‎Rasmus chose to go on foot to see what had changed since the last time he visited the city. All the damage during the wyverns invasion and the battle to defend the city were no longer visible, but anyone could tell almost all the buildings on the outer layers were newly built.

‎"You have no idea how much I miss listening to your chilling words like that," Erlina chuckled softly as she used the folded fan to cover her mouth.

‎Rasmus glanced at Erlina's hand and noticed a ring made of gold, a simple ring with Carrion's name on it. He then glanced at Carrion, who was walking behind him with Javi and Daryus. He saw the same ring but with Erlina's name on it.

‎"Congratulations," Rasmus said as he looked at Lenin and the other powerful figures that were riding their horses ahead of him.

‎Erlina tilted her head with a confused look as he looked at Rasmus. She then looked at her hand, and realized what that congratulatory word was for.

‎"Thank you. That blockhead proposed to me a week ago, and I'm still not getting used to wearing any jewelry on my fingers. I don't fancy rings," Erlina looked at the ring on her finger. "I'm not sure if I should think about getting married in this situation we are in. Wouldn't it be tragic that we got married and not long after that the world came to an end?" She scoffed, but deep down she knew that could happen.

‎"Wouldn't that make sense if someone chose to indulge themselves in whatever they wanted if they knew that everything would end soon?" Rasmus asked and looked at the crowd on the street. "Or is it that it's not what you want yet?" He added.

‎"You really good at making people feel bad about themselves, don't you?" Erlina bumped and brushed her shoulder against Rasmus', teasing him playfully. "Well... I don't want to deny or admit it," she smiled at Rasmus playfully.

‎Carrion was listening to the whole conversation and all he could do was sigh and shake his head. He didn't know what had happened to Rasmus, but back then when he first met him, he looked at Rasmus like a man that was barely above him, but now, it felt like he was stagnant in the well while Rasmus had soared through the sky.

‎"You have been oddly quiet, Carrion? Something is bothering you?" Rasmus asked without looking back.

‎"There's nothing for me to say. Erlina will tell everything to you anyway. I'm just, trying to enjoy my time here," Carrion answered with his arms crossed and looked around, wondering if the Holy Nation had a pub or tavern for him to spend his day on.

‎"Knowing that soon might be the end of humankind, you seem so laid-back," Rasmus said as he looked over his shoulder at Carrion.

‎"Well, I would be worried if I saw you worried. But since you're not, I don't think I should be worried," Carrion smirked as he stared into Rasmus' eyes.

‎Rasmus smiled and chuckled quietly when Carrion was still the same as ever. On the other hand, Rullein was walking beside Aris with Yur in owl form, resting on Aris' left shoulder. She looked at Videl and Serena who were walking next to Rasmus. She could see the hierarchy in the group where the ones that walked side by side with Rasmus had accepted him for who he was, and the ones that walked behind him were either loyal to him or didn't want to be on the same level as him because they hadn't yet accepted him fully.

‎"Videl, is it?" Rullein said as she stared at Videl.

‎Videl leaned his back a bit to look at Rullein who walked on the other side. He stared at her and he could see the dark energy within her. He raised his brows and stared into Rullein's draconic eyes.

‎"You know me?" Videl asked out of curiosity.

‎"Yes, I know you from Rasmus' memories," Rullein answered with a smirk, wondering if he was up for a spar. "I'm just wondering how strong you are. Want to have some fun?" She asked.

‎"You want to have some fun?" Videl mirrored Rullein's expression. "It hasn't been a while since I got beaten up, but if you want to have some fun in other matters, like some night activities, I don't mind," he teased.

‎Rullein arched her brows, staring at Videl and remembered what she had seen from Rasmus' memories. She knew that Videl loved to make love with anyone anywhere and at any time.

‎"I'm not interested in that, Rasmus alone is already enough for that," Rullein answered, uninterested with Videl's offer and suggestion.

‎Spontaneously, everyone stopped walking except for Rasmus, Aris, Rullein, and Javi. They were confused as to why everyone stopped walking, and when they turned around to look at them, they saw how everyone's eyes were wide open.

‎"Wait, so you finally slept with a woman?" Carrion asked, his mouth wide open. "You? The man who never even glances at a woman even if they're naked?" He pointed at Rasmus, still shocked deeply.

‎"Your taste in women..." Erlina glanced at Rullein and then back at Rasmus. "I mean, I have never seen any woman like that, so... I'm not that surprised..." She said, but her face said otherwise.

‎"I thought the first woman you would have your first night with would be Aris, but who would have thought she wasn't your first choice," Serena chuckled with her arms crossed.

‎Rullein and Aris looked at each other, not understanding what made everyone so shocked. Aris wondered why Serena said something like that when she didn't have any desire or curiosity in that kind of thing. Rasmus on the other hand, he chose to stay quiet and didn't say a word. He sighed and decided to keep walking because he didn't want to feed their curiosity.

‎When they were about to enter the inner layer, they noticed the carriages and the horses near the gate. They saw Lenin and the others gathering right at the gate as if they were waiting for Rasmus. When Lenin and the others saw Rasmus and his group, they all glanced at each other before they all stood side by side, blocking the entrance to the inner layer.

Rasmus once again looked around at the crowds before he proceeded to approach Lenin and the others. He glanced at Aurelia and the others, and they looked confused as to why they were stopping at the gate. As soon as Rasmus stood in front of them, they all looked him in the eyes with suspicions written in their faces.

"Count, what's your purpose here?" Lenin asked.

Rasmus understood the situation as soon as Lenin asked that question.

"Am I not welcomed here?" Rasmus asked back, but his gaze was pointed at Aurelia.

At that moment, Aurelia was on a tight rope where her answer would affect everyone and herself. They wanted to say that she allowed him to stay in the city, since she was the ruler of the Holy Nation. However, those who had shown their support, they were wary of Rasmus, or to be exact, they didn't like him to be here with them. The pressure made her anxious, but she knew what to do and what she had to say.

"You're welcome here, Count. After all, it was Lady Serena that made it possible for us to protect this nation from the demons back then. Not to mention, Sir Daryus is here as well, helping to treat my mother's illness. They both are your people, and if I said you weren't welcome here, then that would be hypocrisy," Aurelia answered.

"But that's not my question, Count," Lenin said with a serious expression. "We are wondering why you came. We know everything that you made a deal with the demons, so why are you here?" She asked.

That revelation shocked Aurelia and the others. They looked at Rasmus in disbelief that the man they looked up to was scheming with the demons. They didn't want to jump into conclusions, but they still couldn't believe that he had made a deal with demons, the enemy of humankind.

"Yes, but that's no longer valid. Their master is here now, and the agreement I had with them was no longer valid. The demons are no longer my allies," Rasmus answered.

"And why should we believe that?" Eveline asked with her eyes narrowed, finally choosing to open her mouth after she had observed him enough.

Slowly the Paladins, the mages from the Magic Tower, and the knights from each representative of those figures beside Lenin came and surrounded Rasmus and his group. Rasmus looked over his shoulders from left to right. He knew that he could kill them all, but he also knew it wasn't Lenin and the other intentions. They just wanted him to leave unless he gave a valid reason to stay.

"Why? Because if I want to, I can just kill all of you in your sleep to please those demons even if I'm so far away," Rasmus answered. "Of course, I wouldn't order Serena, Videl, or Daryus to do that, but with other methods," he pointed out.

"And how are you going to do that, Count?" Lenin asked with her arms crossed.

Rasmus snapped his fingers, and suddenly all the crowds behind him, the refugees that were walking and talking with each other suddenly stopped. They all slowly turned around to look at Rasmus and slowly bent their right knees. At that moment, Lenin and the others were shocked by what they had just witnessed.

"The Black Hands..." Julius said as he looked at those refugees that turned out to be Rasmus' people, the Black Hands, one of the few deadliest units in Central Neva.

"If I want all of you dead, all of you would have died that the moment I commanded them to do so," Rasmus said with a calm expression. "But you know me well, Great Sage. Have I ever lied?" He asked and looked at Lenin.

"Then what's your purpose here, Count?" Lenin asked.

"To be with my friends, and to share some information that I gained in the past year," Rasmus answered.