As they all entered the camp, Julian couldn't help but feel conflicted.
He'd never met any Daemons, but he had heard of them. They were violent people, often criminals. However, not a single person in the camp was like that. They were all plain humans, just like him and Adam.
As if catching on to what Julian was thinking, Adam approached, whispering,
"You only really turn into a full-fledged Daemon if you give in to the instincts that come with the change. There are potions that can dull the urge, though."
Julian raised a brow.
"And everyone's on that potion?"
"Nope. They just have plenty of self-control."
"..."
Eventually, they stopped by a giant tent, just before a mountainside stairwell leading to the top of the mountain.
Virion gestured toward the stairwell.
"You know where to find Victoria. Don't make any rude demands, and be aware that while she's wise, she doesn't know everything."
Adam nodded.
"I know. Take care of this guy here while I'm away."
"Of course. You have nothing to worry about," Virion replied with a half-smile.
And just like that, Adam began climbing the stairwell. All the while, Julian remained behind. Calm and composed as he tried to be, for some reason, after Adam left, the expressions of the people changed.
"He knows he mustn't bring outsiders into the camp, and yet he has done it anyway," Virion said, approaching Julian. "Tell me, boy. How exactly did you manage to make a teammate out of him?"
Julian stared at him.
"We met by chance, and I didn't really need to do a lot of convincing. He seemed open to a teammate, and so I joined him."
Many of the camp people let out scoffs at his comment, and Virion was no exception.
However, unlike the others, he didn't voice his disbelief. Instead, he was a bit more mature.
"Let's get you a crossbow, shall we?"
'There's something these people are hiding from me,' Julian thought. 'From what I understand, Adam is a native of this camp, and if that's the case, is he a Daemon? If not, why were they so shocked when I claimed I was his teammate?'
Either way, he didn't have an answer to his questions, and asking them might put him in danger. So, after swallowing his curiosity, Julian agreed to Virion's proposal.
The people scattered, and Virion escorted him through the whole camp. He stopped by a few tents where there was food and even offered Julian a few bites.
On the off chance that it was poisoned, Julian refused, though Virion didn't see it as a sign of disrespect. If anything, he gave Julian a nod of approval as the two finally reached the armory.
It was the biggest tent of them all, and unlike the rest, it was reinforced with stone and dug into the mountain, so there was no way to enter from anywhere else but here.
"What kind of crossbow do you want?" Virion asked.
Julian pointed at his upper arm.
"Something I could stick onto here. A bolt belt would also be nice—preferably something I could wrap around my forearm to make it easier to reload."
Virion whistled.
"You sure know what you're talking about, huh? Good. I don't like indecisive people."
Julian's smile cracked. "Eh... Right, could you get me two of them?"
"..."
Virion sighed, stepped into the armory, and began rummaging through the weapons. Just a few minutes later, he returned with two small crossbows and two bolt belts.
Both crossbows were built into steel gloves, and it looked like clenching his fist hard enough would trigger the mechanism.
"Is this what you're looking for?" Virion asked, waving the gear around.
Julian nodded with a slight smile and accepted the gear, quickly putting it on. The gloves fit perfectly, and the bolt belt was also comfortable.
"Can't say I've seen anyone fight with weapons like these," Virion commented. "Doesn't look very practical."
A confident expression crossed Julian's face. With one nimble movement, he twisted his wrist at an odd angle, catching a bolt between his fingers. Then, with a quick flick, he tossed it upward, letting it drop neatly into the crossbow's groove.
With his other arm, he simply rocked the bowstring back until it clicked into place, then fired off into the distance.
He quickly reloaded, then glanced back at Virion, who stared at him with a slightly surprised expression.
"Damn, kid. You'd definitely make a perfect scout, but... are you sure you want such a weapon?"
'Of course,' Julian shook his head inwardly. 'It's hard for him to believe me, but honestly... I've gone through so many tests. I've mastered every single weapon. I don't really care about swords since I can counter them with these crossbows—and the same for other weapons.'
He could fight up close and from a distance, all while reloading in less than a second to fire a powerful shot. It was an overpowered weapon, but it was greatly overshadowed by the bow.
'But they just don't know what they're missing out on.'
Nonetheless, after a brief chat with Virion, Julian was escorted back to the center of the camp. The gazes of the people seemed to grow much fiercer than before, and he was starting to become wary.
Upon closer look, he heard murmurs.
"Victoria won't be happy today..."
"Do you think it's finally time she punished him? I mean... with what he has done in the past, I'm surprised he's still standing."
"Well... he brought someone along, so I'm sure this time, we'll finally see the mistress's rage."
"..."
While Julian sat on a log, Virion was chatting up a few women. However, his sword was slightly out of its sheath, as if he were prepared to attack at any moment. Furthermore, the crunching of the snow began to grow more frequent.
Those with weapons circled him, their backs turned to him. Yet with each passing moment, he could tell they were encroaching on him.
A little longer, and he would be within striking distance.
Julian exhaled, glancing at the empty sky.
'Here I thought I could rest peacefully. I guess that's not possible in the Reverie Realm.'
The ground shook as a low rumble rolled down the mountainside.
And as if answering his thoughts, the very top of the mountain erupted, bursting into a blanket of flame.