Caeldaemos appeared at the temple of Io in Hallibrush after leaving the register to the knight. He slumped against the podium of Io’s statue. He heaved a heavy sigh.

“You’ve returned. Are they alright?” Sophia asked as she and Orelia rushed over to the tired demon.

“Yeah. They’re fine.” He sighed once more.

“Did you do something?” Sophia asked.

“Oh! Please say you did! Tell me about it!” Stars shone in Orelia’s eyes.

“You could say that. You will be happy with this one, Orelia.” He smirked.

“Oh dear,” Sophia said.

Caeldaemos regaled the two priestesses with what he had done. By the end of his story, Orelia got too excited and charged out of the temple to tell the others of Hallibrush.

“I will say this, you have impressed me, Lord Caeldaemos,” Sophia stated.

“Heh. You’re welcome.” He chuckled.

“Should you not be back with your family?” She asked.

“I messaged Liara, but she told me to hang out here briefly. Poor Lily, she is going to regret being reckless.” He smiled, looking up at the stained glass visage of one of the gods.

“What do you think the other gods think of me?” Caeldaemos asked.

“Did Io not mention them?” Sophia asked, sitting beside him and resting her head on his shoulder.

“She didn’t. She did mention one guy, though. Some, Alexander Tulsen.” Caeldaemos mentioned.

“Oh, she is getting help from him? She must be desperate.” Sophia replied.

“What do you mean?” Caeldaemos asked.

“Lord Tulsen is said to be a highly dangerous individual. There are many rumors about him in the world. Some speak of a group of heroes that challenged him and lost before even being able to do anything to him. Another was about how he is powerful enough to kill gods.” She moved and knelt in front of him, pressing herself up against him.

“Oh, come on. Must you two take your teasing so fa…” Caeldaemos looked down into her face.

She didn’t have her usual teasing smile but one of heartfelt desire.

“I… I can’t…” Caeldaemos replied.

“Why not? Can you not see how I feel about you?” Sophia asked.

“I just… I don’t know.” He replied.

“What if I was to tell you I got permission from your wives?” Sophia said.

“You what?” He looked down at her in surprise, only to see her teasing smile and thumbs-up emoji’s on her Crys-Link from Listamati, Liara, and Rana.

His look turned annoyed. “You know what. I am getting tired of being teased.” He stood while hugging her to himself.

A wide wicked grin came to his face. “Don’t go regretting your decision.”

“Um… Perhaps I have made a mistake.” Sophia could feel something significant pressing against her stomach.

“No regrets.” He said and teleported them to the temple bedroom.

Caeldaemos sat up in bed as his Crys-Link began to ring. Looking over to his side, an exhausted Sophia slept quietly through the noise.

Shaking his head, he threw on a robe and took his Crys-Link to the hall.

“Hello?”

“Caeldaemos you bastard!”

“Yanni?”

The noble laughed heartily over the line. “You bastard! Did you really have to make such a spectacle? I can’t even be mad at you!”

Caeldaemos chuckled. “Sorry. I just want the world to know I am not what they think.”

“Yes. Caeldaemos, I’m sorry for the way I acted. I should have trusted you more.” Yanni apologized.

“It is alright. I am glad that we got here.”

“Indeed. Don’t expect a better discount just because you are what you are.” Yanni joked.

Caeldaemos laughed. “Of course.”

“Come by the mansion when you can. I will introduce you to my children.” Yanni offered.

“Will do,” Caeldaemos said goodbye and hung up.

He entered the room to find a delirious Sophia sitting in bed.

“You alright?” He asked, sitting on the bed.

“I must admit, I bit off more than I could chew. I was not expecting such… techniques.” Sophia blushed.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“I had to learn something if I wanted to keep three wives happy.” He chuckled.

Caeldaemos checked her status and saw she now had the Demon-Lord Lover as one of her specials. He adjusted the amulet he gave her before to hide the descriptor.

After getting changed, they opened the door to find a sobbing Orelia.

“Why didn’t you invite me!” She sobbed.

“Uh, well, Sophia got permission.” Caeldaemos tried.

“That was for both of us!” Orelia cried.

Sophia giggled. “I will leave you two to it. I was a bit greedy earlier, so I will back out of this one.”

Sophia left the room, closing the door behind her.

Orelia looked up at him with teary eyes.

He sighed. “Alright. But I am going to do something a bit different with you.” He created a pendant and infused multiple domains into it to increase the wearer’s physical fortitude, stamina, and durability.

“You have to wear this.” He handed it to her.

“What is it?” She asked as she put it on.

“Are you ABSOLUTELY sure about this?” Caeldaemos asked.

“I am! To finally be one with my lord!” Her eyes sparkled.

Caeldaemos took off his shirt and dropped his pants.

Orelia’s eyes bulged out at her first ‘full’ sighting of the mighty dragon Daemos.

“Um…” Orelia started.

“No regrets.”

An hour later, Caeldaemos came down to the temple where Sophia was praying.

“Oh? I’m surprised she lasted an hour.” Sophia joked.

“I took some precautions.” He replied as he checked his Crys-Link as it dinged. He had a message.

“Ah, Rana said that I am good to head back.” He informed the priestess.

“Poo. I was hoping you would keep me company longer.” She teased.

“Yeah. Well, you have my number. Just no booty calls, okay?” He joked.

They shared a laugh, and he teleported back to the Hyuden Inn.

Caeldaemos appeared, and Lily hugged him. “Dad! Why’d you abandon me!?” She cried.

He patted her head. “It was a three-to-one vote. I lost.” He joked.

She rubbed her face into his chest. Rana and Listamati came up.

“Where is Lia?” He asked.

“She went out to gather information on your appearance. To feel out how the populace thinks of what you said.” Listamati informed him.

“I see. I am sure things have been chaotic. Oh yeah, Yanni called me.”

“What did he say?” Rana asked.

“We’re good now. He was appreciative of the registry. With that, the empire will hopefully be able to clean house.” He sat down with Lily on his lap, continuing to try to hide herself against him.

“Sheesh, what did you do to her?” He chuckled.

A scary grin came to Rana’s face. “Enough.”

“Eeep!” Lily began shivering.

Caeldaemos laughed. “Never mess with a mother.”

The door to the room opened, and Liara entered.

“Lia?” Caeldaemos looked at her with concern. Something felt off about her.

“Caeldaemos. I’m sorry.” Liara said, looking at the ground.

“What for?” He set Lily aside and approached her. She called him by his full name. She always called him Cael.

She looked up at him and smiled. “I’m leaving the party.”

“What!?” Rana, Listamati, Lily, and Mari were shocked. They all knew how much the fox woman was committed to him.

“What do you mean? Why?” Caeldaemos asked.

She looked away shyly. “I found someone.”

“I call bullshit! There is no way that is true!” Rana growled. The woman knew how much she loved him.

Liara began to tremble. She looked at Rana, tears running down her face with the broken smile. “I’m sorry… It’s true… I… found…

Her behavior set off alarm bells in all of their minds.

“Cael! Check her!” Listamati cried.

Checking her status, he found the culprit.

Captive of the Evil Eye. The person holding this effect has had their mind dominated by the Evil Eye of Entrapment.

Evil Eye of Entrapment. A powerful ocular ability that allows one to dominate and alter a person’s mind through untraceable mental domination.

“What the fuck!?” Caeldaemos was furious.

“Please… Ca-Caeldaemos… just let me...” Liara’s mind was clearly so conflicted it was causing her pain.

“Curse of Sleep!” He hit her with the curse and caught her as she fell to the ground.

“Cael, what is going on?” Rana asked.

He laid Liara on the bed and put her into a stasis domain. He explained what he had seen in her status.

“Check your Bringer of Light to see if you have Remove Curse. It sounds like one.” Listamati told him.

After checking the details, he indeed had the ability and confirmed it with them.

He removed a mana stone from storage and rested it on Liara’s forehead. “Remove Curse.”

The ability was activated… but failed.

“Come on. Remove Curse!” He poured more mana into the spell, but it failed once more. “FUCK!”

The stone clattered to the floor.

“Maybe we can find the culprit?” Lily offered.

“I’m the only one who can see other people’s status. There are too many people in the city to know who used it. They could leave the city before we find them.” He replied.

“What else can we do?” Rana asked.

“I might have an idea,” Listamati spoke.

“What is it?” He asked.

“You remember how you got a new power when you absorbed the Demon-Lord of War’s fragment? What if you absorbed the one from the Demon-Lord of Curses?” She offered.

“That sounds like a stretch. What if it is not the right ability?” Rana argued.

“No, it is a good idea. I got an ability that supports Lord of War. There might be a chance to get something that supports the Lord of Curses too. It might be worth it.” Caeldaemos agreed.

“It would be!” Geon jumped into the conversation.

“Geon? You have been awfully quiet lately.” Caeldaemos said to the dungeon core.

“I’ve been pretty bored lately since I don’t have a dungeon to run. So, I have been doing research into different skills and abilities. What Lista said might be good. I might be able to tweak the power you get while absorbing the fragment. There are a couple of abilities called Break Curse and Destroy Curse. Both are FAR more powerful than Remove Curse.” The core explained.

“What is the difference?” He asked.

“One will break the curse completely, freeing the person of control. The other destroys it, causing a reverberation back to the caster. But I don’t know if I can get you the second one. It depends on the power of the fragment.” Geon explained.

“I know the location of the final resting place of Dawnfrey the Cursed. Most likely, the fragment would be found there.” Listamati said.

“Good. Where is it?”

“North-Northeast of Hallibrush, just within the outskirts of the demon nation. It is deep within the Ever-Night Forest.” She replied.

“Sounds good. For now, all of you are going to Hallibrush. Lista, you will come with me since you know where it is.”

“We can search here, Cael.” Rana tried to argue.

“No!” He shouted. “First you, now Lia. I am not putting any of you at additional risk here.” He cupped her cheek with a worried look.

“I… understand.” Rana conceded.

Caeldaemos gathered them all and teleported them to the Hallibrush temple.

“What? Back so soon?” Sophia asked before noticing Liara.

“What happened?” She asked.

He laid Liara on the bed.

“Rana can explain. Come on, Lista, we’re going now. If we can cure her quickly enough, I can find the son of a bitch who did this.” Caeldaemos began donning his armor along with Listamati.

“Right, Lista, take this.” He tossed her a new gun.

“What is this?” She admired the look of it.

“It’s called a Sub-Machine Gun. I plan to make a second for you, but it is just the one for now.” Caeldaemos finished donning his armor and helmet.

“Dad…” Lily looked like she wanted to go.

Taking off his helmet, he smiled, patting her head. “Sorry, kiddo. I need you here. I don’t know the full effect of that Evil Eye, so I want you here to help your mother and Mari to restrain Liara if she tries to escape. My stasis should hold her, but I don’t want to put anything at risk.”

She nodded with determination. “Okay! Leave it to us!”

He put on his helmet, and the two demons headed out.

Wrapping his arms around Listamati and establishing an air displacement domain around them, he took flight and headed north at near sub-sonic speeds.