do that while I¡¯m walking back to the town.

    For now, I should figure out a story to tell the identification card teller. It would need to be believable.

    Think. This body looks around sixteen in human years, so I¡¯d build my bases around that information. Plus, I was to have run away from my home. Not to mention, it seemed like most humans in this town were physically incapable.

    So, I could say that I was a mercenary-for-hire troop. It would cover those bases. Rough living conditions¡­Check. An explanation for physical and combative skills¡­Check.

    The only hoop I had to jump through is how I knew magic. I would need to ask Jamie about why he was surprised in the morning. Surely, there were conditions to knowing magic that I remained ignorant in.

    Right. It was a stable plan to work off. But nothing was concrete, plans bent around the changing situation. That was the primary premise of war.

    Hah. This reminded me of the hours that I would spend in the territory¡¯s office. Adbeel oversaw training the troops and Dagon could provide information. After they finished their other duties, the three of us would devise plans and methods to oversee battles and sieges.

    I know humans thrived on their mundane lives, wishing for peace. But it is just a different environment in Hellion. Different values, expectations, and traditions. There was never a moment to relax. You had to be prepared to fight at any moment. Still, it was home.

    Those days devising and constructing attack routes were a collection of my fondest memories.

    Memories that existed in the past, as I would not know when the next time, I would be able to return.

    I¡¯d never admit it verbally, but the human world wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought it was. The town functioned as the inner section of Hellion did. Just families trying to make a living.

    Of course, this meant nothing to my distaste for humans. I still didn¡¯t like them. And at the end of the day, I was only using Jamie to navigate through human society better. Trane would allow access to learning how human armies functioned.

    I could also try to learn about ARC.

    It was a mundane waiting game.

    None of this would matter when I came back with troops and decimated these same towns and kingdoms.

    Till that time came, I was going to enjoy this break.

    As much as I could.

    The moonlight continued to flutter in from the canopy. Sounds of critters added to the sympathy of the forest.

    For once in my life, it was peaceful.

    I¡¯m not sure if I liked that.

 - 8 - Broken Rock! Becoming A Human in Papers

    I grasped the necklace that Dagon had given me before I departed, struggling to figure it out. It wasn¡¯t working.

    There had been no mana signature that I could sense from it, I closed my eyes, feeling my mana slowly trying to enter the magical item.

    ¡°Did it break?¡± I pondered, fingering the lava rock in my hands, and scratching the back of my head.

    ¡°Strange.¡±

    Normally, communication items like this were used in wars between commanders and soldier heads. They stored mana for a year, which proved beneficial for long, surrounding sieges of larger human bases.

    Yet, this item appeared to have died, not even taking in any mana. I sighed, slightly disappointed at being unable to contact my generals. I was curious about the situation back in the territory and if they needed any advice.

    Unfortunately, it appeared that I would have to find an item technician, hoping that humans could restore it. I knew how to fix it but with my current situation, I had no equipment to do so.

    I shrugged at the situation, pulling the necklace back over my head and tucking it into my shirt. I¡¯d figure it out eventually. Besides, I had other matters to deal with. I was able to spend the rest of the night unbothered and rest as much as I could.

    It was bittersweet to place the transmutation magic back. My mana levels were back to what they were originally, but this form was like a physical timer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to be careful to monitor that,¡± I made a mental note to myself, as I hopped a small rock ledge to the last stretch of forest.

    I squinted my eyes at the bright rays of the morning sun, lifting a hanging branch out of the way as I stepped into the grassy plains of the town.

    From the distance, I could hear the commotion at the gate from the other edge, as I quickly made my way closer to the walls.

    It was probably because the patrolling guard never made it back.

    Technically. I looked down at my stomach¡­

    ¡°Well, I guess you did,¡± I whispered to myself with a chuckle. Genuinely, I never intended to engage with anyone in my banishment to the human lands.

    But I was a prince of one of the most violent races in the land. My patience was thin. I tried.

    I glanced up at the wall in front of me. The plan was simple. All I needed to do was jump it and make sure I remained unseen.

    With one final look around me, I sprung upward, landing on the edge of the wall. It wasn¡¯t thick but I was able to balance myself to peer down into the town.

    The morning was young with the rising sun, which meant no human was out. I leaped down with a huff, rolling into the impact to reduce any noise.

    ¡°I still got it,¡± I gloated, hopping up to brush off my clothes. I peered up at the position of the sun, shrugging. I wondered if it was too early.

    ¡°Well, he did say sunrise.¡±

    Hm.

    Oh well. If he weren¡¯t up already, I would just wake him up. All right.

    I went along my way, walking along the early streets to the potion shop. It wasn¡¯t long till I noticed candles lit inside the passing houses. Closer to the center, shop owners stood outside their businesses with keys in hand.

    Mornings start early here, huh? That was interesting, I guess. By chance I did have to attack here, I¡¯d just do it earlier than now. That was good to know for later.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Heh. Look at me, being so tactful with gathering human information.

    The potion shop¡¯s door was cracked open. Mr. Homburg waved as he sipped a cup of tea at the register.

    ¡°Good morning, laddie!¡± The cheerful, older man smiled. His voice was energetic for that time of day. Business owners were impressive types of humans, social monsters if that was the correct definition for them.

    I peered around for Jamie but returned his greetings, ¡°Hello, Mr. Homburg. I was told by your worker to arrive at this time.¡±

    The jolly man beamed, ¡°Oh yes! He¡¯s in the back. He¡¯ll be out shortly once he¡¯s finished packing!¡±

    I could only visualize rays of jolliness radiating from this older human. My eyes squinted at the light coming from this man. He was a literal ray of sunshine.

    He pulled another cup from under the counter, reaching over to pat the extra chair next to it, ¡°Come enjoy some tea while you wait!¡±

    I waved my hands, ¡°I¡¯ll pass. I don¡¯t drink tea-¡±

    ¡°Nonsense, I insist!¡± He smiled wider.

    ¡°It¡¯s really fine¡­¡±

    ¡°I insist.¡± Another beam of sunshine. Truly, blinding.

    This was for sure a new type of magic.

    I exhaled, walking over to sit on the chair, ¡°...Thank you.¡±

    The jolly man hummed as he fixed my tea. I watched him make sure he didn¡¯t try to slip anything into it. Although, I really doubt that this human possessed an ounce of malice in him.

    The cup slid over, stopping in front of the chair. A slight fragrance of lavender and jasmine rose from the steam. The jolly man gave one last smile before exiting the counter with a duster.

    I stared down at the cup, wondering if it would be okay to drink. I didn¡¯t have experience with the consumption of human drinks or food. My diet in Hellion consisted of raw meat from livestock and unfortunate enemies that wandered into my warpath.

    I gulped, doing my best to fake a smile as I picked up the cup to my lips. It was just plants and hot water¡­ I should be fine.

    The hot liquid trailed down my throat, and hints of jasmine and lavender touched my tongue. This concoction wasn¡¯t bad. My head tilted as I continued to stare down at the liquid.

    This was called tea, right?

    I perked up, my eyes going to a door behind the counter, as steps approached. Jamie walked out, carrying a satchel on his side, and closed the door behind him.

    We made eye contact, as I placed the tea back on the counter, walking over to him. His eyes danced along my figure, slight confusion on his face.

    Jamie looked up with an eyebrow raised, ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving for Trane after we head to the town hall for your identification card,¡± his head peered around to nothing behind me, ¡°...Did you forget to pack your things?¡±

    Oh. That¡¯s what he was looking for.

    I shook my head, ¡°I don¡¯t have anything else.¡±

    His face relaxed, sighing. He walked past me towards the door, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have extra shirts that you can wear. We¡¯ll have to wash your pants in a creak since you¡¯re taller than me.¡±

    I nodded, heading to follow him out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you, old man. I¡¯ll be back after I¡¯m working in the army, so don¡¯t kick me out next time I¡¯m back.¡± Jamie called out to the old man, who waved as we exited the shop.

    I moved to walk aside from this human, who yawned as we bounded down the opening shops and waking houses.

    My attention bounced to the wheeling of vendor buggies set up for the day. No one around here used mana that much. The buggies seemed like a pain to move. Vendors had already set up and were calling out their merchandise.

    ¡°Bread! Loaves! Fresh from the Oven! Get them while they¡¯re hot!¡±

    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Jamie peered over, shuffling with a small bag that had the smell of copper.

    ¡°I ate not too long ago,¡± I shook my head.

    He rolled his eyes, ¡°Sure, you did¡­¡±

    It¡¯s true though. The other guard could attest to that, whether he knew already or not.

    Jamie headed over to the vendor that had been calling out for the bread. He reached into the small bag and pulled out four copper coins.

    ¡°Two loaves please.¡±

    The vendor nodded, handing him two bread loaves that were wrapped in small cloths.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± He reached out, grabbing the food items. He mumbled, taking a bite out of one and shoving the other into my arms.

    I fumbled, grasping the bread in confusion, ¡°But I already ate¡­¡±

    Not bothering to look back, he spoke with a mouthful of food, ¡°I don¡¯t care. Just eat it. It¡¯ll be a long day and I¡¯m not sure when the next time we¡¯ll get to eat will be.¡±

    His hand waved in the air, dismissing any further rebuttal of the subject.

    I glanced back down at the piece of bread in my arms. The warmth of the bread seeped through the cloth that it had been wrapped in. I sighed.

    This would be the second human item that I would consume.

    I raised the bread to my mouth, taking a bite.

    I paused in my tracks, using my other arm to grab Jamie¡¯s sleeve which caused him to almost drop his bread loaf.

    ¡°Hey! Asta, what are you doing-¡±

    I cut him off, pointing to the warm dough of the gods, ¡°This. You called this bread, correct?¡± I stared at him with stars in my eyes.

    He nodded, sporting a deadpan expression, ¡°Uh¡­yes. Why?¡±

    I muttered under my breath, ¡°I can¡¯t believe humans were capable of such heavenly creations.¡±

    Jamie decided to ignore my praise, turning his heel and leading to the town hall in silence.

    I had wolfed down the bread way before we stood at the entrance of the town hall center.

    Jamie guided me in, ¡°It¡¯s early so no one else is here yet,¡± He pointed to a teller sitting at a wooden desk, ¡°If you talk to her, then she¡¯ll be able to sort it out and we¡¯ll leave.

    I nodded, watching him head over to a chair to wait.

    The desk lady stared blankly, as I walked over to her station.

    I exhaled.

    Okay. I had it planned out. If I stuck to the story that I composed last night, then I¡¯d be good. If things got out of hand, then I¡¯d bypass them with magic.

    ¡°How can I help you?¡± Her eyes looked dead, as she questioned me with an emotionless tone.

    Crap. I forgot to ask Jamie about magic. I wanted to slap myself for the rookie mistake. Still, I would figure it out. Somehow, at least.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to replace an identification card. You see, I¡¯m from-¡±

    She interrupted me, scribing on a paper in front of her, ¡°Name. Age. And Employment Status.¡±

    ¡°...Oh uh. It¡¯s Asta,¡± I paused,¡± I don¡¯t have a last name. Sixteen and unemployed.¡±

    ¡°Any history of drug use, criminal record, or debt holdings?¡± She asked.

    Multiple accounts of murder, war crimes, arson, mass killings, and poison training.

    I shook my head.

    She stamped the paper that she was writing on, then reached under the desk and transferred the contents to a small card, stamping it with a red seal.

    ¡°Here, it is. If you have any questions or concerns, you can present this to any town hall representative in any city. Understand?¡± She automated.

    I nodded, hesitantly grabbing the card out of her hand.

    Um, that was it?

    I walked back to Jamie, not lifting my eyes from the tiny card.

    Jamie stood up and walked over. His eyes peered down at the paper.

    ¡°Oh, sick. You got it.¡± He cheered, already walking towards the exit.

    ¡°I think I did¡­¡±

    I peered down once more time at the card, stuffing it in my pocket.

    Why did I feel cheated, though?

 - 9 - Questioned? Depart to Trane, Brace yourself

    Surely enough, the absence of the guard had been noticed. It had only been a matter of time till they realized the guard did not return to his post.

    The gates of the town had been sealed off, protected by a herd of guards that stood firm in their position. Jamie slowed down, satchel still at the side of his body, as he approached the guard standing in front of the exit.

    ¡°Is something wrong? Are we able to get through?¡± he questioned, peering his head around the guard that approached us.

    Took them long enough.

    The guard held up a finger, calling over his supervisor that had been leaning against a nearby post, ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ll just have to ask you some questions before you¡¯re allowed out. We¡¯re just looking for someone.¡±

    Yeah, I was standing right in front of them.

    From a quick glance, they positioned about five guards on this side of the gate. The footsteps interloped too much to guess how many were on the other side. Although, if they wanted to keep a strong defensive image, it would be better to remain calm from the outside. That was from a belief observance of the situation though.

    I couldn¡¯t be sure.

    There was no reason to assume it was about anything else but the missing guard. I was sure of it. It was commendable that they tried to eliminate exit and entry points. In theory, it was a clever idea. But as foolish as humans were, they failed to consider that anyone skilled enough to take out a guard wouldn¡¯t be caught at a simple checkpoint.

    How embarrassing would it be for a general to be caught by town guards?

    Like I¡¯d let that happen. Flightless or not¡­

    My father would have turned my leather into a new chest plate if I were any less capable. I may have been the youngest, but I was considered the demon king¡¯s dragon for a reason.

    Well, used to be.

    They could throw any question at us. The supervisor pulled out a notepad, clicking his pencil, as he waited for a response. I heard a gulp from my guiding human.

    Jamie flashed a confused look in my direction before nodding, ¡°Uh¡­yeah. That works.¡±

    Was he nervous?

    The guard nodded again, stepping aside to let who I assumed was in charge take his place in front of us. The other guard moved to stand behind us.

    We had been boxed in. Well. They attempted to. Would you look at that? This was hilarious. It would have been proficient if it weren¡¯t for me with which they were dealing.

    Actually, it was a common technique for negotiating on open terms. One would be positioned in front of the target and the other would stay behind to eliminate the exit.

    I clearly remember using this in battles. The white flag would wave, signaling the enemy¡¯s defeat, then they would send out their leader to ¡°talk¡± about terms.

    I would be begged to spare their lives. Simply, it was just how the war went down. I suppose these humans were knowledgeable.

    The supervisor cleared his throat, his glance shifting between the two of us.

    ¡°Thank you for cooperating with this. No worries, you¡¯re not in trouble. We¡¯ll be asking the same questions to everyone that passes in and out of the town today.¡±

    Sure. But what he meant to say was ¡°You¡¯re not in trouble as long as you answer the questions right.¡±

    They¡¯d kill us if they suspected we killed his guard.

    The fact of the matter was that I did kill his guard. I thought of it as natural selection getting rid of the idiots. He just ran into someone that wouldn¡¯t put up with his attitude. And had a taste for anything made of meat.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    The man seemed sharp, and his posture was placed in such a way that he¡¯d easily be ready to unsheathe his sword. He was trained - well at that.

    It would be easier to control the conversation, myself. Plus, I doubted Jamie would be able to manage this. He had proven himself incapable in my eyes already. This occurrence instilled that.

    And I was right to assume so.

    As soon as Jamie realized the slight tension in the air, his demeanor changed. His posture stiffed and his hands fidgeted with the strap of his satchel. The supervisor noticed this, scribing down in the small notepad in his hand.

    Jamie peered around at the guarded gate. I mean. It was good that he was observant, but he needed to relax if we wanted to get out of there fast.

    I sighed. This wasn¡¯t going to work. For an innocent man, he was acting guilty.

    Humans¡­ really.

    I reached for his shoulder, resting my elbow against it, leaning closer to the supervisor.

    Thankfully, Jamie was caught off guard by my gesture. His body finally relaxed. His attention was now on me. He looked up at me with an expression that screamed, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Saving his ass, that¡¯s what.

    He continued to glare. Not like I particularly cared.  For one, I may be unfamiliar with human society but in these types of situations, it was child¡¯s play. My eyes quickly glanced at the supervisor in front of us, who seemed to question my gesture but said nothing about it.

    Smart.

    If I were him, I¡¯d do the same thing. Anyone that cracked under pressure before questioning would be bound to slip up anyway.

    No point in rushing it. Unfortunately, I was not rusty enough to lose to a mere human.

    I smiled widely, a fake light in my eyes, as I stared at the sword in his holder, ¡°Whoa! Is that a real sword?¡±

    Let¡¯s play dumb, shall we?

    Like the smooth talker that he appeared to be, he chuckled, looking down at his sword, ¡°Ah! Yes, it is. If you would like, I¡¯ll show it to you after questioning.¡±

    Please, don¡¯t kid me.

    If he pulls that sword, it would be anything but peaceful. Any trained soldier would never pull his sword for a vanity show. This human was lying through his stained teeth.

    I nodded cheerfully, ¡°That would be amazing! Thank you!¡± How dumb do you think I am?

    The man cleared his throat and the person behind us stepped closer. They were closing the space.

    Their feeble attempt was amusing.

    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll have you folks along your way soon. Where are you heading today?¡± he asked, his eyes darting to the guard behind us.

    A signal to be ready.

    I nudged Jamie.

    ¡°Oh, uh. We¡¯re heading to Trane.¡± He muttered quickly. The guard looked over at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m heading to the same place. I heard Trane is huge!¡± Again, another stupid grin on my face.

    The man nodded, his hand furiously writing, ¡°Ah, Trane is a long journey but it¡¯s not bad! How are you two planning to get there?¡±

    His pencil stopped, as he gazed up again.

    Jamie answered both of us with the same look he had when he bought bread.

    He pointed to me.

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t know. But I think we¡¯ll walk down to the carriage rental at Farie. It should only take a day by buggy,¡± He explained, I played along and tilted my head.

    ¡°That sounds like a good travel plan,¡± The supervisor¡¯s attention pinned to the empty holder, ¡°You.¡±

    This human was sharp. I¡¯ll give him that much. Still, I was better.

    ¡°Me?¡± I answered dumbly, leaning on top of Jamie more, causing him to curse at the added weight, he stumbled slightly.

    The supervisor nodded, never taking his eyes off the empty holding strap on my pants, ¡°Are you a hunter?¡± he asked, commenting on my attire.

    His posture tensed slightly. Bad move because anyone with combat experience would notice this change. That move will get him killed one day. I pretended not to notice the soft metallic clang of a hand gripping a handle.

    From both guards, may I add.

    Geez. So that¡¯s how it was?

    Weren¡¯t they a tad pushy?

    One wrong answer and they¡¯d attack.

    I lifted a hand to the back of my head, ¡°You see. I ran away from home. These are the only clothes that I was able to find.¡± Oh, woe is me.

    I exhaled deeply, my head tilted back, as I rested my one hand on my forehead.

    Feel bad for me.

    A huge huff and the tension subsided. The supervisor sighed, rubbing his brow.

    ¡°I see. You¡¯re fine. It¡¯s not too uncommon nowadays.¡± The supervisor noted, ¡°One more question. Are you visiting from another area? I recognize him,¡± He pointed at Jamie, ¡°But I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve met before.¡±

    I suppose I was indeed visiting.

    ¡°Ah¡­! You¡¯re right, I¡¯m from quite far away. I barely made it here!¡± A fake tear slipped from my eye. Lies.

    The supervisor nodded, looking defeated. He traded a look to the guard behind us before stepping aside from the gate.

    A lever was pulled, and the gates opened, exposing the familiar grassy plains beyond the town.

    ¡°You two are free to pass. Have a safe travel to Trane. If you get tired of being the imperial¡¯s dog, then we¡¯re always looking for guards.¡±

    He spared a look at me, filled with pity, ¡°I hope it gets better for you, sonny.¡±

    I sniffed, ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    Thank you for being so stupid.

    I pushed a hand behind Jamie, pushing him forward through the gates. The gates closed behind us, the guards once more, stepping in front of it to block anyone that tried to enter. I glanced back.

    They would be searching for a while.

    ¡°So¡­ are you okay?¡± Jamie asked, looking back in concern. He still looked shaken up from the whole encounter. If anything, I should be asking him.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I looked over with a blank look.

    Jamie let out a loud exhale, wiping his brow, ¡°Ok¡­ Anyway, I am glad it¡¯s over. That felt like an interrogation. I almost suffocated.¡±

    Well, that¡¯s because it was.

    ¡°Did it? I didn¡¯t notice,¡± I lied, looking anywhere but his eyes. Suddenly, the trail he leads us down seemed interesting. Let¡¯s look at that.

    He went on, ¡°Don¡¯t you think something happened? They seemed serious.¡±

    For someone that was training to join the army, he was remarkably unobservant. Stop asking questions and move on.

    ¡°Maybe.¡± I shrugged, indifferent to it.

    ¡°I hope they find whoever they¡¯re looking for.¡± He sighed, moving on to pull a map from his satchel.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure they will.¡±

    They won¡¯t but he can believe whatever he wants if it allows him to guide us to Trane.

    ¡°How long will we be on this path?¡± I asked, changing the subject. I leaned over his shoulder to stare at the map.

    Jamie paused, tracing a pathway on the map, ¡°Straight ahead for a day, then we¡¯ll pass into Farie. If we can get a buggy there instead of walking the rest of the way, then I think we can make it to Trane in a couple of days.¡±

    ¡°Lead the way.¡±

    I trailed behind him, glancing at the towering trees to the side of the pathway. We walked a good portion in silence.

    The pressure in the air rose with a spike in energy. My eyes narrowed; my senses adapted to the sudden threat. I looked around alertly, picking up a quickly approaching group of monsters. It was a similar scent.

    I skidded to a halt and braced myself.

    ¡°Jamie, you can protect yourself, right?¡±

    Jamie glanced up, his eyes peering above the map, ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    This scent and this type of energy, it was right on top of us. Ready to attack us at any second.

    I knew this energy. These low levels of demonic energy.

    These pests.

    Hell rats.

 - 10 - Attack of the Hell Rats! Who are you?

    I grabbed onto Jamie¡¯s satchel, pulling him out of the way before baring fangs came crashing out of a nearby bush.

    There was no time to spare, as three more jumped out of the forest line and barreled towards our position. One charged forward, towards Jamie, who scrambled for something in his satchel.

    Seriously?

    I cursed, moving my body to intercept its charge. I met its face with my foot. It scurried, landing back, its head shaking from the impact. The hit should have cracked its skull.

    ¡°Is it really the time to be looking inside your man purse?¡± I scolded, glaring at the hell rats as if I were daring them to move.

    Once you looked away, they¡¯d attack. It didn¡¯t matter who you were. These creatures were only driven by their hunger and pure instincts. It was the only way, lower-level demons survived.

    He fumbled, frantically digging at the bottom of the satchel, ¡°Hold on! I have a dagger. Buy me a minute.¡±

    I scoffed, my eyes rolling, ¡°Are you really joining the army?¡±

    A hell rat hissed, standing up on its rear legs, its fur spiked up. I glanced back for a second, Jamie still shifted through the contents of his bag.

    A minute? I could take them out all right now.

    I sighed, staring down at the leading rat, it was the biggest of the pack. My iris contracted and glowed. I felt my teeth sharpen as I flashed a fang.

    ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re attacking?¡± My energy seemed to radiate, the message making itself clear, as the hell rats stepped back.

    Their whispers furrowed, tails tucked, and ears lowered. I held my stance.

    It wouldn¡¯t work for long. If they weren¡¯t under the control of my father¡¯s authority, then they wouldn¡¯t pause their attacks. It would buy Jamie time.

    ¡°Got it!¡± Jamie jumped up, racing over to my side. I placed the full transmutation magic, my eyes returning to normal and my teeth dulling before he reached me.

    He swung a large dagger, pressing his shoulder against me, ¡°What are demons doing so close to the town?¡± He whispered under his breath, low enough to not spook the rats into attacking.

    The result of my appearance in the town meant that the hell rats sensed the demonic energy. Naturally, they ventured closer after noticing I was exuding prominent levels of mana. It must have been foreign for a creature not under a higher demon¡¯s rule. I was at fault, again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look away,¡± I warned him, ¡°They¡¯ll attack all at once if we look away.¡±

    He nodded, swinging the dagger at their nearing steps. They paced; their eyes consumed with hunger.

    If they attacked fully, I would be fine. These small creatures couldn¡¯t hurt me. The problem was I needed Jamie to navigate human society. I couldn¡¯t have them damaging what belonged to me now. He had a purpose now.

    I reached my hand over to Jamie, my eyes trained on the rats, ¡°Give me the dagger, now.¡±

    He shook his head, and the dagger moved out of my reach, ¡°Like I¡¯m giving someone I barely know my only means of defense.¡±

    ¡°Like you let someone you barely know tag along this whole time?¡± I retorted, trying to reach for the dagger but was refused.

    ¡°You jumped over a wall! What was I supposed to say? No?¡± He went on, swinging his dagger at a hell rat that crept closer.

    I groaned, ¡°I was helping you!¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Like hell you were! I almost died.¡± He raised his voice, backing up slowly alongside me.

    I scoffed, ¡°Fine. Don¡¯t give me the dagger. Die here and see if I care. What did you have in mind then?¡±

    Jamie fell silent, cursing before shoving the handle of the blade in my outstretched hand, ¡°First, tell me what you plan on doing with it.¡±

    I kept my eyes on the largest hell rat, it led the pack closer, all of them growling, ¡°If I take out the leader of the pack, they¡¯ll be less organized to attack. We¡¯ll be able to take them down easier.¡± I explained under my breath.

    He nodded, ¡°What am I supposed to protect myself with then?¡±

    ¡°I did ask if you could protect yourself,¡± I commented, pulling my arm back, and angling the knife.

    ¡°I thought you meant people!¡± He snapped, jumping back from a lurch of one of the rats.

    ¡°Same thing.¡± I readied my aim.

    ¡°It¡¯s really not¡­¡± Jamie sighed.

    ¡°Well, survive long enough till I take care of mine.¡± I threw the knife, launching off my foot towards another hell rat that closed in on us.

    The knife sailed through the air, its blade sinking into the head of the largest hell rat that had been leading the group.

    It had no time for a dying scream, as the blade killed it right away. Its body fell to the ground and the remaining rats charged forward in retaliation over their leader¡¯s corpse.

    I gripped onto the neck of the closest hell rat, squeezing till I heard a familiar crunch of bones. I dropped it, watching it fall to the ground in pained screeches as it failed to breathe from the shambled state of its neck.

    A grunt sounded from behind me, I darted around, my eyes meeting Jamie¡¯s, who kicked at the other three hell rats. The rats hissed, jumping at him from all angles. Their claws made rips in the satchel that was being used as a makeshift shield.

    ¡°A little help!¡± He shouted, swinging his bag at the herd of rats that continued to surround him.

    I bent down, pulling the knife out of the dead hell rat¡¯s head, pulling my arm back, and throwing it at one of the rats. The creature squirmed, trying to free itself of the blade that impaled it through the chest to the dirt road below.

    Black blood pooled around the hell rat, its hissing subsiding before a gurgling sound. It went limp, unmoving around the other two that still lunged at Jamie.

    ¡°These pesky little things,¡± I grunted, punting one into a tree, and heading over to Jamie¡¯s side,¡± Just don¡¯t know when to give up.¡±

    I dodged the snarling demonic rat¡¯s lunge, barely missing the swiping of its claws.

    I clicked my tongue, rolling my eyes at the creature, who seemed relentless in its attacks. It had no rationale to not fight a dragon. It won¡¯t surprise me if it dared attack the King himself.

    They remained pests, even outside of Hellion. We should really call for an extermination of the species in its entirety.

    The pesky creature focused its attacks on me. Its fangs snapped at every opportunity it had. It was too slow and failed to snag onto me, which angered the vermin further.

    Jamie had dug the knife out of the chest of the dead hell rat, scrambling over to me.

    I moved my head back, watching the claws pass in front of my eyes. A vein from my forehead popped out.

    My patience had a limit.

    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re pushing it.¡± I reached my arm straight out, catching the demon in mid-air.

    It fought against my grip that tightened around it. It whimpered, trying to reach out to bite my hand without success.

    ¡°Jamie, hold the knife straight out!¡± I called over.

    ¡°What?¡± He clamored the knife at his side.

    ¡°Shut up and hold the knife out!¡± I yelled, chucking the hell rat toward his face.

    The creature screeched a dying yelp, as the knife intercepted his flying body. The blade slipped through its body as its weight betrayed it.

    Jamie held the knife with two arms, his eyes wide as he watched the dagger cut through the top of the sliding body. The hell rat¡¯s body cut through twice, landing on the road dead and unmoving.

    I exhaled, holding a thumb out to Jamie,¡± Nice catch.¡±

    Jamie dropped the knife, flinging the spilled blood from his hand, ¡°You tried to kill me. Again!¡± He cried, furiously pointing at his face and the dead hell rat.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to kill you. If I wanted, you dead I would have killed you way earlier. Trust me.¡± I explained, bending down to pick up the knife.

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s blood stuck on it,¡± I grabbed the handle, rubbing the bloodied blade on the dirt to wipe it off, ¡°There, we go.¡±

    I dusted off my pants, hopped to my feet, and put the handle of the knife in Jamie¡¯s hand, ¡°There. Good as new.¡±

    He stared blankly, a mixture of shock and horror, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Who are you?¡±

    I paused, ¡°I thought I told you, my name? It¡¯s Asta.¡±

    He sighed, glaring, ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant. The rats and the¡­the knife!¡± He held it up, like a child, swinging it around with odd sound effects.

    ¡°You did this!¡± He made a whooshing sound,¡± Then this! And then you had a perfect aim?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re confused about this.¡± I sighed, bending down to pick up the corpses of the hell rats, moving them off the trail.

    It would be better if they dissolve on their own instead of their bodies being discovered by passing travelers.

    Jamie exhaled loudly, cursing to himself, ¡°Forget it! Don¡¯t explain it to me. Just know it¡¯s not normal to take out hell rats on your own.¡±

    Humans couldn¡¯t take out hell rats. I scoffed, ¡°Why did this race have to be the one that put me in this state?¡± I groaned, reminding myself of the state of my wing.

    Or ARC was the exception? Either way, it sucked.

    ¡°Where I come from, you grew up learning to defend yourself before you learned to walk. It was up to you to protect yourself.¡± I interrupted his complaints.

    Jamie fell silent, a gentler demeanor took over, ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t mean it like that. It just shocked me, that¡¯s all. You¡¯re a talented fighter.¡±

    Of course, I know that.

    He hesitated.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why did you run away?¡± He asked, his eyes looking at me with worry.

    He was soft. Were all humans like that?

    I sighed, not needing his pity. Still, I needed to be in his favor to reach Trane.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t run away. My father kicked me out. I¡¯m useless to him right now,¡± I admitted. It was mostly true.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jamie''s breath caught, his gait pausing slightly at my comment.

    There was something I wondered, myself.

    ¡°Why are you living in the potion shop?¡± I asked, expecting a fair trade of questions.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that you and I are in a similar boat,¡± He tried to explain, ¡°Except, my father and I have different ideas about how to live life. I got kicked out, but I was the one that decided to not go back. I could have.¡±

    Is that so?

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Jamie spotted a small building in front of us, ending the mood with his pointing, ¡°Oh! Wait, we can hitch a ride here!¡±

    I looked over to the old, worn tavern with horses attached to wooden storage carriages.

    ¡°Here?¡± I asked, my tone full of uncertainty.

    ¡°Trust me on this. If my negotiation skills are good, we may be able to get to Trane by next nightfall.¡± Jamie rushed to the wooden doors of the establishment.

    I peered up at the cracked sign above the building. I could smell the lingering scent of booze and puke from the other end.

    ¡°If you say so¡­¡±

    I stepped into the booze-scented dump, hoping I wouldn''t get sick from the overwhelming scent that escaped to the outside.

    Truly, I failed to understand how a building that looked like it was going to collapse was our ticket to Trane.

    But okay.

 - 11 - Songs of the Drunken! Hitch a Buggy, Dust off A.R.C!

    An empty, wooden cup flew across my face. A drunken laughter broke out at a table of men in the corner, one¡¯s hand still in the air. I peered over, blankly. Staring at their reddened expressions and glassy eyes was enough to explain their mental state.

    They weren¡¯t picking a fight. They just weren¡¯t in their right mind.

    I sighed, ignoring the cheers that came from another popped bottle, and the strong scent of aged beer. Jamie grabbed my sleeve, carefully guiding us through the entourage of listless humans.

    Out of all the species, I had been aware of the destructive tendencies of humans. Only races that lived less than a century would be foolish enough to drink mind-numbing substances. It was perplexing the first time spying on the human encampments. Soldiers did this frequently. Now, I suppose civilians did it too.

    Jamie led us to the counter of the faculty. Shelves of filled bottles were decorated from behind the heavier man, his hair lacking and sparse.

    ¡°Are any carriages heading to Trane?¡± Jamie shouted over the jollied cries of the tavern.

    The heavier man chuckled, quickly sparing a glance at the both of us, ¡°Aren¡¯t you both a little young to be in a speakeasy?¡±

    Excuse me, I was over two hundred years old. Cursed human body.

    So, this was called a speakeasy. I made a note to never visit one again.

    Jamie shook his head, giving a polite smile, ¡°We¡¯re not here to drink. I¡¯m heading to Trane to take the army exams and my travel partner is unfamiliar with how to get there.¡±

    The man brought a hand to his chin, looking up before nodded, ¡°Ah! Do you want to hitch a ride? Is that what you¡¯re asking?¡±

    ¡°Yes! If anyone is heading out soon for Trane, I¡¯d be willing to pay for us to hitch in the back.¡± Jamie confirmed.

    The man sighed, ¡°Well. Fortunately for you, I know there¡¯s another customer heading that way. He just turned in his owing. I can¡¯t promise you, but I¡¯ll call him over.¡±

    My eyes followed over to the human sitting at the end of the row of bar seats, who noticed the heavier man motion him over. I stared.

    The human looked around thirty years of human age, wearing a decent set of leather attire. He sported a small beard and wore black gloves.

    ¡°These young chaps wanted to ask if they could hitch a ride to Trane with you,¡± The heavier man explained.

    Jamie bowed, taking the hand of the man into a handshake, ¡°Yes sir! I would be willing to pay. You see, my friend and I are quite young and wondered if we could ride your buggy to Trane.¡±

    The man looked down, his firm eyes softening after Jamie¡¯s shake. He smiled, raising his hand, ¡°Lucky timing, I¡¯m about to head out now. You don¡¯t need to pay me. In fact, I could use some company. My horses are fast, but it¡¯ll be a long time in silence.¡±

    He cleared his throat, ¡°I¡¯m Sirius. What are your names?¡± His clear eyes met mine, he waited.

    I stared back in silence. Jamie nervously chuckled, ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mind him. He¡¯s a bit peculiar at times. This is Asta and my name is Jamie.¡±

    Sirius waved it off, putting on a grand smile, as he motioned us towards the exit, ¡°No worries. I work with some troublesome students. I¡¯m used to this!¡±

    I hated this human.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    I scoffed, rolling my eyes. There was something that I couldn¡¯t place about this guy. It was the years in the field that made me untrusting, but humans seemed too eager to get a knife in the back.

    We walked over to a small wooden carriage, Jamie dragging me in tow. Two horses huffed, secured to a harness that had been connected to the wooden buggy. One of them neighed, rearing on its hinds, as I made eye contact.

    Could it sense what I was? Sirius rushed over to the mare, brushing his hands through its mane, ¡°Shhhh, easy girl.¡±

    He looked over, ¡°They¡¯re trustworthy horses. I¡¯m not sure what spooked her, but we¡¯ll be fine once we set off.¡± Sirius explained, stepping away and hopping up to take hold of the reins.

    I glanced at the mare, holding up my hands, and shaking my head. I doubted it would help the frightened creature, but it was the thought that counted.

    Attacking the horses that would take us to Trane wasn¡¯t on my priority list. Unless plans changed.

    Sirius reached down his hand to Jamie, helping him climb up to the seating area. Jamie huffed, crawling up and sitting next to the man. I stood behind him on the ground with my arms crossed, trading glances from the horses and the overstretched hand in front of me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you up, Asta.¡± Sirius held his hand towards me with a smile.

    I exhaled, lightly batting the hand away, ¡°I don¡¯t need help.¡± I said, simply.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He looked unsure at my declaration. It was a higher jump. Jamie peered down in confusion, wondering what my deal was.

    Too trusting. We just met this human a few minutes ago and now he was taking us to Trane. I could never piece together the logic behind that.

    I nodded, stepping back and easily lifting myself over the back of the carriage, separate from the two upfront.

    Sirius applauded, ¡°Wow! That was quite the jump! How old are you? You seem capable for your age.¡±

    Please. I may be young, but I¡¯ve lived longer than this human.

    ¡°I¡¯m sixteen,¡± I responded, blankly.

    ¡°Got it¡­¡±

    He smiled again, picking up the reins. The horses whined, as the carriage slowly moved along to the dirt road, shaking with the trot of the mares.

    Jamie looked back, flashing a glare at me.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked, defensively. I yawned, leaning back against the old blankets that were placed in the back with me.

    He rolled his eyes, not bothering to reply to me.

    Instead, he looked over to Sirius, who was busy handling the steering, ¡°I¡¯m seventeen, but I turn of age before the exams start.¡± He explained, staring at the bouncing of the horses¡¯ shoulders against the harnesses.

    Sirius chuckled, ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to know that you¡¯re pursuing the army exams early. Most people wait till they¡¯re in their twenties to take them. Did you not go to the academy?¡±

    Jamie shook his head, ¡°I did. I never finished but I have other ambitions that took my interest more.¡±

    The man cheered, ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s fair! Everyone pursues different avenues in life,¡± He leaned down to whisper into Jamie¡¯s ear, ¡°If this is about your friend, I swear it¡¯s all right. I wasn¡¯t offended!¡±

    ¡°I can hear you.¡± I sneered.

    Sirius turned around with a hand on the back of his head, ¡°Is that so? Well then. Truly, I do appreciate both of your companies.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡± I turned to my side, not willing to deal with anyone else but Jamie. Putting up with that incapable weakling was enough. Adding this new knucklehead wasn¡¯t in my original plans.

    He exhaled, facing the front again, ¡°So¡­ Jamie. What are you thinking of specializing in?¡±

    My ears perked. Were there different divisions for which you could apply?

    I sat up, throwing my arms over the divider, ¡°What¡¯s someone as incapable as you trying to get into?¡± I added to the conversation, provoking a laugh from Sirius.

    Jamie sighed, ¡°So now you want in the conversation? Fine.¡±

    He continued, ¡°There¡¯s a combat exam, potions exam, magic exam, and strategist exam. I¡¯m not talented in physical skills-¡±

    ¡°Well duh.¡± I hummed.

    ¡°Shut up, freak.¡± He snapped, ¡°Anyway, I was going to take the exam for potions and battlefield medics.¡±

    Sirius clapped his hands, ¡°Well! That¡¯s a fantastic goal. I heard that it¡¯s hard to get a license for that. So do you have a division in mind that you want to try out for recruitment?¡±

    I interrupted, ¡°Wait? You don¡¯t just get placed into a standard force?¡±

    Things worked differently here.

    In Hellion, citizens that joined the Demon King¡¯s army would be placed into the main force upon enlistment.

    Because the prestige of each family reflected on the battlefield accomplishments, demons would advance in ranks after proving themselves. After they showed skills in battle, they would be assigned to one of the four territories led by the royal family.

    Skilled demons would collaborate directly with the king. It wasn¡¯t necessarily sorted into certain divisions. Of course, more specialized demons would be organized eventually but the kingdom was constantly in conflict.

    Forces were drained swiftly, despite the surplus of applicants. The demon race was a violent race by nature that inched to fight.

    Sirius gave a hearted laugh, ¡°You really aren¡¯t from around here. It¡¯s interesting! I¡¯ve never met someone that wasn¡¯t aware of how the army exams worked. I¡¯ll explain.¡±

    He moved the reins to one hand, making a pointing gesture, ¡°The army exams are the standard way of earning licenses to participate in recruitment for various human protection agencies. You can get your licenses through exams that certified you in combat, magic, strategy, and potion-making. Once you have your license, you can get recruited by agencies that specialize in those licenses. It¡¯s like a guild system.¡±

    I nodded, ¡°I see.¡± Didn¡¯t this method limit the capabilities of their soldiers? Was this effective?

    Then again¡­ ARC had been predominantly magic users.

    Speaking of which.

    ¡°Have you heard of ARC?¡± I waited for his answer intently.

    This was a chance.

    Jamie choked on air, a laugh escaping from his mouth, as he slapped his thigh in amusement. He wiped a tear from his eye, ¡°Hah! You don¡¯t know ARC?¡±

    Sirius grabbed his shoulder to settle his laughter, ¡°That¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure there are places that may not be up to date on these matters.¡±

    He sighed, eyes peeling from the dirt road, ¡°ARC is one of those agencies that recruit from the exams. They¡¯re the kingdom¡¯s best force. But they approach you. It¡¯s impossible to apply to them, yourself. A majority of their recruits are filtered through their private academy. Are you still enrolled in the academy? Those trainees in the academy are your age, about.¡±

    ¡°I never went to the academy due to family circumstances¡­¡± I commented.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to sign up. People your age are required to be in the army or in the academy, but¡­¡± He paused, his eyes gleaming, ¡°Why? Are you considering joining ARC?¡±

    The look in his eyes¡­ I couldn¡¯t place it.

    He was strange.

    I looked away. If I had the chance to infiltrate ARC, it would be foolish not to.

    I scoffed, rolling back to my side and closing my eyes, ¡°Who knows?¡±

 - 12 - Cruel Reality! Arrival to Trane, Take the Exams!

    The stars flickered above the buggy; my hand traced the passing lights. The trotting of the hooves along the dirt road melodied with the thrum of the animals in the forest.

    My eyes stared through the gaps of my fingers, studying the thin bones of the human hand that replaced my large, scaled claw. I closed my eyes, inhaling, feeling the cool crisp of the moonlit air.

    When I opened them, would I be back in Hellion? This would be an illusion and Dagon would be laughing hysterically at the trick. Adbeel would be worried, hunching over my spelled body. Then, we would be off to the next military campaign. It would be over.

    I counted to five.

    One. Two. Three. Four. Five. I opened my eyes, staring at the human hand. I exhaled loudly, groaning as I laid listlessly on the wooden floor.

    It was a cruel set of circumstances that I had been placed in.

    Oh, how I have fallen, now fated to spend time with the same creatures that I used to reign higher than.

    The fates had humor.

    Sighing, I sat upright, my eyes following the passing rows of trees. The buggy moved along, and the horses trot quickened to make it to Trane by sunrise. We had traveled way ahead of schedule due to Sirius and had already passed Fairie.

    That¡¯s what Jamie said before passing out hours ago. Nightfall had come, its stay prolonged by the noise of the moving buggy. The thick woods presented no time to lower my guard.

    From the top of my mind, I only imagined the dangers that could befall the buggy if I were to let my guard down. Bandits? Monsters? Assassins?

    Though, Jamie seemed to have no trouble relaxing.

    I peered over to the other side of the back of the buggy. Jamie lay curled up in the blankets, his eyes shut, and drool ran from the side of his mouth to the wooden flooring below.

    Shaking my head, I quietly crawled to the front of the buggy. Reaching out, I pulled myself up onto the extra seat of the driver¡¯s area, nodding in acknowledgment to Sirius. He had been driving the buggy without rest, allowing us to cover this much distance.

    A competent human.

    ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± he asked, yawning. His face glowed brightly under the small lantern that hung on the side of the buggy, exposing the dark eyebags and tired eyes. It had been twelve hours of straight traveling and the buggy only stopped briefly to let the horses rest.

    Despite what the human showed, he looked ready to keel over in exhaustion. Humans didn¡¯t have much energy in the first place, and he had been busy since the buggy left.

    ¡°I slept earlier,¡± I lied, staring at the dirt road, listening to the trotting beat of the horses.

    Dragons didn¡¯t need to sleep as much as humans, nor eat as frequently. I was unaffected by the long trip. I felt fine, indifferent from the strain of the traveling.

    The only thing affected was my mana levels. With the constant state of placing the transmutation spell, they were always being drained. I was confident that I¡¯d be able to maintain this form for a week before it would need to be relaxed. It was strenuous and placed an unhealthy toll on my original form.

    Still, I waited in silence. Riding in the front of the buggy, I glanced at the occasional pull of the reins, guiding the horses to stay on a straight path to Trane.

    My voice hushed, I peered over at Sirius, ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± I asked him.

    Sirius smiled, the bags under his eyes bunching up at the movement, ¡°I¡¯m not as bad as I look,¡± He explained, ¡°Plus, it¡¯s not good to stop in these woods at night. There are too many demonic creatures out in these parts. I can¡¯t risk it when I¡¯m transporting youngsters like you.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°I¡¯m not that young. I understand your concern with potion man back there, but I can manage myself well.¡± I corrected him, focusing my senses on the low levels of demonic energy in the tree lines.

    Huh. He was telling the truth. I followed the larger portions of mana, my eyes adjusting to the night to spot the watching eyes of lower creatures. They watched the horses hungrily, a few glancing up at the humans accompanying me. Others that met my eyes, decided to run deeper into the tree lines. Their instincts screamed at them to flee. They didn¡¯t dare cross my path.

    They were smart.

    The reins slacked, the ends of them placed into a holder.

    Sirius leaned back stretching, a yawn, ¡°I never said you were incapable. As capable as you may be, you¡¯re still a kid in my eyes. No matter how mature you try to act, you¡¯re still young.¡±

    If only I had that luxury.

    He had no idea.

    I scoffed, a small smirk forming from his insanity. If only my father could hear that comment, he¡¯d be dying from twisted amusement.

    ¡°You know, I don¡¯t like you that much,¡± I reminded him, but I was certain he guessed from my lack of enthusiasm at his welcoming gestures. I had no obligation to suck up to humans that I didn¡¯t find useful.

    If I were forced, I would use magic to fly us to Trane. It would risk my mana levels but I was capable enough to figure it out.

    He snorted, wiping a tear from his eyes, ¡°Well. I don¡¯t blame you, kid. I¡¯m a stranger to you. This could have gone bad if you both hitched a ride with the wrong person. But I was serious, I can¡¯t stand being alone so I¡¯m happy that you both tagged along.¡±

    At least, he understood.

    He sighed loudly, folding his arms behind his head, his eyes glistening as he looked over, ¡°So, now that your friendly partner is asleep, tell me about yourself.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I raised my eyebrow, slightly glaring.

    ¡°I mean. What¡¯s your deal, you know? I didn¡¯t want to say anything earlier, but your mana levels are off the charts! I¡¯ve never experienced anything like it.¡± He admitted, his eyes narrowing as he waited for my answer.

    I maintained a poker face.

    Who was this man?

    ¡°Are you a magic user?¡± I asked plainly, skipping to the point. Only demons and high-level mages could distinguish mana types.

    Most human mages could sense basic levels.

    The problem relied on where Sirius fell in that range.

    If he were at a high level then there would be no way he¡¯d miss sensing my demonic energy, not to mention skilled magicians could sense the layers of the transmutation spell.

    The situation wasn¡¯t dire. I was too skilled to be stressed about it, especially with weak humans. If he were able to sense demonic energy, then I would just kill him where he sat.

    He noticed the tension, his hand waving in dismissal, ¡°Relax, I don¡¯t mean any harm. I¡¯m not sure why you weren¡¯t mentioning it earlier. Most magic users are flamboyant with their magic.¡±

    So, he knew from the start. I sat back to gauge the situation, ready to jump into the appropriate measures to handle it.

    The human flashed a comforting smile, ¡°And to answer your question, I¡¯m not a mage. I¡¯m just sensitive to mana levels because I work at a magic academy in Trane. I teach combat there to students. That¡¯s also the reason I refuse to stop at night with two kids the same age as my students.¡±

    I sighed, relaxing. So, he¡¯s just someone with combat experience that has learned to pick up mana levels.

    Most soldiers developed that sense after training with magic users for a while. Even non-magic demons would flick their heads up at high mana releases.

    If that¡¯s the case, I was fine.

    I had another question.

    ¡°And the gloves?¡± I pointed to the leather gloves on his hand. It was something that I was curious about earlier, but if he taught combat, it made sense. Dagon wore gloves because of his handling of various weapons. Human skin was frail.

    Sirius looked down, slipping one of his gloves to show a callused hand, ¡°Ah¡­ I wear gloves because of how rough my hands feel. I guess it¡¯s peculiar.¡± He sighed, slipping the glove back on, and picking up the reins.

    Even on the battlefield with my hatred towards humans, I could learn to respect skilled fighters.

    I did not know the extent of his skills, but it was respectable to some degree.

    I shook my head, ¡°Not at all.¡±

    I stared ahead. My eyes were transfixed on the dim lights in the distance, as the buggy traveled over a hill. The higher view allowed the buggy to overlook a different section of the land.

    A group of lights appeared in the distance, bundled together to reveal the outskirts of a town. Torches burned brightly at a large gate, their ember glow reflecting off the metal armor of active guards.

    I point, unfamiliar with the path. The route didn¡¯t pass through any other city from what Jamie showed on his map from earlier.

    ¡°What is that?¡± I asked.

    Sirius squinted his eyes, laughing, ¡°Go wake up Jamie.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    He grinned, ¡°I told you that you were lucky to have caught me. My horses are fast, and I know many shortcuts. That¡¯s Trane.¡±

    ¡°Already?¡± Our arrival time had more than halved.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯d be lying if I didn¡¯t admit that the buggy wasn¡¯t enhanced with magic.¡± He admitted and used his free hand to point at the engravings on the wheels.

    It was enhancement magic.

    Now, it made sense why the buggy moved so quickly.

    I stepped down into the back of the buggy, creeping up to Jamie¡¯s sleeping body.

    A pool of drool had now formed where his head rested.

    Sighing, I pulled my foot back, kicking him in the gut. He shot up, clenching his stomach and coughing.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± He choked out, drunk from drowsiness.

    ¡°Wake up.¡± I pointed to the upper portion of the carriage, ¡°Sirius said we¡¯ll be in Trane soon.¡±

    He clenched a hand to his stomach, ¡°Really? Already?¡±

    ¡°Apparently.¡± I shrugged, walking over to the corner to sit.

    Jamie trudged up, babying his stomach, ¡°You have serious issues, man.¡±

    I ignored him, focusing my attention on the city lights that illuminated the distance.

    ¡°Is that really Trane?¡± I asked, transfixed at the view.

    Jamie walked up, trying to balance himself on the moving buggy, he looked over, ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re here.¡±

    He sighed, shifting his hands to his hips, ¡°Do you have plans for what you¡¯re doing in the kingdom?¡±

    ¡°¡­Sirius said I would need to join the army or join the academy because of my age,¡± I answered, partly trying to confirm this information.

    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right. You¡¯re welcome to take exams with me. I¡¯m not sure what class you¡¯d want to take but you¡¯re obviously in good physical condition too.¡± He slid down next to me, digging through his satchel.

    He perked up, ¡°Oh, and your magic. You could try out for the magic exams too.¡±

    I shrugged. I didn¡¯t want to risk running into high-level mages. The encounter with Sirius confirmed my suspicions. Humans were more sensitive to mana than I thought.

    ¡°I may try out for the combat exams.¡± It would be the best way to find information about ARC. If I was going to stay here, then I might as well gain leverage to please my father when I returned home.

    I would need to find work anyway. Human society revolved around wealth. I would need to adjust to blend in.

    Sirius leaned over the divider, ¡°We¡¯ll be there in a few minutes, boys!¡±

    Trane.

    We were here.

 - 13 - A Freak! The Dangers of Drugs, Strangers

    It wasn¡¯t long before we arrived at Trane. By the time we finished the process to get past the gate, the sun had risen.

    Sirius had dropped us off at the kingdom¡¯s visitor center to head to his job. I waited outside while Jamie went in to ask about where the army exams were taking place. I was left to lean against the front of the building, waiting for him to finish.

    I still can¡¯t say that the entire situation settled in fully: being surrounded by humans, finding myself in the middle of a human kingdom, and willingly accompanying some.

    My perceived normalcy switched at a moment¡¯s notice. Suddenly, those decades spent covered in blood and death, towering over the enemy¡¯s defeat in a mighty roar, faded further into the past.

    Dreamlike.

    Growing up in a general role in my father¡¯s army, I had been exposed to various kingdoms of different races. Each of them was prestigious in their own right, mainly specializing in various aspects of building. Hellion¡¯s architecture developed from the practices of lands that we had conquered, so it was fair to say that the kingdom was comprised of the best aspects taken from kingdoms.

    Still.

    I glanced around at the grand arches that overlooked the Centre of the kingdom¡¯s business district. Polished stone bricks held together in the air, supported by thick, marvelous pillars. Truly, I had never seen anything like it.

    Somehow, a kingdom like this existed in the shadow of Hellion¡¯s intelligence. Hours of scouring and memorizing the maps in my territory - nothing like this was to have existed. Disappointment, that was what I felt in terms of this failure.

    Why had I never heard of this kingdom? It was a rich, commercially prosperous kingdom with a booming population. A frustrated scowl on my face remained, as I looked upon the scenery with the eyes of a general¡¯s setback.

    If this was a battle, then I would have lost in terms of information. I had to accept that fact, as hard as it was.

    Trane was different. Their walls were thick, guarded, and fortified. I questioned if my troops would be able to siege it easily.

    No doubt. It was impossible. I was certain that I would have to partner up with one of the other territory¡¯s troops, double-team it. If that would even work¡­

    The door to the center opened, a familiar satchel peeking out from the open door followed by the short human that I had been traveling with. Jamie walked forward, down the steps of the center, and peered around at the bustling crowd.

    ¡°I have someone that I need to meet with here, so I¡¯ll meet you at the exam sign-up,¡± He handed me a map of the kingdom and pointed to a marked dot near the castle, ¡°It¡¯s outside the arena center, where the exams will take place. Sign-ups open at high noon, so don¡¯t be late.¡±

    I nodded, glancing down at the marked areas of the map, ¡°Got it. Who are you meeting with?¡±

    He gave a blank look, ¡°None of your business. See you!¡± He smirked, disappearing into the morning crowd, quicker than I could respond.

    Seriously. I should have killed that human when I had the chance.

    That little shit.

    Once again, I was discarded. I rolled my eyes, stuffing the map into the same pocket as my card.

    Well, I guess that I could get to know the kingdom more. I sighed, merging into the flow of the crowd. It was early, but the volume of people was intense.

    I walked along with the flow of people heading closer to the towering pillars of the castle that marked the middle of the kingdom. Constantly dodging the brushes of others, I maneuvered through the crowd, barely managing to run into anyone.

    Passersby were dressed in finer fabrics, even sporting leather bags that clung to their sides. Women were dressed in large dresses, their corsets laced with jewels and beading. Wealth was sported all around, making my blackened attire look like the slums.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Oh well.

    I didn¡¯t mind the scornful stares that I received and couldn¡¯t help but notice the clenching of bags, as I walked past. No doubt, my lesser clothes presented a target on my back.

    A troublemaker and thief.

    Those names probably ran through their heads.

    Humans were constrained to their false values. Money was frail in the face of true power. This was why they lived as short as they did, living in vain and vanity was poisonous.

    It would be better to step aside from the main crowd then.

    Making my way to the sidelines, I stepped into a less crowded area. Like in the previous town, vendors had called out goods and products, trying to convince future customers to indulge in their services.

    I lacked the coins that humans used to buy these items. Not that I minded, it wasn¡¯t like I needed to purchase food or clothes. I was fine with what I carried on me, anything else would-be baggage.

    Instead of shopping, I opted to sit against a wall that overlooked the portion of the shops. Sighing, I slide down, bringing my legs to my knees and resting my head on my arms. I watched the passing crowds of people and listened to the callings of the store owners.

    It was mundane, boring. I wanted to learn more about ARC, but I would have to wait till the exams to retrieve any information about them. That would be the best bet to ask somewhat creditable humans.

    Fighters knew fighters; it was a niche community, no matter where you went.

    Now, I just had to pass the time.

    Trivial. Boring.

    ¡°Are you lost?¡± A hooded figure slipped away from the crowd, walking over to where I sat.

    Was he talking to me?

    I looked the figure over, squinting my eyes to get a better look under his hood. It hung over, only revealing their lower face. The long clothing covered the rest of their body, resting above black leather boots.

    Polished leather boots, that held no sign of scuffing.

    Despite the appearance, I didn¡¯t sense any ill intentions. There was no reason to waste my time.  I scoffed at the cloaked figure, turning my head to the side.

    ¡°Are you lost, little boy?¡± the cloaked figure asked, leaning over with their hands rested on their bent knees.

    Alright.

    This was annoying.

    I stood up, my figure towering over the cloaked figure. I clicked my tongue, as I looked down. The annoyance in my face was evident, as the cloaked figure nervously stepped back.

    They held their hands up in surrender, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, freakishly tall boy.¡±

    My eyes narrowed. Was he serious? I didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with this.

    I sighed, groaning as I shooed them away, ¡°Scram, shorty.¡±

    The figure stood unmoving, before letting out a small scoff, ¡°Hah! You¡¯re refreshing to talk to!¡±

    What.

    It would be better to explore another place. Get away while I could. Yeah, that was undoubtedly the best route of action to take.

    I didn¡¯t answer, turning on my heel and retreating.

    A tug on my sleeve caused my body to whirl around on instinct. My arm now gripped the exposed navy silk shirt of the stranger. His hooded face was pinned against the wall, locks of golden hair peeking out from the edges.

    He tried to crane his neck up to face me, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to startle you. Ow¡­ Uh. My arm¡­ Ow.¡±

    I exhaled, letting go of his arm and stepping away. He was going to get himself killed if he just grabbed onto strangers like that.

    A total idiot.

    The stranger¡¯s face was now visible, his cloak messed up from the interaction. He looked like glass with porcelain skin and clear blue eyes. Golden, curly hair exposed itself from under the edges of the cloak. It reminded me of a doll.

    His hand that struggled to fix the cloak back into place, soft and untouched, never saw a day of work in its life.

    There was no doubt that this human belonged to some form of nobility. I hoped this wouldn¡¯t cause problems if that was the case.

    On second thought, I didn¡¯t care that much.

    I eyed him intently, still annoyed from the uncalled-for interaction, ¡°Why did you grab me?¡± My voice came out sternly. Sharp and to the point.

    The human fumbled, cursing under his breath, as he looked around the area erratically. His hands pulled his cloak down on his face in a hurry.

    I asked again, ¡°Why did you grab me?¡±

    No response. Okay then.

    Instead, the mumbling human spit out another round of curses. His hand darted out, to yank me into a nearby alley between two buildings.

    I didn¡¯t fight back. I could have. But there was little doubt I¡¯d be able to overpower this golden-haired fool.

    We ventured further into the alley before he let go. With his back turned, he walked away with a hand to his head, as he leaned back in frustration.

    Wasn¡¯t I supposed to be the one annoyed by the situation?

    Perhaps, this was what Dagon had told me about. I¡¯ve heard stories of humans taking drugs that caused them to act more sporadic than normal, but this was the first time I saw it in person. Five minutes had passed before the stranger turned around, pulling down the hood from his head.

    Again, clear blue eyes stared intently at me. He ran over to where I stood, conviction on his face. I looked down, meeting these eyes.

    Suddenly, there were tears.

    What. Was. This.

    He started crying, gripping my shirt.

    ¡°Please! Don¡¯t tell anyone! Keep this a secret!¡± He wailed, leaving me absolutely shocked at the absurdity of the situation.

    What did I do to deserve this? Morally, I was screwed but this wasn¡¯t fair.

    ¡°Excuse me? What?¡±

    Still grabbing my shirt, he slid to his knees, his body hanging from my shocked stature, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone I¡¯m here or that you saw me! Please! What do you want? Money?¡±

    Well yeah.

    ¡°What are you on about?¡± I barked, ripping his weeping body from my own.

    I jumped back, out of his reach, and sent a glare. This psychopath almost ripped my only shirt.

    He stared up with watery eyes, sniffing, ¡°Wait. Do you not know who I am?¡± He sniffed, pointing at himself.

    It had to be drugs.

    I should get away.

    I backed up slowly, my gait speeding up to exit the alley.

    The figure rushed over to my side, wiping his tears, ¡°You really don¡¯t know who I am?¡±

    I scoffed, pushing him away, ¡°Uh¡­ No. Can you just get away from me?¡±

    His teary expression, now sporting a smile from under the hood, ¡°¡­ This is great! Let¡¯s hang out,¡± He leached beside me, moving his body to get in front of me.

    His arms cupped together, ¡°Please! Just for a little. I¡¯ll buy you food.¡±

    Well, I suppose it would be beneficial to expose myself to more human food. Still¡­

    Unsettled, I looked at the human in front of me. His hood pulled up enough to get a glance at his begging eyes. It was like running into my second brother.

    I shuttered. Alas, no one was worse than that individual. Though, this human came close.

    ¡°Pretty please¡­¡± He begged.

    ¡°No.¡± I shoved him out of my way.

    He lurched to my side.

    ¡°Please.¡±

    Again.

    ¡°Please!¡± He shouted, grabbing my sleeve once more.

    I paused, exhaling loudly. This wasn¡¯t going to end anytime soon.

    ¡°Will you leave me alone, if I accompany you for a little?¡± I groaned, looking down at the pesky human.

    ¡°Yes! I promise!¡± He cheered, hopping up and down.

    Drugs.

    It had to be drugs.

 - 14 - Rocks! New Beginnings, Sign Ups

    The shop owner smiled, tirelessly as the stranger continued to choose between two identical jade stones. Blankly staring, my mind wandered to other places that weren¡¯t there. In the same shop. For the last hour. Looking at the same stones.

    He whined, holding the jade stones up to the window, ¡°Ah. I can¡¯t decide. They¡¯re both so pretty.¡± The stranger shuffled in place, a frown on his face.

    ¡°...Take your time, valued customer.¡± The shop owner voiced; his spirit completely crushed from the line that paraded around the shop, waiting for the cloaked figure to choose a stone.

    I was starting to wonder how ¡°valued¡± we were.

    Poor human.

    I stared at him in pity. Not as a lower life form, but as someone who understood his pain. The cause of this headache was the same cloaked stranger and two green rocks. Who would have thought?

    Our saving grace from getting kicked out of the store was the navy velvet bag filled to the brim with gold coins. I don¡¯t know if it was a good thing or not. After all¡­ it may be better if we got out of here. The line behind us had gotten longer, building up from the last hour with customers that only got more impatient as the time ticked.

    From behind us, the voices only grew louder.

    ¡°Hurry up!¡± A woman yelled, holding a baby and necklace in hand.

    ¡°What¡¯s taking so long?¡± An older human shouted, both hands pulling at his remaining hair.

    These cries from the back soared right over the stranger¡¯s head, as he picked up a magnifying glass from the counter to peek closer at the same rock. Like he had done five times already. It was like he was deaf to their pleas, only transfixed on his decision. The tool clanked on the glass, he sighed, letting his shoulder slump.

    He faced me, with a frown showing from under his hood,¡± What one do you think I should pick?¡±

    I wanted to tell him that I didn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about stones, but I had a feeling that it wouldn¡¯t help in this situation. Both jade stones were impressively vibrant, those surfaces polished and unique.

    However, my pride as a dragon extended to collecting precious jewels. It was a trade hobby, something that was easy considering the raids that would be executed due to military campaigns. The jade in his right hand was larger and had slight discoloration on the bottom. The left one was small but wonderfully green.

    To be honest.

    They were both equally worthless, both in their unique little ways. I¡¯d seen better pieces of coal from village fires.

    ¡°Do you want my honest opinion?¡± I leveled, grabbing both stones out of his hand and setting it back on the counter in front of the shop owner.

    The shop owner looked up with a shred of hope, probably wishing that I¡¯d pull this lunatic out of his establishment. With a quick glance, we met each other¡¯s eyes; an instant alliance formed. The terms and conditions? Remove this fool from the store.

    He nodded, ¡°Please, the choice is so hard!¡± So says the man who looked at rocks for an hour straight. I figured.

    Sighing, I slid the rocks to the owner, ¡°Honestly, both rocks are complete garbage and I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re wasting everyone¡¯s time trying to pick between them.¡±

    The shop went silent with shocked faces and dropped jaws. The only unaffected person was the owner, my co-conspirator. A small hope rose amidst this prolonged revelation, the stranger was stared at intently by star-eyed customers. They seemed to pick up the intention.

    Now it was the waiting game, the store held its breath. I held my honest expression, not dropping my stance on the matter. Personalities like these ones were straightforward, you just had to play your cards right. And if I was right about this person then¡­Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    A breakthrough.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± He sighed, picking up his coin purse and stuffing it into his cloak. A collective wave of relieved sighs and cheers erupted from the owner and fellow customers.

    ¡°Yes! Yes! My stuff is worthless!¡± The owner jumped in, zipping from behind the shop counter to rush the stranger to the door. He shoved the stranger out with a tap on the shoulder. I followed behind silently, hands in my pocket.

    ¡°I run a terrible business! That¡¯s right. You should try other stores!¡± The owner informed, a little too excited, before mouthing thanks to me and slamming the door shut.

    The stranger let out a long sigh, sulking, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I guess I took up all our time together.¡± He apologized, noticing the sun close to the middle of the sky.

    He says that like I wasn¡¯t forced into this.

    That¡¯s right. I had been stuck watching this random person, swooning over rocks since early morning. Nor could I escape because of the threatening atmosphere of the other customers when I tried to take a step away from the stranger.

    Their message was clear, ¡°If we¡¯re having to be put through this, you are too.¡±

    I looked up, pulling the map that Jamie had given me from my pocket. The first landmark was the post office, so¡­ would I go left from here? Then turn right¡­right? Surely, it couldn¡¯t be that hard.

    ¡°Hello?¡± A hand waved in front of my face. The stranger stepped closer, focusing on the red dot showing the arena, ¡°Oh. You¡¯re taking the army exams?¡±

    I narrowed my eyes, holding the map out of his sight, ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡±

    He waved his hands, his tone dumbstruck again, ¡°Oh, I was just curious! I mean. I assumed you were some sort of fighter considering your appearance,¡± He rationalized, pointing to the black attire that everyone seemed to be commenting on.

    ¡°Sure.¡± I started to march away, hurrying into the crowd towards the arena. Jamie was probably waiting for me already.

    The stranger rushed to my side, pleading once again,¡± Wait. Wait! Do you want me to show you where it is?¡±

    I made no move to slow down. Instead, I persisted on, trying to lose him.

    ¡°No. I know where I¡¯m going. Now, didn¡¯t you promise to leave me alone if I accompanied you? The deal is done. Leave.¡± I reminded him, nearly knocking a man out of my way.

    ¡°Damn Kid!¡± A voice faded into the distance, I paid no attention to it. Onwards, I went.

    The stranger continued to pester me, his voice now hesitant, ¡°Are you sure you know where you¡¯re going? You¡¯re heading to the arena, yes?¡± He asked, nearly in a light run to catch up to me.

    ¡°Yes. Now go away.¡± I rolled my eyes, pushing him away with my hand. I couldn¡¯t understand why out of all people, he chose to bug me¡ªthis noble pest.

    He ran up again. This time his voice was more urgent, ¡°You¡¯re heading the wrong way!¡±

    I stopped, turning around with my eyebrow raised, ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m not.¡±

    Honestly, I had no idea. I had no single clue where I was even heading.

    He nodded, his stare confirmed his statement. His arm outstretches pointing in the opposite direction, ¡°But...You were supposed to turn there.¡±

    ¡°Was I?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ******

    We rounded a bend, that exposed the grand entrance of the arena. Hoards of participants chatted amongst themselves, eying anyone that passed.

    The stranger handed the map back to me, ¡°And we¡¯re here!¡±

    I crinkled the map in my hands. They should had make this kingdom less cumbersome to navigate. It wasn¡¯t my fault that I needed help from a local. No, it was using my resources. That was a skill. Besides, it¡¯s not like I was lost¡­

    I wasn¡¯t lost.

    ¡°I suppose,¡± I responded, looking past the crowd to spot Jamie sitting on the ledge of a small fountain. I walked over, pushing past the crowds of participants to where he sat.

    He looked up, glancing at the cloaked stranger behind me. Jamie stood up to greet me, passing over a paper, ¡°I already signed you up. Check to make sure it¡¯s right.¡±

    _____

    Participant Name: Asta

    Age: 16

    Classification: Combat Examination

    EXAM NUMBER: 553

    _____

    All the information looked right, but I wasn¡¯t picky; they were all lies in the first place. I guess they didn¡¯t require a lot of information. With this lack of knowledge, anyone could sign up. But I assumed only a few would pass.

    ¡°You got it all right.¡± I held the paper, moving to Jamie¡¯s side.

    He tapped my shoulder, ¡°And this is¡­?¡± Jamie waved, awkwardly, at the stranger that stood in front of us, smiling.

    Oh, right. I nearly forgot about him.

    I shrugged.

    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    As he had done before, Jamie tried to cover for my bluntness. It was a trait that I noticed during our interactions. If anything, Jamie was one of those humans that learned to talk his way through life.

    He reached out a hand to the cloaked stranger, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how you got stuck with him,¡± glaring towards me, he continued, ¡°But I¡¯m Jamie. This is Asta, if he didn¡¯t tell you already.¡±

    The stranger met this handshake firmly, revealing his porcelain hand from under the cloak. It must have never seen a day of hard work. Jamie seemed to pick up on this even if he made no move to comment on it.

    ¡°You can call me Edwin. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Jamie.¡± The stranger¡¯s tone was more serious and cordial.

    I scoffed. This human¡­

    ¡°So, I assume you live in the kingdom?¡± Jamie asked, making casual conversation while I lounged behind him.

    Edwin laughed lightly, ¡°You could say that. My family works quite heavily in the kingdom. I assume this means that you both traveled here for the examinations?¡±

    Jamie nodded, ¡°I ran into Asta, and we ended up accompanying each other. He¡¯s only sixteen, so he decided to take the exams with me.¡±

    A gasp. ¡°You¡¯re sixteen?¡± Edwin stared up at my tall figure in shock.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I scowled.

    He apologized again, explaining ¡°I just figured you were older than me.¡±

    Please. Wasn¡¯t this the same person that looked at green rocks for most of the morning? Like he had room to judge me.

    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m seventeen but I¡¯ll turn eighteen in the next week. How old are you?¡± Jamie jumped in to save the situation.

    ¡°¡­Ah. I¡¯m nineteen, just turned it so I¡¯ll be twenty in a year.¡±

    The atmosphere turned awkward, despite Jamie¡¯s best attempts to save it. Suddenly a miracle occurred in the form of sound magic.

    A mumbled speaker announced, ¡°ALL PARTICIPANTS REPORT TO THE ARENA! AT THIS TIME ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE TO ENTER THE ARENA.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s our cue. You¡¯re not entering with us, right?¡± Jamie asked, already pulling me along towards the entrance.

    Edwin shook his head, ¡°Nope. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d participate in examinations.¡±

    ¡°Ah, all right. It was nice meeting you then. Maybe, we¡¯ll see you around the area.¡± Jamie waved goodbye, leading us to the wave of examinees heading toward the arena.

    It was a faint whisper, too soft for anyone to have heard it. With my ears, I picked up the silenced amusement from Edwin, a seemingly innocent comment.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see me around, soldiers.¡±

 - 15 - Commence, Combat Exams (1)

    On the battlefield, in the face of death, the army functioned as a whole, abandoning the individualistic to meet one common goal. Victory. Nearly forgotten was the fiery nature of each soldier, who was violent by training and nature. No excuses were given to the cavalry that led the front lines and nothing could match their temper. It was what allowed the fighting fanatics that thrived on being on edge their will. No passive individual found themselves in the barracks with excused killing machines. Pure passion in the brutal slaughter was the underlying motivator in armies.

    Alas, it was a powerful one. I prided my own forces on that principle. The dance of black blood and red was a mixture of the lullaby of death hallows.

    Therefore. There were rules that went unsaid amid any group of warriors, fighters, and soldiers. Don¡¯t pick fights. Don¡¯t look at anyone funny. Mind your own damn business. Focus on the objective.

    The facts were straight and narrow. Most wouldn¡¯t bat an eye at betrayers of these unspoken rules getting killed on the spot by more experienced veterans. This persisted anywhere you went, not just Hellion. I knew that much.

    I kept my eyes forward, only focused ahead of me, paying no attention to the passing stares of others eyeing us up. Jamie followed closely behind me, using my body as a shield against the masses of humans in the arena.

    There was no organization in the groups. Yet, small groups started to form. They talked amongst themselves, trying to solidify their ranks with others. The weakest fighters wasted their time boasting about their combat experience or shivering in the corner. Moreover, the humans that seemed stronger remained calm and relaxed, floating around the arena with one or two people by their side.

    The same unclear voice from earlier, projected around the arena, ¡°PLEASE FIND YOUR GROUPS USING THE LABELS PROJECTED ABOVE THE ARENA¡±

    A shift in mana revealed illuminated words placed in different sections of the arena. It was a four-layered spell from what I could tell. Given the circumstances; it was an impressive magic that I had never seen.

    ¡°Combat exams are over here. Potions exams are on the west side of the arena. I assume you¡¯ll be taken somewhere else though,¡± I turned over to point Jamie in the right direction.

    He nodded, leaving to his designated area, ¡°Good luck then.¡±

    Time to get started. I sighed, heading over to join the group formed under the combat arena. I slipped through the center of the crowd to settle on the sides of the group, resting against the wall of the arena.

    I had no interest in getting involved in the social politics that naturally occurred in these situations. Frankly, it was tiring and unnecessary for what I wanted to accomplish. Information was my top priority.

    No need to take this seriously, just enough to get placed in a position where I could observe ARC the most.

    Amid new fighters, the process of ranking could get cutthroat. I was an onlooker in the past, but it wasn¡¯t uncommon for power-hungry fighters to challenge my generals, Dagon and Adbeel. No one dared to challenge me, not liking their favors against a twelve-meter dragon.

    The Demon King¡¯s prized draconic son. His most fierce warrior.

    Former.

    Of course, this time that wouldn¡¯t be the case.

    Soon there was a variety of people that made up the participants. Distrusting eyes jumped all around and some teamed up with small groups to judge the competition. Though, there was a select that decided to stand separated from the initial crowd.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Funny running into you, Asta.¡± A voice spoke. I peered around to my side, trying to locate the speaker.

    ¡°Up here. Hello!¡±

    I looked up at a hanging head leaning over the balcony from the stands. Familiar golden curly hair hung down and clear blue eyes smiled down.

    Strange. I didn¡¯t sense him coming. Did this human just appear from thin air? More importantly, how did he get in?

    Edwin still had his cloak on, which covered his face and body. I peered up with a questionable expression.

    ¡°Leave me alone.¡± I mouthed, pushing myself off the wall to walk away.

    Edwin frowned, cupping his hands and yelling down, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t walk away!¡±

    ¡°Why are you even here? I don¡¯t think they were letting spectators in.¡± I commented, looking up at him.

    As I moved further away from the wall, I was able to now see an older man standing behind him on the stands. The man¡¯s arms were at his side, standing tall behind Edwin. We made eye contact, both our stares trying to pick apart the other.

    It was a guard. I returned my attention to Edwin, who continued to blabber to me with his hand cupped in his hands.

    My eyes narrowed. Just who was he?

    ¡°Hey, hey! Where¡¯s Jamie?¡± He yelled down, peering around at the other groups.

    I pointed to the west side of the arena, ¡°West. He¡¯s in the potion exams. I doubt they¡¯ll stay here.¡±

    He exhaled, crossed his arms, and nodded, ¡°Yeah¡­ They¡¯ll probably be moved to a potion lab after the opening ceremony.¡±

    I raised my eyebrow.

    Is that so?

    ¡°Yeah. I guess.¡± I replied, unsure how to feel about this situation.

    The man behind him leaned down to Edwin, in a whisper, ¡°It¡¯s almost time. We must leave.¡±

    Hm. I watched as Edwin nodded, looking back over to me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you later! Enjoy the opening ceremony!¡± He waved, disappearing in a flash.

    Teleportation magic. Fuck. That explained why I never sensed him. The man didn¡¯t want me to know they were there. A mage and a high-level one at that. If I weren¡¯t careful, my plan would be ruined. I could be exposed.

    But it was too late to pull out at this point.

    Trumpets sounded throughout the arena, and colorful streams of magic were shot above, gracing the sky. Another voice sounded.

    ¡°[WELCOME TO THE 23RD ANNUAL KINGDOM ARMY EXAMINATIONS! WE WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO TRANE, AS MANY OF YOU WILL SOON SERVE FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE HUMAN RACE!]¡±

    A platform appeared in the center of the arena, hovering over the contestants in a spectacle. It was a grand entrance, to say the least.

    A woman sporting golden armor, walked up to the edge of the platform with her hands outstretched, ¡°Welcome to the examinations. As second in command of Trane¡¯s royal protection force, I look forward to viewing your performances.¡±

    Another human stepped up, this one exuding a large amount of mana that could be felt in waves throughout the arena. He was a younger child, no older than seventeen, ¡°Welcome. I¡¯m a mage of the royal tower. I¡¯ll be keeping my eyes on the magic examinations.¡±

    An impressive feat for a human at that age.

    I made a note never to run into him. There was no way to conceal my demonic energy in the face of high-level mana users. Plus, I would not be surprised if he saw right through the transmutation magic that permeated throughout my body in this form.

    A familiar head of golden hair walked up to the edge of the platform, followed by a man decorated in a formal uniform. Dressed in imperial attire, adorned by jewels and golden plated decor, stood Edwin.

    He cleared his throat, ¡°Welcome to the examinations. As crowned prince of the Kingdom of Trane, I extend the royal family¡¯s gratitude to everyone here. Please continue striving for the stake of the kingdom and protection of humanity.¡±

    My jaw dropped.

    Now, I figured he was an important noble. But the prince? I scoffed. This explained so many things.

    ¡°We have something in common then,¡± I muttered under my breath.

    Unfortunately, befriending the prince meant I could say goodbye to flying under the radar. Connections were powerful and dangerous. It was tough luck that the leech ended up being one of the most important political pawns in the kingdom.

    You couldn¡¯t change what had already been done. I¡¯d have to play my cards more carefully and decide what I wanted to do.

    Unlike princes in Hellion, it seemed like royalty here was spoiled. The difference was that being royal here meant the highest level of protection. Being a prince in Hellion, you need to be able to protect yourself to the highest degree.

    It was a show of power to the King for his lineage to stand tall in the face of enemies. Anyone less capable was discarded or killed, named a disgrace to the Morningstar bloodline.

    As I said before, it was simply just a separate way of life. A bloodier one.

    Another trumpet sounded, signaling the end of the announcements.

    The crowd cheered. Swords and loose magic were sent into the air in celebration, bouncing off a magic shield around the platform. The figures on the stage made one last bow before they disappeared entirely with the floating platform.

    With that, groups were hurriedly rushed into other areas. The combat examinees stayed, waiting for the others to leave so that they could use the arena to test.

    A group of soldiers walked out in imperial dressings. The one in the middle approached the group, his voice amplifying above the small conversations that were being had among the examinees.

    ¡°Attention!¡± His voice echoed, causing the chatter to fade into dead silence. The man had an aura that screamed experience and business. A born leader in the flesh.

    I smirked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be your lead examiner. Beside me are the soldiers that will help me in deciding if you belong here or if you¡¯re a fool.¡± he exclaimed, holding authority over the crowd.

    Surely, I was a fool. But in a different sense.

    I gave the human my attention.

    He raised his hand, a gun pointed in the air.

    ¡°Your first task is to run. Fucking run till I tell you to stop.¡±

    The gun fired, sending the mass of combat examinees into a collective sprint. I chuckled, getting up to lightly jog after the fleeing herd.

    ¡°Anyone who stops fails.¡±

    ¡°So, you better not fucking stop.¡±

    [ EXAMS START]

 - 16 - Accidental Combat Genius! The Exams, Proceed (2)

    The stands started to fill up with other sections of the examinations, as the hours passed. After three hours of straight running around the arena, the contestants that failed to pace themselves at the start had long passed out from exhaustion. The same happened to contestants, whose physical shape could not be considered extraordinary.

    Those who remained were in the best physical shape of all the applicants, showing their pure drive to pass this test. People that still managed to run, did so with zombie-like characteristics. Sweat covered the dirt floor of the arena, marking a self-made path from the exam. For most examinees, the world spun; some barely ¡°ran¡± in a way that counted.

    No longer could this be considered a test of stamina. That logic was thrown out the window in the second hour with the unfazed face of the examiners that didn¡¯t throw out the stumbling people that failed to maintain form.

    But it was clear that the exam had become one of pure will. Out of the hundreds of combat participants, fewer than thirty remained. A select few had paced themselves in a slow jog, faring better than the rest. I had spotted exceptional ones that looked unfazed by the whole ordeal.

    I ran along with another participant, matching my pace to his, trying to copy the occasional stumbling in his gait. Occasionally, I would have to pretend to huff and puff under the watchful eyes of the soldiers proctoring the exam. Throwing my head back, I lifted my hand to wipe the imaginary sweat off my forehead, mustering the best-tired expression I could conjure.

    Ahead of the main pack of runners, another participant collapsed on the ground with a thud. His body went limp, as his sweat-covered figure was pulled out of the pathway by examiners.

    Even in this human form, my stamina was inhumanly capable. Dragons couldn¡¯t be exhausted from something as meandrous as this. Quite literally, I could do this for weeks.

    A horn sounded throughout the arena to the relief of runners that looked over at the lead examiner signaling the end of the running. Matching the others, I instantly sat down, peering at who remained. In the arena, twenty-five participants remained sprawled on the ground in the space. Chatter rose amongst the crowd that gathered from the stands of the ones whose exams finished an hour ago.

    Similarly, I had spotted Jamie sitting in the stands. His eyes gazed down worriedly at the nearly passed-out combat participants. Officials went around, gathering a head count of who was left.

    ¡°Line up!¡± The lead examiner called out. Some of the soldiers that helped the proctor, lifted exhausted participants off the ground to a marked line in the center of the arena.

    I sighed, getting up to brush the dirt off my pants before heading to the called position. Few of the participants walked over themselves, but most were supported by the arms of others, their faces pale from the excursion. Three examinees never left the ground, passing out as soon as the stop signal was given. Unfortunately, this called for their failure in the exams. Soon, they were carried out by soldiers, disappearing into the exit hallway.

    Surely, it was cutthroat. Yet, I couldn¡¯t help but applaud the methods of the examination¡¯s way of dwindling down the absurd number that started.

    Once all the examinees got to the line, the lead soldier marched along the huffing line. His eyes are firm and strict, as he profiled the remaining humans. Sizing them up, it was amusing to watch him scoff at those that barely could stand. There was no mercy for the puke-covered ones that should have given up hours ago. The clanking of his boots filed down the line, eventually coming up to my position. I faked a heavy breath, my chest rapidly constricting and expanding, faking exhaustion. Eyes meeting mine, I tried to look dazed.

    Showing no reaction, he continued down the line, finally stopping after sizing the last participant.

    ¡°We will now start sparring.¡± He announced. The other soldiers in the arena wheeled out a rake of wooden weapons.

    A dulled spear, a wooden sword, a bow, and paint-covered arrows. The array of weapons was the standard choice for non-magic combatants. He pointed to the two participants to my left, guiding their attention toward the rack.

    ¡°Choose wisely. Anyone that fails to subdue their partner will fail.¡± He warned, watching the exhausted participants trudge up to the selection of weapons.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    A lean woman chose the spear, walking over to the positioned soldier to wait for the spar to start. The other, a human male in his twenties, picked up the wooden sword and limped over to position. A horn sounded. The two charged at each other, both equally strained from the running. A sword swiped at the woman¡¯s face, barely missing. The spear struck the side of the man, who fumbled back with curses, his free hand clutching his side.

    Both their gazes were dazed. Between both, none could coherently keep fully on their feet. Their probable solid fighting forms were lackluster from pure exhaustion. The spear-barring woman barreled forward, charging her spear while tucking her side into a spin. The human male yelled, as the spin woman stopped, the end of the spear hitting the back of his head.

    She followed through with a lowered kick to the back of his knees, forcing him to the ground. He rolled to his side, attempting to get up, before gasping as the woman jumped. Her knees dug into his gut; a spear pointed at his neck.

    The spectating soldiers stepped in, pulling the woman off, and calling the match. The spear beat the sword. The victor was taken to a bench and given water, and the loser of the match was taken out of the arena.

    ¡°Next!¡±

    Another match. The sword wielder won.

    ¡°Next.¡±

    Again, another match. Another sword wielder.

    The numbers slowly dwindled till I was pushed into the arena with another participant. I was one of the last ones to get called on. The last remaining two. He smirked, flashing a cocky glare. The man rushed to the rack before I could bother to get there, snatching the wooden sword off the rack. His hands gripping it like he¡¯d just picked up gold.

    He scoffed, boldly proclaiming to the lead examiner, ¡°Since I¡¯ve had time to recover. I¡¯ll try my best to show my skills to everyone!¡±

    If you didn¡¯t know better, you¡¯d think he had already won the match.

    I scoffed, perturbed by the sight. My tongue clicked, as I rolled my eyes at this thick-legged, twigged-arm loser. Surely, he wanted a reaction from me. It is one that I would not give. In fact, I could care less.

    Honestly, it was unnecessary to even bother to use the weapons. Wasn¡¯t this a combat exam? I strolled over to the soldier, swaying in waiting for the match to begin. Let¡¯s just get it over with.

    The lead examiner raised an eyebrow, ¡°Examinee 553! Are you not picking a weapon from the rack?¡±

    I cocked my head, ¡°Is it a requirement?¡± It would be more work to use a weapon. I was used to magic and pure physical force.

    Although, I was quite confident in my ability to manage any weapon. If I had to, then I would have no problems doing so. I waited for his answer.

    He didn¡¯t do much but shake his head.

    ¡°Of course, not. Your body counts as a weapon too. If that¡¯s your choice, then so be it.¡± He informed, blowing the horn to start the battle.

    It was close combat, but the sword would have more reach. I made no move to charge after the horn. Instead, I watched intently as the sword-barring human launched himself sloppily at me. Swinging widely at my head, I simply moved to the side to dodge the first strike.

    He smirked, swinging the sword to the side. I dropped to my knees, my eyes peering at the sword that swooped above my head. Dropping down, I leaned back and launched backward.

    Slow.

    He was too slow. I could dodge these in my sleep.

    God, he was ridiculously slow.

    His footwork, his arms, and his front-leaning shoulders. Trash. His lack of combat training was evident, the fool made no moves of efficient sword techniques. All I could do was lazily dodge his attempts. Seems like all he was capable of was running for a long time. What good was that if you weren¡¯t skilled in the first place?

    I didn¡¯t want to end it too soon. It would be bad to stand out any more than I already was.

    He charged, yelling and swiping the sword across. I jumped, my boot even tapping the tip of it.

    ¡°What,¡± He attempted to strike my landing body, ¡°are you too afraid to attack?¡± He smugly mocked through ragged breaths.

    I hopped over the lower strike meant for my feet, ¡°Not really.¡± I answered, blankly.

    This was getting boring. During my dodging, my eyes met the instructor, whose gaze never peeled from mine. Perhaps, dodging all the attacks was showing off. I suppose it didn¡¯t matter how rubbish they were, a normal human would have gotten hit already. I sighed, watching in slow motion as the sword struck my arm. He was surprisingly weak, for a human. It felt like a mere tap to my side.

    Still, I needed to play the part. Try to.

    ¡°...Ouch,¡± I cried in the most ¡°Woe is me¡± voice I could muster.

    Peering over again, the examiner showed no response. As I suspected, I should just end the match.

    Very well. A light toss then. Then I¡¯d try not to draw attention by using a few more light hits before I won.

    Gentle. Simple. A good plan.

    The fool swung again, I lunged forward grabbing his wrist, using his awful positioning against him. He cried as I brought myself under, using his lean into the attack to send him flying over my shoulder.

    He landed with a thud, a crack sounding at his impact with the ground. I prepared myself for him to get up.

    Another two or three hits before I actually knocked him out. I waited. He was taking his jolly time¡­

    Still¡­Why wasn¡¯t he getting up? Fuck.

    No, he wasn¡¯t moving. Like at all.

    The horn sounded, and the instructor called out, ¡°Examinee 553 is the victor of the match. Please proceed to the passing area.¡±

    There was silence in the arena before an outbreak of cheers sounded from the spectators who gasped in amazement. I walked over to my fellow participants that passed in shock. Some patted my back in celebration of the unintentional takedown.

    ¡°Dude! You¡¯re such a badass!¡±

    ¡°You were amazing!¡±

    ¡°Where did you hide all that skill!¡±

    ¡°One hit takedown!¡±

    ¡°What a legend!¡±

    Please stop. Please.

    All I could do was plop on the bench in confusion, as the crowd roared behind me. I swore I hadn¡¯t thrown him that hard. A light toss, even. I really didn¡¯t mean to.

 - 17 - End of Exams! Selling Souls, Royal Guards

    It was hard to formulate the proper words that described the situation I was in. The passing individuals of the exam were quickly given their papers and rushed to the door to be greeted by a mass of recruiters.

    Little did I realize, but the combat exam was one of the harder exams to pass. Anyone that passed was immediately swarmed with offers from guilds, protection agencies, merchant protection services, and you name it. I was overwhelmed by the mass of voices that shouted at me at once. My heightened hearing plays to my disadvantage at the volume of conversations that I overheard.

    Quickly, I found myself with my hands pressing against my ears, desperate to cease the noise. It was to no avail, as I struggled to focus on each shout of the recruiters in my face.

    ¡°How would you like to join the freelance swordsmen guild?¡± A human dressed in formal clothes called out from a lower stand.

    ¡°I think you¡¯d be a perfect fit for our personal protection guild!¡± A woman dressed in a uniform announced.

    ¡°You benefit handsomely from the Trane West Protection Agency!¡± An older man failed to climb over a row of seats, nearly falling on his face.

    There must have been ten surrounding me. My head pounded at the overload directed straight at me. All I could do was shake my head, as I pushed past the herd and towards the entrance to the stands to find Jamie. He was sitting on the lower stands, beside the cloaked figure that belonged to the prince. I sighed, pushing past the remaining recruiters and towards those two. They didn¡¯t seem to notice my arrival, as I flopped down in the seat beside Jamie, plopping my license papers on his lap.

    ¡°They said to check over the papers, but I have no idea what to do,¡± I informed him, his body jumped. He placed a hand over his chest in surprise, exhaling loudly after noticing it was just me.

    Just a dragon from the demon race! No worries here.

    Edwin nearly jumped out of his seat, his hood barely managing to stay intact to cover his face.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Jamie spats once again, as he did a thousand times before.

    I shrugged. A lot, but who¡¯s counting?

    ¡°Seriously!¡± A groan came from the human prince beside us.

    That reminded me, I looked up at Edwin.

    He met my stare in confusion, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Should I kill you for lying to me?¡± I thought out loud, earning a snort from Jamie, who carried on flipping through my papers.

    I was half-lying, half-serious. Like I won¡¯t, but I wanted to.

    The prince gasped, looking offended at the comment. I pretended to ignore the stares of obvious undercover guards around us in the stands. I¡¯d only care if the mage was here, considering he wasn¡¯t¡­.it was free game.

    ¡°I¡¯ll inform you now. But threatening the royal family of Trane is a crime punishable by death.¡± He stated, holding a pointing finger, seemingly for no reason.

    Blankly, I looked up and just nodded.

    ¡°Duly noted.¡± I blinked. If my identity didn¡¯t matter, I¡¯d inform him that in Hellion anyone who looked in my direction had the chance of being punished by the black flames of the Morningstar family.

    Sometimes, it would be for no reason. Actually, most of the time it was for no reason. I¡¯d admit that.

    In fact, I¡¯d like to see them try to kill me. I provided no real reaction to the human prince. It felt like talking to my second brother, a more useless version of him.

    He rolled his eyes, now opting to lean over the stack of papers of my combat license, ¡°If you flip to the back, you¡¯ll be able to see if there were any offers from recruiters.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Jamie flipped my stack of papers to the back. I watched over his shoulder, glancing at the list of agencies marked in ink. My eyes scanned down the names. No ARC. I clicked my tongue. Well, I guess that would be too easy. I would have to find another way to gather information about them.

    Edwin took the papers from Jamie, spinning them around to my view to point out a few names, ¡°I can vouch for Trane West Agency and the East Guild. They¡¯re good opportunities for combat license holders.¡±

    My hand rubbed my chin, ¡°Ah. Is that so?¡±

    If ARC was considered the epitome of agencies, I doubted any of these offers would work in terms of climbing to a point where I could observe them. Human guilds were more freelance if I remembered correctly. That was out of the question.

    Maybe the academy was the best route. I turned to ask, but before I could, a gloved hand snatched the papers from the prince¡¯s hand. Looming behind us was the lead instructor of the exam. The big, bulky man sporting imperial wear, started to flip through the papers himself. Jamie peered up in confusion, trading looks between the three of us. It was an awkward silence.

    Edwin turned back, his eyes registering the man entirely. He stood up, a smile on his face, ¡°Is there a problem, Sir. Serlon?¡±

    They must know each other. Not surprising, considering that Edwin was a prince. As much as he barely acted like it. Not that I acted like one either. If my father didn¡¯t revoke my title, at least.

    ¡°Ah. Jamie. Asta. This is the head guard for the imperial family, Sir. Serlon.¡± The prince extended a hand to introduce the focused knight.

    The knight flipped to the last paper, frowning. He went to hand the papers back to me, reaching his other hand for a shake.

    Wearily, I grabbed the papers and met the shake with my other. It didn¡¯t take a genius to not pass a questioning glance at the man who grabbed my papers. But he was in a good position in human society. I¡¯d let this slide.

    ¡°Asta. I¡¯m Sir. Serlon, royal captain of the Trane Imperial Guard. I apologize, as I wasn¡¯t aware you were friends with his highness.¡± His shake was strong, his hand rough from the countless hours of training. A solid soldier.

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re not friends.¡± I corrected him, ignoring the rebuttals from Edwin and laughter from Jamie, ¡°He¡¯s just someone that wouldn¡¯t leave me alone.¡±

    The guard sighed, nodding, ¡°I completely understand that.¡± His eyes were empathetic. Despite not feeling much empathy in general, we met with understanding looks.

    A comrade.

    ¡°Wait. What¡¯s that supposed to mean.¡± The comment was drowned out, in the scheming of two combat freaks.

    The knight cleared his throat, glancing down at the papers, ¡°You showed tremendous skill in the testing. Congrats on passing,¡± Another glance at the papers, ¡°I noticed that you had various recruitments. Do you plan on taking them?¡±

    So that¡¯s what this is about.

    Honestly, I wasn¡¯t. From the types of offers I got; I doubted it would be beneficial to my actual goal. But I knew better than to not understand what was going on.

    ¡°Depends, I was thinking about it.¡± I lied, noticing the slight smirk on the guard¡¯s face. So, I was right.

    ¡°Why?¡± I pushed further; both our intentions were written on our faces.

    At this point, Jamie and Edwin struggled to follow. No, they looked slightly concerned, watching the exchange. The guard and I continued.

    He cleared his throat, eyes playfully narrowing, ¡°Well, I would like to extend the offer of joining the imperial force that served the royal family.¡±

    Bingo. Immediately, this was the best offer that I could have hoped for. It was the red zone of enemy lines, otherwise known as the best place a spy could be.

    Still, I needed to feel the offer out. We both had things we wanted, and it was clear that this guard had already set his mind to my recruitment. Judging from the way he approached this interaction; we were similar in that sense.

    ¡°I¡¯m only sixteen.¡± Which was the truth, this human body looked only sixteen.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± He replied, his arms crossed. The intense atmosphere of the collective scheming was at its height.

    ¡°Does Trane scoop up teenagers and employ them to fight?¡± I teased, not peeling my eyes off the agitated guard, who recognized the intentional bait.

    ________

    From below us were whispers from Jamie and Edwin, ¡°Do you see flames around them? Or am I just imagining it?

    ¡°No, I think I see it too¡­¡±

    ¡°Should we say something?¡±

    ¡°Trust me. Stay quiet.¡±

    __________

    He rolled his eyes, ¡°Last time I checked, most teenagers don¡¯t humiliate the duke¡¯s son known for his fierce temper. Not to mention, you broke his arm on the impact.¡±

    Fuck. So that¡¯s who that little shit was. That explains the cheers then. I had no sympathy for humans, especially stupid ones. Well, if he bulked up his arms instead of his thunder thighs, then maybe it wouldn¡¯t have snapped. Again, not my fault.

    He was just weak. Were they on good terms with the duke then?

    I sighed, ¡°Am I in trouble?¡±

    He shook his head, ¡°Of course not. It was an exam. So, that means it was a simple sparring match without the formalities of status. You won, fair and square.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± He continued, ¡°That¡¯s not to say that he won¡¯t try to give you a hard time, wherever you go.¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± I glared. He needed to get to the point.

    He leaned down, ¡°Go to a place where he wouldn¡¯t dare mess with. What do you say?¡±

    I could just kill the loser, but that would cause some unasked-for trouble in easily blending in with the human kingdom.

    I groaned. I was already planning to accept the offer, if any place would be high enough to ARC, it was royalty. The imperial touch could get you anywhere. I knew this firsthand.

    ¡°Fine. But on two conditions?¡± I held up two fingers.

    ¡°Are you in a position to place conditions?¡± The guard scoffed at the absurdity.

    ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m only capable of breaking another arm if the duke¡¯s son comes after me?¡± I replied curtly, my glare affirming my statement. As much as I dodged, the simple fact remained.

    I easily avoided the attacks and (unintentionally) one-hit him. It was valid to say.

    He seemed to register this small threat. As long as it wasn¡¯t pointed toward the royal family, the guard didn¡¯t seem to care. At least, that¡¯s what he showed.

    ¡°Continue¡­¡±

    I reached my hand to pull out the lava rock necklace that Dagon had given me,¡± First, I need someone to revive the mana in this magic item so I can get in touch with my friend.¡±

    He nodded, glancing at the necklace, ¡°That¡¯s a magic item?¡±

    I nodded. As for the last thing¡­

    ¡°Two,¡± I looked down at Jamie, who was laser-focused on the scene unfolding before him, pointing at his transfixed face, ¡°He works in the castle too.¡±

    The guard¡¯s stern expression broke, a hearty laugh escaping from him, ¡°That¡¯s it? I was expecting something more. All right, kid. Yeah, we can do that.¡± He reached out for another shake, this one carrying more weight.

    It wasn¡¯t a gesture, but more so - an agreement. Wasting no time, I met the human¡¯s hand firmly.

    _______

    Again, below us, the two carried on another conversation.

    ¡°Uh¡­.So¡­.I guess, I¡¯ll be seeing you.¡±

    ¡°As the prince, I feel like I should get a say in this.¡±

    ¡°They look like two scheming masterminds.¡±

    ¡°I feel like my soul just got sold.¡±

    __________

    ¡°Welcome to the imperial guards, son.¡± He chuckled, evilly.

    I matched his sinister smile, ¡°Take care of me.¡±

    Laughter and concerned comments ensued.

 - 18 - To the Estate! Top Scores, Peasants!

    This was my second time in a buggy, except this one was more exquisitely decorated. Compared to the wooden buggy that we had taken to Trane, the silver details on this carriage embellished that of the royal family.

    Serlon rode beside Prince Edwin, who fought his royal advisors to let two ¡°peasant-looking¡± boys catch the rest of the way to the Prince¡¯s Estate. It was revealed much to both Jamie''s and I¡¯s shock that Edwin lived on an estate owned by Trane royalty instead of the main castle.

    I was shocked, but not surprised. Hellion functioned the same way with the Morningstar children operating separate territories from the main castle where Father resided. Even the crown prince, my first brother, lived in the territory that was valued the most by Hellion.

    That was how demons did it. I assumed that humans, being weaker, would tend to stick together. But I suppose that father issues were common among all species, no matter how violent they were.

    Or my interpretation of the situation was biased.

    It could be both.

    Supposedly, it wasn¡¯t a long trip. I watched through the tinted window of the carriage, as we passed a variety of different shops and multi-floor housing apartments. Jamie sat next to me, admiring the sheer grandeur of the inside of the carriage.

    Although he never revealed his background, it was clear that Jamie didn¡¯t come from any family with tremendous amounts of money. Even for the littlest things, he was cautious about how much he spent and what was the best deal. Surely, he didn¡¯t seem to be from low status, despite his incapability of both magical and physical aspects. So, the middle class seemed like the best gamble.

    On the other hand, I batted no eye at the sliver-decorated carriage that picked us up. Nor did I find it awkward to deal with the stares of the bystanders that marveled at the sight of it. It¡¯s not like I was ¡°royal¡± here; their attention was not on us, but the grandeur of it.

    Demons may be cruel, but humans were vain creatures.

    ¡°So, Jamie. You took the license for potion making?¡± Crown Prince Edwin asked, trying to make conversation.

    This caught the attention of Sir Serlon, who also looked to my guiding human for his answer. It made sense for him to be interested. The knight would need to know his skillset to place him in the proper position. Admittedly, I was also intrigued - but I¡¯d never say that aloud.

    Jamie nodded, ¡°That¡¯s correct, your highness.¡±

    Edwin made a face, ¡°Please. Just address me in a casual manner, as you both have. I¡¯d prefer it that way.¡±

    Normally, I would agree with Jamie, but I saw what Edwin was pushing for. He yearned for it, even in the presence of two people that he barely knew. It was a sense of normalcy that royalty never got and a privilege granted to little.

    I was the same way with Dagon and Adbeel, who were more like parents than underlings to me. I learned most of what I knew from them. The only lesson my biological father engrained was warfare. Still, my existence was created to serve the higher purpose of the Hellion kingdom. I was aware of that much. My existence was a weapon itself; a dragon was fiercely loyal.

    My loyalty would forever be to the King of Hellion, my father. Abandoned or not.

    So, there was no way I¡¯d address the human prince formally unless I had to. Considering that I undertook the offer, I would have no choice. This gave me all the more reason to insult him when my position wasn¡¯t on the line. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    I could put up with that much to achieve my goal.

    ¡°Oh, I shouldn¡¯t.¡± Jamie shook his head. It hadn¡¯t been a problem at the arena but that was because the carriage let reality sink in. The golden-haired, whiny adult was, in fact, the crown prince and his new boss.

    I nudged Jamie with my elbow, ¡°If Goldie-locks says you can then run with it.¡±

    The knight failed to keep a straight face; a muffled snicker escaped through his covered mouth.

    ¡°You¡­¡±  Glaring at me, Jamie sighed, ¡°If that¡¯s what you wish for¡­. Edwin.¡±

    Edwin smiled brightly, seeming to like the casual address, ¡°Please continue explaining your potions and how the exam went.¡±

    I rested my head against the side of the carriage, my eyes observing our passing surroundings while listening to their conversation.

    ¡°I got top scores on the potion exams. But since few agencies recruit from the potion exam, my original plan was to go into the main army as a medic. Although, it seemed like I don¡¯t have to worry about that now.¡± Jamie explained, alluding to my agreement with Serlon.

    If anything, I did him a favor. A fool like him would die in actual combat if he even survived basic training for it. Even that thought itself was pushing it.

    ¡°How were exams run? I¡¯ve only ever seen the magic ones and combat exams.¡± Edwin explained, motioning to me at the mention of the combat ones.

    ¡°We were actually moved to a small potion lab within the arena. There were only about fifteen other people. We were evaluated by receiving random ingredients and having to figure out how to induce certain effects with them. Then those that passed were allowed to make a potion of their choice that was judged by a panel of masters.¡± He explained to Edwin and Serlon, who listened intently.

    ¡°And you mentioned that you received the top scores?¡± Sir Serlon questioned, looking more impressed after hearing how the testing was performed.

    Jamie nodded. He quickly pulled out the papers from his bag and passed them to Serlon. Serlon flipped through the papers with Edwin peering over his shoulder.

    ¡°These scores are impressive. We should have no problem introducing you right into the staff that oversees the potions,¡± Serlon remarked, passing them back with an approving expression.

    ¡°Thank you, Sir Serlon.¡± Jamie slightly bowed, receiving the comment humbly.

    The carriage pulled up to the Crown Prince¡¯s estate, the guards scurrying to unlock the gates.

    Edwin peered out, ¡°We¡¯re here. When the carriage stops, I¡¯ll need to attend business. Sir Serlon will show you both around. Of course, you both will stay in the workers¡¯ quarters and lodging for the guards stationed here. I¡¯m afraid that we may not see each other often, even if you¡¯ll be on the property.¡±

    We both nodded. It went unsaid that it was to be expected. Jamie was unaware, but what was happening now was strange by royal standards. As conceded as it sounded, it was frowned upon for royalty to befriend anyone below noble status. I was relieved that the Crown prince understood that much.

    Even though technically I was a prince too. They couldn¡¯t know that.

    Pulling in front of a large, pillared mansion, the carriage stopped. Resident knights dressed in more formal attire opened the door of the carriage, the row of them bowing as Edwin walked out. Several of them eyed Jamie and me, as we followed in our ¡°peasant¡± clothing. Serlon came out last, closing the carriage door on his way out.

    Edwin spun around to face us, another bright smile on his face, as two knights took his side.

    ¡°I have a meeting to deal with. Best wishes to you two. Please remember to speak casually to me next time we see each other.¡± He reminded us, before being escorted inside the large mansion by a trail of knights.

    Serlon placed his hand on my shoulder, looking over to Jamie. Another knight met Jamie''s side, where Serlon was at mine.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take Asta to the barracks to show him around. Take Jamie to the potions lab and introduce him to the team. He¡¯ll be staying in the workers¡¯ quarters, so make sure he is shown around there too.¡± Sir Serlon informed the knight in charge of Jamie, who promptly guided him without a proper goodbye.

    He waited till Jamie and the knight disappeared into the mansion, before walking along a pathway, motioning me to follow him.

    I jog to meet his side, my eyes peering around at the grand estate. I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ll be able to fully tour it later, but for now, we headed to the barracks.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have your actual testing for the imperial guards tomorrow morning. But seeing as it¡¯s later in the afternoon, I¡¯ll introduce you to the squadron that you¡¯ll be assigned to and where you can sleep.¡± Serlon stopped to tell me, before swinging open a door on the side of the mansion.

    ¡°The barracks are on the side of the estate that is closest to the gate if you ever get confused about where the door is.¡± He noted.

    It was quite clever. The design of the layout offered the best access from the guards in terms of protection of the estate.

    We walked down a long hall to a wooden door at the end. Serlon paused, sighing.

    ¡°Now, I¡¯ll warn you here, but this group can get a little rowdy. Mind them, they¡¯re some of the best that the kingdom possesses-¡±

    The warning was received too late, as the wooden door burst into pieces. A shirtless, scarred male soared across, breaking the stone wall.

    He got up, swinging his arm in the air angrily, his middle fingers blaring, as he charged back in.

    ¡°Lawrence, you fatass! You ate my sourdough! Die!¡± The shirtless man seemed to shout, as clanging from inside the barracks grew louder.

    Another voice, deep and agitated, ¡°I told you that I didn¡¯t! I swear that you already ate it yesterday before training!¡±

    I dared not to make a peep. My eyes followed the now-clenched fists of Serlon, who looked like he would pop a vein.

    Well, this should be fun.

    Serlon disappeared quickly into a neighboring room, coming back out with a long, wooden Bo staff. He bounded into the room with an expression that differed from the ones I¡¯d seen before.

    He was pissed.

    The clattering of the room peaked, followed by screams and banging. An eerie silence erupted after the commotion.

    Stepping back out, Serlon returned the now-cracked Bo staff to the room and joined my side once more.

    He cleared his throat, exhaling loudly.

    ¡°So, if you follow me, these are the barracks. I¡¯ll show you around.¡±

 - 19 - Fresh Meat! A Sense of Comfort, Introductions

    I felt a sense of familiarity walking into the destroyed barracks, the chaos reminding me of home. Two shirtless soldiers sat unconscious with comical bumps on their heads from where I assumed they were beaten by the Bo staff.

    It was a smaller troop. There were three other soldiers besides the passed-out ones. But they continued doing their own things like this was a common occurrence.

    It reminded me of Hellion and the troops under my rule. The territory¡¯s barracks were located close to my living, so I would find myself in the disorganized chaos of demonic soldiers frequently.

    Demons were rowdy creatures, which meant Adbeel was constantly breaking up fights that I would watch from windows in my dragon form. Sometimes during celebrations, I would have transitioned into this form to mingle with the soldiers. For royalty, this was unheard of, but no one ever ratted me out. But it was home if something like that existed in Hellion.

    For a violent species, there were only more extreme ways of life.

    Home was found in the midst of war, killing anyone that got in the way of the demonic race. Other races could think what they wanted, but it was ¨C once again ¨C a separate way of life. Different values and beliefs.

    Compared to other races, the demonic race would be bound to a trail of blood. If you wanted to survive, that is.

    Following that type of life that I had grown up in, these lodgings were up my alley. The chaos, the holes in the wall, and even the destroyed door. This chaotic barrack was the best place in the human lands where I could end up. I didn¡¯t mind it, even if it meant sleeping in the same space as humans.

    ¡°Boss, I think you killed them.¡± A gingered-haired man waved his hands in front of the spinning eyes of the two shirtless ones.

    ¡°Probably for the best, if he did,¡± Another man replied, polishing combat boots on a bed near the door.

    Serlon ignored his comment, directing me over to an empty bed at the far end of the barracks.

    ¡°Do you have any belongings?¡± he asked, looking over my dirtied clothing that I¡¯d worn since coming to the human lands. I assumed he already knew, but I gave him verbal confirmation of my situation.

    I shook my head, ¡°I don¡¯t own anything except the clothes on my back.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to judge nor was he surprised, instead crouching down to pull out a small chest that was under the bed.

    He clicked the wooden container open that was filled with the same attire that the others in the room had on. Picking up one in his hands, he held it up, peering at the size compared to me.

    The bundle was tossed in my direction, and I caught it in my arms. It was a simple undershirt that was worn under armor, except for a golden crest that brandished the royal family and decorated the chest and sleeves. Proof of property of the kingdom. I was no stranger to this, anyway.

    Nor did I mind, really.

    ¡°You can help yourself to whatever is in the chest. Everyone here has their own. The palace takes care of all living conditions for royal guards, so food, clothes, and an allowance are provided on top of your salary.¡± Serlon informed, tucking the chest back under the bed.

    Already, I felt the stares of the other three soldiers in the room, who observed me with curiosity. The last one bunked beside my bed but never took his eyes off the book in his lap. Still, it was obvious the only thing anyone focused on was the new addition to their barracks.

    Fresh meat if you will.

    Serlon checked his watch, cursing under his breath, ¡°I have to attend a meeting. Acquaint yourself with everyone, you¡¯ll be working, sleeping, training, and eating together. Morning training is at sunrise, just come down with the group and we¡¯ll evaluate you then.¡± Stolen story; please report.

    He stepped over the destroyed door pieces, mumbling under his breath, ¡°And I¡¯ll have to take this out of dumb and dumber¡¯s paychecks.¡± The two shirtless ones.

    Footsteps disappeared down the hallway, leaving the barracks in a temporary silence.

    The soldier placed the book down, his eyes narrowing at me, ¡°Since when do children get taken into the royal guard?¡± He questioned, looking me over.

    This body was tall, but the face was younger. Therefore, I did appear young by human standards. But I was a dragon, my age was greater than anyone in the room.

    Young for a dragon? Absolutely. Young for a human? Far from it.

    I shrugged. I gave the same energy back to the black-haired adult, who only looked in his early twenties, ¡°Didn¡¯t realize that skills pertained to a certain age group, gramps.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t old. I was just petty. But this shut him up.

    A laughter erupted across the barracks, from the bulky-armed soldier that had been polishing his boots, ¡°Hey, this kid¡¯s all right.¡±

    The ginger plopped the unconscious body of one of the shirtless soldiers on their bed, walking over to grab the other. With both of the unconscious soldiers moved off the floor, he walked over to stand in front of me. Sizing me up, he sighed, moving a hand to my shoulder.

    Ginger grunted.

    He knelt down, his eyes boring into mine. I stared back in confusion, unable to understand what he was doing. Everyone in this barrack had a screw loose.

    ¡°You¡­¡± His eyes narrowed; his stare felt like it would burn a hole through me.

    ¡°Me?¡± I pointed to myself.

    Coming here looked like a mistake, I took back what I said earlier. Humans were just strange. Fuck this. How was this anything like Hellion?

    He nodded, glancing over his shoulder to the bulky-armed human, ¡°Do you remember the duke¡¯s bratty son? What was his name? Richie? Bitchy?¡± He asked the bulky-armed human, who paused for a second.

    From the exam spars? Serlon had mentioned the same thing.

    He gasped, clapping his hands, ¡°Oh god, that worthless ingrate? The spoiled brat that we escorted to the neighboring town last month. How could I forget him? I was one more snarky comment away from strangling him.¡± He shuttered, reliving some sort of negative experience.

    God. How hated was the human? It was my third time hearing about him. If I had known, I would have just let him beat me. If he was even capable of that.

    Thinking back to that sad excuse of a fight, I highly doubted that. Scratch that idea.

    The book brain placed his book under his pillow, ¡°Why is that relevant?¡±

    His grip on my shoulder increased and the human grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He pointed back to me, ¡°This twerp is the one that beat that little shit in his place at the exam. Even broke his arm!¡±

    Truly, that hadn¡¯t been my intention. Thunder thigh¡¯s arm just broke itself. For the last time, not my fault.

    At this point, I barely knew the duke¡¯s son. But, if this many people found his misfortune amusing, then I could already guess his view of this kingdom.

    ¡°Is that true?¡±

    ¡°...I guess.¡± I mean¡­ yeah.

    A smirk. The stern face from earlier melted off, he got up, walking over. With a pat on my back, his expression genuine, ¡°Just know, you did a lot of people a favor. The kid ended up nearly making Gunnar quit.¡± Book brain motioned toward Ginger, who released his grip on my shoulder.

    Gunnar nodded with teary eyes, confirming this story.

    Book brain motioned towards the human with bulky arms, ¡°That¡¯s Trent. And the unconscious twins are Lars and Daniel. I¡¯m Eran, the leader of this troop when Sir Serlon isn¡¯t around.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Asta.¡± I introduced myself, using the moment to settle into the bed, after flicking off my boots.

    Trent placed the polish in the open chest beside his bed, slid it back under, and lay back in his cot.

    ¡°How old are you, Asta? How¡¯d Sir Serlon nab you?¡± Trent questioned; his eyes already closed.

    Nab wasn¡¯t the right word. It was more of an equal negation if anything. I wanted things out of our deal, and he wanted his own goals. Simply, we were both using each other, and it was understood by both sides.

    ¡°I¡¯m sixteen. And I agreed to come here on conditions that Sir Serlon agreed to.¡± I clarified, laying back in the bed. Oh, this was pretty comfortable.

    I rolled over, hoping to cease the conversation with the other soldiers in the barracks. The sun had already set, and moonlight poured into the loud chamber. Unfortunately, the questions only continued.

    ¡°Sixteen? Holy crap. I figured you were young, but not academy age. I thought kids your age were nose-deep into textbooks,¡± Gunnar exclaimed, his bed creaking as he settled in.

    Academy seemed like an important thing here. The conversation reminded me of the combat instructor that brought Jamie and me here. He worked at an academy here, as well. I wondered if I¡¯d see him before my father called me back.

    That depended on how long his tantrum lasted. I just hoped it happened after I gained leverage with some information on ARC.

    ¡°Never got the chance,¡± I commented, hoping to move past the topic. I didn¡¯t have enough information to give a valid excuse for it.

    They seemed to understand, moving onto more of a subtopic.

    Eran piped into the questioning, ¡°Still, being a royal guard is dangerous. The crown prince¡¯s estate is a target for a lot of assassinations.¡±

    Well...duh.

    I scoffed, still facing the wall of the barracks. Assassinations were a typical occurrence in Hellion, except assassins tended to be more elaborate dealing with a twelve-meter dragon. That¡¯s only if Dagon or Adbeel didn¡¯t stop them first.

    Needless to say, I¡¯d seen everything. I doubt I¡¯d be caught off guard, even in human form and being limited on magic from the transmutation spell.

    ¡°Is that so? Duly noted.¡± I sighed, putting on my best ¡°I¡¯m interested in what you¡¯re saying¡± voice that I could muster up.

    It didn¡¯t take a genius to pick up my uninterest, instead of retaliating Eran threw something over. I caught it by instinct, sitting up to stare down at a small booklet.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I twirled it around my hand.

    ¡°Make sure you read that before we leave for training in the morning. Be ready to go the second sunlight seeps into the barracks, or else the whole troop will be forced to run laps around the estate.¡± He yawned, blowing out the candle by his bed, and covering himself with covers.

    Flipping over the booklet to the front, I read from the worn cover of the small leather rule book. It was the rules for a guard, a standard piece of equipment. A bookmark slipped out, falling on the covers below it.

    I picked it up, noticing the small scribble that ran horizontally.

    [Welcome to the Royal Guard, Asta]

 - 20 - Early birds! Serlons Evaluation, Promises!

    The sun had barely risen, as I followed the yawning soldiers from the barracks. Surprisingly, the armor that the troop wore had been more casual than I initially assumed. It was simple chainmail armor with iron plates sewn into the larger areas; light but durable. Simply put, it served less for show and more for movement.

    Lars struggled to keep his eyes open, balancing on the other twin, Daniel. Back at the dorm, they had barely managed to slip on their armor and left the barracks half-awake. It was early enough that the birds were still sleeping, no chirps could be heard. Still, everyone had gotten out of the door on time to head to the training grounds.

    Eran walked by my side, along with Gunnar, who seemed awake despite the early hour. Leading the group was the human named Trent, who whistled a tone during the short walk.

    ¡°Were you able to read the manual before you fell asleep?¡± Eran leaned over to ask, his voice was still rough from waking up. Still, he tried his best to be "leader-like". That''s what I gathered, at least.

    ¡°Yes, most of it. I have one more section left.¡± I nodded, partly lying. In truth, dragons didn¡¯t need as much rest. Therefore, I was able to memorize the tiny book throughout the night.

    It ended up being efficient and gave me something to pass the night with. Everything worked out.

    He raised his eyebrow as if doubting me, ¡°Page 121. Section IV. Part III.  Number V.¡±

    ¡°Royal Guards must announce their presence in all rooms of the empirical palace unless advised otherwise. Exceptions persist if accompanying a declared member of the Trane Royal family. Failure to abide by this rule can result in punishments as severe as hanging.¡± I recited word-for-word, not missing a beat.

    I smirked, proudly. Like he wasn¡¯t asking a creature that is known for its intelligence.

    ¡°How diligent¡­¡± He clicked his tongue, speeding his steps to join the front of the crowd.

    Of course, I was.

    Gunnar wheezed at this sight, wiping a tear from his eye. He elbowed my side, ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. He does it because he cares. Knights are punished often for forgetting the simplest rules.¡±

    I waved it off, ¡°No worries. I figured.¡±

    Punished for the simplest things? Didn¡¯t they have bigger things to worry about? I wondered how far the Hellion army had progressed in my father¡¯s conquest since my defeat. Knowing his pride, I¡¯m sure my second brother was sent to take over the original location that I failed.

    Still, it made sense. Strict rules come with reasons. In this case, it was political. If there were rumors that they couldn¡¯t control their workers, then what would others think of their rulership?

    The Morningstar bloodline punished severely for the smallest things. Once you were less feared, was when your enemies attacked. It was the way of life for my father¡¯s children. I think it was more of an outstanding concept for me, seeing as I was born of monster blood.

    Getting information would be my way to redeem myself.

    The group rounded the bend, to a dirt field on the side of the estate. Wooden dummies were stuck on sticks in the ground and racks of weapons sat near the walls. Leaning against the side of the estate was Serlon, who walked over as soon as he spotted us.

    Eran saluted the head knight, followed by the others, then me.

    ¡°Sir Serlon. Reporting for morning training.¡± Eran stood tall and acknowledged the head guard.

    ¡°A visiting baron that¡¯s staying in the Crown Prince¡¯s estate is about to leave to attend a morning meeting with the King. I want the rest of you to escort his carriage to the imperial castle. Asta will stay with me to evaluate his full skills.¡± Serlon announced, tossing a steel blade on the ground in front of me. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    I peered down at the unsheathed blade, leaning down to pick it up only to stare at my reflection in the blade of another that had been stabbed centimeters from my face. My body froze at the blade, waiting for some type of comment to be made.

    There was only a scoff from the troop leader, Eran turned on his heel, followed by the others.

    He gave one last parting comment, not daring to question the head, ¡°Don¡¯t kill him, please. He may be young, but it would be nice to have another person in our squad.¡±

    Serlon waited till the footsteps faded into the distance, before seeming to continue torturing the newbie, ¡°Are you going pick up the sword? Or are you going to stay frozen?¡±

    The tilted blade leaned over my shoulder. Was he serious?

    ¡°Maybe if the blade wasn¡¯t positioned to cut into my shoulder, I would,¡± I spat, glaring up at the amused guard. Already, I had enough problems with my wing. One more would be cruel.

    He sighed, withdrawing his blade, ¡°I was right to make a deal with you. You got quite the head on you.¡± He admitted, watching as I twirled the blade in my hand.

    It felt weird in my hand. Right. I suppose it had been a while since I had used one. But if I was incapable of only being skilled in physical combat, then my father would have killed me ages ago.

    Besides, I only had to perform well enough to ride the wings of the royals to get my information. It was a mere game for me.

    A small snap.  I see. So that¡¯s how it was.

    ¡°Odd way to test someone¡¯s battle awareness,¡± I commented, following the pace of the knight, who circled my position. My eyes never left him, not allowing my guard to be let down.

    ¡°Humor me, kid.¡± His sword dragged on the ground behind him. The steel blade picks up mud from the drying grounds. Serlon¡¯s position looked lazy. Despite that, he showed no openings.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I raised the sword to the front of my body, ready to block any direct lunges from the knight.

    I jumped back, a clanging rang as our swords collided. Serlon had lunged forward from his heel, his blade swinging from behind him to point straight at my face. Swinging my sword up, I managed to redirect the blade, now locked into a clash with the human.

    We locked our eyes, both pressing for the other to give up the challenge. Our swords engaged in a power match, as a broad smirk caressed our faces.

    The knight looked at me with mad eyes, using his body weight to press down on the blade, ¡°You could have killed that spoiled brat at the exams with ease! Aren¡¯t I right?¡±

    ¡°What are you on about, old man? I¡¯m only sixteen. How could a sixteen-year-old kill someone with ease?¡± I avoided the question, dropping down, and swinging at his legs. Serlon jumped, tucking his knees, and landed rolling to the side.

    Wasting no time, he bounded back towards me, stabbing down towards my lowered body. I huffed and used that momentum to aim at his torso.

    At the same time, I kicked up. The top of my boot hit the bottom of his sword, causing the blade to launch into the air. He cursed, pulling out the blade from his belt.

    ¡°Because¡± He swung, I ducked, ¡°No sixteen-year-old,¡± He threw the blade at my face, cutting my cheek, sighing, ¡°Can fight like you do.¡± Serlon finished his statement.

    I reached up, my hand in crimson red. Heh. It was the same color as the battlefield, but this time it wasn¡¯t the blackened blood that I remembered.

    I know it was because of the transmutation magic but this blood was human. Human blood dripped from my cheek, as I dropped my sword, sighing, ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you recruited me? Whatever. The loss is mine. You win.¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± He crossed his arms, taking in each of my movements.

    I pointed to the castle tower, at the slight glimmer poking from out of the tower. A glimmer that only became more apparent as the sun rose in the sky, emerging rays reflecting off it.

    The slight tip of an arrow pointed down towards my position on the grounds.  For a normal human, it would have been death to continue. That was the truth of the evaluation.

    It was a pointless fight, to begin with. From the start, the archer had been there and ready.

    Like Hellion, it was the concept of ¡°Prove yourself or die.¡±, except the arrow would only wound you. Demons would jump at the chance to do more than just wound a ¡°comrade¡±. Plus, fighting was second nature to me. Something as pathetic as this wouldn¡¯t slip past me.

    Serlon tapped his foot, waiting impatiently for some sort of response.

    ¡°Because if I didn¡¯t stop, that archer would end the battle for you,¡± I answered, putting my hands up in defeat.

    His stern face morphed into a deep chuckle, he reached down and slapped his knee, ¡°I figured you¡¯d end up noticing. What gave it off?¡±

    If the style of the test didn¡¯t give it away, my hearing did. The snapping of the bowstring was enough for me to realize the situation, that the test wasn¡¯t just combating skills. Serlon seemed to be looking for people that saw the bigger photo. Honestly, it made sense for royal guards, whose priority was to protect their clients.

    As annoying as it was, it was rational ¨C this evaluation, that is.

    ¡°Your grip was loose on the sword. There¡¯s no way someone like you wouldn¡¯t cling to the handle with your life. You were trying to end the fight,¡± I pointed to the cut on my cheek, ¡°the knife was a warning shot.¡±

    ¡°All correct, Asta,¡± He clapped, impressed at my deduction. Of course, I was right.

    ¡°Still,¡± He walked over to my side, picking up my dropped blade with his other hand, ¡°What¡¯s someone as young as you doing with all these skills? Typically, students learn to fight in the academy. Did you attend the academy?¡± he asked, sounding intrigued with his arm drooped around my shoulder.

    ¡°My caretakers were obsessed with fighting.¡± Not a lie, ¡°And no, I¡¯ve never attended an academy. I picked up a few skills here and there.¡±

    ¡°A few skills, huh?¡± He sighed, walking over to place the sword back on the rack, ¡°Fine, don¡¯t tell me. But lie while you walk, okay?¡±

    ¡°Lie? Head off?¡± Were we going somewhere? I looked around. I hadn¡¯t heard of the troop returning yet. It would be a while till they arrived back.

    He looked perplexed and pointed at my neck, ¡°Your necklace. Since I just decided to keep you, I¡¯m honoring the first condition of our agreement.¡±

    That means¡­

    ¡°There¡¯s someone in the estate that¡¯ll fix your magic item for you. Let¡¯s go now before your troop gets back.¡± Serlon moved ahead of me, I followed in silence, blinded by the reality that had sunk in.

    Dagon.

    I would finally be able to contact him.

 - 21 - Dead Rock! Drooling Human, Contact Restoring

    Out in the hallways of the estate, servants ran out in a frenzy. Maids passed us in a rush and cooks hurried down the hall with trays of food. Serlon led us through the marble-pillared halls, ignoring the hustle of the estate in the early morning.

    I watched as a large platter of fruits passed us, being pushed by two male butlers, disappearing into large, arched doors to our side.

    ¡°Is there an event today?¡± I asked, exchanging looks with a cleaner, who glared at the dirt path from our boots.

    ¡°The King¡¯s visiting later today. The estate workers will be frantic all day. Your troop will be working security tonight, but you won¡¯t have to worry about formalities since you will be positioned outside.¡± He slipped past some workers carrying chairs. I followed closely behind him.

    Meeting the human king already? It was barely my first day and my decision to come here never looked better. Almost too good, or maybe that was just me.

    ¡°Have you met the King before?¡± I asked. Serlon glanced over with a questioning stare.

    ¡°Are you serious?¡± He raised his eyebrow. Of course, I was serious.

    I nodded, my mood improving at the chance for the slightest bit of information that I could get my hands on.

    He sighed, resting his hands behind his head, ¡°If you¡¯re not from here it¡¯s understandable. Look, Asta, if you see the King, it¡¯s better to just walk away. He¡¯s known for his explosive temper, and he¡¯s taken it out on workers before. I¡¯ve only met him in meetings, but outside of those. No, I¡¯ve never talked to him personally.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± I nodded, acknowledging his request.

    He sounded like my father. I could handle temper tantrums and ¡°taking it out on workers¡± was my whole upbringing. If that was the case, this wouldn¡¯t be shocking to me. Most kings were like that. At this point, it was expected.

    I dropped the subject, opting to use the venture through the hallways to mentally mark down the layout of the estate. We were only on the West wing, which meant the entire building was enormous. A few more days and I was confident that I¡¯d have it fully remembered.

    No, I was sure of it.

    Serlon turned into an entrance at the end of the hallway. The entrance revealed a small workshop, filled to the brim with odd traces of magic. I peered around at the trinkets covering the shelves of the room, along with the various notes placed next to each one.

    A broken-off horn at the end of one of the tables particularly caught my attention, excluding lower levels of demonic energy. I supposed that even demon remnants made their way here.

    That also meant that the wars had to be ongoing at the moment, as this piece looked freshly discarded. From the looks of it, I assumed it was from an ogre or goblin. We had plenty of them on the front-lines.

    Serlon marched over to the human slumped over the workbench, drool dripping from her sleeping figure. Gloved hands huddled under their head, proving as somewhat of a pillow.

    ¡°Wake up. You have work.¡± He kicked the stool from under the figure, causing them to land on their ass, fumbling at the sudden wake-up call.

    The woman glanced around the room frantically, her eyes fluttering open and her arms flailing around. The figure narrowed in on Serlon¡¯s cross expression, jumping to her feet.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°...Uh. Sir Serlon. What brings you here?¡± The figure questioned, laughing nervously as she straightened the glasses on her face.

    Serlon pointed toward me, ¡°You need to fix pretty boy¡¯s necklace, over there.¡±

    ¡°Necklace?¡± she asked, still half-asleep. The figure adjusted her glasses, squinting her eyes to meet the area where I was standing, ¡°You have something that I need to fix?¡±

    I sighed, pulling out the rock necklace from under my shirt. I walked over, holding it out to the new human, ¡°I need the mana revived to be able to reach a friend.¡± I informed her, eyeing her, doubtingly.

    I met Serlon¡¯s glance questionably, who scoffed, looking to his side. Was this human really able to fix it? I could fix it, but it would be inconvenient to waste mana on it. It didn¡¯t take much mana to fix, but it was enough where I needed to save my cards.

    Plus, I still needed to figure out what I was going to do to relieve the transmutation spell. But that was a problem for me after three or four more days.

    The new human took the necklace from my hand, twirling the lava rock in her hand, ¡°Lava rock? You don¡¯t see this much in the area. Where did you get it?¡±

    Morningstar¡¯s were known for fire and heat magic, that¡¯s how. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t tell any human that.

    ¡°Family friend.¡± I lied. Though, it wasn¡¯t a complete lie, as I was referring to Dagon. He was a friend to my family, in a sense. A military sense.

    She nodded excitably, pulling out a magnifying glass, before pausing to look at Serlon, ¡°You wait outside, I need to ask some questions to your hostage.¡± The woman smiled over to me.

    ¡°He¡¯s not a hostage but I¡¯d rather not say in this dump,¡± He turned, already heading out to the door, ¡°Asta, I¡¯ll have someone fetch you in a little.¡± With that final comment, Serlon had booked it out of the workshop, not bothering to wait either.

    ¡°That muscle head. It¡¯s not a dump¡­¡± The woman sulked, but this only lasted a brief moment.

    She redirected her attention to me, ¡°Are you being forced here? You look quite young.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s mutual and I¡¯m sixteen.¡± I corrected her, watching as she placed the necklace under some sort of mana scanner.

    It beeped red.

    What did red mean? When did humans have such tools? I didn¡¯t recall them being that advanced from intelligence reports.

    She sighed, scratching her head, ¡°It¡¯s reading as having no mana at all. From the results of the scan, it hasn¡¯t been active for quite some time. Are you sure that your friend even powered it?¡±

    Pfft. Did he even power it? Hilarious.

    Dagon was the same general that made checklists for his checklists. Seriously, I doubted that he had forgotten to do so.

    I shook my head, ¡°There¡¯s no way that my friend forgot. Trust me.¡±

    The woman replied hesitantly, ¡°If you say so¡­¡±

    She cleared her throat, continuing, ¡°Good news is that I¡¯ll be able to fix this easily. You can look around in the meantime, it should only take a few minutes.¡±

    I nodded, leaving her to repairs, and walking towards a shelf of objects. The items seemed to hold varying levels of mana, nothing too interesting. Mana spanning from those of elvish people to aquatic races filled the array of trinkets. It was novel stuff, just odd ends that were discarded.

    It was interesting to me. Apparently, magic research seemed to be popular with humans if they had such a place in imperial facilities. In the midst of seizing human settlements and destroying them; I never realized how informed they had been in terms of magic.

    This was new information to me.

    Memories of the light magic left a phantom pain on my left side. That mark only proved my incompetence towards that knowledge. Never again would I fail like that.

    Once again, I walked over to the discarded horn. Maybe I should try to return this? The horns didn¡¯t grow back. If this sucker was even alive, he¡¯d be off the walls trying to locate it. But if the creature was weak enough to lose his horn, he was useless anyway.

    He deserved it.

    You could reattach limbs with magic but growing them was too complicated. Not to mention, that the last time a limb was regenerated, it ended up exploding from complications. Yes, exploding.

    I reached down, and grabbed the horn in my hands, holding it up against the window for a better look.

    A clean slice off. The horn was separated near the base of their head, probably by a sword. Although, I was only judging by the lack of mana trace. There was no telling how long ago this was cut off.

    All I knew was that it hadn¡¯t been too long ago.

    A gloved hand grabbed the horn out of my hands. Quickly, the woman grabbed my hands, pulling them up to observe them.

    Bewildered, her eyes glanced between me, placing the horn back on the shelf. Incoherent mumbles spilled from her mouth.

    What?

    ¡°...Uh, did I do something wrong?¡± I asked, my hand still pulled towards her.

    She paused, staring at me before dropping my hand. Her eyes narrowed, ¡°...You.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    She leaned in closer.

    Abruptly sighing, she dropped the necklace in my hand, ¡°...Are lucky because I just finished.¡±

    Sure. Still, it was better to show no reaction to whatever that was.

    I pulled it back over my neck, backing away, ¡°Thanks, I guess.¡±

    She smiled, waving, ¡°Yup! Stop by if it breaks again.¡¯

    ¡°...Sure.¡± I lied. I¡¯d rather not come back here. Ever.

    With that, I ran out, as Serlon had done earlier. I understand why now.

    It was worth the one-time trip. After all, the most important thing was that I would be able to finally connect with Dagon.

    Finally.

    >©¤©¤©¤????©¤©¤©¤<

    The woman held up the horn, glancing at the door that the young boy had wandered out of earlier. An image of the boy¡¯s uninjured hand after manhandling bare amounts of demonic energy plagued her mind.

    It was strange, nothing she rationed about the occurrence made sense. After countless shows of exposure to demonic energy, she could only remember the piercing screams and eroded skin of those with lesser knowledge.

    Human skin evaporated at contact with pure demonic energy.

    So, why didn¡¯t his?

 - 22 - To Serve the Human King! Banquets, A Double-Edged Blade

    One of the twins, Lars, had been waiting for me outside. The whole day was to be planned around the King¡¯s presence at the estate, which meant every section was busy. Security had been frantic, including our troop that had apparently been rushed to the banquet hall to coordinate with imperial guards from the castle.

    From what I understood, besides our troops, lower-ranking security had stations around the walls of the estate.

    Because the King would bring his own security, our troop was to reinforce those of the lower-ranking force. Serlon would patrol the insides of the estate with the imperial guard from the castle.

    It was less work, but it also meant that my chance at observing the King would be through slight glances.

    Still, it wasn¡¯t bad for the first day on the job.

    Lars walked in front of me, his glance never meeting mine, as he trailed ahead in the estate. They must have just gotten back from escort duty. I sniffed the air, the scent of blood unable to hide itself from my sensitive senses.

    ¡°How was the escort assignment?¡± I asked, already having a good idea of how it went. If the blood didn¡¯t sell my point, then his slight limp did.

    ¡°It was a little rowdy, to be honest.¡± His previous tense expression softened, slowing his pace, he now walked beside me.

    Lars glanced down at my necklace, ¡°So that¡¯s why you needed to see the estate¡¯s magical item expert?¡± He questioned; his eyes glued to the rock that peeked from the top of my armor.

    ¡°It was the second condition of my coming here,¡± I admitted, peering at the other to meet the surprised look of the twin.

    ¡°Right, right,¡± He exhaled, ¡°You came on conditions¡­¡± He looked as if he had more that he wanted to say. Though, we were cut off at the large entrance of the banquet hall.

    ¡°Ah. We¡¯re here.¡±

    Lars guided us into a large banquet room, where florists were rushing around to place wildflowers into jars.

    It reeked of flowers, almost to the point of making me sick. I scrunched my nose, continuing to follow the human in my troop. Lars took us over to a group of people, chatting in the corner of the banquet hall.

    Eran looked over, waving us over to the others. Daniel, Gunnar, and Trent were conversing with others that were dressed in golden-plated armor. Serlon was nowhere in sight.

    ¡°I was glad to hear that Sir Serlon didn¡¯t kill you. We¡¯ll need a full deck tonight.¡± Eran patted my back. I wanted to flinch at the sudden pats to where my wings would be. Again, that phantom pain radiated from my shoulder blades.

    I rolled them, trying to rid myself of the discomfort. But to little avail.

    Well, they were still there. But they were hidden under layers of heavy magic. It still counted though.

    I faked a lighthearted chuckle, ¡°I¡¯m just lucky that he went easy on me.¡±

    Surely, my pride was taking a hit at those words. Thankfully, my mentality of accomplishing a goal reined much stronger. Mostly.

    A pair of large hands gripped my shoulders; I had heard someone approaching earlier but made no move to stop them. There had been no malicious intent in the movements.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    I was right, meeting the familiar face of the lead guard. Serlon peeked over my shoulder, except more composed than what I saw earlier. More professional, have you.

    ¡°Too humble, kid. You¡¯re really irritating sometimes.¡± He muttered to my ear, lifting his hands off to greet the others. All I could do was stare in confusion at his back, with the jab spinning in my head.

    Too humble? Huh. Never heard that before. Did he really say that to a dragon? My species was quite profound for their ego, but if I had skill then I would have bragged to the heavens about it. Right now, all I could be was useless.

    I brushed the comment off as nothing to ponder about. Instead, I joined the group and pretended to pay attention to the meaningless conversations. The only important thing to listen to was when we would leave to patrol and where I would be placed.

    The best bet would be to sneak off during this and contact Dagon. Once I contacted him, I would be able to understand the situation at Hellion. Perhaps, I could puppet my disposal of the troops to gain some recognition in the human lands.

    Everything was still uncertain now though. Who knows. One thing was clear - that was that I was fully capable and knowledgeable of working the situation to my advantage. My hundreds of years spent enveloped in commanding and war tactics were my validity of that.

    Not to mention my royal prestige, earned for a reason. My reputation as my father¡¯s prized dragon used to reign on that fact. Used to.

    I blankly agreed to every question directed my way, only filtering attention to semi-important ones. Like¡­

    ¡°Would you be interested in sampling some of the food for the event?¡±

    Of course, I would sign up immediately.

    Or like¡­

    ¡°Have you killed before? Would you be comfortable killing if the event¡¯s safety called for it?

    Yes, I¡¯m sure I could manage. And I managed that aspect, quite well.

    And so on. It was simply idle banter. This went on for some time. I found out two things. First, the ones dressed in golden armor were guards for the imperial palace. Two, apparently the wages were higher there.

    Whatever that meant.

    To my relief, Serlon grabbed the troop aside to perform a quick debrief, signaling an end to my suffering in the chatty room.

    ¡°We¡¯re in charge of the South and West outside ring, meaning that we¡¯ll move in groups of two. Lars and Daniel, the twins, will patrol south. Gunnar and Trent will take the corner. Eran and Asta will patrol West.¡± He instructed, scanning the crowd for confirmation.

    ¡°What¡¯s the protocol?¡± Eran chipped in.

    ¡°The King ordered trespassers to be killed on sight. Attempting to break in during his presence is disrespectful, of course.¡±

    The group nodded. I followed. We were immediately sent to start patrolling, despite it now being early afternoon.

    Each pair set off to a different part of the establishment, ready to make the long walk to the outside of the estate. Eran and I stopped by the barracks, to pick up proper weapons for patrol. He opted for a long sword with a bow. I simply picked up a plain sword, opting for throwing knives instead.

    I had little use for long-range weapons, anyway. After situating our weapons to our armor, we set off for the outer walls.

    The walk was strenuous and unnecessarily long, but I assumed that was to deter trespassers. By the time they¡¯d reach the actual estate, any human without above-average stamina would be winded. Still, that meant patrol groups would also have twice the amount of work covering the area.

    Genius or stupid? You decide. Whatever it was, it was certainly a tactic. I suppose, at least.

    ¡°Is this your first-time patrolling?¡± Eran asked, hiking through the thick grass of the estate walls.

    I had only ever been at the front of the war. That or, I was in the vanguard leading the plans forward. Generals had to throw themselves in the heat of the battle, but also withdraw to ensure future victories. It had been a tedious balance that Dagon and Adbeel helped offset some of the burdens of.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my first patrol.¡± This time it wasn¡¯t a lie. We had always sent our lower-ranked demons to patrol, whose contributions had no real value to the army. It was like the first domino that needed to be knocked to get to the actual important one.

    Almost like a food chain, predator and prey.

    Now I was at the bottom of that system, as the patrol that was to protect the King. Though, it was all for the grander scheme of the glory of my name and the upholding of my father¡¯s power.

    I could wear enemy stripes for the good of my own. Loyalty was absolute, no matter how you presented yourself to be. Even in human form, I had demonic blood in my veins.

    We entered a barricaded door, Eran using a key to unlock it. He pulled it open to reveal the portion of the walls that we were to patrol for, lord-knows, how long.

    He sighed, letting me pass through before turning back and locking it behind us. Clapping his hands, he marched to position, following the laid grass. The grass had been matted down from the previous times on the same patrol route.

    It seemed like a routine occurrence, obviously. And a little bit of a security risk.

    ¡°All we do is follow this path, back and forth. We¡¯ll be marching parallel on opposing sides to cover the area fully. If you see something, make sure to alert when we pass or if it¡¯s a high threat, you¡¯re clear to attack.¡± Eran informed quickly, already walking to the other end of the wall.

    I nodded, doing the same and heading toward my side.

    ¡°I believe in you, newbie.¡± He called out, his back turned. I raised my hand in acknowledgment. Though, I doubt he saw it.

    I glanced up at the large wall of the estate. Once again in my daily life, I found myself outside a grand wall that held the proper military influence to be considered vulnerable.

    Although this time, I was no longer towering over the wall and commanding legions of demons to charge. Nor was I waiting outside to siege the human encampment.

    No. I, Arsylm Morningstar, was patrolling the outskirts to protect the human prince. I, who had been once known as the prize dragon of the demon king, wore fake human skin. I, who had the blood of millions of humans on my hands, lived with that same race.

    We both wanted to kill each other, without knowing.

    My wing may have been hurt and useless, but the dragon¡¯s spirit was strong. I would return to Hellion by masquerading with humans, protecting humans, and serving this King as a double-edged blade.

    Then, I would have the last laugh. In the shadow of my enemies, I now found myself closer to my goal. My redemption.

    [My first day of being a royal guard had officially started.]

 - 23 - Kings Patrols! Surprise, Dagons Truth

    The estate had been on high alert since the arrival of the King, who pulled up on a golden carriage much grander than the Crown Prince¡¯s. Even from the far end of the estate walls, I could hear the marching of metal-clad boots, moving in unison, and the rustling of the imperial guards.

    But most of all, I could sense a mana level so powerful that I couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. Not only did it seem that the King ruled with political power but mana-wise too.

    It made my inching to see the human king increase in anticipation. Truly, this had been the right call.  As far as Hellion¡¯s intelligence went, I had not been informed of such a powerful ruler in the human race. Nor of the prosperous kingdom of Trane itself. Every second here was more information that I would bring back to Hellion.

    My eyes scanned along the now quiet atmosphere of the streets that surrounded the estate, separated by strips of land and a small moat. Nothing noteworthy had happened besides the occasional group of humans that had been curious about the increase in guards.

    Earlier in the day, groups had stood outside whispering among themselves, covering their mouths to no avail. I could still hear them, their tone-deaf comments and theories about the patrol.

    While marching tirelessly without end, I soon found myself living for the gossip talks.

    ¡°I wonder if something is going on in the royal estate.¡± One woman in a working gown had whispered over to her husband, who just nodded in agreement with blank eyes. Well, no shit.

    Another group of human boys had been walking down the streets in school uniforms, before noticing the patrols.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be a guard when I¡¯m older!¡± A young, ginger boy had announced to his taller friends, who proceeded to launch the ball into his face.

    ¡°A guard? Please. Didn¡¯t you get chased by a hen the other day and wet your trousers?¡± Another boy reminded the ginger-haired boy, bending over from laughter.

    ¡°Not cool man¡­it was scary!¡± The boy whined.

    All the other boys had laughed, but they looked around my human age. Maybe fifteen to eighteen years of age. I suppose, most humans around my fake age lived normal lives.

    Though, they seemed dumber¡­

    I¡¯ll admit, it took everything not to laugh at that sight. Heightened senses; a blessing or a curse? In this case, it was a blessing.

    Still though. Humans were the same, always curious creatures that stopped at the first sight of something outside of their routine. Creatures of habit that were adaptable, yet stupid.

    I paused briefly, snickering. Footsteps behind me made me glance over to watch as Eran headed over. He stopped next to me, looking over to where the boys had been, returning back to me.

    Hm. Was I in trouble?

    I eyed him, sighing, ¡°Sorry, I was stopping briefly to observe the town better.¡± All I was doing was curing my boredom from hours, of walking back and forth with no action. Nothing interesting, except the gossip that I would overhear from passersby.

    ¡°That¡¯s what kids your age normally do¡­ getting an education and all.¡± He abruptly commented, glancing over to the group of human boys that had walked down the street at this point.

    Actually. Humans that were my age would be well dead, nothing more than rotting skeletons. In reality, I was two hundred and six years old. Pretty young for a dragon, but much older than a human - that''s for sure. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Are you indirectly calling me stupid?¡± I scoffed, crossing my arms. Where I didn¡¯t exactly know much about the topics that humans valued, I knew my fair share of any knowledge that pertained to magic, fighting, war, and tactics.

    That stuff was my bread, butter, and my whole reason for existence. Where I may not understand human customs, at least I knew how to massacre an entire town in one night. If you put the bigger perceptive into view, that¡¯s all that mattered in life, right? Last time I checked, a poet reciting a work of literature still died when smashed under my claw. Really, my logic made perfect sense.

    Eran shook his head, waving his hands in defeat, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that, kid. It''s just not common for someone your age to be involved in this level of work yet. You may be talented, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair to give up those mundane experiences.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure what he considered these ¡°mundane experiences¡± to be, but I doubted I was missing out on anything. It seemed like a waste of time. My whole birth revolved around being shaped into a war pawn for my father. I had no luxury over a life that was never my own, to begin with. Much less, did I have time to be lazing about in the academy? Absolutely not.

    Still, I humored him. It was a known fact that humans were compassionate, seemingly for no apparent reason. Compassion would never get you far, nor where you wanted to be.

    ¡°Whatever you say, chief. Let¡¯s continue to our rounds, shall we?¡± I didn¡¯t bother to look back or wait for an answer. Instead, I marched ahead, continuing to the next section of the patrols. Eran didn¡¯t refute this and carried on, as well.

    With nightfall, the streets slowly lit up, and the crowds decreased. For hours, it was just pacing back and forth, without any need for actions. I peered up at the lights of the estate that peeked from the top of the walls. The night was still young, I suppose.

    The King had been here all afternoon, soon staying until early nightfall. This meant that the guards had been patrolling nonstop. Before I knew it, I was at the passing point in the route with Eran again. I walked forward, glancing up at Eran. He nodded, his eyes only sparing away to observe our surroundings briefly. We passed, slowing ever-so-slightly to exchange quick check-ins of the patrol.

    ¡°Nothing on my end. How about yours, Newbie?¡± Eran yawned, eyes tired but focused, already nearly passing me fully.

    ¡°All good,¡± I answered, moving along the route. Like that, both our paces quickened, and we got back to the patrol.

    I sighed, doing my best to maintain the posture that Eran had informed me. Shoulders back, marching steps, scanning eyes, and stern expressions; this was what a guard should carry. Supposedly.

    I should keep this up¡­ But.

    I had no real loyalty to these humans. And all I could think about was the magic stone hanging from my neck, fixed and ready to use to contact my generals. My curiosity had been growing with each passing day.

    Did my father mention my return?

    Why had I passed out after entering the portal?

    Did Dagon and Adbeel return to the territory?

    Why hadn¡¯t we heard of Trane before?

    These questions have been plaguing my mind lately. And the only person that I could think of asking was Dagon, who had acted as my advisor since I was a hatchling. Eran¡¯s warning replayed in my mind, even though he was out of sight, I could still imagine the sternness of his face from when he briefed me earlier.

    ¡°We were direct representations of the Trane Royalty.¡± He had forewarned before patrols started, which I mean¡­ made sense.

    I wore imperial armor and worked on the estate, even if it was my first day.

    Except.

    I really couldn¡¯t care less if I wasn¡¯t even in view of anyone. There had been no one out at this time nor could I sense any lurking stares.

    It was clear. I pulled out the stone that had been tucked, glancing around one last time. Exhaling, I slowly embedded demonic energy into the stone, while never breaking my gait.

    The stone flickered once, before glowing a faint purple.

    A connection.

    ¡°¡­Hello?¡± I voiced, holding the stone to my mouth, my voice low enough to not alert Eran, who was patrolling on the other end.

    Static silence.

    I smacked it with my palm, squinting as I held it up by the string, ¡°Did that weird lady not fix it?¡± I mumbled under my breath. Wouldn¡¯t surprise me.

    More silence.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I voiced again. This time slightly louder.

    Instead of silence, a breathy voice rang on the other end, ¡°¡­Who is this?¡± They asked, their tone questionably hostile.

    I sighed in relief, recognizing the voice as my third in command,¡± Finally. It took forever to reach you, Dagon.¡±

    A spiked breath came from the other side of the connection. Dagon replied back, seemingly more defensive, ¡°I¡¯ll ask one more time,¡± He barked, his tone laced with venom, ¡°Who is this? And how did you know my name?¡±

    I stopped in my tracks at the blatant attitude and raised my eyebrow. Was he stupid or plain dumb? Did he dare?

    Even away from Hellion, I was still his prince and commander.

    ¡°Pardon me?¡± I asked, exuding my authority over the phone, ¡°How dare you use that tone with me, Dagon.¡± I warned, drawing the line with this disrespect.

    ¡°¡­Sire?¡± He asked in disbelief, ¡°¡­Is that really you?¡±

    Yes. The last time I checked, I was still me.

    ¡°Yes. Now, I don¡¯t have time for your pranks, Dagon. I have some matters to discuss with you.¡± I rolled my eyes, wanting to get along with it before I got caught in the act.

    ¡°You¡¯re alive?¡± Another whisper came from him.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Dagon. Stop with the jokes.¡± I tried to move on, to no avail.

    Dagon was a serious servant that always kept a level head. Once my father¡¯s advisor, he had been passed down, to raise my father¡¯s new weapon, me. He was molded with every value that the Demon King had close to him.

    That¡¯s why I was taken aback at the obvious cries of such a critical person. I went silent when I heard the sorrow-stricken cries, my heart(s) dropping in shock.

    ¡°For 100 years, 2 months, 15 days; I kept the other piece of the magic stone, holding onto the hope you were still alive. Sire¡­what happened to you?¡±

    I froze.

    ¡°Dagon. What do you mean¡­¡±

 - 24 - The Lost Time! A Discarded Pawn, The Useless Son

    My relationship with my father was treasured in a political sense. I remember his constant letters that would increase whenever a ceremony would be dawning near. Despite what some may have thought about his communication with his treasured pawn, never were these letters contained the words of a father.

    Since my hatching, I was pinned with the title of ¡°Demon King¡¯s Dragon¡±, being the only draconic heir in the Morningstar bloodline. It was a name for a pawn, a warmonger, a symbolic figurehead.

    This would call for my father¡¯s showing of me. My duty to my family as the third prince would be to stand as a symbol of fearsome power in war, a war monster. And that¡¯s what I chalked up to be. Till recently.

    Because of this, I never saw my father as a parentlike figure, nor did he see this relationship as more than a political one. I didn¡¯t mind it. The ones to raise me were Dagon and Adbeel, who treated me more like family than my actual one. That¡¯s why I knew Dagon was serious. But I still couldn¡¯t process it.

    ¡°Did Adbeel put you up to this?¡± I chuckled, nervously. My hands clutched the rock tightly, not daring to let go.

    Deep down, I knew Dagon wasn¡¯t lying. I knew. A breathy whisper on the other side made something inside my mind shatter. My third in command never sounded more serious than this moment. It was a tone too vulnerable for a demon, reminding me of my general¡¯s roots.

    ¡°The day that you went into the portal¡­¡± He paused. I stood still, the information pinning me to the spot, ¡°¡­was the last time that anyone has seen you in about 100 years.¡±

    Impossible.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true¡­I left about a week ago. You and Adbeel had visited me before I left and.¡± I stopped, a realization dawning.

    Waking up in a forest? Had I ever fallen asleep on a portal trip? I had traversed through portals countless times, never losing consciousness. How long was I dormant? I was too young to fall into a dragon¡¯s sleep, far too young. It just wasn¡¯t possible.

    ¡°I woke up a week ago.¡± I tried to come to grips with the dawning situation, my mind thinking out loud, ¡°That¡¯s all I remember.¡±

    ¡°We tried searching for you. Nearly exhausted our forces doing so. Your second brother helped as well.¡± His voice was calmer, but I could still hear the concern in his voice.

    I¡¯m sure the gravity of the situation would hit me later, but my training to handle dire problems dulled an extreme reaction. That doesn¡¯t mean my mind wasn¡¯t racing.

    No. Dare I say that I was numb? I didn¡¯t feel the same emotions as humans, but the pressure was gut-wrenching, all the same.

    ¡°¡­The territory?¡± I asked, trying to piece together what I had missed, my lost time. I was scrambling for pieces; for anything at this point.

    Silence.

    ¡°Dagon.¡±

    ¡°The territory is gone,¡± Dagon admitted his tone was at a loss.

    If anything, these words were the heaviest to hear. My territory, the people that I swore to guard, the place where I grew up, and the land that I fought tirelessly to protect. Just like that¡­ It was gone. How?

    Dagon continued, ¡°After your disappearance, Adbeel and I ran territory in your absence. It had only been a few weeks, turned into months, then a year passed. That¡¯s when we knew something had gone wrong.¡±

    All I could do was listen.

    ¡°Adbeel and I marched into the castle, hunting down the portal master. We questioned him relentlessly, making a scene till we were dragged in front of your father. Young Prince¡­ No. Arsylm, we tried asking your father about your location.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    He didn¡¯t need to verbalize this action for me to understand. I was no longer a prince. That had been revoked from what I feared was long ago. This just confirmed it.

    ¡°¡­What did he say?¡± I questioned, my voice no louder than a mouse. A question that I feared that I already knew the answer to.

    A cold truth.

    ¡°Your father refused us. He didn¡¯t blink an eye and instead dragged us to the dungeons for weeks. Arsylm, I have reason to believe that your disappearance was the actions of your father. This is what we suspect once we were able to return to the territory.¡± Dagon relayed, letting out a loud breath.

    My father had done this. The truth was like a dagger, cutting through my being. It was suffocating. Object or not. I was still his son, his blood. He couldn¡¯t throw me away like this. It wasn¡¯t something that I could have imagined, despite our artificial relationship. I was holding onto hope that pouring my everything into his hands would¡­ No.

    Was it terrible to say that I wasn¡¯t surprised?

    ¡°Dagon. How was the territory lost then?¡± I skipped over the fact of my father abandoning me. There was nothing I could do about it now. Not right now.

    All my mind could sway to were the lives of the demons living on my territory. Besides my soldiers that lived in the tower¡¯s barracks, most of the land inhabitants were lower-class demons. They were no different than the humans here, trying to raise families and working for their earnings. My duty was to protect their mundanity.

    ¡°After we returned and after your absence, a civil war broke out. Your disappearance disturbed the territory¡¯s force. Adbeel and I joined forces with your second brother. Sire, it seemed like we had a chance¡­¡± He paused as if considering whether he should continue, ¡°¡­If there¡¯s a god out there, then not even he could have predicted the power that your father still possessed. The territory was wiped out, everything was gone.¡±

    I don¡¯t know if I wanted to hear more. It was because of me. I was the reason. My father had been right about one thing. I was useless, a failure.

    A crack from the wall of the moat interrupted this.

    ¡°Dagon. I¡¯m in the human territory called Trane.¡± I quickly whisper, trying to keep my voice low and hushed, ¡°I¡¯m posing as a guard under the crown prince to gain information on ARC, but I have to go.¡±

    Dagon seemed to understand the situation.

    ¡°Arsylm. I wish I could tell you everything. But whatever you do¡­ Don¡¯t come back to Hellion.¡± His voice seemed urgent.

    It would be a lie to say that these words didn¡¯t hit hard.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alive.¡±

    All I could do was stare at the moat. My tired gaze focused on the noises from someone climbing up the moat, ¡°Understood Dagon. I¡¯ll call you when I can.¡± I hung up, shaken and my mind reeled from shock.

    It was sinking in. Painfully so. I couldn¡¯t focus properly.

    Don¡¯t come back, huh? What was my point in taking this position then? To get information for a father that didn¡¯t want me. A father that slaughtered my territory and its people.

    Why?

    I could live in the forest, away from humans and responsibilities. My sight could only linger dazed at the emerging group of assassins that sent daggers flying my way.

    There wasn¡¯t an attempt made to dodge. The dagger hit the middle of my throat; the cold blade embedded into this fake human flesh. I couldn¡¯t find the will to get up, but I knew that this injury would do nothing. This was a mental injury to me, as I lay still and silent. I was more focused on the reality of everything that I had known, crashing down. It was a reasonable reaction, I suppose.

    The force knocked me off my feet, sending my eyes to stare at the stars above. My ears barely pick up the hushed commands of the two assassins.

    It was the sky of my new life, right? The stars above Trane shined down upon me, flicking in mockery at my ruins.

    Should I just live as a guard? Run away? There was no place for me to return to.

    There was a blade in my throat at the moment. It acted like the final mockery of my situation. I could play dead. But I wasn¡¯t dead. Something like this wouldn¡¯t kill me, but I wish it did. All things considered; I feel like this wasn¡¯t my biggest problem at the moment. All it did was piss me off.

    ¡°You fool! We weren¡¯t supposed to kill the guards!¡± One aggressively whispered, their light footsteps coming closer.

    ¡°What was I supposed to do? He looked straight at me.¡± The other assassin justified, seeming agitated at the protest.

    ¡°Let¡¯s drag him out of the way,¡± One of the assassins sighed, walking over to my laying body, and peering over.

    We made eye contact, I blinked blankly at the shocked man. I guess¡­ it was too late to play dead.

    He pointed, his face pale as he looked over to the other hooded man, ¡°He¡¯s alive¡­¡±

    Unfortunately.

    There was a scoff as the other came over. All I could do was glance at the other hooded man, who dropped his jaw.

    ¡°Holy fuck!¡± They both dropped back, and new knives appeared in their hands, as they braced for combat.

    That¡¯s right. I was foolish to forget. I could never live a peaceful life. It simply was against my nature.

    Maybe that¡¯s why¡­ Yes. This would be perfect.

    I sighed, dusting off the back of my armor as I stood back up. The blade of the dagger hung protruding from the middle of my neck. Tilting my head to the side, I cracked my neck, feeling the blade squirm inside my flesh.

    The only difference was that the blood that poured out was black. My eyes glowed, as I glared between the two men. I sighed, reaching up to pull the dagger from my neck and twirling it between my fingers.

    I¡¯ll admit, this was a nice blade.

    The two men froze, as the wound in my neck started to close, the black blood covering my body in steam, as it evaporated from my blood-covered armor. How long had it been since I allowed myself to be injured?

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s. It¡¯s a monster!¡± One cried, the new blade in his hand, shaking.

    Close enough.

    ¡°A monster, huh? Well, I suppose that you¡¯re not wrong.¡± I commented, my tone was not one of a human.

    I stalked closer, never peeling my eyes from the two humans. My prey-like eyes only communicated one thing, ¡°You¡¯ve come at the perfect time. You see, it¡¯s been a pretty shitty day for me. Allow me to take out some of my understandable frustration on you two.¡±

    In the cover of the dark, only the stars illuminated the bloody scene.

    Violence.

 - 25 - Aftermath! Bloody Night, Sorrow Realities

    At some point, the line blurred between the stabbing of the long-dead corpses and my sense of rationality. It was a case of misplaced anger and sorrowful desperation.

    I understood this. Still, I didn¡¯t stop until the black-blooded blade was soaked in the red crimson. The knife was embedded into the throat of the original human that had thrown it into mine.

    Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, life for a life. If I had been human, I would have died. That was more of a reason to kill them all. Plus, they had seen too much.

    Honestly, it was fuzzy.

    In my disheveled state, I could only stack the bodies on top of each other and sit down next to them. The moon rose high in the sky, but the streets were empty. There would be no one coming across the morbid scene.

    Like I cared at this point. Let them come. Let them see.

    I waited in silence, listening to Eran¡¯s footsteps draw closer, followed by the sound of him sprinting into a run toward me.

    His calls were drowned out in my own thoughts, the worries that bound my body to the ground earlier reappearing once again.

    ¡°Asta! Oh my god, Asta! What happened?¡± The guard froze in horror at the gruesome scene in front of him, more importantly, at the sixteen-year-old covered in red.

    Glancing up, my eyes blank and unnerving, beheld his horror-stricken eyes. He didn¡¯t have to say it for me to understand. Eran was probably thinking that I was a monster, that no human should have been capable of each brutality.

    After all, I was far from human.

    I waited. Out of anyone, I understood this moment all too well. Soon enough, I would be banished, kicked, and chastised. If they had the drive to, I could be killed on the spot.

    Useless, once more. Better off dead.

    This is the reaction that I waited for. I would just leave or live as a nomad till everything settled. Besides, it was unlikely for them to keep someone as unstable as their forces. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t will myself to care.

    To my utter surprise, worried hands started checking over my face and arms. Eran¡¯s concerned eyes scanned over the bloodied parts of my armor. He crouched down and reached to his belt to pull out a small rag.

    A gentle wipe of my face cleaned the blood spatters that covered my cheek.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked, frantically looking between me and the dead bodies of the corpses.

    Was I okay? Of course, I was. I was.

    ¡°¡­Yes,¡± I mumbled, not knowing what to say in this situation. Eran¡¯s expression showed his doubt, he sighed at this.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Here it was, I had messed up.

    I was prepared to be kicked out for this. It was my first day and I slaughtered two humans that happened to show up at a bad time. Foolish of me. But none of that mattered anymore.

    Originally the goals that I had set out to achieve, the exile, and returning to Hellion, and none of that mattered in the end. Like a pitiful human, I was wasting time in this life, having no goal to achieve in the end.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    So, what happened, he asked. What happened? So much. I peered over at the bodies, the faces of the men no longer looked recognizable. Their skin peeled to show bone, their ghostly faces bled to their limit, and the contortions of pain remained sketched in the canvas of death.

    The truth was that I had let my anger get the best of me. It was that cursed violence that ran through my blackened veins. Demon blood that I no longer had a claim to.

    ¡°They tried to kill me to get into the estate. I ended up killing them.¡± I explained the obvious scene that lay before the guard.

    He sighed, still seeming concerned. Except this time, he stood up, reaching a hand to help me up. A human extending his hand to a dragon, that he had no clue about.

    I stared at that hand, at the human reaching down to help me. And I grabbed it, huffing as I stood up, blood still covering my armor.

    Eran threw his arm over my shoulder, pulling me in closer, ¡°Good job, kid. The orders were to kill intruders and you were able to take down two.¡±

    Was he not concerned about the nature of my killings? I had painted a grim scene and the subjects were mutilated, as if they were on battlefields. Although the guard did look concerned, could it be that his concern was towards me? No part of me fathomed this possibility.

    ¡°Are you not mad?¡± I questioned, on edge from the concern that I was not used to receiving. Even though Eran had not given a reaction, I knew that what I had done was not normal.

    Most humans didn¡¯t kill others in such brutal ways. Again, I was not human. I could only hope to pose as one.

    For the most part, Eran understood what I was getting at, his face dawning something unreadable. But he wasn¡¯t malicious.

    ¡°The orders were to kill. Who am I to question your way of doing that?¡± Eran stated, his tone clear and stern.

    Hah.

    ¡°If you say so.¡± Being in no mood to continue, I found myself standing with the human beside the bodies.

    He had no other attempts to question my actions toward the men. Instead, he had instructed me to drag the other body to the estate walls, near the door that we entered through. Grabbing the other, we walked in silence, limp bodies brushing along the reddened path behind us.

    It was clear what we were doing, even if he never verbalized it.

    We were getting rid of the bodies without a second thought about it.

    Eran had set the mutilated corpses near the door, loudly knocking several times before what I assumed to be an estate guard opened it.

    The man was not from our troop, and I could not recall seeing him, but Eran only pointed at the two bodies.

    ¡°There were more armed intruders tonight.¡± He and the other guard exchanged serious expressions.

    ¡°Carry on. I¡¯ll get rid of the bodies.¡± The guard had nodded, not batting an eye at the ravaged bodies.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Eran thanked him, looking back over at me.

    His gaze darted at my blood-soaked armor, sighing. Stains of crimson decorated the torso of the armor and the tips of my boots left bloody trails.

    None of it was mine. And he knew that.

    ¡°Patrols end soon. Go wash up early.¡± He instructed, pushing me towards the opened door, ¡°You remember where the barracks are?¡±

    I suppose my appearance wasn¡¯t the sightliest right now. I couldn¡¯t blame him for this decision, nor would I argue against it. I needed the time.

    ¡°¡­I do.¡±

    ¡°Good. Head straight there and wash in the showers in the corridor down. There are sponges in the chest, so scrub the blood off your armor tonight.¡± Eran suggested, already turning tail to finish the patrol.

    Briefly, he paused.

    ¡°Oh. If you can help it, don¡¯t let anyone see you covered in blood. It¡¯s normal for people like us, but any civilian would faint if they saw you right now. I¡¯ll be honest, you look scary.¡± He bluntly admitted. After that, he disappeared back on the patrol route.

    Eran didn¡¯t need to tell me twice.

    To some degree, he was entirely right. I reeked of metallic blood; it was quite strong. A mirror wasn¡¯t needed to gather how rough I looked. Rest assured; I would be taking every precaution to not run into anyone on my trip back.

    The other guard that had come to collect the bodies exchanged glances for a second, he scoffed, taking in my appearance.

    ¡°If you¡¯re hurt, I can take you to the mage to heal you.¡± He offered.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my blood.¡± I shook my head, opting to walk past the man instead. His expression paled, as he basically jumped out of my path.

    Fuck that. Dealing with a mage was the last thing I wanted to do. If every aspect of my life hadn¡¯t been changed in the last thirty minutes, I didn¡¯t need the prospects of my future to fall on the same day.

    Maybe another day.

    But not today.

    For now, my best bet would be to carry on my time in Trane, leaching off the crown prince¡¯s employment. Besides, all I ever knew in my life was how to be a sword. Acting as a guard was a less extreme case of this though.

    Quickly, I rushed along the pathway that we had taken to the outside of the walls, opening the second door to the large meadows of the estate.

    There were imperial castle guards on their own patrol, who had spotted my bloodied sixteen-year-old body. They had tensed, eyeing each other urgently, only to relax once they spotted the imperial crest on my armor. As bloodied as it was.

    I don¡¯t remember the direct path that I took to the barracks, my whole journey had been occupied by the swirling pieces that I tried to connect. Nor do I recall showering off, sitting down to scrub the crimson off my armor, or laying on the bed.

    Clutching the necklace, I stared up at the stone ceiling above my cot. Strangely, I did not feel too shocked about this. Shocked. Well, in a sense¡­ I was. How could I not be? Though, had it sunk in fully? I doubt that it would ever do so.

    Time did not matter to dragons, nor to pureblood demons that lived thousands of years. In the dim outlook of my present, no matter what, I would be chained to a future.

    It was out of my control. Not once in my life had I ever needed to think for myself, only really following the orders of others. The truth of my current reality lies here in the barracks of yet another monarchy.

    A monarchy run by humans, who were once my enemies. Frankly, they were still my enemies. I think. Who were my enemies at this point? Perhaps, I would never be able to figure that out. Not now, maybe never.

    If anyone still remembered who I was, that is.

    As I lay in my cot, my eyes glued to the ceiling, and my mind raced. I was consumed by my thoughts, troubles, and worries.

    Tiring.

    I couldn¡¯t remember the rest of the troop returning, as I was never conscious during their arrival. My heightened senses, conditioned by centuries of war, never alerted me to their presence.

    Instead, I nodded off to rest.

    For the first time since my injury, for the first time in one hundred years, I drifted off into sleep.

 - 26 - Take your Time! Breaks, Aching Bodies

    Mornings were hazier than I thought. Before this, sleep had been a stranger that only visited once every blue moon.

    Birds chirped from the outside of the barrack window, their melodies unseen in the darkness of the early morning. I groaned, sitting up from my cot and looking around at the empty beds of the barrack. The room was illuminated by one singular candle that flickered weakling on the table by the door.

    My brain was foggy from the sleep that I was not used to getting. Almost like my body didn¡¯t know how to process the extra energy that I attained. I peered around, my hands rubbing my eyes that blinked slowly in an attempt to become more alert.

    Moving my legs to rest outside the cot, I sat in silence at the empty barracks, looking outside the window at the orange glow of the rising sun.

    Well, it was certainly very early morning. Yet, there were signs of the others having left. Some chests were placed on beds with supplies missing and nighttime garments thrown on the floor. Was I left on accident?

    Surely not. I had killed two intruders as instructed. My performance should have been satisfactory from what they believed to be a sixteen-year-old kid.

    Maybe it was better this way. It left me alone with the conversation from yesterday racing through my mind.

    That¡¯s right. It hadn¡¯t been a dream. My territory was lost, Dagon warned me to stay away, and the portal mishap was most likely under the direct orders of my father. The reason was simple to anyone familiar with the Demon King. Currently, I was a useless pawn that he could no longer use. Punishment for the useless grounded dragon.

    After all, what good was a dragon that couldn¡¯t fly?

    I thought back to those last moments in front of my father in the throne room, his piercing gaze had decided to throw me away. That day, my father had thrown away his prized dragon; his son.

    Perhaps, he had worked this out from the very beginning.

    Harsh. But that was the way of the demonic race, even for the feared Morningstar bloodline.

    Staring at the flickering flame, I felt myself consumed in these thoughts and these theories that I may never know were true. The only thing that remained certain was that I needed to survive.

    Even if that was in the lands of the race I used to slaughter. I would do it. I¡¯d manage. Somehow.

    The door clicked open; a meek man dressed in servant''s attire peeked his head in. His gaze widened, as he looked in to see me awake on the bed, my hazy eyes focused on him.

    The servant jumped, opening the door wider and giving a slight bow. The bow was not low enough for royalty but was to match the respect given to guards. It was human castle etiquette that I had read in the rule book.

    I gave a nod in acknowledgment, my voice groggy from having just woken up, "No need for that."

    Why would I care when I was no longer considered royalty anyway?

    The servant collects himself, standing tall,¡± Guard Asta, I was to inform you that you have been given the day off. You are free to leave the castle if you so choose. However, you must not¡­¡±

    I cut him off.

    ¡°Section 2, Article 18. A guard off-duty is to represent the legacy of the Trane Royal Family. This insurance includes the banning of alcohol. Yes, do not worry. I¡¯m underage anyway.¡± I sighed, sliding off the bed, and stretching.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    I yawned, looking at the servant, who seemed to be awkwardly standing, ¡°Say, are guards allowed to wander outside the kingdom?¡±

    This question caught the servant off-guard, he seemed to hesitate, putting a hand to his chin.

    ¡°¡­Yes. As long as you return before sunrise.¡±

    Perfect.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do that. Tell Eran or Serlon that I¡¯ll be back before sunrise tomorrow morning.¡± I instructed the servant and crouched down to grab a change of clothes from the chest.

    ¡°Yes, Guard Asta.¡± The servant bowed before closing the door behind himself.

    Reaching down to the bottom of the bin, I grabbed a blackened hood, throwing it on top of the bed while I changed into new clothes. Compared to the blackened attire that I wore before; I dawned navy long-sleeved undershirt and simple black trousers. I pulled the blackened hood over my head, not wanting to waste any more time.

    I wouldn¡¯t question the day off, as it worked out in my favor. There was no doubt that it was from pity. Pity for the young guard that had killed two people yesterday, that¡¯s probably why.

    Oh, woe is it for the young lad that had slain! Or something like that.

    If I had looked shocked yesterday, it defiantly wasn¡¯t from the killings. Besides, I didn¡¯t care about pity, not when it benefited me.

    My body ached, not from the events of yesterday, but from the strain of the human body that I tried hard to maintain.

    Therefore, this opportunity had come perfectly. And I was not one to look a gifted horse in the mouth.

    There had been thick woods outside of the kingdom. If I could get there, the ache of this form would be relieved, and I would be able to use the rest of the time to catch up on my mana; hidden in the thick shrubs of the woods.

    Without waiting around, I ventured outside the guard cabins, opening a door to the main entrance hall of the estate. Even in the early morning, the space was busy with servants and cooks wandering around carrying food.

    A few of them glanced over at my hooded self, exhaling when they saw the crest that had been sewn into the sleeve of the undershirt. Paying no mind, I strolled past them, towards the arched doors of the front of the estate.

    Lars and Daniel were the guards placed in front of the estate¡¯s doors, spotting me as soon as I pushed through.

    ¡°Morning Rookie,¡± The one twin, Lars, greeted.

    ¡°You slept like a rock,¡± Daniel added, not peeling his eyes from the front.

    A professional, really.

    I took a second to greet the two, identical humans, who looked like they wanted to pass out from exhaustion.

    How long had they been up?

    Lars adjusted a strap on his belt, taking in my hooded appearance, ¡°Are you heading to rob a teller or something?¡±

    Daniel chuckled.

    ¡°I may be young, but I¡¯m not that dumb,¡± I scoffed, rolling my eyes at the two amused humans.

    First off, I didn¡¯t know what a teller was. Second, I was older than I looked. Literally. Maybe even more so now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back before sunrise,¡± I explained, not bothering to even wave goodbye as I walked away from the two.

    Daniel waved, calling out, ¡°Don¡¯t get into trouble, rookie!¡± I hope not.

    I held my hand up, before continuing towards the gates. The gate controller nodded, as he moved to open them. They closed behind me, leaving me to the waking streets of the kingdom people. Trane appeared to be similar to the small town, shops had their lights turned on with the owners inside prepping the store.

    Still, I had no time to be curious. I needed to find a way out of the kingdom. Just for the day. The longer I relaxed my form, the less strain my body would endure, and the more mana that I could recover.

    I adjusted my hood over my head, as I walked down the nearly vacant walk of the street. Of the people I passed, most ignored me. Instead, they continued down their way, looking as tired as the next person. From what I remembered, the gates for the kingdom were located not far from the estate location. Traveling from the middle of the kingdom to the outskirts would not take too long.

    I took my time to stroll through the kingdom, making notes of the several armories, magic teaching buildings, and various schools. Humans were much more advanced than I remembered. After all, it had been a hundred years since I had been awake. Although that time difference did not necessarily mean much to a dragon, to humans ¨C it was a lifetime. A lot could change in a lifetime and change it did.

    Theoretically, I should not be upset at the lost time. Dragons were known to live thousands or hundreds of thousands of years. What was one hundred years? That¡¯s what I should be rationalizing.

    But as I shuffle through the empty streets, glancing at the advancements of the human race, I can¡¯t help but feel disappointment as a general. These schools, weapons, magic ¨C they were aspects that spelled disadvantage towards the forces that I used to lead. The forces that were no longer alive.

    Ah.

    Moreover, I can¡¯t confidently say that it has sunk in. I may not be human, but I still was a living being too. The feared dragon of the demon king and I was reduced to such a pathetic state.

    It was a tough truth to swallow. Would I overcome it with some more time? Yes. But for right now¡­ no.

    Soldiers lined the entrance of the gate, their eyes immediately zeroing in on the hooded figure that bounded closer to the exit of the kingdom. Dressed in heavy steel armor, they stood in position, another with a golden sash marching up to me.

    ¡°State your business, traveler!¡± His voice boomed, holding authority. Surely, any normal person would have felt meek in his presence.

    In my eyes, he was an ant.

    I sighed, pulling out the identification card that I had gotten with Jamie. I held it out for the guard, whose eyes scanned it, then glanced back at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m an imperial guard that wants to explore outside the kingdom for the day,¡± I explained, pulling back the hood to expose the crest sewn into my undershirt.

    The guard¡¯s eyes widened, his body slightly bowing in respect.

    Imperial guards seemed to have some pull in the kingdom. So, it appeared.

    ¡°Understood, sir! We¡¯ll open the gates right away!¡± He bowed one last time, before hurriedly rushing back to instruct the guards at the gate.

    I waited, watching as the large gates opened. The scent of metal filled the air, as the screws of the gate creaked open with great force, till finally a click as they opened fully.

    Strolling past the armored guards, I nodded to the guard that I had talked to, walking past the gates and into the territory beyond.

    A yell sounded once I was fully outside, staring at the rows of trees in the distance.

    ¡°Closing the gates!¡± Several guards yelled, as the gates shut behind me.

    I sighed, walking ahead, up the pathway leading towards the mountains ahead. Up the mountains. To the forest. I would be able to rest my body, even if it was just for one day.

    Perhaps, this break was exactly what I needed.

 - 27 - No Rest for The Wicked! Demonic Woods, Close Calls

    It was a wonderful feeling, to be able to relax in my normal form.

    Transmutation spells were something that dragons learned naturally on their own. Magic in general was something that dragons were well-versed in since they held such large portions of it. I was no exception to this.

    Despite the cramped space of the woods, the clearing in these woods was much larger than the one previous. In Trane and in the town, thick forests were rampant throughout the region, seemingly. Resting on my side, I huffed, leaning down into the long grass below my scaled body. My wings halfway opened to stretch them out, but not so much to knock any surrounding trees.

    Honestly, it was blissful. I had noticed it before while traveling into Trane, but the surrounding woods of the kingdom were covered in demonic energy. I could sense the presence of multiple demons lurking within the trees, even the power of middle-level ones.

    Before, the demon race never made it this far into human territory. But, I suppose I had no real understanding of how the world functioned currently, having missed so much time.

    Beady, red eyes which resembled my own, prowled from the distance. Still, they didn¡¯t dare come close to me. None of them were humanoid demons like Adbeel, meaning that my status as a dragon alone was enough to deter them. Same race or not, demons wouldn¡¯t hesitate to attack one another.

    Morals were not a strong point to us. Power was. That¡¯s how the Morningstar bloodline got away with building a kingdom of this violent race.

    We were powerful enough to reign at the top. This fact was acknowledged by those under my father¡¯s influence. It was this influence that allowed for a semi-peaceful life for lower-class demons to live lives that were similar to the humans in Trane.

    But.

    Whether the demons were under my father¡¯s control didn¡¯t matter at this point. I was no longer an active prince within the kingdom; abandoned and exiled.

    Why should it matter anymore? My deeds for the demon race were quite public and widespread, but all that attention was a double-edged sword. If anything, if I was found to be alive, one of two things could happen.

    One, I would be slain by my father or enemies. Or two, I would be forbidden from the kingdom till I proved myself again. And judging by the pain of my left wing, covered with scarred tissue and tears, I doubted that would be the case for a very long time. Considering that, my best bet was to remain where I was.

    I was too active to go into isolation or camp out on a mountaintop like those corny wife¡¯s tales about imaginary dragons. The mountains were stupid. Why would any dragon want to live on top of a cold overgrown rock?

    Withdrawing from society was a straightway ticket to looney town, juggling isolation and the loss of the life you once knew.

    I knew as well as any, that you could not mourn the loss of something you once knew. Once you give into that mourning, then you die along with it. To grip the reins of the chance of life ahead, now that was the motto that could never be forgotten.

    A motto that I maintained even while parading among humans. Foolish, weak humans. Ants that I had crushed with a single swipe of my claw.

    Why? Because I wanted to live. And I would continue to do so.

    I rested my head on my claws, huffing as I enjoyed the feeling of my mana restoring itself.

    It was long overdue.

    Adjusting my laying position, I tried to stretch my left wing as much as possible. Scarred tissue rustled, jarring my senses with stinging pain. It was not as bad as before, as it had healed to the point of not blinding myself in agony.

    So, that was good.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    I couldn¡¯t help but flinch, as I extended the wing to its full length, nearly knocking a tree nearby. Black blood dripped down from the rips that formed from the ripped tissue, dripping onto the ground with a sizzle.

    My breath lurched, as it took everything in me to keep quiet from the pain. This was needed so that it would heal properly, but that didn¡¯t mean that it was the best feeling in the world.

    I flapped the torn wing, lightly moving it up and down in the clearing. Leaves from bushes flew across the forest from the gusts. After doing this a few times, I carefully folded the wing back to my side.

    It was getting better, but it would be a long time till I would be able to fly again.

    All I had left to do was to wait. I observed the edges of the trees that lined the clearing. Again, this clearing was covered in a large canopy, hidden from any magic users that may have been flying into the kingdom.

    The reason that I picked this spot was because of the demonic energy that radiated from the area. Clusters of demons in the small area allowed me to release a small amount of energy, meaning that my body would be strained less.

    For the most part, it was peaceful. The occasional snapping of twigs would alert me to a demon that had gotten too close. I was able to solve this with a flash of my fangs, normally. Others had simply taken off as soon as I laid eyes on them.

    It¡¯s not like I was going to eat them. I didn¡¯t need to, nor did I have the energy to deal with that. But whatever they thought worked to my benefit.

    Sometimes, you just went with it.

    Between the overwhelming demonic energy, I couldn¡¯t tell which level of demon they were. Simply, all I knew was that they were beneath me. From a collective, there was no presence that had higher energy levels than mine.

    This made it ideal. I wouldn¡¯t be bothered the rest of my time here. At least, that¡¯s what I thought.

    My head spun in the direction of footsteps approaching a few yards away. Soon the unmistakable sounds of a human voice mumbled in the distance.

    ¡°Go get some flowers, they said. It¡¯ll be great, they said. All newbies do this, they said.¡± The voice complained, their footsteps getting closer.

    More bantering ensued, followed by twigs snapping. A little too close for comfort, may I add. If I didn¡¯t move fast, then I could forget the peaceful day that I had hoped for.

    Actually, my hope had been thrown out the window already.

    ¡°Don¡¯t they have enough money to hire someone to do this?¡± The voice grumbled.

    Not good.

    Really not good.

    There goes recovering mana for the rest of the day. I cursed, casting the layers of transmutation magic.

    My large, scaled body now appearring as my human form. I jumped up, perching on a hanging branch near the top of the canopy. Peering down on the clearing, a human emerged from the surrounding bush.

    Not a moment to spare, it seemed. I sighed in relief. I just about made it.

    ¡°Oh sick, a clearing.¡± The human cheered, trying to pick a piece of branch sticking from their hair.

    Well, no shit. Now that I think of it, this human looked familiar.

    With the swooshing of their robe, an imperial crest exposed itself, they looked up at the opposite end of the clearing. It was just enough to expose their face.

    It was Jamie. It was one thing to run into a human here. But Jamie?

    Now, what in god¡¯s name was he doing here?

    It wasn¡¯t my problem though. Plus, it was my day off. Please.

    Should I wait for him to pass? Not even a second later, this hope was also shattered.

    My eyes narrowed, and a sudden increase in demonic energy crept closer to the area. I sniffed the area, all too familiar with the odor of human blood. The source was, yours truly, that idiot that decided to venture solo into demon woods. If the scent was this strong, then soon demons would swarm the area.

    Unfortunately for both of us, I owed this human for guiding me. Plus, I needed him to navigate human society.

    Really, just my luck.

    Sighing, I jumped on the other end of the tree that I stood perched in, landing with a small thud that seemed to gather his attention.

    ¡°Hello? Is someone there?¡± He tensed, his head dancing around the edges of the clearing. Now, I could scare him. It would make my day, really. But the energy continued to spike, meaning there wasn¡¯t much time to spare. I had to act fast.

    Stepping out from behind the tree, we locked eyes, and I waved, ¡°Fancy seeing you here.¡±

    Jamie looked relieved, holding a hand over his chest and exhaling, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    I shrugged, strolling over, ¡°I mean, I could ask you the same thing.¡± The energy only increased. I needed to hurry this up.

    ¡°Well, I was sent to gather herbs, flowers, and mushrooms for some potion ingredients, so,¡± He explained, pulling out the same satchel that he carried, and opening the flap to reveal all types of plants.

    I could hear footsteps approaching from the distance, starting to close in on the clearing.

    ¡°Shut up, Jamie.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± He raised his eyebrow.

    I rolled my eyes, ripping part of my sleeve from my undershirt.

    Marching over to him, I followed the scent of blood. The metallic scent grew stronger by the second. It didn¡¯t seem like a small cut either. This fool.

    Several footsteps ran closer to the area, followed by hushed snarls of demonic beasts. It was the same demons that could no longer sense my masked energy. There was no more deterrence anymore.

    Meaning that this area was fair game.

    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, screw it,¡± I cursed under my breath, jumping at him, and feeling along his body for the wound.

    He tried to fumble out of my grasp, and to this I grabbed him closer, pulling up his shirt to locate the source of the blood.

    ¡°Look man, I don¡¯t swing that way and- ¡°

    I cut him off, feeling around to his side, my hands coming in contact with a warm substance. Blood. Bingo.

    ¡°Found it.¡± I wasted no time in using the ripped sleeve to start to bandage him up, trying to cover the scent of blood. It was already too late, but at least it would help in not attracting more demons.

    ¡°¡­Oh. Um. Thanks¡­ I mean I was going to take care of that later and all.¡± His eyebrows furrowed, obviously confused at my gestures.

    Honestly, I was confused by my own gestures. Normally, I didn¡¯t bust my ass to save dumb humans. Except now. I tightened the knot of the makeshift bandage, exhaling when the scent weakened. I glared up, meeting his puzzled eyes with my angry ones.

    ¡°Are you dumb?¡± I scolded, my eyes already darting around to the energy around us.

    ¡°You¡¯re really rude today, kid. What¡¯s your problem?¡± He crossed his arms, not being able to figure out the danger he was in.

    Dumb human, incapable waste of space...

    ¡°Don¡¯t kid me,¡± I hissed, pointing around us, ¡°Do you know exactly what lurks in this forest? You¡¯re a fool for coming alone.¡±

    He shook his head, but it was too late. We were surrounded. Red eyes peered from the darkened shade of the surrounding greenery, soon snarls could be heard echoing around the clearing.

    ¡°Demons.¡±

 - 28 - Malicious! Demon Dogs, Death Punches

    No matter what, I know that I would get out of this predicament unscathed. Jamie on the other hand, not so much. I mean, he was already wounded from lord knows what.

    Even with the scent of human blood being weaker, it did not stop the snarling of the lower-class demons that surrounded their prey.

    Dog-like entities bared their fangs, their ruby eyes glowing from hunger. These demons did not have the rationale to understand anything but their drive to hunt. I felt Jamie inch closer to my back, my hand down in a blocking motion, desperate to stop the stares.

    They were beasts that would respond to the food chain and pure power, much like the lower burrows of Hellion. You couldn¡¯t show your weak points. Unfortunately, humans in their eyes were nothing but that.

    Weak points.

    Just from their levels of energy and their hungered looks, I knew that there was no way that they could have been under the Morningstar rule. Not like it mattered.

    Demons weren¡¯t evil, as much as humans assumed. We were violent creatures that went to war for the craving of it, but we did try to take care of our own. My father may be cruel, but he would never let anyone starve to this extent.

    As someone that had been positioned in governing my past territory, I couldn¡¯t help but look in shock at the defined outlines of their ribs. Their legs looked like they would snap.

    If there wasn¡¯t any food here, then why were demons like this choosing to stay? Still, those concerns were the last on my list.

    Unfortunately, as it stood, I was in a human form with my energy concealed. And Jamie froze like a deer in front of a pathway. To any demon, we looked like a tasty meal delivered to their neck of the woods.

    ¡°I¡¯m not imagining it, right? Those are demons. Like in the flesh, actual demons,¡± Jamie managed to spit out, a shaking hand pointing at the snarling beasts that lined around the clearing bushes.

    All that talk and he¡¯s been traveling with a worse demon this whole time.  Insulting, if you ask me. Just kidding, did it look like I gave a fuck?

    ¡°Quite the genius, you are,¡± I rolled my eyes, moving my body to walk around him. If they didn¡¯t see any blind spots then they would hold, although it wouldn¡¯t last for long.

    I moved us back, it would be easier to fight the demons behind us, considering they were closest to the actual pathway. Taking small steps back, I inched us backward till I heard the growls from the low-class demon.

    A warning growl. But wherever we stepped now, it would be too close, as the demons to the sides and front had already moved to close the distance.

    Clawed paws with boney bodies stalked into the clearing. No longer hidden in the bush, their elongated bodies exposed themselves in the faint streaks of sunlight that seeped through the canopy. All I could pay attention to was their slowed pace, how their shoulders lowered, claws digging into the ground.

    A jumping position.  They would strike any second. I had to think fast. Think.

    I didn¡¯t have any weapons on my body, nor did I think Jamie would be carrying anything useful. There had been no clanging from his satchel that would indicate anything worthwhile. Weapon-wise, we were royally fucked. That left us with only one choice. I would just have to punch the life out of them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move from this spot, unless you want to die.¡± I looked back to warn Jamie, who only slowly nodded in fear. Useless, incapable waste of space¡­ And I stood here protecting it.

    Maybe I was crazy.

    I sighed, rolling up my remaining sleeve to the elbow, and cracking my neck to the side. The truth is, when it came down to the basics, I specialized in pure physical combat. Whether I was in my human form, or not, my strength was commendable.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Not enough to destroy kingdoms, but enough to teach these overgrown demon mutts a lesson.

    ¡°Ten of you in total, huh? You dare?¡± I took a step away from Jamie, releasing slight amounts of energy to garner the attention away from the human.

    All ten eyes peeled in my direction, a violent curiosity ripping through their systems. This amount of demonic energy would be considered as a challenge in demon terms.

    But they started it first.

    Wasting no time, I sprinted towards the first mutt, catching this snout in the air. The demon whimpered, trying to catch my body with its back claws. I closed my grip, waiting for a crunch before letting the dying mutt flop to the ground.

    With the nose crushed, it would suffocate anyway.

    Nine more.

    Another growl came from my side, I jumped back in time to watch a bony demon dog soar past me. Its jaws had been open, snapping away at empty air. I kicked up, hitting the stomach of the beast. The power sent the demon mutt into the sky and crashed down with a bang.

    It never got back up.

    Eight more.

    It was instant. The next one was on me before I could even step away. The demon lurked, its fangs on full display and the course, sailing toward my face. Reaching down, I scooped up the corpse of the other in my hand, watching the fangs of the other sink into its own pack with a whine.

    All I did was toss the both of them into the trunk of a tree, the demon that was still alive landed with a crash, indenting the bark.

    Seven more. Slowly but surely, the numbers dwindled.

    Six more.

    Five more.

    Four more.

    Three.

    Two

    One.

    I stared across the clearing at the last demon that had waited on the other side of the clearing. Unlike the others that wasted no time in charging forward, I watch the observing eyes of the beast, dancing between me and the bushes.

    ¡°Thinking about retreating? ¡°At least one of you guys isn¡¯t blinded by hunger,¡± I called out, walking closer. Black blood covered my clothes, steam pouring from my body with the blood already evaporated before my eyes. Rest assured; it wasn¡¯t my own. The demon stood, its legs shaking and cowering at my nearing figure. It barked; its yelp was no greater than its bite.

    ¡°Run if you know what¡¯s good for you.¡± I warned, giving it one final mercy, and leaned in closer, ¡°Next time, pay attention to who exactly you¡¯re attacking.¡± I warned quietly in a voice that could not be human, outside of Jamie¡¯s hearing.

    The demon understood, using the chance to run back into the bush. I sent it off with a glare, before sighing.

    Not the way I imagined spending my day off.

    I closed my eyes, focusing my senses to pick up any more signatures. As far as I was concerned, there was no more. Even if there was, they would smell the blood and retreat in fear of running into a greater monster. Which was me. Unless they were stupid, we would be fine. I smelt enough of demon blood to act as a repellent for the rest of the trip outside the woods.

    Another exhale. Right.

    ¡°All right Jamie, we should be good now and¡­¡± I turned around to come face-to-face with him, his eyes sparkling in amazement.

    He pointed straight at my face. Honestly, it took a lot of restraint to not bite his finger off. I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°¡­Uh, could you not.¡± I shoved his hand away, not bothering to slow down. Jamie followed behind me, struggling to keep pace, as I marched out of the forest.

    ¡°¡­You,¡± He continued again.

    Did I hear something? No.

    I ignored him. Tried to.

    ¡°Just who are you?¡± He went on again, his eyes burning holes through the back of my head.

    Annoyed, that¡¯s who.

    The fool rambled on, ¡°I mean. This is the second time that I got attacked by demons and it always seems to happen with you around.¡±

    Or do you have shit luck?

    ¡°Yeah, and you¡¯re lucky I was there. Or else you¡¯d be dead.¡± I hopped up a steep hill and onto the main path.

    I turned left, hearing Jamie¡¯s footsteps follow behind me. To be honest, I didn¡¯t know where I was going, but I¡¯d never admit it. Still, we marched on. So did Jamie¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°That was my second time seeing demons. I felt my blood run cold and there you were like,¡± He chopped in the air and did other ghastly things, that I dare not mention.

    Third, if you count me. I didn¡¯t bother to look back. It was better that way.

    ¡°Jamie.¡± I interrupted his attempt at martial arts.

    He paused, ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡±

    Honestly, it¡¯s not like it bothered me. But it was impossible for the kingdom to not know about the demonic energy in the woods. In fact, I doubted the crown didn¡¯t monitor the situation. They had the mages at their disposal too.

    It didn¡¯t make sense as to why the demons were staying in the woods surrounding the kingdom if there seemed to be low food sources. Demons were creatures that would follow food and blood. It was our nature, simply.

    To be honest, I couldn¡¯t understand why. But my rationality of the situation was fogged by my hundred years of missed time. I had no real clue how much changed in the time that I was gone, including demon habits. Although, there was one thing that I did understand and wanted to confirm.

    ¡°How didn¡¯t you know that the woods weren¡¯t infested with demons?¡± I asked, continuing forward on my path. They had to have known. It made sense that Jamie didn''t, he was new to the area. But the others? How could they not? I heard a sigh from behind me.

    ¡°I was told by a senior to come here and gather supplies,¡± He admitted, the gravity of his words not fully hitting him.

    If Jamie hadn¡¯t gotten wounded and run into me, I doubted that he would have walked out of those woods alive. I knew demons too well, as I was one myself. There was simply no way.

    The whole ordeal was a death sentence and a malicious one, at that. Jamie held value to my situation, so it was only natural to think of him as my property at the moment. Who dared touch him?

    ¡°Who?¡± I asked, the tone of my voice unmistakably disturbed. This fact wasn¡¯t picked up on either and if it was, Jamie played it off. Aloofly, as always.

    Jamie scratched his head, shrugging, ¡°Why? It was the other understudy to the potion¡¯s master. His name was Damon, I think.¡±

    ¡°No reason, just thinking about how they must be as stupid as you.¡± I lied, but all I could think about was strangling this Damon as soon as I got the chance.

    ¡°Asta, you¡¯re so rude for someone younger than me, huh?¡± He scoffed, but he was surprised at this point. No.

    I was 206. Or 306. Depended on if you counted the missed time. To be honest, I wasn¡¯t sure what to consider as my age.

    ¡°Simple solution. Then don¡¯t be stupid and older.¡± I shrugged, squinting my eyes at the sunlight that bounded on us, as we stepped out of the woods.

    ¡°You little twerp.¡± Little for now.

    Why? Did Jamie not know?

    Because getting sent to these woods was a death sentence.

    Damon, huh? I would kill them.

 - 29 - Bleed Out! Annoying Elders, Exposed?

    Jamie had never asked about the events that transpired in the demon-infested woods. Never questioned my skills, nor did he acknowledge the reason that I had been there in the first place. Whatever he formulated, I¡¯m sure it was far enough from the truth.

    Even in a magic-bound world, dragons were still extremely rare creatures. Much less, who I was. If he tried, could he even guess?

    He did not chat. Instead, the rest of the walk back had been done in silence. We both had a lot to think about.

    Jamie¡¯s thoughts flashed back to his dance with death. Whereas, mine had been clouded with a silent rage.

    Seething at the fact my guide had been touched. This silence lasted till the last street that bordered near the Crown Prince¡¯s estate.

    It was mid-day by the time that we got back into Trane. The streets were at their prime business hours with each vendor being packed with a line. Shops left their doors open, allowing customers to venture inside at their own will.

    ¡°Did you want something before we get back to the Estate?¡± Jamie broke the silence while pushing his way through the crowds. I followed behind him, not really paying attention.

    ¡°I¡¯m good. Let¡¯s just get back.¡± I responded. All my thoughts diverted to the events from earlier.

    We had gotten out of the woods without additional trouble. The demon blood that had been splattered over my clothes had already evaporated, but the scent lingered. It served its purpose.

    Sure, it was nauseating to smell constantly. But considering the situation, I wasn¡¯t bothered too much; in that regard, at least.

    Jamie had gotten lucky. Those hunger driven demons would have mauled him to death, eating till nothing was left but bones.

    It was intentional, all of it.

    Damon. That human had sent Jamie to what should have been his death sentence. He was never supposed to leave those woods alive in the first place. Now, I had to figure out how far this act went in the potion department.

    If I needed to, I would slaughter them all. It really bothered me. More than I thought it would. It was not out of endearment, no. Demons weren¡¯t like that. Think of it as the anger felt when someone touches your prized playtoy.

    In an attempt to squash an ant, they angered someone greater. Me.

    Jamie rounded the street turn, the large gates of the estate in the short distance. In his satchel poked out the tops of different types of plants. The plants that he nearly died for.

    We walked up to the gates, the guards immediately recognizing me. The one nodded, looking down to Jamie then to the bag of plants.

    He signaled the guard standing on the other side, the gates whirled open, creaking.

    ¡°Welcome back, Guard Asta.¡± The inner gate person welcomed me.

    I waved, keeping my pace alongside Jamie, who still didn¡¯t say much. His hand gripped the side of his torso, once again the metallic scent of human blood filled the air.

    ¡°Fuck. That hurts more than I thought it would.¡± He hissed, his hand coming back up stained with crimson.

    Grabbed his wrist, my eyes staring at the growing red from his shirt. I knelt down to be at eye level with the injury.

    Ripping the other sleeve from my undershirt, I sighed. One less shirt for me.

    Humans really were fragile creatures. I tucked the fabric around his waist, tightening it along the other one.

    Jamie hisses, nearly jerking back from the pain.

    ¡°That should hold it for now. I¡¯ll walk you to the medical center.¡±  I tugged at the edges, making a knot.

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    He smiled, his steps wobbly from the amount of blood that he¡¯d lost. It wasn¡¯t a lot but enough for a human to get woozy, that''s for sure.

    ¡°Thanks, Asta, let me lean on you for the rest of the way.¡± He leaned over, putting his weight against me.

    I sighed, pushing him off gently.

    ¡°You¡¯re still fine to walk.¡± I grabbed the back of his shirt, ¡°But if you fall I¡¯ll just hold you up¡­ I guess.¡±

    ¡°Again. Thank you, Asta.¡± He chuckled, continuing forward towards the entrance of the estate.

    I supported his weight in my own way. Still, I had been curious about one thing.

    ¡°How did you injure yourself anyway?¡± I helped him across the first set of stairs to the main court.

    ¡°¡­Oh. This? Truth is, I don¡¯t really know. I had been bending over to pull some weeds that I needed and felt a stinging on my side. Actually, I didn¡¯t realize that I had been bleeding till you lifted my shirt up.¡± He admitted, grunting as he reached the last step.

    Was he joking? He had to be pulling my leg right now. How did a human not realize that he had been cut? Not even a small one, it had been a decent gash.

    Weak, incapable, waste of space. I was baffled.

    Honestly, I believe him too. He had been surprised at the dog-like demons. Jamie hadn¡¯t known about those woods. I doubt he figured it out before he ran into me.

    It could have been a small demon, jumping from a nearby bush and sampling his blood. There were some smaller ones like that in Hellion, right outside of the lower-class area. They were more like pests than anything.

    I¡¯m sure that they had an actual name, but Abdeel just called them, ¡°Bloody Little Shits.¡± The only name that I ever knew them by.

    This was a possibility with the varied energy readings that I gathered from the place.

    Lars and Daniel had still been on guard in the front of the estate, their eyes widening as they noticed the growing bloodied stain on Jamie.

    They rushed over, each taking Jamie on a side. I backed away, meeting eyes with Daniel, who looked for some type of explanation.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Daniel questioned with urgency, both of them already rushing Jamie inside the estate.

    I hurried along, staying behind them, as they rushed through the main entrance hall of the estate.

    ¡°He was attacked by a demon in the outside forests.¡± I explained, short and to the point, ¡°The wound is on his left side under his rib cage. I already tightened two bits of cloth around it.¡±

    ¡°What the hell were you two doing in demon-infested woods?¡± Lars piped in. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, he looked angry about it. Couldn¡¯t say that I blamed him.

    His anger confirmed the fact that I figured from the start. They knew about the woods. Judging from his reaction, it must have been a well-known fact.

    Did you really need a reason to kill someone in the first place?

    Even if it was just the royalty that knew, it still meant that Jamie was never supposed to have been in those woods.

    Neither was I, but I wanted to gloss over that fact.

    ¡°Jamie was sent to retrieve potion ingredients. I happened to pass by and heard him.¡± I half-lied. I mean, to a certain point that had been true.

    As good of a liar that I considered myself, Lars didn¡¯t seem to buy it. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and glared at me.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this later.¡± Lars warned, shooting Daniel the same look.

    Right. Cool. Just what I needed on my day off.

    There was no way that I was getting bitched at for this later, but it would be amusing to see them try. Kill me, I was curious.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take him to the medical center for a blood transfusion and some stitches. The potion staff knows about the woods, so it had to be a miscommunication. You should go confirm that though.¡± Daniel instructed, now putting Jamie on his back.

    Lars followed him, holding Jamie¡¯s satchel in his hands. He looked back, before they disappeared around the corner, pointing up the set of stairs at the end of the entrance hall.

    ¡°If you head up those stairs and turn left, the potions room should be the third door to your right.¡± Without another word, the three disappeared around the corner, running footsteps sounding.

    Wasting no time, I headed for the steps and turned left. Even without the instructions of which door it was, I would have found it by scent alone. The strong scents of different plants, orbs, and whatever went into potions practically covering the entrance of the place.

    I stepped inside, swinging over the door, not bothering to announce my entrance.

    ¡°Who the hell is Damon?¡± I yelled into the room, my voice projecting off the small compound.

    At my abrupt entrance, an older man hadn¡¯t bothered to peel his eyes off a purple beaker. There had been shattered glass at the foot of a girl, who dawned goggles. Two males sat at a wooden table, their eyes wide at the teenager that was huffing in ripped clothes.

    I felt their eyes follow my angered expression, down to my crimson covered hands from tending to Jamie¡¯s wound. I hoped they assumed the worst.

    Fear was a great motivator.

    The old man never bothered to lift his eyes from the purple beaker, instead he motioned to the shattered glass of the other.

    ¡°Those cost a lot, young man. How do you intend to pay for it?¡± He commented, calm and collected. Almost like someone hadn¡¯t just busted into the potion compound, screaming.

    That someone being me.

    ¡°Take it out of my allowance, old man. Do you think I care?¡± I hissed, marching up to the wooden table that he stood by. I slammed my hand down, nearly knocking over his precious purple beaker.

    He never even glanced up, which pissed me off. The old man sighed, holding a hand in dismissal at the younger workers in the room.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Leave us. This young man and I will have a talk.¡± He announced. I watched as the younger workers bowed, before all leaving the room in a hurry.

    ¡°Look old man, I¡¯m looking for Damon. We don¡¯t need to waste time talking. Just point me to the bastard and look the other way.¡± I warned, my tone icy.

    The old man switched the flame under the beaker off, moving the glass beaker to the flat of the table.

    Finally, his aged face peered up at me.

    ¡°You¡¯re as hot-headed as they said.¡± He smiled.

    What the fuck was that supposed to mean? Was I speaking gibberish with my demands? Surely not.

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? You got a death wish, old man?¡± I warned once more.

    He chuckled, shaking his head, and sitting on the stool behind him. The old man exhaled, looking up at me with dissecting eyes. I didn¡¯t like him, one bit.

    The old man shrugged, ¡°Dragons are supposed to be hot-headed, are they not?¡±

 - 30 - Malice! Meeting the Potion Master, Zipped Mouths

    The look on the old man''s face told me all I needed to know. He was sure of what he was saying, but it would be foolish to jump to conclusions.

    I was trained better than to do that. First, access the whole situation. Then, act accordingly. Simple.

    Perhaps I wasn¡¯t being proactive enough about his statement, but I had seen my fair share of convinced humans. This old, wrinkling, and almost frighteningly calm human, only sighed as he leaned back in his chair.

    His statement should have prompted a shocked expression from me, but the context of his statement in regular terms would have been too outrageous to hear at first glance.

    That''s what I was holding onto.

    A dragon? Please, I was absolutely positive that I hadn¡¯t done anything to prompt such accusations. After all, it hadn¡¯t been my second official day yet of being here. What would that say about me?

    It would just further prove how useless I was. And I held myself to a little more respect than to fall that low.

    ¡°What do dragons have to do with me?¡± I scoffed, crossing my arms, and glaring at the older human, whose eyes seemed to pry at mine.

    He chuckled, waving his hand in the air as if he were amused, ¡°Ah. I mean nothing offensive, Guard Asta. Really, believe me.¡±

    Make me believe you.

    ¡°Then what did you mean?¡± I raised my eyebrow, tapping my boot against the floor. Truth is, if this old human did know about my identity for some reason, then I¡¯d have two people to kill tonight.

    Not like I¡¯d be troubled by that, but it would be harder to maintain my position at the estate. That was something that I would not be eager to risk. That being said, it¡¯s not like I wouldn¡¯t.

    Actually, I¡¯d bet to say that I assume he knew that too. My intentions were obvious. I made no attempt to hide them in the first place. Why would I ¨C in the face of such a weak creature?

    The old man sighed, getting up with his stool, and walking around the potion stand. The scent of herbs was almost overbearing, as he came closer to me, resting his hand on my shoulder.

    I shrugged it off, scrunching my nose. He shook his head, turning around to stare at an old photo hung over some stacks of scrolls.

    A faded image of a group of younger boys stood smiling in front of the Trane castle, all of them holding wooden swords in their hands.

    ¡°It seems that you have not realized how notorious your troop is,¡± He spun around with a warm smile, eyeing my torn uniform, ¡°Dragons.¡±

    In my short time here, I understood the power of being a guard from a basic level. I¡¯ll admit it carried influence, even the gate guards addressed me with formalities.

    But dragons? It was my first time hearing the association.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I questioned, narrowing my eyes at the old potion master, who seemed to be taking a trip down memory lane.

    I didn¡¯t have time for that.

    ¡°Back in the days of the evil dragon, your troop was first formed to train to be on the front lines of the battle against the Demonic race. It was back in the days of my father, who had grown up constantly retreating from the outward lands.¡± The potion master recalled, telling of the horrendous deeds of the dragon right in front of him. Me.

    Evil dragon, huh? Had a catchy ring to it. I¡¯d accept it.

    ¡°Though, your troop never slayed the actual evil dragon. They earned a fearsome legacy from assisting ARC in the initial pushback of the demons. The first generation of the troop had garnered, which is why the kingdom refers to them as dragons. For their fearsome loyalty, dedication, fiercely tempered¡­,¡± He peered over, before stammering to add, ¡°and of course, their legacy in the war.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Ironic, wasn¡¯t it? Truly, what deities did I piss off to land myself in such a predicament?

    On that note, how refreshing to learn that I was in a troop that helped push back my own army. Really, it was rich, laughable, and slightly pathetic. But I suppose that I had no room to talk. It was only another cruel reminder of my own failures. Did it matter anymore?

    Still, it was relieving to know that I hadn¡¯t been exposed prematurely if anything. If I played my cards right, I would live here for the time being without a problem. Considering my current luck, who knows?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here for a history lesson,¡± I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose, ¡°First off, what did you mean by saying you heard about me?¡±

    He gave a dumbfounded expression like I was foolish for asking. But I had only been working in the castle for a day, if you didn¡¯t account for what happened today. To any competent individual, it was a genuine question.

    ¡°Young man, you¡¯re quite infamous. It¡¯s not every day that Sir Serlon, himself, appoints a new guard in his troop, much less a sixteen-year-old boy. Not to mention your slaying on the two intruders on your first night, how you walked into the estate with the Crown Prince, and the younger maids-in-training have quite the fancy for you.¡± he explained, heading back over to sit in his stool.

    Live a quiet life on the estate. Bullshit. I should have given up on that the second I found out that blonde bitch was the crown prince.

    ¡°¡­Right. You could have left out the last part.¡± I mumbled, not sure what to say.

    Heh. I was just too talented to not leave an impression it seemed. I¡¯m kidding. For the most part, I suppose I had just underestimated how incapable and weak humans were.

    It was a lack of application and knowledge that landed me here.

    The potion master shrugged, showcasing a smirk, ¡°Just trying to help you out¡­¡±

    ¡°Please refrain from doing that,¡± I begged, shaking my head at the thought of mating with such a vile race. No way in the seven seas. I¡¯d rather have all my scales plucked out one by one while being chopped apart from the inside out.

    Forget this. There were bigger issues to get to now. Actually, it was the reason that I came here in the first place.

    ¡°Damon. Who is he? Where can I find him?¡± I went straight to the point, not bothering to hide the malice in my eyes.

    ¡°Will I regret telling you, Guard Asta?¡± He asked, his tone serious and questioning. It was obvious what I meant by such a question, and I could tell he knew it too.

    I scoffed; my expression was unsettling.

    ¡°Potion Master, will you regret not telling me?¡± I challenged, my tone icy. The malice in the room, so thick that you could choke.

    He let out a huge sigh, ¡°Calm down. I know that it¡¯s in my best favor to tell you. I just want to know why. That¡¯s all.¡±

    He was smart. I¡¯ll credit him with that much.

    Because of that, I lowered my malice but did not dare to let this human fully relax. However, it stood, the remaining fact was that I needed to maintain my upper hand in this situation.

    ¡°Fine,¡± I raised my hands, smirking, ¡°I guess I was tasked with this anyway. Damon sent someone that has some value to me inside demon-infested woods. You know, the ones surrounding the kingdom. The heavily demon-infested ones?¡±

    Yeah, those ones. The ones that were causing so many problems on my day off.

    ¡°God. Damon was always quite rude, but I never expected him to send the new person to their death. Was the body found?¡± He brought his hands up to his head and rubbed his temples.

    If this was the type of person that he trained, then I understood where his wrinkles and balding head came from. Off-topic, but it was fascinating how humans shed their hair with age and stress. They were like overgrown cats¡­ not the point.

    ¡°Lucky and unlucky for him, I dragged Jamie back alive, myself. He got grazed and lost some blood, but overall, he¡¯s fine.¡± I explained.

    I mean, he looked as pale as a ghost when we got back, but if he couldn¡¯t survive that much then I had no use for him. It was fine. Right?

    This statement seemed to pique the curiosity of the old man, whose eyes seemed to glimmer at the statement.

    ¡°You were in the forest? Did you see any demons?¡± he asked chipperly, nearly jolting himself off his stool that wobbled from his excited reaction.

    There was no point lying. I had no idea what Jamie would end up telling the potion master when he returned to work and asking him to lie would raise red flags.

    ¡°We ran into some demonic dogs. They ambushed us in a pack, but luckily, we were able to escape.¡± I briefed the sparkly-eyed man, feeling queasy at his hopeful stare that screamed¡­ tell me everything!

    If lucky meant brutally killing the whole pack, then yes. We were quite lucky.

    ¡°Goodness! I¡¯ll have to get Jamie to write a report on what they looked like then¡­,¡± He mumbled like a lunatic, before clearing his throat, seemingly recollecting himself, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad you were able to save my new worker.¡±

    ¡°¡­Anyway. Damon actually went home for the day. I¡¯ll write down his address for you then,¡± He paused, peering up at me, once more, ¡°¡­You know murder is illegal, especially from royal guards.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± It had been in the rulebook, after all. Forgive me if I forget the exact section, it was written in. But believe me, it was there.

    ¡°But you¡¯re not planning on letting him out of this alive. Isn¡¯t that right, Guard Asta?¡± He finished writing the address, withholding the paper till he heard my response.

    ¡°I think you already know the answer to that question, old man,¡± He slid the note onto the table, and I picked it up and stuffed it inside my pocket, I glanced up, ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡±

    I eyed him, waiting for his answer. Anyone could tell what would happen if he answered wrongly. The potion master had lived long enough to understand this himself.

    I¡¯d go as far as to say that he understands the whole situation clearly.

    The old man seemed too calm, considering the gravity of the situation. Although he was not covered in the metallic scent of blood, I have no doubt that he had blood on his hands.

    He acted like it.

    People in these positions didn¡¯t get here on clean means. This was a fact that was true in all races with a hierarchy of some sort. The demonic race just did it openly. Call us bold, but everyone else was just hypocrites.

    He exhaled, ¡°Oh. Don¡¯t get me wrong, it¡¯s just going to be troublesome finding a new person to work here, that¡¯s all. Remember to stop by in the future, Guard Asta.¡±

    Doubtful.

    I turned towards the door, pausing at the entrance, ¡°Oh that reminds me. If Jamie asks, make sure to keep quiet that I was here. Understand, you damned old man?¡± I waved, closing the door behind me.

    I didn¡¯t need to wait for an answer. The laughing that was heard from the potion room was enough to confirm his response.

    What a strange old man.

    Pulling the slip of paper, I held onto it while glancing up at the high sun that shone through the tall windows of the estate.

    120 West Corner Avenue, Room 12.

    The day was still young¡­

 - 31 - Flesh Chop! Fireplaces, Unwanted Encounters

    I don¡¯t know what I was expecting. A fight? A short battle that was exciting in the least bit? Even some threats?

    Yeah. Those really got my blood pumping. Anything, please.

    Needless to say, I really needed to stop expecting much from the human race. Once again, my expectations went lower than they already were. And that was already pretty low. But dragons held grudges, huge ones. At this point, my grudge outweighed my low expectations.

    I just wanted him dead.

    Damon. The prick that sent Jamie to the woods interrupted my day off and made keeping a low profile more troublesome ¡ª that person. Not to mention, I had to throw away that ripped shirt. He was the most pathetic creature that I ever laid eyes on.

    Hunting down this human turned out to be less dramatic than I thought it would be. I sat in front of the fireplace, using a spare cloth that I found in one of the rooms to wipe off the blood on my boots.

    The place wasn¡¯t the best kept. It was littered with bottles of the same mind-numbing poison that I would find in human encampments. Alcohol, is that what it was called?

    Even the front door had been unlocked, strange considering the back alley needed to get to the house. Let¡¯s just say that it wasn¡¯t a safe-looking area. A locked door should have been the least that you¡¯d do.

    Apparently not.

    When I arrived inside, the fool had passed out on the floor surrounded by a pile of bottles. It seemed fitting that it was this type of human that would send another to their certain death. Not like the demonic race could say much. But I was allowed to say this much at least.

    Still, I doubted that he had been smart enough to consider what would have happened if Jamie had come back alive.

    On the contrary, where coming to kill this human appeared wasteful, as it looked like he would have drunk himself to death anyway. I was here. So, my job might as well have been making death more certain.

    I didn¡¯t bring any weapons, nor did I need to.

    Dragon claws were capable of slicing through steel, and rock, and could cut right through the bone. It was also helpful for cooking events for my former troop if that mattered. Which meant, it had been light work to lightly lift the transmutation magic to expose a long, black claw.

    And I cut that fucker into cubes! True nostalgia, really. My only regret is that he never woke up to experience it, but I was crunched on time. Plus, it wasn¡¯t as if I was here because of emotional reasons, it was more on matters that humans couldn¡¯t understand.

    They weren¡¯t the brightest creatures.

    In fact, all humans were dumb ants. Everything revolved around the fact that he had touched something that belonged to me.

    Now, the drunkard served a greater purpose. That purpose was warming the shitty house that he once lived in.

    A little surprising to me.

    Considering he was an estate employee; I assumed the house would have been decent. Who was I to infer though? I had no concept of human money in the first place. Was he poor or did he just make poor life decisions?

    All things taken into account, both were a possibility. Broken wooden floors, leaking ceilings, and dirtied clothes were everywhere. A torn blanket in the corner of the room and a bucket. That was all. It was rubbish, a trash hole.

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    Coming from an exiled prince that slept on the floor of the forest for a hundred years - I feel like it held some weight to it.

    The only selling point of the house was the fireplace that I was generous enough to store him in. Though, I doubted humans had the same ideals of being generous.

    Really doubted it.

    I sighed, wiping off the last of the blood that had stuck to the bottom of the boots, and threw the crimson rag into the fire.

    The fire would go out by itself. I stood up, stepping to the side to avoid the large blood puddle. Being in the house for too long would only prove to become a headache. If the scene were discovered, which I was sure it would be once someone came to investigate the rotting pieces of flesh in the fireplace; then my association with this place was better kept short.

    The potion master wouldn¡¯t report the missing employee. After my heavy suggestions, he knew better than to do that. Besides, that bizarre, old man didn¡¯t bat an eye giving me the address.

    I had time before the estate would worry about it if they even bothered to care. Well, even if they did - this body wasn¡¯t real anyway. There were no tracks to be left with my magic sealed.

    I walked to the door, making sure to jam the door close with some extra force while closing it behind me. A precaution. Of course, this had been impulsive, but I had my standards. This would make it harder to open, seeing as the lock had been broken when I came in. Acting like I didn¡¯t just chop up the human inside, I strolled out of the alleyway and into the crowded streets of the afternoon rush.

    I was unbothered by the pushing of strangers, who attempted to get to their destination faster. Some used flight magic, similar to the small town, flying above the stampede below.

    However, it wasn¡¯t much faster and not worth the hassle. Lines of flight users swerved around the air, narrowly avoiding others.

    The apartment had been on the other side of the kingdom. But at the speed that I was marching at, I shaved half the commute on my way here. On the way back? I wasn¡¯t particularly in a rush to do anything. Nothing at all. It was time to take it slow as I had originally intended. Additionally, it was too late to venture out of the kingdom. By the time I¡¯d get to the woods, it would be dark. Meaning that I would only have a few hours before I needed to head back. Besides, I had enough mana restored to last a while.

    Better to relax in the kingdom.

    The streets were busy. It was too loud and crowded to focus on a single conversation, so I picked up parts of useless blabber.

    ¡°Mom, mom!¡± A little kid whined, nearly knocking into my knees, and dragging a graying woman behind him.

    ¡°Then he slept with the maid!¡± A high-pitched voice gasped, followed by a small slap.

    ¡°That stew was still moving, I swear!¡± A man whined, somewhere in the distance.

    ¡°Get him!¡± A deep voice yelled, the hostile nature of the voice standing out from the other conversations.

    Okay. Swell. Typical kingdom stuff, I suppose.

    Correction. Supposed.

    But what stood out to me was the approaching, bounding footsteps in my direction. I moved aside to let whoever was sprinting forward continue to run without crashing into me. Yells sounded, as the footsteps grew louder, soon ascending onto my location in the crowd.

    I didn¡¯t bother to look behind me. It wasn¡¯t my problem. Plus, it was my day off. The well-being of the city was another division. All I did was protect a blonde bitch that was too weak to protect himself in an oversized hotel. Clingy too.

    The commotion drew closer, as I waited for it to pass me. The running figure ran into my back, surprising me, as hands grabbed onto my shirt.

    ¡°Asta, help me.¡± A rushed voice pleaded, spinning around my halted figure to hide from whoever was chasing them. Asta? My fake name? Surely, they were mistaken.

    I peered down to see the blonde locks of the crown prince, peeking through the same cloak from the fated day I got dragged around the kingdom. For fuck¡¯s sake. I reached down, pushing off Crown Prince Edwin, shooing him away. No way. No, I refuse. I cannot deal with this. Enough already happened today.

    ¡°Absolutely not. It¡¯s my day off.¡± I blankly replied, continuing to stroll forward in the crowd.

    The agitated voice got closer, a bald head man peeking his head above the crowd, and his eyes landed on the cloaked prince.

    ¡°Come back here, you little shit!¡± He yelled, now pushing people straight to the side. Curses from them drowned in the chaos of the streets. I heard them though and I had a few of my own. A few dozen.

    Arms wrapped around my legs, nearly tripping me over. I rolled my eyes, ready to kick the prince out of existence.

    Oh. I was so over this.

    The royal, clear blue eyes of the prince looked up, looking pitiful, ¡°I messed up. I really messed up! It was an accident. I swear.¡±

    Exquisite story. Now, I failed to see how this was my problem.

    ¡°Well, they don¡¯t seem to think so,¡± I pointed back at the large men currently barreling through the crowd because of that little accident, ¡°What did you even do?¡±

    I paused, watching his mouth start to open to answer.

    ¡°Wait. Don¡¯t answer that.¡± I waved it off, retracting the question, ¡°It¡¯s not my problem. I don¡¯t want to know.¡±

    His arms tightened, not willing to let go, ¡°It¡¯s really bad, Asta. I snuck out to escape some paperwork and went to dine at a restaurant. But I forgot my coin pouch! So, I was heading back to grab it when these people started chasing me.¡±

    So, he stole. Alright. Great. Less of a problem that involved me.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to tell me? Get this through your royal noggin,¡± I leaned down to meet the face of the crown prince, ¡°I. Do. Not. Care.¡±

    I scoffed, wiggling one of my boots out of his grasp, ¡°Besides, don¡¯t you have that mage escort with you? Let him handle that.¡±

    Actually, that was more of a reason to get the hell out of here. I¡¯ve already had one dragon accusation scare and I didn¡¯t need a real one. Not today, at least.

    He shook his head profusely, ¡°No, that¡¯s my father¡¯s aide. Plus, I snuck out soooo¡­¡±

    Mentally, I lowered my expectations more. So, the crown prince was wandering the street unguarded and alone. What the actual heck were human kingdoms anyway? Safety was a joke.

    I shrugged, freeing my other leg and walking off, ¡°Tough luck, my liege.¡±

    Edwin groaned, muttering to himself in a panic before shooting forward. His hand gripped my shoulder, ¡°Section One, Rule 12. Guards must prioritize the safety of the royal family at all times.¡±

    I froze. The yelling men, now surrounding us in the crowd, beating their fists together, and seething in rage.

    ¡°Your friend won¡¯t save you!¡± One charged, reaching to grab Edwin with a large hand.

    Gasps were heard around us, as I flipped the man over my shoulder, his large body flopping to the ground. I sighed, clicking my tongue, as my boot rested on the top of the large human¡¯s head.

    ¡°We¡¯re not friends.¡±

 - 32 - Infant Slayer! Thug Fights, Paperwork Hauntings

    Edwin scoffed, a dramatic expression on his face, as he held a hand over his chest.

    ¡°You¡¯re brutal, Asta.¡± He moved behind me, away from the other three people. I glared at the blonde to zip it.

    A caned man stood with wide eyes, standing next to the other large men, who stared down at their friend. I held my boot on the groaning man, who squirmed around from the shock of getting thrown. He was out of commission for the time being. One down and three more till I was free.

    ¡°Brutal coming from the thief that¡¯s bothering their employee on their day off,¡± I snapped, stepping over the man, and glancing over to the others. They all stood frozen, glued to where they stood.

    ¡°¡­Hey, we¡¯re just here to collect the money that he owes us. You¡¯re not involved,¡± The caned man spoke up, his voice sending a half-hearted warning. He pointed to Edwin, who looked at me with a nervous smile. So, he knew I was pissed. Good.

    If you were going to threaten someone, at least make sure you sound confident.

    I shook my head, exhaling, ¡°Shame for both of us then. You get cheated out of your money and I sell my soul for this lunatic,¡± I stretched my arm, before sighing, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get this over with.¡± Even if I wanted to, I shouldn¡¯t kill them.

    I charged forward, coming face-to-face with one of the more prominent men. Nice and light. He reacted slowly, as I brought my arm against the side of his face.

    Slap.

    The man¡¯s body flew across the crowd, landing in a barrel of apples. I swore I saw imaginary birds, over his concussed self.

    ¡°You!¡± The other man yelled, swinging his fist toward me. I parred it away with my other hand, looking down at the hand that hit him. A little too hard, I suppose.

    ¡°My bad. It seems like I gathered more mana than I thought.¡± I emptily apologized, peering back up to face the other man, ¡°I¡¯ll adjust it for you.¡±

    I twisted around, my hand landing on the other man¡¯s face. Slap. This time, he landed up on the ground, out cold.

    ¡°Much better,¡± I muttered to myself, making eye contact with the caned man, who backed away slowly, ¡°You¡¯re the only one left, I guess.¡±

    They shook their head, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t hit a man with a cane! Right?¡± His eyes danced to the small bag around his torso. Reach for it. I dare you.

    I darted forward, ripping the bag from his body, and turning it upside down. A knife dropped from the bag. Its handle is wrapped in a white cloth.

    ¡°It¡¯s a convenient little trick. With the cane and all, you know. You seem harmless but¡­¡± I remarked, throwing the bag behind me, and kicking the knife up.

    I caught the handle in my hand, twirling it as I strolled forward toward the shaking man. That¡¯s all I did. No threats, no gestures, just walking. Okay. I was a tad threatening. Could you blame me? It was my nature, of course.

    A path was cleared through the crowd, passersby now observing the scene in front of them, holding their breaths. Geez. It¡¯s not like I could kill them in front of the prince.

    The caned man started to panic, as his back hit the wall, holding his hands up in defeat, he stammered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯re all friends with the restaurant owner.¡±

    I looked over at the downed men, then back at Edwin. Where did he go to eat? At the shadiest restaurant in town? I raised an eyebrow, to which he just shrugged. The message went over his head.

    Not surprising.

    In the brief moment that I looked away, hands jerked at the knife, unable to pry it out of my grip. A grunt from the caned man, as he nearly fell forward, barely holding on to the wooden cane.

    Oh. So, the cane was real. I sighed.

    ¡°...Let¡¯s deduce this, right? If I was able to send your friend flying, did you really think you were going to be able to pull the knife out of my hand?¡± I leveled, shaking my head. God, I was just so done with all of this.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Also. To answer your question from earlier. Would I hit a caned man? First off. Violence is universal. I don¡¯t need an excuse not to hit someone if I feel like it,¡± I informed him, raising the knife in my hand, and planting the blade at the side of his head. A shallow cut formed; blood trickled from his cheek.

    ¡°Secondly, if you knew who that person was, I promise money is the least of your worries,¡± I stepped back, shooing him away, ¡°Get out of here, before I change my mind.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to death-slap this guy.

    The cane man limped off, disappearing into the shocked crowd. I left the knife on the wall, walking over to Edwin, who stood clapping.

    ¡°Wow! I saw your skill at the exam, but this was tremendous!¡± He cheered, shutting up when I shot a nasty sneer.

    ¡°Follow me and shut up.¡± I dragged him, into the murmuring crowd, towards the direction of the estate, ¡°Let¡¯s go before someone recognizes you.¡±

    He nodded, nearly running to keep up with my pace, ¡°Thank you for helping me.¡±

    ¡°Not like you gave me a choice,¡± I grumbled, directing us into a less occupied portion of the street. I exhaled. It should be safe here.

    ¡°I¡¯m heading back to the estate. I¡¯ll just take you there.¡± I let go of him. He maneuvered over to walk to my side, skipping with joy.

    Humans¡­

    ¡°¡­So, did you enjoy your day off?¡± He attempted to make small talk, which I didn¡¯t entertain.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh.¡± He choked, obviously taken back at my response, ¡°May I tell you about my day?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then can I tell you about what happened¡­?¡±

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    Edwin sighed, ¡°Then I¡¯ll talk to you about estate matters.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s estate matters, then I can¡¯t say no.¡± I gave in, hoping that we would get there faster.

    ¡°Okay then,¡± He continued, ¡°How was your first day under Sir Serlon¡¯s troop?¡±

    ¡°Killed two people. ¡°You know, not bad,¡± I shrugged, pretending not to notice his taken-aback expression.

    He cleared his throat, ¡°¡­Ah yes. I do believe I heard about that. I commend you for your service in protecting my father and me that night.¡±

    ¡°I mean, if I didn¡¯t kill them¡­ the guards inside would have,¡± I commented, praying for this to be over. I had already given up on the idea of enjoying the rest of my day.

    ¡°¡­I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± Edwin conceded, sighing as we neared the gates. He whispered low enough that the gate guard couldn¡¯t hear, ¡°Allow me to use you.¡±

    Use me? My life¡¯s purpose. No satire.

    Whatever. I stepped back, watching him pull his hood down. Blonde locks fell from the folds of the hooded cloth. It was like the sun vomited on his scalp.

    All the guards immediately bowed, and in unison, they greeted Edwin, ¡°Light of the Kingdom, Crown Prince Edwin! We humbly welcome the liege back!¡±

    I scoffed. Was this how I was supposed to treat him? No way I¡¯d get on my hands and knees for this blonde bitch. It didn¡¯t matter if I was exiled or not. I wasn¡¯t that desperate.

    ¡°Raise your heads.¡± He commanded, his voice fitting his title for once, ¡°Guard Asta escorted me for a short walk. Please keep this between us.¡±

    ¡°Of course, your highness!¡± The gate guards nodded, rushing to open the gates. They stood, side-by-side, bowing once more, as we walked through.

    Once we walked a good enough distance from the gate, Edwin sighed, pausing to rest his hands on his knees, ¡°They actually bought that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more believable than admitting you stole from that thug-filled restaurant.¡± I scoffed, stepping up into the courtyard in front of the estate.

    Edwin gasped, panicking, bringing his hands to his hair, ¡°Wait! The money! I need to pay them!¡±

    He wasn¡¯t joking, was he? No.

    ¡°¡­Trying to kill you should be payment enough,¡± I reasoned, almost dumbfounded at the idea. It was a wonder that he hadn¡¯t gotten killed sooner.

    He slumped over, relieved, ¡°You¡¯re right, I guess. It really was an accident that I left my money.¡±

    An accident? Sure. Let¡¯s call it that¡ªa fatal one.

    ¡°¡­Right.¡± I proceeded to the main entrance, surprised to still find Lars and Daniel on duty. They bowed to Edwin, exchanging formal greetings, their attention drifting back to me.

    ¡°How¡¯s Jamie?¡± I questioned, noticing the light blood stains under their armor and the spats of blood on their boots. Daniel was the one to answer. Not to mention, he looked more awake than Lars, who looked like he was about to pass out.

    ¡°He¡¯s resting. They were able to stitch him up and use potions. So, he¡¯ll be able to return to work in a few days.¡± Daniel answered, yawning after the statement.

    ¡°Jamie was injured?¡± Edwin chipped into the conversation if you could even call it that, considering the zombie-like presence of the two.

    ¡°Yeah, that was the other thing I was interrupted with today,¡± I mumbled; the prince seemed hesitant to ask further.

    Good.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if anyone in the troop was aware of my odd acquaintance with the Crown Prince. But they did now, both of them exchanging knowing glances between us. The doors of the estate flew open, nearly knocking the half-asleep Lars and Daniel, off their feet. Serlon marched out, like a rampaging bull, tearing away towards the Crown Prince. He was fuming.

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± He started with a tone that chilled Edwin to the bone, as he visibly froze from fear, ¡°Where did you go?¡±

    ¡°¡­On a walk?¡± Edwin tried to lie, but his shaking voice exposed him, sending the head guard into a calm rage.

    ¡°¡­Ah. I see. You went on a walk, huh? It¡¯s a lovely day to partake in a scenic trail, isn¡¯t it? Your Highness¡­¡± Serlon smiled, unsettled.

    He reached out his hand, patting the prince¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Well then. Now that you¡¯ve decided to return¡­ shall we walk back to your office to finish your paperwork?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a question, but a threat. Everyone knew.

    ¡°Ah, right¡­the paperwork¡± The prince uttered, his eyes draining of light.

    ¡°Yes, your highness. The paperwork. Shall I lead you?¡± Serlon grandly motioned with his hand, the unsettling smile still on his face.

    ¡°¡­No need, Sir Serlon. I know the way.¡± Edwin dragged his feet into the estate, the doors slamming behind them. Silence.

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s fucked.¡± Lars mourned for the prince, frowning.

    Daniel nodded with a heavy expression, ¡°Sir Serlon is terrifying.¡±

    For once, I could see it. Even for a human, he had his moments. Lars yawned, nearly toppling over from exhaustion. There was no point in resting today, I wouldn¡¯t be able to after this. I needed something to do. To keep me busy. I sighed, peering over at Lars.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take over for the rest of your shift, Lars.¡± I sighed, moving towards him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to fight you on that one, sorry.¡± Lars agreed, unbuckling his sword holder and passing it to me.

    He looked over at Daniel, ¡°I¡¯ll send someone out to take over for you. Thanks, Asta.¡± He announced, quickly retreating into the confines of the estate, closing the doors behind him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t strike me as the caring type. Plus, isn¡¯t it your day off?¡± Daniel commented, watching as I strapped the sword to my waist.

    Caring? Because I wasn¡¯t. Not in the slightest. Zero.

    My day off? Lies.

    ¡°I wished it was.¡±

 - 33 - Clean Up! Scummy Tax Collectors, Escort Duty

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, you know that these aren¡¯t to regulation,¡± Trent urged, holding a burned pie in his hands.

    The chef scoffed, crossing her arms, ¡°You guards! You¡¯re worse than my ex-husband. Lately, you remind me of those scummy tax collectors.¡±

    ¡°¡­Scummy tax collectors? Ma¡¯am, our troop has been issued to patrol around the estate departments due to internal conflicts. There was a letter sent out to all departments,¡± Trent tried to explain. Instead, he got a wooden spoon to the head.

    What were tax collectors? I guess it didn¡¯t matter at this point.

    The chef raised it again, the wooden weapon high in the air, but never reaching its target.

    I cleared my throat, holding the spoon in my hand, ¡°Lady, you know that you can¡¯t serve burnt food to the royal family. It¡¯s against regulation. End of story.¡±

    ¡°My pies are wonderful!¡± she yelled, trying to yank the wooden spoon out of my grasp to no avail.

    Seriously. What was it with weak humans trying to pull items out of my hand? Were they stupid? Yes.

    ¡°Wonderfully burnt¡­¡± I sneered, ignoring the snickers coming from the staff behind her that tried to maintain their silence.

    ¡°You little brat!¡± She gasped, absolutely appalled at the truth.

    Little? Big words came from a lady that stood shorter than my chest.

    I held the wooden out of her reach, pulling it out of her grip, and watched her jump for it. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as the short lady didn¡¯t even come close, falling short of the wooden spoon by a large distance.

    No, it wasn¡¯t magic. Just a height advantage. Get fucked.

    The chef gave up, huffing, turning back to retreat back into the estate kitchen. Behind her stood a row of other cooks and kitchen helpers, who all turned their tails with her.

    Pests.

    I threw the wooden spoon to the side, turning back to talk to my patrol partner.

    Trent rubbed the growing lump on his head, ¡°¡­Ouch. When I passed all those trials to qualify for this squad, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be reduced to getting beaten with wooden spoons.¡±

    He sighed, opening the door to exit the kitchen. It was obvious that the longer we stayed there, the more time the kitchen crew had to attack. Trent didn¡¯t want to risk that, but I didn¡¯t mind watching.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you step in sooner? They seem to listen to you,¡± Trent questioned, as I followed him down the hall towards the next checkpoint.

    The only reason that they listened was because of the rumors that I was friends with the Crown Prince.

    To be clear, we weren¡¯t friends. At all. But stopping the wildfire of theories that erupted from the workers was an impossible task. Even for me.

    I shrugged, ¡°Didn¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you really the same person that saved Jamie?¡± Trent jeered, the vein on his forehead bulging.

    ¡°Not by choice, by chance.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right.¡± He gave up, instead marching forward to rush to the next chore that we were assigned for the day.

    It was a mundane couple of days. I had been told that Jamie had been able to return to work after two more days of rest. Because of the healers and the fact that it became an internal affair, he received fast treatment.

    Though, this meant that my troop had been burdened with the cleanup work that resulted from everything. Following the incident, Serlon¡¯s troop was issued to check over the different departments to investigate any internal conflicts. They wanted to prevent any other problems from arising. Sure, it was proactive of them. However, it proved to be a real pain in the ass for us.

    Because of the nature of our job, that only meant picking up on regulation violations that we were obligated to correct. Let¡¯s just say that our reception rating because of that was pretty low. Humans didn¡¯t like being told when they were doing something wrong, especially by a teenager and a viking-looking man.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    It was routine that something was thrown at us at checkpoints. For example, Trent had to wear protective armor after the mirage of petty attacks from the estate staff. Like the chief¡¯s wooden spoon. It was an actual assault.  Not to mention being stabbed with sewing needles, hit with fabric, covered in shoe polish, and threatened at spearpoint by the blacksmith.

    To my amusement and to his horror, the list went on.

    I followed him down the hall, ignoring the stares from estate workers that either glared at us or scurried away.

    Trent sighed, looking defeated, ¡°From the way that everyone is behaving, you¡¯d think we were war criminals¡­¡±

    Could I mention that I actually was one? Would they actually believe me? Later. I could have my fun some other time.

    ¡°...Well, we have been going around checking violations for the last few days. People don¡¯t like being told what they¡¯re doing wrong.¡± I stated the obvious, making eye contact with some whispering house cleaners, who hurriedly rushed away.

    Why were humans so nosey?

    ¡°...True. I¡¯m not sure why they¡¯re having us do this.¡± He groaned, pushing open a door, and leading the both of us upstairs.

    The next stop was the guard headquarters. It wasn¡¯t exactly the training grounds or barracks. Office workers occupied the main space of the quarters, filing the paperwork for the missions that the troop had been sent on.

    Eran described them as the reason that he has kept this job for so long, paperwork free. Unlike the prince, the files weren¡¯t important enough for a disclosed pair of eyes to approve. Most of them could be reviewed by certified estate workers.

    I followed Trent into the small space, watching as he waved at the older lady stamping a stack of papers. He flashed a warm smile to the older human with wrinkles on her face. She pulled down her spectacles, squinting at the approaching guard.

    ¡°...Guard Gunnar?¡± The older lady guessed.

    ¡°Close Ma¡¯am. He¡¯s a little bulkier. I¡¯m Guard Trent and this is the newer guard, Asta.¡± He explained, his voice echoing louder for the elderly human.

    She clicked her tongue, scowling after looking back down at her stack of paperwork.

    ¡°Guard Asta¡­ Yes. The reason for the influx of paperwork for the last few days. I know you well, young man.¡± She narrowed her eyes to me.

    Like she could even see me. Excuse me?

    Trent looked back with a sympathetic expression, mouthing, ¡°She¡¯s 83. Be patient with her.¡±

    He said, telling the being that was technically over three hundred years old. It¡¯s not my fault she was old and decrepit.

    Reluctantly, I walked forward and joined his side.

    Trent leaned over the counter, his eyes scanning the piles of papers behind her. I observed the other two workers, who were too busy to spare a glance at us.

    ¡°How were relationships within the team?¡± He asked, projecting his voice toward the older woman.

    ¡°...Huh? What color were the beans? Dear, we don¡¯t have those in the office. Try the kitchen.¡± The lady responded, a little confused.

    Oh, you got to be kidding me.

    ¡°Old Hag! He was asking-¡±

    From under the counter, Trent elbowed my gut. It didn¡¯t hurt but it was enough to understand his intent.

    She tilted her head, ¡°What was that honey? I couldn¡¯t hear you.¡±

    He cleared his throat, asking the same question louder this time, ¡°HOW WERE RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE TEAM?¡±

    I flinched at the near yelling of the question, moving my hands to my ears. Cursed hearing.

    ¡°Oh! We¡¯re all good, dears.¡± The lady answered, ¡°We¡¯re just waiting for Sir Serlon to come back.¡±

    ¡°OH, MA¡¯AM THAT¡¯S WONDERFUL. LET US KNOW IF ANYTHING ARISES!¡± Trent cheered, a tad too loudly.

    I wanted to punch everyone.

    Speak of the devil¡­

    As if he were on cue, the door clicked open to the clanking of familiar boots. They were the same boots that had kicked the living shit out of half the troop during morning training.

    Strolling over to the reception desk, Serlon passed over another stack of papers, smiling at the older lady.

    ¡°THAT¡¯S ALL FOR THE DAY, MA¡¯AM!¡± He informed the older lady, who only nodded, setting the stack down next to the other piles.

    Serlon twirled back around towards us, ¡°How were the other sections today?¡±

    ¡°Relationship wise ¨C they¡¯re fine. Nothing but some catfights and minor arguments.¡± Trent reported, despite the huge lump on his head.

    ¡°...Is that so?¡± Serlon eyed the lump, sighing before setting his eyes on me, ¡°I¡¯m glad I ran into you, Asta. You¡¯ll come with me. Trent. You, Gunnar, and Eran are to meet a noble at the gates.¡±

    ¡°Understood sir.¡± Trent saluted, already marching out the doors and to this assignment. He was eager to leave this horrid assignment behind him.

    ¡°...You wanted to see me, Serlon?¡± I pondered, trailing behind the human captain, who fiddled with his holder.

    He nodded, leading us down the hallway, ¡°The Crown Prince is to make an appearance this afternoon at the Kingdom¡¯s academy. I¡¯d like you to attend as his bodyguard.¡±

    No way.

    I scoffed, the discontent unhidden on my face, ¡°Why can¡¯t he be escorted with the usual convoy?¡±

    In other words, why me? Why?

    ¡°That¡¯s because of the rules of the academy. Technically, the academy has a non-political atmosphere. This means that nobles from other kingdoms are there. Sending an entire royal force could cause some upheaval.¡± Serlon sighed, now leading us to the prince¡¯s quarters.

    ¡°...And you choose me because?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re young but skilled. Plus, the Crown Prince doesn¡¯t listen to anyone else. Since you two seem to be friends, I¡¯ll be more at peace knowing he¡¯ll stay with you.¡± He explained, marching down an archway.

    ¡°We¡¯re not friends.¡± I clarified.

    ¡°...Sure. Well, just keep the Crown Prince alive.¡± Serlon sighed, stopping at golden-plated doors, and knocking.

    There was no response.

    ¡°Your Highness, your escort is here.¡±

    He knocked again.

    ¡°Your Highness.¡±

    And again.

    ¡°Edwin.¡±

    Then one more time. But instead of waiting, a loud bang was heard throughout the hallway, as the lead guard kicked the door open.

    You could feel the utter disappointment on his face, as he laid eyes on the dozing prince, the future of the kingdom. The prince had passed out on the bench, soundly sleeping.  Serlon stomped over, crouching down to meet the sleeping Prince¡¯s face. He smiled with the same terrible expression as the other day.

    The temperature in the room seemed to chill, as the anger from the lead guard revealed itself throughout the lofty room.

    ¡°Your Highness. I urge you strongly to wake up. You have an appointment. I suggest you get up now.¡±

    Suggest? Sure.

    As if his instincts sensed the danger in the room, his eyes jolted open, a frightened yelp erupting as he met Serlon¡¯s glare.  Drool ran from the corner of his mouth, as he frantically looked around the room.

    ¡°Sir Serlon? Asta?¡± The confused Prince stood up, quickly straightening his clothes, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°...Were you sleeping, your Highness?¡± Serlon smiled, sending visible shivers down Edwin¡¯s spine.

    ¡°...I was¡­I was resting my eyes.¡± Edwin lied poorly.

    ¡°Ah¡­ so you weren¡¯t sleeping after I reminded you that you must leave for your appointment at the academy?¡± Serlon leered.

    ¡°...No! In fact, I am ready to leave now! With¡­ with?¡± The prince scanned the room.

    Serlon pointed to me, ¡°Guard Asta will be escorting you today.¡±

    ¡°Right! With my friend, Asta!¡± The prince recovered, fumbling over the furniture to my side.

    ¡°I am not your friend.¡± I dismissed the comment. At this point, the phrase could become my slogan.

    ¡°...Right. Then, my life is in your hands, not-my-friend Asta.¡±

    Just kill me now.

 - 34 - Next generation! Professors, Trane Academy (1)

    A royal carriage dropped us off inside the main gates of the academy. The ride had taken a good portion of time, pulled by horses to the other end of the kingdom. Nonetheless, I couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved at the contents of the assignment.

    Edwin was to drop into one of the classes and give a speech about the kingdom¡¯s support towards the liberal arts, magic, and you name it. The headmaster was to meet us after. Then, we were to ride the carriage back to the estate, which marked the end of my working day.

    I stood behind the crown prince, walking in stride with him, as he marched our way towards the entrance of the actual building. It was a grand stone-bricked establishment with banners of numerous kingdoms hanging from its arches.

    An embassy of political diversity ¨C that¡¯s what Serlon explained it as. That was the cover of it. A fool knew that it could not be freed of such influence because of its location. The concept was for appeal, most likely.

    All around us, students paid little notice of our arrival, simply clearing a small pathway for us to slip through. The students carried brown satchels, contents protruding out with quills and scrolls. Young magic users, sword carriers, and those with their heads in books strolled past us.

    Groups of students rushed along the pathways, hurriedly rushing to their next class. I only paid little attention to the conversations of those humans closer to this body¡¯s apparent age.

    ¡°Professor Rowell gave a pop quiz on hierarchy today!¡± A female voiced, somewhere in the cluster of teenagers.

    ¡°I have a whole list of potions to learn by my next class.¡± Another student complained. All the conversations fell into similar territory.

    Edwin approached the entrance, waving over to the checkpoint officer stationed in front of the welcome arch, who nodded in response.

    He slowed his pace, now walking beside me, as he navigated through the crowd. We stopped in front of a large wooden door with a small viewing window, and Edwin knocked peeking through.

    From the other side, a man dressed in a blue robe walked over to the door, opened it for the prince, and bowed.

    ¡°Crown Prince Edwin. Welcome to my classroom,¡± The bearded man rose, extending a gesturing hand into the classroom.

    I followed, closely eyeing the bearded man, who made note of the sword and crested armor that I wore.

    ¡°Please, Professor Rowell. You know that this academy has ridden itself of political affairs. You do not need to bow,¡± Edwin urged, taking the robed professor by the shoulder.

    The professor smiled, ¡°Please allow me, Crown Prince Edwin. Political affairs may not occur here, but my loyalty is always with the sun.¡±

    The Trane Royal Family was often called the sun. This was something that I noticed in my brief time working.

    ¡°And to that, I am glad, Professor Rowell.¡± Edwin reminded him, the two walking up to face a lecture room filled with curious students.

    I kept my place, standing by the door, and scanning the crowd for any suspicious students. But all I could make out were the starstruck faces that couldn¡¯t peel their eyes off the Crown Prince.

    Politically exempt? Such a task was impossible when the building was located within Trane''s walls. The visit from the Crown Prince himself proved that.

    Edwin cleared his throat. The room stilled to a silence.

    ¡°Greetings, I am Crown Prince Edwin of Trane. As a member of the royal family, I wanted to give the sincerest acknowledgment to all the individuals sitting in this class. Without educated individuals, we humans would never know peace from the fight against the demonic race.¡± His voice echoed throughout space.

    Wow. Okay. I guess we¡¯re going there.

    ¡°Professor Rowell was one of my main educators during my time in the academy. I can vouch for his teaching abilities myself. He may give the hardest pop quizzes, but they helped me learn so much,¡± He lightly chuckled, bringing a smile to Rowell¡¯s face.

    A burst of faded laughter sounded from the room of students. I caught a few that only groaned at the statement, obviously not agreeing.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°My visit here pertains to reminding the students of Trane¡¯s academy that you are the future of humanity. I hope that you can utilize all the lessons and memories that you gather here,¡± Edwin concluded, grandly proclaiming to the room of tired students.

    I¡¯ll admit. Although it was surprising, there were times were the Crown Prince acted to his title. The hint of the foolishness of his typical behavior was nowhere to be seen.

    Right now ¨C at this moment ¨C He was not Edwin, the human fool ¨C but the future king of the kingdom.

    Professor Rowell stepped up, clapping, ¡°Thank you, Crown Prince Edwin. As faculty members, we appreciate the support from the royal family. As always, we¡¯ll open up the session to a handful of questions for the prince. Even though inside these academy walls, political power does not reach, think carefully.¡±

    In other words, the human professor was telling his students to respect Edwin¡¯s title without violating the academy¡¯s rules.

    A smart move. Even if the walls of the academy protected you, outside these walls still lay the Kingdom of Trane. In front of the students was the human that would become the next ruler.

    Keeping good relations with a powerful figure was proper etiquette, even if they had not known the true foolishness of the prince.

    A thief. A daytime kidnapper. A dumbass.

    Without hesitation, several hands shot up in the air. Eager students raised their hands to ask the young prince of the kingdom.

    The professor pointed at a young girl with spectacles, sitting in the front, ¡°Your Highness. You mentioned that you used to be a student under Professor Rowell. What was your course of study here?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s correct. Professor Rowell had been one of my main educators during my time at the academy,¡± He explained, wearing a welcoming smile toward the student, ¡°Due to my occupation in life, I studied political affairs and dabbled in war strategies.¡±

    The answer pleased the student, who jotted down notes on a strip of paper.

    Professor Rowell pointed at a student in the back, who stood up in his chair to meet Edwin¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Your Highness. Is it true that you have the Dragon troop under your command at the estate?¡± The young boy shouted, desperate to make his voice heard from the back.

    I glanced over at Edwin, curiously waiting for his answer. It was the same story that I had heard from that murderous potion master but hearing it from another solidified the tale further.

    We met eyes. Edwin glanced over to my spot against the wall, before turning his attention back to the student.

    ¡°Yes. I am honored to have such a troop under my command. This privilege can only be accounted to my late grandfather¡¯s contribution to the war.¡± He answered humbly, but the student¡¯s curiosity didn¡¯t fizzle so soon.

    The boy raised his hand, pointing over to me. I raised my eyebrow.

    ¡°Your Highness. Wouldn¡¯t that mean that the guard over by the door is of that same troop?¡± The student asked.

    Soon, I felt the stares of the entire lecture room pinning on me. If I weren¡¯t on duty, that kid would be dead.

    Edwin worriedly met my eyes once more, his expression sporting a nervousness that only we both understood. My temper was well-known throughout the estate, at least a little. If anyone knew, it was the Prince himself. I could only credit this trait to the mixture of demonic and draconic blood running through my body.

    I couldn¡¯t help myself with outbursts. Luckily, I was trained and experienced well enough to know when to hold back. If anything, I knew how to compose myself in a room of distinguished figures.

    So, I only waited for the prince¡¯s response.

    ¡°...That is correct. My guard, here, is newly recruited by the lead guard of my protection,¡± Edwin managed the situation, sounding almost relieved at my lack of backhanded insults.

    The insults were there ¨C despite my lack of verbalizing them.

    Unaware of the situation, the Professor looked up at me, stepping up to the podium.

    Like an ignorant fool, he chimed in, ¡°Your Highness. If you allow it, would your guard be willing to answer a few questions for the students? As you may be aware, some of these students are combat track. They¡¯ll be entering similar fields after graduation.¡±

    Fuck me.

    As if asking permission, Edwin glanced over, his gaze lingering for a second longer than it should have.

    It was a complicated situation. I just shrugged, sighing as I began my trudge toward the podium.

    ¡°...Of course. I¡¯ll allow him to answer a few questions¡­¡± Edwin spoke. Professor Rowell stepped down, allowing me to position myself next to the prince.

    I directed my glaze amongst the room of young faces. They were the same age as the identity that I was currently maintaining, except that it was apparent of the differentiation of raising.

    Besides those that applied with skills recommendations, I was under the impression that most of these humans came from lavish lifestyles. Unlike what Jamie had mentioned previously, I wouldn¡¯t have fit in here.

    I say that, but I was a dragon anyway. I don¡¯t exactly ¡°fit in¡± anywhere when it came to human lands. But it¡¯s not like I was here by choice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take two questions only. I am on duty as the Crown Prince¡¯s escort, which is something that I cannot skip over.¡± I announced to the crowd.

    The same student in the back immediately asked his question, blurting it out without getting called on, ¡°How did you get scouted into the guards at your age? It takes years for applicants to be considered and pass proper examinations!¡±

    Did it? That explained the murmurs around the estate when I was employed at first.

    ¡°...I took the military examinations for the combat section with a travel companion. After the tests ended, I was approached by the head guard with an offer.¡± I answered, ¡°I¡¯m not from the area, so I can¡¯t provide any information about how the qualifications are normally done. For that, I apologize.¡±

    Except, I¡¯m not actually sorry. Why would I? To a human? Pfft.

    Finally, the student sat down, I spotted another nearly toppling over the seat in front of them with their hand raised.

    ¡°You,¡± I pointed, ¡°You¡¯ll be the last question that I¡¯ll answer.¡±

    ¡°As someone appointed at the top of the kingdom¡¯s guards, what was your reason to train as hard as you did?¡± the student asked, a collected silence filled the room, waiting for my answer.

    A reason to train? Did I need one? Did I even have one? After all, my only purpose had been to rein in victory for my father¡¯s sake.

    Now? Well, now¡­

    ¡°I guess, you could say that it¡¯s the only thing I have ever known. What other reason should I have ¨C if it¡¯s not to fight,¡± I alleged, pausing to add one final comment, ¡°To answer your question clearly, I suppose I could say that I had no other choice but to live the life that I have.¡±

    I stepped back, elbowing Edwin. My time being questioned was over.

    ¡°...Ah. Well, I want to thank my guard for answering questions. The troop¡¯s guidelines are strict, so I¡¯m thankful that you took the time to spark the curiosity of the students. For the students thinking about taking the exams, I¡¯ll look forward to seeing your faces at the opening ceremony. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. Everyone that concludes the Crown Prince¡¯s time in this class. Let¡¯s humbly thank him for sacrificing his valuable time for us.¡± The professor announced, turning to bow to the prince.

    ¡°No. Thank you for having me, Professor Rowell. It was a pleasure to talk to everyone today.¡±

 - 35 - Posture! Footwork, Surprise Meetings (2)

    After the class had ended, Professor Rowell escorted us to the headmaster¡¯s office. In front of us, the bearded man had been buried in the stack of paper taken from today¡¯s class.

    He must have been a sadist, smiling while flipping through the same quizzes that I had overheard on the way into the academy. But because of this, the older professor had little attention left for the former pupil of his.

    You know, the Crown Prince? This had to be breaking some type of rule in the guidebook. To which one? I didn¡¯t care.

    Instead of the two discussing and reminiscing on the past, they had briefly caught up with each other. Edwin matched my gait, walking alongside me, silently observing the hung flags of the other supported kingdoms here. Half of them, I didn¡¯t recognize. A lot can change in a hundred years¡¯ time.

    The prince glanced over, then back at the flags, before looming closer to whisper under his breath, ¡°¡­Asta, do you see your flag up there?¡±

    PFFT. The likelihood of the Hellion¡¯s symbol being displayed at the academy built upon defeating it ¨C was slim. In the war strategies class? Perhaps. If the subject was mass slaughter and sieging techniques, it was up that alley.

    I shook my head, not bothering to answer him. Instead, I halted in my steps and shot out a hand to stop him from running into the large wooden doors. As much as it would joy me to see him run face-first into the doors, I didn¡¯t feel like dealing with his whining for the trip home.

    Edwin cleared his throat, the tips of his ears red, ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t my guard wonderful?¡±

    Meanwhile, the professor hadn¡¯t even turned around. The older man, mumbled, ¡°¡­Huh? Yes, quite. Anyway, the headmaster is waiting behind these doors. You¡¯re welcome to step inside whenever you¡¯re ready, Your Highness.¡±

    Edwin smiled, reaching for a handshake with his former professor, ¡°Again, Professor Rowell, it was a pleasure to speak for your class.¡±

    He looked up, returning the handshake with a slight bow, as to follow the request of the Crown Prince from earlier.

    ¡°Surely, I¡¯m honored to have the privilege of having such a distinguished former pupil. You¡¯ll have to excuse my rudeness; I must drop off these quizzes before my next class. Enjoy your visit, your Highness.¡±

    Like that, the professor was off and pushing through the crowd of students to his next destination. Edwin waited; his eyes fixated on the large wooden doors in front of us.

    ¡°So, how are we supposed to open these?¡± He sighed, tapping his foot against the stone floors.

    What do you mean by how? I am so tired of his nonsense, so tired.

    ¡°Do you not know how to open doors?¡± I inquired, clicking my tongue, as I stepped ahead to push open the doors that slid open with a creaking.

    A clang echoed throughout the spacious office, the sound traveling through the nearby halls.

    ¡°I guess that works too¡­¡±

    I clapped my hands together, mockingly bowing, as I extended my gesture to Edwin, ¡°After you, your Highness.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh yes. Thank you, Guard Asta.¡± He stuttered, shocked at my mere opening of the large doors.

    Behind a desk, a chair was turned to face the opposing window. Slow claps were heard, as the human let out a small chuckle.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since someone opened those doors so easily,¡± The voice chatted, their tone familiar, ¡°But¡­¡± The voice reeled, spinning the chair fully around.

    I failed to figure out what was wrong with the doors.

    ¡°But it appears to be fitting considering it¡¯s you. It¡¯s wonderful to see you again, young Asta.¡± Sirius smiled from his seat. Unlike his unkempt appearance in the buggy, Sirius was now dressed in a red robe, groomed, and freshly shaved. The remnants of the disgruntled traveler are gone.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    He rose from his chair, stepping out from behind the desk to greet the prince, ¡°Your Highness, Crown Prince Edwin.¡± Sirius bowed.

    ¡°Greetings, Headmaster Sirius. No need to bow to me. This academy is politically unassociated. I am a former student; it is I that should be bowing to you.¡±

    Edwin rested his hands on Sirius¡¯s shoulders, keeping them there as the two walked to a proper seating area.

    ¡°You¡¯re too humble, your Highness. I am aware of the true power of the Trane monarchy. I may run this academy without direct ties, but we are still on your soil. Allow me that honor,¡± He insisted, his eyes peering back over to me. Similar to the classroom, I hung back at the doors that had now shut. The farther away ¨C the better.

    ¡°It is always appreciated, Headmaster,¡± Edwin trailed off, descending into less than formal discussions, ¡°¡­You know Guard Asta?¡± He questioned a slight smile appearing on his face. Stop talking about me.

    I grimaced at the sight, of the two sporting grins. Dragons didn¡¯t have a sixth sense, in terms of non-magical occurrences. But if they did, I¡¯d imagine my bullshit alarms would be ringing.

    Sirius chuckled, ¡°Your Highness I was the one that brought him and his travel companion to Trane. Met them in an off-trail tavern,¡± He explained, beaming with absolute delight.

    ¡°A tavern? As in a drinking tavern?¡± The prince pried, peering over his shoulder with a questionable expression, ¡°Guard Asta, forgive me if I¡¯m wrong. But you are a child, yes?¡±

    Yes. A child in draconic aging. In human aging? No.

    Heck, I was over two hundred years old. Add another hundred, if you want to be technical.

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t drink alcohol if that¡¯s what you¡¯re inferring too,¡± I assured both of them, unable to hide the baffled look plastered on my face.

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. Underage drinking is against the Kingdom¡¯s policies!¡± Edwin cheered, prompting laughter from Sirius, who had been amused at the whole scene.

    ¡°I never figured that we¡¯d be meeting so soon, young Asta. It has been nearly a week and you¡¯re already escorting the Crown Prince.¡± Sirius congratulated, ¡°You must be talented!¡±

    Talented at screwing myself over. Indeed.

    ¡°Oh! He¡¯s quite talented. One of the best combat professionals that I¡¯ve encountered in a long time.¡± Edwin was quick to jump into the barrage of praise, ¡°In fact, Sir Serlon appointed him to my escort, himself. He¡¯s saved my life!¡±

    Did he mean those thugs? From a thief? Save was an inappropriate term. It was an order. I would have walked away otherwise. I sighed.

    ¡°Hey Sirius, you said you taught combat at a local academy in Trane. So, what¡¯s all this?¡± I chimed in, already bothered by the scenario. If there¡¯s one thing I hated most ¨C it was liars.

    He shrugged, ¡°Well, I do teach combat! When I¡¯m not in this office, I¡¯m teaching beginners hand combat in the classroom on the East wing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that counts.¡± I scoffed. Being the headmaster was an important detail to leave out like that. Says the camouflaged dragon, but does that matter?

    ¡°Hah! I suppose you¡¯re right! Speaking of which, there¡¯s a combat class a few doors down from here. You should quickly visit while I discuss some matters with his Highness.¡±

    This is when Edwin turned fully around, nodding, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Take this time to explore the academy, drop into the class, or visit the eatery.¡±

    I raised my eyebrows. This had just been a simple visit to the academy as far as I was informed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be breaking codes if I do that¡­¡± I pushed, wanting to stay to hear what was going on. The academy was too noisy to focus on a singular conversation.

    ¡°Overruled by the very first ordinance, no worries. All guards must follow direct orders from royal blood. I won¡¯t take long,¡± Edwin assured, raising his hand to dismiss me.

    His face was serious, despite the lighthearted tone that he was using. Being serious didn¡¯t suit him. I guess, whatever it was ¨C didn¡¯t matter to me. Despite my frustration of not knowing what would be said, I took the opportunity to leave this suffocating room.

    ¡°¡­As you wish.¡± I excused myself, turning back around to the large wooden doors.

    ¡°Do you need help with the doors?¡± Sirius piped in, beginning to stand from his seat.

    Why would I need a human¡¯s help?

    I huffed, pushing the door open with a small shove.

    ¡°¡­Hah. You seem like you have it handled then.¡± Sirius sat back down, ¡°You amaze me.¡±

    I better.

    Walking out of the room, the door slid close behind me. As I predicted, amongst the chatter sounding from the closed doors around the office, it was difficult to listen in on their conversation.

    Still, there was no point in passing time wandering about and doing nothing in particular. It was a rare occurrence that nothing happened to me here. First the abandonment of my dearest father, Dagon¡¯s warning, and the whole internal mess of the estates ¨C nothing went according to plan. Though, the only plan that I had was to survive. Which meant, serving humans was a sacrifice that I had to endure for now. No matter how stupid they were ¨C persist.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to wake up bruised from head to toe by the time this class is over.¡± A boy walked into a classroom door, accompanied by a taller classmate next to him.

    ¡°You¡¯re just too sloppy to perform the moves properly,¡± She retorted, crossing her arms before following him inside.

    Ah. I suppose that was the combat class then. Before I knew it, I had already started walking down the hall toward the door where the students disappeared. The smell of sweat grew stronger, as I peeked into the open classroom.

    Surrounded in a roped area, pairs of students sparred. A female instructor barked out corrections, as classmates fought against each other. The instructor patrolled the students on the side farthest from the door, not noticing my presence.

    ¡°Straighten your legs!¡± She yelled over to a pair in the corner of the room, ¡°Relax your shoulders if you don¡¯t want to dislocate your arm!¡±

    I ignored the instructor, focusing my attention on the closest pair of students. It had been the same two that I noticed in the hallway. The girl that had commented how sloppy the boy had been right. His form was all wrong and he had horrible footing habits. It wouldn¡¯t be far-fetched to say that one push could knock him off balance.

    He shifted movement between his legs, and the weight of his body leaned forward, allowing his partner to throw him right over her shoulder. The human body soared through the air, before crashing to the ground with a groan.

    ¡°Ouch¡­!¡± The boy moaned, sitting up while wincing, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m doing wrong.¡±

    ¡°See? I told you. You¡¯re just sloppy,¡± The girl grinned, helping him up with an outstretched hand.

    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s go again,¡± He sighed, rolling his shoulder around.

    ¡°If you say so¡­¡± The girl agreed, crouching back down into a fighting position.

    Unlike the boy, she was more balanced. Her weight remained at her core, which allowed her to have more of a directed sense of muscle placement.

    Because of that, it was not surprising to watch the boy soar to the ground once again. This time, he remained on the ground, painfully chuckling.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just cursed with bad luck?¡± He groaned, placing his hands over his face.

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad luck. You just need to stop having shitty posture.¡± I thought out loud.

    The two paused, staring at the stranger that now stood behind the ropes of their sparring area. They shouldn¡¯t have heard me. I was fairly sure of that.

    ¡°Excuse me, kid? Who are you?¡± the boy asked, using his arms to push himself back up.

    Wait.

    When had I moved closer?

 - 36 - Fatal Flaw! Beating Children, Spar (3)

    As you can imagine, after being raised for so long on a battlefield - you picked up nasty habits.

    As a hatchling, I used to watch Adbeel train the soldiers of the territory and spent every hour listening to minuscule details called on each demon.

    ¡°Raise your elbows!¡±

    ¡°Straighten your back!¡±

    ¡°Turn your feet inwards.¡±

    Soon those corrections turned into the tweaks of life and death. Adbeel¡¯s words were warnings to those willing to understand.

    Soldiers that failed to improve had to pay with their life. Simply, it was the nature of the profession we lived in.

    War. Blood. Bodies.

    ¡°Raise your elbows!¡± Holding the weapon poorly resulted in not being able to transfer maximum power into hits. This frontline demon was killed instantly.

    ¡°Straighten your back.¡± Don¡¯t wear your body out when it¡¯s needed the most.

    ¡°Turn your feet inwards.¡± This soldier lacked the kicking range to attack the human, lunging a sword into his gut.

    They all died.

    Staring at the boy, who seemed confused at my corrections. At this point, the damage had already been done. Call it second nature to have pointed out these fatal flaws.

    It was not Asta, guard of the Crown Prince speaking - but Arsylm, experienced war general.

    As if I were a version of my past - I stared onward, grim in expression. My eyes scanned along the human¡¯s body observing the lack of muscle build-up along his figure.

    He needed to work out more.

    My present self could not hold a dime to my presence in Hellion. Without my demonic energy, the effect was less intimidating, but it was enough.

    Not only that, but my position as the guard of the royal family remained active. It was not the proper time to engrave this into the wannabe soldier, who I assumed wanted to pursue a combat field.

    The baffled teen looked shocked to have been called out by someone that was physically younger.

    ¡°Do you even know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± The boy scoffed, brushing off his pants, as he walked over to the edge of the sparring area.

    He leaned down, his face combined with a mixture of hurt pride and strange curiosity for the stern stranger.

    ¡°This is a selective class to get into. I do not know which professor you came with but go head back to your guardian. You look younger than me, despite being tall - trying to fool me with that baby face.¡± He snorted, standing back up to cross his arms.

    ¡°...Hey. You really shouldn¡¯t fight in class¡­¡± She trailed off, coming closer to investigate the situation.

    The girl towed behind him, scanning my person, her eyes landing on a royal crest sewn into my attire. There was a small smirk before she rested a hand on the boy¡¯s tense shoulder like she was telling him to relax.

    ¡°That explains it. You must be a royal-guard fan.¡± She sighed, elbowing her sparring pair, ¡°It¡¯s nice to have ambitions, but we¡¯re training for those same ones.¡±

    A fan? What was a fan? Could she not tell from my attire? She must be dumb.

    If the professorship included the Crown Prince, then I suppose she would be right.

    How would they touch royalty? Mere nobles? The truth is - if they were playing with important political dice, they would not be in this academy. Those people were already out, making lasting trails in their wake.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Your posture will get you killed in battle.¡± I wasted no time sugarcoating reality, ¡°Sloppy? Is that the phrase I heard? In the classroom that¡¯s fine¡­ but¡± I ducked under the rope, leering down at the student, ¡°In the battlefield, I would have killed you within a second. You won¡¯t even pass the entrance test. Don¡¯t fool yourself.¡±

    Human.

    And that was the truth. Death was the cold reality that humans were ignorant to face. Dragons could die. Humans could die easier.

    This noble? Honestly.

    ¡°But hey, you don¡¯t have to listen to me, right? I¡¯m just a kid.¡± The words flowed like venom, as I noticed him ball his fists.

    He humored this.

    ¡°Okay then. What do you suggest I do then,¡± He leered, grinning over to his partner, who smiled, ¡°If you¡¯re so knowledgeable, spar me and find out.¡±

    Was this allowed? Would I get fired for this?

    Technically, I was dismissed from duty at the moment. In a spar, I was not harming a citizen if it was consented to by both parties. As long as I didn¡¯t kill anyone, I was free to do whatever. Even if I did kill him, I was never the type to bat an eye. It was a fact about me that never changed.

    Was it morally right to do this? To fight a student?

    But did I care? Nope.

    ¡°Fine then. Let¡¯s fight.¡± I agreed to the short spar, making sure to glance over at the instructor that seemed to glance over. After her eyes landed on the crest, she went back to her instruction.

    She didn¡¯t have the power to intervene, even if she wanted to. What was she going to say? Stop it? To an imperial knight? Pathetic to even attempt that. Imperial power was held in the academy whether they admitted to it or not.

    In some way, I was reformed. In the past, I would have executed such an incapable worker immediately. This was my mercy calling.

    I walked to the end of the makeshift sparring ring. My casual gait shifted into a more trained one.

    Slick, silent, and ready to attack.

    Right now, I had no blind spots - no physical openings, even with my back turned to the students.

    But I could fight these mere humans with my eyes closed.

    ¡°Just to let you know, I don¡¯t enjoy beating up kids that are younger than me,¡± The young fool warned charging forward.

    Sloppy. Sloppy¡­

    From upfront, his posture mistakes were clearer. They screamed of imbalance and the unstable nature of his fighting style. I hated to wonder who trained him. Was it the academy or his mighty lineage?

    In that condition, he would never be able to fight against a mere pickpocket. But what bugged me was his ego.

    He lurched forward, his weight being placed in the front of his soles, as to attempt to clutch my side.

    I shifted my weight, leaning my body backward, watching as he tumbled forward, ¡°This,¡± I grabbed his collar with my arm, supporting his hanging figure with ease, ¡°¡­ is your flaw. You lean forward too much.¡±

    It was one of many flaws. Humans sported a lot of them.

    After, poking the back of his neck, head, shoulder blade, heart, and lungs ¨C all the places that I could strike him if it were not a spar. I dropped him to the ground. The boy landed with a thud.

    ¡°In a matter of ten seconds, I have already killed you five times over,¡± I glared down at his laid figure, my tone icy, ¡°Lean back, focus your balance to the core of your body, and practice more stable footwork.¡±

    My lecture continued, ¡°Where this is useful in landing hits, followed by dodging, for regular combat - it¡¯s unsteady,¡± I straightened up, focusing my weight equally on the heels of my foot, ¡°By leaning up and shifting my weight, I¡¯ll have more control of my body.¡±

    The boy lay stunned, his face lighting up as if something had clicked. Alongside him now was the girl that helped him to sit up.

    In stunned silence, they just listened on.

    ¡°...Actually, if this is all you had to show at your age - consider quitting. You¡¯ll never raise to the ranks like you wanted to.¡± I reapproached.

    To translate, his fighting skills were poor, and he didn¡¯t deserve to be in this class if it was selective, as he hinted.

    Just like that, I turned on my heel. Footsteps charged after me, a hurried set bounding against the creaking wood.

    ¡°You little brat-!¡± He screamed.

    What happened next was deserved. My reflexes reacted faster than my mind. Should I have done this? No. But¡­

    I stepped to the side, flinging my leg around, halting his charge with a kick. The hit connected, the same boy now airborne.

    His face contorted in pain, as he now lay against the ropes on the other side of the sparring center.

    My fierce glare met him. I stormed over, grabbing his uniform collar with a clenched fist. I crouched down, my voice low with a warning, ¡°If you were going to attack me from the back, you should have been quieter about it.¡±

    Not like I gave a shit about a knight¡¯s honor of battlefield morals. But right now, I was in a position to.

    His head turned to the side as if he understood my words without wanting to fully admit I was right. Stubborn Fuck.

    I recognized that face, those types of expressions. It was soldiers like this, spoiled nobles, who needed to be taken down a peg.

    ¡°...Asta? What are you doing?¡± The crown prince voiced from behind the sparring rope.

    Behind him was Sirius, whose eyes seemed to glimmer at the spectacle, ¡°Young Asta, I must refrain you from killing my students.¡±

    What was he talking about? He wasn¡¯t dead. The twerp was still breathing.

    Either way, I was caught. This was undeniable. I sighed, dropping my hold on the human, and brushing off my knees.

    ¡°Fixing his collar,¡± I stated simply, not caring if he believed me. I faced back, eyeing the boy¡¯s confused face, ¡°It was crooked.¡±

    Edwin shook his head, ¡°Somehow I don¡¯t believe that.¡±

    Sirius chuckled behind him.

    ¡°Congratulations. That means you¡¯re not as stupid as I give you credit for.¡± I clapped slowly, ducking out of the arena.

    Edwin rushed to my side, leaning closer to whisper, ¡°Guard Asta, remember what we do affects our royal family.¡±

    I scoffed.

    ¡°Like your food incident, right?¡± I mumbled under my breath, loud enough for the Crown Prince to hear though.

    He was silent.

    Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought.

    She piped in weakly, pointing at Edwin, ¡°Forgive me if I¡¯m wrong. But are you not, his Highness?¡±

    Edwin cleared his throat, standing up straighter, ¡°You are correct. It is a pleasure to meet you, young miss. I apologize for my guard¡¯s rude behavior.¡±

    There was an audible gasp from both of them, jaws dropped, as the girl supported him.

    ¡°...The Crown Prince¡¯s guard?¡± His face went pale.

    Ah. He must be thinking of the professor''s comment. Edwin elbowed me to the side.

    Right.

    Now was my time, I turned fully, giving a small bowl, ¡°Apologies for not introducing myself properly. I am serving his royal Highness, Crown Prince Edwin.¡±

    Again, both their expressions dulled.

    Sirius excused us, ¡°Crown Prince Edwin is extremely busy today. I¡¯m afraid that we must head off.¡±

    Edwin seemed to pick up on it, ¡°Right. Guard Asta, we must get going.¡±

    ¡°...Yes. Your Highness,¡± I joined in, marching behind them, outside the classroom.

    It would have been too low for a human to hear. Behind us, the boy whispered under his breath, ¡°So if I fix my posture -I¡¯ll improve, right?¡±

    Jeez.

 - 37 - Goodbye Sirius! Carriage Rides, Content

    The carriage ride back to the castle had been quiet. Edwin''s chin rested on his palm, propped upon the door, as he stared out of the small window of the closure.

    Edwin and Sirius had said their final farewells before we had climbed into the carriage, surrounded by the student onlookers. Now, we headed back to the estate escorted by the sound of hooves. I stared at the Crown Prince; his eyebrows furrowed. His gaze appeared dazed, as he absently watched the passing buildings outside. Alas, it wasn¡¯t my place to question him in the uncharacteristic silence.

    Instead, my eyes peered over to the other end of the carriage bed, watching as he slumped on the side of his seat. "This new side of the carefree prince that I knew was almost refreshing. I had assumed earlier about the real reason for the visit, but this reaction only further proved my suspicions.

    He sighed heavily, crossing his arms, before glancing back over at me, ¡°¡­So, did you enjoy your time in the academy? How did it feel to be surrounded by normal children your age?¡±

    Despite his attempts at small talk, the Crown Prince could not hide the trouble behind his eyes. It was a horrendous poker face. What royalty didn¡¯t master that?

    ¡°Lackluster.¡± I answered sparingly, ¡°Are they really the future of the kingdom at that level of skill?¡± I scoffed.

    This broke Edwin out of his daze. He let out a soft chuckle, grinning, ¡°You know, most teenagers aren¡¯t capable of subduing multiple attackers without breaking a sweat.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more aware of that now.¡± I acknowledged, thinking back to the multiple skill levels of the students. Pathetic.

    He sighed, adjusting himself to the middle of the leather seats, ¡°Anyway, Guard Asta, I didn¡¯t know you were familiar with Sirius.¡±

    Familiar? That¡¯s a little farfetched to describe that relationship.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say familiar. I just happened to hitch a ride with him when I was with Jamie.¡± I explained, reaching over to close the curtains to the carriage window on his side, ¡°I was not aware of his position at the academy if that¡¯s what you¡¯re hinting at.¡±

    Edwin shook his head, holding a hand up to dismiss my assumption, ¡°Guard Asta, it¡¯s not that. It just made me aware that I hardly know anything about you.¡±

    His eyes danced, now glancing down at his feet. The prince leaned forward, sighing, ¡°Most of that information would have been covered had you followed the proper channels to enter the royal guards. Unfortunately, you were a special entry.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter. Because with-or-without the check, to their eyes, I would have just appeared out of thin air. Oh, I see now. Maybe¡­

    I sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t have any reason to betray you, Edwin, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking,¡± I answered curtly, ignoring the shocked expression on his face, ¡°If I wanted you dead, you would have been already.¡±

    ¡°Want me dead? Wait. Did you just¡­No matter,¡± Edwin sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, ¡°It¡¯s not that. Thank you for that reassurance though.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t precisely reassurance. I just didn¡¯t have many options at my disposal at this point.

    ¡°Then, what is it?¡± I poked further, curious as to what had the happy-go-lucky prince in a jumble.

    He exhaled, looking me straight in the eye, ¡°Well¡­,¡± Edwin hesitated, ¡°¡­Do you have any siblings?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I raised my eyebrow, ¡°Why do you care?¡±

    He cleared his throat ¡°I have a younger brother, but he¡¯s from another lady that my father courted. So, he reigns as a duke in the Kingdom.¡±

    I didn¡¯t sign up for meet-the-family.

    ¡°And I care because?¡± I stared at him blankly.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Wait.

    ¡°Have you been quiet because you wanted to learn more about me?¡± I clarified, honestly disappointed. From what I¡¯d learned from my abbreviated time in the presence of Edwin was that he was a simple human.

    ¡°Yes! I would love to learn more about you!¡± He cheered, instantly perking up from his slumped demeanor.

    A part of him reminded me of my second brother, as scary as that was. I wasn¡¯t thrilled to answer questions, but the resemblance chained me. I crossed my arms, raising my hand to hold up three fingers, ¡°You have three questions. I could refuse to answer if I chose. Deal?¡±

    Edwin smiled, nodding eagerly, ¡°Deal. Do you have any siblings, Guard Asta?¡±

    ¡°I have two older brothers. I¡¯m not close to the oldest and the other one annoys me.¡± I answered, nearly cringing at the mere thought of the second prince¡¯s doting. Can¡¯t say I missed it.

    ¡°Well, if they ever visit Trane ¨C you¡¯re welcome to invite them to the estate,¡± Edwin offered. Hah.

    ¡°Trust me. You don¡¯t want them to ever come here,¡± I scoffed, ¡°My family aren¡¯t the nicest individuals.¡±

    The only reason that would happen would be to attack the kingdom, but the dear prince didn¡¯t need to know that. It was the thought that counted, I guess.

    ¡°¡­Oh. Okay,¡± He laughed nervously, ¡°¡­so, how about parents? Do they know you¡¯re here?¡±

    I almost felt bad about the answers that he was bound to get. But it wasn¡¯t my fault that he kept foolishly asking.

    ¡°Never knew my mother. My father disowned me,¡± I wasted no time sugarcoating my reality.

    Edwin frowned, a look of pity scorning across his features, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m close to my father either.¡±

    To this, I did have my own question, ¡°Didn¡¯t he visit the estate recently, though?¡±

    ¡°He did. But it was to discuss political matters that have been going on.¡± Edwin sighed, adjusting his golden coat.

    Political matters? I kept this comment in the back of my mind. From what I was aware of this timeline, the wars were still going on. If not slightly, there was a need for military forces. I doubted I would have been scouted so soon if that were not the case. Whether or not, it regarded Hellion, I would need to question Dagon about it sometime. There hadn¡¯t been enough time to reach through to him, nor did I have the opportunity to risk doing it haphazardly. If plans worked out like promised, then I would have the rest of the night to attempt to contact my general. Well, Former general.

    From the gap in the carriage, I caught a glimpse of the estate in the distance. It¡¯s noticeable, grand outline against the horizon, rapidly approached by our carriage. Calls from the carriage man dawned, as the horses trotted up to the gate. Soon my duties of escorting the blonde bitch would be ceased. For that, I couldn¡¯t help but feel excited.

    I held up one finger, ¡°You have one more question, your Highness. Use it well, Edwin.¡±

    ¡°You know, you never talk to me formally.¡± He sighed, shaking his head, ¡°Okay. I know. Guard Asta, would you want to be my personal guard from now on?¡±

    Pause. Was he crazy? My eyes darted toward the prince, who leaned forward eagerly, waiting for my response.

    I pointed to myself, ¡°Me?¡± Then, I pointed to him, ¡°To be your guard?¡± Pfft.

    No way. There was no way that I¡¯d subject myself to that. Nope.

    He nodded, ¡°I can talk to Sir Serlon about it. But Sirius was the one that suggested that I appoint a personal guard.¡±

    For what reason? Edwin had authority over considerable amounts of guards and military resources. Asking someone that they barely knew? It was a walking security risk.

    I sighed, holding my hand to my face, ¡°And why would he suggest that?¡±

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t tell you yet,¡± He deflected, ¡°But I can if you become my personal guard!¡±

    Oh. If that was the case¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll pass. Hire someone that¡¯s worked here longer than a week, dipshit,¡± I countered, watching the prince¡¯s expression turn into a pout.

    ¡°Why?¡± He started to whine before the door to the carriage swung open to an exhausted-looking Serlon. Whiny ass.

    Why? Because it wasn¡¯t worth the headache. Simple as that. No longer did I hold a reason to obtain information for my father. I would not be returning to Hellion, ever. Becoming the Crown Prince¡¯s guard held weight in reputation and responsibilities. Responsibilities that I wasn¡¯t sure that I desired in the slightest.

    Even with the head guard standing at the opening, Edwin continued pestering, ¡°Why, Guard Asta? I consider you, my friend.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not friends, nor would I ever want to be yours,¡± I shook my head, wasting no time to hop down. Slipping past Serlon, I said, ¡°Second, I agreed to three questions, not four. Why? Figure it out yourself.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re horrible¡­¡± The prince exhaled, looking to his head guard for help. Serlon could only glance at the scene in confusion.

    ¡°I try to be.¡± I chirped, waiting outside the carriage as Edwin attempted to climb out in his bulky attire.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Serlon sighed, already rubbing his temples. Dark circles had formed under his eyes, giving the knight an exasperated appearance.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to know...¡± I sighed, shaking my head. At this rate, we were both going to have to retire early. Human royalty was so needy.

    ¡°This is perfect,¡± Edwin said, walking alongside Serlon to the doors of the estate, ¡°I was wondering if Asta could be appointed as my personal guard.¡±

    I felt Serlon¡¯s stare as I walked in front of the two. His voice was cautious, ¡°He¡¯s only been working here for close to a week. I¡¯d rather you had one of the other guards escorts you. Eran, Gunnar, someone like that.¡±

    ¡°And I agree.¡± I chimed in, turning around to give Serlon a thumbs up.

    He grumbled, ¡°Besides, Asta is only sixteen. That¡¯s a lot of pressure for someone of his age.¡±

    ¡°¡­I guess that¡¯s true, but still,¡± Edwin added, ¡°He¡¯d be less noticeable if I wanted to attract less attention.¡±

    Serlon paused for a second. It was silent as the guard contemplated this, ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true.¡±

    Edwin¡¯s voice piped up, ¡°Yes! Exactly! So, I don¡¯t think it would be a bother to assign him at least occasionally, as my personal guard.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to think about it¡­¡± Serlon gave in, nodding to the soldiers that were stationed outside of the estate¡¯s doors. They bowed, shouting their greetings to the Sun of the Kingdom, ¡°Your Royal Highness! Future of the Kingdom! Crown Prince Edwin!¡± The two soldiers addressed; their bodies still folded over in respect.

    Serlon cleared his throat, ¡°Rise.¡± He declared to his troops, then glanced back over at the Crown Prince, ¡°Your Highness, you have some urgent papers to sign off on in your office.¡±

    Edwin nodded, giving one last look before disappearing into the estate doors. I played with the hilt of my sword, waiting in silence. Serlon stood by my side, as the two soldiers stood stationed at the open doors.

    ¡°Asta, how are you liking the guard position?¡± Serlon questioned, his gaze falling on mine. His expression heeded a layer of conflict.

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s fine.¡± I shrugged, ¡°I always assumed the guardship would be more strenuous. We¡¯ve only had to do escorts and basic patrols.¡±

    He gave a halfhearted smile, reaching his hand over to pat my back, ¡°I¡¯m glad. If it ever gets too much for you, then come talk to me. There are openings in the lower posts that are less stressful.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right. Sure.¡± I gave a sideways glance to the tired guard, ¡°I¡¯m not as fragile as you think I am, old man.¡±

    Serlon chuckled, tiredly, ¡°I know, Asta. But you¡¯re still sixteen. You¡¯re just a kid.¡±

    I lifted my hand, starting to stroll off into the estate, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Serlon.¡±

    And it was the truth. I¡¯m fine with the way things are. I was growing content with my current position.

    Even if it was among humans.

 - 38 - War Continues On! Mana Stone, Second Calls

    Sneaking out of the estate at night wasn¡¯t difficult. Well, it wasn¡¯t exactly sneaking out. For once, the twins had gotten the night off from covering the guard shift at the front doors. Gunnar and Trent would remain posted during moonlight hours till the early starts of training.

    ¡°Out so late, Sonny?¡± Gunnar asked, his hands combed through the scruff on his chin.

    Trent turned his attention, his eyes noting my darkened attire, ¡°Robbing a bank, maybe?¡±

    ¡°If I have the time,¡± I spoke jokingly, adjusting the sleeves of the black tunic shirt, ¡°No, but I¡¯ll be out for a little.¡±

    Both of the large men nodded, both to each other and me. I took that as my sign to head off, turning to the outer gates.

    ¡°Look at you! So eager to leave,¡± Gunnar yelled out, ¡°Section 2, Article 18! Don¡¯t forget!¡±

    I didn¡¯t need to check behind me to know that Gunnar was waving. Sticking up my hand, I raised my voice, ¡°Yeah, yeah. I know. A guard off-duty is to represent the legacy of the Trane Royal Family. This insurance includes the banning of alcohol.¡±

    Why would I drink that vile beverage?

    Snickers faded in the distance as I approached the outer gates of the estate. The guards at the gate stood in salute. From questioning Eran about it earlier, apparently, they were miles below us when it came to the guard hierarchy. As stupid as the other Prince¡¯s guards acted, it was a coveted position.

    My first impression of the other guards had been a shirtless man bursting from the wooden frame of a destroyed door. It was a wonder that the troop was respected as much as it was. Really.

    Still, the gate guards were a reminder of the position that I somehow nabbed so swiftly. They were at the bottom.

    For instance, they were starting where I should have begun. My circumstances weren¡¯t exactly normal as many have pointed out. The more I question it, the more the deal with Serlon had been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most applicants.

    ¡°Guard Asta. How many we help you?¡± The one guard questioned. It came out as more of an announcement, shouting loud enough for the small proximity of guards to hear.

    ¡°Just heading out for a walk,¡± I explained simply, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    The other guard nodded, marching over to open the gate. It opened with a click. The large metal bars reveal the lit-up scene of the kingdom¡¯s streets.

    They moved to the side of the gates. I walked through, remembering to give them a gesture before I walked off to join the nightlife.

    It wasn¡¯t extremely late at this time. The moon joined forces with the illuminated buildings of the kingdom. Some shops remained out, windows revealing chattering groups at tables. Compared to Hellion, the atmosphere was serene. Dare I say it was peaceful?

    Reaching into my collar, I pulled out the mana stone. The dull rock discharged tiny amounts of magic levels. I held it up to the moon, closing one eye.

    I had come out to attempt to contact Dagon, in hopes of trying to gain a better idea of what was occurring in the world outside of Trane. Yet, I was conflicted by thoughts that could only be attributed to my loss of title.

    What authority did I have now? The answer was none.

    The fact remained that I could no longer consider myself a ¡°prince¡± nor did I hold authority over an army that was vanquished by my father.

    What was stopping Dagon from betraying me? No. I refused to believe that the general that had raised me since hatching would do such a thing. Call it a foolish assumption, but I held onto it.

    If my father knew that I was awake and alive, would he call for my death?The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    I shook my head, clutching the mana stone in my palm, and sighing.

    Tucking into a darkened alley, I leaned against the brick building. I sank to sit on the dirt floor, removing the necklace from my neck, and holding it in front of me.

    Might as well try.

    I sighed, cupping the stone and coursing tiny amounts of mana into it. It glowed lightly before my voice rang from the small object.

    ¡°Prince Arsylm?¡± Dagon¡¯s familiar voice spoke worriedly into the stone. His tone was hushed.

    ¡°Dagon?¡± I looked around, checking around the empty streets, ¡°Is this a good time?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you need no appointment my sire,¡± Dagon assured, ¡°I apologize for not being the one to contact you, Prince Arsylm.¡±

    It was refreshing to hear my real name. I had not heard it since I interacted with humans. I¡¯ll admit it was nostalgic.

    ¡°I am no longer your Prince nor general, Dagon,¡± I reminded, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so formal anymore.¡±

    There was a pause at the other end.

    ¡°I would never dare Sire,¡± He voiced, again his voice hushed, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have much time,¡± he paused again before shuffling was heard on the other side, ¡°What can I do for you, my sire?¡±

    I leaned back, holding the mana stone. My eyes remained transfixed on the glowing moon, gently covered in night clouds. At least, the sky was the same.

    ¡°The state of the world. What did I miss?¡± I asked, leaning forward, ¡°I just need a better idea of what¡¯s happening in the political scene.¡±

    Wars were still raging, right? Was Hellion still a key figure? Would I have to choose sides? Could I?

    ¡°¡­I assume that you¡¯re in a position that you must know. I¡¯d expect as much from you,¡± He sighed, ¡°You never change, my sire.¡±

    ¡°I suppose. It just happened this way,¡± I mused, ¡°It¡¯s hard to decipher the state of the wars from inside Trane.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d imagine. Hellion is noticeably weaker without your presence, of course,¡± He admitted with a grimace to his tone, ¡°But we¡¯re still fighting against the human encampments. Your first brother is the main force currently. The second prince was placed on strategic defense. However, we¡¯ve been pushed back by considerable amounts.¡±

    Weaker? That was hard to hard. Looking back at my glory days, I could only consider myself as my father¡¯s warmonger. I was as obedient as a dog, merely following the orders of the King.

    But that was no longer my duty. I had no obligation to Hellion anymore and I had accepted that the moment I was discarded.

    Still, nothing should have changed. I was feared in my past, sure. But it was beside my father to take loss sitting down. Had my first brother taken over the image that I was raised to create? A symbol of fear and absolute victory? The position rallied on the ability of your presence to spell destruction for the other side.

    I was aware of that, even at an early age when I started fighting for the kingdom. My first brother was capable of taking up my old position, even more so than my second brother.

    It made sense to me.

    ¡°What is Trane¡¯s position in the war from your perspective?¡± I asked, curious about the answer.

    Under the command of the Crown Prince, I was certain that I would see war once again on the battlefield. If I stayed here, at least. My options to go back to Hellion were improbable.

    ¡°I¡¯m working under your second brother. It is unclear because of my station in Hellion, but from a strategies point of view¡­,¡± He cleared his throat, ¡°We¡¯re aware of the supply lines being dominated by Trane. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re actively in the actual fighting, my sire.¡±

    I wonder why that was so? Trane didn¡¯t strike me as a poor, struggling kingdom. They had power and political ties from the Kingdom¡¯s academy from what I gathered. Strange.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied, ¡°How have you and Adbeel been managing since the collapse of the territory,¡± I questioned.

    Dagon was a competent general. He had proven that repeatedly in his service under me and during the brief time for my father before that. I was certain that he had garnered himself another respected position. Since the last time I contacted him, I couldn¡¯t help but remain curious about their positions since my disappearance.

    Everything had been lost. I¡¯d imagine that it was hard to pick up the pieces from there.

    On the other side, Dagon was silent. Only rustling was auditable from the mana stone.

    ¡°Dagon? How are you and Adbeel?¡± I repeated. This time it was a little louder.

    ¡°¡­I am fine, my sire,¡± There was chattering from his end before he whispered into the stone, ¡°My sire, I must go. Now is not the best time. Stay safe, Prince Arsylm. I¡¯ll contact you when I can.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye, Dagon.¡±

    With that final comment, the mana stone dimmed. The connection with my former general was lost. Sigh.

    ¡°Prince?¡± I muttered under my breath, placing the mana stone on the ground beside me.

    I was no longer a prince. That fool. I exhaled, groaning as I picked up the necklace. Once again, I pulled it around my neck and tucked it under my shirt.

    So. Trane was the main supplier for the war? For humans that valued education and skills, it made sense. Their ability to produce useful tools for the frontlines would back up that prowess.

    Of course, I saw none of that in the gates of the estate. Nor, I had been sent on escorts outside of the kingdom in my brief time here. There wasn¡¯t much to work with in my current predicament. At the same time, I had the upper hand because with status came power.

    Dagon¡¯s information was useful. Although it was brief, it was enough for me to work with. It was not like I needed to know the status of the lands outside the Kingdom of Trane.

    I was a mere guard for a foolish human prince. But to better understand my situation, I was thankful for the information that I could get.

    It was true. The best place for my well-being was within the walls of this human kingdom. As much as it hurt my pride to admit it.

    In the future? Maybe not. For now? Yes.

    I sighed, getting up to brush off my trousers. Stepping out of the alley, I strolled down the empty streets of Trane. Because I had not talked to Dagon for long, some of the stores were still open. The streets around this area were not crowded.

    Instead, most humans were occupied in the shops. I supposed they were making their final purchases before the night¡¯s end. I guess I didn¡¯t need to head to the estate immediately after. My duties for the day had ended with the escort to the academy.

    What was the harm in sightseeing the human establishments?

    I stopped outside the lit window of a small library. A human sat inside next to a pile of older-looking books, dusting off the shelves with a cloth. Besides that, there had only been one other human inside.

    I pushed open the library¡¯s wooden door, a bell ringing to announce my entrance. The librarian that had been dusting off the shelves glanced in my direction.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re still open, yes?¡± I asked, walking further into the store.

    The librarian, a younger man smiled, and nodded, ¡°We¡¯re open for a while. Help yourself, young man.¡±

    I nodded, making my way to the shelves of books, and glancing down the spines. Finally, I paused in my tracks. If I were alone, I¡¯d laugh at the irony of the situation.

    Part of me had entered the small library as a joke. It had been a hundred years. Therefore, I had not expected much.

    I crouched down beside the shelf, reaching down to grab a tattered red book. Of course, they had something like this.

    [Records of the Dragon General: Released Documents.]

 - 39 - Self Study! Revelations, Trouble Brewing

    I did not need a book to recount the experiences that I had lived through myself. Battles that were victorious needed no further explanation. The same went for lost fights. After all, nothing could be properly rationalized in clear defeat in that brutal world. I skipped through the first half of the collected documents, not needing to read about old battles.

    Instead, I flipped near the back of the book. Skimming along till I was able to find the records of my miserable defeat on the east encampment. My shoulder radiated in pain from the mere remembrance. It was all too familiar. As I read along the faded inking of the paper, each word describing the same scene that was etched in my mind so clearly. Each word transported my mind to that time as if I could close my eyes and be there once again. The popping of human gunfire, the whizzing bullets, and the screams of dying soldiers. I remembered it all. It was unforgettable.

    How could I? A soldier¡¯s pride was fragile. Even with the most experienced like myself, a loss was something that would never be redeemed. In most cases, it was an experience that you¡¯d die in. I was less likely to earn that privilege of dying in battle. Dragons were more resistant to attacks from humans. Although, light magic was the general weakness towards demonic blood. Dark and light never mixed. Never.

    The book was told from one side of the story. Obviously. Still, I¡¯ll admit that it was strange to read about yourself from another perspective. There was no author of these documents. They were collected from a variety of sources. Each of them retold several aspects of the battles, making my defeat more explainable as I read on. There was a report from a human scout that managed to seek into demon-occupied areas of the battlefield.

    ¡°[Scouts managed to discover the planning of incoming attacks from the Demon General. Messengers have been deployed on horseback to travel the 60-mile trek to the nearest stronghold.]¡±

    The next report was marked hours before the attack started. I remembered this moment as it was dated two hours before the actual attack. Dagon and Adbeel had moved the forces towards separate sides of the encampment. I had been stationed near the front, waiting to charge first with some of the frontline demons.

    We had no idea that this was occurring. It was laughable and pathetic to think that the humans were able to pull it off. But my words were only ones of a loser. Did I deserve to undermine those humans? I couldn¡¯t help but continue reading the page in pensiveness, learning to accept these humiliating realizations.

    ¡°[Battle Mage organization called ARC has responded to SOS pleas. The returning messenger dies alongside the horse after traveling nonstop for days. Generals are to hold out till help arrives.]¡±

    Another entry of the record had been documented merely two hours later.

    ¡°[Troops exhausted. The front lines have been slaughtered by the demonic forces led by the Dragon general.]¡±

    It continued onto the next page.

    ¡°[ARC arrives with Dragon Knights. The tides turned to war. The dragon general shot down with light magic. Main commanders of the demon troop flee.]¡±

    That was it. After that, Dagon and Adbeel rushed to my side. All that I could remember from that moment was the blinding pain from my wings. Then I woke up in the medical center at Hellion¡¯s castle, only able to rest briefly before facing the music with my father.

    I loomed, disheartened by the reminder of the battle that ended everything. My territory, role, identity, and my home. Even as a dragon, it was still a tough truth to swallow. I had lost everything and had been thrown into the same well of humans that plotted that downfall. Surely, the sisters of fate were laughing at me.

    ¡°Do I even want to read on?¡± I sighed under my breath, willing my hand to turn the old pages to the next.

    Blank. I flipped again.

    Blank. Again. No. That can¡¯t be right¡­

    Ripped. The remaining pages were ripped. I combed through what would have been the rest of the book to find nothing but missing papers. This couldn¡¯t be right. Everything detailing the events after had been torn from the documents.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I called the librarian across the space. He perked up from behind a stack of books, his dark hair covered in dust, ¡°Do you happen to have the ripped pages stored somewhere? The last pages of the book are gone.¡±

    The young man got up, swiping the dirt from his attire, and walked over. He grabbed the book, flipping to the back of the same ripped pages.

    He shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we only get books that are about to be thrown out from noble estates or old documents like this one. I can barely preserve the books as it is, but if it has missing pages that¡¯s because we received it like that.¡±

    The librarian turned the book over to read the title, before he smiled, ¡°...But if you have any questions about this topic, I may be able to help. I studied war history in the academy, so we learned a good portion about the Dragon general.¡±

    If only he knew that he was speaking to the actual dragon. Heh.

    The offer was too tempting to throw away. I wanted to gain more insight into my missed time. Of course, I could ask permission to look at old documents on the estate or request to visit the library in the main castle. But that request would be more of a burden to fulfill.

    If there was anything I wanted to avoid, it was to reveal my interest in what could have been common knowledge. There was a disconnection from my understanding of the world versus the time that had passed. Even with my position, I could never be too careful. And my wing was in no shape to destroy an entire kingdom. Not yet at least. Shamelessly, I took the human¡¯s offer, not planning to ask too much.

    ¡°What happened to the Dragon general after this?¡± I asked, pointing to the book.

    What happened in the hundred years that I was sleeping? How was my disappearance overseen? What were the rumors?

    ¡°I can see why you¡¯re interested. I remember being curious when I learned about this in the academy,¡± The librarian explained, placing the book on a nearby table, ¡°The demon army pulled back after that. ARC and the dragon knights were able to take back most of the encampments because the main three generals disappeared.¡±

    I fought back an urge to wince. Disappeared? I didn¡¯t exactly have a choice in the matter. Dagon and Adbeel were put into a difficult position. It was no wonder. And I¡¯m sure it took some convincing to lure the first prince out of his territory to continue the war like he was now. It was disappointing, to be honest.

    ¡°...But¡± The young human continued, ¡°After what most people assumed to be the death of the Demon King¡¯s dragon, the human territories were able to focus on cultivating their arts. Trane itself is an example of that. After the return of the Dragon Knights, the monarchy was able to receive huge capital from the victory. Hence the academy!¡±

    Well.

    That explained the overall emphasis on education here. Compared to human kingdoms in the past, Trane was ahead in various aspects. Education, potion making, magic training - all these things were unheard of to this degree a hundred years ago. Most humans then focused on surviving.

    ¡°So, what happened to the demon race after that? Were they still aggressive on the frontlines?¡± I questioned, thinking back to the news of the internal conflict that Dagon had explained to me.

    My father banished his third son, destroyed my territory, and kicked the eldest out to clean up the mess. Father of the century. Still, a man of his pride wouldn¡¯t be quiet in battle even while facing a civil one.

    The librarian paused to think, before tilting his head in debate, ¡°...Well. Hm. I mean demons are always aggressive,¡± He reasoned.

    Ain¡¯t that the truth¡­

    ¡°However, it took them a while after the dragon¡¯s death to recover their position in the war. It wasn¡¯t till recently that they started to retake the outer towns and kingdoms.¡± He explained.

    ¡°Outer kingdoms? Which ones?¡± I asked, my tone coming off more alert than I intended it to be.

    Whether the librarian regarded my tone as alert or curious, I wasn¡¯t sure. Instead, he walked over to his desk and reached over to pull out a small map.

    He laid it out on the table, pointing to two marked areas on the west side of the human territories, ¡°Beloder and Florence are the two outermost kingdoms under attack. Since the last attacks a hundred years ago, the east is more defended.¡±

    I took the opportunity to note Trane¡¯s position on the map. The kingdom was located the near center, between the borderlines of what could be considered southeast. Leaning over the map, I studied the areas and focused on the location of the two kingdoms. It was a logical plan by my first and second brothers.

    I¡¯ll admit that. However, ¡­ I couldn¡¯t help clicking my tongue as I grabbed the map from the table, gripping it in my hand.

    ¡°I can keep this, right?¡± I declared more than I asked.

    The librarian waved it off, simply nodding, ¡°Take it as payment for the disappointment of the torn pages. I have several old maps anyway.¡±

    ¡°Perfect.¡±

    With that, I marched out of the store with my eyes glued to the map as I walked out of the library without another word.

    I don¡¯t know why it irked me. It wasn¡¯t my duty anymore to worry about this type of thing. Still, my general mindset couldn¡¯t help but question the intentions of these targets. What were they thinking? The location was more troubling. If Dagon had been stationed with my second brother in strategies, then I couldn¡¯t help but question the reason for such a situation. He could have avoided his. So why? Before I came to realize it, my hand was already clutched around the mana stone and the connection had gone through.

    A disheveled voice on the other side called with the same hushed whisper, ¡°Prince Arslym, why are you calling so soon¡­¡±

    I cut him off.

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing attacking the West side? Are you trying to get killed?¡± I hissed, my eyes scanning the map.

    ¡°...Oh. You found out.¡± Dagon exhaled loudly, ¡°I should have told you about our movements earlier.¡±

    He said that like it¡¯s his job still. It¡¯s not. He owed me nothing now.

    ¡°The west side of the human territory is dangerously close to the angelic tribes. You know that.¡± I nearly choked on air when I heard about where the demon troops were attacking.

    ¡°...Prince Arslym,¡± My former general began cautiously, ¡°The neutrality with the angelic race revoked itself a hundred years ago. Where do you think humans learned light magic?¡±

    Impossible. Demons and angels remained neutral for a thousand years after the last holy war.

    ¡°Your father was the one that found out. Since then, we¡¯ve been at war from both sides.¡± My former general revealed.

    It couldn¡¯t be. It just couldn¡¯t.

    I froze, trying to take in the massive piece of information that was just revealed to me. But more importantly, how did I not know about this sooner? Just how much had changed after my disappearance? That¡¯s what I needed to find out by any means possible.

    Anything.

 - 40 - A Trusting Fool! Spars, Distracted Mind

    The sun had barely started to rise on the sweat-covered training grounds. Serlon swung the blades toward Eran¡¯s head. He hesitated, crashing to the ground in a feeble attempt to dodge the attack. The guard struggled to recollect himself, moving too slowly before finding the wooden blade resting against his throat.

    Eran dropped the sword in his hand, yielding his hands to defeat, ¡°It¡¯s my loss,¡± He admitted, panting as he leaned back to catch his breath.

    Serlon lowered both swords, ¡°You hesitated. That¡¯s why you lost. If it were a real battle, your head would be gone.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Sir Serlon,¡± Eran nodded, brushing off the leftover dirt caked to his trousers before heading to the side to join everyone else.

    One of the twins, Daniel, raised his hand for a high-five, which Eran reciprocated, ¡°Nice Captain, you lasted a minute longer than the others did.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nearly impossible against Sir Serlon,¡± Trent yawned, stretching his arms above his head.

    ¡°Yeah. Next thing you know, you¡¯ll be rising in the ranks of the castle,¡± Gunnar beamed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re the type of people to be talking about high ranks,¡± Lars gloated, pointing to himself, ¡°I¡¯m pretty awesome already.¡±

    His twin brother, Daniel proceeded to punch him on the side, ¡°Says the guy, who got knocked out within the first three minutes of the spar.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying attention! There was a bird!¡± Lars cried, holding his shoulder in pain. Normally I¡¯d have some clever quip to add to this conversation. Instead, I leaned against the estate walls that bordered the training ground and stared off in a daze.

    Last night, Dagon hadn¡¯t added to his explanation of their attack on the western human territory. There was nothing to add. Seeing as the angelic and demonic neutrality clause had been revoked. I had ventured back to the estate enveloped in the realization of what that meant. In the hundred years that I had been gone, my father had incurred war on the angelic tribe. This explains the weakening of demonic attacks from the human perspective. Demons were at a disadvantage when it came to the powers of the angels. Light magic was damning, leaving no mercy to demons of even high rank. My wing was a stark reminder of that fact.

    It troubled me. Fighting for my father wasn¡¯t my duty anymore. I needed to focus on surviving in the human world. But I should be there. There. With Dagon and Adbeel. Around that stone strategy table. In that godforsaken battle that would surely be the end of me. Why? I couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of loss at my predicament. The matter was that I was no longer welcomed in Hellion and unable to protect my people. With one wing. What could I even accomplish? Useless. My mind could only focus on this.

    ¡°Hey?¡± A voice called.

    ¡°Asta? Hello?¡±  Again.

    ¡°Earth to Asta,¡± Serlon waved his hand in front of my face, trying to get my attention.

    I quickly came back to my senses, peering around to find the others staring at me, ¡°Ah. Sorry. I zoned out a little.¡±

    ¡°We could tell,¡± Serlon sighed, ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s your turn to spar. Are you feeling well enough to do that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, old man,¡± I scoffed, grabbing the wooden sword laid beside me, as I entered to training grounds.

    Serlon strolled over to the other side of the field, now holding the two swords in his hand, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get this done.¡±

    Without another word, he launched himself forward across the field. I held the sword out in front of me, meeting the two blades of the commander just in time. Redirecting the blades down, I used the moment to launch backward to create space between us.

    Serlon recovered immediately, closing the distance, and slashing one sword to my side. The other sword was raised above my head, rearing down swiftly. There was little time to react. I spun to the empty side, dropping my stance down, and delivering a kick to his ankle. Serlon grunted, stepping back with his swords dragging to his sides. Like the last time, his stance appeared lazy. Yet, the experienced warrior stood without openings.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°What¡¯s your secret?¡± He chuckled, beginning to circle my position, ¡°I¡¯d love to know where you learned to fight like that.¡±

    In Hellion. Surrounded by war-crazed maniacs.

    ¡°My secret is that moisturize every morning¡± I joked, spinning around to face his circling figure, ¡°Fighting wise? I picked up some tricks along the way.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± He took a step back, before spearing one of the swords directly to the handle of my own, knocking the wooden blade outside the grounds, ¡°I supposed I picked up a few things along the way too then.¡±

    Tsk. I clicked my tongue. The spar was over. I seemed to be losing a lot to this human during training sessions. It was a bitter feeling. Serlon threw his other sword into the pile in the corner of the training grounds.

    ¡°That¡¯ll conclude our session for the day,¡± He called to the others, who chatted amongst themselves on the sidelines, ¡°Line up! We have a busy day today.¡±

    Wasn¡¯t that every day?

    I sighed, joining Eran, who had been the first to position himself. The others joined us quickly, yawning as they did so. Soon, Serlon paced down the line of us, stopping in the middle.

    ¡°Today, we¡¯ll all be escorting Crown Prince Edwin to the imperial castle to meet the King,¡± Serlon announced, ¡°Everyone needs to go freshen up and equip their imperial armor before we head off. We meet in two hours. If you¡¯re late, it¡¯ll fire you.¡±

    God, I wish.

    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The line replied in unison. I simply nodded, not bothering to join the crowd.

    Everyone hurried away towards the showers. I lingered over to the estate walls, sitting down to watch the rising sun. I wonder if Dagon and Adbeel were up. Probably not. Maybe they were fighting right now? Battling for their lives. I should be there. Shouldn''t I?

    A thud was heard beside me, as Serlon joined me on the wall, ¡°I guess I won¡¯t need to chase you down. You¡¯ll be following me.¡±

    I looked over, narrowing my eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t I need to get ready?¡±

    ¡°This doesn''t look like getting ready,¡± He scoffed, alluding to my short rest, ¡°Besides, the attire that you need to wear isn¡¯t something you¡¯d have yet.¡±

    What was he on about? The attire that I had already was standard for the royal guards. According to the rulebook, at least.

    Serlon huffed, as he stood back up, ¡°Don''t whine. Follow me.¡±

    ¡°Whatever, old man,¡± I sighed, hurrying over to join his side.

    Instead of taking the normal way back, we went through a side door. Guards waited inside, bowing as they saw the head guard.

    ¡°Sir Serlon! Sir!¡± The two guards greeted him with their heads down in respect.

    ¡°Good morning. Keep up the excellent work,¡± Serlon responded, turning towards a set of stairs.

    It was out of the way and heavily guarded with people positioned at every turn. Only when we reached the end of the stairway did this make sense.

    More guards opened a steel door, revealing the hallway to the Crown Prince¡¯s quarters. Similar to the other guards, they bowed briefly before shutting the door behind us.

    I peered back toward the steel door, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a safety risk? It leads straight outside.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware. This whole estate is under consistent patrol. I make sure that the outside hallway is heavily guarded to make up for it.¡± He commented, leading us over to the front of Edwin¡¯s quarters.

    Wait. Why here? Why were we here?

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I was getting my armor?¡± I deadpanned at the sight of the royal doors, ¡°¡­Why are we here?¡±

    Serlon sighed, ¡°Because Prince Edwin was adamant about polishing both of our armor for today.¡±

    The last thing that I expected that the blonde bitch knew how to do was polish armor. It was a scary thought in actuality. I couldn¡¯t help but cringe at the damage he¡¯d do.

    ¡°And you trust him?¡± I voiced, noticing the grim expression that appeared on the head guard¡¯s face.

    ¡°¡­Do you expect me to say no to the future king of the kingdom?¡± Serlon reasoned, his tone somewhat depressed.

    ¡°Why not?¡± I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve said no to him before.¡±

    ¡°You know what? Why did I ask you? Of course, you¡¯ve refused him before¡­¡± He sighed, rubbing his temples.

    Serlon cleared his throat, before stepping up to the grand wooden doors, ¡°Your Highness! It is Sir Serlon and Guard Asta. We are here to pick up the armor.¡±

    I wondered if we would find him passed out on his couch again. To my surprise, it was almost immediately that the doors creaked open. Edwin stood with a large grin, dressed in gold ribbons. His tunic was covered in lavish gems and his golden hair had been styled. On the top of his head rested a crown that brandished a large ruby at the center. He looked like a true prince for once. The only thing that was out of place was the eyebags that hung under his tired expression.

    Serlon bowed, elbowing me on the side, ¡°Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°¡­your Highness,¡± I made a pathetic attempt to bow.

    Edwin placed his hand on Serlon¡¯s shoulder, guiding him inside the room. He peered over at me, ¡°Asta! I¡¯m glad to see you!¡±

    ¡°I wish I could say the same,¡± I grumbled, earning another elbow from Serlon. I followed the two inside the lavish quarters.

    The prince playfully winced, ¡°C¡¯mon, my friend. Don¡¯t be like that! Come, come! I spent all night polishing your armor for your first trip into the imperial castle.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too early for this, Edwin,¡± I said, brushing past him towards the two sets of armor that hung on the other side of the room. Littered on the floor next to them were a variety of rags, buckets, and opened containers of polish. Did he really spend the whole time polishing two sets of armor?

    Serlon walked over to the first set of armor, lifting the chest plate off the hooks to inspect the polished steel. Well, it wasn¡¯t destroyed. In fact, they looked nice.

    He shook his head, before glancing back at the prince, ¡°I told you to not be up too late. You should have called your maid to finish polishing the armor.¡±

    ¡°I felt bad. It was already later in the evening and the staff had been preoccupied with getting my attire ready for today.¡± Edwin explained through a loud yawn, ¡°It¡¯s fine. My father has been in a lenient mood recently.¡±

    ¡°Your father¡¯s version of lenient is¡­.¡± Serlon trailed off, stopping as he eyed me. He redirected, ¡°Asta, this one is yours. We¡¯ll be wearing matching ones today.¡±

    I scrunched my nose, grabbing the chest plate from his hands, ¡°Gross. I don¡¯t want to play matching with my boss.¡±

    From behind us, the crown prince broke into a muffled laughter.

    ¡°No. There are only two guards allowed in the throne room with the prince,¡± He pointed to the blue strip painted into the shoulder padding, ¡°Edwin asked that the other guard, be you.¡±

    I went silent, before glaring at Edwin,¡± If this is about the offer of being your personal guard, I¡¯m not interested.¡±

    The prince shook his head, ¡°No! No. It¡¯s not that. I¡¯m not going to make you be my personal guard against your will,¡± He turned his head to whisper, not thinking I¡¯d hear, ¡°¡­although I could technically command it.¡±

    I fought the urge to punch prince pauper.

    ¡°Then why?¡± God. I had enough to worry about as it was. First war, now this.

    ¡°Because I need someone, I trust by my side today. I trust you.¡± His tone was serious, lacking the joking one from seconds ago.

    Trust me? What a foolish idea.

 - 41 - Throne Room! Benevolent King, Light Magic

    The king was a temperamental man. That was the warning that Serlon had given me before we left for the imperial castle. I hadn¡¯t thought much about it till seeing Edwin¡¯s shift in mannerisms. He stayed silent throughout the carriage ride. His demeanor did not change on arrival, only intensifying as we marched through the golden halls of the imperial castle.

    I glanced around, taking in the lavish decorations and carvings made along the marble pillars of the hall. Trane was the furthest from being a poor kingdom. As I was told by the librarian, the capital from the war was sufficient enough to allow them to develop to this level. It reminded me of Hellion. Or the one I knew. Then again, that could have changed from the wars. I left that behind me.

    The prince¡¯s expression was blank. How peculiar? This was the human that snuck out of the castle, clung to you, acted immaturely, and all of the above. It was like I was looking at a different person. I couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. Gradually, this scene was becoming too familiar to me. Those walks to my own father¡¯s throne room were self-tortuous. One could drown in their anxieties from the mere thought of it. Cause, my last time being summoned by my father had ended so well. Still, it was morbidly nostalgic. Edwin adorned a poker face, an ability that I thought was not possible by the foolish prince. But here we were.

    Through the busy hallways, servants cleared our way, whispering under their breath.

    ¡°The Crown Prince is here¡­.¡± A maid whispered to another.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him since that time,¡± Another gasped.

    ¡°Should we let the cleaning staff know that they¡¯ll be busy today?¡± A butler thought out loud. Their murmuring died down, as we approached the golden steel doors that were guarded by two large knights.

    ¡°Halt!¡± The one commanded, standing tall with a spear in hand, ¡°Your Highness, Crown Prince Edwin. State your business.¡±

    ¡°I have come on a summons from my father, the King,¡± Edwin said, walking forward. Serlon trailed behind him like a shadow. I stepped up, a pace behind Edwin, as I eyed the other guard. The guard looked up at me, his expression seemingly shocked at my juvenile appearance.

    The guards traded looks before nodding, ¡°You¡¯re free to enter the hall to the throne room,¡± He paused, glaring at the rest of the troop stationed behind us, ¡°¡­But they must stay out here. You know the rules.¡±

    The pacing was heard behind us before the sound of spears hitting each other. I peered behind us, shocked to find two other imperial guards blocking off the others. Eran clicked his tongue, staring between the intersected blades. Behind him, the twins clenched their fists with a conflicted look.

    Edwin rested his hand, ceasing any further movements from the rest of the troop, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Please wait for us out here,¡± he instructed. His commands instantly relaxed the others, who stepped back reluctantly.

    Interesting. I watched the scene in cognizance. I had my thoughts about what prompted this reaction. But it was too early to confirm them. Temperament? The King¡¯s leniency? All of those were becoming fogged in reality.

    ¡°The King is awaiting your arrival. Your two escorting guards are allowed inside, your Highness.¡± He informed. The imperial guard bowed, pushing the large steel doors open.

    Edwin paused at the sound of the closing doors before going ahead. I followed Serlon¡¯s lead, venturing into the portrait-covered hallway of the throne room entrance. On the walls, portraits of former kings stared down into the walkway. Their painted attire was grand enough to put Edwin¡¯s exaggerated to shame. The Crown Prince that had been silent throughout this whole ordeal, stopped in his tracks and turned towards me. His smile was ghostly, as he tried to lighten the heavy atmosphere.

    ¡°Your Highness, we should continue¡­¡± Serlon cautioned, receiving a wave-off from Edwin, who placed his gloved hand on my polished armor. He pointed to the row of portraits that hung on the hallway walls.

    ¡°The imperial castle is quite spectacular to behold. Is it not?¡± He tried to cheer, his tone betraying him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I could not give you a proper tour.¡±

    I took a second to take in the pale face of Edwin, who appeared as a stranger in front of me. Serlon glanced at me from behind the prince, shooting a knowing look, ¡°¡­Edwin, I don¡¯t care about dumb paintings. Let¡¯s not make the King wait.¡±

    I knew what it meant to make my father wait. If I was correct, this was similar.

    Edwin sighed and shrugged, ¡°¡­I suppose you¡¯re right. My father is not one to be kept waiting.¡± He turned on his heel to head towards the steward stationed on the other end of the hall.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    The steward frowned at the sight of the prince, ¡°¡­Crown Prince Edwin.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Richmond. How¡¯s the wife?¡± Edwin greeted the man.

    ¡°She¡¯s well. I wish I could say the same to you. You see, your visits are always¡­¡± He trailed off before getting to the point, ¡°Your father is not in a good mood today.¡± He warned.

    I noticed Serlon tensed up beside me. Edwin¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, instead flashing a feeble smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Please announce me.¡±

    With a sigh, the steward pulled a lever that swung the doors open. Inside the throne room, a robed man sat on a golden throne, two mistresses on his side. An overwhelming metallic scent filled the room. I scrunched my nose.  Blood. The throne reeked of blood. In the middle of the room lay a large crimson stain. Fresh.

    ¡°His Royal Highness, First son of Trane. Crown Prince Edwin greets his majesty.¡± The steward announced, using what appeared to be low-level amplification magic.

    After his announcement, he motioned us inside the room. Serlon led me over to the edges, pushing me to my knees, and into a bow. Understanding the atmosphere, I didn¡¯t fight him on this. Don¡¯t move. His eyes screamed over in warning. In front of us, Edwin had moved further into the throne room, leaning down into a bow. He stood on the blood-soaked stain, indifferent. Edwin seemed used to this sight.

    ¡°Father. I have come on your summons.¡± He greeted the king, who bore his gaze down on us. His presence was overwhelmingly strong, almost formidable to my own father¡¯s. Not quite. Close. Very Close.

    Tap. Tap.

    The king¡¯s ringed fingers hit against the golden throne, the precious metals¡¯ clangs echoing throughout the space.

    Tap.

    ¡°Edwin.¡± The King¡¯s voice was emotionless, ¡°I have been waiting.¡±

    ¡°I apologize, Father. I left as soon as I received the news.¡± Edwin said, still not daring to relieve himself from the bow. I remained on my knees with Serlon, who listened with clenched fists.

    The mistresses snickered, their hands running along the King¡¯s shoulders. It was a vile sound. Mocking. I didn¡¯t like this one bit.

    Tap.

    ¡°Please excuse me, ladies, I would some private words with my son,¡± He dismissed their touch, sending them out of a side door.

    Now his attention directed back to the bowed prince, his son, ¡°I heard that you visited Trane¡¯s academy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Father. I did. We visited on royal tradition.¡± Edwin responded.

    Tap. Tap.

    ¡°I see,¡± The King¡¯s tone was icy, ¡°Is that fool still running it?¡±

    I perked my ears to his question. Was he referring to Sirius? What was their relationship?

    ¡°Headmaster Sirius is still running the academy. That is correct, father.¡±

    The king scowled, ¡°That fool has never expressed his loyalty to the Crown. If he weren¡¯t backed up by neighboring kingdoms, I¡¯d have his head chopped off in front of me.¡±

    This was incorrect. Sirius and the professor had clearly understood the real power dynamics of the academy. I had assumed that the point of the visit was to confirm this. But had I been wrong? No. Sirius clearly expressed his favor towards the Crown Prince. I waited, curious for Edwin¡¯s response.

    ¡°The academy is unaffiliated. I cannot comment on the headmaster¡¯s association without violating the political agreement with the other kingdoms¡¯ royalties attending it.¡± Edwin reasoned, finally standing up from his bow, ¡°What is the real reason that you called me here? I know that you don¡¯t care for my presence enough to merely chat about schooling.¡±

    I was starting to understand the political state of Trane even more. Edwin was different. Part of me liked this side of him. If there was anything clear, Trane did not have a benevolent ruler. At least, Hellion and Trane related to that. Could that be considered a positive thing? Absolutely not.

    Tap. Tap. The King laughed, sporting a chilling grin.

    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten smarter since the last time I saw you. You¡¯re starting to remind me of the bitch that birthed you. I thought I would be done with her after I sliced her head off long ago,¡± He whined, twirling one hand in the air.

    I glanced up enough to watch Edwin¡¯s jaw clench. The fresh scent of blood filled my senses, as crimson droplets dripped from the prince¡¯s fists. Edwin remained silent, probably unable to promise the tone of what left his mouth.

    Tap.

    ¡°I want you to go to Leton on a political negotiation. Leave right after this.¡± The King commanded.

    ¡°Leton? On what terms, Father?¡± Edwin questioned.

    From memorizing the map, Leton was more west of Trane. Though, not quite to the west of the human territories. It bordered the lands before the West, where the wars were raging. I could only guess that this was due to the rising tensions of the war. Still, my knowledge was scarce on this development.

    ¡°Florence is to fall soon to the Demonic troops,¡± The king explained, ¡°Leton wants to discuss aiding terms if the campaign persists to their gates.¡±

    So, my first brother was winning? It was bittersweet news, as it would make my existence here conflicted. I could not return to Hellion, but my interests would be split. Those were still my people. My race.

    ¡°Understood. We will depart tonight.¡± Edwin yielded to the commands, meeting the eyes of the King, ¡°Is that all that you wish to discuss, Father?¡±

    ¡°Edwin, my son. Since when have you employed a new guard?¡± The Ruler chuckled, his tone nearly manic.

    I felt a piercing glare in my direction, as a strong course of mana coursed through the room. I nearly cursed at the sudden expulsion of magical energy. This implication was frightening. The familiar energy sent phantom pains to my left shoulder blade. My injured wing.

    Light magic. The King knew light magic. I remained unmoving, not budging in the slightest from my position next to Serlon. Through the discomfort, I could not decipher his true level. Light and demonic energy didn¡¯t mix. It never could. My body felt stiff in the confines of the throne room. Suffocating.

    ¡°During combat exams,¡± Edwin gave a parting bow, trying to dismiss the questioning, ¡°Apologies, Father. But I must return to the estate to finish some paperwork if I am to leave tonight.¡±

    ¡°Very well, my son,¡± The King tapped his ring against the throne with a smirk on his face, ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me like your younger brother.¡±

    Serlon motioned us to stand. My body felt heavy. Soon Edwin joined us by the doors, ¡°I understand, Father. I won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± The King voiced, pointing in my direction, ¡°You. Edwin? What¡¯s your new meat shield¡¯s name?¡±

    Edwin froze in his tracks, a visible chill coursing through his body, ¡°Please leave my men alone, Father.¡± He warned him, his tone chilling.

    ¡°Since when did you protect your pawns? Oh? Maybe since that time.¡± The King scoffed.

    ¡°Pawns?" Edwin scowled, "They are people, Father. You may not understand that. Once again, I''ll ask. Are we dismissed?¡±

    ¡°Why, of course. You should lend this meat shield to me sometime."

    To that, Edwin exited the throne room without another word.

 - 42 - Preparation! Revisit the Potion Room, Mana

    No one talked about what happened in the throne room or what kind of person the King was. I couldn¡¯t say that I was surprised that the ruler of this advanced kingdom was bathed in blood and lust. It was understood by the others as soon as Edwin stormed out of the throne room in a rush. Though, I only presumed that everyone else was already aware of this fact. Their relationship.

    Part of me wondered if the prince polished the armor to make up for the vile nature of his Father. This human body was young, too young to see the brutalities of life. It was a possibility, as my mind was left to draw its own conclusions on the trip back. Still, I stayed unfazed by the human king¡¯s habits. After all, this was my version of normalcy. Only the fates knew of the monstrosities that my father devised throughout my childhood.

    There were horrors that I doubted the human books could begin to cover. It was best for it to remain that way. Currently, Florence was falling to my own bloodline¡¯s offensive attacks. Not to mention the possible carnage left by the angelic race. The King knew light magic, which meant that I would need to be careful in the future.

    The carriage ride back to the estate had been completed in a heavy silence. No explanations, nothing. Edwin jumped out of the carriage, as soon as we touched ground on the estate.

    ¡°We¡¯ll leave at dusk to avoid attention,¡± Serlon quickly announced to the us, before catching up to the prince, who was already to the door of the estate.

    If we were to leave for Leton tonight, it would mean that all the paperwork for the week would need to be completed before departure. Edwin was rushing to finish that.

    I assumed that if the King didn¡¯t kill his own son, the amount of paperwork would.

    ¡°Everyone should pack. Visit the potions if you need to. But we¡¯ll regroup in an hour,¡± Eran commanded the others, who entered the estate to sort their equipment out.

    Eran walked over, putting his hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°Crown Prince Edwin may act immature sometimes, but he has a lot on his shoulders,¡± he said, ¡°I think he wanted to show you that today. Normally it¡¯s me escorting him. But it seems like the prince has taken a liking to you. It¡¯s not a bad thing.¡±

    ¡°Not a bad thing? We have different versions of good then,¡± I scoffed, ¡°He may act like a fool, but he¡¯s still Crown Prince. I acknowledge that.¡±

    Eran sighed, walking alongside with me towards the open doors of the estate, ¡°You know insulting the royal family is punishable.¡±

    I¡¯d like to see them try. Those humans.

    ¡°I could say worse,¡± I shrugged, eyeing the unfamiliar guards that bowed upon our arrival, ¡°If the troop leaves for Leton, then who guards the estate in our absence?¡±

    ¡°Our troop directly follows Crown Prince Edwin. The estate is just a house, so it has its own security. We just tend to overlook it when his Highness is in residence¡± He explained, turning the corridor towards the barracks, ¡°We¡¯ll do the same when the prince is crowned for imperial rule.¡±

    I suppose that made sense. It was a frugal loyalty that barely existed in Hellion. Even though the Morningstar bloodline held its own notoriety, this did not stop the endless amounts of challenges from our own troops. It was decided by the constant struggle to remain the strongest. This was something that I lost when I was left injured in battle.

    ¡°What¡¯s Leton like?¡± I asked, following Eran into the barracks, where Trent was busy packing a small bag.

    To this question, Trent threw a covered knife towards me. I catch it on instinct staring down at the crested leather covering on the sliver blade, ¡°Change out of the armor and throw on casual coverings. Make sure to strap this to your belt. The road to Leton is harsh and covered in small demon herds.¡±

    It was probably the same low levelled demons from the woods. Lower hell dogs, imps, and creatures along those classifications. They weren¡¯t under my father¡¯s rule if they were this far out. Demons like that were no better then wild animals, willing to attack anything that presented a meal to them.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    This would become annoying.

    Eran peeled off the heavy armor, throwing the steel garments on his cot, ¡°Trent¡¯s right. Leton is a thriving marketplace kingdom bordering the West. But their crime rates are some of the highest in the territory due to their secluded location. It makes trade routes scarce to get to them.¡±

    I nodded, slipping past the two guards to unbuckle my armor. The polish had worn off at this point, ¡°And the voyage time?¡±

    ¡°Two days if we move nonstop. Three if we stop. And four if we run into trouble.¡± Eran rattled off, already throwing on a training shirt, and grabbing a thin leather chest plate from under the bed.

    Trent threw on something similar, only packing tunics that we used for training. After shoving the heavier plated armor in the storage under the cot, I pulled out the chest filled with similar garments, and slipped into the same thing.

    I laced up the leather garment, peering back up to Eran, who held another bag towards me, ¡°These are commoner clothes that we¡¯ll wear for the rest of our visit to Leton. You may want to pick up some potions from the potion branch before we leave.¡±

    Potions? I hadn¡¯t seen Jamie since the Hell dog attack in the woods. As much as I hated to admit it, I was curious to how he was. The downside was facing that lunatic potion master.

    ¡°Understood,¡± I sighed, bringing the bag over my shoulder, and walking past the others.

    ¡°Meet us in front of the estate after.¡± Trent called out. I raised my hand before heading for the potion department.

    Estate servants frantically bustled around, stressed. They paid no attention to me, as I swerved to avoid them on multiple occasions. Their minds must have gone on overdrive from the short notice. Humans often got overwhelmed from the smallest things. It was in their nature, no matter how advanced they got. I wasn¡¯t surprised in the slightest.

    I made my way up the stairs and towards the chemical scent of the potion room. I could probably find my way from the suffocating smell of roots and brews. Potions held a unique scent. Quite different from blood, food, or even entities. Approaching the familiar corridor, I strolled into the smelly room. Unfortunately, I was instantly greeted by the potion head who rose from his stand.

    ¡°Guard Asta! The Dragon Troop¡¯s youngling!¡± He cheered, raising the attention of all the workers that were brewing potions, ¡°How can we help you today?¡±

    Jamie rose to his seat, a scroll in his hand, as he made his way over behind the strange human.

    ¡°I was told to pick up some potions for Leton,¡± I dodged the potion head¡¯s attempt for an embrace, earning a snicker from Jamie.

    The older human cleared his throat, ¡°Ah yes. We were told of that. Come! Sit!¡± He walked over patting to a stool beside his workplace, ¡°They¡¯re almost done.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather wait here,¡± I expressed, trying to dismiss the strange man, ¡°Besides, I came to catch up with Jamie.¡± I pointed to Jamie, who stood with his arms crossed behind the master.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just sit with you then,¡± The potion master grabbed the same stool, placing it besides Jamie¡¯s work desk, ¡°Come! We don¡¯t have long.¡±

    Jamie and I traded looks before sighing. I trudged over to one of the stools, placing my bag on the floor beside me. Collectively, we both tried to ignore the star-eyed man, leaning over the table next to us. But it felt like a hole was being burned into the side of my head.

    ¡°¡­How have you been, Asta?¡± Jamie did his best to dismiss his supervisor, picking up a pen to finish the scroll that he had been working on.

    ¡°Fine. I haven¡¯t seen you seen you since the attack,¡± I peered around the room, my eyes landing on a newer looking human, taking inventory. So. They replaced the former worker quickly. Suddenly it dawned on me that I never heard anything about it.

    ¡°We¡¯ve adjusted already. No problems.¡± The potion master chimed in, seemingly knowing what I was thinking, ¡°Were you worried about that, Guard Asta?¡±

    ¡°¡­I suppose not,¡± I surmised, looking back to notice Jamie¡¯s troubled expression. Did Jamie know?

    I glared at the old human, who only shook his head. So, Jamie didn¡¯t know? Hm.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to Leton?¡± Jamie asked, through his concentration towards his notes.

    ¡°That¡¯s the plan,¡± I responded, ¡°You should know that already.¡±

    ¡°You see... my pupil here, Jamie, is from Leton,¡± The potion master cheered, skipping to the point.

    The pen in Jamie¡¯s hand slammed onto the wooden table. He clenched his jaw, sending a nasty look to his supervisor, before sighing, ¡°That¡¯s correct. My family lives in Leton. Not like that¡¯s important. You¡¯ll be there on official business anyway.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s on negotiations.¡± I clarified, ¡°It seems like we¡¯re going under the radar anyway.¡± I pointed to my shabby attire.

    ¡°Probably the best,¡± Jamie admitted, ¡°It¡¯s not the best place for nobility to be showing off.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m not sure how someone as incapable as you managed,¡± I scoffed.

    ¡°I managed quite well. Excuse you.¡± Jamie rolled his eyes, handing over the scroll to the potion master, ¡°That¡¯s the last record that you told me to document.¡±

    The older human grabbed the paper, opening the contents before smirking, ¡°As always, you¡¯ve done a fantastic job. Why don¡¯t you grab the bag of potions from the back for Guard Asta?¡±

    Jamie nodded, standing up from his seat, and disappearing into a side door in the room.

    ¡°The potions have been done, haven¡¯t they?¡± I grumbled, my temper flaring at the shit-eating smile from the older human.

    He shrugged, fanning innocence, ¡°Perhaps. Say Guard Asta, where are you from anyway?¡± The man leaned closer towards my directing, his eyes never leaving mine.

    ¡°Me? Where are you from?¡± I dodged the question with a scowl.

    ¡°A small village in the south called Priaryr.¡± He responsed.

    ¡°Then I¡¯m from there.¡± I answered blankly, ignoring his confused expression.

    ¡°Are you lying?¡± The potion master raised his eyebrow, not buying my obvious sarcastic tone.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I admitted.

    Jamie reentered, holding a leather satchel that clanged as he moved. He set it on the bag in front of me with a huff, ¡°It¡¯s a little heavy, but it¡¯ll cover a week¡¯s stay if needed.¡±

    I nodded, standing up from the stool, and throwing the satchel over my other shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯ll probably be loaded in the back compartment of the carriage anyway.¡±

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t heavy to me. I reached down, picking up the other bag, ¡°The rest of the troop will be waiting for me. I¡¯ll head off now.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let the door hit you on the way out,¡± Jamie called over, leaning against one of the shelves, ¡°Be careful in Leton.¡±

    I nodded, walking towards the door. With a clang and a huff, the potion master threw a leather covered vial. Before I noticed, I was already holding the potion in my outstretch hand.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t these fragile? You shouldn¡¯t be throwing glass, old man.¡± I turned around, staring down at the red vial.

    ¡°You caught it, didn¡¯t you?¡± The potion master contradicted my leer, shrugging to himself, ¡°I made extra. It¡¯s for you.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± I questioned, shoving it into one of the pockets on my belt. Whatever it was, potions were useful for the most part. I couldn¡¯t refute him much.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mana potion.¡± The potion master returned to his seat, waving, ¡°Use it well, Guard Asta.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right.¡±

 - 43 - Depart for Leton! Demonic Roars, Troubling Toads

    The estate was quiet, as dusk approached quickly. Furrowing workers had settled when preparations for the trip had been completed. I walked out of the estate, carrying the two bags over my shoulders. The moon sat in the sky, illuminating the darkened path towards the wooden carriage halted in the center of the entrance.

    It was shabbier compared to the golden covered one from earlier. Instead of the white stallions, mules snorted attached to leather harnesses. We were travelling to Leton on more private terms. I¡¯d assume it was not to cause panic for a visiting kingdom that was known for supplies trades for war. Though, I¡¯d be surprised if the citizens didn¡¯t have some idea of what awaited in their future.

    Florence was on the verge of falling to Hellion¡¯s troops. And I knew that with Dagon¡¯s hand in strategy, my eldest brother would soon finish the final attacks. They didn¡¯t have long till troops were at their walls. It wasn¡¯t a matter of if but when. Trane was aware of that. Everyone that knew was.

    If the kingdom weren¡¯t on edge already, it would be if Trane¡¯s presence were brandished around in gold plating. Not to mention that the receptiveness from citizens towards the nobility was less than ideal. Travelling in less lavish terms would be beneficial for both sides. The less trouble that we faced, the less work I had to do.

    Eran waved me over, meeting me halfway down the estate steps to grab the bag of potions.

    ¡°Thanks for picking up the potions. Is this it?¡± he asked, slinging the satchel over his shoulder.

    Nope. But I didn¡¯t count the potion master¡¯s strange gift as part of inventory for this.

    ¡°I had a choice to not pick up the potions?¡± I scoffed, following down towards the carriage.

    ¡°Asta. It¡¯s too late for this.¡± He sighed, shoving the bag into the storage compartment.

    Gunnar walked over, swinging his arm over my shoulder, ¡°Haha! You¡¯re funny, kid.¡± The gruff man chuckled, grinning from ear to ear, ¡°You know, my younger brother is similar to you.¡±

    ¡°You have a younger brother, ginger?¡± I pulled my way out of his grasp, brushing off my shoulders.

    ¡°Hah! Of course! He¡¯s around your age! The little lad is studying to be a guard as well. He¡¯s following my footsteps.¡± He bragged, puffing out his chest.

    ¡°Please. For his own sake, I hope he doesn¡¯t follow your footsteps,¡± Trent yawned, appearing from the other side of the carriage, ¡°Didn¡¯t you fail the exam three times? Wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It was actually four times,¡± One of the twins, Lars, corrected, ¡°I know because I was in his passing cohort. So was Daniel.¡±

    To this, Gunnar turned a bright red. Even in the darkness of dusk, he glowed like a lantern from embarrassment.

    The twins both snickered, walking down from the estate with a small barrel of water. They handed it off to Eran, who loaded it into the wooden carriage.

    ¡°That should be everything,¡± Daniel stretched, a tired expression on his face, ¡°We did the last checkpoints too. We¡¯re all good to go when Crown Prince Edwin and Serlon are ready.¡±

    ¡°Sir Serlon should be escorting Prince Edwin out soon,¡± Eran informed, locking up the carriage compartment, ¡°They were finishing up the last of the paperwork that needed to be completed before we leave.¡±

    Everyone nodded, using this moment to either lean on the carriage or sit down on the stairs of the estate. I looked around, making eye contact with Trent, who waved me over to the space beside him.

    I shook my head.

    He sighed, waving more passionately now.

    Again. I shook my head.

    Instead of giving up, Trent got up with a huff. He strolled over to my position next to the carriage.

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    ¡°Look. I wanted to tell you about the trip. Tonight¡¯s trip is going to be riskier.¡± He walked over, petting one of the mules.

    I knew why. There were a lot of lower-class demons surrounding Trane. Though, it was nothing too powerful. On my terms anyway. I¡¯d be able to sense a higher concentration of demonic energy if that were the case.

    ¡°Because of the demons in the woods?¡± I asked, already presuming this answer would be yes. At this point, everyone was aware of my encounter in the woods with the hell dogs. It was reasonable for me to ask this.

    He nodded, ¡°The demons around these areas increased in the last hundred years. But there¡¯s also robbers and the possibility of assassination.¡±

    ¡°I figured.¡± I leaned against the carriage, crossing my arms, ¡°Why are we leaving at dusk anyway?¡±

    I peered around at the yawning troop, who all looked somewhat exhausted already. Humans slept a lot, especially at night.

    ¡°Because it shouldn¡¯t be widespread that the estate is vacant.¡± Eran chimed in from close by, ¡°You haven¡¯t been here long enough to understand the full political situation. Let¡¯s just say, Edwin is more of a chess piece to the nobles.¡±

    Didn¡¯t this sound familiar? Pfft.

    The estate doors opened, revealing Edwin who was dressed in a simple tunic with the familiar black cloak that I grown used to seeing. Behind him, Serlon held a bedding cloth. The two approached the carriage.

    ¡°Crown Prince Edwin! Your Highness!¡± The others rose up to bow. I watched them do this, staying on my feet. Serlon shot a glare in my direction.

    I looked away.

    ¡°Sorry, that took so long. I think I¡¯m going to have nightmares about paperwork demons,¡± Edwin yawned, walking past to load into the carriage swiftly. He poked his head out towards Serlon, motioning for the bedding cloth.

    Serlon handed it to Edwin, before closing the door shut on the sleepy Prince, ¡°Rest easy, your Highness.¡±

    The head guard glanced around at the troop, who had already semi-lined up in front of him.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be walking alongside the carriage. Trent will guide the mules. The twins will flank the sides. Gunnar and Asta will be in the back. I¡¯ll lead from the front.¡± Serlon instructed, already moving to where he needed to be.

    ¡°You heard Sir Serlon. Move!¡± Eran shouted to the others, who quickly moved to their positions.

    I followed Gunnar to the back of the carriage, watching as the jolly man¡¯s face morphed into one deserving of his caliber of guardship. I¡¯ll admit even with their eccentric personalities, they understood when playtime was over. Now, I can respect that.

    Trent hopped up into the driver¡¯s seat, gathering the guiding reins in his hand, ¡°Departing now.¡± He clicked his tongue, causing the mules to whinny. They walked ahead, pulling the wooden carriage towards the estate gates that opened for us.

    The same gate guards saluted in our presence, ¡°To the glory of Trane. We humbly wish your safe return, Crown Prince Edwin.¡±

    Like that, we moved through the quiet streets of Trane under the moonlight night. Already the troops¡¯ eyes scanned our surroundings, hands resting near their swords in case of threat.

    I stayed a few paces behind the wooden carriage, enough to get a decent view of the side of it. Gunnar peered behind us, checking for any lurking company.

    There was none. I would have heard it anyway. For the first half of the trip leading outside of the kingdom, everyone remained silent. Waking up the sleeping citizens would not be in our favor, as most would recognize the prince¡¯s escorts. The dots would connect from there.

    It continued like this till we reached the metal gates of the edge of the kingdom. Hoof stomps ceased to a halt, as Serlon stopped to talk to the guards stationed at the main gates. The armored guard nodded, signaling to the others to open the steel gate with a loud creaking. Like that, the carriage pressed onwards, soon entering the dirt road on the other side. I looked back at the saluting soldiers, who rushed to close the gates after us.

    ¡°From here on out, we¡¯re vulnerable. Be on guard!¡± Serlon called back to everyone.

    The clomping sounds of hooves had been the few noises heard, as we ventured up the hill and into the darkened forest.

    Growls from the distance, rustling of wildlife, and the chirping of bugs welcomed the wooden carriage in the night. We were now in the same demonic woods that I visited earlier. Though this time, it felt heavier. Different.

    Heavier? It hadn¡¯t been long since I was here. But the energy was thicker, as if the demons that were once here had increased. Something like that. I closed my eyes, sensing the lurking energies hidden beyond the cover of the forest.

    We were being watched. By what? I couldn¡¯t tell. That only thing that was clear was that as we encroached further into the woods, we became more susceptible to falling prey to the lower demons¡¯ hunger.

    Snap. Lars flinched, his hand moving to his sword at the rustle of a nearby brush. I glanced over, sighing.

    ¡°Croak! Croak!¡± A large toad hopped out, its slimy body laying a few feet in front of the startled guard.

    He exhaled, his hand against his chest, ¡°Damn frog.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s actually a toad.¡± I corrected.

    Lars scoffed, ¡°Damn¡­toad.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Serlon asked, looking back at the commotion.

    ¡°Nothing. Just wildlife.¡± He shook his head, relaxing, his hand to his side.

    I snickered, glancing over Gunnar in amusement. Gunnar didn¡¯t really understand, but he still gave a small smile.

    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to be joking.¡± He eyed the croaking toad, ¡°There aren¡¯t ponds around the pathway. Poor guy must have gotten lost,¡± Serlon sighed, trekking on, ¡°Scouts have reported increased activity in these woods in the recent days. Be vigilant.¡±

    Correct. I noticed the increase in energy. After all, it was too significant of a change not to. It was either that the numbers of lower-class demons increased.

    Or.

    A middle-class demon had found its way into the surrounding woods. The energy was too concentrated to be able to give an actual guess on this.

    Another snap. I froze, my eyes darting to the tree line beyond the same bush. This demonic energy was familiar. I knew it well.

    ¡°I¡¯m not falling for it this time, damn toads. There¡¯s a lot of¡­¡± Lars scoffed.

    ¡°Everyone! Don¡¯t move!¡± I yelled, pulling out the sword on my side. The carriage screeched to a stop, causing the mules to bray at the sudden pull of the reins.

    ¡°Asta! What¡¯s wrong?¡± Serlon yelled, sword in hand.

    I pointed to the tree line, my eyes never leaving the emerging dark figure in the distance. The snapping of trees grew louder, as a roar was heard approaching our location. Trees barreled in the ground, as birds retreated from treetops.

    A gray, fanged face appeared from the tree lines. Snarling. It roared, chambering over the destroyed forest bush. The ground shook from its stomps.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Daniel ran to join Lars on the nearest side.

    How can that be here? It was impossible. This far out?

    "Ogre. Don¡¯t look away. Don¡¯t run away. Hold your breath.¡±  I warned to which they nodded. From the front, Trent and Serlon readied to move the carriage.

    Ogre? What the hell was an ogre doing here? That¡¯s what I wanted to say.

    I couldn¡¯t be sure that humans wouldn¡¯t suffer from its eventual charge. It didn¡¯t have a club. Instead holding what remained of a tree in its hand. The towering figure bent down, sniffing the air. Ogres in Hellion were classified by frontlines and groupings.

    They weren¡¯t smart enough, but that didn¡¯t mean that they couldn¡¯t learn. They were placed on frontlines for a reason. The grayish creature roared once more, its beady eyes resting on the carriage surrounded by humans.

    Then it charged.

 - 44 - Ogres Charge! Desperations, Dire Mistakes

    The ogre roared, swinging the half-torn tree in its grasp.

    Serlon cursed, running back towards the mules before hopping onto the back of one. Eran took the back of the other. They pulled on the harnesses, trying to control the frantic animals.

    ¡°Shit! Grab onto the side of the carriage!¡± Serlon barked out orders, quickly understanding the grave nature of the situation.

    The twins launched backwards, gripping onto the wooden handles on the side of the carriage. Their eyes glued to the rampaging demon. Gunnar used his sword to create a handle on the back of the carriage. I gripped the top, hanging as I positioned my feet against the wood.

    The forest trembled under the roar of the ogre, who leapt into the night air. Moonlight danced along its gray skin, as its beady eyes looked down on the carriage.

    ¡°Trent!¡± Serlon yelled, as the guard picked up the guiding reins, and sent the mules into a gallop. Like that, we barreled down the dirt road.

    Ground broke in the exact spot that we were a second ago. The ogre¡¯s large body rose, turning to our retreating figure. It roared again, fangs on full display. From the front, Serlon and Eran could be heard. Their boots clanking leather and metal, as they urged the mules faster in our desperate attempt to flee.

    ¡°Try to lose it!¡± Trent yelled back, whipping the reins forward. I peered to the side, watching the passing figures of the woods.

    We were moving fast. But. I looked back at the charging ogre with the half-snapped tree swinging in its grasp. In Hellion, ogres were able to catch up to mounted soldiers. A heavy carriage pulled by mules would fall soon enough to the gray demon¡¯s attack.

    A wooden handle fell from the side, as the twins climbed to the rooftop of the carriage.

    ¡°I hope the Crown Prince isn¡¯t standing,¡± Daniel whispered under his breath as he anchored his sword into the wooden roof.

    Lars grabbed the handle, using the dull end to lock his footing around. From his belt, he pulled off the multitude of small knives from their straps. Daniel grabbed onto his ankle, as Lars pulled his hand back, launching the knife at the charging ogre.

    The knife sailed through the air, stabbing into the eye of the ogre. It threw its head back, only stopping for a second as black blood littered the ground. This didn¡¯t stop the demon. It would only make it angrier.

    ¡°That didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Gunnar shouted. His voice almost drowned in the banging of the carriage on the bumpy road.

    Lars screamed to the front, ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡±

    Eran cursed, the clanking of his boots still sounding in the night, ¡°There¡¯s a cliff about four miles ahead. We¡¯ll reach it in ten minutes at this speed.¡±

    ¡°Should I try to reach the bows in the compartment?¡± Daniel started to lean over to the edge of the roof.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± I chimed in, ¡°Arrows aren¡¯t going to do anything against their skin. We can¡¯t afford to waste anymore knives either.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice!¡± Daniel refuted, ¡°We have to buy time. At this point, we won¡¯t last another two.¡± He pointed to the gaining figure.

    We wouldn¡¯t last much longer. He was right. But I wasn¡¯t wrong either. We couldn¡¯t afford to throw all our equipment.

    The ogre swung the tree, the top of it hit Gunnar¡¯s side. A cry of pain could be heard. In a blink of an eye, everyone stared in horror as the gingered man clung desperately onto his sword with a gash on his torso. Red blood dripped behind us, only driving the demon into a faster run. I clicked my tongue at the metallic scent that filled the air. If the rest of the forest didn¡¯t know we were here, then the blood would alert them of it. Our slim chances of losing the ogre had become impossible. The smell would give us away.

    Ogres were demons that could be considered middle class. But that was with those of intelligence. This one was probably lower middle class, considering it replaced its club with a tree. I could take it out easily if I used a bit of mana. But did I want to waste mana on this lower demon? No. There had to be another way.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°That¡¯s it! I¡¯m reaching for the bows!¡± Daniel cursed, scurrying to the edge.

    ¡°Ogre¡¯s skin is too hard to break with mere arrowheads, you fool,¡± I argued, ¡°I won¡¯t stop you. I¡¯m just letting you know that it¡¯s a waste of energy.¡±

    ¡°And. How do you know this? Why should be trust you?¡± Daniel snapped, pausing to grip onto the sword handle.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Asta. But I have to agree with Daniel here. You¡¯re still new and you¡¯re only sixteen. We have more experience than you.¡± Gunnar grunted, his free hand gripping his wound.

    More experience? That was laughable coming from humans. These humans were doomed from the moment that it stalked us from the tree lines. Humans were brash creatures that got heated in the moment. But even then, I could understand their frustration.

    The point was that the ogre would catch us if something were not done soon. Everyone knew that which was why Trent and Serlon were desperately trying to reach the cliff in time. It was why we were flying at tremendous speed, risking the structure of the wooden carriage at each bump.

    I hated humans.

    Their desperation. Their frustration. Shit.

    ¡°Shut up. I have a better plan,¡± I exhaled, reaching over to the side, and swinging my body till I was at the door of the carriage.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Daniel yelled over the side, watching as I clicked open the carriage door.

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    The wooden door flew open, banging against the side in the wind. With a swing, I landed inside the carriage with a thud.

    Edwin was alert, holding onto his seat for dear life. The sword that the twins embedded had only been inches from his head. Now wasn¡¯t the time to laugh though.

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± he asked. His expression had been similar to the one that I saw at the imperial castle.

    ¡°Dire. An ogre will destroy the carriage if we do not act swiftly. Serlon and Trent are going to try to rush to a cliff.¡± I relayed to the Crown Prince, who nodded in understanding.

    ¡°Will we make it?¡± He questioned.

    I shook my head. He nodded once more.

    ¡°Then,¡± He continued, ¡°What can I do to help? Isn¡¯t that why you came to talk to me?¡±

    I¡¯ll admit it. This bastard was smarter than I gave him credit for. This plan would work. I knew it would. I knew because it had been used against myself. Surely, I would regret this moment.

    ¡°Edwin. Your family knows light magic. Isn¡¯t that correct?¡± I asked, the words leaving a bitter taste on my tongue.

    To this the Prince grimaced, a small scowl forming on his lips. His father knew light magic. It was something that I pondered since that moment. I knew better than anyone else that skills like that were generally passed down through royalty.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not great at magic,¡± He admitted, ¡°But I know a little bit of light magic. I¡¯ve never used it in combat before, but I don¡¯t have a choice. Do I?¡±

    ¡°Trust me. It¡¯s the last thing I want to do either,¡± I expressed, reaching my hand out to Edwin, who took it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll trust you then Asta.¡± He stood up, trying not to topple on his way over to the door.

    I leaned out, the prince¡¯s hand still in mine, ¡°Lars! Daniel! A little help over here.¡± I called out, relieved to see their faces peer over the edge.

    ¡°Asta, you better have a plan!¡± Lars called out, reaching his hand down, as Daniel retreated back to secure his legs.

    I grabbed it, using his grip to lift myself up to hang onto the edge of the roofing. Edwin poked his head out, scurrying back after spotting the ogre.

    ¡°What the fuck is that?¡± He yelped, tugging my arm to the doorway.

    ¡°I told you. An ogre.¡± I sneered, tugging him back to the edge of the door, ¡°I¡¯m going to throw you up towards Lars. Climb up to the roof and wait for me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he stammered, unable to finish as I pulled him out of the carriage. Edwin yelled in fear, as Lars caught his other hand.

    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to protect the prince, not send him to his doom,¡± Lars glared, pulling Edwin the rest of the way up.

    I lifted myself onto the crowded roof, ¡°What¡¯s the point if we¡¯re all doomed if this doesn¡¯t work?¡±

    Well, I¡¯d be fine but.

    He stayed silent. That¡¯s what I thought.

    Now. I made my way over to Edwin, who clenched the sword handle. His golden locks blew from the speed of the carriage, as the ogre roared from behind us.

    ¡°Shoot the light magic towards the ogre. It doesn¡¯t matter where you hit it, as long as you make impact. Demons are weak against it. It¡¯ll slow the ogre down enough till we make it to the cliff.¡± I explained, crouching alongside him.

    Edwin nodded, gulping. He raised his hand, the familiar magic sparking at his disposal. I clenched my jaw at the phantom pain at my shoulder, as I glued my eyes to the ogre.

    ¡°Here goes nothing!¡± He muttered, sending the magic cascading over the gray demon¡¯s head. I stared at the spectacle with a dead expression.

    ¡°How do you miss from his close?¡± I scowled, ¡°I could probably jump now and hit the ogre in the face.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a soldier!¡± Edwin argued, gripping onto the sword handle as we hit a bump, ¡°I can¡¯t aim.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice,¡± I reminded him, reaching up to position his hand myself, ¡°Just fire. I¡¯ll aim for you.¡±

    Edwin nodded, casting the magic once again. To my own mistake, the radius was larger than expected. As the light hit my skin, I winced. It was burning.

    ¡°Now!¡± He fired the magic, now straight into the face of the ogre, who wailed. Still, the demon ran blinded by the pain.

    ¡°We¡¯re at the cliff!¡± Serlon screamed back, as the carriage swung drastically. Cries from the mules sounded, as the reins were jerked at the last minute to the side.

    The carriage hull swung wildly, as Trent turned at the last minute, and sending the back of the carriage nearly over the side of the cliff.

    Daniel grabbed Gunnar, as the wounded knight swung over the steep drop off. He was barely holding onto his sword. Lars gripped on for dear life.

    The blinded ogre roared unable to slow down enough to stop itself from running off the side of the steep cliff. It shot off the side, digging its claws into rocky edge, its body hanging above the large abyss.

    ¡°One more!¡± I yelled to Edwin, who clutched onto the handle. He outstretched his hand, as I pointed it towards the ogre with my burned one.

    A stream of blinding light shot towards the gray demon, sending it to its doom in a pained fit. A loud thud was heard from below, as birds flew up. It was quiet again.

    ¡°It¡¯s down!¡± Lars yelled to the front.

    The carriage slowed down, the mules¡¯ gallop slowing to a halt on the cliff¡¯s edge. Heavy breathing was heard, as everyone made their way from the roof of the carriage. Hopping down with a huff, they collapsed to the ground from exhaustion. Serlon and Eran walked back to survey the condition of everyone else.

    ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± Serlon questioned.

    ¡°Gunnar is injured, but everyone else seems okay.¡± Edwin explained.

    ¡°Understood,¡± Serlon nodded, his eyes widening as he landed on me, ¡°Wait. Asta? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Fuck. I clutched my hand. The searing pain burning away from the light magic to which it was exposed. The pain was blinding.

    ¡°Asta!¡±

    I messed up.

 - 45 - Found Out! Despair, Princes Trust

    Before I could process it, I was on my knees, painfully clutching my hand. The scent of burning flesh filled my nose, as the remnants of light magic tore holes in the exposed skin.

    Edwin was the first to reach my figure, cursing under his breath as he tried desperately to figure out what was wrong.

    ¡°Asta? How did you get hurt? Move your hand!¡± He panicked, fingering my other hand that covered the wound.

    ¡°Everyone else! Treat Gunnar! Edwin and I will oversee Asta!¡± Serlon yelled to the group, who dragged Gunnar to open fields away from us.

    Within seconds, Serlon pushed Edwin aside, gripping my shoulders.

    ¡°Asta, we need to see the wound.¡± Serlon expressed.

    I shook my head, trying to rise back to my feet. The movement was too much. Soon the familiar burning shot through my body, causing me to visibly bite back a scream. I fell back to my knees, clutching my hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I grunted out through clenched teeth, and sweat started to form on my brow.

    It was the most painful type of injury for demons. Light and demonic energy were opposing forces that could never exist together. Still, seeing as it was a graze, this meant that the pain should subside eventually. The amount that destroyed my wing was the exception.

    Only demons got injured from light magic. They couldn¡¯t see it. I¡¯d be exposed. And it would all be over the second that they laid eyes on it. Fuck.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look fine, kid.¡± Serlon exhaled, looking over at the prince, ¡°What happened? How did he get injured? I thought we kept the distance from the Ogre.¡±

    Edwin knelt next to Serlon, ¡°Asta stayed on the carriage. I¡¯m sure of it. There were no instances that I remember us getting too close. The whole time he helped me fire at the demon.¡±

    Serlon went silent, his eyes zeroing in on the injury, ¡°¡­What hand did he use to help you?¡± His voice was firm.

    It must have clicked.

    ¡°¡­Asta. Move your hand.¡± Edwin¡¯s voice lowered, mimicking the same tone that lacked his usual carelessness, ¡°This is an order.¡±

    Through my searing pain, I was able to understand the situation. My thoughts sobered, as I glared up at the prying expressions of the two.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that,¡± I warned. My tone must have been telling, as the two of them traded a look. Then nodded.

    I braced myself, already pushing myself away. Too late.

    It was shameful. But in my even more weakened state, they were on me. Serlon held my thrashing body down, as I cursed obscenities. Edwin crawled over, using his whole body to pry my covering hand off the other.

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Edwin crawled off. He stared at the bloodied hand and at the sections of burning skin that had been exposed to his own magic.

    The evidence was damning as the actively burning flesh was now visible to the two. Both of them froze. I stopped struggling against them, instead, my eyes now trained on their next move.

    This was it. I hadn¡¯t even lasted a month before being found out. If my body weren¡¯t enveloped in pain, I would have burst out laughing at my pathetic display. My father should have just killed me all those years ago.

    I couldn¡¯t do anything right. The truth was that I was too weakened to run. I could revert to my normal body, but the pain would only worsen. What was there to do? Let¡¯s just die if the sword would be able to do that. I doubted it. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°¡­You,¡± Edwin whispered, ¡°You¡¯re a demon?¡±

    There was nothing to say. There was nothing that I could do.

    ¡°I should have just cut that fucking ogre¡¯s head off when I saw it,¡± I scoffed, wincing from a wave of pain, ¡°I would have been better off explaining that.¡±

    Serlon¡¯s expression changed, as he pulled his sword out from his belt. He drew it with the blade against my neck, ¡°Who are you? What¡¯s your goal?¡±

    I peered up, looking at the human that had sparred with me every morning since I arrived at the estate. His expression was almost sad. But that wasn¡¯t right. No.

    ¡°Answer me!¡± He raised his voice, drawing the blade closer to break the skin. Blood too dark to be considered red dripped down. A mixture of black and red. My body was forcing the remaining mana to heal the injury. My transmutation magic was barely holding on.

    I glanced back with glowing red eyes, a blank expression.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± Serlon raised his sword, sending the blade down towards my head.

    I closed my eyes. It would be better this way.

    I waited. A metallic clang caused me to open my eyes in shock. Edwin had pulled the sword from my belt, blocking the slash from Serlon.

    The lead guard stepped back, lowering his sword, ¡°Your Highness. Please step back from the demon.¡±

    All I could do was stare at Edwin, who stood in front of me like a shield. This human could barely hold the heavy sword properly. The same human that cowered behind the backs of his servants, standing in front of a demon. Protecting me.

    It was like he didn¡¯t have his back on the enemy. Open and vulnerable. Trusting.

    ¡°He¡¯s injured, Sir Serlon. I will not let you kill one of my guards.¡± Edwin outstretched his hand as if he were guarding me.

    Is a human guarding me? Pfft. Had I fallen this far?

    ¡°Crown Prince Edwin. Please reconsider your actions. I cared about him deeply as a guard too. But that does not excuse the fact that he is a demon and has been lying the whole time.¡± Serlon cautioned the prince, inching closer.

    ¡°That may be true. But Asta has helped me out on several occasions. He¡¯s surely had the opportunity to kill me if he wished to. We¡¯ll question him later, but right now he needs treated.¡± Edwin tried to reason.

    ¡°Is this an order?¡± Serlon asked.

    ¡°If it must be then yes. I¡¯ll take accountability if anything should happen.¡± Edwin nodded, already turning around to take my side.

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked him, as he took my injured hand in his own.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯re a bad person.¡± He responded calmly, using his teeth to tear strips of cloth from his sleeves.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be saying that if you knew who I was,¡± I winced as he tried to wrap the cloth over my hand. Pieces of the torn cloth fell to the dirt path, ¡°God. You can¡¯t even wrap an injury correctly.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s something that we can discuss later,¡± He sighed, ¡°But right now, you need to tell me how to treat your injury.¡±

    Serlon joined my other side, dropping a bag of medical supplies next to us, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you fight back? I know you could have.¡± He glanced at the bloodied wound in Edwin¡¯s grip.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill me?¡± I snapped back.

    He raised his hands, ¡°An order is an order. I¡¯m not going to kill you unless given a reason.¡±

    Another wave of pain came over me, my face went pale as I lurched forward. My eyes glowed, as I clenched my jaw with sharpened fangs now poking from my lips.

    The mana had been redirected into dealing with the pain. I was running out of proper amounts to keep everything in tack.

    ¡°Stand back!¡± Serlon warned Edwin.

    Edwin didn¡¯t move, instead, he took my shoulders in a panic, ¡°Asta! Asta! Stay with me! What do you need right now?¡±

    ¡°Vial. Belt. Now.¡± I choked out.

    He nodded, digging through the compartments on my belt, ¡°Where? Asta? Where is it?¡±

    I held my breath, shutting my eyes from the searing pain coursing throughout my body.

    ¡°For fucks sake!¡± Serlon jumped back in, opening a side pocket, and pulling out the vial, ¡°Open your mouth, bastard!¡±

    He wasted no time, shoving the liquid down my throat. I felt the effect instantly, as my body jumped at the sudden surge of mana. It was a strong potion, almost too strong for a human. But it was what I needed to support the effects of the transmutation magic.

    My eyes returned to normal, as the fangs retracted. I huffed heavily, sweat dripping from my body. I could feel it. The mana that redirected to the wound was more balanced.

    More importantly, I could feel the burning subside slightly. Maybe there were healing effects in the potion? I adjusted my position, now leaning back against the wooden carriage.

    I reached my uninjured hand towards Edwin, ¡°The cloth.¡±

    He handed them over, ¡°Are you okay now?¡±

    Wrapping the cloth around my hand, I used my mouth to tie a knot, ¡°Do I look okay?¡±

    ¡°You look better,¡± Serlon commented, his hand resting beside his sword.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be able to manage an injury this small. Once the burning stops, I¡¯ll be fine after that,¡± I informed the two, who continued to observe me.

    ¡°Who are you really?¡± Edwin asked, ¡°Why have you come to Trane?¡±

    I could lie.

    Lie about who I was. But one glance at Serlon spelled certain death if I dared to lie again. His expression told me all I needed to know. The only reason that I was still alive was because of Edwin¡¯s order to spare my life. Who knew how long that would last?

    I sighed.

    ¡°My real name is Arsylm Morningstar. I was the Third Prince of Hellion. After being banished by my father, I was put to sleep for the last century. I woke up near a human town, where I was taken to Trane by chance.¡± I explained, ignoring the shocked faces of the two.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re a dragon?¡± Edwin gasped, ¡°The dragon general? You¡¯re supposed to be dead!¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Wait! So, you can fly? Like you have wings and all?¡± Edwin asked, ¡°How do you keep this appearance? Dragons know advanced magic, right?¡±

    ¡°I can fly,¡± I lied, ¡°Transmutation magic.¡±

    I paused.

    ¡°Why are you so calm?¡± I questioned seriously. I had just told them that I was the same dragon that attacked the East.

    ¡°Do I look calm to you?¡± Edwin pointed to himself, before exhaling, ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m terrified. But it just goes to show that you would have killed me earlier if you wished. I guess I¡¯m holding on to that thought for the time being.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a fool,¡± I scoffed, slightly wincing.

    ¡°Maybe you are too.¡± The prince gave a small grin.

    Voices echoed in the distance, as the others returned with Gunnar supported at their sides. Eran could be heard barking out orders to help the injured guard get back to the carriage.

    I peered up to Serlon, who glanced back to me, ¡°Will the others be told?¡±

    He looked at Edwin, who seemed to be debating to himself internally. Edwin shook his head, ¡°Obviously, this isn¡¯t over. But it would be safer to keep this between the three of us for now.¡±

    ¡°You hear that, Asta? Arsylm? Asta. You better keep up a good act.¡± Serlon stood up, dusting off his trousers, and helping Edwin up.

    ¡°We¡¯ll figure this out later.¡± Edwin sighed, reaching his hand down to help me, ¡°Can you stand?¡±

    I reached up with my uninjured hand, taking the hand of the human prince,

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

 - 46 - Prince to Prince! Truces, Personal Gain

    Ultimately, the decision to set up camp for the night was made. After the attack, no one was in the mood to continue without rest even if it were only for a few hours.

    The twins were able to start a fire in the middle of the cliffside, allowing the group to rest in some warmth. The mules had been unhooked from the carriage and were tied to a nearby tree to rest. I leaned against a tree, watching the group from a distance.

    Gunnar¡¯s side torso had been slashed deeply by the ogre, which meant that he wasn¡¯t in the best condition. However, Gunnar insisted that none of the healing potions should be used on him. The normally jolly guard insisted that he would be fine till we were able to attend proper care in Leton.

    I can¡¯t say that I agree with his decision. It was fine to be wrong, enriching too. After all, injured humans were liabilities in battle and there was still a two-day journey ahead of us. He would get in the way.

    Not to mention that the blood would bring unwanted attention. It was nothing that I couldn¡¯t manage, seeing as I didn¡¯t need to be as careful with my abilities. Serlon and Edwin had stayed silent about my identity, even after being questioned on my wrapped injury. For all they knew, I most likely injured it while hanging from the side of the carriage.

    I couldn¡¯t decide if that was a good thing or not. Even from a distance away from the fire, I felt like their stares would burn holes in my side. When everyone had returned to the carriage, I wasted no time slip away from the commotion. Serlon had been distracted in making the decision to delay our travel.

    Edwin was too busy checking in on Gunnar, who was resting in the carriage right now. My condition was stable with the occasional burning from my hand. Hurt like a bitch though.

    Overall, the remnants of the magic were fading because of the small amount. Still, it burned away a decent part of the skin that had been exposed. Can¡¯t say that it was the most favorable outcome. Nothing could be as painful as half of my wing being completely burned away. And I hoped it stayed that way.

    ¡°If I had to, I would have faced that ogre on foot!¡± Lars swung at the air, ¡°I would have protected you with my life, Your Highness!¡±

    Snickers erupted from around the fireplace.

    ¡°That¡¯s very noble of you, Guard Lars,¡± Edwin thanked, his eyes still glancing over in my direction, ¡°I¡¯m glad we were able to manage an attack of a demon of that size.¡±

    ¡°With all due respect, Your Highness,¡± Daniel raised his brow, ¡°We all know that my brother would have been killed in one hit if he tried.¡±

    Lars elbowed Daniel¡¯s side, ¡°Says the person that clung to the roof with white knuckles!¡±

    ¡°Please! You looked like you wanted to piss yourself,¡± Daniel scoffed.

    ¡°Scouts had been monitoring the demonic activity within the forests. But we were unaware of such a threat lurking within our territory,¡± Serlon shed some light on the situation, ¡°Thanks to everyone¡¯s swift reactions, we were able to retreat.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all credited to your efficient training, Sir Serlon,¡± Trent added, rubbing his sword with a rag, ¡°For once I was thankful for all the ambush drills that you put us through.¡±

    ¡°Suck up,¡± Lars mumbled under his breath.

    Serlon chuckled, getting to his feet, ¡°Well then. I¡¯ll make sure to train everyone harder. Now, use this time to actually rest. We¡¯ll be traveling nonstop after this to make it to the negotiations on time.¡±

    ¡°Great! Now look at what you¡¯ve done. You¡¯ve doomed us!¡± Lars whined, throwing a stick at Trent.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Edwin asked, already standing up. He knew where Serlon was heading. Unfortunately, so did I. After all, the entire ordeal had been prolonged.

    All Serlon did in response was wave the prince over to his side. I debated on running, but at the same time, I¡¯d be running from humans. Like hell I¡¯d do that. Instead, I stood motionless as the pair marched over in my direction. The relaxed expressions that they had worn at the fireplace melted off, exuding more serious faces.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    All business now.

    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± I scoffed, crossing my arms, ¡°I was starting to wonder if you were just stupid enough to brush it over.¡±

    ¡°You know we can¡¯t do that,¡± Edwin loudly whispered, glancing back at the small chattering around the fireplace.

    ¡°Speak normally. They won¡¯t hear you from here,¡± I sighed, ¡°If I¡¯m to be killed once we get to Leton, I¡¯ll just leave now. You won¡¯t see me again nor will I be aiding in the war from the demonic side.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t plan on killing you, dragon,¡± Serlon confessed, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean that your presence is exactly welcomed here.¡±

    I faked a gasp, wiping an imaginary tear from my eye, ¡°Wow. I¡¯m hurt¡­ really. I mean it!¡±

    Serlon narrowed his eyes, ¡°I have half the mind to kill you now.¡±

    ¡°Sorry to break it to you, Serlon, ¡°I scoffed, smirking, ¡°But I¡¯m in a stable condition right now. I could kill this whole group in seconds if I wanted to.¡±

    ¡°And I think you forgot that Prince Edwin knows light magic,¡± Serlon warned, stepping closer as if that would intimidate me.

    ¡°I¡¯d never forget that¡± I held my bandaged hand in front of his face, ¡°I think you overestimate Edwin¡¯s killing intent though,¡± I levelled, turning back towards Edwin, who had remained silent.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Your Highness?¡± I leaned down to face him.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I wouldn¡¯t kill you, ¡°Edwin looked up with conviction, ¡°And I don¡¯t think we have to be on opposing sides. Look, I understand who you are and what that foretells regarding safety concerns.¡±

    No. I don¡¯t think he does. If Edwin really knew, he would have killed me when the effects of the light magic were still overwhelming. The window of opportunity was gone. Serlon understood that now.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Edwin continued, ¡°I¡¯ve heard all about your accomplishments in the past. Even if you were feared widely among humans, the records show that you were an amazing commander and fighter. If there¡¯s any way that we can utilize that then I¡¯m more than willing for both sides to use each other.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness!¡± Serlon cried.

    Use each other? The comment seemed almost alien coming from Edwin. I chuckled, ¡°Are you saying that you want to make a deal?¡±

    He nodded, ¡°Even if it was to different degrees, we both grew up in politics. I¡¯m not as clueless as I act. Nor am I blind to the fact that you would have killed us if you wanted to. So, what are you after by being here? Why are you in Trane?¡±

    Edwin kept having moments where I could actually see why he was Crown Prince. He was picked over his so-called brother for a reason. It was because of rare spectacles like this.

    ¡°I have no power in Hellion anymore,¡± I kept it simple, ¡°Because of my nature, I¡¯m not the type to sit in a mountain for thousands of years either. My reason for being in Trane is purely because of my own convenience.¡±

    Of course, I didn¡¯t mention that originally, but I followed through with my position at Trane to gain information for my father. As it stood, it seemed like my father¡¯s tantrum wouldn¡¯t be ending this time around. It had been my own fault, so I couldn¡¯t get upset about it.

    If I had been more competent in battle, I would have earned those victories. I would still have my territory and my troops wouldn¡¯t have gotten wiped out.

    ¡°Why should we trust you? Heaven knows that you¡¯ll betray us when we least expect it.¡± Serlon maintained his stance.

    ¡°Trust me? Why should I trust you to keep my secret?¡± I remarked, ¡°My glory days are over, Serlon. But I¡¯ll let you in on some advice from Arsylm. Not ¡®Asta.¡¯ The best type of trust is the nonexistent kind. The answer is to not trust me. As I¡¯ll do for you.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Arsylm,¡± Edwin interrupted us, ¡°I¡¯ll allow you to continue to serve under my command. Of course, this means that I¡¯ll keep your identity while doing so. In return, I would like to interject my own side of this bargain.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness¡­ you can¡¯t mean to say that?¡± Serlon gaped.

    Edwin nodded, peering back to the group, ¡°Are you able to cast some sort of noise cancellation magic around us without them noticing?¡±

    I raised my eyebrow, ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Dragons are skilled in magic. Are they not?¡± Edwin reaffirmed his request.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s possible. In return, I¡¯ll throw in the condition that I¡¯ll receive a new mana potion when we arrive at Leton.¡± I proposed.

    ¡°Those are expensive! We absolutely can¡¯t.¡± Serlon tried to advise Edwin, who only took a second to consider the deal.

    He raised his hand to dismiss the Guard¡¯s worrying, ¡°Consider it done. Trane is not a poor kingdom. It¡¯s well within our monthly budget.¡±

    ¡°Works for me then,¡± I peered over to the rest of the troop, making sure that none were looking in our direction. With a slight glow in my eyes, I waved my hand to encompass us in a transparent space.

    It wasn¡¯t too much mana. I had a little extra from the strength of the mana potion anyway. This much wouldn¡¯t hurt, but I¡¯ll be damned if I miss out on replacing the other one.

    ¡°There. They can¡¯t see or hear us right now, Edwin,¡± I assured him, waiting for him to continue with his part of the bargain.

    Serlon and him peered around at the light glimmer of the space that I created. Their faces were mixed with admiration and shock.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a four-layered spell? You did it without breaking a sweat,¡± Edwin cheered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit that this is impressive,¡± Serlon mumbled under his breath. So. I would refrain from explicitly saying that my senses were above a human¡¯s. It made me happy inside.

    ¡°Don¡¯t class dragons in the same league as your mages.¡± I reminded him, earning a scowl from Serlon.

    Edwin chuckled, before his face fell, ¡°Anyway. As I said, I¡¯ll keep your identity while letting you continue your duties. However,¡± He paused, ¡°I would like to ask for your aid, myself. Let me borrow your power for my own personal gain.¡±

    ¡°If you''re asking me to parade around in my normal form, I¡¯ll decline that now. My father doesn¡¯t care about me now, but the second I announce my presence in battle, he¡¯ll show himself. For both our sakes, that¡¯s the worst outcome imaginable.¡± I cautioned.

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t need you to do that,¡± He assured, ¡°You¡¯ve kept hidden for your own reasons.¡±

    ¡°Then what are you proposing if not that?¡± I pressed further.

    ¡°Arsylm,¡± He looked me dead in the eyes, ¡°Lend me your strength to take the throne from my father should the time come. That¡¯s all I ask.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s it? Just support?¡± I questioned, ¡°You¡¯re waiting for the chance to overthrow your father?¡±

    Gutsy. I couldn¡¯t imagine holding a dime to my father. The thought itself was certain death.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Edwin confirmed, ¡°Should the day come¡­ I¡¯d like you on my side.¡±

    It would be reasonable to go with the winning side. But since there were conditions to it¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll agree to that, Edwin.¡± I acknowledged his request.

    ¡°Thank you, Arslym. Let¡¯s hold up both of our sides. For now, we can discuss this more after the Leton trip.¡± He reached out his hand for a shake.

    I looked down at his sweaty palms. You know? For someone who seemed so confident while making a deal, he exposed himself through his gross bodily habits.

    ¡°...Yeah, no. Put that away. There¡¯s no way that I¡¯m shaking your hand.¡±

 - 47 - Demon Pest Control! Mud Puddles, Bickering

    If anything, the smoke of the fire had been enough to overpower the scent of human blood. Besides lower-class demons prowling the tree lines, there were no actual instances. They weren¡¯t bold enough to encroach on dragon territory, especially now since I had used mana earlier. I¡¯m sure they could sense the small traces around the encampment.

    I had been up all night under Serlon¡¯s unending watch. He didn¡¯t say a word once Edwin had retired for the night, only glaring from his seat on the carriage. That human dared not to get a blink of sleep like the others.

    I couldn¡¯t blame him either. In fact, he was smart about it. Who was to say that I wouldn¡¯t run away during the night? Or worse. Discovering your enemy hiding under your nose probably wasn¡¯t the most comfortable feeling in the world.

    After a few hours, Serlon had gotten up to wake the others who had fallen asleep around the fire. The whole encampment groaned as they packed up, erasing the traces of the fire that had long burned out. Trent had walked over to refasten the mules into their harnesses. The only ones left to sleep were Edwin and Gunnar, who had rested in the carriage.

    Obviously, I was considered fine to continue for the rest of the trip. My hand had stopped burning, but the wound would take a while to properly heal. I¡¯d be damned if I¡¯d let this much stop me. The fates know I¡¯ve been through worse.

    Because of Gunnar¡¯s absence, Eran took the flank with Daniel. I was positioned on the side, nearest to what would be closest to Serlon¡¯s surveillance if he so much as peered back slightly.

    ¡°We have no time to waste. Let¡¯s move before the merchants run through here. I don¡¯t feel like running into those travelling gossipers,¡± Serlon yawned, as he walked towards the front, and nodded to Trent.

    Trent picked up the reins, sending the mules into a slow walk. The carriage creaked to life; its wooden frame slightly battered from the attack. I sighed, following along, and peering out at the darkened woods that passed us.

    Since the ogre had fallen off the cliff, the demonic energy of the forest returned to what it had been earlier. I¡¯ll admit that I was shocked at the appearance of the demon myself. It was premature to say that it was strange to find that type of demon this far into human territory. After all, the world had a hundred years to change from what I used to know it.

    Still, with the demonic race fighting the angelic tribe on the other side, I doubted my brothers or Dagon would allow an ogre to slip through the front lines. Additionally, most of the demons outside of the Morningstar rule were lower ones. That ogre was lower-middle class if I were to categorize it.

    I would never bring this up to the humans. They didn¡¯t need to know that the army that was attacking the West kingdoms wasn¡¯t the strongest it could be. Depending on the other situation, it could only get worse from here. Edwin and I may have made a ¡°deal,¡± but my blood was still demonic. Even if my loyalty was unaffiliated, I knew better than to blindly comply with a human kingdom.

    And they knew that too. Honestly, I was fine with how things were for the time being. My exposure was bound to happen eventually. One encounter with the high mage at Trane and I would have been overseen. It was ideal for the Crown Prince to have my back.

    The same Crown Prince now stuck his head out from the window of the carriage. His golden hair frayed in all different directions from his slumber, and his eyes drooped and locked onto mine.

    ¡°¡­Good morning, Asta,¡± He yawned, resting his chin against the wooden frame, ¡°How did you sleep?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± I replied, narrowing my eyes at the drool still in his mouth. If only the people of Trane could see their future ruler now.

    ¡°¡­Oh. Then how¡¯s your injury? Are you capable of completing the trip?¡± He asked.

    I raised my eyebrow, ¡°Am I capable? Did you really just ask that?¡±

    ¡°Ah! I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± He sighed, rubbing his eyes, ¡°You just seemed in a lot of pain yesterday. I wasn¡¯t sure if you¡¯d rest for the time being or not.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit that my hand isn¡¯t in the best condition. But that much won¡¯t impend me from performing my duties,¡± I sighed, ¡°Rest assured Edwin, I¡¯m adhering to our agreement from yesterday if that¡¯s what you¡¯re bothering me about.¡±

    He shook his head, ¡°No, it was nothing like that. I trust you to hold your end,¡± Edwin poked his head out further, peering around at our surroundings,¡± Anyway¡­ How long have we been traveling?¡±

    ¡°Not long at all, Your Highness,¡± Eran chimed in, now making his way over to the side of the carriage, ¡°Did you have a nice rest? I¡¯ll have to ask you to not hang out of the carriage though.¡±

    ¡°I slept well. Thank you, Guard Eran,¡± Edwin smiled, climbing back into the window, ¡°I was fine! But you have had enough to worry about already, so I¡¯ll comply.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you said last time before you toppled over into a passing mud puddle. I nearly lost my job, Your Highness. The visiting sovereignty had been convinced that you were mocking him,¡± Eran reminded the prince, who had gone red in the face.

    ¡°And I explained it well. It was a trade deal and it ended up passing through. If he were really offended, he wouldn¡¯t have signed the papers,¡± He defended himself with no avail.

    ¡°Your father threatened them might I add. He didn¡¯t have much of a choice, Your Highness.¡± Eran sighed.

    ¡°¡­I still explained myself,¡± Edwin muttered, ¡°The trade has flourished since then.¡±

    I spotted a wet patch in the trail ahead of us.

    ¡°You know. On second thought, you should lean out of the carriage,¡± I countered, receiving an elbow from Eran. He and Serlon had a nasty habit of doing that. He was like a Serlon Jr. but less of a bastard.

    ¡°Let¡¯s refrain from doing anything of the sort,¡± The guard warned, sending a glare to both of us before sighing, ¡°Your Highness. It¡¯s best if you stay in the carriage. You may be dressed in civilian clothing but you¡¯re still royalty. I must ask that you close the window.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine. I will,¡± Edwin obliged, giving one last comment to me, ¡°Asta, if your hand hurts, you¡¯re welcome to ride inside with me.¡± He added, before closing the window.

    ¡°That¡¯s the last thing I¡¯d do if I was unwell,¡± I muttered under my breath.

    Eran remained at my side, his eyes now dropping to my bandaged hand, ¡°Now that I think of it, how did you hurt it? You seemed like you were in pain yesterday.¡±

    ¡°I injured it pretty badly while throwing Edwin up to the roof,¡± I lied, ¡°But it¡¯s fine now. I can hold a sword if I need to.¡±

    He nodded, ¡°We can treat it at Leton. Gunnar will need to be taken to a clinic anyway for his torso injury. You might as well tag along.¡±

    ¡°I should be fine. But I¡¯ll let you know if that changes,¡± I dismissed his offer. One look of my hand by a proper healer and it would be obvious what caused the injury.

    ¡°If you insist, Asta. You¡¯re only 16. I¡¯d recommend that you keep your health,¡± He looked a little disappointed, ¡°Anyway, have you ever been to Leton before?¡±

    I shook my head.

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t recall a kingdom with a name in the past. We focused more on the East territories because of my father¡¯s conquest. Kingdoms like Trane and Leton weren¡¯t relevant enough.

    From what I could concur, Trane hadn¡¯t really prospered till they received riches after their hand at the demon¡¯s loss, which had probably been the start of our downfall in battle. Ignorance.

    ¡°I know that they¡¯re not fond of nobility which is why we¡¯re going under the radar,¡± I offered what I knew of it.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Leton is a kingdom with a higher crime rate. They used to be a prosperous marketing economy. Honestly, they still are to an extent, but their trade routes are limited nowadays because of their location. Few merchants want to travel to a place near the West.¡± He informed me, keeping stride with me.

    ¡°Because of the demons?¡± I asked, ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but the demonic attack focused on the outer western kingdoms first. Leton wasn¡¯t entirely safe. But they were still protected while the outer kingdoms held their ground.¡±

    ¡°We faced the ogre near Trane border. It¡¯s not known to the public, but higher-level demons have started to appear deeper into human territory. I¡¯m sure that Leton¡¯s forces have seen an increased number in the last few years since the attacks started.¡± He explained.

    This couldn¡¯t be right even if there were demons outside Morningstar''s control. For higher-level demons to appear this far without being under leadership was unheard of. Not only was it a risk for humans, but it also presented drawbacks for Hellion.

    I thought back to the discarded horn that lay in the estate when I got the mana stone fixed. Now that he mentioned that I suppose it made sense. Humans would have more chances to study demonic bodies if these appearances were true.

    I¡¯m not sure if I could sit comfortably at the fact. How much could they learn about demons if they received enough material to study from? If they were able to down a dragon a hundred years ago, how about now?

    ¡°Do you know how they¡¯re slipping this deep from the borders?¡± I questioned. Even I was puzzled because it was unlike higher demons.

    Eran shrugged, ¡°It picked up after the attacks on the East ended. But it¡¯s gotten worse lately. This stays between us, but it¡¯s not the first time troops have met ogres in the woods. We weren¡¯t aware of this one though.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± I nodded.

    He patted my back, chuckling, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that though. Let¡¯s focus on finishing our escorting mission. Leton isn¡¯t the safest, but it¡¯s not like it lacks in culture.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡±

    Serlon peered back, cupping his hands to yell, ¡°Since we didn¡¯t get our training in, how about we pick up the pace and jog? If we¡¯re fast enough, we¡¯ll arrive at Leton by tomorrow night.¡±

    No one answered directly. Instead, Eran dropped back to his position in the flank and picked up into a light jog. I followed his lead, pacing myself till the mules were transitioned into a trot. Soon enough, the carriage picked up with everyone jogging on their sides.

    From the other side, I could hear the complaints of Lars and Daniel bickering with each other.

    ¡°First, we¡¯re attacked by a fucking ogre. Now, I have to run before the sun is even up.¡± Lars groaned through heavy breaths.

    ¡°Shut up, Lars. You¡¯re complaining because you¡¯re always last anyway for the morning training.¡± Daniel scoffed from the back.

    ¡°That¡¯s because you snore! I can¡¯t get enough sleep because of it,¡± Lars scowled behind him.

    ¡°Is that so? Because when I wake up in the middle of the night, you look like you¡¯re dead asleep.¡± Daniel scoffed, ¡°I¡¯m bothering your sleep, my ass.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t both shut up, I¡¯m going to make sure you run till you throw up.¡± Eran threatened them. Sure enough, that¡¯s when I ceased to hear any more come from the twins.

    I picked up my pace, hoping to be in Leton as quickly as possible. It was going to be a long day.

 - 48 - Arrive at Leton! Crime, King Leon (1)

    The rest of the trip was an offset of jogging alongside the wooden carriage. Edwin stayed inside, occasionally poking his head out for small chatter. Besides that, we only ran into smaller demons. But they were taken care of without delaying the trip further.

    Night fell upon the trail, as we jogged past the prowling eyes that followed us from the tree line. Fire illuminated in the distance, as the carriage reached the highest point of the trail. Trent pulled the mules to a halt, now overlooking the grand walls of Leton that poked above the forest head.

    Serlon wandered back to the carriage and opened the doors. The prince hopped down with a huff, followed by Gunnar, whose complexion had greatly improved from earlier.

    ¡°Are we already at Leton?¡± Edwin adjusted his tunic.

    Serlon nodded, ¡°Yes, Your Highness. We were able to make it on time because of everyone¡¯s agility.¡± Agility or abuse of power?

    Edwin peered around at the tired expressions of the guards. His eyes landed on me, a small smirk peeking on his face when he noticed my unfazed demeanor. I wasn¡¯t sweating like the others, nor did I look burdened by nonstop jogging.

    His attention turned back to Serlon, who had reached for a pocket in his belt. The head guard pulled out a small pouch, emptying the blackened powder in his hands. Rubbing his hands together, he promptly started putting the powder through the prince¡¯s hair.

    It appeared that he enjoyed this a little too much.

    Edwin¡¯s golden locks were soon covered black, leaving little trace of Trane¡¯s golden bloodline.

    ¡°What is this? Charcoal?¡± Edwin tried to fan away the fumes, coughing from the escaping dust.

    ¡°Forgive me. But the tension in Leton is high, especially towards nobles,¡± Serlon dumped the remaining contents of the bag onto Edwin¡¯s head, ¡°It¡¯s a temporary measure.¡± He clapped his hands together to rid himself of the charcoal left on his palms.

    Serlon pointed to the twins, ¡°You two. Move the cargo from the storage to the main compartment of the carriage. Prince Edwin will be moving on foot till we reach the castle. The carriage will be too hard to guard. So, we must prepare to lose the cargo if needed.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡± They moved straight to work, heading to unlock the storage.

    Edwin moved over to my side, trying to dust the charcoal from his hands, ¡°I¡¯m amazed that you don¡¯t even seem tired.¡± He lowered his voice, leaning towards me.

    ¡°This much is minuscule,¡± I scoffed, pushing him away slightly, ¡°I could sprint for days without getting winded.¡±

    I stared at the walls of Leton in the distance. Once we left again, we¡¯d arrive there in no time. I heard a scoff at my side before Edwin stepped up. The prince peered over the kingdom as well.

    Edwin smiled, crossing his arms, ¡°Leton¡¯s walls are fairly big. They used a lot of capital to reinforce their borders when the West had been initially attacked.¡±

    I peered over at the stone fortifications of the kingdom. For the most part, Edwin was correct. Leton had certainly reinforced the walls to a considerable extent. Even from a distance, you could tell that they stood thick and tall. Cannon balls would only make a dent in its exterior.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± he casually asked while others prepared the carriage to venture into Leton.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s decent,¡± I answered.

    ¡°Decent?¡± He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°We¡¯ve seen worse, Edwin.¡± I was honest. I had to assume that he could infer what that meant. He wasn¡¯t as stupid as he acted.

    ¡°I see.¡± Edwin only nodded, answering the rest with his silence.

    It was obvious what he had been implying. I think everyone would be wondering the same thing. How long could Leton last against attacks? More importantly, how long before Trane would have to wonder the same thing?You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    I peered over at the prince, who continued to stare into the distance. In this light, he was not the dumbfounded fool that he masked himself as. Instead, the worried glint in his eyes resembled that of a ruler on the brink of war. I, myself, was too familiar with that look.

    The rest of the troop finished up.

    Eran and Serlon finished off their discussions. The twins finished off loading the crates into the main compartment, as Serlon marched his way over to us. He tossed a black cloak towards Edwin, who barely caught it in time.

    ¡°Make sure you wear this. Don¡¯t lower the hood. Even with the charcoal in your hair, your face is still very public to other kingdoms.¡± He warned, eyeing his charcoal handiwork, ¡°We¡¯re going to leave soon. I don¡¯t want you to leave Asta¡¯s side.¡±

    ¡°Oh? You trust me now,¡± I scoffed, not believing what I was hearing, ¡°Is this the same person that spent all night glaring at me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t trust you,¡± Serlon argued, before sighing, ¡°But I¡¯ll need to be in front observing our routes to the castle. As much as I hate to admit it, you¡¯re the strongest one here. I may not trust your intentions, but I trust your sense of duty. Am I right to assume that?¡±

    I clicked my tongue.

    ¡°Right. I¡¯m glad that we can agree on one thing.¡± Serlon smiled, turning around, and calling to the others, ¡°Pack it up! Let¡¯s move!¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡± A simultaneous shout echoed from the rest of the troop. Once again, Trent sent the mules into a walk down the mountaintop and towards Leton¡¯s gates.

    As Serlon asked, Edwin stayed by my side.

    Everyone was silent, as the troops neared the gates. In the closing distance, guards stood post in front of metal gates. The carriage creaked to a halt, as we arrived a few feet from Leton¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°Halt! Who goes there?¡± One of the guards shouted, hitting their spears against the ground with a bang.

    Serlon raised his hands in the air, walking up to the guards. He reached slowly into his pocket to pull out a golden crest. The guard narrowed his eyes, stepping closer to verify the crest of the Trane Royal Family.

    ¡°The emperor has been expecting your visit,¡± He almost frowned, ¡°We can let you in, but we are unable to escort you to the palace.¡±

    ¡°No need for apologies. We¡¯re quite aware of the situation already.¡± Serlon assured the guard, who nodded in return.

    The guard raised his hand to signal to the ones stationed at the gate. They pulled the lever, sending the chains up to pull the gate open to the Kingdom. With bangs and clanks, the gate rose fully.

    ¡°Welcome to Leton,¡± The guard stepped aside and into a small bow.

    Serlon motioned to Trent, who started the carriage into the confines of the Kingdom. The carriage moved slowly, having to wait for the busy night crowd to clear a way for us. Edwin stepped closer, nearly brushing against my side.

    Wandering eyes of citizens lurked over to us, most eyeing the carriage. Except that behind the vendors, lurked alleyways of people sleeping on the grounds. Their hungry eyes followed our carriage, belts, and mules. I moved my arm over my belt, blocking any view of the knives hanging from them.

    I didn¡¯t intend to give them any incentive to steal from us. That is ¨C more than they already had. Even if we moved in disguise, a poor traveling merchant group still held more material goods than beggars on the street.

    The lively row of vendors couldn¡¯t hide the reality of Leton¡¯s economy.

    Similar to Trane, vendors called out for their materials as we passed. However, these vendors pushed their way in front of each of us, shoving their sales pitches in our faces. They were pestering businessfolk.

    ¡°Two for four copper coins!¡± An older woman placed herself in front of Edwin, who tucked behind me. I sighed, pushing past the lady.

    ¡°Beverages! Two copper coins for the weary travelers!¡± Another vendor motioned aggressively toward us. We ignored him, never setting our eyes off the path in front of us.

    Edwin elbowed my side, to which I leaned down to let him whisper, ¡°I think some of them are following us.¡± He mentioned, discreetly motioning behind us to the same alley folk that got up.

    I nodded, peering over my shoulder to the twins, who had already noticed them, ¡°Just keep walking. If we need to ditch the carriage, we¡¯re prepared to do so.¡±

    A running sound behind us, followed by children¡¯s laughter crept up behind us. A young boy with his sister in hand rushed from the crowd. He bumped into Edwin¡¯s side, pausing to apologize.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mister!¡± He said quickly before rushing forward with his sister.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. No worries¡­, ¡°Edwin started before having time to finish. He peered over in confusion.

    As the two ran away, I heard the same boy click his tongue in disappointment. So, this was the real Leton.

    ¡°Check your pockets,¡± I told him, checking my belt to see if anything went missing. It didn¡¯t take him long to realize what had happened.

    ¡°Should I go after them?¡± Lars called from the back.

    Edwin shook his head, ¡°No need. I didn¡¯t have anything in my pocket anyway.¡±

    I glanced at the front to Serlon, who had seen what happened. He frowned, signaling Trent to speed the carriage up.

    Even if we were in the streets, the atmosphere was tense, and everyone was on guard. Although this time, it was not demons that we were weary of. But humans.

    We sped up, clearing the heavy crowds to step into a less busy path. The castle neared in the distance, its stone pillars towering over the rest of the buildings.

    Crowded streets turned into a waterway bridge, surrounded by planted trees, and fire-lit lanterns. Serlon led us over a bridge, to what he believed to be a shortcut.

    But it was too empty.

    Despite the lack of a crowd, my senses were high as we walked across the vacant bridge. Numerous footsteps scurried in our direction, drawing closer as they approached the carriage. I froze, unsheathing my blade. My action was noticed by the others, who moved to do the same.

    Edwin moved behind me, pressing himself against the carriage as we were surrounded by black-clothed figures. They left no gaps in their small siege of the carriage. We had been surrounded in a matter of mere seconds.

    These were not the same peasants that we had seen following us in the crowded streets. No. They were trained, even their footsteps revealed that much. This could get annoying.

    ¡°Brace yourselves!¡± Serlon warned us, brandishing his sword, ¡°Back away from the carriage!¡± He yelled at the figures, sparing a telling look at me. That look didn¡¯t need to be verbalized.

    Protect the Prince.

    I stepped over to block Edwin from view, eyeing the figures in front of me. With each tense second, it was likely that fighting out of this would be the only way.

    A muffled voice, hidden in the back of the crowd spoke over the figures, ¡°Hand over the carriage if you don¡¯t want to die!¡± Their leader.

    Amid the exchange came laughter. Edwin stepped from behind me, foolishly walking past the wall of his guards toward the direction of the voice.

    Well. If he wanted to die that badly then¡­

    ¡°Edwin!¡± Serlon cried, rushing towards him in a panic. He froze at the prince¡¯s hand, sending him to a stop.

    Edwin chuckled, hands behind his back, ¡°Isn¡¯t this a little too cruel, King Leon?¡± He yelled over the figures, who remained unmoving.

    Soon enough, footsteps echoed from behind, as the masked figures stepped aside to reveal a blue hooded individual.

    The individual sighed, pulling down the hood to show a wide grin, ¡°Ah. Was it my voice? You were never one to fall for my tricks. Were you, Prince Edwin?¡±

 - 49 - Cruel Joke! Throne Rooms, Bunk Buddies (2)

    Leton¡¯s king smiled shamelessly as if he had not pretended to surround the carriage with fake robbers. He chuckled. His green eyes were vibrant in the night, as he peered at Edwin.

    Edwin crossed his arms, his eyebrow raised at the poor joke, ¡°You went too far. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d use your forces for this, Leon.¡±

    ¡°You should know that I¡¯ve done worse,¡± Leon assured, shrugging before turning more serious, ¡°Anyway. I¡¯m grateful that you¡¯ve arrived at such short notice.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I left as soon as I received word,¡± Edwin responded, walking next to the ruler.

    Leon nodded, waving a hand to the black-attired individuals, who were still surrounding the carriage. Simultaneously, they all bowed before rushing to the edge of the bridge, jumping off swiftly.

    Any splash to be heard from the water below ceased to occur, as they left without a mere sound. I narrowed my eyes toward the edge of the bridge. It perturbed me at the lack of mana in the air. Seemingly, they had disappeared without a trace.

    This skill could not be credited to a simple teleportation spell. Wherever they were, they had been trained to unthinkable degrees to pull it off. I peered back up at Leton¡¯s King.

    Appearing in the distance were armored guards that wore Leton¡¯s imperial crest. They rushed up to the King, who continued to chat with Edwin.

    Had he shown his troop¡¯s skill off intentionally? I couldn¡¯t help but mentally applaud his method of doing so if that were the case. In terms of political visitations, it allowed for a non-hostile way of displaying your military capability.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t know how they do that,¡± Leon admitted, ¡°I¡¯ve watched them train hundreds of times, but I can¡¯t figure it out.¡±

    ¡°I can understand that,¡± Edwin said, looking over at us, ¡°My guards are capable of things that you couldn¡¯t fathom. I¡¯m relieved to know that we¡¯re both surrounded by some of the best.¡±

    Yeah, that¡¯s right. I was the fucking best.

    Leon smiled, ¡°We both share similar thoughts about our troops then. It¡¯s been five years since I¡¯ve seen you in person last, hasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, it has. Except for this time, I greet you as King¡­ not as the troublemaking Prince that I used to know.¡± Edwin chuckled.

    ¡°I still cause trouble. I just need to be more discreet about it now,¡± Leon pointed back to the armored guards behind him, ¡°My head knight isn¡¯t present now, but she¡¯ll give me an earful if I laze around like the olden days.¡±

    ¡°You make it sound like decades have passed,¡± Edwin sighed, ¡°We¡¯re not that old, you know.¡±

    The king shrugged, ¡°With everything going on right now, that¡¯s what it feels like. I¡¯m dying for a singular day of rest. As it stands, I don¡¯t have the luxury to afford that.¡±

    ¡°I hope with our visit that you¡¯ll feel more assured then,¡± Edwin chimed in, ¡°Leton is very precious to Trane.¡±

    Leon nodded, before sighing, ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. We have much to catch up on then. We¡¯ll escort your group the rest of the way. The castle is just up ahead after the bridge.¡±

    Serlon looked back to Trent, who picked up the reins to send the carriage forward. I glanced ahead. My eyes focused on the pillars tops of the castle. With my vision, I could spot the mages and archers that stood at the top, watching down for enemies.

    Leton flags hung from the walls, the lion crest illuminated by fire in the dark of the night. The most noticeable thing was the sheer number of guards that greeted us at the gates.

    A dozen knights had been stationed in full armor in the front. All of which, bowed at once for the King, who waved to the gate controllers.

    They opened quickly, rows of knights saluting their King as we passed.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    We rushed through the gates before they slammed shut behind us. The same guards had been stationed out front, using their bodies to cover the gaps in the steel gates. You couldn¡¯t see in or out.

    By Trane¡¯s standards, it was overboard. However, Leton had already proved to be unsafe for nobility. It was a kingdom on the brink of a war that they could not hope to win. Tension was at its peak.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have my guards here, take the carriage for you. We¡¯ll store it in the stables along with my own.¡± Leon motioned to two of the guards behind him.

    Trent raised his hand, ¡°I¡¯ll go with them, Your Highness. The mules still need to be fed after all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Ask one of the servants if you can¡¯t find your lodgings,¡± Edwin approved.

    ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll make sure your guard is shown after the mules are fed. That is no problem.¡± Leon affirmed, sending his knights to the carriage to greet Trent.

    Our night bags were tossed into us by Trent, who finished locking up everything. I threw the backpack over my shoulder, watching the knights help hand out the others.

    With a quick exchange of commands, the three rode the carriage down a side path of the castle. Eran walked to my side, patting my shoulder.

    The twins joined us, supporting Gunnar on their shoulders.

    Serlon stepped to Edwin¡¯s side, giving a slight bow to Leton¡¯s King, ¡°King Leon, if I may¡­ One of my soldiers was injured during travel. We ask that he is treated in the medical bay at once.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± The King smiled, ¡°Feel free to use the amenities provided by the castle¡¯s service. I¡¯ll point you down the right hallway myself when we pass it.¡±

    Serlon nodded, stepping back from the two royals. He fell back next to Eran and me.

    ¡°Well then. Let¡¯s get inside, shall we?¡± Leon turned, leading the group up the stairs to the castle entrance.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Edwin matched his pace.

    I walked alongside the others, watching the King¡¯s guards split to flank beside us. It was like cattle. I¡¯m not sure if I liked it. I clicked my tongue, rolling my eyes.

    Serlon¡¯s elbow hit me from the side. The head guard sent death threats to me through his glare. I ignored this. Instead, I fell slightly behind to walk on the other side of Eran, who only sighed.

    The grand doors of the castle crept open, revealing a golden throne as the first thing visible in the court. This one was put right in front of the main doors. I looked over at Leton¡¯s ruler with a sense of respect.

    Like Trane, most monarchs kept their thrones in the center of the castle. It was a basic security measure against attempted rebellions or assassination attempts. Even my father had positioned Hellion¡¯s castle this way.

    Despite this, it was common knowledge to a monarchy that thrones as the welcoming view of the castle displayed bravery. It was a bold way of telling visiting nobility that as a ruler, you were ready to face enemies head-on.

    In the past, I had not been aware of Leton. If they were anything like suggested, as a general I would have respected this symbol. It was a powerful statement.

    We walked further into the throne room, Leton¡¯s King stopping to point down a side hallway.

    ¡°Your wounded can head down this hallway. The medical center is the second door to your left,¡± he said, looking over to Gunnar and the twins, who nodded.

    The three wasted no time. Gunnar supported himself against the twins, as he hobbled down the same hallway.

    ¡°How about you?¡± Leon asked, his eyes studying my bandaged hand. He glanced over to Edwin, ¡°Does he need to go too?¡±

    Edwin didn¡¯t miss a beat, ¡°No need for concern. Guard Asta is in good health. He merely scrapped the skin on the carriage along the way.¡±

    ¡°¡­Understood. Well, Guard Asta. The medical center is open at all hours if you feel the need to wander over.¡± King Leon offered, his attention focused back to Edwin, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll have to take you away from your sleep for a little, Prince Edwin.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. I got plenty of rest on the journey here,¡± Edwin assured, turning towards Serlon, ¡°You take the others and sleep. I¡¯ll be fine for the rest of the night.¡±

    Serlon looked hesitant, his attention drifting between Leton¡¯s ruler and his charge, ¡°Are you sure, Your Highness? I am more than capable of accompanying you for the rest of the night.¡±

    ¡°No offense, Sir Serlon. But you look like you¡¯re on the verge of death. I¡¯d rather you sleep so that you¡¯ll be alert enough for tomorrow.¡± Edwin¡¯s request came out as more of a demand.

    Serlon sighed in defeat, not willing to protest any further, ¡°Understood, Your Highness.¡± He turned to Leton¡¯s King, ¡°It was an honor to be in your company, King Leon.¡±

    ¡°The honor is all mine,¡± Leon smiled, waving Edwin ahead towards another hallway in the distance. The remaining guards followed them.

    One of his guards stayed back, extending his hand, ¡°If you follow me, I¡¯ll show you to your barracks for the duration of your visit. The others will be shown to their quarters when they are ready.¡±

    Serlon nodded, being the first to follow the armored guard. Eran and I followed behind, backpacks slung over our shoulders. The barracks were down another side hallway, nearest to the back.

    The guard pointed to three rooms at the end of the hallway, ¡°Each sleep two to three people. Feel free to divide yourself among them. You¡¯ll find that they¡¯re quite spacious. We hope that you¡¯ll join us for morning sparring in the courtyards tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be there,¡± Serlon assured before the guard exited the hallway.

    Eran yawned, stretching his arms above his head, ¡°Asta. I assume you¡¯re with me. Let¡¯s take the middle room. Gunnar and Trent can join later. Let¡¯s give the chief his own bed.¡±

    ¡°That works for me.¡± I shrugged, heading over to follow Eran before a hand was placed on my shoulder.

    Eran paused, raising his eyebrow, ¡°Uh¡­ Sir Serlon?¡±

    I peered over my shoulder with a scowl. What could he want now?

    ¡°Asta will be sleeping in the same room as me.¡± Serlon interjected, now pulling me towards the first room, ¡°Get some sleep before Trent comes back. You know he snores.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes Sir,¡± Eran wasted no time to question him, instead hurrying into the door.

    Serlon opened the door, closing it behind us. He walked forward, sitting his bag on the nearest bed to the door, before plopping down on the cot with a sigh.

    ¡°Well? Are you going to stand there all night and glare at me?¡± He yawned, kicking his boots off.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you cared enough to want to share a room?¡± I scoffed, lumbering forward to skip the middle bed. I threw my bag on the cot on the other side of the room.

    Serlon shook his head at this, ¡°Real mature, kid.¡± He sighed, resting his hands behind his hand, ¡°Let¡¯s be clear about three things.¡±

    He held up a finger, ¡°One. I don¡¯t trust you enough to keep you out of my sights,¡±

    He raised another finger, ¡°Two. Despite your identity, you¡¯re one of my more capable men. Dragon? Demon? Whatever the hell you are.¡±

    ¡°Three. You should be lucky that I saved you from Trent¡¯s snoring for a night. Now before you lay down, blow out the candles.¡±

    ¡°You better put down those fingers before I rip them off your hand,¡± I warned.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Just get the candles, will you?¡± He waved my threats off, rolling to his side.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this,¡± I grumbled, waving my hand. A small gust of wind bounced throughout the room, knocking each ember out nearly instantly.

    From the darkness, I heard a clap, ¡°Way to show off, you magic dragon, you. Now sleep.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even need sleep.¡± I digressed.

    ¡°Then close your eyes and shut up.¡±

 - 50 - Internal Conflict! Spars, Tension (3)

    Like clockwork, Serlon had woken up at the cusp of dawn. Everyone was rushed to the courtyards early despite protests.

    Because we represented the Crown Prince, it would be proper to be extra early. At least, that¡¯s what his squeal was about.

    For once, I didn¡¯t blame him. Actually, it made sense. But the heavy bags under the other¡¯s eyes painted another story.

    Everyone was exhausted. The trip here has been less than ideal.

    Soldiers started to arrive before the sun started to rise. Despite the tired looks on the soldiers¡¯ faces, they had already gotten to work. It was pure determination, each wearing a look suited for a warrior of their class. Maybe even more so.

    And it made sense. They were on the brink of war. Once Florence fell, they¡¯d have to be ready at all times if the demonic campaign persisted to their gates.

    It wouldn¡¯t be long. Especially, if Dagon was in cahoots with my brothers. They¡¯d taste victory shortly.

    Florence would fall. Then this place would become disaster ridden.

    These soldiers felt the tension in tenfold. And Trane¡¯s presence here only solidified their situation. It opened their eyes to reality.

    I stood by Serlon, who watched the spars in center of the courtyard. The twins leaned against the wall, barely awake. Trent handed them wooden swords.

    ¡°Find some space and practice with each other.¡± He told them, ignoring their shocked expressions.

    ¡°The birds aren¡¯t even up,¡± Lars refuted, yawning loudly, ¡°Can¡¯t we stay here for a few more minutes?¡±

    Eran sighed, taking over for Trent, ¡°Do you want Trane to be gossiped about by the other guards here?¡± He raised his eyebrow.

    He was right. We¡¯d most definitely we watched. Every move that we made.

    ¡°Fine, fine. Let¡¯s go, Lars,¡± Daniel sighed, pulling his brother along with him to the other end of the grounds.

    ¡°Are we joining the main spars?¡± Eran and Trent walked to us. They peered over at the two soldiers sparring.

    ¡°There are morning negotiations that we¡¯ll have to sit in with Prince Edwin. I¡¯m not going to require that you join Spar. But be mindful of the time crunch,¡± Serlon informed, not taking his eyes of the match.

    A victor of the match had finally been decided. A sword flew across the courtyard, as the other man pressed the blade against the loser¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± Serlon whispered under his breath, before turning to the area where they had posts set up, ¡°It would do you all some good to watch closer. Leton¡¯s guards are highly skilled, especially now.¡±

    He paused, his gaze landing on me, ¡°And you. Don¡¯t get in trouble.¡±

    I scoffed, ¡°Me? I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°I mean it,¡± He sighed, heading towards the post area. From his retreating figure, he grumbled under his breath, ¡°Please don''t kill anyone.¡±

    I rolled my eyes, feeling a hand wrap around my shoulder. Eran smiled, pointing to the center of the courtyard.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get a closer view then. Shall we?¡± Eran cheered, not giving us a chance to answer before pushing us forward.

    Leton guards eyed us, as we joined the crowd. Trane would play an important ally in the coming battle. Whether it be in supplies or additional arms, they needed all the help possible.

    Still, tension was etched on the faces of some who saw our presence as the impending war itself. Their scorn could not be masked.

    Eran and Trent took notice to this, both sharing a telling look.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Trent leaned down to whisper in my ear, ¡°If you get called into a spar, make sure you don¡¯t overshadow Leton¡¯s forces.¡±

    I raised my eyebrow. Wouldn¡¯t that be bad? I¡¯d assume that they¡¯d want to know that their ally was strong.

    That standard would be expected in Hellion¡¯s. Strong warriors were respected to the highest degree.

    As if reading my mind, Trent shook his head, ¡°Leton¡¯s a rougher kingdom. They¡¯re on edge and our presence is believed to be a debated concept. Even if they don¡¯t show it, I¡¯m sure all of the soldiers here feel that way. An equal fight would be best.¡±

    How could it be equal? I could squash these humans like ants.

    ¡°Who¡¯s next? Who wants to spar?¡± A Leton guard called out, walking into the middle of the courtyard. He looked around, his eyes landing on our group.

    ¡°Oh. Did Trane want to spar?¡± He questioned. This caused others to stare in our direction.

    ¡°We can only do a quick spar,¡± Eran clarified, being mindful of Serlon¡¯s words.

    The guard nodded, looking around at the readied soldiers. He pointed to a younger one, bringing him into the center.

    ¡°How about we have our youngest fight then?¡± He suggested, throwing his arm over the timid boy.

    Trent looked over to Eran, who shrugged, ¡°Asta? Do you mind? I know you injured your hand and all. It¡¯s still bandaged.¡±

    I peered down at my bandaged hand, before sighing, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It shouldn¡¯t get in the way.¡±

    ¡°Great! Get up here then, kid. We¡¯ll have our youngest spar,¡± The Leton guard patted the timid boy¡¯s back, ¡°Pipsqueak.¡±

    Eran tossed me over a wooden sword.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget what I told you about, Asta,¡± Trent reminded.

    I¡¯d never tell Trent, but I could only lower my pride so much. But the earful later would be too burdensome. To save the headache, I''d have to lower it further than preferred.

    Upon approaching the timid boy, he visibly made himself smaller. The top of his head only reached to my chest, as I towered over him. I felt disheartened at the sight of his shaking hands.

    Could I really span this out? Like really?

    The older Leton guard clapped his hands, looking up, ¡°You¡¯re a tall fellow. How old are you, kid?¡±

    ¡°16,¡± I answered, holding the sword at my side, ¡°I¡¯m ready when you are.¡± My eyes met the timid boy¡¯s.

    ¡°Hah! Well, the pipsqueak here is 16! You guys are the same age,¡± The Leton guard chuckled, raising his hand in the air, ¡°On the count of three, okay?¡±

    I nodded, peering over at the boy, who slowly did the same. There wasn¡¯t much of a plan to prolong the battle. I¡¯ll probably just let him attack first. Then, light counterattacks to par him off.

    If I could do the same maneuvers to the noble at the combat exams, that would be decent. He could perform that much, right?

    ¡°One!¡± The crowd shouted.

    I raised the sword to my chest.

    ¡°Two!¡±

    The boy shook as he lowered his body.

    ¡°Three!¡±

    I stood my ground, waiting for the timid boy to start his attacks. But he never moved from his spot, the sword shaking in his grasp. I glanced around, meeting the eyes of Trent and Eran. Can I just end this? My expression seemed to scream.

    Immediately, they shook their heads and waved their hands frantically. Trent mouthed ¡°Equal battles!¡± I rolled my eyes, diverting my attention back to the timid boy.

    Fuck this.

    I sighed. Well, if he wasn¡¯t going to come to me, I¡¯d just attack first. I bent down, launching forward. A small yelp escaped his mouth, as he barely connected our blades.

    The impact left him off balance, he scrambled to catch his footing.

    Admittedly, I wasn¡¯t even pushing against him. He was just ridiculously weak. Even for a human soldier, I was shocked at how much muscle he lacked. At this rate, I may kill him by accident.

    There was no point in continuing.

    I exhaled, lowering my voice so that only he¡¯d be able to hear, ¡°Hey, let¡¯s just stop this now. Say you hurt yourself or something. You¡¯re in no shape to continue and I can¡¯t promise that I won¡¯t kill you on accident.¡±

    He shook his head, his eyes finally meeting mine, ¡°No. I can¡¯t...¡± He cowered.

    I sighed, ¡°So be it.¡±

    I brought my blade down. The action sent him forward. I dropped to my knees, ducking to the side as he tumbled past me.

    He peered back in a panic, his eyes widening as he watched me swing my leg toward his ankles.

    ¡°Jump.¡± I mouthed, as my legs sailed under him. The tips of my boots knocked the bottom of his own, sending him forward. He yelped, losing his balance. The timid boy landed on his ass with a thud.

    I stood to my feet, glancing down with a confused expression. Honestly, I hadn¡¯t expected him to fall.

    The warning should have given him enough time to react. But I guess not.

    Even if I wanted to prolong it, he was too poor of a fighter. I gave a swift glance to where Trent and Eran stood. The two wore defeated expressions, meaning that they knew that it was pointless to continue.

    The boy desperately reached for the sword that had fallen near him during his fall. I rolled my eyes, bringing my sword up, and stabbing it next to his face.

    He froze, looking up in fear. I leaned down, ¡°Are you admitting defeat now?¡± I asked, waiting for him to agree. He should understand by now.

    In a real battle, he¡¯d already be dead.

    The boy shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± he raised his voice, making one final attempt to reach for his sword.

    An important lesson for a warrior was to accept defeat. Learn from it. Grow.

    It wasn¡¯t my place to lecture him, but he was going to learn today. Consider it my small favor.

    I clicked my tongue, lifting the sword to knock on the other one. It flew across the dirt, hitting against one of the boots of the other soldier on the sides. He gasped, as I brought the sword to his neck. The wooden tip of the sword pressed against his windpipe.

    ¡°Learn to realize when you lost the battle. How can you be reckless when you don¡¯t have to skills to back it up?¡± I scolded, tossing my sword to the side.

    I reached down my hand, extending it to the boy, ¡°Work on your basics. Your footing is horrendous.¡±

    He hesitated as he grabbed it, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll try.¡±

    ¡±If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll die.¡±

    He gulped, nodding.

    The crowd broke into cheers, ¡°Trane¡¯s youngest won!¡±

    The older Leton Guard ran up to meet the boy, who at once leaned into a bow, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    The man paused, his eyes darting to me. I watched how his clenched hands relaxed at his sides before a forced smile plastered on his face.

    Interesting.

    ¡°You¡¯re still learning! No worries!¡± He chuckles, patting the boy¡¯s back, ¡°And you!¡±

    He turned to face me, ¡°You¡¯re quite skilled for someone your age! You see, pipsqueak here had no chance. I didn¡¯t realize you¡¯d be so outmatched.¡±

    It was outmatched. But his words rubbed me the wrong way. I knew menace when I heard it.

    I was the son of the fucking demon king.

    ¡°¡­Thanks,¡± I replied curtly, walking past him, and towards the boy that was still bowed.

    I reached my hand for a shake, ¡°I¡¯m Asta.¡±

    The boy looked shocked, wiping his hands against his shirt.

    ¡°¡­Finn,¡± He met my handshake wearily. I couldn¡¯t help but notice the glare directed at him from the Leton guard.

    Serlon pushed to the front. His eyes bounced between the us, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have to meet the prince.¡±

    I nodded, heading over to him. Trent and Eran joined my side, patting my back, ¡°You did well for an opponent that weak. It was tricky with our situation.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Even for me, it was wrong to call him weak. It was apparent that he was never trained properly despite his placement in the army.

    To no fault of his own. But there seemed to be some rats hidden in their ranks.

    The reason why that boy never excelled. His demeanor, shaking, and undeniable hostility towards him¡­

    Fools.

    You''d never survive like this.

 - 51 - Noble Strife! War Time, Proposals

    Serlon escorted us into the conference room, filing the troops against the wall. Edwin sat at the end of the table, sparing a knowing glance at our presence.

    On the other end, Leon flipped through various documents. Filling the empty seats were nobles, whose expressions flickered between concern and curiosity at the new strangers.

    Both of the royals looked exhausted. Their eyes were dark and heavy, as they stared in silence at the map laid out in the middle of the table.

    Figurines lay scattered across the map, some already knocked down. I couldn¡¯t help but notice the positioning.

    Some pieces had been placed in three areas surrounding Florence. I assumed they represented the demonic troops.

    Certainly, it was a strategy with which I was familiar. In fact, Dagon and Adbeel had taught me this long ago. A larger force was positioned in front of the gates.

    Meanwhile, two middle-sized troops filled with archers and long-range infantry would launch from the sides.

    They would rotate the direction of the fire occasionally, while slowly pressing towards the gates. In a perfect siege, corpses would be thrown over the walls to incur diseases. Humans were weak enough to get sick like that, especially when low levels of demonic energy had been mixed in.

    If it were Dagon assisting in strategy, the kingdom should be in shambles. With the last battle being swift and bloody. My former general was more than qualified to make sure of it.

    A guard behind Leon raised the hilt of her sword, stabbing the metal against the floor. Soon, the attention of the entire room was focused on the King.

    Leon cleared his throat, ¡°First off, I wanted to thank everyone for clearing their schedules to make this meeting. I apologize that it was the last minute. But I¡¯m glad that everyone is present.¡±

    He sighed, placing down the papers in his hand, ¡°As you may know, Florence has been in siege and warfare against the demons for two years. It is believed that they will fall any day now.¡±

    A noble dressed in a lavish coat raised his hand, only answering when the King allowed, ¡°How about the supplies sent through the portals?¡±

    Leon shook his head, ¡°Despite supplies, the war has taken a toll on more than food. With the constant and random attacks, bodies are piling up faster than they can manage.¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s disease that¡¯s killing them,¡± Another noble interjected, waiting till Leon was done, ¡°Can¡¯t potions be sent through? People?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have the mana to power the portals for those types of things regularly. Nor do we have enough capital for sparring potions to that degree. Other kingdoms are stingy to help in fear of preparing for war themselves.¡± Leon informed with a grim expression.

    Once the capital was mentioned, the nobles turned to Edwin. The question that they wanted to ask was clear. It was no secret that Trane had been a main supplier in the turning war.

    And they had been able to keep that position throughout the years. In such a desperate time, they were beneficial to have to support you.

    ¡°Our potion production rates were lower in the last few years. If you incorporate quality, my father invested into improving schooling to foster a better generation of alchemists.¡± Edwin started explaining, despite the actual question not being asked.

    He went on, ¡°Because of that capital investment, we¡¯re now able to produce larger amounts of potions. Of course, we¡¯d happily supply Leton with their needs during this rough time.¡±

    ¡°But were you unable to assist Florence?¡± A noble blurted, visibly cringing at the realization of his mistake. Rows of glares were sent in his direction by the others. Edwin remained poker-faced.

    Another clank of the sword echoed through the room, silencing the crowd. The knight behind Leon rested the sword back on her side.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Enough. Trane is willing to help Leton with war supplies,¡± Leon glared over at the noble, who gulped, ¡°Whether Trane keeps relationships with Florence is none of our concern. My security head will explain the situation on the map.¡±

    The armored guard walked to the side of the table, reaching to pull a figure out of her pocket. She leaned over, placing the figure further East.

    ¡°Greetings, I am King Leon¡¯s head of security. I¡¯ve placed the figure to where we stand on the map. Florence is marked to the West of it,¡± She pointed to the cluster of figurines, ¡°Currently, Florence is surrounded by three fleets of demons.¡±

    I listened in carefully, wanting to see how legitimate their guesses were. If strategies were similar to a hundred years ago, I already knew how it would play out.

    Again because of my time loss, all was fair game. This would evaluate Leton¡¯s intelligence capabilities to the extreme.

    Who knew at this point? I could only guess based on Dagon¡¯s style of attacking.

    ¡°The fleets consisted of ogres, hellhounds, goblins, and other types of demons. Some have abilities to cast dark magic, so the Dragon general¡¯s uppermost commanders are the main subjects.¡± She informed, stepping back from the table to look for any questions.

    For a brief second, Serlon and Edwin¡¯s eyes dart over at the mention of my former title.

    But I had no reaction, besides shaking my head slightly. To others, it looked like a mere flick of the head. They were looking for some sort of reaction from me. That much was clear.

    Even if I was bothered, I had no willpower to give towards hearing my former title. It was lost for a reason that could only be attributed to my own faults. This was something that my father had been right about. And I acknowledged that.

    The two of them sighed in relief before redirecting their attention to the conversation. Edwin was the first to raise his hand.

    ¡°Do we have an estimated timeline of when Florence will fall?¡± He questioned the knight.

    ¡°We lost connection to their mages last week. According to a returning scout, it could be any day now. Their situation was hopeless,¡± She answered, moving on to another noble.

    ¡°What¡¯s the direct fear for Leton? After Florence falls, where does that leave us?¡± The noble asked.

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re not West most to Florence. However, we¡¯re the last stronghold before the land opens into the main travel routes. Established villages border the road between Florence and Leton. But those will fall within a single day.¡± The knight frowned, glancing over to Leon for approval.

    ¡°It is, how it seems. Every second counts,¡± Leon warned, his fists clenched around the papers.

    It was interesting to listen to the gravity of their situation. Initially, I was on the other side, planning the downfall alongside Dagon and Adbeel.

    My job had been to lead the demonic troops to bloody victory in the name of my Father.

    However, what was the use of that now? I was no longer a pawn for my father, despite my unwilful dismissal from that rank. Serlon was right about my proposition.

    I had no outstanding loyalties, nor place to go back to.

    You couldn¡¯t call this betrayal if I could no longer tie myself to a specific place. How absurd it must be to watch a dragon aid humans? Ludicrous.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Edwin mumbled under his breath. He looked up with conviction, ¡°King Leon. May I give a suggestion?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You are more than welcome to.¡± Leon offered.

    ¡°First. We¡¯ll clarify the terms for our negotiations at a later time. Secondly, my troops have faced countless demons before I may have the knowledge to offer on future attack patterns. After all, this troop¡¯s foundations came from assisting in the takedown of the Demon King¡¯s dragon.¡± Edwin suggested, earning the scowls of several nobles.

    ¡°You make a good point,¡± Leon sighed, looking over to his knight, who nodded in agreement, ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll schedule a meeting with your knights and my general for later in the afternoon.¡±

    One of the nobles clicked his tongue, crossing his arms, ¡°We¡¯re on the brink of war. Now it¡¯s suggested that we leave our future in the hands of strangers. Ridiculous! Why should we change our system now? We should be preparing for war!¡±

    A collected murmur broke throughout the meeting room. It was obvious that most of the nobles were on the same track.

    With the silent agreement between the wealthy men, I understood more of Leton¡¯s inbred issues. Money was filthy here.

    Ridiculous? Would they prefer dying? That notion, itself was the most baffling.

    ¡°Then what? We run like headless cattle into battle. Trane¡¯s history speaks for itself,¡± Leon challenged, giving an icy glare to the nobles. They said nothing.

    ¡°Are the other general free today?¡± He sighed, questioning his knight.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, Your Majesty. We can go check,¡± His knight suggested.

    ¡°His Majesty is serious¡­¡± A mirage of confused chatter ensued.

    A kingdom¡¯s pride was solid and unwavering. So, for them to openly accept help like this was telling. All the nobles understood that.

    ¡°I agree that collaborating on battle strategies with Trane will be beneficial,¡± Leon reasoned, ¡°We¡¯ll need help in all the ways possible. I encourage everyone with the private militia to make sure you¡¯re soldiers understand that we¡¯ll be working as a team.¡±

    ¡°If I may interject, my private militia has encountered demons before. Why do we need outside help if my troops are experienced?¡± A noble countered, concealing the smugness of his question.

    ¡°Your private soldiers patrol the northern borders of the kingdom, correct?¡± The King questioned, tapping his finger against the table.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± The noble confirmed.

    ¡°Well, the northern borders only hold lower demons. We¡¯re dealing with levels higher than that. Have you not been paying attention?¡± Leon hummed, glossing over the noble¡¯s empty suggestion.

    A scoff was heard from the noble, who crossed his arms.

    ¡°Private armies will be unpleased to learn that another kingdom is helping with battle. Your safety will be at risk,¡± His knight interjected.

    ¡°And if I don¡¯t do anything, no one¡¯s safety will be promised for long.¡± He countered, not willing to put up with any more refusal, ¡°This meeting is adjourned. I hope you know that it¡¯s expected to keep everything under wraps till the time is right.¡±

    I watched as the grumbling nobles exited the conference room with scowling faces. They were not happy with the decision. However, they didn¡¯t have the power to refuse either.

    ¡°I thought those nobles were going to burst a vein,¡± Edwin sighed, strolling over to where the troop had been waiting, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to add more to our schedule.¡±

    ¡°No need to apologize, Your Highness,¡± Serlon stepped out from beside me, ¡°We will follow your orders.¡±

    The prince exhaled, a smile tugging at his lips, ¡°And I¡¯m grateful for that.¡±

    Leon approached, his knight trailing behind him, ¡°You¡¯ll have to excuse the nobles. They were selected from my father¡¯s rule due to their influence over the private militia of their own.¡±

    ¡°No need. I understand,¡± Edwin waved him off, ¡°Trane¡¯s situation here is tricky. We came here already knowing that. You don¡¯t need to worry about us getting offended.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear that, Prince Edwin,¡± Leon chuckled, ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll talk to my generals to schedule a meeting. Please feel free to rest or attend to other matters.¡±

    The King exited the room.

    ¡°Sir Serlon? What does my schedule look like?¡± Edwin questioned, walking over to my position on the wall.

    ¡°You¡¯re free till the meeting, Your Highness,¡± Serlon informed, looking at a note of the itinerary for the day.

    ¡°Great,¡± He grinned, staring at me, ¡°Guard Asta. Let¡¯s talk in my chambers.¡±

    What did he want now?

 - 52 - Guilt of A Monarch! Muffins, Sneaking Out

    ¡°Are you positive that you don¡¯t want me to come in?¡± Serlon was puzzled, looking at Edwin.

    We stood in front of the chambers; the rest of the troop had been sent to the training grounds to kill time. Even if the King didn¡¯t directly mention it, the war council would be hours from now.

    Leton¡¯s King and advisors were too busy to attend to the guests, meaning that this extra time was our decision.

    ¡°I wanted to go over some questions with Asta in peace,¡± Edwin revealed, trying to wave off his guard, ¡°Don¡¯t you have something better to do?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, my job is to guard you,¡± Serlon frowned, ¡°You¡¯re a visiting monarch in a dangerous kingdom. I should never leave your side. Much less with an overgrown lizard¡­¡± He glared at me.

    ¡°Says the hairless ape,¡± I sneered, ignoring the snicker from Edwin as Serlon shook his head.

    Truthfully, I didn¡¯t want to be stuck in the room with Edwin either. But I also enjoyed watching Serlon¡¯s growing frustration. Pick the greater evil, you know?

    ¡°The castle is heavily guarded,¡± Edwin reasoned, pointing to the line of guards in the hallway, ¡°Why don¡¯t you use this to sleep? Who knows when we¡¯ll get this break again?¡±

    ¡°If I wanted to kill the blonde twirp, I¡¯d have done so already.¡± I scoffed.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of¡­¡± He grumbled under his breath, shaking his head low.

    Finally, Serlon¡¯s shoulders sank. He groaned, walking to a position beside the door.

    ¡°If you insist, Your Highness.  I¡¯ll wait out here,¡± Serlon gave in.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll be longer. So, if you need to go rest the offer¡¯s there.¡± Edwin grinned, pulling me into the chambers, and slamming the doors behind us.

    The jolly prince nearly frolicked ahead, skipping to the wardrobe next to his bed. He opened it, throwing off the flashier tunic, and tucking it into a drawer. From the closet, he threw his cloak over his undershirt.

    A manic chuckle alluded from him, as he closed the doors after he finished. He turned on his heel, facing my direction.

    ¡°What do you want, you creep?¡± I demanded, ¡°Did I get called in here to watch your weird little fashion show?¡±

    ¡°It also fascinates me that you¡¯re always so¡­bold in your way of speaking to me,¡± Edwin smiled, and started to walk closer to me, ¡°It¡¯s refreshing.¡±

    I teased my hand on the handle of my sword, daring him to get closer.

    He sighed, turning back around, ¡°You know it¡¯s illegal to threaten Trane¡¯s royal family.¡± Edwin hummed.

    ¡°My history should prove that I could care less about that, Edwin,¡± I refuted, following him as he walked over to the balcony, ¡°Enough joking. Why did you really call me here? What is it that Serlon was to wait outside?¡±

    I followed Edwin to the edge of the balcony, watching as he peered down at the drop below and scowled.

    ¡°Well,¡± He walked around to the other side of the balcony, peering down at the trees below, ¡°Serlon wouldn¡¯t help me sneak out into the streets.¡±

    He tried hoisting himself over the railing, only to be pulled down by my hand, ¡°And you think I will?¡± I scoffed, dragging him away from the side.

    He huffed shrugging his shoulders, ¡°Ah well¡­ I was hoping so.  Why? Will you not?¡±

    So, that¡¯s what this was all about. Huh? It was unwise for the prince to venture out at such a tense time in a foreign kingdom. He was right about one thing. Serlon would be furious if he were to find out.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    But then again, it¡¯s not to say that I actually cared that much.

    With the hand that grabbed him, I lifted his body up, and turned his face towards me, ¡°Say I agree to help you. What¡¯s in it for me?¡±

    Edwin looked down, kicking his feet in the air, ¡°Are you trying to bargain? This goes against the rulebook. As your prince, shouldn¡¯t you help me?¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± I raised my eyebrow, turning my head to the open balcony doors, ¡°OH SERLO- ¡°

    A hand covered my mouth. The prince pleaded desperately, ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll throw in an extra mana potion!¡±

    ¡°Just one?¡± I challenged him, removing his hand.

    ¡°Two!¡± He pleaded, holding two fingers in the air.

    I sighed, carrying him back into the room, and setting him down, ¡°I¡¯ll only escort you for one hour. If you spend centuries debating over rocks again, I¡¯m leaving you to fend for yourself.¡±

    He nodded, ¡°So, how will we get out?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like you were going to get far on your own. They have the castle guarded against all angles. You didn¡¯t notice the archers in the towers?¡± I asked, to which he shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ll assist you only this time.¡±

    ¡°You know how to sneak out then?¡± He questioned. The excitement was clear in his tone.

    My eyes glowed red before a glassy veil appeared around us. Edwin stared at it in awe, ¡°Is this the same magic from earlier?¡± he asked, poking at the veil.

    I shook my head, ¡°It¡¯s only three layers. It¡¯ll be enough to conceal our presence from the archers. There aren¡¯t strong mana readings from the castle anyway.¡±

    ¡°So, how will we get down?¡± He asked, adjusting his cloak over his head.

    Now, I could spend hours waiting for Edwin to climb down the castle¡¯s exterior. Although it would be hilarious to see him one misstep from death, I had wagers on the line.

    Truthfully, I really needed the extra mana from that potion. Even though I was positive I¡¯d be able to maintain this form, the wear that it had on my original body was rough.

    I rolled my eyes and scooped his body in my arm. I marched to the open balcony. He yelped, his hands frantically gripping my side as he squirmed in my grasp.

    ¡°Hey! Hey! What are you doing?¡± He panicked, holding onto me for dear life, as I stepped on the edge of the railing.

    ¡°Adhering to the deal.¡±  I leaped from the railing, peering down at the towers below us.

    Edwin¡¯s face went pale, as he closed his eyes. His fists clutched were white while he held on for his life. Why though? It¡¯s not like I was going to drop him.

    I wanted to.

    We landed on the castle grounds. I used magic to break our fall, careful not to leave marks on the dirt. Running towards the edge of the castle walls, I jumped again.

    Edwin managed to hold back his screams. Bracing myself, I landed on the other side of the gates. Immediately, I sprinted into the streets and into a nearby alley.

    I dropped Edwin to the ground. He landed with a huff, taking a second to collect himself.

    The veil was dropped, and my eyes went back to normal. I clapped my hands, leaning against the alleyway wall to watch the prince still on the ground.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± I crossed my arms with a smirk, ¡°We¡¯ve arrived by the way.¡±

    ¡°You jumped over a wall¡­¡± Edwin reached for the bricked alley in support, as he lifted himself up, ¡°A wall¡­¡±

    ¡°Jamie said the same thing,¡± I commented, ¡°Times ticking. I¡¯m only giving you an hour.¡±

    He nodded weakly, pushing past me, and wandering into the crowded streets. No one gave notice of us, besides a few thuggish-looking individuals.

    Their beady eyes focused on Edwin, who had been covered in his cloak, before landing on me. I sent a glare, causing them to defer their gaze.

    Edwin seemed to not notice, as he rushed over to a food vendor. His mouth watered at the sight of the freshly baked muffins. I sighed, hurrying over to stand by his side.

    I peered over the stand, looking at the blue spotted muffins. They looked nauseating. Veil. Disgusting.

    ¡°Do you want one?¡± he asked, pulling out a bag from his pocket.

    ¡°Why would I want to eat that?¡± I scowled, ignoring the glare from the vendor, who had already started packaging it at the sight of the money.

    Edwin nodded, handing over copper coins. The vendor reached over the divider, trading the money for a muffin.

    I peered over our shoulders, making eye contact with people sitting alongside the sides of buildings. Even from across the street, their eyes spotted the coin bag.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give it back to you later,¡± I sighed, swiping the bag from Edwin¡¯s grasp and shoving it into my pocket.

    The prince didn¡¯t question the odd motion. For the most part, he probably understood why I had done so. With the coin bag in my own pocket, the group¡¯s attention focused on me instead.

    The whole walk down the busy streets, I felt stares burn into the back of my head. It was too loud to locate footsteps, but I wasn¡¯t worried.

    Edwin led us out of the main crowd, stopping at a bench resting near a foundation. He smiled as he sat down, pulling the muffin out of the bag.

    With his hood still on, he glanced along the passing common folk. A tinge of sadness hid under his stare.

    I sat down next to him, leaning back on the bench with my eyes focused on the crowd for the group from earlier.

    Once the coin pouch switched to me, most of them seemed to have lost interest. However, humans were too stupid to realize when to back off.

    Edwin had a fragile physique, even under his large cloak. He was an easy target visually. I was less of that.

    ¡°Thanks for this,¡± He broke the silence, ¡°I know we¡¯re on political duty here, but it helps to get away from that sometimes.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything. Nor could I relate to his feelings. All I knew in Hellion was violence and war. There was nowhere to escape if it was ingrained in that society.

    He went on, ¡°I wonder how many know about the war. Most of these people will be leaving their families behind. And what about the fate of the kingdom? If those walls fall, then it¡¯ll be ruinous.¡±

    He was right. Once the walls fell to the demonic army, all these people would be slain and eaten by raging demons. No one would be spared. I remember the puddles of blood from the destroyed kingdoms and the dismembered piles of flesh.

    My brothers would be no different. It¡¯s what the Morningstar bloodline did.

    ¡°When that happens, Arslym. Will it be my fault?¡± His voice was hushed. I looked over at the mention of my real name being used to see the guilt-ridden face of Trane¡¯s prince.

    Edwin¡¯s gaze never left the busy streets in front of him.

    Human families chattered in the distance. Young kids rush by with food bags in their hands. Vendors sweating under the sun¡¯s heat, trying their best to sell their products. From the political peak, it was easy to forget about the people who crafted their own lives. Their own stories. Like the nobles at the meeting, it was easy to consider the citizens as objects.

    I¡¯d never tell him. But I could respect him for that.

    For once I understood him. My territory had been wiped out due to my own weakness. Those families were killed in the crossfire of my father¡¯s rage. Still, it left a bitter feeling, even for me who was used to bloodshed. But royalty carried the burden for the people. We both understood this.

    Maybe that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t answer him. It would not be the answer that he wanted to hear. But it was the one that he felt guilty about.

    I stood up from the bench, ¡°Serlon¡¯s going to get suspicious if we stay out for long.¡±

    Despite the shortened time, Edwin had no protests.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s be off then,¡± He gave a small smile.

    The war council would be in a few hours.

 - 53 - Cost of War! Councils, Planning

    Apparently, Serlon hadn¡¯t moved from his position outside the chambers. It didn¡¯t look like anyone had come into the room either. Unless they left zero traces.

    Even if they did, you couldn¡¯t mask your scent. If someone entered, I¡¯d be the first one to know.

    So, we didn¡¯t appear to be caught. I was half-expecting to land back on the balcony to a fuming guard, who would accuse me of kidnapping. But if anyone had gotten kidnapped, it was me. I was the victim in the situation, existing as collateral damage.

    All there was to do was wait for Edwin to be called to the council. We¡¯ve been absent for a short time. However, I doubted that they would delay the meeting for much longer.

    The longer they waited, the worse the circumstances could become. And considering my father¡¯s ideals of war, they wouldn¡¯t waste a single second. The fall of Florence would be soon. Very soon.

    I leaned against the wall, waiting for Serlon to barge through the doors to shuffle us to the conference room. Edwin fixed his garments.

    Since arriving back, he was silent. Between the pressure of negotiations and the guilt that he felt, the prince¡¯s expression had remained grim. He stared at himself in the mirror, adjusting the tunic¡¯s collar. Trane¡¯s crest garnished his sleeve, acting as a reminder of his responsibility.

    ¡°You still owe me the mana potions,¡± I voiced, snapping him out of the trance that he appeared to be in, ¡°When will I get those?¡±

    ¡°Oh. I¡¯ll work on that after the council today. Unless Leon pulls me into another meeting, I¡¯d assume they laid out the rest of the afternoon for this,¡± He sighed, walking over to the doors.

    ¡°As long as you keep up your end of the deal,¡± I crossed my arms, standing up the meet him halfway.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯d kill me if I didn¡¯t,¡± He scoffed, pausing before reaching for the door, ¡°If you don¡¯t plan to already...¡±

    ¡°The world¡¯s fate rests on deals, Edwin. Even you humans follow these conventions.¡± I explained to him, ¡°As I stated, my intentions here are purely by circumstance.¡±

    As it stood, Trane was the best place to be. I had no real reason to act otherwise. Unless Edwin betrayed his side of the deal, exposing me, I¡¯d honor my current duty. That was the whole gist of it.

    ¡°I know. I was joking,¡± He sighed, moving on, ¡°If you wanted me dead, you¡¯d have done so already.¡±

    And he wasn¡¯t wrong.

    Edwin opened the doors with a huff. He had only pushed them halfway before several hands took over from outside. They opened, revealing several bowed Leton guards. Eran and Serlon stood next to the others, stopping to turn around.

    ¡°We were just about to get you, Your Highness,¡± Serlon said, strolling over to Edwin, ¡°King Leon has gathered the generals. They are awaiting you in the conference room.¡±

    Edwin nodded, already walking forward, ¡°I¡¯m assuming that you¡¯ve already prepared a briefing for me.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Highness,¡± Serlon paced beside him, the rest of the troop trailing after them.

    I fell back next to Gunnar, who smiled at me. For the most part, he seemed to be moving well.

    Despite the injury he received, it was expected that he¡¯d be present for the council. The medical wing made sure of it. Plus, I couldn¡¯t smell blood on him anymore.

    ¡°Have you ever been to a war council before?¡± Gunnar whispered, tapping my side.

    Yes. I basically was raised in the war council room. From hatching, my entire life revolved around violence. Of course, I couldn¡¯t say this.

    ¡°In a sense. Still, never in this matter,¡± I admitted, meaning not as a guard. Normally, I was the one in charge. Not this time around.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°I see. Figures since it¡¯s you,¡± He marvels, ¡°Well, don¡¯t be nervous. All we need to do is stand and wait till the prince is done. Pay attention to the discussion too! It¡¯s easy to zone out.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I responded, holding my grin at the absurdity of the situation. Me? Nervous about a war council?

    If only he knew who he had said this to.

    In front, Serlon and Edwin had been discussing the details of the council. I got the gist of it, making sure to pay attention while amusing Gunnar¡¯s talk.

    The party stopped in front of the conference room. Serlon stepped ahead of Edwin, pushing open the doors. As soon as we passed the doorframe, the tension in the room was apparent.

    Armored generals eyed us carefully, as we filed in. Edwin hurried over to the seat across from Leon, who looked more stressed than earlier.

    Eran led the troop along the walls, as Serlon walked over to position himself behind the prince. Joining Leton¡¯s King was the same guard from earlier, who hit the hilt of her sword against the floor.

    With that, the meeting commenced.

    ¡°Thank you, Prince Edwin. We are lucky to receive Trane¡¯s assistance in the upcoming war.¡± Leon spoke, peering around at his generals, ¡°Not just him, but I¡¯d like to express appreciation for clearing your schedules. As we all know, the situation is dire.¡±

    In the middle of the table, the map was still laid out. This time, new pieces marked Leton¡¯s location. Three figurines to mark the number of generals in the room.

    Leon¡¯s knight stepped forward, projecting her voice throughout the room, ¡°When Florence falls, we¡¯ll be faced with the responsibility of protecting the citizens from the demonic forces. Because of your position, I assume that everyone in this room is aware of our reality. We have little time left. Your full effort in this will mark life and death.¡±

    The first general raised their hand, ¡°My troops are already aware of the situation. It¡¯s safe to say that the pressure is being felt throughout the entire kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s impossible to hide the truth. General Lang¡¯s soldiers have been patrolling the streets to monitor this,¡± Leon exhaled. They focused their attention on the bearded man, who frowned in agreement.

    ¡°Talk of the drafting is already rampant throughout the streets.¡± General Lang admitted, crossing his arms, ¡°Crime rates are the highest they¡¯ve ever been.¡±

    ¡°I feared you say that¡± Leon despaired, ¡°Our priorities need to be preparing the Kingdom for siege warfare though. Any ideas are welcomed.¡±

    This time, Edwin chimed in, ¡°Trane will send food and potions through portals. I¡¯ll send a pair of my troops back tonight to relay the request.¡±

    ¡°And troops?¡± The third general asked, ¡°Will Trane be sending troops to aid us?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I have no dictation over that. Trane prides itself on remaining the main supplier in trade and war. However, my father has direct control over the distribution of additional troops.¡± Edwin informed sullenly.

    ¡°Understood. That¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ll send out a letter for Trane¡¯s King myself then.¡± Leon took over, cupping his hands in front of him, ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll set up storage points for the supplies. We¡¯ll need to establish martial law over the Kingdom. General Lang, can your troop enforce that?¡±

    ¡°Of course, your majesty. I¡¯ll inform my soldiers once the decree is issued. I¡¯ll also handle drafting procedures.¡± He added.

    ¡°If I may, your majesty,¡± The third general offered, ¡°I¡¯ve faced demons before. The walls should allow us protection to establish safe points near the inner city. To avoid disease from attacks aimed above our walls, we should block off the outer parts.¡±

    ¡°So, are you suggesting that we evacuate the citizens into the inner city? Will there even be enough room for that? I fear there¡¯s too little time to set up the proper shelters.¡± The first general implored, ¡°They¡¯ll kill each other.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better that, than demons. If we are to protect the Kingdom from being exposed to disease, then perhaps we only escort the non-criminals.¡± The third proposed.

    Lang slammed his hand on the table, ¡°Are you proposing that we abandon a large portion of the outer citizens?¡± He raised his voice in dismay.

    ¡°Do we have a choice? Your troops may patrol the streets, but my soldiers are the ones who guard the gates. My men are dying left and right from stray demons! The lives of criminals are meaningless to me.¡± The third scoffed in protest.

    Leon¡¯s knight slammed the hilt of her sword into the floor once more.

    ¡°Order! Order!¡± Leon interjected, ¡°I¡¯ll open the Castle¡¯s quarters to nobles and traders. We¡¯ll make room by filling the noble houses. I intend to fit as many people as possible in the inner areas.¡±

    ¡°The nobles will be displeased to give up their houses, Your Majesty,¡± Lang cautioned.

    ¡°Well, they¡¯ll have no choice but to. It¡¯s either that or we risk disease spreading faster than we can handle it, ¡°Leon exhaled.

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll send scouts further West. We¡¯ll stay away from Florence, but my trackers should be able to monitor the army¡¯s movements.¡± The first general adds.

    ¡°We have potions in our carriage. Feel free to take those. You¡¯ll be able to set off faster than without wasting resources,¡± Edwin insisted.

    ¡°Thank you, Prince Edwin,¡± The first general bowed his head, ¡°I¡¯ll head over myself to fetch them after the meeting is adjourned.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Leon began, ¡°Now that we¡¯ve discussed the basics, I¡¯ll inform everyone of what we know about the enemy.¡±

    He motioned for his knight, who handed him a stack of papers.

    Leon sent the papers around the table, ¡°Their forces consist of hellhounds, ogres, and other varying demons in their front lines. Our last letter from Florence warned of dark mages as well.¡±

    I snuck a glance at one of the papers. It was a letter, the letters rushed and spatted in extra ink. The pleas were desperate, probably being written seconds before doom.

    ¡°The leader of the siege has not revealed themselves yet. Scouts that were sent to find out never made it back. Instead, their heads were launched over the walls,¡± Leon grimaced.

    If it were my first brother leading, they would not see his face till he¡¯d covered the Kingdom in blood. He was not the type of demon to be outdone by human scouts.

    ¡°King Leon,¡± Edwin chimed in, holding the paper in his hands, ¡°My guard unit was built off the same foundations of those that assisted in the takedown of the dragon general. We¡¯ve faced countless demons before.¡±

    Takedown? I was right here.

    ¡°Go on,¡± Leon allowed.

    Serlon was the one who spoke up, ¡°As Prince Edwin says, we¡¯ve faced many demons before. The demonic race is violent. They¡¯ve been raised with fighting as common nature. If we try to overpower them in pure combat, we¡¯ll lose. And because Leton lacks mages to handle the numbers, facing them head-on is unwise.¡±

    I could swear he snuck a glance at me.

    ¡°What are you proposing we do then?¡± Leon urged him to continue.

    ¡°Light magic,¡± Serlon spoke carefully, ¡°Position them to launch magic attacks around the walls. Preserve their mana to only attack higher-level demons and large clusters. The frontlines will need to take out the lower-level ones.¡±

    ¡°Do you assume that the few mages we have learned light magic?¡± Leon questioned.

    ¡°I do.¡± Edwin chimed in, ¡°My father taught me when I was younger. I¡¯ll explain the premise of it. They should be able to pick it up quickly.¡±

    ¡°And we have time for this? Can they learn it that quickly?¡± The third general questioned.

    ¡°They¡¯ll have to,¡± Serlon asserted, ¡°The point is that without the use of light magic to assist in killing the higher-level demons, the front lines will be wiped out completely.¡±

    ¡°Understood. We¡¯ll follow Trane¡¯s advice,¡± Leon consented, earning nods from the generals.

    Light magic, huh? It was a decent plan. My wing and my palm had been burned because of it.

    But it wouldn¡¯t be enough. Not against my first brother.

 - 54 - Adjourned! Nightfall, Potion Promise

    The sun began to set outside the castle, the conference room dimly lit by torches built into the walls. It had been a few hours since the meeting started, and it looked like it could span the whole night.

    By this point, everyone had grown tired, their expressions grim from the details of the impending war. Stacks of papers had built up around Leon and Edwin, who shuffled through them.

    It was clear that everyone felt the effects of the atmosphere. Even while listening, my mind solidified on Leton¡¯s future with my brother¡¯s troops.

    By now, being optimistic was na?ve. They would not last long. And I think they knew that, even though no one said it upfront.

    ¡°As you can see, reports in the recent weeks from shop owners have flooded my troop¡¯s public relation offices,¡± Lang motioned to the copy in his hand, ¡°I strongly urge for a heavier military presence within the walls as well.¡±

    ¡°Once the kingdom goes under martial law, we¡¯ll set a curfew to help deter these numbers. Because of the looming battles, I don¡¯t think I can risk dwindling the numbers outside the walls,¡± Leon sighed, setting down the paper along the other stacks.

    ¡°I agree,¡± The first general chimed in, leaning forward, ¡°Besides sending a group of scouts, I¡¯ll need to divide my forces into layers outside the walls. There¡¯s no guaranteeing their safety and I can¡¯t risk them getting killed without us knowing.¡±

    ¡°General Lang, I¡¯ll allow you to borrow the trainee units till the law is issued,¡± Leon decided, ¡°Leton has always had high crime rates. We appreciate the effort that your troops put in because of that.¡±

    The generals settled down with that. Whether they agreed or not, no one could disagree with the King¡¯s reasons. He had little to work with from the start.

    Edwin straightened a stack of paper against the table, peering over his shoulder to Serlon, who gave him a nod.

    ¡°On similar matters, I can meet with your mages tomorrow to explain the basics of light magic,¡± Edwin announced, placing the papers back down, ¡°And regarding the patrol supplies, I¡¯ll send two of my guards tonight to relay the message back to Trane.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll take you to the magic tower located near the walls tomorrow,¡± Leon began, ¡°Send your soldiers to the stables. We¡¯ll provide them horses that¡¯ll make the trip back.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take them,¡± The first general chimed in, ¡°I¡¯ll be heading there to pick up the potions anyway.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± Leon closed, pausing as his knight leaned down to whisper in his ear, ¡°I¡¯ll adjourn the meeting early. There are some matters that I need to attend to. We¡¯ve covered enough to start preparing. Thank you all for attending.¡±

    With that, Leon rose from his seat. He and his knight shuffled out of the room, generals following in suit. Besides the first general, no one lingered around to chatter.

    Most hurried to start preparations that were discussed in the meeting. Serlon turned to the troops, motioning everyone towards him and Edwin.

    I followed Eran, standing behind him as the others showed their respect.

    ¡°Good work, Your Highness,¡± Eran led, smiling down on the tired royal.

    The first general walked over, bowing as Edwin rose from his seat, ¡°Prince Edwin. I¡¯ll be heading off to the stables now. If you¡¯ll let me know which guards you¡¯re sending, I¡¯ll show them the way.¡±

    Edwin looked towards Serlon, who understood the prince¡¯s intentions. He left the decision up to the head.

    ¡°Lars and Daniel,¡± Serlon said.

    ¡°Yes, Sir Serlon!¡± They responded, perking up at the mention of their name.

    ¡°You¡¯ll join Leton¡¯s general to the stables. You two will need to ride nonstop till you arrive back at Trane. If you tell the office branch at the Estate, they¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± He informed.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Understood. Please trust us,¡± They asserted, walking over to greet the general, who smiled.

    ¡°Well, it was a pleasure to be graced by your presence, Prince Edwin,¡± The general closed, before leading the two towards the door, ¡°Safe travels back to Trane, your Grace.¡±

    With that, the door closed behind the three. Edwin yawned, now stretching his arms above his head with a crack.

    ¡°You¡¯re dismissed for the night. I expected the meeting to run into the early morning, so take this time to sleep,¡± He offered, yawning once more, ¡°Eran and Serlon will escort me to the tower tomorrow. The rest of you can attend training. I heard that they¡¯ll be holding sessions for the trainee units.¡±

    He waved off the others, who wasted no time rushing to the quarters. Serlon¡¯s stare was the only thing that kept me in my place.

    Soon, the three of us remained in the empty conference room that was lit by the firelight. Serlon scooped the documents in his hands.

    ¡°You know, if you keep pulling me aside like this, the others may find it strange.¡± I scoffed, breaking the silence.

    ¡°And they know better than to question it openly,¡± Edwin stated, ¡°What did you think about the meeting?¡±

    I raised my eyebrow.

    ¡°I know you¡¯d never sell out your former nation. Don¡¯t misunderstand me,¡± He corrected, ¡°I¡¯m just asking generally. What were your impressions about Leton¡¯s situation?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before,¡± I voiced, ¡°Leton¡¯s walls are not the worst we¡¯ve seen. The meeting has not changed my perspective on that.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± He sighed, ¡°Well, I figured you would say that.¡±

    ¡°Then why¡¯d you ask?¡± I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

    ¡°Watch it,¡± Serlon warned.

    Edwin waved him off, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Serlon. I just wanted to hear it verbalized. We¡¯ll go through with supplying the patrol routes. That¡¯s why my father issued us here anyway.¡±

    ¡°Anyway,¡± He continued, ¡°You¡¯re dismissed.¡±

    I looked outside the windows, then back to the prince. Since the meeting did not continue to morning, the night was still young. I didn¡¯t move, much to Serlon''s discontent.

    ¡°Leave, you overgrown lizard,¡± He scowled, ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the barracks.¡±

    ¡°No way,¡± I argued, taking a step toward the prince, ¡°Edwin, you said that I¡¯d receive my mana potions if the meeting didn¡¯t go on long.¡±

    I pointed outside the window, ¡°And I don¡¯t see the sun rising or anything.¡±

    Serlon glared, but I chose to ignore it. For all I cared, he could be fuming with smoke coming out of his ears. As long as I got my potions, I didn¡¯t give a shit.

    ¡°His Highness should retire for the night,¡± Serlon¡¯s tone was harsh, a warning, ¡°Please do not push this further, Asta.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Edwin sighed, ¡°He¡¯s right. I did mention it earlier. Plus,¡± He yawned, ¡°I¡¯m not that tired.¡±

    The prince yawned again, blinking his eyes sleepily, and waved, ¡°Come. Let¡¯s go find the potions room in the castle.¡±

    Serlon hurried forward, catching Edwin by the shoulder, ¡°No. Your Highness. I¡¯ll take Asta to the potions room to receive his potions. We¡¯ll be heading to the same barrack room anyway. You should get some rest.¡±

    Edwin yawned, turning his head to face Serlon, ¡°Are you sure? Asta, is that okay with you?¡±

    ¡°As long as I get my mana potions,¡± I shrugged, leaning against the table.

    ¡°Very well. That¡¯ll work then.¡± He concluded, ¡°I¡¯ll take the offer if it means that I can head back to my chambers to rest.¡±

    Serlon smiled at the tired prince, opening the doors to rush him out. He paused and turned back towards me.

    ¡°Stay here,¡± He warned, ¡°I¡¯ll escort Prince Edwin to his chambers quickly. If you¡¯re not here by the time I¡¯m back, you can say bye to those potions.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let the door hit you on the way out,¡± I waved, ¡°Or do.¡±

    He scowled, closing the door behind them. Was he Edwin¡¯s personal guard or nanny? I could never tell.

    As quickly as they left. I heard new footsteps approaching, and soon the handle of the door turned.

    Servants entered, their eyes landing on me. Some of them held cleaning supplies in their hands, as they nearly jumped at my presence. The more official ones wasted no time collecting the remaining papers from the meeting.

    A younger servant boy bowed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! We were told the room would be empty,¡± He apologized profusely.

    I peered at the bowing boy. His frame was frail and skinny. He looked no older than twelve, his tangled hair pulled behind his head. More noticeably, I couldn¡¯t help but glance at his shaking hands, clenched in front of him.

    The rest of the servants wore concerned expressions, directing them toward me. Like they feared, I would get angry at them for doing their job.

    I could gather enough from this. It¡¯s not like it was that uncommon within hierarchy situations. Even Trane had rules on how lower-standing individuals were treated by higher ones.

    If I recall correctly, Section IV of the Guard handbook even required guards to announce their presence when entering a room. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve done that, but the punishment even included hanging.

    Punishment could be handed out easily if you pissed off the wrong visiting noble. And royalty would have to play it by political relationships. Edwin was not excluded from this.

    That was for guards, who held a decent standing in the political hierarchy. The conditions were more drastic for mere castle servants.

    But Leton didn¡¯t have time to play power games. Nor did I feel bothered by this. If anything, I felt more annoyed at the dramatic apology.

    ¡°No need. This room was supposed to be unoccupied. I¡¯m the one infringing on that fact,¡± I sighed, standing up, ¡°Please continue with your duties. I won¡¯t bother you about it.¡±

    To this, the boy stood up. He spared a glance at others behind him, who all looked up at my words in shock.

    ¡°Thank you, Sir!¡± He exclaimed. The rest of the servants rushed to start cleaning.

    Serlon would be back soon enough. Therefore, all I could do was wait until he returned to take us to the potion room. Where I could go outside the room, I didn¡¯t want to risk Serlon¡¯s warning.

    Dragons excelled in magic use, as it was an instinct for my species. However, this form took strenuous amounts of mana to hold. Potions were a shortcut to relieve that by a little. Staying in this form allowed for faster healing anyway.

    Thankfully, no one bothered me after the initial encounter. They didn¡¯t dare look over either. I assumed that they feared that I¡¯d retaliate or change my mind.

    The workers cleaned diligently. Some were on their knees, scrubbing the floors with wettened rags. The boy, along with other workers, dusted off the crevasses on shelves.

    In the working silence, everyone minded their own business. Soon steps approached the door, a familiar voice calling inside.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go before I change my mind, Asta,¡± Serlon called in, poking his head to find me. He looked around at the workers, ¡°Didn¡¯t know you were so generous with your space?¡±

    ¡°Not my castle anyway,¡± I shrugged, strolling over to him, ¡°Hurry up, old man. I want my potions.¡±

    I followed him out the door to the end of the hallway.

    ¡°You¡¯re calling me old? You?¡± he grumbled under his breath.

    ¡°And I can hear you.¡± I hummed, turning down another hallway.

    ¡°Good. The truth sets you free,¡± He scoffed, marching forward.

    ¡°Fair,¡± I amused him, peering around at the multiple doors, ¡°Do you even know where you¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°Well, not really.¡±

 - 55 - Botanical Brats! Mana Potions, Attitude

    Even without a guide, it wasn¡¯t challenging to locate the potion room within the castle. The ingredients had a unique scent, which I could follow easily.

    Let¡¯s say. When you mixed herbs with a decora of random creature parts, it was bound to spell ¡®different¡¯.

    Serlon had been confused at first, doubting my navigation. But that confusion melted into a mocking banter, as we approached a door at the end of a hallway.

    ¡°Hah! You¡¯re an overgrown bloodhound,¡± He scoffed, making no effort to hide his amusement, ¡°I¡¯ll have to tell the prince to sell the dogs.¡±

    ¡°Remember that you need sleep. And I don¡¯t require it,¡± I rolled my eyes, knocking on the door, ¡°Sleep with one eye open tonight.¡±

    On the door, a wooden slide opened to green eyes. They peered up from the low-placed slit.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± A high-pitched voice questioned, narrowing their eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t you know the time? The moon¡¯s up!¡±

    Serlon stepped in front of me, ¡°Greetings. We are guards from Trane¡¯s royal prince. May we come inside?¡±

    ¡°And you had to come this late?¡± The voice sassed.

    ¡°Well,¡± Serlon looked over in my direction, ¡°I suppose this could have waited till morning, but it was decided to be handled tonight.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I have time right now,¡± They sighed, the wooden slit closing on the door.

    A groan was heard from the other side before an array of locks echoed from inside. The door creaked open, revealing a child no older than fourteen. Large bags rested under her eyes, as she propped the door open.

    She was dressed in a long leather apron, covered in mis-colorings of what I assumed to be her last mixture. At least, that¡¯s what it smelled like.

    The young girl marched over to the end of the workshop, hopping up on a tall stool that overlooked a table of herbs. Even sitting on the chair, I had to crane my head down to look at her.

    ¡°Make it snappy. What can I get for you?¡± She waved, raising her eyebrows, ¡°I¡¯m a busy person. Chop, Chop.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you the potion master here?¡± Serlon hesitated, trying to clear up his confusion at the ridiculous realization.

    ¡°Look musclehead,¡± She scoffed, crossing her arms, ¡°Turning fourteen next winter. But the way I¡¯ve been working, I might as well be turning thirty. Look I may be young, but I¡¯ve been whipping up potions since I was born.¡±

    She raised three fingers, ¡°Three generations of botanically magical genius. Right here. And my parents are stuck in a meeting, so I¡¯m all you get tonight.¡±

    It didn¡¯t need to be verbalized to understand what both Serlon and I were thinking. First, the potion master at Trane was ancient, now this one is baby-faced. Where was the balance?

    ¡°¡­I see,¡± Serlon gaped, ¡°We¡¯re looking for two mana potions.¡±

    ¡°Three,¡± I corrected him, ¡°It¡¯s three.¡±

    One for the hassle on the trip down. Two more for sneaking out of the castle. But Serlon didn¡¯t need to know all the details.

    ¡°¡­Three mana potions then,¡± He sighed, peering around at the colored sleeves of vials, ¡°If you just point me to the right ones, I¡¯ll grab them and leave.¡±

    Serlon eyed a red vial. They were similar to the mana potions made in Trane. His hand extended to the shelf before getting smacked by a long stick.

    ¡°Hands off! Keep your germy hands off my potions,¡± She scolded, not sporting a branch that came out of nowhere. The girl waved it around, reinstating her point, ¡°You can¡¯t demand things then just take them.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    I failed to hold my laughter, bending forward in amusement.

    ¡°You heard her, Serlon,¡± I scoffed, ¡°That was rude of you.¡±

    ¡°That does mean you¡¯re off the hook either, beanstalk.¡± She narrowed her eyes.

    The comment sent Serlon into a frenzy. He slapped his knee, having to hold onto a table for support.

    Meanwhile, I glared down at the tiny human, ¡°You got guts for someone that doesn¡¯t even come up to my chest.¡± I warned.

    ¡°And you have nerve-threatening someone that you want merchandise from.¡± She argued.

    ¡°Count your days,¡± I stepped towards her, before a pair of arms wrapped around my torso¡ªan aging face, pleading up with apologetic eyes.

    The man hurried to the girl¡¯s side, forcing her into a bow alongside him, ¡°I apologize about my daughter¡¯s behavior! She¡¯s grown up in the castle, so she¡¯s too casual to guests.¡±

    I don¡¯t think casual was the right word for it. Rude? Bratty? ¨CSure. But it was refreshing to know that someone was sensible. You know what? Fuck that brat.

    ¡°No worries. It was quite amusing. It¡¯s always good to laugh in our line of work. Plus, I have my own teenager under my charge,¡± Serlon grinned, pointing over to me.

    I was centuries old, mind you.

    The graying man chuckled, grabbing the top of his daughter¡¯s head, ¡°Well it¡¯s nice to know that the youth are so talented. Looking past the attitude, my daughter is recognized by the palace for her potion¡¯s expertise.¡±

    I stepped away from Serlon before he got any ideas. Try to touch me and you¡¯re losing a limb.

    To this, the man smiled, extending his arm out to me, ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, young man. It¡¯s quite the honor to meet someone so young on Trane¡¯s private troops.¡±

    Serlon¡¯s elbow jerked on instinct. I met the shake wearily, ¡°As to you.¡± I kept it brief, withdrawing my hand swiftly.

    ¡°How old are you, Beanstalk?¡± The girl piped in, followed by a flick to her forehead, ¡°Hey! You were thinking the same thing!¡±

    ¡°Wait till your mother hears about this,¡± He grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose, ¡°But, if you don¡¯t mind answering. How old are you? It¡¯s fascinating that you got recruited so young.¡±

    Again, I was centuries old. Practically ancient compared to these humans.

    ¡°¡­Sixteen,¡± I responded.

    The man clapped his hands, ¡°Wow! Sixteen! That¡¯s amazing.¡±

    At this point, Serlon was aware of who I was. But this didn¡¯t stop him from selling the narrative.

    ¡°Guard Asta is very capable for his age,¡± He went on, ¡°I¡¯ll admit that I tend to rely on him a lot. He does his job well. Despite everything, he¡¯s a loyal soldier.¡±

    I doubt he meant it. Still, it was nice to hear that I did something well once in my life. In Hellion, praise was unheard of. Even Dagon and Abdeel were deterred from it, as there was always something else you could¡¯ve done in my father¡¯s eyes.

    Win an entire war campaign? Wrong. You should¡¯ve finished it earlier. Siege a main encampment? Weak. It would have been destroyed already if you were strong enough.

    Granted. It was always done to keep the bloodline reputable. Morningstars needed to be feared at all times. My father expected us to be perfect vessels of war. I was proof of what would happen if you couldn''t do that.

    ¡°Amazing! I see,¡± The man sighed, ¡°Well, what brings you here?¡±

    ¡°They want two mana potions,¡± The girl added in, pointing to the red vials on the shelf.

    ¡°It¡¯s three,¡± I reminded everyone again.

    Serlon nodded, ¡°That¡¯s correct. We¡¯re looking for three mana potions to store with us,¡± He lied.

    This was to deter any questions as to why a guard needed mana potions. Magic users had their own unit because it was considered specialized fighting.

    ¡°That¡¯s no problem,¡± The father sighed, walking over to reach for three of the red vials. If you require more during your stay, our doors are always open.¡±

    He handed the vials over to Serlon, ¡°They¡¯re higher quality. So, it would be best to hide them on your way out of the kingdom. Potions sell quite well on the night market. We¡¯ve had to warn the visiting nobles about it.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Serlon nodded, ¡°Thank you for the warning. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem. We¡¯ll excuse ourselves to let you work.¡±

    ¡°Next time, consider coming in the daylight,¡± The girl cheered, as we walked to the door.

    Again, an apologetic farewell followed after, ¡°You¡¯re welcome back at any time! Enjoy your potions.¡±

    With that, the door closed behind us. Shushed scolding came from the inside, as the father lectured his daughter on proper mannerisms. To this, huffs and groans were the only responses.

    ¡°Human kids,¡± I mumbled under my breath, following Serlon down the hallway.

    Serlon shoved the potions into my arms, not bothering to peer back, ¡°Take your damn potions. Are you happy now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m very happy now,¡± I mused, tucking them into my belt pockets, ¡°You¡¯re so generous.¡±

    ¡°Greedy Dragon,¡± He scoffed, ¡°You deserved every bit of that kid¡¯s sass, beanstalk.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just upset because you¡¯re shorter than me too,¡± I commented, earning a grumble from the guard.

    He slowed his pace, striding alongside me, as I finished shoving the potions into my pockets. The joking expression had dulled into the one he¡¯d worn this whole trip.

    ¡°Why do you need the mana potions? You have enormous mana capabilities, don¡¯t you?¡± He questioned, trying to pry into the matter.

    I have no intention of revealing my still-healing injury. They didn¡¯t need information that they could use against me. Even if I was playing nicely with the humans, I wasn¡¯t raised to be careless either.

    Nor was I stupid enough to reveal my weaknesses. The reveal of my banishment was to strengthen my position here. Where I had struck a civil deal, too much suspicion would have been bothersome too.

    That¡¯s not to say that Serlon wasn¡¯t breathing down my neck. But it prevented even more of that. If I remained in my position of my loss of connection from Hellion, it would be beneficial.

    My connection with Dagon was limited too. I refrained from calling him through the mana stone carelessly. Though I wanted to question him about every aspect of the war, we were both in difficult positions.

    Not to mention, who knows if my father knew that I was alive. Who knew what ARC had evolved into either? Plus, my relationships with my brothers were tactical at best. Lord knows what Adbeel was doing. There were too many loose ends to consider.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt to have more,¡± I fibbed, ¡°Is that wrong of me?¡±

    Serlon sighed, ¡°Whatever. Speaking of mana¡­¡± He continued, lowering his voice, ¡°The reason Eran is going to the towers is because of the light magic.¡±

    ¡°I figured that much,¡± I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯d prefer not to have holes burned through my flesh anyway.¡±

    He looked down at my hand. The bandages were off, but the healing skin was still raw. If anything, it looked like I had burned myself with a hot kettle.

    ¡°I was expecting you to be furious at the mention of teaching light magic against the demon army,¡± He admitted, turning down another hallway. His voice was low enough, so as not to have the posted knights hear.

    ¡°Light magic has been used against demons for centuries. It just so happens that humans use it now. It¡¯s how war works. If my brothers can¡¯t adapt to it, then they deserve to die anyway.¡± I digressed.

    ¡°I mean,¡± Serlon gaped, ¡°In a fucked-up sense, you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m always right,¡± I scoffed.

    ¡°Keep lying to yourself about that then. It gives you something to think about at night.¡± He rolled his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be too occupied on deciding to kill you.¡±

 - 56 - Trainees! Daddy Issues, Dirty

    After returning from the potions room, Serlon had gotten straight into bed and slept. Which was surprising, as I had expected him to at least curse at me.

    Truth be told, it wasn¡¯t awful sharing a room with him. At least, he didn¡¯t snore like Trent did. Still, this didn¡¯t mean I enjoyed his forced company. Plus, I spent the entirety of the night debating on killing him. When I heard him stir, I didn¡¯t bother to look back. Instead, I sat on the ledge ignoring him.

    ¡°Eran and I are leaving soon,¡± He yawned, buttoning his undershirt before throwing on his armor, ¡°You and the others should go watch the trainee practice.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the use, if they¡¯ll die anyway?¡± I sighed, hopping down from the ledge, and flopping on the bed, ¡°Humans are too optimistic.¡±

    ¡°And lizards have too much attitude,¡± He snapped, picking up his sword, and placing it in his holder, ¡°I¡¯m serious. It wasn¡¯t a question, but an order.¡±

    I scoffed, waving him off, ¡°Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Don¡¯t get your trousers in a twist. I¡¯ll be there.¡±

    He raised his eyebrow, ¡°I mean it. Don¡¯t be late. I¡¯ll find out about it.¡±

    ¡°And do what? Kill me? I¡¯d like the see you try,¡± I mocked, smirking at his disgruntled face.

    ¡°I¡¯d find a way,¡± He commented, before opening the door to find Eran waiting outside.

    ¡°Good morning, Sir!¡± He cheered, poking his head inside to smile at me, ¡°Asta, you¡¯re up early. I heard they¡¯re gathering the trainees in the courtyards if you want something to do. The others won¡¯t be up for a while.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m that bored?¡± I questioned, getting up from the bed, ¡°Why would I be interested in trainees?¡±

    ¡°Asta,¡± Serlon warned, ¡°Remember our deal.¡±

    ¡°Is this an order?¡± I asked, sighing, ¡°Or will we need to wager again?¡±

    How many more mana potions could I leech from him?

    ¡°Considering it gives me peace of mind, then yes. It is. I¡¯m ordering you,¡± Serlon decided, ¡°Keeping you busy, keeps you out of trouble.¡±

    I could make trouble wherever I wanted. Being busy didn¡¯t change that. But I¡¯ll let him believe what he wants to.

    I stood up from the bed, throwing on a new shirt, ¡°Fine. You don¡¯t need to escort me there. I¡¯m capable of that, myself.¡±

    Eran chuckled nervously, ¡°Hah¡­ Well. We should get going then,¡± He motioned to Serlon, who marched past him, ¡°The others will join you later.¡± He smiled, before shutting the door.

    I didn¡¯t bother to throw on any official garments. The ones that were packed needed to be saved for important matters anyway. I¡¯d just show up and sit in a corner till the others came. If all went to plan, we¡¯d stay there for a little while then head back up to wait till the others arrived back. It was as simple as that.

    Once I heard Serlon and Eran¡¯s steps disappear from the hallway, I made my way outside the room. The door opened to guards, who looked stoic as ever. Honestly, if their eyes didn¡¯t follow you around, you¡¯d think they were statues. Leton may lack a lot of things. But this was admittedly impressive.

    I walked towards the end of the hallway, taking the staircase at the end to the opening for the courtyards. Even before I approached the courtyard entrance, chattering could be heard from it.

    ¡°Did you actually do the exercises after the last practice?¡± a younger voice asked.

    ¡°Were we supposed to?¡± Another voice answered, ¡°I could barely move from all the running we did.¡±

    A slap was heard from the distance, ¡°You fools!¡± A voice barked, ¡°You idiots are going to drag the whole group down!¡±

    Most of the conversations were variations of this. Did I really have to observe them? Based on their conversations alone, they shouldn¡¯t be impressive.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    I stopped in my tracks, inches away from the opening, and groaned. If I headed back now, Serlon would complain, right? We shouldn¡¯t be in Leton for much longer. Still, he didn¡¯t hold back when it came to scolding.

    He was worse than Dagon when Abdeel pissed him off. And that was saying something.

    ¡°E-excuse me?¡± A hand tapped my shoulder. I peered down, behind me, to find the same boy from sparring.

    A small bruise covered his left eye, as his hand shook. I couldn¡¯t help but notice the markings covering his arms. He quickly stepped back, creating a small distance between us.

    ¡°¡­I need to get through,¡± His hand shook, as he pointed to the entrance, then back at his cart of wooden swords, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    Talk about problems? It seems that I was reminded of another reason why Leton was in terrible shape.

    ¡°Who¡¯d you piss off?¡± I asked, abruptly. This caught him off-guard.

    ¡°Pardon?¡± He blurted.

    I pointed to his eye, ¡°You must have said something to the wrong person. They threw a nice punch.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah. It¡¯s nothing like that,¡± He hesitated, trying to advance forward with his cart, ¡°It was because I was clumsy.¡±

    ¡°Right. Well,¡± I walked through the entrance, stepping aside to let the cart through, ¡°If you¡¯re feeling clumsy again, make sure to block your face.¡±

    The boy gulped, letting go of the cart to grip his sleeve.

    I sighed, ¡°Look,¡± I held my arms up to my face, ¡°Theoretically, you¡¯d hold your arms up like this,¡± I bent my knees slightly, ¡°To keep your footing, bend your knees like this. It¡¯ll help absorb some of the shock.¡±

    He remained silent, looking around wearily. This human was just cautious of anyone, huh? I mean, I was the same way. Except, I wasn¡¯t weak.

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to incinerate anything. But, if you¡¯re going to call yourself a soldier, you¡¯ll need to at least be able to block a punch,¡± I exhaled, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I don¡¯t care what happens to you. It just pisses me off to see liabilities.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you,¡± The boy rushed past, pulling his cart into the courtyard. His figure disappeared into the large crowd before a voice spoke above the trainees.

    ¡°Drills will start soon! All trainees must line up! I repeat! Please get in line!¡± The instructor from the middle announced, joining alongside two others.

    The chattering ceased before the herds of trainees rushed towards the inner courtyards. They filed alongside each other with wooden swords clenched at their sides. I found a corner to spectate in, leaning against the wall of the castle. I could only hope it was far enough from their view. The last thing I needed was to be dragged into unnecessary issues.

    The instructor marched alongside the line of trainees, ¡°It goes without saying, we are at the brink of war. Going forward, Leton will depend on your bravery to protect our kingdom.¡±

    I scoffed. Even the King knows that they won¡¯t hold for long. What were these fools saying?

    ¡°Warm-ups! You must be conditioned to run till I say stop! Go!¡± He yelled.

    Despite looking hesitant, some of the trainees took off. The majority followed suit. They ran along the outskirts of the courtyard, doom written on their faces.

    It seemed similar to the exams for Trane. We had been forced to run for hours on end. Of course, I had no trouble with this type of drill. I could run for days on end without breaking a sweat.

    However, this type of drill caused a lot of humans to be eliminated. I wondered how that worked in this case. Would they be trainees for longer? More importantly, did they have the luxury of affording to wait?

    If Leton issued marital law, I assume these trainees could patrol the city. But that left both the current trainees and the drafts untrained. You¡¯d get complaints from experienced soldiers because of that. The instructor peered over in my direction, squinting his eyes before recognition caused him to bow.

    Please don¡¯t come here.

    He waved to his other officers, before walking over to my corner. A smile plastered his face, as he approached.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you part of Prince Edwin¡¯s guards?¡± He questioned, already knowing the answer.

    I could lie. I wanted to lie. But I wasn¡¯t dumb. My face should be associated with Edwin, considering my escorts with him. Plus, military personnel would have been briefed about our arrival.

    In other words, I was fucked either way.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt the training,¡± I commented.

    I was forced to be here.

    The instructor chuckled, ¡°No worries. You didn¡¯t. I heard that Trane would be observing, but I expected a group.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re sleeping. I just came early,¡± I admitted.

    He nodded, ¡°I see. Since you¡¯re here, what do you think of the trainees so far?¡± Despite his hearty laugh, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the glint in his eyes. It was serious.

    I peered around at the trainees. Despite my low expectations, they ran without slowing down. However, it wasn¡¯t a frantic run. The majority of them ran at a decent pace, matching the speed of the others. Of course, there were the typical slackers. But that was unavoidable. Still, I hadn¡¯t seen enough to give him the answer he wanted. I¡¯m sure he knew that too.

    ¡°Well, none of them are throwing up yet,¡± I shrugged, ¡°You have that going for you.¡±

    ¡°It was a premature question, huh?¡± He exhaled, ¡°I figured. I must say that you¡¯re quite young for your position, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°You have a problem with it?¡± I raised my eyebrow.

    He waved his hands, ¡°No! Of course not! I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s impressive, that¡¯s all. I have a son that¡¯s your age. But he¡¯s well¡­¡±

    The man paused, leaning in closer, ¡°He¡¯s extra baggage to our family. His mother was a lowly escort. So, he¡¯s from dirty blood,¡± He admitted, rubbing his temples, ¡°I tried enlisting him to make up for his dirtiness but¡­ The boy just isn¡¯t advancing in the army. Now, my reputation is starting to get affected.¡±

    Father of the Year award. Still, I could understand what he meant to an extent. After all, strength was the only thing that mattered in Hellion. The citizens who lived in my father¡¯s main territory belonged to great warrior families.

    Reputation was everything, no matter where you went. Even if the concept was fucked to its core. It really mattered. Still, it was awkward. I didn¡¯t ask to hear about this. And frankly, I wanted to be left alone.

    ¡°¡­Ah. So, your son¡¯s in the army?¡± I blabbed on, hoping he¡¯d walk away after small talk.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct,¡± The instructor sighed, pointing to the sword cart. He pointed to the same boy from earlier, crossing his arms, ¡°I enlisted him, but he¡¯s never shown any progress. He¡¯s a disappointment.¡±

    Suddenly, everything made sense. It was like the grim reality revealed itself. I found myself more annoyed.

    At this point¡­ fuck it. Serlon could be angry all he wanted, but I didn¡¯t have the patience for this anymore.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to punch you, instructor,¡± I forewarned him, before bringing my fist back.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± He stuttered, before yelping. His arms moved in time, and he stumbled backward, cursing.

    My fist stopped inches from his arms. I peered down at him, clicking my tongue, ¡°You did it.¡±

    ¡°Did what? What was that about?!¡± He glared, running over to grab my collar.

    I raised my hands, ¡°Just a joke, Sir.¡±

    ¡°A joke?¡± He leered, ¡°You must have a sick sense of humor.¡±

    ¡°Blocking a punch can be learned,¡± I pulled his hands off, dusting off where he touched, ¡°Most combat lessons can be learned.¡±

    I paused, leaning closer, ¡°That is¡­ if you actually teach them,¡± I walked towards the exit, ¡°You wanted my opinion, right? If you don¡¯t train everyone here, you¡¯ll all die faster than you¡¯d like.¡±

    The instructor was silent. This was my cue to leave. Finally.

    ¡°That¡¯s my last piece of advice that I¡¯m giving you Leton soldiers. Ditch the hierarchy. You¡¯re all on death¡¯s doors anyway.¡±

    So. Use it well.

 - 57 - Call to Home! Reflections, Meals

    I didn¡¯t bother to head back to the courtyard after the earlier encounter. Nor would I be interested in watching an instructor who was already failing his troops.

    Besides, I had already pissed off the human enough. My face would be the last thing the trainees needed in their already tough training.

    If his temper got the best of him, they¡¯d run like hell all day. Then the castle would smell like vomit. And that was a scent that I¡¯d rather avoid frankly.

    So, I stayed in my room for the rest of the time, waiting for the others to head back from the courtyard. Whenever that would be.

    They wouldn¡¯t question my absence much. After all, it was no secret that I¡¯d gotten away with leniencies during my time here. Similarly, they were smart enough to not question it. Though, I¡¯m sure they had their own opinions on the matter.

    Serlon, Eran, and Edwin wouldn¡¯t come back till the later afternoon. Meaning, that I would be able to bask in the alone time.

    Sunlight started to pour through the windows. Sparrows chirped outside, perching on the tops of the walls. I closed my eyes, settling down on my cot.

    My hand cupped around my necklace, fingers tracing the grooves of the mana stone. I¡¯d be undisturbed for a while.

    Both Serlon and Edwin were unaware of the mana stone. Originally, I had told them that I had no connections back in Hellion. But why would I be truthful? Surely, they hadn¡¯t expected me to be.

    Despite their ¡°welcomeness¡± to my presence, there was still distrust on both sides. Mine more so than them. We were all playing a game right now.

    Edwin was hard to read. He seemed too trusting. The key word was ¡°seemed¡±. We had made a deal after all.

    All the talk about Florence and politics had my mind racing about Hellion¡¯s condition. There were things that I couldn¡¯t place.

    If Hellion was facing war on two fronts, why would my father push the troops inwards now? Could Florence have been that weak?

    It made more sense to hold Florence till the angelic tribe had been dealt with. That way our full forces could charge the human territory.

    Dagon would know. After all, he knew my situation the best. And Abdeel had never gotten in contact. I sat up, clutching the mana stone in my hand.

    It would be best to reach him, right? That way I could gain some clarity on the situation. If staying in Trane was a bad call, I¡¯d move.

    At my core, I was a strategist and former general. I couldn¡¯t help myself. It was better to be in the know. Smarter.

    ¡°Fuck it,¡± I whispered under my breath, injecting the slightest bit of demonic energy into the stone.

    It glowed, remaining silent for a few minutes. I moved to the side of the bed, my legs hanging over on the floor.

    Now, I didn¡¯t expect him to pick up. Dagon had no obligation to follow my orders anymore. My royal status was revoked, and I was abandoned by my father.

    Formalities like that didn¡¯t exist in Hellion. He didn¡¯t have to honor that previous connection. And I couldn¡¯t rely on him to respect it. I understood that.

    ¡°Hello? Young Sire?¡± A whispered voice echoed from the stone, ¡°Is that you?¡±

    It was a relief to hear him.

    ¡°Is this not a good time, Dagon?¡± I questioned, ¡°You¡¯re whispering after all.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Something fell on the other end, cursing falling out of his mouth, ¡°-You damned!¡± There was banging, before a loud exhale.

    ¡°¡­I apologize, Sire. Your second brother is in the other room. We¡¯re dealing with a loose Hell Rat.¡±

    Frantic banging on the door started, my second brother¡¯s voice in a near scream, ¡°Dagon, get out here! Please- It¡¯s on me!¡±

    There was a thud, before deafening silence.

    Dagon paused, clearing his throat, ¡°We¡¯re good.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right.¡± I exhaled. I didn¡¯t think about what just happened, as long as I didn¡¯t have to talk to that buffoon.

    ¡°What did you need, Sire?¡± Dagon asked, ¡°I know you¡¯d only call if you wanted to learn about something.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in a kingdom called Leton. Florence is about to fall to my first brother.¡± I repeated the information, earning a hum from Dagon.

    ¡°And you¡¯re probably trying to get a gauge on Hellion¡¯s side, correct?¡± He returned, ¡°I have some time. I know you have questions, Sire.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re correct again, Dagon,¡± I acknowledged, relieved to see that my former was as sharp as ever.

    ¡°Well. You know your father, Arslym. He¡¯s a demon that cares about power and image. The loss that you suffered has left a mark on him,¡± He continued, ¡°The two-sided war reflects that will conquer.¡±

    In other words, my father didn¡¯t care about the forces. He only wanted victory. By doing so, he was stretching the troops thin. I assume that Florence¡¯s quick fall pleased him.

    My former general sighed, ¡°Hellion is working with 2/3<sup>rd</sup>s of what it used to have since your disappearance. Our territory doesn¡¯t exist anymore. Your first brother is split between the offensive battles. We¡¯ve been tasked with defensive duties.¡±

    It was a bitter reminder of my failure. Still, it was necessary to remember.

    The burden of my absence had been placed on my brothers. With Dagon and Abdeel being tasked under their guidance, they were stretched thin.

    Hellion¡¯s situation didn¡¯t seem stable. From Dagon¡¯s information, my fears were correct. My father was being careless.

    ¡°I see,¡± I began, ¡°Have you spoken to my first brother?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, not, Sire. He never left his territory and left suddenly for war. We¡¯ve only spoken through official letters. How is your position currently?¡±

    ¡°That hermit,¡± I rolled my eyes, ¡°For the moment, my position is secure. Trane is manageable.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that you¡¯re well. I cannot speak about a changing war environment. So, I can¡¯t provide future information to aid you about Trane¡¯s condition here.¡± He warned, ¡°But, I will inform you that if it¡¯s attacked to get away. If your presence is discovered, it will be bad for you.¡±

    ¡°My father assumes that I¡¯m dead?¡± I inferred from his speech, ¡°I understand. If that happens, I¡¯ll be sure to slip away. Hell would only be waiting for me if my father became aware of my presence.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what he knows your condition to be. Your brothers assume that you¡¯re deceased. But I¡¯ve been banished from the main castle, so I only hear from outside sources.¡± He admitted, his tone was heavy.

    It made sense for my father to banish my former generals from the castle. He didn¡¯t want direct connections to his former son. I¡¯m sure he made a scene about it. But he couldn¡¯t get rid of them.

    Abdeel was the strongest demon in Hellion¡¯s army. And Dagon used to work under the King before my hatching. They were still needed for his victories.

    It probably drove him crazy.

    Grumbling came from the other side, before another knock, ¡°¡­I fell on the rat. It¡¯s dead, Dagon.¡±

    Dagon¡¯s voice echoed from the stone, quietly, ¡°I apologize but I must go, Arsylm. Please stay safe, my Sire.¡±

    With that, the stone stopped glowing. The mana flowing from the item ceased, leaving just a normal rock.

    I applauded Dagon for entertaining my second brother. My brother was cunning and brutal in battles. If it weren¡¯t for my draconic body, he would have been my father¡¯s jewel.

    Unfortunately, his doting nature teetered on the edge of stupidity. When I was younger, he used to visit the territory to pester me. It was peculiar for a Morningstar Demon.

    Fitting to the expectation was Hellion¡¯s first prince. My first brother never cared to become familiar with others. He operated under his territory, occasionally helping my father with political affairs.

    If anything, he remained distant from anything he considered useless for his future. It¡¯s what made him powerful in Hellion. His territory was isolated compared to the rest.

    I had no relationship with him, nor did I care about it. It was likely that he¡¯d take over rulership, once my father got bored with ruling.

    The citizens expected it to be a fierce battle between the three brothers. But I had no desire for the crown. Plus, I didn¡¯t even have a chance at it now. And my second brother wasn¡¯t fit for it mentally.

    ¡°Asta? Are you in there?¡± A knock on the door, Trent¡¯s familiar face peering into the room.

    I sighed, getting to my feet, ¡°I could have been naked, you know. Isn¡¯t it courtesy to wait for an answer,¡± I scoffed.

    ¡°We¡¯re guards. You should have answered sooner,¡± He defended himself, ¡°Anyway, I didn¡¯t see you at the trainee session.¡±

    I glanced back at the window, ¡°Is it over already? How was it? I thought they would have run it longer. And I was there at the start.¡±

    It was the truth. I had been there. And I punched the instructor. Technically. But he didn¡¯t need to know that, nor did Serlon. If no one had heard about it, then it should stay that way.

    I just hoped that the instructor had a nice bruise from it.

    That bastard deserved that much. What a disgrace for a combat instructor. I could have picked up a citizen in Hellion and met with more.

    ¡°It was fine. Trainees are trainees, you know. They have a lot to improve on before I deem them battle-ready. Still, it was too fast-paced for my liking. But it¡¯s to be expected anyway. They¡¯re rushing to prepare their hands for war.¡± Trent responded, crossing his arms.

    He sighed, ¡°Whatever. I don¡¯t care that much anyway. Gunnar is holding a spot in the dining hall for the staff meals. You¡¯re welcome to join.¡±

    Now, I didn¡¯t need food like humans did. It wasn¡¯t the same way. I ate raw meats in Hellion, but I was fine living off mana.

    Still, human food was interesting. It was a premise that I wanted to learn more about. The bread that I had gotten with Jamie in the village¡­

    ¡­It was for information gathering. That¡¯s why I was going. I¡¯d put up with these two for that reason only. Plus, it would do some good to not be cooped up in my room after my talks with Dagon.

    Sitting on things for too long made you question everything. And that wasn¡¯t beneficial in this case. I needed to go with the flow and maintain my position here.

    I shouldn¡¯t worry too much about problems that were no longer mine. After all, I wasn¡¯t a general anymore. Nor a prince.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll join,¡± I scoffed, rolling my eyes, ¡°It¡¯s not like I have anything better to do.¡±

    We wouldn¡¯t be tasked with much till the others returned from the mage tower. Right now, we were just foreign guards. It¡¯s not like we could wander around freely.

    ¡°¡­Right. ¡°Well, let¡¯s hurry then,¡± Trent raised his eyebrow, turning on his heel, ¡°If we don¡¯t hurry, Gunnar will eat all the food. I can promise you that.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡±

    Serlon and Edwin should be back by tonight. Maybe then, we¡¯d finally get out of this kingdom.

    I hoped so.

 - 58 - Fate of Florence! The End, Beginning

    It had been late afternoon when they arrived back at the castle. Trane¡¯s Crown Prince had gone to rest after the ordeal. However, Serlon wasted no time heading back to work.

    Stationed outside Edwin¡¯s chambers, everyone lined up in the hallway. With a furrowed expression, Serlon paced in front of the group.

    ¡°So,¡± He began, ¡°We¡¯ll be departing for Trane tonight after a farewell dinner with the King.¡±

    To this, everyone perked up and shared a similar confused glance towards the captain. A mix of shock, relief, and nerves settled into the faces of the others.

    I, myself, couldn¡¯t find the news too shocking. We were only commissioned to Leton for a short trip to discuss preparations. However, Leton wasn¡¯t in a stable place for full combat.

    Ideally, we should have been here for a few more days to organize troops. Despite the constant meetings, only the groundwork of the prep had been completed.

    Edwin just went to the tower today. Which means¡­

    ¡°The mages picked up the light magic in a single day?¡± I interjected, doubt clear on my face, I shook my head, ¡°You were only gone for a day.¡±

    Sure, demons can¡¯t perform light magic. But we understand the concept of it decently well. It required direct teaching and refinement of technique.

    ¡°The mages picked up on the fundamental concepts. Edwin was able to explain the basics. They¡¯ll be able to use it decently,¡± Serlon sighed, sending another look.

    I¡¯ll talk to you later. He seemed to express. So, he knew too? This wasn¡¯t good news for Leton, nor us.

    Gunnar cleared his throat, ¡°I know it¡¯s not my place. But I have to agree with Asta. We had expected to be stuck here a couple more days.¡±

    ¡°Does this mean I should go prep the carriage?¡± Trent questioned.

    ¡°Quiet,¡± Serlon grumbled, holding his hand to his face. His head leaned back, before settling and clearing his throat.

    ¡°The situation changed,¡± His tone grew grim, ¡°We¡¯re to leave Leton tonight, following the dinner.¡±

    You didn¡¯t need to explain the implications to this group. Everyone seemed to understand the gravity of the situation.

    It has been made clear that Florence¡¯s status is unstable. If the troops sent out earlier caught something, then I could only assume my brothers were successful.

    Leton¡¯s condition could no longer be our concern, as Trane¡¯s foreign travel policies would only prioritize the prince¡¯s safety.

    Political matters aside, our first duty was to protect Edwin. Besides, it would be more of a hassle if Edwin were to get hurt on foreign ground. That is - if Leton were to stand much longer.

    I had assumed that Florence didn¡¯t have much time left. Honestly, it would have been more surprising if it lasted the night. My brothers were too clever for that. And I wasn¡¯t that na?ve.

    Trent was the first to act, already stepping away, ¡°I¡¯ll go prepare the carriage. We¡¯ll be ready to go right after the dinner.¡±

    He didn¡¯t care to listen to the explanation. Instead, he opted to head to the stable at once, already knowing the next step. We needed to get out fast before all went to hell.

    ¡°We lost contact with some of the scouts. Word arrived two hours ago,¡± he explained, ¡°At the tower, the mages couldn¡¯t reach through to them. It was decided that Leton will go into martial law starting tomorrow. We need to be out tonight before trails are closed.¡±

    ¡°Has Florence fallen?¡± I asked bluntly, wanting clarification, ¡°Do you have confirmation of that?¡±

    Dagon hadn¡¯t mentioned their conquering of this day. Knowing his personality, he would have told me about it. Whatever it was, happened after our call. This had to have been a move by my first brother.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Not that I recall. King Leon wants to be proactive,¡± Serlon answered, ¡°Leaving tonight prevents getting caught up in that mess. They¡¯ll be sending more scouts tonight to check on the others.¡±

    Before he could explain further, Edwin stepped out from his chambers. He carried a satchel in his hand, passing it over to Serlon.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that,¡± Gunnar snatched the bag from Serlon, ¡°You should go, I¡¯ll stay to gather everyone¡¯s things. I¡¯ll run them to Trent to load in the carriage.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Gunnar,¡± Edwin smiled. He looked back over to Serlon, ¡°Leon should be waiting for us. Shall we head off?¡±

    Serlon bowed slightly, ¡°Yes. Of course, Your Highness. Eran. Asta. You come with us.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Eran piped from beside me, ¡°We¡¯re in your care!¡±

    We marched down the hallways. I paced alongside Eran, whose hands fidgeted against his weapon holders. If you didn¡¯t know better, he was preparing to fight even the guards.

    A mouse would spook him at this moment.

    I leaned over, breaking his paranoid pacing, ¡°You know something that I don¡¯t?¡±

    He jumped, biting his tongue to barely hold in a yelp, ¡°Fucking hell, kid¡­ Don¡¯t do that¡­ I almost had a heart attack because of you.¡±

    ¡°You looked like you would have had one regardless. We¡¯re fine in the castle. The Demonic Army are known for their upfront attacks.¡± I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

    I could say this. We weren¡¯t going to be attacked right now. I would have sensed the demonic energy in the air from miles away. Plus, my father loved to make a show for victory. He¡¯d never stay hidden.

    ¡°I suppose¡­ It¡¯s just tense right now. That¡¯s all.¡± He sighed, motioning to walk faster to catch up with the others.

    I just wanted to pry his mind. There was no need to. I just wanted to be an asshole about it.

    There was little reason to doubt Serlon¡¯s words. After all, he seemed like the type of person to not hide crucial details. This was especially true when it came to Edwin¡¯s safety.

    I couldn¡¯t help but agree with the decision to leave early. And if Leon agreed, there was decent suspicion to follow through with it.

    Considering the developing situation, it was the best card to play. The sooner we got back, supplies would move to Leton at faster rates.

    We approached a door, guarded by two large men. Upon seeing Edwin, they stepped aside, opening the doors, and revealing a long table scattered with food.

    King Leon was seated in front of a window. The velvet drapes are drawn aside to reveal the storm raging outside. Rain pelted against the glass, as the wind roared loudly.

    Leon waved, a smile plastered on his face, ¡°Come! Come! I had the chefs make all kinds of delicacies.¡±

    Serlon escorted Edwin to his seat. The prince smiling, as he sat down, ¡°I apologize for making you wait.¡±

    I followed Eran to the side of the room, standing post alongside the walls. Behind Leon stood his knight who eyed us.

    ¡°No need. I haven¡¯t been waiting long,¡± Leon waved it off, ¡°Besides, I can¡¯t begin to thank Trane enough for how gracious you¡¯ve been in our aid.¡±

    ¡°Trane has always viewed Leton in favor. My father, himself, had been close with the late king.¡± Edwin remarked.

    Around the table, maids stepped forward from their waiting areas. They hurried down, placing food on their plates.

    ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re dismissed for the moment. I¡¯ll call you later when we¡¯re done. But I would like some alone time with my guests,¡± Leon told the maids, who hurried out of the dining room.

    Thunderstruck, a flash of lightning up the air. Eran jumped beside me, recollecting himself Immediately.

    ¡°It storms in Leton often. I can supply cloaks for your troops for your journey home,¡± Leon offered, picking up his fork,¡± It won¡¯t keep them completely dry, but it¡¯ll hold up nicely.¡±

    He picked at some vegetables on his plate, twirling his fork in the air as he spoke.

    ¡°That would be wonderful. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll appreciate your gesture,¡± Edwin accepted his offer, glimpsing at the stormy scene behind him.

    Huh? If it didn''t keep us dry, what was the point?

    The two slowly dug into their food, chewing in silence. Despite it being a farewell dinner, the mood was tense for good reasons.

    What would happen to Leton once Trane left? Leon would be left with an unpromised future. There was pressure from both sides.

    Leton held the uncertainty of their safety and Trane was left unable to finish a political visit. Frankly, it was a political embarrassment. Yet, hands have been forced.

    Edwin dropped his utensils on the table, ¡°How much time do you have?¡±

    Leon, who must have been waiting for this question, shook his head, ¡°My general sent two troops since the meeting. The first ones have stopped communicating with the mages and others were sent earlier.¡±

    ¡°Has Florence fallen?¡± Edwin asked, looking up at the grim monarch.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Leon sighed, ¡°But¡­ knowing the skill level of the scouts, I can only fear the worst has happened.¡±

    ¡°Trane will stick with you,¡± Edwin assured once more, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Leon offered an empty smile, ¡°Now come,¡± He motioned to all the food, ¡°Let¡¯s send you off in good moods.¡±

    ¡°As you wish,¡± Edwin nodded, picking up his utensils once more.

    The calming scene of the two royals didn¡¯t last much longer, as my attention drew to the door of the dining chamber. Heavy footsteps paraded down the hallways, my arm inched to my blade handle.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Asta?¡± Eran took notice of my change in demeanor, directing his eyes to the doors as well, ¡°I don¡¯t hear anything.¡±

    I shushed him. A metallic stench grew stronger, as the footsteps approached the room. Suddenly, the room turned its attention as a bloodied messenger burst through the doors.

    The guard was dressed in a Leton uniform, torn and bloodied. His clothes dripped a clear crimson to the floors.

    Leon and Edwin jumped from their seat, making their way over to the injured soldier, who staggered forward.

    Serlon and Leon¡¯s knight paced behind, already accessing the situation. I looked upon the dying human in distain, knowing his purpose.

    A pawn, puppet, plaything¡­.

    They kept him alive on purpose, something I had done myself in the past. This was nothing more than a sick joke, except I was the witness of the aftermath.

    A cruel joke.

    ¡°Your Highness¡­,¡± The soldier gasped, his hand stretched out to Leon¡¯s rushing figure, who caught his falling body.

    ¡°Get me a healer!¡± Leon shouted out into the hallway, grimacing at the claw marks running throughout his body. Blood poured out onto the floor, covering the worried monarch.

    ¡°Eran!¡± Serlon barked. Within seconds, Eran was sprinting out of the room and towards the medical wing.

    ¡°...No use,¡± The solider croaked, coughing up bits of blood, ¡°I-¡±

    ¡°Save your energy,¡± Leon urged, eyes frantically peering back at the door, ¡°Damn it! Hurry, we don¡¯t have time to waste.¡± He cursed under his breath.

    This human¡¯s life was fading too quickly to be saved. Even with a healer, he wouldn¡¯t make it. My reaction remained professional, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel indifferent.

    In front of me was a dying human, I¡¯d seen this scene many times. I¡¯ve walked on corpses, charred them alive, and worse. So why¡­?

    Something inside me ached, not for the life of a human. If I could place it, my mind couldn¡¯t help but respect this human as he was at that moment.

    A soldier.

    ¡°...No,¡± He coughed, light fading from his eyes, ¡°Your Highness, I¡­serve you. Florence is¡­¡± The soldier choked on blood, a sick gurgle coming from his throat, as he whispered with a dying breath, ¡°...gone.¡±

    The room fell silent, as the soldier¡¯s body went limp in the King¡¯s arms. Leon¡¯s face darkened, setting down the man¡¯s body gently on the floor. He stood up, turning to his head knight.

    Drip. Drip.

    ¡°Call the generals¡­¡± His voice was low, as he stood there soaked in a dead man¡¯s blood.

    Drip. drip.

    ¡°...Yes, your Highness.¡± The knight bowed, rushing out of the room.

    Florence had fallen.

    And Leton would be next. It was the beginning of the end.

 59 - Means to End! Rain, Responsibilities

    To leave an ally in such a state, you needed a certain level of shamelessness. That selfish nature of royalty prepared them to continue to rule. That¡¯s what humans called it, those moral-driven species.

    Selfish? It wasn¡¯t a foreign concept to me. The word didn¡¯t exist in Hellion. You were just born like it if you wanted to survive. Demons were selfish in their upbringing, opting to stomp on each other for personal gain. As a Morningstar, I was raised to kill lower ranks for pure demonstration.

    Where this may seem like brutal mistreatment of power, there was a reason for this. To keep power over Demons, whose nature is keen on violence, you had to be the devil among demons.

    After all, Power talked. Still¡­ I guess, I couldn¡¯t be too surprised that Edwin had refused to leave that night till convinced by Leon himself. But part of me was.

    Once again, I was reminded of the morals of humanity. Morals that caused them to run into death zones or stay in kingdoms that were breaking into war. They were creatures that listened to their heart more than pure logical reason. It was the lack of this reason that contributed to their feeble lifespans, on top of their weak bodies.

    ¡°Go home, Edwin. I¡¯ll be able to focus more on foreign royals outside and safely return to their kingdoms,¡± Leon had assured him, despite the sadness in his eyes at the time.

    He knew. We all did. Still, the condition went without saying. It wasn¡¯t a matter of ¡°What if they win?¡±

    ¡°They¡±, not referring to Leton, but my brothers. No. It was a matter of ¡°When would they?¡±

    How long would Leton last? When would they fall to the same fate as Florence? And when a kingdom fell, all you can do is blame the monarch.

    It was easier to do that than succumb to despair. Hate authority, hate the royals, and hate the ones who felt the weight of thousands of lives at once. Hate your King. That¡¯s their job. Hell, it was their purpose.

    But there was nothing that we could do about it. You had to accept it, move on, and start preparing for death. If they were to die at the hands of demons, then they should with honor.

    Die fighting? Or die cowering? Soldiers, kings, and fighters only understood one way of life. We were all murderers at the end of the day. Our hands are covered in blood, having destroyed families and futures.

    We were rushed out without proper farewells. In that situation, Leon had more important things to tend to. Even the statue guards moved, rushing to the meetings.

    This night inside the castle would be chaotic, but tomorrow everything would fall to disaster. The grim reaper would soon cast a shadow on Leton.

    And all we would do is watch. I think that¡¯s what killed the troops, all of them trained to rush into battles, and save civilians. Now they were doing the opposite.

    The carriage was silent. When Trent had pulled it around, he hadn¡¯t needed to ask to know something had gone wrong. And he didn¡¯t ask, never said a word.

    Besides my own beliefs, the others wore their disdain on their faces on the way to Leton¡¯s gates. Rain pelted down on us, stinging uncovered skin and drenching our hair.

    Time for chatter had passed, as the trip back would be vital for both kingdoms. Plus, the storm would only get worse. We had passed the gates to Leton easily, slipping under the stormy night¡¯s hassle. Everyone wore the rain covers given by Leon, despite not doing much against the storm.

    Attire didn¡¯t matter at this point. With the rising tension at Leton, it was easy to dismiss the demonic energy surrounding the capital. But now, as we ventured further into the woods, my eyes darted around the tree lines.

    The presence felt higher than when we first came to Leton. If anything, this only solidified the danger that Leton was in.

    We¡¯ve been walking for hours. I don¡¯t know, maybe hours? All I knew was that Leton was no longer visible for miles. It was hard to focus on that stuff while adhering to the problem at hand.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Between each rustle in the woods, the rain made it hard to differentiate the sounds of the heavy storm and possible demons lurking. Lars and Daniel¡¯s absence left a major hole in the defense of the carriage, everyone taking a side while Trent guided the mules forward.

    Surrounded by the darkened forest, their whinnies accompanied the sound of rain pounding against the trees. Flashes of lightning illuminated the path ahead, setting the gloomy mood.

    The only other light source because of the rain was the lanterns barely holding their embers. We seemed to be trekking ahead on the pure reliance on the trail.

    Serlon walked ahead of us, giving the mules extra pull to push them forward. Eran walked behind us, with Gunnar and I at the sides. Senses were dialed up to a hundred, as we fought against the storm. Between the roar of rain and wind, it became impossible to recollect the situation at Leton.

    No one talked, mostly switching into work mode and carrying on without thought. Once the storm had settled, we¡¯d be able to send a warning to Trane. Till then, we fought against the elements. Thunderstruck in the distance, causing the mules to rear.

    ¡°Easy! Easy!¡± Trent yelled from the front, his voice barely audible from the weather.

    The carriage sped up briefly before being reined to a halt. I looked ahead, watching as Trent pulled against the reins. Further up, Serlon walked along one of the mules, holding the reins.

    Serlon shook his head, holding his arm in front of his face to shed himself from the wind.

    ¡°-Too Strong!¡± He called back to Trent, who struggled to calm the mules, ¡°The storm is getting bad.¡±

    He looked up to the tree line, his mouth morphing into a frown. Serlon peered back at me, now calling me over.

    ¡°Asta,¡± He yelled over the rain, ¡°We need to take shelter.¡±

    I understood what he was asking, as we both looked into the tree lines, which seemed to be our best form of cover at the moment.

    If we were lucky, we¡¯d find a cave deeper into the canopy of the forest. Still, the demonic energy was present within these woods. And that¡¯s where we¡¯d run into problems.

    ¡°Are you thinking about retreating into the woods?¡± I asked, ¡°We¡¯ll have problems.¡± My tone was clear, hinting at what the man wanted to know.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice,¡± He pulled me closer, ¡°If we stay on this open path, we¡¯ll be put into more trouble.¡± Lighting struck, the flash casting over Serlon¡¯s troubled expression.

    I sighed, looking back at the carriage that shook against the wind. If Edwin was sleeping, it¡¯d be a miracle considering the condition outside. Everyone was on edge.

    But the guard was right. If we were to trek blindly on the path, we¡¯d run into more problems than some lower-level demons.

    ¡°Fine. What do you want to do, old man?¡± I scoffed, walking over to take the guiding rein of the other mule.

    ¡°You lead us away from danger. We¡¯ll have to stay there till the storm settles down more.¡± He responded, taking the other mule.

    ¡°And you trust me that much?¡± I jested, wearing a smirk unsuitable in such a severe storm, ¡°Risky of you.¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± He snapped, flashing a toothy grin. He pointed to the sword on his belt, ¡°Just do your job.¡±

    I shook my head.

    Serlon turned around to the others, raising his voice to be heard against the rain, ¡°We¡¯ll be seeking cover in the forest. Asta will help me lead the mules in, and Gunnar and Eran will flank the rear. Trent, make sure the carriage is stable in the uneven terrain.¡±

    He sighed, lowering his voice towards me, ¡°Use what you need to. You¡¯re in front, so they won¡¯t see you.¡±

    I nodded, my eyes glowing a light red. I looked towards the forest, my eyes tracing against the different sections of the forest.

    It was faint, but the demonic energy was there. By taking some of the transmutation magic off my eyes, I was able to focus more with less magical burden.

    I pulled the mules toward an opening on our left, Serlon following suit. The carriage moved slowly, creaking against the wind. The mules whinnied, hooves sinking into the mud as they struggled up the incline. Serlon and I pulled the animals up, starting our entrance into the tree line.

    Once the carriage was up the incline, I led us to the area with the less demonic energy. It was pitch dark in the woods, the only light being the small lantern. Its dim flicker only illuminated the dense vegetation of the forest. Exposed roots and bushes caused the carriage to bounce with each step into cover.

    But the idea paid off, as the intensity of the rain diminished, finally allowing us to hear the panting of our breaths. I stopped the mules at a small clearing that seemed to be covered by the trees above. The only energy around us would be low enough to manage if needed.

    With the only magic user being aware of my identity, I allowed my demonic energy to seep out to deter other demons. I could only hope that the small amounts would hold for long enough. My authority in Hellion was questionable. Still, it was better than nothing.

    Rain trickled through the leaves above, hitting us with less force than outside the forest. My eyes returned to normal, as I turned back to face Serlon with a nod.

    To this, he sighed, ¡°We¡¯ll stay here for a little till the storm calms. Be on alert, demon activity has been reported in the area. Stay on guard.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± The others acknowledged from the rear, opting to sit on the ground with their focus towards the surrounding forest.

    Trent hopped down from the driving seat, and walked up to us, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not being able to handle the mules in the storm.¡±

    Serlon placed his hand on his shoulder, ¡°No need. You did the best that you could. We should still be on schedule anyway.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your words, Sir.¡± Trent bowed, peering over at me, ¡°Asta.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I raised my brow, despite him not being able to see that anyway.

    The normally stoic man drew closer, pulling me into an unexpected hug. Because he was shorter, he had pulled me down into an awkward hunch.

    ¡°¡­We¡¯ll be okay.¡± He whispered to my horror. A cracking fit of laughter erupted from Serlon, who couldn¡¯t help his amusement. I had half my mind to launch him across the clearing. I shoved him away, Serlon catching his body that fell from my own.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± I snapped, the disgust in my tone evident, ¡°Old man, check him for a fever. He must have caught something.¡±

    ¡°¡­Man,¡± Trent groaned, rubbing his back, ¡°It¡¯s hard to forget that you¡¯re only sixteen. Chill, kid.¡±

    ¡°Kid? Pull that shit again and it¡¯ll be the last thing you¡¯ll do.¡± I warned him.

    ¡°Chief,¡± Trent turned towards Serlon, pointing to me, ¡°He threatened me. Can I punch him?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you done enough to the poor boy?¡± Serlon sighed, ¡°Plus, I doubt you¡¯d be able to land one on him¡­¡±

    ¡°Ttch. Whatever,¡± Trent jumped up, tending to check the harnesses on the mules, ¡°Anyway, let me know when we¡¯re to leave.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha. Thanks.¡± Serlon nodded.

    ¡°What the hell is his problem?¡± I muttered under my breath.

    Serlon walked to my side, hitting my back, ¡°He¡¯s just worried. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Worried? About me? That¡¯s hilarious.¡± I scoffed.

    ¡°Yeah. Funny, isn¡¯t it?¡± He sighed, ¡°But it¡¯s understandable.¡± Was it?

    ¡°¡­Oh,¡± He started, walking back over to his station, ¡°And thank you for leading us to safety, Asta. Really.¡±

    I was just performing my duty. That¡¯s all.

 - 60 - Race to Trane! Tension, War Scare

    The rain didn¡¯t let up till early morning. Sunlight settled through the trees, exposing the damage of the storm. Large branches littered the forest floor, some barely missing our carriage.

    Gunnar leaned against a fallen tree, sharpening his sword beside Trent, who had fallen asleep earlier. After realizing that we¡¯d be stuck here, it was decided that shifts would be to rest. The delay would cost us.

    Of course, I was perfectly fine to stay up. When it became my turn to guard, Serlon insisted on staying up with me. He did so, under the guise that I was younger, but it was because he didn¡¯t trust me exactly.

    Not like I trusted him either. But it was a mutual feeling. We trusted each other on professional terms. Like I¡¯d scratch his back, if he did mine. Even if he entrusted me with things, one thing remained clear. Because at the end of the day, I wasn¡¯t human.

    Worst of all, I was a demon. Humans and demons weren¡¯t the most compatible creatures. They were pitiful, empathic beings who let their feelings override their choices. And Demons were more brutal and calculating.

    We had little in common.

    However, if anything was morally right about my mindset, it was my honor as a soldier. Despite my disgust to admit to that, I suppose I related to humans in their knight codes. If you could even call it that.

    The point was that I wasn¡¯t going to betray them, as long as staying here benefitted me. But I wasn¡¯t going to turn against my race either, despite being abandoned by daddy dearest.

    I¡¯d take my ¡°duty¡± of returning Edwin to Trane seriously, and then I¡¯d need to figure out my plans. The war was approaching inwards.

    Tensions were surely rising too. I wasn¡¯t sure what awaited back in Trane. Right now, how could I be sure that I wasn¡¯t betrayed? Not like I¡¯d blame them.

    Even to the faintest extent, my body felt lighter. Being confined in a human body wasn¡¯t taxing considering my mana deposit, but it wasn¡¯t unlimited. At one point, I¡¯d need to slip back into my original form.

    One hour would work. I¡¯d take anything. It wasn¡¯t like my body was puny enough to not handle something like this. After all, dragons had immense storage of internal mana. I wasn¡¯t like a puny low-level mage that couldn¡¯t do layered spells for shit.

    Still, my body was healing from the light magic. Not to mention my left wing was severely damaged to the point of no flying. There was a lot of excess energy being put into healing and maintaining this appearance.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Gunnar¡¯s hand waved in front of my face, ¡°Earth to Asta.¡±

    My face morphed into a scowl, ¡°Move it, or lose it.¡± I pointed to his hands, which hovered dangerously close to my mouth, ¡°I¡¯ll bite your fingers off.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill the messenger!¡± He scoffed, automatically cringing at his word choice. Poor phrase considering the events that led us to become sheltered in the middle of a storm in the first place.

    Eran slapped him upside the head, ¡°Watch it, idiot. Be careful with your words. Let Asta alone. I¡¯m not responsible if you¡¯re missing a finger. You know the kid isn¡¯t lying,¡± He cautioned.

    Eran¡¯s attention gravitated to Edwin and Serlon. They chatted in front of the carriage, arms crossed. Edwin¡¯s face looked pale with his hair sticking up at all ends.

    You could tell that leaving Leton had taken a toll on him. He was empathetic, which would only hurt him in the future. Royals had to make cruel decisions. Leaving Leton was a mutual one for both parties. Trane couldn¡¯t take that for granted.

    From my perspective, Trane needed to focus on preparing themselves if an attack should reach their doors. What use would be worrying about what other kingdoms do?

    If Hellion approached Trane¡¯s doors, I couldn¡¯t be sure what would happen. And what would I do if that day arrived? I wasn¡¯t sure yet.

    If they weren¡¯t strong enough, they deserved to die in the first place. That was my stance on it. But from their whispered bickers, I¡¯m sure that they cared more about the situation than I did. From a distance, I could hear what they were saying.

    ¡°We need to get back, as soon as possible.¡± Edwin whispered under his breath, ¡°Lars and Daniel won¡¯t have the authority to handle this matter anymore.¡±

    ¡°With the delay, we¡¯ll be able to get back the earliest in two days,¡± Serlon revealed, bags hanging under his eyes, ¡°I apologize for your highness.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time anymore,¡± Edwin frowned, ¡°Hell, we don¡¯t have to know if Leton is on the brink of falling now.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    The short answer was that they¡¯d have a month at the earliest, but my father loved to span war. That sadistic bastard got a kick out of that. It was highly unlikely that we¡¯d use anything but siege tactics for a kingdom like Leton.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any other options, my liege!¡± Serlon shook his head, their conversation now drawing attention.

    Edwin sighed, combing his hand through his hair, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this later, Serlon.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get moving!¡± Serlon yelled, walking towards the others, ¡°We¡¯ll leave in five!¡±

    ¡°Yes Sir!¡± The others yelled, quickly moving into position. Trent hurried to set up the mules, making sure to check their harnesses.

    I sighed, brushing the dirt from my outfit as I got up. Gunnar and Eran hurried to the sides of the carriage, stepping through the light coming from the top of the forest.

    The severity of the night wasn¡¯t obvious in the dark, but under the light, their clothes were soaked to the lower fabric. Mud covered most of their attire, splashes drying on their face. I probably looked similar. Everyone looked ragged, but we couldn¡¯t stop moving if we wanted to get to Trane on time.

    I joined Serlon and Edwin up in front, both of them eyeing me as I drew closer.

    ¡°Did you want me to lead us back out?¡± I asked, pointing to the nearly readied carriage, ¡°We¡¯ll have to avoid certain areas because of problems and all.¡±

    Edwin sent a glare to Serlon, who held up a hand, ¡°I know. I know.¡±

    I raised my eyebrow.

    ¡°Asta.¡± Edwin¡¯s voice was firm, as Serlon grabbed his shoulder.

    The guard¡¯s voice was a fierce whisper, ¡°I told you. We¡¯ll deal with this later, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Forget it,¡± Edwin brushed off the guard¡¯s hand, ¡°Asta, after we get out of this forest, please accompany me inside the carriage for a little.¡±

    ¡°-Your Highness!¡± Serlon challenged him, only to get a nasty glare from the young prince.

    ¡°This is an order.¡± Edwin finished, marching back to the carriage, and huffed the door open before slamming it shut.

    Serlon groaned, combing his hand through his hair, ¡°You got to be fucking kidding me¡­¡± He whispered under his breath.

    I could have asked, but I didn¡¯t care either.

    ¡°So, you want me to guide us out?¡± I sighed, walking over to one of the mules, and patting its neck.

    ¡°Is it something we can handle?¡± Serlon inquired, signaling Trent to take off.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ normally. But considering the terrain and the condition of your soldiers, I¡¯d recommend against it,¡± I disclosed.

    From the energy, it was lower level. But if it were like those demon wolves that Jamie ran into, it¡¯d be a tricky battle with the carriage. Plus, I¡¯d rather not waste energy if I didn¡¯t need to. This was much easier in my opinion.

    ¡°Fine. Lead the way,¡± He agreed, holding a hand up towards the others, as to follow him.

    I nodded, leading the carriage back towards the road. We had to avoid going further into the woods, meaning the way back had to be a straight shot.

    The carriage creaked, seemingly cracking at every bump or root that it rolled over. The mules walked ahead with some extra motivation, occasionally needing to be pulled forward.

    Everyone remained quiet, focusing on getting back to the road. Inside the forest, you could hear rustling from all directions. Whether it be an animal or a monster, you¡¯d never know. Snaps of twigs and the chirping of birds grew louder as the sun continued to rise. Soon the view of the road came into focus, as we trekked through the storm-torn forest.

    I tried to ignore the lingering eyes of the demons watching from afar. I could feel their energy spike, as they drew closer. It was interesting to notice that they stopped at a certain point, not daring to get any closer to my energy. So either my authority as a Morningstar was still somewhat intact, or they were beastlike demons that didn¡¯t want to fuck with a dragon.

    Both situations were ideal enough.

    The carriage stopped at the hill, the mules grunting as their hooves slipped down the muddy decline. They calmed down once their feet hit solid ground and the carriage leveled out on the dirt road.

    Serlon let out a deep breath, looking back towards the carriage, ¡°We good back there?¡±

    Trent peered back, eyes brushing over the carriage, ¡°Just dandy¡­¡± He affirmed, holding a thumbs up, and a sly grin.

    ¡°Hold positions. ¡°We¡¯ll rotate at high noon,¡± Serlon nodded, making his way over to me after.

    He walked alongside me, leaning over to whisper, ¡°Edwin wanted to see you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not senile. I remember.¡± I scoffed, rolling my eyes, ¡°What¡¯s the deal? What do you know that I don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± He grumbled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me. It¡¯s written all over your face,¡± I jested, ¡°What¡¯s the blonde bitch going to say to me?¡±

    ¡°Blonde bitch¡­¡± His voice drifted, ¡°It¡¯s not my duty to disclose that with you.¡±

    ¡°Then who¡¯s is it?¡± I countered.

    ¡°Not mine.¡±

    ¡°Fair,¡± I shrugged, ¡°If it¡¯s what I think it is, then I¡¯m requesting a break when we get back.¡±

    ¡°What do you think it is?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Oh¡­it¡¯s not my duty to disclose that with you,¡± I quipped, receiving a smack on my arm from him.

    I turned around, starting to head to the carriage door before Serlon grabbed my arm, ¡°Hear him out before you kill everyone. Please.¡±

    I raised my brow, hitting away his arm before scoffing, ¡°If it¡¯s that bad, then you wouldn¡¯t have let me talk to him. Relax.¡±

    Plus, if I felt inclined to kill them ¨C I would have already. But I wasn¡¯t going to verbalize that. At least, not right this second.

    ¡°Fine. Go.¡±

    ¡°I was going to go anyway,¡± I reminded him, ignoring his curses under his breath. I walked up to the carriage door, hopping onto the moving step, and grabbed the handle.

    ¡°Are you in trouble?¡± Gunnar ran further up, pulling the door open for me.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± I commented, leaning down to head inside. My eyes met Edwin¡¯s, who sat crossed on the other side. Gunnar closed the carriage door behind me. I sat across from Edwin, taking this time to lean back on the seat.

    ¡°Here I am, your liege. Your Highness. The highest one. My humble prince- ¡°

    ¡°I get it.¡± Edwin finally spoke, his expression breaking into a weak smile, ¡°You¡¯re the only one bold enough to speak to me this way, you know?¡±

    ¡°Give me a reason to respect you and I¡¯ll call you ¡®Your Highness¡¯ for real,¡± I offered.

    ¡°¡­Right,¡± Edwin sighed, ¡°Can you set up something so that the others can¡¯t hear from outside the carriage?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t strange for him to ask that. I figured that he wanted to ask about my knowledge of the demons. Perhaps my brothers¡¯ moves? That was information that I wouldn¡¯t give out, even if I was banished by my father. As strange as it sounds, those were my people at one point. Edwin should understand that. I was betting on it.

    ¡°Easy,¡± I snapped my fingers, my eyes glowing a dim red, ¡°There. Whatever you¡¯re saying stays between us.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Arslym.¡± He leaned forward, clasping his hands together.

    ¡°What did you want to ask me?¡± I inquired, watching as Edwin¡¯s face became more serious.

    He remained silent for a while as if he were debating against himself internally. But whatever was on his head, he should just say it.

    We didn¡¯t have all day.

    ¡°You still have communication with the demons. Don¡¯t you?¡±

 - 61 - Dragons Advice! Evading, Realizations

    Edwin sat across the carriage, legs bouncing in anticipation of my answer.

    I could tell what he wanted to hear. ¡°Yes, I do have communication with demons.¡± His face said it all. At face value, that¡¯s the kind of confession that got idiots killed by the enemy.

    However, I truly doubted that Edwin had the ruthlessness to try to kill me. At most, he¡¯d banished me like my father before. Royals had a niche habit of doing that.

    If anyone would kill me, it would be Serlon. He was practically itching at an excuse to cut my human head off before it was too late. And by the time that Edwin lets him, it will be.

    But where would that leave me? On trial to consider my betrayal to the race that I only stayed with for benefit.

    I didn¡¯t know what would await me at Trane. Maybe Lars and Daniel were sent to ambush me with light magic with mages? Or they told the King that he¡¯d have a new war ¡®pet¡¯ at his usage.

    Nowadays, I couldn¡¯t be too surprised. Which meant that I could only watch my hide right now.

    ¡°If I had communications with the demonic race, do you think I¡¯d be here?¡± I said plainly, clicking my tongue, ¡°Are you stupid?¡±

    ¡°You must know why I¡¯m asking you this, correct?¡± Edwin sighed into his hands, ¡°You know that I need to know.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡± I questioned.

    Edwin remained silent, staring at the ground, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡±

    Oh. So, he wasn¡¯t completely dumb.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Florence would fall that soon. Nor did I have any part of the plan in this war,¡± I clarified, already realizing the nature of this questioning.

    My statement wasn¡¯t a complete lie. But most of it was. Truth is, I knew without asking about Florence¡¯s condition. It wasn¡¯t a matter of knowing the plans of the demonic forces but being raised in how war tactics worked.

    Before Trane, this was my entire reason for existence. My father wanted a symbol of fear, explaining my birth down to the political side of it.

    A demon was scary to most races. But a dragon? Not one of those noble dragons that you see in those bullshit tales. No. I was a result of my father¡¯s desire to evoke fear in his enemies. That was my only worth as a son.

    The demon king¡¯s dragon. A symbol of victory and death. Used to be.

    Classical conditioning to live up to those expectations. Till I didn¡¯t. Then he tossed me out like a body in a graveyard.

    Once my usage was up, I did not doubt I''d be tossed away again. As empathic as Edwin was, morals had a limit in ruling positions. They had no choice not to. Being a good ruler meant that you couldn¡¯t be a good person.

    Morals depend on the best option for your citizens. You couldn¡¯t change this fact.

    Edwin gulped, visibly relaxing at my comment. Still, it was obvious from his expression that he was on edge. And he was smart for that. After all, I was lying to his face.

    I had a conversation with Dagon. I guess Abdeel would count too, but I haven¡¯t heard from him.

    ¡°Regardless of the events that occurred, my staying here holds beneficial to both our parties,¡± I tried to reason, watching his reactions, ¡°I¡¯ll remain passive till I have reason otherwise.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to question you like this,¡± Edwin confessed, eyeing around the carriage, ¡°But asking you at Trane would bring unwanted attention. I¡¯m aware that you¡¯re presence here brings mutual benefits to both of us.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the Trane Royal family has done worse,¡± I noted.

    ¡°Not my estate. My father¡¯s castle. Sure. But I try to keep my floors clean of blood, if possible,¡± He was quick to correct, looking almost offended at my comment, ¡°You¡¯re posing as a sixteen-year-old kid. I¡¯m not so cruel to have it public that I questioned you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m technically over 300 years old,¡± I offered.

    ¡°You don¡¯t act like it,¡± He mumbled under his breath. I rolled my eyes, ignoring what I had just heard. It wasn¡¯t worth my energy to deal with that.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not all you wanted to ask me,¡± I ignored his snarky remark, ¡°And I¡¯m sure that you don¡¯t fully believe me either. But there¡¯s nothing I can do about that.¡±

    There¡¯s nothing I can do because I am lying. If he used his brain, he¡¯d be able to infer that already. There¡¯s nothing I can do for stupidity ¨C that was on him.

    ¡°Actually,¡± He began, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯d betray anyone. You may be a demon, but you¡¯re a soldier at heart. And I doubt you¡¯d put the effort to protect an enemy as well as you have.¡± He glanced at my hand at the fully healed wound from the ogre attack.

    That was an optimistic thing to trust. He shouldn¡¯t hold too much weight in that condition. I was a soldier, but I was also raised to be cruel.

    Edwin was very na?ve. Too much. Still, it worked for me.

    ¡°It healed already?¡± He perked.

    ¡°Unlike humans, my body isn¡¯t as fragile.¡± I countered. This wound means nothing. There is no meaning of unyielding loyalty.

    Let¡¯s ignore the fact that half my wing was probably still missing. And that I couldn¡¯t fly. Or the fact that my mana was constantly being drained every second I stayed in human form.

    Let¡¯s just forget about that completely.

    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t trust you completely. But that feeling is mutual, isn¡¯t it?¡± He replied with a tired grin, ¡°I planned on using your communication to gather more information¡­¡±

    He trailed off, his grin turning into a frown.

    ¡°But now that I think about it, you wouldn¡¯t turn against the demons either. So, it¡¯s a lost cause¡­¡± He sighed, covering a yawn that escaped from his mouth.

    He paused, raising a brow, ¡°Unless¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    My father cast me aside, but I¡¯m not a traitor.

    ¡°Ok.¡± He frowned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I understand what you could be getting at?¡± I quipped, ¡°If you wanted to talk about playground politics then this sound barrier was unnecessary.¡±

    Yes, playground politics. This handling of political dealings was so extremely amateur that a fledgling could do it better. Humans were younger than what I¡¯d consider a fledgling in all fairness.

    I was dealing with an infant. Edwin already checked the whining off that list of things I shouldn¡¯t have to deal with at my ripe age.

    ¡°¡­Playground politics?¡± He brushed off that comment, ¡°No, I did have a reason for asking you to set this up.¡±

    ¡°Okay. And when do I get to know this reason?¡±

    ¡°Well, I wanted to call you by your real name. It¡¯s important as a ruler to acknowledge your soldiers by their name. And Asta isn¡¯t your real name! Arslym is!¡± He cheered, fumbling to get to the point.

    ¡°Uh yeah. Right.¡± I nodded.

    ¡°And I wanted to be able to freely talk about demons and your relationship to them¡­. had you said yes.¡± He rambled on, ¡°That was actually what Serlon warned me about.¡±

    ¡°What? What if I were and you asked, I¡¯d kill you?¡± I deadpanned.

    ¡°¡­You are correct,¡± Edwin confirmed.

    Sigh.

    ¡°Well, Serlon would have been right,¡± I affirmed.

    ¡°But you¡¯re not!¡± Edwin cheered.

    ¡°And I should rethink that,¡± I sighed. However, at this point, I wondered how far I had truly fallen.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, blonde bitch.¡± I sighed.

    ¡°¡­Blonde Bitch?¡± His mouth gapped a little, ¡°You know that you can be executed for¡­¡± He trailed off, ¡°Never mind.¡±

    I sighed, leaning back into the seat, ¡°Well since that wrapped up sooner than I expected, I¡¯ll take this moment to relax.¡±

    Edwin couldn¡¯t argue, even if he wanted to. Instead, he let out a heavy sigh and leaned back in the carriage seat. His eyes gazed out of the small opening in the window, expression gazed over.

    ¡°Hey Arslym,¡± His voice was smaller, almost too small for the tone of a royal.

    I didn¡¯t answer. I was supposed to be relaxing or trying to.

    ¡°Arslym¡­¡± He said a little louder.

    Silence.

    He exhaled, undoing a clip from his outfit, and throwing it at my face. My hand reacted before my attitude could. I rolled my eyes, staring at the pointed edge of the pin that rested in my palm.

    ¡°This is probably worth more than the lower village combined,¡± I rolled it around in my palm, noticing the small gems embedded in the golden carving.

    You know, I may keep this. I didn¡¯t care to acknowledge his perturbed glances, as I shoved it into my pocket.

    ¡°Do I have your attention now?¡± He brushed my thievery off, offering a defeated stare.

    ¡°You had it before, but I didn¡¯t want to acknowledge you.¡± I admitted with a little smirk, ¡°Hurry up though.¡±

    At this point the barrier was still up, we were safe to talk about anything right now.

    ¡°What would you have done differently in Leton? Could I have salvaged that situation?¡± He asked, ¡°You¡¯re more experienced in war.¡±

    Hm. For starters, my connection with Leton would have been flipped. I would have been the one attacking it. But I had grown up on the battlefield to know tactics front and back.

    So, to put myself in Edwin¡¯s situation meant to insert empathy that dragons didn¡¯t have in the first place. Edwin looked distraught over the events. That much was obvious from the second it was decided that we¡¯d return.

    But I could theoretically analyze what logically could have been ¨C if that made sense. And I knew my brothers well enough to know what my father had drilled into us from day one.

    ¡°Right now, Leton is no match to manage an attack. They don¡¯t have enough resources and their troops are unfit for that scale of war.¡± I began. Edwin peered over intently.

    I continued, ¡°The best course is sending over resources as soon as possible. That¡¯s all I can say. But don¡¯t get hung over because I¡¯ll tell you one thing. Leton will fall. If you waste your resources on a kingdom that¡¯s doomed, you¡¯ll ruin yourself.¡±

    War was ugly. Morals on the battlefield were discarded, even from the human side of things. I¡¯ve seen human soldiers use comrades as shields, bodies used as firewood, and the body-filled floor trampled under the soles of others.

    Sure, humans were empathetic creatures. But they could be demon-like too. I knew that from the start.

    It was almost comical because you expect that from demons. Our nature meant that it was expected to be stabbed in the back if you showed weakness.

    Humans, however? It came out of nowhere. The fates were amusing like that.

    ¡°Was it a mistake to go?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Orders are orders.¡± I rehashed, reminding myself of Trane¡¯s King to my own father¡¯s orders. They were absolute.

    ¡°I hope Daniel and Lars were able to oversee supplies at least. They won¡¯t have the authority to assign extra troops. I¡¯ll have to go to my father for that.¡± He voiced more for himself.

    ¡°They may be dumb, but they know how to follow orders,¡± I reassured him to get him to stop muttering.

    There was a knock on the carriage door. I spared a glance to Edwin, who quickly nodded, and seemed to understand. I took the barrier down.

    ¡°Asta, are you alive?¡± Gunnar paused, rephrasing, ¡°¡­Is the prince, okay?¡±

    ¡°For now,¡± I answered him, amused at Edwin¡¯s quick response to cover for me.

    ¡°Yes, we are good. No worries, Gunnar.¡± Edwin voiced over, sending a glare towards me.

    I shrugged.

    There was a loud exhale, ¡°That¡¯s a relief. We¡¯re thinking about switching positions and Serlon wants Asta in front of him. Only if you are done though.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter if Edwin was done with whatever this was. I was already up, opening the door, and hopping out.

    I raised my hand to Edwin before shutting the door again, ¡°Till next time my liege, your highness, the highest one, all mighty ruler of all.¡±

    ¡°Asta- ¡°, Edwin began before I slammed the door shut ¨C to Gunnar¡¯s amusement and horror.

    ¡°So, were you in trouble?¡¯ He whispered, escorting me towards the front of the carriage.

    ¡°I wonder.¡± I whistled, ¡°We didn¡¯t talk about anything important. It was a pointless waste of time.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ is that so?¡± We got close enough to the front of the carriage for Serlon to venture towards us. He looked up at Gunnar, who returned to his position.

    ¡°He¡¯s alive, right?¡± Serlon glared.

    ¡°Unfortunately, so.¡± I sighed, bumping him on the shoulder, ¡°But you were right¡­¡±

    Serlon paused, his head turned towards me in shock, ¡°Did you just say I was right about something?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t act too cocky, ass crack. I just mean that you were right when you said it was a bad idea.¡± I clarified.

    ¡°At least we can agree on one thing.¡± At this point, Serlon seemed to grow used to my disrespect.

    ¡°Yes, the prince is dumb.¡±

    ¡°Stop.¡±

 - 62 â€“ Return to Trane! Travels, Travesty Times

    No one complained about the nonstop trek back towards Trane, everyone knew what they had to do. Exhaustion, mud, and relentless travel were factors that were never brought up. Discarding the stops taken for the mules, we didn¡¯t waste a second.

    There was a noticeable increase in demonic energy within the woods. We were fortunate enough to not run into any trouble, but there were instances where that would have been questionable if I weren¡¯t there.

    They were smart enough to stay away. Not even on demonic-level terms, as my standing in the Morningstar bloodline wasn¡¯t where it used to be. But my authority as a dragon was a granted superiority card.

    The lower-level demons were agitated and that could be felt in their energy. Someone was getting closer, besides myself.

    My first brother had surely started his march towards Leton. It was only a matter of time before they were in a full-fledged war.

    I would guess that it would be within the month. It depended on what type of conquest my father desired. If he wanted to set an example, he would have them eliminated within an hour.

    But if my father wanted to bask in that feeling of power over a nation, he¡¯d wait it out for ages. I had performed both tasks in my peak time serving my family.

    Still, things could have changed. It was too uncertain that I couldn¡¯t formulate a concrete answer to the way this would go down.

    The only priority right now for the sake of Trane and Leton was arriving back to the kingdom.

    We continued day-and-night, till the gates of Trane were present over the hills. Serlon raised his hand, signaling Trent to pull the mules to a halt.

    He looked up at the sun balanced in the middle of the sky, cursing under his breath, ¡°I was hoping we¡¯d arrive at nightfall, but we don¡¯t have time to sit here either. As far as the townspeople are concerned, the crown prince never left the estate.¡±

    It was to stop the panic. After all, for a high figure in royalty to be gone for an extended period. ¨C unless on an announced diplomatic trip. But that wouldn¡¯t explain the reason that we had left in secret.

    ¡°If anyone tries to talk to you, don¡¯t say anything. If you must answer, the Crown Prince sent his personal knights to fetch a close trading partner from across land barriers.¡± Serlon explained, earning nods from the knight party.

    He waved again, signaling Trent to move the carriage forward. The mules brayed, moving with the weight of the carriage behind them.

    I fell back to the side next to Gunnar, who surveyed the passing greenery of the woods. Below his eyes were dark circles that matched his muddied attire.

    Right now, we looked like peasant knights that didn¡¯t fit the royal knight image. The covers given by Leon had dirtied and mud caked our legs to our knees. Excluding myself, everyone looked like they were on the verge of passing out, if not for their poker face.

    I mean - I was fine. I always was.

    The carriage creaked as it strolled down the hill. The damage from the trek in the woods becomes more noticeable with every crack of wood and squeaking of wheels. They were sounds that weren¡¯t present before.

    A guard from the gates yelled over to our approaching silhouette, ¡°Halt! State your business.¡±

    Only to be shut up by the badge Serlon pulled from his belt.

    ¡°Open the gates!¡± The one yelled over to the others, saluting the head knight, ¡°Sir Serlon! Welcome back, Sir!¡±

    The gates opened, the rumbling of the metal bars announcing our presence.

    Serlon stepped forward, face stoic to the guard, who greeted him.

    ¡°What are the updates on the gate policy?¡± He questioned; stern-faced.

    ¡°Closed gate policy. We have received orders to limit the influx of people coming inside unless they have citizenship or permission from authorities.¡± The guard answered.

    So, it seemed like Lars and Daniel were able to perform their duties. Policies were already going into effect.

    ¡°Noted.¡± Serlon waved us forward, ¡°Leave our entrance into the kingdom out of the logs. If they¡¯re already written, burn them.¡±

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The guard acknowledged.

    I wasn¡¯t sure about the amount of information that the lower guard rank had about our absence. However, there was no mistaking the surprised looks in a few of their expressions.

    Unfortunately for me, I could hear their whispers.

    ¡°I wonder where they went.¡±

    ¡°That explains why they weren¡¯t at the meeting¡­¡±

    ¡°Did the Crown Prince send them away?¡±

    ¡°This is my first time seeing their troop in person.¡±

    So that explained some of it. Chances are that they still thought the Crown Prince was in the kingdom. This whole interaction was being kept at a security buffer.

    The interest of the public extended inside the kingdom too. Because we arrived at high noon, it was peak time in the markets and shops. People flooded the roads, bundles of bags, fabric, and food in their hands.

    Some whispered, children pointing to the tattered carriage, and others stopping to stare. Their eyes landed on Serlon, who was a known figure in the kingdom for his public appearances. However, the situation was too precarious for him to afford to step inside. He needed to guide us to the estate to finish off the job.

    If the kingdom were to want to cover the curiosity that this would attract from the civilians, they¡¯d secretly bring in a trader, and brandish him publicly to lodge at the estate. But that¡¯s only if they care enough to do so.

    People talked regardless of what you tried to do. There was no helping it. Rumors were a powerful weapon.

    It didn¡¯t take long before we reached the gate of the estate, guards letting us in quickly to avoid the crowd that had conjugated around us.

    Behind us, they stepped in front of the gates; seemingly to block the curious eyes of the civilians. The carriage swung around the courtyard, halting at the stairs of the entrance. Lars and Daniel scurried down from the estate, greeting Serlon.

    ¡°Updates?¡± He wasted no time inquiring.

    Lars was the one who ended up answering him, ¡°The imperial castle is working on preparing potions, rations, and supplies for the situation. The mage tower agreed to the terms to help transport help over.¡±

    ¡°Any news about physical reinforcements?¡± Serlon pressed, already unloading the carriage storage while talking.

    ¡°The King has requested an in-person council to discuss that with Crown Prince Edwin,¡± Daniel informed with a solemn tone to his voice.

    So, the King had conditions. Fair.

    ¡°Just great¡­¡± Serlon sighed, shaking his head, ¡°Your Highness, we are here.¡± He knocked on the carriage door, grabbing the handle to open it.

    Edwin hopped down, a hood pulled over his head, ¡°Lars. Daniel. Thank you for handling some of the matters beforehand.¡±

    They bowed slightly, ¡°Of course, your Highness.¡±

    ¡°The King has requested an audience with you,¡± Serlon revealed.

    ¡°How soon?¡± Edwin added.

    ¡°As soon as you return,¡± Lars answered.

    The prince sighed, running a hand through his hair, ¡°I¡¯ll run inside to get into better garments. Serlon, accompany me and we¡¯ll leave in the main carriage immediately after.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take this one back to the barn and prepare the official one.¡± Trent chimed in from the driver¡¯s seat.

    Everyone nodded, before Serlon turned to Gunnar and me, ¡°Take the rest of the day to rest. Starting tomorrow, we¡¯ll be busy.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t have to tell me twice!¡± Gunnar yawned, stretching his arms above his head.

    ¡°And Asta?¡± Serlon added.

    I peered over, ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Stay inside the castle walls,¡± Serlon said casually, but he was serious. And you could tell.

    ¡°Chaining me like a dog, huh?¡± I raised my brow.

    ¡°Enough. Do you understand?¡± Serlon exhaled.

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    I could tell he wanted to say more, but he didn¡¯t have time to. Instead, his eyes lingered for a second more, before rushing Edwin up the stairs towards the estate.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking the carriage back now.¡± Trent waved, leaving Gunnar and me.

    ¡°Little man, how are you planning on using this free time?¡± Gunnar chuckled, guiding us to the side entrance instead.

    ¡°Never call me that again.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± He paused, before regrouping, ¡°I¡¯ll be hitting the bath before hitting the hay for the night!¡± Gunnar let out a hearty laugh.

    I rolled my eyes, sighing, ¡°I¡¯ll be around.¡±

    I stepped back, pointing towards the side exit, ¡°I have someone I need to check on.¡± I lied.

    ¡°A lady friend?¡± The burly man cooed.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Well, you may want to change out of your outfit before you see her,¡± Gunnar pointed to the mud, caking my uniform up to my knees.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t my face make up for that fact?¡± I scoffed, jokingly.

    ¡°The fact that you look like you want to kill everyone at all times of the day cancels that out.¡± He gave a shit-eating grin.

    ¡°Do you want to die?¡± I narrowed my eyes.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m hoping on that.¡± He smiled, waving me off, ¡°Don¡¯t go outside the castle walls, kid. Wait though.¡± He reached inside, grabbed a longer cloak, and threw it at me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re going. But if you don¡¯t want to be hounded by nosey civilians, throw this on at least.¡±

    I nodded, throwing the cloak on, and tossing the muddy one off.

    Gunnar yawned, giving me one final wave off, before shutting the side entrance of the estate.

    Now then. Where was I to go? Of course, it was obvious.

    Outside the castle walls.

    I hurried to the outskirts of the estate walls. It was easier to head out to the streets through the same exit that we used for wall patrol. If I were to head out in the swarm of curious onlookers, I¡¯d have a harder time escaping this hellhole.

    The last thing that I needed was to waste time at Edwin¡¯s estate, when I didn¡¯t know when the last time, I¡¯d have free time was.

    The guards at the side walls didn¡¯t pay much attention to my presence. At this point, no one questioned the prince¡¯s personal guard unit.

    They simply nodded, wishing me well in whatever I was doing. Though, what I was doing was against orders.

    Crossing the estate property and slipping into the backways of the main streets, I headed towards the lower sections of Trane.

    I didn¡¯t give two shits about the side glances that I got from the groups of people lingering in these backways. They were all scuff-looking, eyeing the dirty swords that hung on my sides.

    Steal it, I dare you is what I was thinking. Since it was technically royal property, they¡¯d have wanted posters out as soon as the sun rose tomorrow.

    Regardless, I continued past the thugs, till I was closer to the lower sections of Trane.

    It was a financial superpower that I gained from being sent to fetch documents occasionally. In Hellion, it was different. But even in a well-developed kingdom, you could spot the difference between the rich and the poorer areas. As much as Trane tried to disguise these, it was impossible no matter how ¡®wealthy¡¯ an area was.

    You could have mountains of gold and never be able to escape the realities of society. Humans were just like that.

    The polished brick from the inner sections faded into a shabbier finish, vines growing from corners of chimneyed houses.

    Ladies wore dresses made from cotton instead of the heavy satin and silk ones. Men walked around in working clothes, without the fancy buttons, and collared shirts.

    The further I got within the lower section, the less I noticed stares from others at my muddied appearance. No one batted an eye here. No one cared.

    People sat on the sides of the street, calling out to others who passed by. Not one care in the world. No sympathy.

    Others rushed by each other, not bothering to even make eye contact. Even the guard presence in the area was lackluster.

    I wasn¡¯t complaining about it though. When people didn¡¯t care it meant you could get away with a lot of things. Stealing, the beatings in the alleys, killing, and jumping over the kingdom walls.

    Okay. The last one was niche, but it would be a reality in a few minutes. I turned into an alleyway, between some closed shops, and walked back towards the walls.

    I would have been fine just to jump over. Truth is -if anyone were watching me, I would have felt their glance from miles away.

    But that wasn¡¯t the case. And if I were caught, I¡¯d be fucked over in lectures that would be more annoying to hear. Because I wasn¡¯t on the top of Serlon¡¯s most liked people, it would be a long-ass lecture.

    I cast a small invisibility spell, my figure disappearing into the air. And with a leap, the kingdom grew smaller under my feet.

    The green plains from the underside of the wall cushioned my descent, as I landed on the other side of the walls.

    With a flip of my favorite finger, I approached the woods.

    Because I wasn¡¯t a fucking dog.

 - 63 - Smoke Wessel Returns! Loom of War, Forest Thoughts

    It was interesting.

    Humans learned to gather mana from incantations, rituals, cores, or potions. I know that juveniles in Trane practiced from an early age, but not everyone was skilled enough to advance. Some humans didn¡¯t possess any capabilities at all, dismissing the amount of effort one may put into learning magic.

    Life was cruel like that, not caring for your circumstances. But you moved on and if you didn¡¯t natural selection took over. The strong advanced and the weak were left behind. That was the truth of the world.

    Dreams were a delusional luxury. Reality was the crude reminder of what was happening.

    Because humans processed varying talents in magic, it made the talent of such treasured. It seemed like you could get ahead if you had an ounce of promise.

    Glory, riches, and titles were gained by the factor of which you were born. That was something similar for both demons and humans. Called it twisted -but this reality existed for all races. Maybe it was twisted? See, I wasn''t the best moral compass to make such a judgment.

    This is why the mages of each kingdom were highly valued, being separated from their lower counterparts for the roles into which they were born.

    Dragons worked differently though. Like that upper percent of the species, I was born to be ahead. My existence was treasured from the moment I was born, not for parental reasons, but for the weight of my promise.

    For dragons, mana was inbred from the moment we hatched. Because our nature revolved around mana, we had an infinity for it.

    Mana came as normal as breathing because my existence depended on it. My father counted on a lot of it during my reign in Hellion. For war spells, cloaking, transmutation, and healing; my expertise was something expected.

    It was a promise that if I didn¡¯t live up to my father¡¯s expectations during my childhood, I would have been slaughtered. He would have just replaced me.

    I was conditioned to be nearly perfect at it. I had to be.

    Despite my level of mana control, there was only so much that I could do. Like a high-level transmutation spell being held up constantly for weeks at a time, plus the self-healing for my wound. It started to take a toll.

    Staying in human form helped with healing. But, staying in human form for strenuous amounts of time also damaged my body.

    So, it was the logic that anything is bad for you in copious amounts. In normal circumstances, I could balance these factors with a blink of an eye. Unfortunately for me, I was fucked in many ways.

    I had been aware of the toll of the constant mana usage on my levels. It wasn¡¯t at a point where I needed to be concerned that I¡¯d lose control of my form in the middle of duty, but it was a factor that I needed to be aware of.

    If I were able to rest in the woods for a day, I¡¯d be okay for the rest of what I knew would be a chaotic time in Trane. Knowing the sadistic nature of the king, we could run like dogs for the next year nonstop.

    I¡¯d take this day ¨C a few hours even.

    The woods, for the most part, had been deemed unsafe for normal travel. With the number of low-level demons prowling in the tree lines, civilians were prohibited from veering from the main paths.

    Unless they wanted to die. Which, I mean, would probably happen with the hostility coming from these low levels.

    Fallen branches and leaves cracked under my boots, and rustles from the surrounding bushes accompanied the noise.

    Low growls could be heard from the distance, along with scurrying from what I assumed to be demonic pests. Glowing eyes from the distance watched my movement, not daring to get closer.

    Part of me wondered if I¡¯d fallen so low that I¡¯d be attacked by lower-level demons. At the same time, it would be nice to be able to let out some frustration.

    To my disappointment, I was left alone as I ventured deeper into the woods, stumbling on another clearing.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    I sighed, lifting the transmutation magic off, and watching the vegetation from under me grow smaller. I felt my wings brush against the branches, as my size returned to normal.

    I glanced at my damaged wing, observing the scarred leathery tissue that hung in skewed patterns. The initial gashes had healed, but the disfiguration of the burnt-away flesh still left more to be desired.

    It would be longer till I could fly. That is ¨C if I could ever fly again. Without the advanced magic and constant check-ups that I would have gotten in Hellion, I wasn¡¯t sure how the healing would finish.

    At least now, I¡¯d be able to get off the ground partially or lopsided. But my wing would rip from my weight. So, that was off the table.

    It was whatever.

    Huffing, I rested my head on my legs and did my best to get comfortable despite the limited space.

    My body felt better. It was a relief to have such a complicated spell off my shoulders. I could already feel my mana replenishing itself.

    The canopy would be thick enough to cover my body and the forest was dense enough to be able to have a calm mind.

    Now, I can just relax. But my luck never lasted long.

    The demons that had watched from the bushes peeked their heads out. My eyes darted to the snapping of a twig, as a familiar silhouette emerged from a bush.

    I was certain it was the same Bajang from before, its fully black, smoked form creeping into the clearing.

    ¡°Sweak?¡± It chirped, its tail twitching, as its shadowed legs dared to inch closer.

    I rolled my eyes, letting out a huff.

    ¡°I¡¯m not moving again. You¡¯ll have to deal with it.¡± I warned, narrowing my eyes at the demon. This was the last thing that I wanted to deal with on my time off.

    Part of me regretted not killing it the first time.

    ¡°Sweak¡­sweak¡­¡± It lowered its head down, its tail tucked between its shadowed legs.

    Oh.

    You had to be joking. Was it apologizing? A demon was apologizing. Well, if you could even consider this one of the same categories as demons.

    It was more of a pest in my eyes.

    The creature cooed, chirping once more, ¡°Sweak¡­¡± it scampered on its feet, ¡°Sweak!¡±

    Its eyes wandered to the branch that rested above one of my spikes. Bundles of red berries hung on the tree.

    Another chirp rang from the creature, but I didn¡¯t have the energy to protest anymore.

    I huffed in acknowledgment, ¡°I see. Well, don¡¯t let me stop you.¡±

    It stood on its hind legs, giving me one final look before scurrying closer to me.

    Maybe I¡¯ve gotten soft. That- or I was too tired to care. It was one of the two options.

    The Bajang wasted no time, as it crawled up my body. Its shadowed paws scampered on my leathery skin and slowly headed for the berried branch.

    A squeak echoed, as it grabbed the branch with its fangs, swinging its head till a small portion broke off. The force of the break sent the smoke weasel crashing to the ground with a thud.

    I adjusted, my head now watching in amusement at the disheveled creature. Now that I watched this lowly creature, the more I realized that it was lucky that it didn¡¯t live in Hellion.

    These discarded woods were a suitable place for it. I¡¯d not doubt that this brainless creature would even hold up anywhere else. It was disconnected from the brutality of the demon race in a proper setting.

    I don¡¯t know if wild was the right term for it. However, it was missing something more.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re dumb in nature, or you¡¯re one of a kind¡± I hummed over my breath.

    It reminded me of Edwin. Dumb, incompetent, and lacking survival instincts. Both were things that I could kill with a flick of my claw.

    Humans¡­Pests¡­ same thing. Spot the difference. You can¡¯t.

    These sorts of creatures were considered pests in Hellion. They didn¡¯t have much intelligence and functioned in our society the same as street rats.

    My second brother accidentally skinned one when he was younger. He had been genuinely distraught after he had come to his bearings. Then my father had him locked in the castle dungeons till he was able to kill pests without hesitation.

    So, if I happened to squish this creature that was its fault. All the other demons knew better than to approach me.

    Well, all but this one.

    The Bajang shook its head, its back leg coming up to scratch itself like a cat.

    ¡°¡­squeak,¡± it chirped, regaining itself before picking up the branch of berries and dragging it over to my head.

    It stomped on the branch, biting down till a small portion of the berries broke off. Picking up the red-berried branch, it nudged it closer to me with its nose.

    ¡°Squeak!¡± It chirped meekly, retreating a few steps back.

    I looked at the tiny branch, my eyes dancing from it to the Bajang.

    ¡°A peace offering?¡± I questioned, almost amused by the absurd action of the dumb creature.

    It nodded, wagging its tail.

    What an odd thing to offer a dragon.

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    Another twig snapped, as three more tiny Bajang poked their heads from the same bush that this one had emerged from.

    The original one hissed at the younglings, before glancing back in my direction with a hum. Lifting its head, it dragged the branch into the bushes, before disappearing into the woods with the others.

    Was I doomed to never find peace on my breaks? Maybe that was karma laughing in my face. It probably was.

    I peered down at the branch, blowing it to the side with a huff. I leaned over, allowing my wing to span over on the ground of the forest clearing.

    The clearing was too small to fully open, but I engaged it slightly ¨C trying not to wince at the stiffness of the wing.

    Dead flesh retore, as the muscles stretched. The pain wasn¡¯t awful though. If I let my wings sit too long, I¡¯d be grounded for the rest of my life.

    If a dragon couldn¡¯t fly, I was just an overgrown lizard.

    I couldn¡¯t help but humor myself in my pathetic state. A war general, grounded and collaborating with humans. Humans that could be killed, got sick, and couldn¡¯t live past a hundred years.

    They were fragile beings with a taste for death. Yet so unpredictable and stupidly empathetic. I had killed them in war thousands of times but look at me now.

    What the hell was I doing? Really. I couldn¡¯t believe myself sometimes. Could I help it at this point? Not really.

    I was everything that my father had told me not to become. Weak and vulnerable.

    But the more time I spent wallowing in my defeat, it only furthered my eventual descent into being a complete waste of life.

    I wasn¡¯t ready to die. Nor did I want to. My greed to survive was enough motivation to exist in whatever conditions favored me.

    For once, I didn¡¯t have to worry about subjects to appease by my actions, nor a father who used my existence as his tool.

    A tool that he tossed away when it got rusty or bent. And if I became useful again, I would be beckoned to do his bidding in place of whatever toy had replaced me.

    And if Edwin were smart, he¡¯d use me to his advantage too. Serlon was surely thinking about it, weighing the benefits and risks of my being in Trane.

    We were using each other. My reasons were selfish and theirs probably were too. It was just the nature of the situation now. Especially with the war coming up.

    Edwin needed power behind him, whether that be a risk taken for the kingdom or not. But something was coming. Things would change. War tended to stir a society into chaos.

    Slowly but surely.

    I stared at the branch that now rested next to the outer edges of the clearing. Light brushed down on it. Bugs crawled on the discarded branch, eating away at the red berries.

    Drops of red littered the forest ground in sweet, pigmented droplets. Almost like blood.

    War was coming.

 64 - Return! Revolutions, Start Discovering Destiny!

    I didn¡¯t stay away for too long before I headed back to the estate. The guards at the gate had added an additional hand. It was subtle but signaled the impending war to Trane. Though citizens would not notice it, any official would figure it out. Humans didn¡¯t seem to care about small changes till it was waved in front of their face.

    They were oblivious creatures that couldn''t handle mere sickness from the elements. Weakly designed. Yet, they were the same creatures that made me have to seek shelter from my father''s reach.

    ¡°Welcome back, Guard Asta!¡± The guard saluted, while giving a quick motion to the other at the gate controls, ¡°You¡¯re back earlier than usual.¡±

    ¡°Do you keep track then?¡± I asked while observing the state of the estate. Every window was lit, shadows of workers and generals walking through. It was safe to say that news travelled fast.

    The guard laughed and waved the question off, ¡°You¡¯ve always just returned in the mornings. The moon is still high, Guard Asta.¡± He paused, ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t offend you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just performing your job.¡± I waved his worries off, more interested to get into the estate at this point, ¡°Are there new gate procedures?¡± I asked as I stepped forward into the estate. The gate swung to a close behind me.

    Another guard took over, an imperial symbol pasted on her armor, ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Guard Asta. I¡¯m from the main castle¡¯s defense unit, I¡¯ll be overseeing gate procedures for the time being.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t shocked that the imperial guards had already gotten involved. It was a standard procedure in wartime. When I had been a general in my father¡¯s armies, our scouts would report similar dynamics, especially in Trane¡¯s situation.

    Trane was controlled by their power commands. It was primarily held by the monarch, but Edwin¡¯s estate took on most of the domestic duties. And the duke managed local shops and businesses. From a war perspective, these were also the most vulnerable places for Trane.

    ¡°I see. Do the estate units still have command then?¡± I just continued walking towards the entrance of the estate. The guard would follow. It was their job after all.

    ¡°Perimeter based troops fall under the command of imperial. The Prince¡¯s private guards will continue to remain independent. I¡¯m sure that Sir Serlon will update you on other proceedings and changes.¡± The guard explained.

    I waved my hand, ¡°No. Just update me now. That idiot¡ª I mean, Serlon is going to be busy with the Prince. Troops will be operating for efficiency right now.¡±

    The guard paused, ¡°...Okay. Well, the policy for foreign ministers will be redirected to the border command post for security checks, before being given escorts to the Estate. Officials and royals will not be allowed to travel on foot anymore. Those are all the policies that concern your unit directly.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± I gave a half-hearted smile and waved the guard off, before entering the estate.

    The guard stood at the estate doors and bowed, ¡°It was nice meeting you, Guard Asta.¡±

    I just nodded before walking away. The tension in the estate was notable. Instead of the normal patrols through the castle, more imperial soldiers were situated within the halls with the estate guards. They had moved faster than I anticipated. Then again, every more in a war drew the difference between destruction and victory.

    Although Trane was merely helping with supplies, I doubted that Florence would be a stronghold against the Hellion armies. Demons were practically born to fight and humans lacked that purpose.

    I felt the eyes of the guards follow my every move, despite the stillness of their bodies. I knew that they were trained well for humans, at least. They would pull their sword even at the kingdom advisors if that meant the safety of Edwin. That included me. Ironically, they¡¯d never know the truth of that statement.

    I barely rounded the corner to the hallway towards the barracks before I was stopped by Serlon¡¯s voice, ¡°You¡¯re back early.¡± His figure approached rapidly from one of the meeting rooms. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Who said I went out?¡± I mocked, not bothered to move any further. Serlon would only become a headache if I did that.

    Serlon caught up and motioned me into another empty hall ¡°Where did you go?¡± His voice was stern. He seemed on edge. I wondered if he had heard anything during meetings.

    ¡°How did the imperial palace go? I see you brought back dogs.¡± I droned on.

    ¡°I¡¯m being serious.¡± He leaned against an empty doorway, his arms crossed and expression cold.

    ¡°You look constipated. What did you want to talk about? Be frank, Serlon.¡± I pressed further, ¡°I assume that something said at the imperial castle stuck a stick up your ass.¡±

    I could guess the mirage of comments that could have been made. Though, I expected something like this to come up, especially around these times. Humans seemed to be extremely tense with these matters.

    It wasn¡¯t surprising when you considered the humans and how they operated more on emotions than logic. But, I probably wasn¡¯t the best subject to comment on how wartimes were normally handled.

    In Hellion, my father made sure that we were always at war. He valued his trophies too much to have his sons at home. My oldest brother catered to my father¡¯s demands. And my other brother wasn¡¯t good at anything except fighting. Point is, Hellion was constantly in a war state.

    ¡°Can you please just tell me where you went?¡± Serlon wasn¡¯t giving up, ¡°I know you went outside the kingdom walls. I know you do that. Tell me where.¡± I think I understand now.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I cocked my eyebrow, ¡°You haven¡¯t interrogated me this heavily before. And I¡¯ve been adamant on my position in this kingdom. I was in the forests. The ones invested with the Bajans.¡±

    I watched Serlon¡¯s shoulders relax, ¡°All the staff is on the other side of the estate right now. We can talk openly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll reinforce that for you.¡± I added, as a mana spell was casted, a clear barrier now enclosing both of us, ¡°I don¡¯t like to take any chances with my little vacation here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d hardly call dealing with you a vacation.¡± Serlon scoffed under his breath. He knew that I could hear him.

    ¡°Well you¡¯re no sweet trip either,¡± I humored him this time.

    ¡°A convoy was attacked heading from Florence.¡± Serlon explained, ¡°They thought it was a demon and you were missing.¡±

    ¡°Well if they found the convoy, then you should have known it wasn¡¯t me.¡± I said simply, ¡°If I was the one that attacked it, it never would have been found.¡±

    Serlon groaned, his hands pulling at his hair, ¡°Why do I actually believe you?¡±

    ¡°Cause I¡¯m a trustworthy source?¡± I asked.

    Serlon glared, his expression giving me the entertainment that I needed for the night.

    ¡°Anyways, it wasn¡¯t me. But I will say that there was a lot of demonic energy on those trails. I noticed it the second I arrived at Trane.¡± I didn¡¯t know the extent of the attack. But if it was the Hellion troops already, then my brothers were closer than I thought. Now, I couldn¡¯t judge if that was a good thing for me or not.

    If that was the case, then Trane shouldn¡¯t be worrying about a dead kingdom. They had bigger issues to worry about.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Serlon questioned. Did he not know?

    ¡°The demonic energy surrounding Trane was stronger than I imagined.¡± Though I was asleep for 100 years, ¡°That wasn¡¯t the case before in human territories.¡±

    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll look into it.¡± That¡¯s all Serlon said, ¡°There¡¯s going to be a war council held in the imperial palace in the morning. The prince is sleeping right now. But the convoy will only be you and I.¡± He added.

    ¡°You trust me in that room?¡±  My interest piqued. Honestly, I didn¡¯t know how my position would adapt to the war. I was at odds either way. I doubt that my father would have use for me in my current state.

    Broken things don¡¯t win wars. They¡¯re nothing but liabilities. I knew that all too well. In fact, I used to operate on that same mentality, parts of me still do.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be clear. I¡¯m prepared to kill you at a moment¡¯s notice. I don¡¯t trust you. But Edwin does.¡± Serlon was honest, which I can¡¯t fault him for. Frankly, I was ready to kill everyone in the estate if I needed to, but I¡¯d never tell him that outright.

    ¡°A human thinking he can kill me? That¡¯s hilarious.¡± I remarked, but moved on, ¡°So that imperial palace visit went well?¡±

    ¡°The King has a unique way of getting his points across.¡± Edwin huffed.

    ¡°Well, they do seem to have a pattern of that. Don¡¯t they?¡± I scoffed, under my breath. If only he knew the behavior that my father exhibits to get his wishes fulfilled. It¡¯s quite fitting of the demonic king.

    Serlon raised his eyebrow, before shifting onto his original point, ¡°We¡¯re leaving in an hour. There¡¯s a uniform on your cot. Don¡¯t kill anyone in the palace, please?¡±

    ¡°I should just take the opportunity to kill everyone there.¡± I joked, but part of me wasn¡¯t joking.

    ¡°You''d be better not raise suspicions. The King has called in a special unit that is trained in combat against demons.¡± Serlon warned. If I didn''t know any better, he almost looked concerned.

    ¡°A special unit?¡± A flashback to a battle that seemed like an eternity ago. My shoulder hurt. The battle that tore my prestige away from under my claws.

    ¡°Anti-Revenant Coalition. A secretive coalition formed by nations to eliminate revenants, demons, and other supernatural threats. A.R.C They¡¯ve been around for a little over a hundred years-¡± I interrupted him.

    ¡°Back when the wars against the humans and demonic race were rampant?¡± I added, already knowing the answer.

    ¡°How did you know?¡± Serlon paused.

    ¡°I¡¯m a lot older than you think.¡± I scoffed, almost bittersweet to hear the name, ¡°Are you taking me to the palace to kill me?¡±

    Serlon poked at the magic barrier, ¡°I think you¡¯re useful for Edwin. I¡¯m telling you to warn you. Edwin wanted you to come, but I don¡¯t think he thought about the position that it¡¯ll put you in.¡±

    I released the barrier and sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll head to Edwin¡¯s room before we leave.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Serlon nodded and adjusted his uniform, ¡°I¡¯ll go finalize travelling preparations. Don¡¯t wander off again.¡±

    I nodded while watching Serlon¡¯s disappearing figure. Pathetically, all I could do was think about the lowly position that I found myself in. Working for the humans and facing the organization that crafted my downfall.

    My shoulder ached.