While Mary took brief pauses, panting and shooting glares at Tenzo—the kid Ric had used as a distraction—the trio organized their troops to prepare for their initial infiltration. The sun was on the verge of setting, and Ric aimed to fulfill his end of the deal by attributing any failure to the citizens’ incompetence.

Yanko donned the snake suit, while Rika and her four younger siblings slipped into the crab, and Wrilo was reluctantly forced into the bat suit.

“Such insolence,” Ric and Debbie spat in unison.

Henzo shuddered in response to the duo while his nausea heightened by the unsettling elasticity of the skin suit. The citizens had exceeded Ric’s demands, yet it still fell short of satisfying the demon. Nevertheless, in due time, their town would boast an alchemist shop filled with unorthodox techniques, a testament to the citizens’ novel skills and efforts.

“Please, let’s just get this over with,” Henzo pleaded, his stomach threatening to empty its contents.

After enduring a swift whipping from Debbie, the group committed their commands to memory. Ric resorted to threatening Wrilo with death to coerce her into compliance, sending her towards what seemed like certain doom.

The demons were surely one nasty creature to have beside one’s ear.

“Heels,” Ric pointed at a person, instructing them to craft some heels for Yanko.

Even after straightening his spine, the snake outfit remained too long, its head lolling to the side as Yanko moved. Ric infused the suits with the last remnants of his life energy and reviewed the plan once more before the last execution.

“Our primary goal is potions. Healing ones take top priority, followed by any additional varieties. Don’t carry too many. For now, ten will suffice.”

“These potions are rare in these regions,” Yanko remarked, garnering nods of agreement from the others. “We might be fortunate if even these guys have stashed over two.”

“Then focus on manuals. Keep a low profile—” Ric gets interjected by Wrilo.

“Dinner?”

“Meals for now or for the rest of your life?” Ric countered.

“Now,” everyone replied without hesitation.

Ric smacked his head in frustration and adjusted the plan. Why did he even bother with these cowards?

“For now,” he reassured himself with a smile. Once the initial stages were complete, he could leave the incompetence behind and strive for greater heights.

“Okay. Locate food and...” Ric outlined the simplest heist in the history of Saint, their stomachs rumbling in salute.

“What do we do?” Henzo inquired after the infiltrators departed for the wall.

“Plan and train, of course,” Ric shrugged.

“Ew!” Debbie’s face twisted in disgust. “Like sweat? No thanks. You boys carry on. I’m going to sleep,” she announced with an exaggerated yawn.

“You have one more person to whip into shape,” Ric sparked Debbie’s interest.

“Oh?”

The trio approached Ravi, ensnared within knots and guarded by the indistinguishable twins, Motu and Kotu. With their identical appearances and consistent dimwittedness, not even Ric could differentiate between them.

“We’ve got him this time,” the twins declared in unison, their voices so synchronized that only one seemed to emanate sound despite both mouths moving.

“Yeah... No, you don’t,” Ravi relaxed and wiggled out of the tangled mess of threads.

“I’m not sure if you’re that skilled...” Ric raised an eyebrow at Ravi. “... Or if you’re just that much of a dunce,” he added, turning his gaze at the twins. “I’ll settle for a bit of both for now.” Before Ravi retorts, Ric gestures for him to be silent and instructs the twins, “Go keep Mary busy until I say so.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Only after the twins were out of earshot did Ric acknowledge Ravi’s presence. “As for you...”

“I am not your slave.”

“You’d be dead if you were. Now, if you want to stay, you’ll have to earn your keep.”

“Otherwise, what?” Ravi snickered.

“Isn’t there anyone inside those walls you care enough about to keep them there?” Ric smiled. “How many souls should I drag here before you kneel?”

“You are a monster.”

“The term you’re looking for is Demon, and you’d better etch that into your vocabulary, for it’s the key to your survival.”

Ravi gritted his teeth, his hands already balled up, wanting to cave the kid’s perfect set of pearly white teeth. Yet he controlled his anger and nodded along. Even after losing his initiation stage, the kid was far more powerful than himself. The world was a cruel place, and maybe he had to become a demon to survive the changes about to befall.

“How can I be of any help to you?”

“A small pebble is enough to change the tide, and with a rock of your size...” Ric sized up Ravi. “...I can part the sea.” He smiles.

———<>|*|<>———

The Town of Hope underwent a gradual but undeniable transformation on a spiritual level. Those who had once lost their way discovered a glimmer of hope within its confines and now were drawn to seize it with newfound determination.

Contrary to the beliefs of the people of Saint, Mary never wielded influence over the lives of others. Hope remained an elusive concept, impervious to individual manipulation unless the individual embraced the teachings and sought to change of their own accord. This is true for every concept in life.

In Mary’s case, no matter what she preached or did, her children always misunderstood her words, straying further from her preachings.

In naming the town “Hope,” Mary hoped to penetrate the thick walls of her children’s heads, yet they sought salvation elsewhere.

Despite their desire for what lay within the walls of a kingdom, none realized that peace, love, hate, and every other emotion resided within them and could never be found anywhere else.

“Born with naught and gone with naught.” A simple quote they never seemed to grasp.

As always, they now followed another false beacon of hope, claiming it to be her voice while never truly listening to her.

“The irony,” Mary chuckled, drawing confused glances from the twins.

She yearned to scream her true feelings at the top of her lungs. Maybe this way they might understand her preachings in her final breath. Their resolve would soon waver, whether or not they realized it, rendering her voice mute as the demon loomed around the corner, his greed playing with their naïve hearts.

Ric proved to be the most stubborn being she had ever encountered. Whether he embodied the demon he claimed to be, Mary wasn’t sure anymore. All she knew was that the kid had been accurate about everything he asserted thus far.

People might follow her path and find salvation, but what if someone else tries to snatch it away?

This single hurdle shattered her ultimate plan before it even began, and surprisingly enough, a demon brought up this issue during her journey.

How can she ever achieve or sustain peace without resorting to bloodshed? And if bloodshed becomes inevitable, can it be called peace?

Demons might be the most cunning, cruel, or downright degenerate race, but all these traits also made them the most intellectual, manipulative, and wise creatures among the myriad races. They also accepted themselves as they were, pushing their race to new heights of enlightenment.

This is why she turned to Ric for a solution to her dilemma. If anyone could solve it, it was him.

———<>|*|<>———

“Can you solve it?” Ravi inquired.

“Nah... Let’s transition to another form,” Ric replied, rolling upright and dusting himself off.

After failing to connect with the earth for the fourth time, Ric did what any demon would—he dismissed the affinity as stupid and moved on to learn a different one.

“You’re giving up so soon?”

“Shut up and teach me another. You’re too feeble-minded to comprehend a god,” Ric retorted.

Ravi swallowed another surge of anger and showed Ric an alternative method to connect with the earth’s affinity.

Henzo elevated a few particles of sand around him and cast them onto Ric. “I want to understand. Teach me,” he demanded.

“Some shit is meant for you, while others are not, and do not take the word at face value.” Ric’s frown squashes Henzo’s next doubt. “With a limited lifespan, it’s hard to master your strengths, let alone your weaknesses. A shortcut to power, wealth, or anything, is to understand yourself first, and then plan for a workaround over the essential backlashes. Only a fool wastes time on what isn’t meant for them.”

“What a load of crap,” Ravi frowned, inwardly cursing himself for not having a proper comeback.

“Oh,” gasped Henzo. “Then I’m off.” He waved them goodbye and left.

Ravi gaped at Henzo’s retreating figure, unable to believe he had been manipulated with such ease. Debbie surveyed the dwindled group and opted to follow Henzo, who at least acknowledged her presence at times.

“Aren’t you going to learn?” Ric stalled her.

“Mud? Ew!” She frowned and darted after Henzo.

“Good point.” Ric pivoted to face Ravi. “Earth affinity sucks. Teach me another affinity.”

“What?! Do you realize how potent and immense earth affinity is?” Ravi exclaimed. Frustrated and unable to strangle Ric with his hands, he resorted to words instead.

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