Chapter 38 - Chapter 38: Protection

[150th day]

[You have made another progress into obtaining your personal title!]

[Keep up the good work ]

"AQA, tell me, how much progress have I made?"

[Your progress is currently at... Fifty four percent]

"That went higher than I expected"

Leon finished taking his bath to washed away the scent of blood in a river.

"Persephone, are you done eating?"

"Yes, master"

"Then, while you wait until you are hungry for more, stay beside me and guard me"

"Understood"

"Time to have a feast!"

Leon sat down and cleared his mind.

"....."

Seconds later, dark mist like energy surrounded him.

The resentment and negative energy as well as soul fragments of all the people he slaugthered were slowly being absorbed by Leon.

"What sort of technique are you doing, master?"

Persephone curiously asked.

"Since divine energy is basically soul energy, absorbing other people's life force and their vitality would be possible. It is even better if their emotions burst in their final moments.

Their fear and desire to live increases as they all wait for their turn to die"

"Is that the reason why you had me eat them while they were still alive?"

She asked with a frown.

"I'm sure you enjoyed it so why act like that?"

"While it is a new feeling to eat something that squirm around, I still prefer eating meat that won't disturb me"

"At least you were able to experience something new"

"....."

Days passed as the two continued on repeating their routine.

Knights who were killing civillians left and right under the pretext of being sent to investigate the situation in Ghalvhir and the crimminals on the loose end up all the same.

Their corpses became food that empowered Persephone while their souls were used as stepping stones for Leon's divine energy accumulation training.

...

In the Kingdom of the demi humans, at the palace of the king...

"I, Lenyas Horulas, greets the king!"

Lenyas bowed down on one knee as she greeted the strongest in the kingdom.

"My brother said he is coming here as fast as he can after finding out you sneaked out somewhere else"

"Yes, I did"

"I don't care about that. What I do care is... what is it that could possibly intrigue my cold hearted neice? Enough to even made her go against her father's command after being grounded"

The king stood up and walked forward slowly with an expactant smile as if something that would greatly entertain him was about to show up.

"Your highness, you know how much I love to drink. After finding an otherworldy wine, how could I possibly resist and not go to the source myself"

"Hahaha!!! That is true! The only times you went against your mother and father are all related to drinks!"

The king squatted down.

"Since you decided to head here right after arriving in the capital, that must mean you are planning on asking me for protection by having me your accomplice, right?"

"That is correct, your highness"

Lenyas removed the lid of the box in front of her and showed the king a bottle of wine.

"Please try it for yourself, your highness"

"I will! Just know that I will not meddle in your affairs ever again if this wine is not up to my standards"

"I would have not dared to come here to seek protection from you if I thought that this would be not enough to sway you"

"Good! Now, I want to see why you are so confident about this even more!!!"

The king removed the cork and took a whiff of the wine's fragance.

"From the scent alone... I can tell that this wine is one of the best"

He drank directly from the bottle.

".....!"

His eyes windened as he tasted the wine that brought colors into his mouth.

"Hahaha!!! How addicting! Now I can see why you went as far as to escape to get some of this!"

He carefully drank the wine with ecstatic eyes from the bottle and made sure not to leave a single drop.

"Do you have more?"

"I do, your highness"

"Good. I, Azazel Horulas, swear that I will protect you from whatever will happen regarding about your parents, especially abour your father.

Now, give uncle some more!"

"Uncle, I only brought that one bottle with me. I will have to go back to procure for more"

"What? Why would you need to go there yourself?"

Azazel raised his brow in confusion.

"That is because the makers of this wine are from the castle that the Nine Heavens are involved with"

".....!"

Hearing Lenyas' words, the king of the demi human kingdom begun to think about the merits and demerits of this business relationship they have with the castle that made the Nine Heavens take a passive stance.

"How was your negotiation with whoever represented them?"

Unlike his carefree and child like demeanor, Azazel now had a cold expression as if he is ready to kill anyone near him.

"It went well. Base on my understanding and on what I have picked up from our conversation, those people are not doing anything illegal nor do they have plans to invade our kingdom.

If anything, the one who I spoke with is eager to spread his business by establishing trust"

"..... Is that so? Hmmm....."

King Azazel thought about how to deal with the present situation and deced to let things go as it is.

"You should go back there and get more. You don't have to worry about your parents. I will deal with them here.

Just make sure you give me another three bottles of that and I will call it a win-win"

"I am sorry but I am not allowed to do that"

"Why?" He asked with a dissatisfied expression.

"In our contract, I am suppose to give him fifteen percent of all earnings I will get from selling their products. And wine of this caliber must be sold to the rich.

That is why I am planning on hosting an auction once I get back. Surely your highness, who is the richest in the kingdom as well as the strongest, will not be shameless as to disagree with this"

Lenyas' roundabout way of provocation almost triggered the prideful king but managed to held his anger back in order to get more of the wine that he never tasted before.

"FINE! Sigh... Tell me, what else do they have to sell?"

"All of the goods they are selling are consumables. Like soaps, shampoos, food, and special products like the wine you have drank just now"

"There are other special products?"

He asked with shimmering eyes.

"Yes. Sir Marco, the merchant who is responsible for their business, stated that there are more special goods in their storehouse"

"Amazing! Go prepare and set off immediately"

"I just came back, your highness. Can I not take a rest first?"

"Your parents will arive in a few hours"

"....."

With the command from King Azazel, servants of his palace were frantically preparing for Lenyas' departure to the Heaven Blaze city.