The couple leisurely strolled around hand in hand.
Gabriel knew that one of Lilith's favorite things was sweets. As such, while walking, he headed toward a slightly trendy street with several confectionaries and restaurants.
When they entered the small candy shop, he felt his woman, who had a sweet tooth, pull his arm along as her eyes sparkled. She began looking around with curiosity and wonder.
In addition to a large number of sweets, all the pastries in the store looked colorful and delicious.
Lilith bought several sweets and, like a child, enjoyed them. The couple soon left the candy shop and continued their exploration. Gabriel couldn't help but smile at her rare, unguarded expression—a moment of pure happiness that made the demoness look almost ordinary.
Meanwhile, in a different location within Tokkarion—the most gorgeous building housing the royal family, the throne hall.
Tremendous braziers hanging from each of the fourteen granite columns lit up most of the throne hall and engulfed everything in a flickering radiance. The angelic paintings on the domed ceiling danced in the flickering light while statuettes and statues looked down upon the oaken floor of this marvelous throne hall.
A scarlet rug split part of the room in half from the throne to midway down the hall, while rectangular banners with ornate edges dangled gently from the walls. Between each banner stood a large candlestick. None but a few had been lit, and in turn they illuminated the statuettes of other leaders of the world below them.
Extensive stained glass windows with symmetric designs were concealed by drapes colored the same scarlet as the banners. The curtains had been adorned with embellished borders and emblazoned edges.
A pompous throne of mahogany sat beneath a fairly plain-looking baldachin (canopy).
The throne was covered in Byzantine sculptures, and fixed on the backside was a jade petal. The thick pillows were a dark scarlet, and these too had been adorned with tufts. Currently sitting on this throne was the ruler of this kingdom, one of the strongest of this realm—Julius Von Ilyas V.
He was a middle-aged man with a handsome face, light golden hair, and striking blue irises. At the moment, Julius had just received another report about the unusual couple who had come to his capital recently.
If you were wondering why someone as powerful and as busy as this ruler would be interested in a couple, it's simple: it was because they were not any usual couple. Wherever the couple had gone, they would have received the same attention because of their unusualness. They were like a ticking bomb ready to explode, so naturally they drew attention. The moment they entered the capital and their identities were confirmed as an angel and a demon, the higher-ups were immediately alerted, and they began to observe them.
Any unusual activity was reported, and right now Julius had just received a report from his advisor on the couple—how they had achieved the great feat of becoming black-rank adventurers, how they had been personally tested by the two powerhouses of the guild whom he feared, and how the results had been a draw and a loss, which hinted at their formidable strength—estimated at Life Rank 15 minimum.
Julius gulped audibly. What he had feared previously upon learning of their arrival—and how they were leisurely strolling around without care—had just been confirmed.
"How should we deal with this? Things have become complicated. A special envoy has arrived at the church, certainly an angel sent from there to observe. It will be someone capable of eradicating us if they deem us a threat. It goes without saying that the demons will also send someone to observe. In just a couple of days, my peaceful kingdom is being swarmed with dangerous individuals capable of destroying us. Why have those two chosen this place of all places? Shit, I can't comprehend."
The advisor, Angus, could only offer a silent prayer for his master. While stroking his gray beard, he thought, 'I can understand him. Normally, he should have tried to recruit them, but their identities are delicate. Previously, we thought they were some mixed race, but judging by the church's reaction, he must be a real angel and she likely the real deal—though we don't know their grades. We were unable to find anything on them, almost as if they appeared out of thin air. Even if they came from the other realms, we should have found something, but we didn't—which is unusual. Where did they come from? What is their goal? A storm is coming, and unknowingly we have been swept into it.'
After taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he advised.
"We should observe quietly. Send word to the church to tell them we can offer assistance if needed, while we prepare for the worst. It's a matter of time before word spreads throughout the rest of the world, and each of them will start scheming."
Julius pondered for a moment before deciding to follow Angus's advice. He would call for a council meeting to further discuss how to prepare for the incoming calamity.
He rose from his throne, his silhouette casting a long shadow across the scarlet rug. Outside the stained glass windows, the sun was beginning to set over Tokkarion—a peaceful sunset that masked the chaos brewing beneath the surface.
'May the gods protect us,' Julius thought, though he knew that against angels and demons, even the gods might remain silent.