A sudden aura filled the meeting room, heavy, dense and filled with anticipation. Erika and the other women who loved Asmodeus all met gazes before snapping their heads towards the Empress in a united front. Yet, the woman in question overlooked them with a calm yet powerful look in her eyes, firm and unbreaking.

    ''These beautiful warriors, all of them clearly adore this man. Asmodeus, the King of Demons.''

    Empress Sarina''s shoulders lowered, her back pressed against the chair as she lifted the corner of her lips in a scornful smile.

    ''I do not have the time or patience to waste time, please understand.''

    Her eyes fluttered slowly, her smile fading for a moment before she tapped the table and cleared her throat.

    —Ahem~

    "Asmodeus, I wish to speak with you privately regarding the future and the role that you will play in the coming days." A tone rejecting any refusal.

    Her body radiated a fierce, commanding aura from every pore as she looked into his eyes, her eyelids closing to a narrow glare.

    ''I have to know why... why the goddess chose you, our sworn enemy, over the elves.''

    Before Asmodeus responded, the faces of Asmodea and Vinea became twisted, the younger Asmodeus biting her lower lip while almost snarling, her upper lip rising to reveal her sharp fangs slapping the ground with her long black tail.

    ''Darling, this woman is looking down on you. I cannot stand anyone looking down on you!''

    Vinea, on the other hand, gripped her hands, unable to accept her future husband being looked down upon, and the fact the empress asked to meet him privately also made her chest unsettled, a feeling of anticipation and anger growing like a kindled flame.

    ''My husband, this woman is hiding her fangs... I don''t wish to see you get fooled or injured—please take me with you.''

    With their sincere thoughts, both women looked at Asmodeus, who remained silent, his eyes closed while rubbing his fingers against his thumb. Not even a sign of anger. The only reason the two didn''t speak out was due to their upbringing and understanding that shouting there would only make things more difficult for the man they wished to protect and help.

    "I don''t believe him meeting you alone is quite appropriate, Empress Sarina." A low, husky voice sounded from the corner of the table as Velvet placed her goblet down with a slight thud on the wooden table. "Please, consider his status and those who are sworn to him."

    ''I never expected this witch to speak up for him... interesting, to have tamed a woman I once saw as a rival and danger to our kingdom.''

    Empress Sarina''s eyes glanced towards Asmodeus, who remained quiet, his eyes suddenly sliding open, with focused pupils gazing back at her.

    ''Such a cold... and powerful aura.''

    She remained fixated on him, his atmosphere and aura able to push hers aside without much effort, as if he was more noble than anything else in the room.

    "Empress Ar''Sarina."

    That was the moment he spoke, with a low and powerful tone as if passing judgment or showing his true colours.

    "I do not wish to worry my lovers—meeting a beautiful woman like yourself in private might stir untoward rumours." Asmodeus leaned to the side, his chin resting lazily on his right palm, leaning on the table and gazing at her with a sharp glare. "Thus, I ask you to allow my dear knights Leviathan and Erika to follow me."

    ''This young man is nothing like I thought he was! He''s like a wolf... hiding his fangs, waiting to strike when his enemies least expect it!''

    A rush of tingling sensations flowed through her body, a delight that the man her daughter married seemed to be more than a pretty face.

    It made him feel anxious.

    "I won''t lie—adventuring with you was the most interesting part of my last five years of life," Simon spoke, his hand covering his mouth as he cleared his throat. "But I just felt the passage of time; my first daughter turned three, and my wife just gave birth to my second daughter, and it began to dawn on me how cruel time is... it doesn''t wait for anyone."

    There was a lingering sorrow and melancholy in his words as if haunting the group—they echoed off the stone walls, causing the men to grimace slightly.

    "Haha, sorry... it''s not like me to be serious, but I wanted to be honest. I''ve been offered a position to serve as a knight protecting the town where my wife lives... Duke Alan, his consideration for everything we''ve done, apparently. But we know it''s thanks to you, right kid?"

    ''Somehow, I am glad that Ciela and Levia will be arriving a little later—Simon looked strange earlier; was this on his then?''

    Paul shifted in his seat before placing a refilled mug in front of Asmodeus and Simon.

    His lips twisted into a wry smile as he slapped Simon''s back. "You too, eh?"

    "What?!" Simon seemed shocked.

    The first he ever heard that his partner would be doing something similar, it made him realise his foolishness for keeping it a secret.

    "Well, the Duke and King sent me a request to teach my runic skills to an apprentice and serve as a lord in a small village where my family comes from. At first, I worried about bringing it up... but recently, I''ve been having trouble with my eyes..." There was a slow pause between his last sentences as he chuckled as if laughing at himself.

    "You... you''re sick?"

    "Brother Paul... you, can I not help you?"

    ''Look at these two kids, who are always acting so selfishly, but now they are so considerate.'' Paul looked at the two and shook his head before curling his lips into a wide grin.

    "It''s something hereditary, caused by me overusing my mana to do these cheap tricks when I wasn''t suited to become a mage in the first place."

    The condition seemed to be something that many mages suffered within their lives, though it could be treated—once treated, the patient couldn''t use magic anymore because it would only cause the disease to grow more severe.

    ''Can It really not be cured... I want to help Brother Paul...''

    "Oi, Kid, I can tell you''re thinking of doing something to save me right now! Haha, stop thinking and enjoy the drink. It''s to settle down and not have to worry about the future. That''s enough for a normal guy like me. Maybe I''ll open a restaurant or an inn. Come visit me from time to time, and tell me of your tales, haha."

    "Tsk... you better treat us well!" Simon laughed almost forcefully, but his shoulders became lighter while looking at Asmodeus, who looked stunned at first but seemed to adjust after time.

    "It sounds like Brother Paul..."

    However, the feelings in the depths of Asmodeus remained hidden—like a calm river''s surface; he continued to drink and joke with the two men.

    —Knock!

    Not much later, Ciela, Erika and Levia appeared—they didn''t have much time before the meeting with Empress Sarina, but once the girls arrived, the men seemed to have dealt with the issues from earlier, as if hiding it from the women.

    ''I want to help both of them...'' Only those thoughts lingered as Asmodeus left the two drunken men to meet the Empress, taking a deep breath, before his eyes flicked open, no longer soft and gentle but full of power and focus.

    "Let''s go."