A Demon's Journey

Rueben perceived a formidable aura emanating from the vicinity of the Church of Mubesni, its intensity and brilliance prompting him to shift his focus in its direction. Simultaneously, he detected another aura, shrouded in enigma and that of a five-star warrior, whose precise origin eluded his keen senses.

It didn't take long for the two individuals to enter the boundary of the Church of Mubesni. A few sentries stopped them for questioning.

However, Yrellea instantly pulled out a command token that stunned the sentries. They lowered their heads in respect and backed away.

Aurelio's composure held fast while Yrellea made the sentries retreat, not because he had foreseen her actions, but because his attention was fully consumed by a tremendously potent aura.

Rueben exited the building to examine these mysterious strangers.

Yrellea spoke while gesturing, "This is Rueben Blake."

"I see," Aurelio commented as an exciting look appeared on his face.

"…And who are you?" Rueben asked in return. He gazed at these enigmatic strangers. The King-Ranked Warrior was a guy while the Lord Ranked Warrior was the woman next to him.

Aurelio responded quickly, "I am Aurelio Vulso from the Berian Kingdom."

It took a moment for Rueben to recall a warrior of this name and he exclaimed, "You are the Generous Blazing Archer?!"

"I am indeed called by this title," Aurelio spoke proudly.

"Are you also here to kill me?" Rueben inquired while glancing at him coldly.

"Eh?" Aurelio seemed surprised by this statement.

"No, Rueben. Aurelio isn't here to kill you. However, he does want a spar with you and test your skills," Yrellea spoke suddenly.

"What?" Rueben had a dumbfounded look as he heard Yrellea's words.

"Let's get something to eat. I am starving," Aurelio spoke.

Meanwhile, Rueben retained that puzzled expression as he failed to understand the motive of these strangers. They were too casual in front of him.

At this moment, a deacon arrived and spoke, "High Pontiff sends his greetings to Miss Yrellea. He invites you to the prayer hall as he wishes to talk to you."

Yrellea had expected this and spoke, "Alright."

She turned towards Aurelio and added, "Don't start a battle before I return or else the result won't be pretty."

"Yeah, yeah. I know," Aurelio waved off her threat while staring at Rueben.

Meanwhile, Rueben found it odd how this woman threatened Aurelio. It had to be known that Aurelio possessed an impressive reputation in the world due to his terrifying power and monstrous talent.

This made Rueben very curious about Yrellea's status.

After Yrellea was gone, Aurelio spoke, "So, where do we get food? My hunger is only increasing."

Rueben was still puzzled by the intentions of this man, but he didn't sense a wicked feeling from Aurelio. He felt it would be alright to trust this man.

"Follow me," Rueben spoke.

Rueben led Aurelio to a nearby tavern and ordered some local dishes and a drink. They began to chat while waiting for their food.

Rueben inquired, "What is the reason behind your arrival here?" Curiously, he added, "Also may I know who the woman accompanying you is?"

For some reason, Rueben felt he would receive a straightforward answer from Aurelio.

And sure enough, Aurelio responded candidly, "Her name is Yrellea, and she was telling the truth. I came here to have a spar with you. Actually, I heard of your battle against five Demon Kings, so I became curious about your strength. As we are both archers, I wanted to compare my abilities against yours. Aren't you curious who is more skilled between us?"

Rueben's surprise was evident as he asked, "You aren't afraid of my strength?"

In the last few weeks, many warriors had arrived to kill him because they were terrified of his talent. However, Aurelio seemed different.

"Afraid? I am excited! It's the first time I am meeting someone as talented as myself," Aurelio stated proudly.

With a roll of his eyes, Rueben sneered and asked, "As talented as yourself? Do you think you can defeat five Demon Kings too?"

"Although I have never fought them in reality, it shouldn't be a problem," Aurelio replied with a straight face.

Rueben's pupils widened in surprise at the seriousness of Aurelio's answer. He had not expected such a confident and sincere response and could sense no deceit in his words.

"…Let's see. I am also curious about your strength now," Rueben spoke with a competitive look.

Rueben was a modest person who refrained from boasting about his accomplishments, but he was also fiercely competitive and relished opportunities to showcase his exceptional skills.

"Have you recovered completely? I don't wish to take advantage of your injuries," Aurelio spoke sincerely.

"Don't worry, I can fight at my best," Rueben promised solemnly. This was the truth.

"Well, I will trust you on that," Aurelio spoke. His mouth suddenly started watering as he noticed the waiter bringing the dishes.

As soon as the waiter placed the food on their table, Aurelio dove in, devouring the dish with such speed that it left Rueben wondering if the woman he had arrived with had left him famished for the entire journey.

"Slow down. The food won't go anywhere," Rueben spoke.

"Don't worry. It's just my usual style," Aurelio spoke while chewing roasted fish pieces.

A sweat-drop appeared on Rueben's head as he responded, "Oh yeah…"

After a few minutes, Aurelio's stomach started filling, and his speed of eating slowed down.

Rueben felt that this would be the appropriate time to ask, "So, what is the identity of that woman? You didn't mention it earlier or do you not know anything other than her name?"

Aurelio swallowed the food in his mouth and answered, "She is the head of the Misty Flower Pavilion of all the branches including the ones in the Berian Kingdom."

Rueben's pupils narrowed upon hearing those words as whispered, "The Misty Flower Pavilion has branches in the Berian Kingdom as well? This is surprising."

Aurelio ignored his words and focused on ingesting the food and downing that drink. It didn't take long before Aurelio was done with his meal.

"Let's return to the church. We need to wait for Yrellea to return before commencing our spar," Aurelio spoke.

"Why are you scared of her? It's not like she can beat you," Rueben asked a bit curiously.

Aurelio responded light-heartedly, "I promised to listen to her when we met, and I don't break my promises."

He added with a sombre tone, "Also, I have a feeling she has a trump card with which she can defeat or kill me."

"Somehow, I don't doubt that," Rueben had felt likewise when he observed Yrellea earlier.

After some time, the two archers returned to the church.

Meanwhile, inside the church, Yrellea was having a rather serious discussion with High Pontiff.

"Why would you bring the Generous Blazing Archer here, Miss Yrellea? Are you planning something?" The High Pontiff asked.

Yrellea replied straightforwardly, "Aurelio and Rueben will have a spar soon. I wish to observe the potential of this warrior and if he passes the threshold, turn him into our ally."

"Our ally? I don't understand. How can he help the Church of Mubesni?" The High Pontiff asked.

"He can help you gain fame in the Berian Kingdom. Don't forget that the Berian Kingdom has three famous religions while also possessing more Demon Nests as compared to the Pinhian Republic," Yrellea spoke.

The High Pontiff was indeed aware of this fact, and he spoke, "…That is indeed true. However, those religions are supported by the king and someone from the Royal Family. Just the support from the Generous Blazing Archer will be insufficient to deal with them."

"Yeah. But what if the King is dead? Will the public still trust the Royal Family that greatly?" Yrellea asked these questions with a smile.

The High Pontiff stifled upon hearing those words. He somewhat understood Yrellea's plan, but as he thought deeply in that direction, he couldn't help but stare at Yrellea with a hint of dread.

'She is truly terrifying.'

After a few seconds, the High Pontiff chuckled and spoke, "…Miss Yrellea, you are truly remarkable. Despite being a demon, you are making two kingdoms dance in your palm."

Upon hearing those words, Yrellea's pupils widened due to shock. She didn't think the High Pontiff would figure out her true identity!

"Now, I wonder why I shouldn't kill you right now and offer your soul to Mubesni God?"

Yrellea's Mystical Spiritual Connection Ring sparkled with purple demonic light as she boldly replied, "Why don't you give it a try?"