"I wonder what the Duke of KharzĆ»n City wants from us. It certainly doesnāt look like youāre here just to see us," Yuan said as he looked at the man before him with a calm expression, his eyes carefully searching for any subtle change in Cedricās demeanor.
"Iām here on behalf of our great monarchāthe Demon Emperor. And my lord has specifically ordered me to bring all of you to the Eternal Demon City," Cedric spoke in a neutral tone, his expression remaining composed as he observed their reactions.
"Word of your existence has reached the ears of our Monarch. A group of humans and demihumans crossing the storm barrier and entering our empire... it amused not only our Monarch, but many of the nobles as well."
"Your arrival in our land is no trivial matter. There has never been anyone who successfully crossed the storm barrier from either side."
"For now, many demons within the empire are already aware of your presence. Before anyone else approaches you, our Monarch wishes to meet you all personally in the Palace," he explained, his expression neutral throughout, his gaze unwavering even for a split second.
āThe Demon Emperor wants to meet us... this is no small matter. Should I agree to go with him?ā Yuan pondered as he continued studying the man before him.
Cedric Vaenāthe Lord of KharzĆ»n City and head of the Vaen Household. This man was far from simple; every posture and movement carried purpose and intent.
Not only that, he carried the bearing of a seasoned war veteran. Moreover, Yuan and his wives could sense the vast amount of Spiritual Energy within Cedricācomparable to a Peak Spirit Warrior.
āAlthough following orders isnāt really my style, Iām curious about this Demon Emperor... I should see him for myself before traveling to other territories,ā Yuan thought inwardly.
"What do you think, darling? Should we follow this man to the Capital City of the Demon Empire?" Anna Grace asked with a curious expression, waiting for Yuanās decision.
"We shall go. Iām rather curious about the Demon Emperor myself. It should be a fun little trip," Yuan replied with a faint smile before turning his gaze back to Cedric.
"We will accompany you to meet the Emperor... however, there is one condition," Yuan added calmly, a subtle smile appearing on his lips.
"Oh? Letās hear it then. Speak your mind," Cedric raised an eyebrow slightly, clearly not expecting Yuan to propose a condition so openly.
"My condition is simple. We do not wish to take part in any of your affairsābe it conflicts, wars, or political matters. We have no interest in becoming entangled in such things, thatās all," Yuan said calmly, while his wives nodded in agreement.
"Absolutely. Unless you accept our terms, then forget about us meeting the Emperor. Itās either you accept the condition or notāthe choice is entirely yours," Valeria spoke with a wide grin as she stood beside Yuan.
āThis female human... she possesses the physique and aura of a warrior. She must have fought countless battles,ā Cedric thought as he looked at Valeria, surprised by the confidence in her tone.
"Before agreeing to your condition, may I ask the reason behind it?" Cedric questioned, clearly wanting to understand their motives.
"Itās quite simple. We just want to mind our own business and donāt wish to get caught up in other peopleās affairs," Yuan replied calmly.
āI see... very cautious indeed. Theyāre clearly not the type to fall into schemes. In any case, I donāt seem to have much choice other than accepting their terms,ā Cedric sighed inwardly.
"I agree to your condition," Cedric said a moment later, letting out a heavy sigh.
He had no choice but to accept Yuanās demand. After all, he had received a direct order from the Demon Emperor to bring Yuan and the others to the palace.
"In that case, weāre ready to depart whenever you are," Yuan responded with a smile.
"Excellent. Then come with me to my manor. We will be departing for the Eternal Demon City in a few hours," Cedric said, his voice carrying a hint of excitement as he gestured toward the carriage.
Yuan glanced at the carriage briefly before saying, "You go ahead first. Weāll follow closely behind. Besides, I donāt think that small carriage could comfortably accommodate all of us."
"In that case, Iāll be waiting for your arrival at my manor," Cedric nodded before stepping into the carriage.
Soon after, the carriage disappeared from their sight, leaving a cloud of dust behind.
"Is it really a good idea to go with him? What if the Demon Emperor has some hidden agenda against us?" Angela stepped closer to Yuan, worry evident on her face once the carriage vanished from view.
Yuan smiled gently and pulled her into a reassuring hug. "Relax, Grandma. What threat could a mere Demon Emperor pose to us? Besides, isnāt this a perfect opportunity to meet him?"
"The Demon Emperor... I have fought their ancestorāthe First Demon Emperorāmultiple times. He was a terrifying existence, capable of killing even gods," Selvariel spoke in a cold, distant voice as memories of the past resurfaced.
"Oh? You never told me you fought the First Demon Emperor. What else are you hiding from me?" Yuan asked, glancing at the angel standing beside Miss Zara and Little Zoe.
"It was in the distant past, when the Holy Church declared war against the Demons. As servants of the Gods, we angels took part in that war on the side of the Holy Church," Selvariel replied almost immediately, her expression remaining cold and detached.
Yuan remained silent for a while after hearing this. He stared at her for a few moments, trying to determine whether she still harbored deep resentment toward the demon kind.
"Do you still resent them?" he asked.
"I-I donāt know... I have mixed feelings about this. I canāt say that I still resent them, but I also canāt say that I like them..." she replied, sounding somewhat awkward as she struggled to understand her own emotions.
After all, she had served the gods her entire life, hating demons from the very core of her being. She had fought countless battles against them in the past.
She had experienced victories and defeats alike, witnessed her fellow angels fall in battle, and personally slain thousands of demons with her sword.
It would be strange for her not to harbor hatred toward demons, and Yuan understood her feelings, considering she was an angelāa being of purity and light.
"I see... well, just donāt go on a killing spree if the Demon Emperor starts spouting nonsense," Yuan chuckled lightly as his body slowly lifted off the ground.
"Donāt worry. Iām not some kind of maniac thirsty for blood," Selvariel replied with a soft chuckle. She then stretched her magnificent wings wide and, with a graceful flap, soared into the sky.
A few minutes later, they were already hovering above the grand Vaen family manor, the sight appearing quite magnificent from the sky.
Numerous warriors were training in the massive training grounds beside the manor, each exerting themselves with relentless effort.
In the distance, a carriage sped toward the manor, kicking up clouds of dust behind itāit was the same carriage from earlier.
"It seems we arrived before him..." Vanessa chuckled as she noticed the approaching carriage.
"Mom, how can you compare the speed of a carriage to us? That thing is as slow as a turtle," Valeria rolled her eyes in disbelief.
"Well, I completely forgot that weāre flying... itās become so normal for me now," Vanessa replied shyly after realizing her mistake.
Once the carriage came to a halt, Yuan and his wives slowly descended beside it, shocking everyone who witnessed the sceneāincluding Cedric himself.
āD-Did they just fly down from the sky?!ā Cedric screamed inwardly in disbelief.
"W-What am I even witnessing? Those people... they were all flying just moments ago!!"
"Is this even possible?! Since when could people freely fly through the sky? This has to be some kind of trick!"
"And who are these people, really? They donāt look like anyone from the Demonic Continent at all!"
The servants working outside the manor began whispering among themselves, shock written across their faces as if they had just seen ghosts.
They even forgot what they had been doing moments earlier, their eyes fixed on Yuan and the others, whose appearances were vastly different from their own.
However, upon seeing their Lord standing before them, the servants hurriedly withdrew from the scene in silence.
"I didnāt expect such a method of travel... Iām truly speechless," Duke Cedric spoke a moment later, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"Well, weāre not trying to surprise you. This is simply how we travel from one place to another. It saves a lot of time and effort," Yuan replied calmly with a faint smile.
"In any case, welcome to my humble home. Let us go inside now," Cedric said with a soft sigh, still struggling to believe what he had witnessed.
āEven the gods couldnāt do what these people can... just what is their origin? They donāt appear to be ordinary humans at all,ā he pondered inwardly as he led everyone inside.
As they walked, his eyes narrowed slightly when he caught sight of Selvariel following closely behind Yuan. He couldnāt mistake her for anyone elseāhe had fought against the Heroes back then.
āThat woman... sheās one of the angels who aided the Heroes during the war. What kind of relationship does she have with this human?ā He could never forget that face, no matter how hard he triedāit was unmistakable.
āAs long as she doesnāt cause trouble for us, I wonāt take any action, regardless of what happened in the past... but that doesnāt mean I wonāt keep an eye on her,ā he thought, casting another glance at Selvariel.
"Iāve arranged several servants for you. You may order them to bring anything you wish to eat. In the meantime, Iāll attend to some matters of my own," Cedric said before leaving them inside the guest room.
After leaving the room, Cedric immediately ordered his men to prepare the carriages for the journey to the Eternal City. The road was long, and they would need ample supplies.
Aside from that, he also needed to assemble a group of elite warriors, as the journey itself would be dangerous.
The Demonic Continent was the largest continent in this world. The cities were separated by vast distances, and traveling from one city to another could easily take several days.