Kian, Malak and Ezrel were guided to the audience room while the others went to their assigned quarters. The room was modestly decorated. There were two red sofas in the centre facing a low coffee table, a big fireplace in the corner, and a crystal chandelier illuminating the room.

“Welcome, my king,” Lady Drusus kneeled in front of Kian as Ezrel and a masked Malak stood slightly behind him.

“Lady Lælia Drusus,” Kian called with a nod before heading toward one of the sofas. “You may rise.”

Malak and Ezrel closely followed him. They stood behind the sofa as Kian sat down. On the opposite red couch, Lady Drusus sat down as well. She had caramel skin with her thick curly black hair styled into cornrows. Her slender horns shared the same colour.

“Someone else is also interested in meeting you,” she said as the double doors opened.

The male demon walked in before kneeling a few feet away from the couch. With titian hair and a pair of burgundy horns, he had a fair complexion. He greeted the king politely, his hair covering his eyes.

“This is a surprise.” Kian squinted his eyes at the uninvited man. “It must have taken a long time to travel from Ginargzar.”

“I apologize for my sudden visit, but it’s urgent,” Lord Ahlers said as he lifted his head. His green sparkled red eyes met Kian’s.

Kian raised one of his perfect eyebrows as a sign for him to continue.

“I have the weapons you requested.”

Having received the king’s authorization to stand, Rüdigers Ahlers stood up. With slow and open movements, he unsheathed the sword attached to his hip. Presenting the weapon with two hands, Ezrel walked forward to retrieve it before handing it to Kian. The latter took the sword and carefully examined it.

“Would you be interested to test it?” Lord Ahlers added.

Holding the sword upward with the sharp end toward the ceiling, Kian nodded. His gaze never left the weapon.

“I will guide you to the training grounds,” Lady Drusus said as she stood up, ready to guide them. “Please follow me.”

After leaving the audience room, they all followed the Lady through the castle's corridors. After a short few minutes, they arrived at the outdoor training grounds. There, a few guards were working out. Once they noticed the group, the soldiers stopped and gathered in front of their master. They saluted her before standing side-by-side. With the training now available, Kian walked to the centre of it.

While everyone watched him, Kian took a deep breath before swinging the sword powerfully. He exhibited a confident and elegant manner throughout his movements. No moves were wasted. As if in a trance, Malak smiled under his mask. It was impossible for him to take his eyes off Kian.

Slightly panting, Kian finished his movement. Always staring at the sword, he smiled. “You have outdone yourself,” Kian praised as Lord Ahlers smiled.

“Your praise is the greatest reward I could ever hope for. This one was specially made for you.”

Kian smirked at his answer but quickly smoothed it out. “It would be rude to refuse such a generous gift from a blacksmith such as yourself.”

Smiling, Lord Ahlers approached his king with the sword’s sheath in his hands. Kian stared at the man in the eyes as the latter’s shoulders tensed. Without looking away from him, Kian slowly slid the weapon into the scabbard.

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“You look a bit red. Are you alright?” Kian asked as he lifted his arm while holding the weapon. Quickly, Ezrel came to his side to hold it for him.

“It must be the heat,” Lord Ahlers answered nervously.

“The master blacksmith can’t stand the heat,” Kian chuckled. “You must be getting older.”

“Haha, yes… Yes…”

“How many can you provide?” Kian continued more seriously.

“This is a high-quality sword. We currently have twenty thousand and an additional five thousand in the next month. But with a lesser quality sword, we have more than a hundred thousand ready.”

“Did you bring one of those swords?”

Lord Ahlers turned around as one of his men brought him the steel. Unlike the one in Ezrel’s hands, this one was banal. The scabbard was made from thick leather with a steel locket and chape. The hilt was similar. The blade, however, was of the same quality, and the weapon was well-balanced.

“Good,” Kian nodded after examining it. “We can discuss everything else later.”

“Of course,” Lord Ahlers tilted his head forward. Guided by Lady Drusus’ servants, they guided him to his quarters.

Shortly after he was gone, the group made their way back to the audience room. As before, Kian and the Lady of Bamunz were the only ones to sit. Maids arrived with refreshments and snacks. Kian grabbed the silver cup filled with red wine before bringing it to his lips. As Lady Drusus gave orders to her servants, he swirled the red liquid in the cup. Malak and Ezrel stood in silence.

“I apologize for the sudden interruption,” the female demon said sincerely as the four of them were left alone.

“Don't worry, but whatever we say in this room is strictly for your ears,” Kian warned her.

“Why?”

“There are rats in the hallways, Lady Drusus.”

Malak’s snapped his head toward Ezrel. With a simple nod, Malak’s gut churned painfully. Malak suddenly felt naive. The idea never occurred to him. Albimbert didn't need to search for them if he already knew everything.

Her eyes widened. “That’s impossible. The Lords’ families have been loyal to the Imperial family for centuries.”

As Kian spilled some of the red wines on the table, he smirked cruelly. “Yes, the Imperial family.”

Quickly understanding what he meant, she leaned back on the couch before gritting her teeth. “Who are they?”

With a wave of his hand, a rolled letter emerged from the black mist. Floating in front of Lady Drusus, it waited to be taken. With her tattooed arm, she grabbed it. Quickly reading it, her eyes bluish-red eyes burned vividly. With trembling hands, she placed the letter on the table.

“What are your plans?”

“It’s time for everyone to know that we’re back. Spread the word far and wide with the help of Vrocaster, so the whole Kingdom, the entire world, knows about this.”

As Malak didn’t get the cue, Ezrel gently pushed his elbow into his ribs. Startled, Malak yelped before clearing his throat in embarrassment. He made his way next to Kian. Intrigued and confused, the caramel-skinned demon leaned her chin on her fist. She watched them with a hawk's eye.

“Take your mask off,” Kian said while smiling at Malak.

Malak did as ordered. He took off the mask covering his face before smiling politely at Lady Drusus.

“I'm certain you remember him,” said Kian, his tone threatening.

She observed the shorter male demon in front of her. With the mask on, Malak had nothing that would distinguish him from others. Although she had only seen him a handful of times over the centuries, the peculiarly coloured eyes had never left her mind.

Snapping out of it, she stood up before offering the same greeting she gave to Kian upon his arrival. “It is an honour to have you back!”

“Rise,” Malak offered his hand. “It’s our luck to have you by our side.”

Lady Drusus smiled back before placing her fist over her heart. “I won’t disappoint you.”

Malak nodded. “We need you to spread a rumour,” he said as he sat next to his husband.

“What rumour?”

“A rumour stating that Kian would attack the capital exactly three months from now.”