MARIEL turned ten years old that day.
Almost three years had passed since Lukhiel gave him hellish physical training. During that time, Mariel had been entirely focused on improving his physique and stamina. The only breaks in his training were sword lessons and hand-to-hand combat.
In his free time, Mariel read various books that Lukhiel brought. The demon always left every seventh day. One of the items he brought was a chessboard with its pieces—a favorite game among nobles and the wealthy. He and Lukhiel often played chess when Mariel ran out of books to read.
Over those three years, Mariel and the demon had grown very close.
Mariel no longer felt the need to be wary around the demon. Sometimes, he even hurled curses at him—especially when Lukhiel cheated during their chess duels. That was how close they had become. Despite Lukhiel's old appearance, he never acted pretentious. However, Mariel never pried into the demon's past.
Since it was his tenth birthday, training was canceled until the day after tomorrow.
Lukhiel had left the cave earlier that morning, saying he wouldn't return for three days. So, for the next three days, Mariel would be alone in the cave. Unlike two years ago, this time Lukhiel didn't shield the cave with his wind spears. Mariel could now fend off a group of forest lions on his own; Lukhiel trusted him to take care of himself.
With a spear in hand, Mariel left the cave after tidying up its interior. He was barefoot because his straw sandals had broken—and there was no spare straw to make new ones. He wore only a short-sleeved black shirt and black capri pants.
After covering the cave entrance with creeping plants they had intentionally grown above it, Mariel started running north.
About twenty kilometers to the north, there was an abandoned village. It was probably the village his mother had mentioned, the one she said would have helped if Mariel had jumped that day. However, according to Lukhiel's investigation, the village had been abandoned for over ten years. Mariel had seen it himself a few times, and he believed the demon's words.
Mariel wasn't planning to visit the village again. His destination was the cliff on the eastern side of the village, which had a climbable section.
Lukhiel had not yet taught Mariel how to use prana. He also hadn't given him any books related to prana. So, Mariel couldn't ascend the cliff easily. He had to do it the conventional way by finding a perfect cliff wall for climbing.
Of course, Mariel didn't go empty-handed.
He didn't want to visit his mother's grave without bringing any flowers. First, he searched for flowers to take to the grave. Even though his mother had passed away almost three years ago, he wanted the grave to remain well-kept. Mariel also didn't know when Lukhiel would take him away from the cave; he wouldn't always be able to visit his mother's grave often.
This wasn't the first time Mariel had searched for flowers to bring to his mother's grave. So, his search didn't take long. He managed to gather the flowers in just a few minutes. Thirty minutes later, Mariel was already climbing the cliff wall—trying to reach the top.
It would have been easier if he hadn't been carrying the spear and flowers, but this could also be considered training.
Mariel finally reached the top of the cliff after almost twenty minutes. He collapsed on the ground, resting with his arms outstretched. His breathing was slightly uneven, and his arms were sore—especially his fingers. Mariel really needed to rest, though he was still strong enough for more strenuous activity.
Without prana, human capabilities were truly limited. Even though Mariel had trained hard under Lukhiel's grueling regime for almost three years, he was still nothing compared to a trained prana user. To become as strong as his mother had wished, Mariel still had a long way to go. There was no shortcut to becoming strong.
Letting out a deep sigh, Mariel finally got up after almost five minutes of resting.
A few seconds later, he was already standing beside his mother's grave. He pulled out the grass that had grown around it. He scattered the flowers neatly. Only then did Mariel begin sharing his stories with his mother. Of course, he knew there was a chance the woman wouldn't hear him, but he didn't care. Mariel truly didn't care.
⟨⟨ O ⟩⟩
The Great Kingdom of Camelot could be said to stand at the center of the Western Continent.
To the southwest and northwest borders of the kingdom stood their ally, the Kingdom of Denland. To Camelot's north lay the Kingdom of Mangolla. From the northeast to its eastern borders was the vast Neiracia Empire. The Kingdom of Urakhna stood to the southeast. And directly to the south of Camelot stood their historic enemy, the Great Kingdom of Celteckna.
Camelot was a powerful kingdom, both militarily and economically. These were the main reasons why their territory had never been successfully annexed by other nations, despite being surrounded by them on all sides. These were also the reasons why Camelot saw no need to expand their territory. Camelot could be considered one of the most prosperous kingdoms on the Western Continent.
The Great Kingdom of Camelot had a total of eight major cities: Pendragon, Londinia, Liveroel, Elchester, Birmithan, Gothhant, Brenthound, and Britticia. Pendragon stood at the center of the kingdom, while the easternmost city was Londinia.
And it was in this easternmost city that Lukhiel now stood—his fingers hidden by gloves, and his eyes shadowed by a wide-brimmed hat tilted forward.
Unlike his previous visits, Lukhiel wasn't in Londinia this time to buy supplies for himself and Mariel. That could be done before he returned to the cave. Today, Lukhiel had come to meet a member of Serenity who had requested to see him during his last visit. Although he wasn't a part of that organization, they often communicated. If he wasn't the one seeking them out for information, they were the ones seeking him.
Lukhiel walked at what he considered the most "normal" pace, slowly making his way along Londinia's brick streets.
Celinee, the name of the half-human, half-demon who had asked to meet him, hadn't specified a meeting location.
The woman had only asked to meet in Londinia. He couldn't sense her presence either; Celinee had been a former ninja from the Eastern Continent before being "abducted" and used for experiments. She was highly skilled at concealing her aura. Because of this, Lukhiel had simply been wandering the streets of the city.
"Sir Lukhiel."
The sudden call startled Lukhiel. He truly hadn't sensed the presence of the voice's owner—just as one would expect from a ninja. However, Lukhiel remained calm; his expression didn't betray even a hint of surprise. After nearly two seconds, he turned toward the source of the voice, acting as if he had anticipated Celinee's arrival.
"Thank you for coming, Sir Lukhiel," she said.
Celinee was a woman standing at 157 cm tall, dressed in a sleeveless, thigh-length tunic without buttons. A black belt secured the blue, leaf-patterned garment. White bandages wrapped around her upper body, clearly visible through the gaps in her tunic. For her lower half, she wore only knee-length black pants, with white bandages wrapped around her entire legs. A pair of straw sandals served as her footwear.
Celinee had long gray hair tied in a ponytail. Her hair had originally been black, but it turned gray after her heart was replaced with a demon's heart when she was ten years old. The fair-skinned woman with a slightly sharp nose had lived as a half-demon for nearly twenty years. And because she was a half-demon, her demonic traits only became visible when she ceased suppressing her demon powers.
"What do you want to talk about?" Lukhiel asked, closing the distance between himself and the ninja. "If it'll take long, let's go outside. It'll be troublesome if the Sterminatore members start suspecting me."
Sterminatore—the only demon-hunting organization in the world. They had headquarters on every continent and nearly in every nation. Each nation funded the operations of Sterminatore within their territory. Because of this, no nation actively hunted or eradicated demons on its own. All nations had agreed to delegate that responsibility to the Sterminatore Organization.
For this reason, Sterminatore members were granted free access to all nations.
Londinia was no exception.
There was a Sterminatore branch headquarters in this city. However, none of the demon hunters here were of Level 1.
Sterminatore members were ranked into six levels based on their strength and experience. Level 5 was the lowest, while Level 0 was the highest. In this city, the highest-ranking Sterminatore members were only Level 2—and there were just three of them.
Even so, Lukhiel didn't want his presence to be discovered. He had stayed off their radar for quite some time. If his existence was revealed again, Sterminatore would send another group of Level 1 members to hunt him. Of course, he wasn't afraid. Lukhiel simply didn't want the hassle.
"We can talk while walking, Sir," said Celinee.
"Then let's go." Lukhiel immediately strode past the woman. "We'll head west."
Celinee didn't respond verbally but had already matched her pace with the demon.
"Well?"
"There's an underground laboratory on the northern edge of Birmithan," Celinee began in a half-whisper. "We haven't been able to infiltrate it; two Level 1 Sterminatore members are guarding the entrance. However, we did spot one of Doctor Lergen's assistants in Birmithan. While we haven't seen them visit the laboratory yet, it's clear their presence in Birmithan isn't just for sightseeing."
Doctor Lergen was the man responsible for the creation of half-demon, half-human beings.
He himself was also a half-demon, half-human. That was the reason he was still alive to this day. Lukhiel had never met the man in person. However, from what he had heard, the doctor was immensely powerful and incredibly skilled at hiding. That was why Serenity had never been able to eliminate him.
"If it's true that Doctor Lergen's assistant has business in that laboratory, then our suspicion that Anathema has ties to Sterminatore is proven correct. Doctor Lergen has always claimed to work independently, but it's impossible for him to acquire such a large supply of high-grade demon hearts if that claim were true. We need to infiltrate the laboratory and confirm everything, Sir Lukhiel."
Anathema was an organization that harbored high-ranking demons. Its leader was the oldest demon Lukhiel had ever known. He was also a demon referred to as the Primordial Demon, just like Lukhiel. However, his power was in an entirely different league. Perhaps all high-ranking demons—lesser demons, with their lack of intellect, didn't count—would agree that he was the strongest demon.
Nessthanovla. That name was a terror to any human who had ever read or researched history.
Emperor Gilgamesh, who once led the Great Babylonian Empire to glory, was killed in battle against Nessthanovla. The same fate befell Alexander the Great—he perished after challenging Nessthanovla to a duel. Even among the Primordial Demons, none dared to provoke him.
If Doctor Lergen truly allied himself with Anathema, and Anathema had connections to Sterminatore, the world was truly in danger.
However, the chances of Doctor Lergen obeying anyone were close to zero. Meanwhile, Nessthanovla did not tolerate disobedience. The two individuals could never sit at the same table. Nessthanovla would kill Doctor Lergen before the doctor could even speak.
"I think you're being overly paranoid," Lukhiel finally responded. "Nessthanovla would never agree to work with Doctor Lergen. And from what I know about Doctor Lergen so far, he's far more likely to exploit others than to collaborate."
"Madam Rhemea would scoff at you calling her paranoid, Sir, but I can see that you might be right. Still, we need to find out what's inside that laboratory. I fear they might be conducting that experiment there."
"If they really are Sterminatore members, and Doctor Lergen's assistant is working with them, I can only guess that they're doing it behind the organization's back. That would also explain why they're not wearing uniforms. But I doubt they're betraying the organization. You know how meticulous Glazzier is. If those two truly betrayed the organization, Glazzier would eliminate them with his own hands."
Glazzier was the only Level 0 Sterminatore in the Western Continent. There was only one in each continent. Level 0 Sterminatores were the supreme leaders of the Sterminatore Organization in their respective continents. They were incredibly powerful. If Glazzier happened to be on the same path as him, Lukhiel would prefer to take a detour. He was strong, but there was no guarantee he could kill Glazzier.
"What do you mean, Sir?"
"Chances are, they're taking orders from the noble who governs Birmithan."
"You think the mayor is involved in illegal activities, with an agenda that defies the rules? I don't believe anyone would dare act behind King Arthur's back."
"Most greedy people have an excessive fear of death. If there's a way to prolong their life, they'll embrace it with open arms. Isn't that the very reason Doctor Lergen began experimenting with turning humans into half-demons? That's also why so few nations genuinely hunt Doctor Lergen. The doctor's ultimate goal offers them the longevity of demons without turning humans into half-demons."
Celinee clenched her fists upon hearing the demon's explanation. She herself was a victim of the experiments. Compared to Lukhiel, Celinee understood the true meaning of his words. Even though Doctor Lergen's goal sounded noble, the path to achieving it was filled with cruelty. As one of his victims, it was only natural for Celinee to feel anger upon hearing his words.
"…Most rulers only oppose Doctor Lergen in public; behind the scenes, they willingly support that creature. So, what about the Sterminatore Council? Are they secretly backing Doctor Lergen as well?"