A Demon's Journey

After passing the army camp, Aurelio didn't run into any other checkpoints. He arrived in the city with no difficulty, and was warmly welcomed by the Misty Flower Pavilion residents.

Yrellea had settled in Torrine City because it was here that she intended to meet Aurelio.

Aurelio went to the Glorious Lavender Bar with the members of the Misty Flower Pavilion. From the outside, it appeared to be just another tavern, but as Aurelio went inside, he was astounded by the atmosphere of exquisite grandeur that was prevalent. Additionally, it was approximately twice as big as a typical tavern.

Aurelio, however, was startled awake as he followed the members of the Misty Flower Pavilion to a large area in the basement.

One might not even realise that they were in a basement room because of how brightly illuminated it was.

To Aurelio's eye, the owner clearly spent a fortune on the illumination. He met Yrellea fairly soon.

Yrellea was dressed to the nines in a classy blue gown that concealed every inch of her figure. Yrellea's fiery figure made the dress, despite its sophistication, feel immensely alluring.

Her face was hidden by a thick veil, but Aurelio could make out the radiance of her features through the shadows.

He sighed, thinking, 'She seems even prettier than the King's wives.  If the King spotted her, he would pursue her relentlessly until he succeeded in capturing her.'

Aurelio was well aware of the Berian King's licentious nature.

"Okay, so you own the Misty Flower Pavilion. To be honest, that caught me off guard. Even in such a high-stakes situation, you could still smuggle me into the Pinhian Republic. Aurelio remarked, "Your influence upon our nation is phenomenal."

The coolly composed Yrellea replied, "It's nothing remarkable in comparison to your identity, Aurelio. The Berian Kingdom has elevated you to the role of Generous Blazing Archer. As far as I'm concerned, you're on par with Rueben Blake. Your vibe is completely unique compared to that of other King-Tier Warriors. Only a trusted teammate with unparalleled skill has ever made me feel their magnetic pull."

Hearing those words, Aurelio couldn't help but wonder, "...Is that person Rueben?"

A scornful Yrellea replied, "No. His abilities surpass those of even Rueben Blake."

"What?!" After hearing this, Aurelio was taken aback. The way Yrellea had talked made it hard for him to accept what she said.

"Enough with the rambling. It's important that I understand your motivations. After meeting Rueben Blake, what are your next steps?"  Asked Yrellea.

"I believe I've already explained it to the leader of the Berian Kingdom's Misty Flower Pavilion. It is my intention to engage in combat with Rueben Blake. I have no intention of fighting him when he is hurt. I shall wait for him to heal so that we can engage in a worthy duel."  To be entirely honest, Aurelio's statement about wanting to know who is the better archer between them and him was sincere.

"You want to get in a fight with Rueben? You aren't intimidated by his expertise and talent, are you? You want to challenge him despite the fact that he just slain five Demon Kings."  Inferring from this, Yrellea said, "you also believe you can kill five Demon Kings."

"I get what that means, and I still maintain my original stance. Even now, I can't see how his talent could ever surpass mine. I do not consider myself overconfident."  Aurelio said coolly, "If you want me to show my talent, I can."

"Hmm. Competence evaluation is crucial. But how do I put your abilities to the test? To attack a 6 Star Warrior in the Pinhian Republic would be unreasonable of me. That would lead to anarchy, and in these uncertain times, that's not a good thing," Yrellea chimed in.

Aurelio was lost in contemplation when inspiration finally hit, " How about I go into the second section of the Forbidden Forest and bring back five heads of the Demon Kings?" he proposed.

"That ought to be sufficient evidence of my competence, right?"

Yrellea drew a cold sweat at the thought. She could not decide whether Aurelio was extremely brave or dreadfully idiotic.

Five Demon Kings have fallen at the hands of a human, and the demons are reeling. They probably adjusted their tactics and set a trap for any would-be intruders who dared try again.

"…

"Don't waste your time or energy. I'll have to take your word for it," Yrellea said.

She was confident that Aurelio had genuine talent if he could offer such advice. It seemed as though he didn't think of regular Demon Kings as adversaries. Someone like Aurelio or Rueben would face a formidable opponent only in a brilliant Demon King who has awoken its bloodline, like Sargan.

"Eh… I was just getting pumped up to battle some Demon Kings," Aurelio sighed helplessly.

When Yrellea heard those words, she felt a cold sweat start to form on the inside of her body. As if a Demon King were nothing more than target practise for Aurelio.

Since Rueben had taken out the Forbidden Forest's Demon Kings, the surviving Demon Kings had formed a coalition to protect themselves from human ambushes.

After a few drinks, Yrellea said to Aurelio, "Follow me," and she led him out of the pub.

Yrellea exited the carriage and gave Aurelio a noble grey horse before stepping into another drawn by three black horses and a magnificent white one.

Two people were riding in a carriage being carried by horses in the direction of Amton City.

Since a person of Yrellea's standing would often have a small force near by, Aurelio was shocked that none was following them.

During a brief break, Aurelio questioned, "Why don't you have any security?""

"No safety? The majority of the country's warriors are no match for me, as I am a 5 Star Warrior. Because my guards are no match for fighters stronger than me, there is no purpose in having them accompany me," Yrellea replied nonchalantly.

"What about safety from a person who is expert enough to be called a king? Imagine you run a global company. As your personal bodyguards, you should engage a couple of King-Ranked Experts," Aurelio said.

"Haven't found any King-Ranked Warrior willing to work as a bodyguard for me. I mean, it's not like I'm defenceless against a King-ranked Expert."  Yrellea said with certainty, "If a King-Ranked Expert does attack me, I won't be the one who suffers."

Aurelio's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He couldn't fathom where Yrellea's assurance was coming from. Even though she showed no fear toward him or his position, he sensed that her support was phenomenal.

Though he was intrigued by her history, Aurelio chose to keep his mouth shut.

The trip took three days, but the two finally made it to Amton City.

The pair skipped the downtown area and made a beeline towards the northern part of Amton City, where the city's cathedral can be found.

The Church of Mubesni owned this magnificent cathedral.

Aurelio wasn't too shocked to learn that the man who had brought him to the Pinhian Republic was a prominent member of this church.

Aurelio looked at Yrellea as she led him to the Church of Mubesni and wondered, "Does this Misty Flower Pavilion belong to the Church of Mubesni?"

Roughly at this time, Rueben Blake had made a full recovery from his numerous wounds. Healing came quickly thanks to the Church of Mubesni and the priceless medical herbs supplied by his pals.

Besides some muscle fatigue, Rueben was in good health.

As he was getting well, Rueben began volunteering in the Church of Mubesni's infirmary. He had a hard time sitting quiet and constantly bugged the priestess and the sisters to keep him busy.

Deacons and nuns at the Church of Mubesni forced Rueben to take care of the sick.

Rueben was pleased to maintain this routine since he knew it will eventually help someone get better.

His hands, which had previously only known killing, were now saving a life.

No victim in infirmary ever found out who he really was. High Pontiff had made sure that only the most trusted members of the Church of Mubesni knew and would not reveal his true identity.

Therefore, these victims viewed him as merely another errand guy.

As a result of his new routine, Rueben was able to see the world in a new light, and he felt a sense of fulfillment. He had the patience of a saint and could listen to his victims ramble for hours.