We are welcomed back in the castle with a large feast in the dining hall by Mistress Isabelle, her soldiers and guards, she smiles.
"go on my children, indulge yourselves for doing a fine job."
we sit down at the long table that could seat about thirty individuals and start digging in, I then think to myself.
"the next mission that comes, will be given to us next year, so I have enough times to formulate my fake death."
I take a bite out of a piece of meat and continue my in thoughts.
"I remember how difficult it was, we nearly died in the freezing temperatures in the mountains, fighting frost trolls."
I look at Jillian and think to myself.
"right now she doesn't know it, but she will become very powerful with fire magic in the future, and will also save us from the freezing to death in the mountains."
after noticing that I finished my plate, Mistress Isabelle gets up from her seat and walks over to me, and as she approaches me, she stares at me with her icy blue eyes and smiles.
"did you enjoying the food?"
I respond.
"yeah it was pretty good."
she then said.
"follow me, I need to talk to you about something important."
I nod.
"okay."
as everyone continues eating, I follow Mistress Isabelle, all the way into her library, where she asks while touching the books in the bookcases.
"so you've been spending a lot of your free time here since you got here, do you like studying?"
she then puts her hand my shoulder and said before getting a chance to answer her question.
"I seem to remember that you were quite the troublesome child, and you weren't the studying type."
I think to myself.
"damn it, did she already catch on to my suspicious behavior?"
I sigh and get mad at myself in my thoughts.
"you should have behaved better at orphanage."
I reply trying to think fast on my feet.
"the sisters at the orphanage, were teaching subjects that never interested me."
she looks at me and asks a curious tone.
"oh, and what does my library have that is more interesting than what they were teaching you."
I remembered everything I learned about the legacy of the demon kings and reply.
"I found the history of the many demon kings much more interesting."
she smirks.
"is that so? then can you tell me the difference between the demon king and the human king?"
I smile to myself.
"easy."
I answer confidently.
"the demon king is considered the most powerful demon in the land, as he obtains the throne through combat and every demon is ruled under him, while the humans have many kings but they stick those who share their blood to inherit the throne."
she responds.
"good, and here I thought you were just wasting your time being a loner in the library."
she then asks.
"so what do you think about the title of demon king?"
I brief memory that I have forgotten came back to me, about having a similar conversation with Mistress Isabelle, and how irritated she was about
how only demon males are allowed to carry the title of demon king, and how she wanted to change that, I then return my focus onto her and respond with what she wants to hear.
"I think it's unfair how only male demons are allowed to claim the title demon king."
she caresses my cheek and smiles.
"my dear Darius, you don't know how much it means to me to hear anyone say what I feel about this."
she hugs me tightly.
"if you stay by my side, we can accomplish great things together."
as she pulls away I respond.
"I'm willing to help, but can you answer a question
about me honestly?"
she stares into my eyes.
"yes, I'm more than willing to do that for you."
I ask.
"why did you choose me?"
she replies.
"I told you because I see that you are destined for great things."
I let her know that I'm satisfied with that answer and insist.
"please Mistress Isabelle I know there is got to be more to that."
she sighs.
"fine, but I'll have to erase this from your memory after I tell you."
I click my tongue and think to myself.
"damn it, I was hoping she wouldn't try messing with my memories."
I sigh.
"okay, I accept these conditions Mistress Isabelle."
she puts her hand on my shoulder.
"I was close to your father."
I blink in disbelief and ask.
"what about my mother?"
she looks at me with a sad expression.
"she passed away during your birth."
still in disbelief about what she is telling me, I ask.
"did you know both of them?"
she shakes her head.
"I only knew your father, he served under me, but he decided to run away to be with your mother when he met her during one of our visits in a human village."
getting excited by this new information about myself, I ask her multiple questions.
"what happened to my father? is he still alive? what did he do while serving you?"
she answers.
"your father betrayed me by running away, and I killed him but before I killed him he asked me to take care of you."
I ask.
"if that is how it happens then how did I end up at the orphanage?"
she replies.
"I've never taken care of a child at the age you were in and decided that I would come back for you after a few years."
she sighs and then puts her hand on my shoulder while kneeling to me.
"you father had a special gift that allowed him to see the potential in people, and that trait was passed along to you?"
I chuckle to myself.
"now I understand why, she came she needs me, It's because I end up finding and recruiting many great demons for her."
I close my eyes and rub the eyelids with my thumb and finger while thinking to myself.
"it all makes sense now."
I then try to hide my increasing anger towards Mistress Isabelle, and thank her.
"this has been a good eye opener for me, thank you Mistress Isabelle."
she places her hand on my head and said.
"after erasing the memory of what I just told, you I need to swear that you will serve me without any questions."
I nod and think to myself.
"well it doesn't matter now, you are going to manipulate my memories like before."
before chanting her spell, she said.
"you may not believe me when I say this, but I'm glad that I was able to tell you that."
her hand glows white after chanting her spell, and
the after it stops glowing, she pulls her hand away from my head and asks.
"how do you feel?"
I take a moment to gather what is going on and I quickly realize that Mistress Isabelle's spell had no effect on me, as I still remember the conversation we had, but I try my best to act like I have no idea what's going on.
"why am I in the library?"
she answers.
"we were talking about, how you will devote your life to serve me."
I squint my eyes and think.
"so this is where she started to manipulate my memories and ensnare me."
I kneel with one foot and said.
"I see, then I swear on my life to serve you without
question Mistress Isabelle."
she smiles.
"good, my dear Darius."
I look her straight in her icy blue eyes and think to myself.
"one day when I grow stronger, I will have my revenge."
she then grabs my hand and asks.
"do you know what I plan to do?"
I reply in mind.
"you want to start a war between the humans and
demons, so you can increase your power and favor amongst the demons and then overthrow the current Demon King Lucious."
she asks.
"if I tell you, will you keep it a secret from brothers and sisters?"
I nod.
"of course Mistress Isabelle."
she tells me.
"in the near future, there will be a great war between humans and demons, and I'm going to be counting on you to find and recruit demons that will strengthen our side."
I respond.
"yes, I can do that Mistress Isabelle."
I ask myself.
"is she still not aware that her spell didn't work on me?"
she continues talking.
"but before we execute my plan to ascend as the demon king, I need you, your brothers and sisters to continue training."
I nod.
"I will continue to train, so that I can better serve you Mistress Isabelle."
I then stare at her neck and for a split moment I grab the hilt of my sword, but then I calm myself down and think.
"don't do it, even if you kill her now, you won't escape the Castle alive, especially with her current captains hanging around."
after calming down and removing any thoughts of killing her now, I ask her.
"do you expect me to kill humans?"
she answers.
"yes unfortunately, but you will come to see how decadent human society has become."
she points at me and said.
"you may not know this since you have been living in the orphanage, but humans mistreat their own kind that have darker skin than them."
I think back about some of the comments the other kids made about me and my skin color and reply.
"I'm already aware, what they think about humans with darker skin than them."
I ask her.
"what about the demons with large horns, they get mistreated as well, so there is no differences between the demons and humans."
she puts her hands on my shoulders.
"and that is why I need to become the demon king, I can bring actual change and drastically improve the lives of the impoverished."
I ask myself while shaking my head in disappointment.
"how did I end up falling for her ideas?"
she then said.
"well thanks for indulging me my Dear, now let's go return to feast, so I can give the announcement of what is to come in the future."
I reply.
"as you wish Mistress Isabelle."
after following her back to dining hall, and sitting back down in the same spot I was before, Mistress Isabelle grabs a glass stemware filled with wine and a dinner knife, and then she taps the glass stemware with knife to get everyone's attention.
"may I have a moment, to give an important announcement?"
everyone quiets down, and focuses their attention to Mistress Isabelle, who begins saying.
"my eight children have done amazing job completing the mission that was given to them and I can't wait what the future holds for them."
she takes a sip of the wine and continues.
"even though they are officially serving me, their is still one task that I wish for them to perform."
she takes another sip.
"but we'll visit that matter for next year, for now I want to congratulate them."
Frautz sits close to me and asks.
"so why did Mistress Isabelle pull you away?"
I answer.
"she figured out that I spent a lot of my free time at the library and was curious about what I've been studying."
he sighs in relief.
"okay good, I thought you got in trouble or something."
he then asks.
"so what do you think they will have us do next year."
I shrug my shoulders.
"I don't know, but don't focus on what's going to happen in a year from now, and instead focus on sharpening your skills in training."
he replies.
"yeah you are right."
I then think to myself.
"the frost trolls shouldn't give us much trouble, but the freezing temperatures is what has me worried."
I can easily fake my death during that mission but
if I'm not careful I'll really end up dead, before even getting a chance to get my revenge on Mistress Isabelle, I then put my hand on his shoulder and grin.
"how about I bring you to the library with me to study."
he chuckles nervously.
"please don't."
I put my arm over his shoulders and said.
"we've got a whole year until then brother."