A Demon's Journey

Rueben and Aurelio carefully descended the mountain, still feeling the weight of the battle they had just fought against the Demon Kings. Aurelio's injuries were severe, and he was barely able to walk.

Thus, Rueben utilized his Ardor to help Aurelio to fly in air and soon took him to Rondor City. He immediately looked for the best physician available in the city.

It didn't take long for them to be directed to a skilled physician who had treated many wounded warriors before.

As Aurelio and Rueben entered the physician's clinic in Rondor City, the physician immediately noticed the severity of their injuries, especially Aurelio's. She could see that both of them had several broken bones and deep lacerations that needed immediate attention. Aurelio's body even had a gaping hole that allowed her to see the other side of his body.

"Please lie down on the bed, and let me examine your injuries," she said in a calm voice as she gestured towards the bed.

As Aurelio and Rueben lay down, the physician began examining them. She gently probed their limbs and noted the several fractures and dislocations in their bones. She also noticed that they had suffered from several cuts, bruises, and deadly burns all over their bodies.

"You both have suffered from several fractures and dislocations in your bones," the physician said, "and I can see that you have also sustained many cuts, bruises, and large burns. I need to set the bones back in their proper place before they can heal properly."

The physician gave Aurelio and Rueben a concoction of several rare healing herbs to help them recover quickly. These herbs include:

Radiant Starflower- a red and yellow flower with potent healing properties.

Ocean Foam Grass - a rare blue plant that has powerful regenerative abilities.

Golden Sun Root - a yellow root that can heal both physical and spiritual wounds.

Moonshadow Leaf - a silvery leaf that has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects.

Thunderbolt Grass - a green grass with electric properties that can help stimulate the body's natural healing process.

After giving them medications to help with the pain and inflammation, she began working on setting the bones. Aurelio and Rueben grimaced as the physician worked on their injuries, but they knew it was necessary to heal quickly.

She instructed them rest for several days before engaging in a physical activity. Aurelio and Rueben weakly nodded upon hearing her forceful tone.

After she was done instructing them, the aura around her changed as she brought out a sheet and a pen. She moved towards Rueben and asked, "…Would you please give me an autograph? My daughter is a huge fan of you, Sir Rueben."

Aurelio smiled upon hearing her words and added, "Why are you thinking so deeply? Just sign it."

Apparently, Rueben still wasn't used to his newfound fame, but he grabbed the pen and signed the sheet. He asked her daughter's name and wrote it on the sheet.

The physician was delighted and thanked him excitedly.

The two rested in the infirmary and healing herbs started to work as they began recovering much of their strength.

Aurelio's body radiated flame energy as his injuries started healing rapidly. Rueben was shocked to witness that quick healing speed. He didn't expect Aurelio to possess another rare skill.

However, even with his accelerated healing, Aurelio needed to stay in the infirmary for the next three days before being given the permission to leave and move around.

After regaining his mobility, Aurelio said, "Let's check out this city."

"Hmm," Rueben agreed with his statement. Due to city lord's mission, they couldn't visit the popular destinations in Rondor City.

By this time, the city lord had heard about the mission's success.

After Rueben and Aurelio were sighted in the streets of Rondo City, he immediately left all his work to meet them.

As he met them, the city lord earnestly thanked them while giving them a command seal that granted them privileges within Rondor City. With this command seal, the two possessed nearly equal influence in the city as the city lord. They could each take one item from city lord's palace.

Although the two received this command seal, they didn't care much. At this point, the status of these two archers was so high that even the kings of their respective nations had to be polite to them let alone a city lord.

Aurelio and Rueben decided to spend the next three days roaming in the Rondor City. This city was known as the city of lakes and these lakes were certainly quite gorgeous.

By this time, the information that Aurelio and Rueben were visiting the popular destinations in Rondor City had spread and reached the nearby cities.

In Luminara city, a beautiful woman named Serena was sitting with her friends at a small café, sipping on her tea and gushing over her recent experience of being saved from the Demon Kings by the two archers, Aurelio and Rueben.

"What?! You met Sir Rueben, and he saved you?! I wish I had been captured in your place," Emily spoke while showing stunned expression.

"…It was the most terrifying experience of my life," Serena responded. "Those demons were so strong, and I thought we were done for. But then, Aurelio and Rueben appeared out of nowhere, and they were amazing! They took down the Demon Kings with their arrows, and they even built a barrier to protect us."

As she spoke, Serena's eyes seemed to sparkle, and her voice grew softer when she mentioned Aurelio. "Aurelio was so brave," she continued. "He charged straight into the battle and took on the demon's attacks just to protect us. And his arrows were so powerful!"

Her friends listened intently as Serena went on about how Aurelio and Rueben had protected the human captives and how they had fought against the Demon Kings. She described the battles in vivid detail, painting a picture of the fierce struggle between the two sides.

As she spoke, her friends couldn't help but notice the way her eyes sparkled when she talked about Aurelio. It was clear to them that she had a crush on him. One of her friends, Emily, couldn't resist teasing her.

"Sounds like you have a bit of a crush on Aurelio," Emily said with a grin.

Serena blushed and looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about," she mumbled, taking a sip of her tea.

Her other friend, Lily, chimed in. "Oh, come on, we can tell! The way you talk about him is so adorable."

Serena rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. "Fine, maybe I do like him a little bit," she admitted. "But it's not like anything can come of it. I doubt he even knows I exist."

Emily and Lily exchanged knowing looks. "Don't be so sure about that," Emily said. "You never know what could happen."

"Yeah. I heard that the two are in Rondor City. If you try your best, you can meet them. It's a good thing that Rondor City is just a day's distance away from here," Lily added.

This information made Serena think a bit optimistically. She stammered, "B-but how do I talk to him?"

"Aren't you going to thank him for saving your life?" Emily gave her a knowing smile.

"Yeah. You should invite him on a meal as thanks," Lily gave another idea.

"…I can do that," Serena murmured.

Hearing her words, Emily quickly said, "Alright. Let's go and book a carriage for Rondor City. If we start now, we can reach the city by evening."

"You are going to come along?" Serena couldn't help but instinctively ask.

"Duh. Obviously, we will. While you have that date with Aurelio, we can meet Sir Rueben. I always wanted to meet him and see if the rumors about his good looks are true or not," Lily spoke excitedly.

Serena rolled her eyes as she absent-mindedly responded, "I found Aurelio was much more handsome."

Emily and Lily shared a look. "I heard that love-struck people become fools and today I have seen it," Lily spoke.

Thus, the three women returned to their houses and informed their families of their decision to travel to Rondor City. Their families were naturally startled to hear this decision so suddenly and opposed it greatly, but each one ignored their family and returned to their meeting spot and booked a carriage to Rondor City.

Serena, Emily, and Lily were all dressed in their finest clothing as they embarked on their journey to Rondor City. They had hired a luxurious carriage with soft, plush seats and a covered roof to protect them from the sun. As they set out near noon, the sun was high in the sky and the day was warm, but the gentle breeze made the ride pleasant.

As the carriage traveled along the winding roads, they passed by lush green fields, rolling hills, and picturesque villages. The women chatted and laughed, enjoying the beautiful scenery as they made their way to the city.

Serena was blessed with long, lustrous blonde hair, which cascaded down her back in soft waves. Her bright, blue eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked forward to meeting Aurelio again.

Emily, with her fiery red hair and emerald green eyes that shone with intelligence, told them stories of her travels to distant lands, while Lily, with her flowing silver hair and warm brown eyes, sang songs and played the lute.

As the day progressed, the sun began to set, and the sky turned to shades of pink and orange. The carriage rolled into the bustling streets of Rondor City, and the women were excited as they reached for the nearest inn. The day was nearly over so they had to begin their search from the next day.

They were all starving and decided to stop at a tavern to grab some dinner. As they enjoyed their meals, they overheard some locals talking about Rueben and Aurelio. Serena's heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name, and she leaned in to listen more closely.

The locals were discussing how these warriors had recently fought against the demon kings and had saved many human captives, including women and children. They spoke of how brave and skilled these men were, and how they were the talk of the town.

Serena's eyes sparkled as she heard more about Aurelio's heroism. She couldn't resist asking the locals for more information, and they eagerly obliged. They told her that Aurelio and Rueben were both staying at an inn nearby, and that they were often seen around the city.

Emily and Lily noticed Serena's sudden interest in these two men and started teasing her. They playfully encouraged her to pursue Aurelio, and Serena couldn't help but blush at the thought.

As they finished their meal, the three women decided to take a stroll around the city and maybe catch a glimpse of these two heroes. Serena's heart was pounding with excitement as she wondered if she would finally get to meet the man she had admired from afar.