Day after day, the pair made efforts to renovate the village. Lucifer made use of her glaves to cut down the nearby forest for resources, teaching the villagers about replanting and taking care of the forest at the same time. With Ralphiel's explosions, he dug a central well for the villagers as a source of water. With the great field they had next to them, he decided to make more wells to give them a water source for farming.
Ralphiel glances at Lucifer every now and then to see how she is doing. Lucifer seemed happy to be working alongside humans, especially the kids. She would amaze them with her magic spells in their free time, sometimes even teaching them how to conjure said spells. Usually it would just be a spell for snowball fights, with some kids talented enough to cast water spells, helping out with the farming. They decided to keep fire spells from being taught to the kids for safety concerns.
Some of the girls gave special attention to Ralphiel, making Lucifer jealous. At the same time, some of the boys gave Lucifer special attention, making Ralphiel jealous. All in all, they got along just fine. The village was growing at a very steady rate. Walls erected to keep the village safe, and the villagers managed to learn some basic spells to defend and hunt for food.
Lucifer stood on the freshly made wall, looking over the farm they so tiredly created. Ralphiel looked up at her, covering his eyes from the sun's glare. Looking at the uneven wall, he decided to make his way up. Hand, then hand, then feet, then feet, he slowly made his way up the tall stone wall. With a final push, he quickly got on top of the wall, taking a seat next to Lucifer.
She glanced at him before speaking. "I could have helped you up if you wanted." She said, gently patting some dust off of his face and cloak.
He chuckled. "It's alright. I need to get used to the new arm anyways. I would say this was record time if I say so myself." He proclaimed proudly.
She smiles. "It's good to see you able to use it so naturally." She said in her soft voice.
Ralphiel slightly nodded. "Hard labor đưa hard at first, but it speeds up my practice I believe."
He then looks out at the people working on their farm. The villagers using water magic to irrigate their crops
"Are you feeling alright?" He asked her.
She nodded, a smile quickly appearing on her face. "More than ok." She said, leaning on his shoulder. "This is a good sight. I'm very happy you suggested what you did that night."
He patted her head. "This was fun for me too, so don't mention it". He gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "Maybe someday we can come back here and see how they are doing."
She nodded slightly. "Yeah. I would like that a lot."
They stay on the wall for a bit longer. The peaceful village gave a sense of pride to the two. They enjoy the silence for a bit longer before a voice interrupts them.
"Hey boss!" A boy called out from the ground. "You two should come down. The villagers wanted to show you something!"
The two stood up with Ralphiel answering the boy. "Alright, we're coming!"
Lucifer held onto his hand as she gently levitated down alongside him.
"What is it this time, Ferdy?" Asked Ralphiel.
Ferdinand giggled. "Follow, follow!" He said excitedly, running toward the town hall.
The two walked right behind him. Upon reaching the town hall's entrance, they were welcomed in, and were led to stand in the center of the building. In front of them was a large object, hidden under a thick white blanket of sorts.
"What's the matter, elder Rallie? Is something wrong?" Asked Lucifer.
"Nothing at all, my dear." Said Rallie, her voice shaking from anticipation.
One of the kids waddled to Lucifer's side. She gently picks the little infant girl up on her arm. The kid was squishing her cheek together and resting her head on her shoulder, sometimes reaching to Ralphiel to touch the fur in his cape.
Ralphiel and Lucifer looked at each other, wondering what's up with the villagers today. Two of the men from the village stood on each side of the blanket. An old man stepped in front to address the two.
He spoke in his shaky voice. "We do not know why you have been so generous without our poor abandoned village, but we cannot thank you enough. Ever since you came, worries melted from each of our backs as the day went by. Our once broken down village is now prosperous, and our children can smile each day they wake up."
He pauses for a moment. Raphael and Lucifer took the moment to look around the room. The people gave them gentle smiles and some were shaking in anticipation. Else Rallie is practically foaming out the mouth with anticipation.
The man continued to speak. "We know not how to repay you, and I do not think we ever will have the proper way to repay you equal to what you give our village."
He then signals for the two men to get ready. Each of them taking one of the corners of the blanket.
The man turned around and kept speaking. "But for what it is worth, we hope to recognize your work and effort for our village."
He smacked his cane on the ground.The two men gave the blanket a tug. The blanket flowing off the unknown treasure underneath. Inch by inch, the blanket reveals the treasure tbe town kept hidden from them through the week.
The blanket touched the ground revealing a grand statue of the two. Ralphiel wielding his signature scepter, dawning his iconic cape. Lucifer standing, her glove having precious gems inlaid in them. Their pose is casual, yet grand.
The room cheered as the statue was revealed. Their hands clapping for the two, some saying words of thanks and others, words of inspiration.
Ralphiel glances at Lucifer, her eyes slightly wet, as if she is about to cry. At last, she kept her composure, gently petting the child.
She spoke in her soft voice. "Thank you everyone, truly. This means more than you can ever know" she said gratefully.
"Your praise brings us all great joy, Miss Lucifer." A man in the crowd said.
"We know you are leaving soon, so we wanted to give you a parting show." A woman said.
"Thank you for all that you've done!" A kid cried out.
The elder interrupted tbe shouts. "Of course, as is fitting of this village's saviors, you are free to come here and stay for as long as you would like to. We will always welcome you with open arms."
Ralphiel held up his hand, the wormhole ring giving a beautiful purple glow. Before him appeared a cloud of magic molecules. Their light grew brighter and brighter, self arranging into a magic circle. Slowly, it lowers onto the ground, burning the circle into the floor of the town hall.
"We will take that offer." Ralphiel said. "I have set a portal to this spot. We will come back when we miss you bunch too much."
"We will be waiting, Ralphiel," said the elder.
Ralphiel looks at the statue again. "You did fine work you all. And thank you, Elder Decan for the surprise."
The old man shook his head. "It was mostly the kid's ideas for a statue."
Ferdinand yelled out, "yeah boss! You're welcome!"
Ralphiel yelled across the room. "Oh, don't get cocky, Ferdy!"
The town had a good laugh. A grand feast commenced as a parting ceremony for the two. They drank and ate like kings that day. They danced and sang, joked and laughed. The day passes by in the blink of an eye. They were happy.
The moon stood high in the sky. All the villagers were asleep, some, face first on the large table, alongside their plate of food and drinks.
Ralphiel carried Lucifer back to their room at the nearby inn. She stumbled and mumbled along the way there. He struggled to open the door and not wake her up from her slumber. Gently, he laid her on the bed, taking off her outer jacket. She turned on her side and went to sleep.
Ralphiel looked at her, happy that she had a good time. He looks out the window at the moon. A sense of calm overcame him. In his mind however, a part of him is thinking of how to get back to his country. He sat on the side of the bed and tried to get rid of all thoughts in order to sleep.
He gently put his cloak aside, his phantom arm faded, his sleeve fell limp to his side. He sat there, still trying to ease his mind. One by one, he took off his two fire rings.
Her voice broke the silence. "Lay with me." Her soft voice called out.
He turned to see her eyes vaguely open, still clearly sleepy. He hadn't noticed it, but she had already unbuttoned her shirt. He helped her slide it off as usual. He carefully yet neatly folded it with his one arm, and put it on the counter on top of his cape.
"Don't leave me waiting." She said again.
He obliges and lays his head on her arm. She gently hugs him into her chest. Her smell is a mix of floral rose and a bit of alcohol. She gently caresses his head, attempting to calm his mind.
"We can ask tomorrow, so don't stress too much, ok?" She said sleepily.
He hugs her waist. "Alright," he said. "Did you have a good day?
She slowly nodded. "Yes, I did. Did you?" She said,
He snuggled deeper into her chest. "Yeah, I did as well."
She giggled. "Good boy. Now get some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day."
He closed his eyes, her scent calming his mind. Her hug made him feel safe. Her gentle caress slowed, and stopped when she couldn't hold it any longer and fell asleep. Ralphiel fell asleep soon after.
The sun rose as the moon bell rang. Ralphiel was first to awake, as always. Lucifer is still sound asleep, hugging hus head as if it was a pillow. Gently, he put his hand on her forearm, trying to pry himself out of her hold. Her hand, realizing her beloved pillow is gone, searches frantically for it. Ralphiel quickly handed her his own pillow as she fell back to sleep.
He covered her with the blanket to keep her warm without his presence. He put on his cloak, his arm filling the frame of his limp sleeve once more. His scepter flew to his side, floating behind him, following him as if it were his child.
As he stepped into town, the people greeted him.
"Is Lucifer still asleep?" A woman asked.
"I'm afraid she had a bit too much to drink last night, Aziar." He responded.
Aziar laughed. "I realized. The mistress sure can handle her alcohol. She out drank most of the men in the village."
He chuckled. "You mean 'all' men in the village" he corrected.
Aziar stopped fanning her grilled meat for a second. "Well I'll be, she actually did?" She sounds surprised, but maybe she isn't. She then continued, "oh, come here Raphael. Something for you to eat."
He made his way to her. She picked up two meat skewers, fresh off the grill and put them in a leaf, and handed it to him.
"Thanks a lot, Aziar." He said.
"My pleasure." She said with a smile.
He bid her farewell and walked around the village for a bit, taking in the town and how much it grew. Bite after bites, he finished his skewers as he finished with his little self tour. Once again, he went to the wall to sit in it. The spot acts as a little meeting spot for the two.
Not long after he got up, she also joined him. Her soft landing on the wall made him turn his head to look at her. She was eating a skewer.
"Aziar's such a nice girl," she said.
"Agreed." He said, petting the spot next to him.
She sat down beside him, kicking her feet back and forth as she ate her breakfast.
"Did you say your goodbyes?" He asked.
She nodded, unable to speak due to her mouth being full.
"Good," he continued. "Want to head out once you're done eating?"
She nodded again.
The two of them enjoyed the little moment they had left in the village. Ralphiel talks about what they did, the people living there, when to visit, and everything there is to remember about their time here. Eventually, Lucifer finished eating. Ralphiel snapped his finger, putting the leaf and skewer in her hands on fire, burning it to nothing in mere moments.
She finished swallowing, then spoke. "Alrighty then." She stood up. "Let's head out, shall we?"
He nodded, then leaped down from the wall. She floated gently down along with him. The twi then made their way to the capital, Gaitan.
After half an hour of walking on the dirt road, they eventually saw the walls of the capital. It was large, much larger than the ones at Farm Village.
"Think they will let us go in and out as we pleased?" Ralphiel asked.
"If my past knowledge of nobles is correct, I do not suppose they will." She said nonchalantly.
He gave her a glance before speaking. "And I don't suppose you plan on flying over the wall?
"It's that or we blow up the entrance." She said sarcastically.
He sighs. "Fair enough."
After looking for a spot with little to no guards, they floated over the wall, careful to not get caught by the civilians. The two emerged from the alleyway of a rather quiet road. The place looks decrypted, like a ghost town.
The two look at the state of the people. The people are littered through the street. They curled up in a ball trying to keep warmth. A kid ran up to Ralphiel, slightly tugging on his cape.
"Can you please spare us some food?" He said weakly.
A woman ran up and quickly took the shield in her hand, her face terrified. She bowed repeatedly, desperately apologizing.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, sir. Please, spare us, we didn't mean to dirty your coat, my stupid son was careless. I'm afraid I don't have much to offer you, but I beg of you, please spare us." Her voice shakes with fear as she clutches her child close to her, hiding his face into her shoulder.
The two of them looked at eachother, confused and slightly guilty.
"Ralphiel, open the way back to the village for me will ya, sweetie?" Lucifer said.
Spitting up his hand, he summoned a magic circle on the ground, similar to that in the Town Hall. She stepped on the circle as it started lifting up, making her disappear from her left up to her head before it settled down again, burning its pattern into the stone road. Ralphiel kneels down to be face level with the mother, who was trembling with fear. The others watched then, a sense of pity on their face.
"Please, please, please, please…" she repeated quietly.
Ralphiel gently touches her shoulder, causing her to flinch away.
"Spare my boy." She quietly pleaded.
"It's alright," Ralphiel finally said. "We have no intention of hurting you."
"Thank you, thank you," she said, bowing her head repeatedly
Ralphiel carefully sat down on the dirty ground, putting the long cape on his lap to keep it from getting dirty.
"My partner will be back soon with some food." He said to her.
"No, please, you really don't have to. We are undeserving of it," she said.
The little boy looked at Ralphiel's face, inspecting it.
"Food," he murmurs.
Raphael chuckled. "That's right. Food" he then turned his welcoming gaze to the mother. "It's quite alright. We are glad to help."
His mind runs with questions for the lady, yet he refrains. 'Maybe I'll wait until she's full before I ask'. He glanced at the others. They turned away, careful not to catch this attention.
The portal at the Town Hall glowed a light and Lucifer appeared from the feet up.
"Oh? Lady Lucifer? Welcome back." Said a women as she cleans the statue.
"It's good to be back, Railia." Lucifer said softly. "I'm just here to get some food if possible."
"Of course. But where is Ralphiel?" She asked.
"He's waiting for me. I won't be here for too long I'm afraid." Lucifer responded.
"Ah, well, do give him my regards." She said, bowing her head.
"Will do". Lucifer turned to walk out the room.
Lucifer walked through the town she and Ralphiel helped. People waving hi to her, some kids walking with her, curious as to what she is doing. She eventually stopped at Aziar.
"Back so soon? Missing grilled meat already?" She said jokingly.
Lucifer chuckled and nodded. "Indeed I did. Oh, would it be a bother if I take a lot with me?" She asked.
She looks surprised at the request. "I mean, sure, that won't be an issue."
She took off the skewers on the grill off their fire. She looks for a leaf large enough to properly even contain them. Lucifer noticed and interject.
"It's quite alright." She said, summoning one of her swords to act as a makeshift plate. "Go ahead and just put it on this."
Aziar laughed at Lucifer's use of her weapon as a plate. "As you wish." She said. "I'm curious though, why do you need so much food?"
"To feed some people starving for it." She responded.
"Already off to save another village?" She joked.
Lucifer laughed. "Not quite, just some unfortunate people in the capital."
"You two are very kind people. I hope you keep that sort of yourselves on your journey, Lady Lucifer." Her voice filled with hope and joy.
"We will Aziar. Best of luck to your business." Said Lucifer.
She walks back to the town hall, ready to return. She bid farewell to the children as they sadly waved goodbye to her again.
The magic circle where Ralphiel sat glowed. Lucifer returns, her blade hovering next to her. The blade gently lowered itself before the woman and her children. They say still, looking at the mound of grilled meat on top of the blade.
"Goodness," Ralphiel said. "Are you sure Aziar has any left for the village?"
"Yes, she still had a lot of fresh meat to grill." Lucifer squared down beside Ralphiel.
She looked at the boy, reaching out to the food. Lucifer took off her glove, handing it to Ralphiel. She took a skewer and blew on the still hot meat. Once it was cooled enough, she pulled off a sliver and held it out to the boy. He took it in his hand, quickly putting it in his mouth. He looked happy.
Lucifer smiled. "No need to rush, child." Her voice was warm and comforting. "Take your time a chew."
"You should eat as well." Ralphiel said, handing a skewer to the lady.
She cautiously took it in her hand. She loosen her grip on the boy, seemingly feeling safe enough to ease off a bit. The kid walked to Lucifer, hands opened ready for another piece of meat. The two ate as others hungrily watched.
"Alright you all, you can come and eat too. No need to stare so creepily." Said Ralphiel.
A small crowd gathered around the two, numerous hands reaching for the mound of meat. Ralphiel took a skewer for himself, taking a bite, then letting Lucifer take a bite, the two sharing a skewer.
The crowd scarf down the mound of meat, seemingly starved for days on end. Ralphiel stood up and dust off his butt.
"If you're all fed and satisfied, I'm going to need some information at the very least." He said.
The lady nodded, seemingly relaxed. "We doubt we will know much, but we will tell you what we can." She said, bouncing her child up and down, putting him to sleep.
"Good. Now, first off, any particular reasons you are outcast?" He said. "If I observed correctly, this isn't normal living conditions for people living in a capital."
"It isnt" she said embarrassingly. "You're currently at the Lower Collection Zone. We aren't considered citizen of the capital."
A man spoke up. "We're goddamn batteries for those upper folks, sir."
"And what do you mean by that?" Lucifer asked him.
"It means we are harvested when they need an extra boost of energy." He added.
"So you're kept here as mana cattle?" Ralphiel asked.
"That's right, sir." The man confirmed.
"Don't you die if that happens?" Lucifer asked.
"Well, isn't it obvious? It's why we are barely living as is." He said.
"Don't be rude!" Said the woman. "He's just a bit upset." Her voice somber and understanding. "His daughter got taken the last time they came here."
The man looked away, still upset at the mention of it.
"It's quite alright. That must have been hard for him." Lucifer said understandingly.
"Why don't you just run away?" Said Ralphiel.
"We can't, sir." Said the woman. "They will kill us anyways. Plus, every time we tried sneaking out, ultimately, we would be found. And once they find out, we go hungry."
"But won't they just harvest you anyways? So why not try it anyway?" Said Lucifer.
"Miss, we might be miserable, but we still value our life. We can't just afford to do that I'm afraid."
Another man added, "Besides, even if you want to die, if you are caught, everyone else gets punished too. That would be selfish. No one likes a selfish person."
The two have a quick glance at each other.
"What if we can get you all out?" Lucifer offered.
"We would gladly take the offer if that was possible, miss." Said the woman.
"What we wouldn't give for that sort of freedom." Another woman said.
"But with that offer, you'll have to work when you get out," Ralphiel said.
The lady stepped forward. "Yes, please. We promise to work hard. Anything at all, we will promise to help you." Her face lit up with hope.
"We have a town you can take refuge at until you have somewhere else to go." She looked at the boy, sound asleep. "Of course, you are welcome to stay as well if you wish. We won't keep you prisoner."
"How will you even get us out of here?" Said the man suspiciously.
Lucifer nudges Ralphiel. He pointed to the magic circle as his ring glowed. The circle followed soon, giving off a welcoming yellow glow.
"We'll take you there. Just follow us." Said Lucifer.
She led the others to walk behind her. Ralphiel went to a nearby barrel and sat down, picking some specs of dirt from his coat. With a snap of his finger, the pile of skewers burned up, leaving nothing but ash. The lady approached him and he looked up at her.
"Thank you, kind sir. We promise to work hard to be worthy of our stay and your hospitality." She vowed.
"Don't worry about it. I'm glad to help," he said comfortingly. "You best move along. Lucifer doesn't like waiting."
She bowed her head and proceeded to the line. The kid waved past her shoulder. Ralphiel waved back goodbye.
On the other side, the ring glowed. The Town Hall is empty, yet the sound of the bustling village is still evident on the outside. Lucifer stepped off the circle, ordering those who came to step away from the circle. After a bit, everyone finally arrived.
"Come along now everyone. I'll introduce you all to the village." Lucifer ordered.
The group followed her out the town hall. Ferdinand ran up to her, excited to see her back.
"Boss! Everyone said you came back for a moment, I thought I had missed you." He said excitedly.
She pet his head. "I won't be staying too long. Your other boss is probably impatient waiting for me."
He giggled at the thought of Ralphiel pouting.
"So who are these people?" He asked.
"They're seeking refuge for the moment." She said, scanning the village. "But anyways, do you happen to know where Elder Decan is currently? We need to talk to him."
"Sure. He should be in auntie's house." He said, pointing to a nearby house.
She signaled for the group to stay. She and Ferdinand went to meet with the elder.
Lucifer knocked on the doorway.
"Just come in." Said Elder Decan.
They walked in.
"Hello again, Elder Decan." Said Lucifer.
He stood up on his cane. "Ah, Lady Lucifer. How can I help you?" He said with a smile.
"We have some more residents seeking a place to stay," she said.
"That won't be an issue. Are they hard working?" He asked.
"Don't know yet. But they are determined, I'm sure of that." She was silent for a bit. "They're Demi-demons, so take that as you will."
The elder gave her a suspicious look. "Is that.. bad?" He asked cautiously.
She went quiet to think. "I don't imagine that it is. They should be experts at magic, so I'm sure you can find good use for them as hunters or anything requiring magic, really."
He shrugs. "If you trust them, then so do we." He responded.
Lucifer smiled. "Thanks for the understanding elder."
Lucifer helped Elder Decan out of the house. Standing before him is a group of what seems to be human. Their features are nothing out of the ordinary.
Lucifer cleared her throat before speaking. "Everyone, please, give your respect to Elder Decan while you are here." She said sternly. "He will give you tasks and such. If you value what we have done for you, you will give aid to better this village and in turn, better your own selves."
"Thank you for freeing us. Truely, we will do whatever we can to repay your kindness." The woman with the child said.
"I'll make sure to keep them in check as well. If they ever disrespect the elderly, I'll be sure to reprimand them promptly." Said the man.
Elder Decan smiled. "Oh, please. Just don't make trouble and maybe helping this old man build some houses will be plenty enough", he said.
"Anyways, thanks a lot Elder. Please keep them safe. And of course, don't be afraid to reprimand them if they do something bad. They might not know better, so don't be angry with them, ok?"
He looks at her offended almost. "Do I seem like the angry type to you, Miss Lucifer?"
She nervously chuckles. "Not at all, elder." She said, waving her hands in front of her dismissively. "But with that said, I will need to come back to Ralphiel. You take care of yourself, ok elder? And ease off with the drinking. It isn't good for you."
Elder Decan sighs. "I'm almost in the grave my child, why can't you let a man enjoy his remaining time."
She turns to Ferdinand. "Keep an eye on your grandpa, ok Ferdy?"
He quickly nods. "Will do boss!"
Lucifer clapped in contentment. "Good. Work hard everyone. This village better rivals the capital next time I get back." She said jokingly.
They bowed as Lucifer made her way back to the Town Hall, turning back to say goodbye. The ring glowed yet again, transferring her back to Ralphiel.
Her body configures itself from feet up on the other side.
"I'm back cuti-" she stopped mid sentence.
In front of her is no one.
She looked around the empty zone. "Come out Ralphyyyy, I don't like hide and seek!"
Silence. She looked to the ground. A fresh burn mark. A sign of struggle. She closed her eyes to concentrate on the mana around her. Sure enough, a mix of Ralphiel's mana and along with many others.
Her eyes slowly opened, looking sharply from side to side. The corner of her mouth slightly open as she balls up her fist. Her mana leaking from her body, seemingly trying to escape her anger themselves.
In anger, she summons a glaive, slashing wildly at the now empty building around her. Loud crashing noise from the wood and stone collapsing onto the ground. Her growls in her manic state sell on silent ears.
Surrounded by rubbles, she calms down, seemingly. Her eyes lost the light in them. Her glave broke to pieces, disappearing into thin air.
"How fucking dare you," she mumbles
Close her eyes, concentrating on any clues as to where Ralphiel went. In her eyes, a trail of mana led out of the zone. Ralphiel was smart enough to constantly secrete mana, leaving a crumb trail for her to find.
With her eyes closed, she slowly and methodically followed the trail out of the zone.
"When I find you fuckers, I will kill all of you," she said, slowly walking with the trail.