Elena and Dred stayed silent and waited for Jotun to speak.

“What are your names?”

“I’m called Elena and he is Dred,” she replied shortly.

“Are you not going to ask my name?”

“You’ll introduce yourself anyway,” Elena shrugged her shoulders.

“Hahaha. You’re quite a cheeky brat, I like it. My name is Jotun Bleeze and I’m the king of the Demon Kingdom.”

“Why did you take us away from Padinyss?” Dred furrowed his brows.

“A good question, though the answer is simple. I want to be there when he enters Sealu planet and I can’t go if I couldn’t get my hands even on a single ring. I’ve got some information about the Ring of Wind, but he’d have got it before me anyway. He has spies in my palace, I’m sure he already knew about it.”

“This way, he’ll get it earlier, but I too will gain access by accompanying you two when the time comes. In return, you can spend your time at my place as guests.”

“If being your guest is like at Padinyss’s place, we’d rather stay alone…” Dred commented.

“My servants aren’t like his. I’m a respected king and nobody dares to disobey me. Padinyss cares too little about his servants and common people. He is a legendary creature, after all. Everyone is just a weakling in his eyes.”

Raising a brow, Elena said, “You don’t seem like a king to me.”

“Why? Can’t kings take it easy and ease up sometimes? It’s also fun to tease Padinyss when he isn’t in a bad mood.”

“You’re more like a kid who likes making pranks,” Elena smiled.

“...I can see why Inhe turned so angered. Could it be you like offending people?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about~” she mused. Averting her eyes, she looked out the window as she thought, If my senses told me things were getting dangerous, I wouldn’t have teased her to begin with. I only poke a dragon if I know I can get away. You, on the other hand, are quite dangerous… she looked back into Jotun’s eyes.

“You’ve got some keen eyes,” Jotun said as he leaned forward. Looking at Dred, he leaned back, “Take care of your woman. If her mouth is too big, she might get hurt in the future.”

“This fucker is threatening us…” Dred talked to Elena through her spell.

“Mhm.”

A few minutes later, they arrived at Novia Deros, the capital city of the Demon Kingdom. A deep river separated the eastern and western side of the island, and the capital city was located on both sides of the beautiful and clear blue river.

There was a bigger island in the river where stood a castle and although there were grassy parks, the area was covered in sand. The houses were made up of sand rocks, perfectly blending in with the environment.

“It’s called Novia Island.”

“What?” Elena asked confused.

“The island in the middle of the river. That’s where we are going,” Jotun smiled.

“Oh. While you are still here. Don’t you want to give us some presents? You’ve got Padinyss’s ring because of us, after all,” Elena grinned.

“You are really shameless! But let me see, you can have the things I don’t need,” Jotun replied and checked out the contents of the ring. “Spell scrolls, a few weapons and armours, herbs, a smaller storage ring, yeah, there is nothing in it for you.”

“You bastard of a greedy king.”

“Blasphemy! I’m not greedy!”

“You aren’t a god either, so it can’t be blasphemy.”

“Now I’m offended,” Jotun said with a deadpan face.

“It’s visible.”

“We’ve arrived. Follow me,” Jotun left the carriage when it landed on the sand-island.

“Aren’t you worried? This river is at least…” Elena started guessing.

“It’s thirty kilometers wide. Indeed a great river, but if you’re worried about it washing away the island, you don’t have to. There is a formation that’s preventing moving this whole island. Otherwise, my Sand Castle would have drowned in water many years ago!” Jotun replied.

“God, this place is densely packed with Mana. A bit inferior to Padinyss’s place, but this too is heaven compared to what Thivalon has. Maybe we learned inner-devourer so easily because of the Mana density. And the best part is that you can control the Mana density and increase it even further!” Elena whispered into Dred’s mind.

“Yeah, if there is no Mana flow, I can’t increase the density, but since the Mana flow is the thickest in this part of the world, I can turn it much thicker. Just wait until we are alone,” Dred replied.

When reaching the five hundred meters tall, ten meters thick walls that encircled the palace, the thick metal gates leading to the yard raised up. Different kinds of demons stood atop the wall. When entering, Elena saw hundreds of demons lined up orderly on the left side, swinging their spears at the same time with the same movements. On the right side of the yard were smaller groups sparring, both one on one and five on five.

Seeing his men training hard, Jotun made a satisfied face. “See? I told you my people are organised well. Unlike some stupid dragon’s…”

“How come he is the true king if your military force is so much stronger? I get it that Inhe and Ekrok too are powerful, along with a few others, but an army like this seems to be more efficient if you ask me,” Elena asked in confusion.

“It’s simple. It’s because of Padinyss. He is a legendary being and is at a completely different level. Even though both of us are at the five hundred and ninety-ninth level, I don’t stand a chance against him, no matter how hard it feels to admit. You probably haven’t seen his true form yet, but he is a truly ferocious dragon. When he was still younger, and a few levels below me, I had a fight with him for the title of the strongest, but those damned scales.”

“He has a jelly-like layer under his scales, which completely absorb weapons like maces. Sharp weapons won’t work on his tough scales either. The best choice of weapon is a spear since it’s got a lot of penetration and is quite versatile.”

Oh? Is that why all your soldiers are training with spears? It seems like he doesn’t plan to stay beneath Padinyss forever, Elena pondered. Wait… could it be?

“What about Reinald the legends talk about?” Dred asked, getting to the same conclusion as Elena.

“Heh, legends… you probably don’t know the truth. Maybe I’ll tell you later, but only if I feel like it. Tron! Come and lead my guests to a private room.”

“Or do you want two rooms?” he lowered his voice as he looked at them.

“No, one is enough,” Elena replied.

“Alright.” When his servant called Tron arrived, he added, “They are ring bearers as you can see. Don’t let anyone hurt them. Oh, and don’t let them leave the capital without my consent. They’re allowed to go around in the capital, but always take a few of my guards with them, just in case.”

“We don’t need babysitters…” Dred complained.

“You do need them. You’re still weak. Anyone could beat you up in the city, but with my guards around, nobody would dare to pick a fight with you.” Jotun stuck out his chest proudly.

“It’s fine. We just need a few days. Hopefully, Ekrok won’t find out anything about us either,” Elena soothed Dred.

Jotun was about to leave when Elena stopped him, “Wait a moment. Could you provide me with a few materials? It doesn’t have to be high-level.”

“No.”

“Oh, come on, you’ve got a whole ring of goods.”

“Yeah, and kids to protect. And you’re staying here for free.”

“But we didn’t ask for it. I’m fine if we could simply leave too,” Elena pressed on.

“...You’ll try to run away, won’t you?”

“Probably.”

“Haah- will you not bother me if I give you some ‘materials’?”

“I’ll be an obedient little girl,” a huge smile splattered on Elena’s face.

“...Fine. Tron, go to the treasury and provide her with a few ‘materials’, whatever she wants.”

“It’s just metals for smithing. Don’t make it sound as if I was doing something terrible,” she put her hands on her hips.

“Oh, are you learning to smith?”

“Well, I haven’t done it in a while, but I do. You can’t expect me to sit in the palace doing nothing. That’s why I need some material.”

“Fine, fine. Tron, then provide them with the necessary tools and place. It’s no big deal anyway,” Jotun waved his hand and left them alone with Tron.

“Thanks.”

“Follow me,” the one meter and fifty centimeters tall demon said. He had a round and bald head with big round red eyes. He had a hairy tail swaying behind his back.

“Are you an Alp?” Dred couldn’t help but ask, remembering to the demon he could summon.

“Indeed. I’m surprised you know the difference between Imps and Alps.”

“Are you being confused with them often?”

“Yes. My race isn’t a high-ranked one either, but Imps are really the bottom of the demon race and often just mindless monsters, so I’d rather not be called an Imp.”

“Heh, I can understand you…” Dred chuckled remembering the time he summoned an Imp.

“Now please follow me. I’ll show you around the castle and to your room.” With that, Tron led around Elena and Dred and introduced the important members they met on the way.

---

“And this here is your room. Would you like to stay here or do you wish to practice your smithing skills?” Tron asked, having a good impression of Elena and Dred after their tour. Unlike the other demons, they weren’t looking down on him.

“I’ll practice but you can leave if you don’t have to follow us. We know where to go, after all,” Elena replied.

“I understand. I shall take my leave in that case, but please don’t run away or I’ll be held responsible for sure.”

“I don’t plan to, but why’d you be responsible?”

“Well, because I’m an Alp, a lower ranked demon, I’d be obviously blamed for any sort of mistake.”

“You have it rough, huh,” Dred shook his head. “Can I ask a question?”

“Ask away.”

“Where is Jotun’s office? You didn’t show it and it’d be really good if we could ask for his help if something is wrong,” Dred asked.

Tron looked around before whispering, “I shouldn’t tell you this, but you would surely find out soon enough, so I’ll save you the trouble. Coming from the entrance, there are three corridors, one to the left, one to the right, and one ahead. I told you before that if you go the left, you’ll still get to the middle corridor. Well, I lied.”

“There is only one way to his majesty’s room and that’s the corridor in the middle.”

“Thanks,” Elena and Dred said at the same time and then left the palace to go to the smithing house at the back of the castle. Dred pushed open the heavy wooden door of the building and was met with a couple of bulky and muscular demons. They didn’t even notice as the door opened as they were immersed in their works.

“Come, there are three free places. I’m sure you can use one,” Dred said in a low voice and closed the door behind Elena. They went to the corner and while Dred sat down on the ground to meditate, Elena grabbed a smithing hammer.

“What is a woman doing here?” one of the workers raised his voice when he finished his work and turned around.

“What? A woman?”

“H-Hello,” Elena said, feeling a bit awkward because of the craftsmen’s strong gazes. “I’m the new guest here, I don’t know if you’ve heard of me already. Just ignore me, I’m here to practice,” she added shortly.

“Huh? You? Pretty girl, go and learn herbalism instead. This isn’t a place for pretty ladies like you.”

“I thank you for your care, but I told you to leave me be…”

Furrowing his brows, the demon turned around and shrugged his shoulders. “As you wish, though you should put send that panther further from the fire or his fur will get on fire quickly.”

Turning around, Elena saw Dred laying on the ground, a bit too close to the furnace. Dred opened his eyes and sat down a few steps further. While Elena got to work, he used the Ring of Lightning to control the density of the Mana in the building. It took only a few seconds to change everything. The other side of the building had only a small amount of Mana, while in Elena’s corner, it almost condensed into a mist.

“We can’t go overboard or they will notice, haha,” Dred laughed in his mind.

“Mhm. Oh, by the way, do you think Jotun wants to get on the Sealu planet to learn Reinald’s- Cor’s spell? It seems like things are more complex than we thought.”

“Indeed, it seems like Padinyss didn’t kill him as easily as his servants make it sound. And based on Jotun’s reactions, I’d dare to say Padinyss was actually beaten up at least once. Maybe he was assassinated?” Dred pondered.

“Hmm, that could be. Well, we’ll surely pull out everything from Jotun. I’ve copied his mind already, along with Tron’s. It was worth being so polite to him, saved us the trouble,” Elena chuckled.

“Yeah, but look at what you’re doing while chatting… That thing doesn’t look like a weapon.”

“Shit, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologise to me, hahaha. Just melt it and re-use it.”

“I know, I know.”

After they stopped talking, Elena continued to train her smithing skills, while Dred meditated. The other craftsmen left the building two hours later since it was turning dark. Seeing Elena’s perseverance, their opinions changed for the better. “Hey, do you really want to learn?” the same demon as before actually stayed and walked up to Elena.

“Yes.”

Scratching the back of his head, he pulled out a simple book out of nowhere. “Here, it’s my notes from when I started. The right temperature for each metal is listed in it and what you have to watch out for. I’m one of the best in the kingdom, so you can trust my pointers.”

Elena grabbed the book and tried to pull it out of the demon’s hand, but he didn’t let go of it either. Using a bit more force, the demon strengthened his grip. “What is it now?”

“What’s your name, girl?”

“I’m called Elena.”

“Elena, huh. You’re a strange girl. My name is Grund, take care of my book,” he said as he finally let go of it.

“Thanks, I will,” Elena said as she held it close to her chest. Grund left without saying anything else and left them alone.

“Look at this, you are so cute everyone is trying to help you~” Dred put his huge paw on the top of Elena’s head and ruffled her hair.

“Mmm- stop it! Is it time?”

“No, but you should train a bit more while we are here.”

“Alright, I’ll read this with Devour and then meditate. You should also share your DNA with me, you surely evolved after this much meditation.”

“Mhm,” Dred muttered as he gently bit on Elena’s clothes and pulled it up to her chest, revealing her belly.

“C’mon, show it,” he said bluntly. Looking around just in case, Elena slightly pulled down her leggings, revealing Dred’s tattoo on her crotch. Dred put his paw on her tattoo and closed his eyes. Elena felt her mind turn quicker and quicker as her Intelligence and Wisdom continued to raise. When they were finished, they got back to practice some more.

Another two hours later, Elena looked out the door and saw the moon high up in the air. “Let’s go,” she whispered to Dred. Both of them left the forge and ran towards the palace. The guards let them in without any problems, but after getting in, they turned into their Shadow Forms and went towards Jotun’s office.

They easily found it and slipped in. Returning to their original forms, they looked around. It was a pretty small room for a king, but it was a cosy place to stay at. Two bookshelves were on the left side of the room. Jotun’s desk was right in the corner, facing the door. “I bet there are hidden rooms,” Elena said as she stopped in front of Jotun’s desk and looked at the map that was behind it on the wall.

(AN: Check this for the full-sized picture. https://i.imgur.com/PyxMka0.png I advise checking it if this one isn't visible since it has some ‘interesting’ information on it too. Tell me if you can't read something on it. But I wanted a 'handwriting'-ish style for it.)

“Huh? The location of the rings are making a formation? Oh, right, they don’t even know about the Ring of Darkness. Should we give them a heads up? Hehe. This is much more detailed than the one we’ve seen in Drydale city,” Elena said.

“So that’s where the Ring of Wind is. Elena… look at the right side.”

“Hahaha, knife ears and hobbits, this guy is ridiculous.”

“I can see that you two are enjoying yourselves,” Jotun said, leaning in the doorway.

“What now? We’ve been caught red-handed.”

“Well, let’s hope he is still in a good mood,” Dred replied.