"Are you sure about entering the palace by yourself?"
"Yes. The ruler, the queen, isn't fond of men after all. Rather, it would be more precise to say that she hates men"
Eddie stayed at the villa near the palace while I went out wearing a thick veil.
"You, who are you?!"
A knight raise his weapon and pointed it to me.
"Does that really matter now?"
I sprayed him with a hypnotic perfume that Sarah created.
It really is amazing. Even I don't know how she was able to create such a potent hypnotic perfume.
The guard led me all the way to the queen's throne room.
The other guards that we've passed by let us pass as there was someone among them in front of me who is leading the way.
Maybe this guy has a higher rank than I thought. He wasn't questioned or anything while we were passing by all those royal knights.
When the knight who was under hypnosis opened the throne room's doors, the royal knights inside immediately raise their weapons. Some of them were ability users who was ready to shoot out their attacks.
"State your name and..."
Ignoring the knight with a shiny gold armor, I walk through the carpet all the way in front of the queen.
"Greetings your majesty. I am someone of low origin. However, I do have some info you may find tempting regarding the abnormal rise of undead in the borderline of the kingdom of Otvon and the grand duchy of Temal"
Demons were summoned and various elemental attacks were ready to fire aimed at me.
"And who are you to say such things?"
"I am the guild master of the infamous demon hound guild"
"Continue on what you were saying"
"You won't ask me anything to verify my identity?"
"I don't think there would anyone who has the confidence to against a member of the royal family in the continent other than you and I also cannot think of anyone who can act so calmly when they are being aimed by several ability users"
"I suppose so"
The royal knights withdrew and went back to stand still like a statue.
"So, how exactly do you know about this matter and what do you mean by tempting info?"
"First of all, the cause of this is abnormal events in the borderline is David Brown. A son from the Brown county of the Otvon kingdom. He is a wizard with three demons and one of those demons have the ability to create undead. As for the reason why he is doing something like this, well, your majesty should ask count Brown as to why his son became an addict at killing people"
Naturally, the nobles and knights present at the throne room were shock to hear my news to them.
Some even cursed under their breath, mumbling that what I said just now was ridiculous.
"What proof do you have about the man's identity? While your organization that you lead is quite infamous for its information gathering, I would like to know how you knew about the man's identity in such short time"
"That's because he is someone who we have been aiming to kill for a long time. Someone who is planning to commit mass genocide would be automatically be put in our kill-list priority"
"....If you are planning on killing him means that you have a way to kill him. Then why are you here?"
"I am here to tell you that you should be more strict towards your subjects. Know that I am not planning spread about this to the public. Means that if it does spread, someone here was the cause"
"Are you questioning our loyalty towards her highness, the queen?!"
One of the nobles yelled out of anger.
I don't know whether he is loyal or just putting on an act but that does not concern me at all.
"I am not. You are stupid for assuming something like that"
"You...!"
"Anyways, I am planning to steal David Brown's demon. I hope you all don't mind"
This time, the nobles were openly yelling at me. To 'steal' a witch's/wizard's demon is the same thing as knowing their real name. Obviously, no one in this era would be stupid enough to tell others what their demons' name is.
"I do not mind. As we are the cause of this, do as you please. But that does not justify your actions of ruining this official meeting between a ruler and her subjects"
The royal knights once again raised their weapons and other type of attacks they can use to attack me.
"This is a reminder and not a threat; Right now, ten members of my guild are outside. Each one of them has [6] circles around their heart. If I don't go out now, your precious subjects will die. And believe me, the four countries will eliminate Otvon if that happens"
I turned around and went outside while taking my time walking through the carpet like a model.
Even though it is a bluff that they knew, it doesn't change the fact that if I do die everything about this country would be destroyed by the four countries.
I made sure that no one followed me as I go back to the Berda empire's villa where Eddie is currently at.
"Are you okay? How did it go?"
"It went smoothly. I'm actually surprise that no one actually tried to attack me after I provoke them so much.
Even if they did try to kill me, including the queen, I would have been able to kill at least half of them"
"If they did put as much of a scratch on you, I would have destroyed this kingdom myself"
That's not possible since the queen herself has [8] circles around her heart.
A shaman who is unmatched at using water. Just like the saintess, I don't think Eddie and Benedict would be able to beat the queen of Otvon by themselves.
"Also, what do you mean by being able to kill at least half of them?"
I took out the pouch with three seeds.
"Four years ago, there was a plant-type monster at Dilirea that destroyed an entire city and turn it into a forest"
"Yeah. Everyone know how bad things happen there. There was a lot of people who died after all"
"Right, these seeds are the remnants of that monster plant. The more mana it is exposed to the more vicious and the more faster it will grow"
The ones who took care of the plant monster was me. Since magic was useless against it I simply use flammable oil with normal fire with a bit of explosives. I doubt that they would do that when they can simply attack it.
"What about when you were around Alex? Did those seeds never reacted?"
"It won't as long as they are inside this special pouch that blocks mana"
For the past four days, before we went to the Azara duchy, we stayed at the Dominique duchy so that I can help Eddie with his work. Sarah, who is the one who manages Eddie's work affairs while he is gone is now at the eastern part of the empire meaning that there is currently no one who can replace Eddie at the moment.
...
After four days Benedict returned to the Azara duchy.
Saying that he wasn't tired yet and still wanted some action, we left as soon as he said his goodbyes to Sophia.
We arrived at the town where David is currently at.
"I'm sorry for stealing your precious time with your fiancé"
"It's fine. If it wasn't for you we wouldn't have met in the first place, not to mention, after you started selling your medicines to us the number of death every month in the duchy significantly decreased. This is the least I can do"
"If you say so"
We stood by near the town and kept on waiting. There was only one way out and one way in which made our job easier.
A few hours later, David Brown came out of the town.
"Are you sure that's him?"
"Yes. He has that distinct eye color"
With green eyes on the right and red on the left, there is no way I would mistake him for someone else.
David headed west on foot and so we followed him stealthily. As night falls, we started on our operation to kill David.
He stopped by somewhere to camp for the night.
And so, the hunt begins.
Enormous ice spikes formed a giant wall, trapping David inside.
"So this is the power of the bless family by the great ice spirit"
Though I have heard about it before it is amazing seeing it by my own eyes.
The first born of the Azara family always gets the power to control and conjure ice at will. It later then became known as the 'power over winter'.
Dark clouds formed above.
A barrage of lighting strikes showered down at the center of the ice spikes, to where David was.
Hey now, if he dies, we won't be able to steal his first demon.
The barrage of lightning strikes from the sky finished. The surrounding trees as well as the ice spikes were destroyed without leaving a single trace.
"We'll take a look, stay here"
"I got it"
The two went down the cliff and took a closer look for any remains that may be there to prove David's death.
"Don't move"
I knew it.
"You sure are a sly one for someone who likes to head in first in a battle before thinking things through"
"Oh so you know who I am? I guess you do seeing that you were after me. I hope you don't mind me knocking you out"
"Don't bother there is no need to waste your time. I'll go with you with you as I do not like it when I am being moved to some place I don't know"
I completely forgot. Forgot that David's demon, Astaroth has the ability to see the future.
The backlash for using such ability differs depending on how long into the future is going to be seen. The longer it is the more his sanity gets destroyed bit by bit by every use.
"Cerberus, come out"
A huge three headed black dog with bloodshot eyes emerge from David's shadow.
David carried me and sat behind the huge demon's back. There was already a saddle so getting into position was easy.
"Cerberus, let's go back to our home"
The three headed dog-like demon run fast. I was holding tightly onto David's waist so that I won't fall.
"Do we really have to go this fast?!"
The demon was going so fast that I had no choice but to scream at the top of my lungs to ensure that this asshole would hear me.
"Yeah!"
Why does it sound like he is enjoying this right now?
...
"Weird, nothings here"
"You literally blasted the entire area without holding back. And you expect to find some kind of trace?"
"Anne said that the man is a powerful wizard. Ever since he was entrapped by the ice spikes, he should have covered himself with mana or summoned his demons to protect him and yet this guy, who even Anne fears of, wasn't even able to protect himself"
"I don't really get what you are talking about. As you know, my family uses a spirit's power directly so none of us ever had mana and so am I"
"I know that it requires mental strength rather than mana. But why are you so oblivious at times like this, you war freak"
"Hah? I don't want to hear that from a unloving lover who ignores his woman like you!"
"HUH?! Just so you know, me and Anne are..."
"...Her presence. Its gone"
Edward and Benedict quickly went back up the cliff and saw Anne was missing.