Two thousand kilometers towards the center of the Kingdom, Zenith, Capital of the Holy Elorian Kingdom,
"Ah." Raissa muttered as she stepped into the room. "Already back, huh?"
"Nice´n´quick hunt." Gino's gaze didn't budge from the dagger he was balancing on the back of his hand. "Five Demons. You?"
"Three." Raissa sighed while scratching her head. "Only us at HQ?"
"Yeah, and useless Sina, of course."
"She has an important job." Raissa retorted before taking a seat.
"Keeping her ears open? Sure, can't see why she can't do that while moving."
The door opposite the one Raissa had come in from opened.
"I can hear ya," Sina peeked through the half-open door, lollipop pushing against her cheek. "You know?"
"Anything?" Gino asked while looking at Raissa.
The lack of an answer was sure to prove his point.
"Yes, actually."
"Like always, just…" Gino's words trailed off as his mind processed the answer. "Huh?"
"Tell us everything, Sina." Raissa gestured for her to take a seat.
"Not much to say." Sina shrugged. "I can feel Ether Levels over 100,000 somewhere North inside the Kingdom."
"A 100,000?" Gino frowned. "How come you only noticed now?"
"I'm guessing it isn't one person." Raissa muttered.
"That's my guess as well." Sina nodded. "It comes and goes, so I can only assume it's multiple people gathering in one place."
"I see." Gino sighed and relaxed back into his seat. "How many sources of Ether?"
"Two. Now that they're in close proximity…"
Hello, Mom.
"It goes above 80,000. Well above." Sina answered. "That's my guess."
Gino frowned. Raissa's eyes narrowed.
A combined Ether Level of 100,000 split between 10 sources, human or not, would have been troublesome enough, but for it to be split between two…
"That's an average of 50,000 each." Gino muttered as the dagger previously balanced on the back of his hand fell to the ground. "That would put them on par with the strongest of us Knights of the Order."
Sina simply shrugged.
"I'm paid to keep searching for anything over 80,000. Can't help any more than this." She said, and walked back through the door she had come in from. "Whether they're potential new members of the Order or enemies, well…" The door closed behind her.
Raissa and Gino sat in silence for a moment.
"Think it's him?" Raissa muttered. "The new Demon Lord?"
"I fail to see what else it could be." Gino answered before getting up. "Ether Levels like that don't appear randomly, unless some one-in-a-trillion prodigy is born."
"Could be some foreigners coming into the Kingdom for one reason or…" Raissa's words trailed off. "Where are you going?"
"North."
"Shouldn't we wait for the others?"
"Tell them when they get here." Gino licked his lip, and stepped out. "Hunting, hunting…" He hummed. "The hunting never stops."
"Ugh…" Raissa massaged her forehead. "Locate the target. No fighting before everyone is aware."
"Don't order me around." Gino stuck out his tongue.
"Fine," Raissa shrugged. "Happy hunting."
***
"A… Are you alright?" Saphyra asked with a shaking voice as she entered the room. "Nyl?"
"Of course," Nyl nodded. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Saphyra was surprised by the answer. She had come expecting Nyl to need comforting.
"Well, um," She scratched her cheek nervously. "Asmodeus…"
"He's going out with a friend, yes." Nyl finished Saphyra's sentence. "Isn't it nice? Him being able to make friends even in the Human Realm?"
"Friends? Um," Saphyra gulped. "Y-Yeah, sure is." She nodded. 'Guess he didn't tell her he was going on a date…'
"Is something the matter?" Nyl asked with a slight frown.
"No." Saphyra quickly shook her head and stepped back out of the room. "Just remembered that I need to check up on something."
"Okay, um," Nyl pursed her lips. "Stay out of trouble?"
"I will!"
***
The attention was stolen away from the golden chandeliers, famous paintings, and the usually so impressive decor.
All eyes, both of those dining around her and of those outside simply passing by, were on the young woman seated alone at the fine establishment's best table.
As if her beauty wasn't enough to catch attention, her traits also made her easily recognizable.
"She's a legacy, isn't she?"
"Definitely."
"Must be a Frost, right?"
"From the Frost family?"
"Look, mommy, a princess!"
Jeanne was oblivious to the whispers, gaze focused on the lit candle at the center of her table.
'I was so nervous I ended up coming early…'
Unbeknownst to her, the whispers were slowly starting to focus on someone else.
"That's… Who is that?"
"I have no idea…"
"He's handsome…"
"Is he a noble?"
"No crest…"
The one thing they were certain of, was that he was about to join Jeanne Frost's table, and he did.
Her entire body stiffened at once as if she had noticed him too late.
"Odeus!" Jeanne stood up before realizing. "Hey…"
"I hope I didn't make you wait." He said upon arriving at the table.
"N-no," Jeanne shook her head. "Not at all. I got here a bit early but…"
Her words trailed off as Odeus circled around to push her chair in for her before taking a seat of his own.
The head waiter approached almost instantly, bowed, and handed them menus.
"Good evening," the man said, voice careful. "Lady Frost."
Jeanne nodded politely.
"Good evening."
The waiter's gaze shifted to her date.
"Mister Stark." He bowed, turning towards Odeus.
"Good evening." Odeus nodded after a moment.
He turned towards Jeanne as the waiter walked away. "Did you tell them my name?"
"No," She shook her head. "They must have figured it out somehow."
"Hm…"
"Did that make you uncomfortable? It did, didn't it? Usually it's pretty cool because they do their research on the guests and all but…"
"No, it's fine." Odeus smiled. "It just surprised me. I feel a bit insecure now," He gestured. "Everyone knows I'm sitting with a Frost."
"Oh, stop it." Jeanne rolled her eyes. "Don't bring my family into this."
"It's not my fault that I feel insecure now." He shrugged.
"Really?" Jeanne smiled. "I don't see an ounce of insecurity in your eyes."
"Well…"
***
Meanwhile,
"L-Lucien? Is that you?" Lady Frost approached the living room anxiously. "What are you doing sitting in the dark?"
"Nothing," Lucien answered, gaze peering through the window on the other side of the living room.
'I guess I should be glad to see this.' His mother scratched her head. 'He usually tends to stick to Jeanne too much at times like these…'
Still, it was too strange not to ask about it.
"Jeanne is on a date right now, right?"
"Yes, yes! She is!" Lucien's voice had suddenly turned enthusiastic. He leapt to his feet, turning to face his mother. "With Odeus!"
"And you're okay with that? I mean… Letting your younger sister go out with a man?"
"Of course! Odeus is great! Absolutely great! I can't wait for them to get married, for him to become family!"
"I-I see…" Lady Frost gulped. 'W-Well, better than him being overprotective, I guess.'
Before long, Lady Frost was talking to her room, and Lucien Frost went back to sitting on the sofa, gazing through the window.
"I can't wait…" He whispered, a tear running down his smiling face. "For them to get married."
'Hm…' Two yellow golden eyes with vertical slits peered at him through the window from outside the Frost's estate. 'I might have overdone it.' Saphyra thought to herself while scratching her chin. 'Might need another coat as well.' The corner of the Demon's lips curled upwards. "Still, the kind of love strong enough to resist my powers even slightly," she whispered. "Your sister is lucky to have you."
***
"Man, this is some bullshit!" Jack cursed while kicking a can.
"What can you do?"
"If even Lucien is okay with that guy dating Jeanne…"
"Fuck! That doesn't mean I'm okay with it! He'll see!" Jack shouted. "Tomorrow… Yeah, I'll think up something nice and good!"
***
"Hahaha! I wouldn't go that far." Jeanne waved her hands.
"I definitely would." Odeus said with a chuckle before taking a sip of the wine the restaurant had offered their table.
"By the way…" She swirled her glass. "Madam Del Rey seems quite interested in you."
"Interested how?"
"I'm not sure. It just seemed that way to me."
"I doubt it." Odeus shrugged. "Nothing too interesting about me."
"Hm…" Jeanne's eyes narrowed as she leaned forward, chin resting on her palm. "Maybe it's because you didn't go crazy for her."
"Go crazy for her?"
"Yes." She nodded with a smile. "We all know she's related to the Swordsman in the Archmage's group. So, of course, we had tons of questions. About her relative, and the Archmage."
"I guess I did hear something about that," Odeus whispered. "What did she say about them?"
"Unfortunately, nothing much." Jeanne sighed. "I'm your Professor, not a friend you can gossip with, go back to your seats." She repeated while doing her best Olivia Del Rey impression.
"I see." Odeus chuckled.
The fourth and most important reason for his leaving Olivia Del Rey earlier.
A passionate one-night stand wouldn't help.
He needed to get close to her. Truly close.
'The Swordsman in the Archmage's group might know something.' Odeus thought while staring at his reflection in the wine glass. 'The Archmage from whom Nyl stole the Artefact… Alatreon's Tear, the Artefact that led to me being born.'
The biggest reason for their descent into the Human Realm.
'I need to learn more about it. This Artefact that makes up half of my body.'
"...?"
'To better understand this body of mine… As well as the depths of my powers.'
"Umm…" Jeanne pushed her hands together. "Ready to order?" She asked, eager to break the awkward silence.
"Oh, yes, sure." Odeus nodded, and raised a hand to call up the waiter.
Prologue: END.