The royal knight dressed himself, straightened his cloak, and with one final nod left the room. In the hallway, the madam of the brothel was already waiting, arms crossed as she watched him disappear around the stairwell. Only then did she step into the courtesan's room.
The girl was still sitting on the bed, the blanket lazily wrapped around her.
"Another client has come for you," the madam announced as she closed the door behind her. "He asked for you specifically. This will be your fourth today. Can you handle it?"
The courtesan stretched languidly, as if waking from a pleasant afternoon nap.
"Hm… what does he look like?"
"No idea." The madam shrugged. "He's wearing a hood, you can barely see his face. But we offer discretion here. He's not the first who doesn't want to be seen visiting us. Probably has a wife."
The girl smiled, as if that were the most ordinary thing in the world.
"Yeah, probably. Alright, send him in."
The madam nodded with satisfaction.
"You're my favorite among the newcomers," she said as she headed for the door. "You never complain, and you work as much alone as three other girls together. I can't give you triple pay, but double is yours. Good work."
She left, and for a few moments the quiet of the hallway seeped into the room. Soon, soft footsteps approached. The handle turned, and the mysterious hooded figure stepped inside.
He first glanced cautiously down the corridor, as if afraid someone might be following him. Then he quickly shut the door behind him and turned the key.
The room was dim, the candle flames dancing across the walls. The hooded figure slowly turned toward the girl.
"The fire burns," he said in a deep, muffled voice.
The courtesan sighed in boredom and crossed her arms.
"…to set the world ablaze."
Her eyes flashed.
"Only you Fire Demons could come up with such a stupid password."
The air tightened instantly, as if even the walls were holding their breath.
The air between the hooded figure and the courtesan vibrated — but not in any way typical of a brothel. The candlelight cast shifting shadows across the walls, the flickering flames mirroring the tension between the two demons.
The Fire Demon slowly lowered his hood, his red eyes glowing like embers.
"Did you learn anything new?" he asked, his voice a deep, rasping growl.
The Succubus woman stretched across the bed like a playful cat toying with its prey.
"Oh, I did. And something quite interesting," she replied with a seductive smile. "But we have time… don't you want to play a little? I do love fiery swords."
The Fire Demon grimaced and turned his head away.
"Is there any sword your kind doesn't like?" he snarled. "Forget it! I'd sooner force myself on human women than lie with a Succubus!"
The woman laughed, her sharp, ringing laughter cutting through the room like a blade.
"Oh, please!" she teased. "How many times has Salamander tried his luck with our Princess? And Quelenna rejected him every single time. Hahaha!"
The Fire Demon's eyes flared even brighter.
"Salamander has enough fire in him that even your Princess couldn't drain the life out of him."
"Or maybe he's just not her type," the Succubus shrugged. "Our Princess is waiting for the Demon King. Your Salamander never had a chance."
The Fire Demon snorted mockingly.
"Quelenna loves to dream. Salamander says our era will have a Demon Queen."
The woman's eyes narrowed, her voice sharpening.
"A Demon Queen? Don't make me laugh. Salamander thinks with nothing but his tail. Who's the dreamer now? We will have a Demon King, and the Succubus Princess of the Lust Demons — Quelenna — will be his rightful mate!"
The Fire Demon laughed, but the sound was cold, like crackling embers.
"The Hero is a woman — Eris Scarlett. Which means Quelenna's chances of seducing her are exactly zero."
"So what?" the Succubus waved dismissively. "The Hero is the Demon King's prey anyway. Quelenna will deal with the male members of the Hero's team."
The Fire Demon raised an eyebrow mockingly.
"That's all your kind is good for — spreading your legs for humans!"
Lightning flashed in the woman's eyes.
"Careful. You sound like you want to learn firsthand what a Succubus is capable of."
The Fire Demon clenched his fist, but didn't move.
"If I killed you now, Wildfire would tear me apart."
"Unless I kill you first," the woman replied softly. "But then that lunatic would burn me alive."
They both fell silent. The candle flames trembled, as if the room itself sensed the fragile balance between them.
Finally, the Fire Demon sighed.
"At least we agree on that. No point fighting — it would mean both our deaths. Damn it all… we've wasted enough time. What information did you learn?"
The Succubus slowly sat up and leaned closer, a sly smile curling at the corner of her lips.
"What do I get in return if I tell you?"
"Besides not pissing off Wildfire's already messed‑up mind?" the Fire Demon snapped.
The woman laughed, then finally spoke:
"In one week, the Royal Family will be in Greenwood for the Royal Hunt. Both Heroes will be there, the King, the noble houses."
The room suddenly felt colder, as if their words had summoned a dark omen into the air.
The Fire Demon's eyes glowed crimson beneath his hood as the Succubus leaned closer. In the dim room, the candle flames danced wildly, as if they too sensed the dangerous energy crackling between the two demons.
The Fire Demon finally nodded with satisfaction.
"That is very good news," he rumbled. "Greenwood is only a few wingbeats away from the Harpies' Island. And that is where we are preparing right now."
The Succubus raised an eyebrow and tilted her head playfully.
"And what happened to the harpies?"
"They're all dead," the Fire Demon replied with utter indifference, as if stating that the bread had run out.
The woman curled her lip.
"You could've at least captured the Harpy Queen alive. She would've looked lovely in a cage in Quelenna's room."
The Fire Demon shrugged.
"I wasn't there. It was Wildfire and the Za Clan's mission to take the island. Only two survived the battle: Wildfire… and Za Balog, the clan's leader."
The Succubus whistled appreciatively.
"Where Wildfire is present, there aren't many survivors."
"Only the strong survive beside him," the Fire Demon said, as if reciting a natural law of the world.
The woman crossed her arms.
"How many clans are on Harpies' Island now?"
"Three clans," the Fire Demon answered. "A total of one hundred Fire Demons and five hundred imps."
The Succubus's eyes gleamed.
"You're going to attack the Hero?"
"We're going to kill the Hero," the Fire Demon said with the same casual tone one might use to predict tomorrow's weather. "By the way, is it really two Heroes, or just false rumors?"
The woman smiled and slowly ran her fingers along her thigh, as if preparing to reveal another secret.
"There is one Hero," she said. "And a female knight, Andrea Wolf, who is as strong as the Hero herself."
The Fire Demon snapped his head up.
"Likely part of the Hero's team. Who else should we watch out for?"
"The Captain of the Royal Knights, John Scarlett," the Succubus listed. "And Andras Wolfwood, better known as Young Wolf. The strongest mage in the Kingdom — he uses two elements: water and lightning."
The Fire Demon's eyes widened.
"Water and lightning?!"
His voice was a mix of outrage and excitement.
"The worst possible combination for us. He'll slaughter a few Fire Demons for sure."
He began counting on his fingers, then snorted.
"That's it? Math isn't my strength, but if I'm counting right, you named four. Wildfire has three clan leaders beside him. Four against four. Everyone will have fun."
The Succubus smirked.
"If I'm not mistaken, you are not a clan leader."