The Demon Wolf and the vampire were both eager to know more about the Viking demon and his reasons to be by the king's side. Even though they were both exhausted from last night, they had every reason to hear the words of newcomers. Mephiles believed he may have a job for Godbrand while he serves the king of Midland. There was no doubt the mighty creature had a single question every other demon leader had in their minds.
"You're new here, Godbrand. You seem more powerful than the rest and desire loyalty from the one who will rule all of humanity. Now, state your terms," Mephiles said.
"Your majesty, as a powerful leader of demons and a wielder of the blade of Argus, I see that many of us have things to ask. Some of them concern us, but only one concerns you. I take it your demon generals and servants need answers for themselves from a king of your valor," Godbrand said.
"I want nothing to do with your game. But I give you this time to speak. If any of my servants want an answer from me, they shall approach me in private. What is it you want to tell me?"
It only took Gobrand a few seconds to conjure up a question he believed the king should answer. Lenora became suspicious to see what this new demon might do in the days to come. Mephiles also saw something strange about Godbrand, yet he remained silent until Godbrand asked the question. The other demon leaders moved closer to the Viking creature, and all of them held the handles of their weapons. They knew it was blasphemy to waste the king's time and horrifying to make their master lose his temper.
"Why was this old wife of yours… never turned?" Godbrand asked calmly. But as he asked this question, Lenora's eyes became bigger, and she became shocked at Godbrand's question.
The demon generals backed away from him, and they started becoming surprised. Nobody expected such a monster to ask such a monstrous question to a man who had no choice but to suffer at the end of his human life. Then, Mephiles's eyes turned darker and more demonic; he was ready to tear this creature apart. He was ready to rip Godbrand into shreds and make him bask in his blood.
"What did you say?" Mephiles asked. His temper was ready to be released, and he knew Lenora backed up next to the side of his throne.
"It's simple. You used to have a wife and a daughter, you used to serve an earl who was once destined to continue his father's honor, and you had the perfect opportunity to make her join this crusade. But why did that never happen?" Godbrand asked. As the demon spoke this nonsense, Mephiles's nails scratched the surface of the throne, the color of his eye became bloody red, and the only thing everyone else could see was the fiery anger on his face.
Mephiles stands up, and he eyed the savage beast to make him understand that nobody should ever question his kingship.
"I will speak with you alone! Follow me!" He angrily hissed. Mephiles walked away from his throne and went back upstairs to his library, where he could calm down.
Everyone else had their eyes on the Viking, and they all became furious at how he treated their king. They thought their king would make all of them clean up the castle until it looks better than before they arrived. Lenora looked down at herself and thought she failed to notice how much Mephiles missed his other wife. Then, Godbrand walked up the stairs to the second floor, and he searched the place to find out where the king went. Meanwhile, Mephiles was sitting down on his chair and gazed upon the painting of Julius of Romania.
It was like looking in a mirror when he saw the painting of himself, and he remembered back when he was still human. He looked at his hands and almost felt ashamed for abandoning his humanity to rule on the throne of Midland. His depression for the death of his wife and his daughter turning her back on him lit a fire in his soul. This kind of fire would never light out, and it would only burn him until the rest of his reign on the earth.
"Lucy… my wife. My daughter. Such a sacrifice to make me a ruler of humanity. I need… rest," Mephiles said. He missed the days when he was a human and missed the days when he was around his wife.
Meanwhile, Godbrand opened the door and saw Mephiles sitting down on his favorite chair. He knew he may have upset the king and made his anxiety known to all of his generals. He walked to the king and stood next to him, and he looked at the paintings and books Mephiles had for himself.
"You said you wanted to speak with me, dear king," Godbrand said.
"That was quite an entrance, Godbrand. It is an entrance I shall never forget, but not in a good way. You may have disrupted some peace and make my servants piss themselves," Mephiles said.
"I meant no disrespect, of course. I am a curious creature. And I, too, was once a man before I became a demon."
"Do not compare yourself to me. You may have had your reasons for joining the darkness, just like I did. But don't think we are alike in every detail. Unlike you, I know exactly how to take your life. As a king of Midland, I expect this place to prosper and be prepared for the night."
"I can tell by the mechanics you prepared and all the signs you put on your walls that any stranger who plans to raid the castle shall be put to death. Of course, when I was a man, I used to fight for the gods and raid villages. I once threw parties in mead-halls and feasted like gods. I fulfilled my destiny and desired my place in Valhalla until Odin found me unworthy. The unmerciful God gave me a fate I could never change. My family… my brother… and my wife were all engulfed by the flames that could never be put out. I'd say we are alike if you ask me."
"So be it. The difference is you were a raiding captain, and I was the supposed son of a king who once ruled Midland. My 'brother' betrayed me, lied to me, and left me to rot among peasants. I was given this gift because I was once a brave and noble knight. A demon slayer and a defender of Midland. But I fell into darkness, killed the man I once called a brother, and became this… a king of the greatest kingdom on Earth."
Godbrand and Mephiles felt relaxed and feel like friends speaking in alehouses and drunk places. They felt like they could start a brief relationship, only if Godbrand did not speak out loud about Mephiles's wife. The king's anger is satiated for now, but it might grow back if the other demons disappointed him again. Mephiles turns around to look at Godbrand and see what other trick he has up his sleeve.
"Godbrand, the only problem I have with you is your reasons for bringing up my dead wife. I thought you would know better than to speak aloud since you were once a raiding captain," Mephiles said.
"I apologize, dear king. It was a question everyone else had in their minds and wanted to know. I thought I would help and put their minds at ease," Godbrand said.
"Oh, so you were helping. You wanted them to know my deadliest secret, didn't you? But that's not how you came to my castle, is it? How did you come to know of my castle as you traveled here?"
"Lenora was contacting me and requesting for me to come here. But I often saw the castle changing location and moving to other places."
"Ha, I only change location once every three to four days. I allow my generals to raid and pillage a few villages when we go somewhere new. And why was Lenora requesting you to be here? I would not need to have her do that if she told me the truth about you."
"Unlike most of your generals, I respect my roots. But I'll let you know this. Many peasants and servants come to you and do your bidding, while others may betray you and sever your head from your shoulders. You may have been betrayed as a human, but I was betrayed by both friends and family. I became like this only to seek vengeance on all who have wronged me. Lenora took part in your quest of becoming king of the world, but I do so only to be certain that everything goes as you have foreseen."