My Overpowered Demon System

Azrael stared at Zephyr with raised brows.

"He killed the child?"

Zephyr nodded solemnly.

Azrael shook his head, his evaluation of Dante shifting dramatically.

Even though Thor was a kidnapper who had been threatening the children, killing an unborn child was too far across any line.

Both of them remained silent as they walked through the Knight Camp’s territory.

They finally emerged into the main compound of the estate.

Their eyes shifted toward the gate that stood imposingly in the distance.

"But how were you, someone from one of the main branches, involved in a kidnapping?" Azrael asked.

Zephyr sighed.

"All of us were children of merchants serving under Lord Eriksen. Thor raided the stores, killed our parents, then took the children for some kind of ritual sacrifice."

Azrael’s brows knitted together at the information.

Zephyr continued, seemingly unaware of the effect his words were having.

"Lord Dante spoke with the branch families afterward and arranged for all of us to be adopted."

The weight of those words was heavy enough that Zephyr could not say them without a slight stutter.

Azrael did not know what to say.

Dante was simply too difficult to read.

’I suppose he is only kind to family and ruthless to everyone else,’ Azrael finally concluded.

This was the first time in either of his lives that he had found someone this hard to understand.

Dante seemed to be concealing something from everyone around him.

Azrael had already begun to suspect this after the questions about Earth.

’At least he is trying to help find a cure for the Flame of Death,’ Azrael mused.

Lost in their exchange, they soon reached the gate.

The guard, a demon with crimson horns and a greatsword sheathed at his side, gave a slight bow.

"Good day, sir," he said.

They nodded in return.

The man pressed the red button attached to the wall beside him without hesitation and the gate began to part.

As both halves opened, the outside world was revealed to them.

Their eyes seemed to carry something like stars in them.

Without thinking twice, they walked through.

Then they were outside.

"Hmm," Azrael exhaled as he drew in the air of the open world.

This was genuinely his first time beyond the estate’s gates and into the normal world.

During the Dimensional Rift expedition, they had flown at speeds that made everything blur past him. And the Chaos Realm was anything but ordinary.

"Let us go," Azrael felt a tug at his sleeve as Zephyr pulled him forward.

He nodded and fell into step.

The estate sat in a desolate area. Beyond its walls, the only things that existed were lush trees and carefully tended plants.

Each flower seemed to have been placed with deliberate care.

They released a gentle, sweet fragrance into the air.

As they walked through the cleared center path, Azrael could not help but smile inwardly.

’Wrath demons are really nothing like what Earth’s stories described,’ he mused.

"How far is the nearest city from here?" Azrael asked.

They had been walking for over ten minutes with no sign of life anywhere.

"We will find one soon," Zephyr said with a tired groan. "Though you have to understand that it has been over fifteen years since I last walked this road."

Azrael shrugged and faced forward.

His hands were tucked into his pockets as he walked.

They had not gone another five minutes when the collective murmur of people began to reach their ears.

"There is a city nearby," Azrael said, turning to Zephyr who was supposed to be beside him.

He was not there.

Azrael’s head snapped forward.

Zephyr was already sprinting ahead.

Azrael’s eyes widened as he followed.

Neither of them enhanced themselves with essence, but they were still faster than any normal person.

Soon the city came into view.

It was a medieval styled city that looked as though it had been pulled from a fantasy book.

They walked in, drawing gazes from everyone around them.

Their clothes were simply too striking for a place like this.

It did not take long before someone approached.

A demon with black hair and horns the same deep shade of black that seemed to pull in the surrounding light. His crimson eyes were sharp as he studied Azrael and Zephyr.

"Please, what can I do for you?" The man asked with a bow, his tone respectful.

Azrael looked at himself, then around.

Zephyr mirrored him.

They both seemed to be searching for whoever the man was actually addressing.

Seeing there was no one else, Zephyr sighed.

"We are just passing through, exploring the Malvorin Planet," he said.

The man furrowed his brows at that.

But only for a moment.

His expression lightened quickly.

"Welcome to Ikos, one of the border villages of Nigura," he said with a bow. "I am the chief here. Noir," he added.

"A chief?" Azrael asked with raised brows.

The man nodded with a smile.

"Sorry for the sudden intrusion," Azrael said, bowing slightly.

Noir raised a hand quickly. "Please do not worry about it."

Although Noir was presenting himself warmly, it was a calculated warmth, designed to earn the favor of two clearly high status individuals.

Azrael and Zephyr had both seen through it. They chose to play along regardless.

"Do you have anywhere to stay for the night?" Noir asked.

"No," Azrael replied.

"But we could find an inn when we are ready to sleep," Zephyr added.

Noir’s expression shifted slightly.

"Why not stay at my home instead?" He offered.

While this exchange was taking place, the villagers had returned to their routines.

No need to cause a stir when the chief was already handling things.

"I would rather not trouble you," Azrael replied, rubbing the back of his head.

"There is truly no trouble," Noir insisted.

"I appreciate it, but I must decline," Azrael said, catching Noir off guard.

Noir went quiet for a moment.

"What about dinner at my home, at least?" He asked.

’He is persistent,’ Azrael thought, genuinely impressed.

"I will take that as a yes," Noir said with a smile, reading their silence correctly.

Both of them nodded and fell into step behind him.