Before Murai was a powerful devil that he was half-sure to be above Level 70—if not more. This old devil had that sort of aura around him that seeped of experience, but no Lust or anything weird like that. This devil wasn't touching that in the slightest. He was an older devil; the kind that shouldn't be judged, as he was bolder and aged with a life of this world.
The wrinkles around his dark red eyes were quite devilish, making his eyes pop off. He wore a simple robe without any emblems or resemblances to armies, gangs, or anything else. That made him unique out of the bunch of guests of this tavern.
“Nothing to add to my voice, Anatidae Child? Oh, I know why... Don't worry. This old fool is just curious and not making things difficult. I am just seeing this new one emerge with my eyes, and lo and behold! It's a Blessed Challenger that comes under the public eye, boldly taking the streets of Helltrim City for a garden. Usual... How usual. Some could get burned, but not this one, hmmm... This one is hungry instead.” The old devil said, chuckled, and put his hands on the table, examining Murai's face that— at the end of his speech—slowly turned to him; his hood shrouding his eyes.
Murai turned his beak towards him, and their eyes met as he flickered the hoodie a little bit upward. This old fool wanted some troubles, it seemed.
Old devil wore a little smirk on his face, unafraid of anything at first glance. With the staring battle underway, he looked like Illak: Curious, yet without anyone or anything to stop him. Neither wasn't winning or losing this stare contest all that much, which Murai found funny. This devil had some balls to challenge him though.
Despite that, Murai wasn't sure what to think of him. His Soul Read didn't feel anything abnormal. He was seemingly standing, or to be precise, glancing forth with his slightly glowing red eyes in open curiosity. No mana, aura, or something apparent went on. Murai felt no threat either, which was almost unreasonable and suspicious. He believed in his hunches and feelings. They were silent. He felt nothing but some normal emotions like curiosity and some amusing suspicions. No fear, or what he felt in many instances since he entered this Gate.
Well, this is not bad for me. Why does everyone want to do a staring contest with me? Be it demons, but an old devil. His eyes aren't that much of an issue for me, old fool, though his... something might? What is he about, glaring at me for nothing or something? Murai thought to himself. Getting to his feet, he stared as his demeanor changed to the same level as this devil.
Slowly, the old devil's smirk disappeared, realizing that he won't do much this time around. This much was already enough, as he did what he wanted.
So he spoke calmly. “Fret not, Child that bents the rules and this temple. It is our home, so seeing more monstrosities wreaking havoc is only welcomed by many. Even in these times, it doesn't dismember anything. Army, clans, gangs, or families around the Hells, everyone takes various interests for rumors or chances. Information is one of the peerless treasures that goes around, walking, or flying. Fear a little, per the usual hopes, as there won't be a good time for your Hunt and journey. Until you prove yourself, mend, and take this Gate well, you are just a little Child preying on wolf's dent.” The old devil said, turned, and glanced away.
“Oh! I won!” Murai smiled and slapped his small feet on the cushion in a cheerful win. “Proving is for those who want some remedy or shitty attitude. I don't see that as something worthy. But I could also see something else. How about me, jumping at your shoulder, inserting my beak down, and twisting your whole spine apart? Sounds like a good idea to me. Pche! You are just here to gauge me anyway, aren't you? Disappear where you belong.” Murai spoke how he wanted; he didn't want to stir any troubles as Lisa wanted, yet he still quacked out loud.
Free of any issue, he let this old devil free, or was it the other way around? Had he come here just to stare, give him warnings, and speak to him about nothing?
What just occurred was about what was fit for this situation in the tavern, or Helltrim City in general. Nothing started yet, apart from something well beyond this city.
Normally, some welcoming parties were normal, involving various politics, desires, and grudges. Then, it depended on how Challengers proved themselves, how crafty they were, or who they were. Being careful was only fitting before fighting later. That went both ways, yet what was this invading party for those of Chaos? Some faces mattered in the face of rules.
That was the gist of the present situation that Murai figured after this devil left. And the Token—which Lisa kept close to him—remained on the table and outside of Murai's eyes. He hadn't noticed that his little guest took quite some interest in it, but he hid it very well. The devil did care for it, yet he wasn't here to stir it, as his skin was thick and he had his desirable orders.
As one of the two military bases, the Helltrim Castle was quite important. It was there as a reminder of a godly touch and authority, so no one wanted to provoke something or somebody sensitive in this city. That included independent gangs and even families of devils, or clans of many races and demons. Even those closer to some Overlords or Gods were careful not to take their acts like walking around Calm Waters. Especially against Challengers, one had to take things slowly or with a certain desire that it was fine.
For this devil, this much was fine. He hadn't done anything wrong.
The Token was crucial in many ways. It was a truly treasured opportunity and blessing for anyone living or visiting this Gate. It was just a single thing for them; a chance free to take as long as one could take it from them.
The old devil returned to his table, smiling and indifferently taking Murai's gaze to his back without any regard. He took his seat beside someone hiding under pitch-black shadows of a cloak, but also literal shadows. Thinly, some muscular features of a man's face—who was occasionally drinking a beer—were visibly hiding and moving underneath the shadows.
“Have you seen that? He doesn't budge or care for me,” the devil said without hiding his fun. “He is really interesting as rumors and pictures say.”
“Seen that,” the man opposite to him said calmly, speaking in a human tongue like the devil. “So young, yet so insane. Also, don't mention the pictures.”
“Right. Of course. What to do with that... sir. The situation is changing.” the devil whispered, figuring that talking wasn't fine, but showing? There on the table, a couple of pictures showed some interesting ideas. Only one was obvious, as it was on top of the other pictures, showing Murai standing on the table right in front of a huge plate of meat, sauces, and dishes he ordered. His eyes were blazing like his hoodie and open beak. Juices were overflowing through the meat, watering down the plate twice bigger than him. It was a colorful red picture, showing only that table and him alone.
There was no plate in front of Murai right now. Not in the current reality.
The hooded man seemed to get the devil's attention, but he didn't care for this picture. It was among the weakest ones. Meant to correct something,. “We wait as we always do. Like Interuptors, remember. Armies will be making their moves soon, Lady Lavandis will have to make a stance, and Mindarch gives everything an edge. We have more pictures ready just in case, showing us the way to the New World. For now, nothing and nobody moves. Fate has its ways. We don't meddle with it. Not us.” The man said seriously, storing the pictures away from the table, apart from the one showing Murai's feast.
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“What about Manager Kil.” the devil asked just to be sure. What if others already knew what was going on? Well, it was a matter of a different Hell, but one was never sure what to do when things of Fate were involved. “Or... others? We are here, waiting, and doing this for a long time. Are others here as well? Aware and ready.”
“Nothing for us is here besides intercepting. Young Miss is the one to see it, followed by my more important personnel in charge of the bigger pictures. Send the words. Challengers or a Hunt aren't a concern when we watch. Not act. Armies only wait for their chances, but this one... is weak. Small Child, barely eligible, yet it is wild. How come our Lord deems it at such weight? It is too weak to change the status quo, yet Fate shows its ways, which speaks of other weaklings of things yet... the Lord? What goes behind, again?”
“Another Challenger from the Islands of Greatness is going here, but the picture already stated that much. A hideous clash is about to happen. He is a much stronger one, I suppose, but not the one that pictures depict very often.” the old devil replied. “We aren't the Order, but we seek it. I always see and hear it, though this one feels like a different one. The public knows the bits and we know the veils. His soul is weird. I couldn't see it all. Rumors said the truth.”
“Then let the rumors remain what they are. We wait unless we have to do something. Miss will decide it when she comes around.”
The old devil leaned on his chair, whispering and mumbling something inaudible, and clutching a dark triangular necklace underneath his robe. It had no eyes, but countless scales and tails in triangular shapes.
A similar situation was happening in other tables, but more brazenly, showing gangs and curious demons looking for Anatidae that entered this Gate. Some regarded it with apprehension, and some thought of making their moves. It was quite an occasion, yet some tables had their unique circumstances and things to do, while others took this as a warning. None other than that devil visited that table.
Information gathering was important, but what had this old devil done was as private as it could get. Whatever it was, it was part of something that disregarded this Gate. For the better of their souls, they shouldn't disregard it as a whole unless they were stupid.
Perhaps, sooner or later, Murai would shake the majority of this Hellscape without even lifting a wing.
Which was why some nasty figures tensed up and were making their moves.
Murai hadn't heard anything about these fools. He returned to his cushion and waited. No one visited him after that devil. It was a good sign before his meal.
In a while, the same-looking goblin from before made his appearance. Wobbly in his knees, he was bearing the weight of a feast. A big plate was on his shaking palms. He wasn't that big or burly, so it was impressive he was even able to walk properly.
Steamy and smelling good, the big piles of meats, bones, and creamy sauces ran through the fibers of cooked and roasted meat, exactly how the picture described. Almost too equal to it, in fact. He arrived at Murai's table in one piece; same with the plate and the feast. Struggling on his leg, he safely guarded the package.
Everything was as Murai expected. Surprisingly the pictures almost didn't make this feast the justice in Murai's look. The plate and food looked so much bigger and better, pleasantly surprising Murai—who began salivating—and even his tail wriggled without his consent or awareness.
He couldn't help but be satisfied today. It was long overdue. Deserved.
“Erm... The g-g-ghost lady is g-gone?” Goblin mumbled as he struggled to remain on a spot without falling backward. “Eh... Well, very big and... I suppose I will leave it here. She can't eat... eh?” He weakly spoke as he noticed something insane glaring in his direction.
Glancing at Murai, whose whole face was closing at the plate in his arms, he nearly pissed himself. A strange gleam in Murai's eyes was like a radiating killing intent, ready to pierce and eat up this goblin. That was what this unfortunate soul was seeing and feeling, but Murai aimed that at the meat alone. Well, he could eat him too. After some smoking or spices like this meat.
Out of fear, or a sense of duty, the goblin put the big plates in front of Murai, before fleeing for his dear life. He forgot his fear behind, or even his wobbly legs. Sweating in places he wasn't sure existed, he feared the remaining plate he had to get to him. It wasn't over yet. The order list had one more plate remaining, leaving him helpless.
Murai wasn't that stingy with his order, even if he ordered more than he assumed, or was it because he wasn't sure of the sizes of meals? Lisa knew his gluttony anyway, so she didn't stop his ordering even a little bit.
Now, when he glanced at the plate, he wasn't even sure if he would eat it all. But he was fine with challenging his appetite even if he wouldn't.
“At last! Alone with a feast! Excellent!” Murai shouted, uttering a high-pitched quack, before letting go of his restraints. He waited for half an hour for the first round.
Jumping to the table, eyes glinting and wings spreading, he didn't even take off his hoodie. He opened his beak and shoved it into the steaming roast twice his size, scattering the bones away, or catching them with a flick of his beak, before crumbling them to bits. He almost used his Blitz, but he didn't need that for a meal.
By instinct, all of the training and killing in the last Gate provided its worth. His beak and neck moved like he wanted, crashing and cracking the bones to pieces. Meat flew around, yet nothing left the air or the plate. He was letting the juices flow down his beak, where it slid off the hoodie to the table. He was making a mess, but he didn't care about it or his appearance as he ate.
And he ate like a glutton before, so now, he wasn't caring for manners either. Nothing was here to stop him.
Minute by minute, the plates were becoming smaller and smaller, leaving no bones behind. They were roasted too, seasoned well with salt and other seasonings that Murai took for a bliss-worthy Everflower. Sauces added the meat heavenly flavor he felt for the first time in this life.
Nothing survived.
By this point, Murai no longer cared where he even was. He only catered to what he was due to, so he did so with absolute Will and freedom of his soul. He shattered and ate everything until the plate was empty.
The other plate had yet to arrive.
Sighting in absolute bliss and satisfaction, Murai fell to the cushion behind him, stuffed like an absolute animal after eating what felt like dozens of kilos of meat, bones, and who knew what else. He felt some potatoes for sure, though weird in structure; feeling crunchy as if made of bones.
Various vegetables around the roast weren't spared either. It was mostly meat anyway, yet he wasn't thirsty. Meat juices provided enough nutrition and his stomach and core growled in satisfaction.
Unwillingly glancing back at the empty plates from his flat position, Murai noticed a person sitting on the other side of the table, glaring at him. It was a human. A rather young one. It was not Lisa—who could change to such appearance as well but preferred not to. She was yet to come back, though she was ghostly like a succubus, similar to a human ghost.
Opposite to him was a boy, or a very young man. It was hard to say his age through his smooth face, gleaming smile, and straight back with slim shoulders.
“Hello, little friend.” the boy waved a hand. “I've noticed your feast, so I've waited without interruption. Mind if I join?” He spoke like a young gentleman, if one forgot that he had long ago sat down.
Manners weren't his most exquisite skill, it seemed, but his speech and voice were near perfect for a lackey or a steward. Though, he wore rather comfortable and fitting clothes to a city, rather than a uniform.
Another bother who wanna stare? What the f... Who the, Murai didn't like this. He even lost his edge over his voice, so he remained cursing in his mind, bothered by anyone who would dare to end his pleasant time.
He forgot he already ate everything, so it didn't matter if someone wanted to stir some shit or talk to him. It would be a good exercise after a nice meal.
He could give him a literal shit, if his meal got processed fast enough, or... Murai still questioned his digestive system, which didn't seem normal at all. He ate many times of his weight, yet it didn't seem to turn his stomach upside down.
Most food he ever ate was absorbed and gone as fast as he ate or blinked. Whether it was a good or bad thing, he didn't know. Perhaps he didn't want to guess or know the answer to that mystery.
At least he didn't get physically fat, so that was the only good sight of his gluttony.
The young man didn't seem to be nervous or afraid at all. He smiled as if he were looking at a friend, which was the polar opposite of that goblin, or some figures around the tavern that seemed to have gained many more guests.
“Nice to meet you by the way.” the boy bent his upper body down and put his right hand in Murai's direction, almost reaching his feathers.
All that this youth saw was his bother, and his lingering hand felt awkward. What can Murai do with that? Chop it off? Eat these fingers?
The young man coughed and retreated his hand without feeling the lingering awkwardness. Of course, a duck couldn't shake his hand. “Well, I see a new Challenger. Those are always nice to see and nice to meet. How about some business? You just arrived and business is in my blood. I am human, you see. No worries. I don't bite or hunt you.”
Murai still glared at him as he spread his stuffed belly on the sofa, silent.
“My name is Marthosh Denulin, a humble member of an information-gathering company called Lost Brothers. We do business in all sorts of ways and days; not just information. Want to sell something, or buy something special? Care for some information from the Surface or the Hells? We do that sort of thing privately and outside of any armies or any gangs.”
Murai remained silent.
“Mind to talk some business, or is it not required?” Marthosh kept speaking politely and without any force. He was good at this, which Murai at least appreciated because he didn't seem forced at all. “I see your Token, and I've heard you are quite a feisty one, aren't you?” Marthosh continued, appearing ongoing, interested, and talkative as if he didn't care that Murai couldn't talk to him at all. He glanced half a second longer at the Token a handful distance away. It looked enticing.
Perhaps he didn't know Murai in the slightest. He couldn't understand Murai either, or his clear eyes and silent face.