A Visit to a Friend

"What happened?" I asked, a hint of worry in my tone due to the sudden communication cutoff from Zephyra through Katarina. "Something urgent came up," Zephyra replied. "I see," I replied, deciding not to look into it further. With that, I took out a small pouch and handed it to Zephyra, who was no longer on the throne but walking beside me through the empty audience hall. "Here, it's the eye," I said. "A-are you sure? I'm a demon... you know?" she replied, her tone carrying a hint of shyness. "Yeah, I took it out so you could research or craft something from it in case those guys come to the Demon Kingdom again," I replied. Zephyra took the pouch from my hand and held it in front of her face. "You really don't know anything at all, Cid," she said, chuckling. "For demons, giving an eye of a wyvern, dragon, or giant is usually a proposal," she said. "Huh? A proposal?" I questioned. "Yes, for marriage," Zephyra replied, laughing as she put the pouch away into her pocket. "Wait, wait, that wasn't my intention. Give it back," I said. While I didn't hold any hatred towards demons, I didn't think I should marry them just yet, not until the human hatred for demons had dissipated. "Haha, no, no take-backs," Zephyra said, laughing. "I thought we had something. I was so happy when I talked to you through Katarina before," she said in a pouting manner. I let out a sigh. "Anyway, on a serious note, Cid, there is something I must discuss with you," she said, her tone shifting from the previous light-heartedness. We walked out of the castle to a courtyard where I saw something unexpected—another extinct creature. "A dragon?!" I exclaimed, staring at the fresh corpse of a recently slain dragon. "Yes, another extinct creature making a return," Zephyra said, handing me a pouch containing the dragon's eye. "You're proposing to me?" I chuckled, taking the pouch. "Yes," Zephyra replied in a joking tone before continuing, "We're currently working on a special sword." She led me to the blacksmith, where I saw a burly, horned demon with reddish skin vigorously forging a piece of metal with a massive hammer. "This is Ragnos, my trusted blacksmith," she said as she handed him the wyvern's eye. Ragnos took the eye and then retrieved the dragon's eye, placing both on the handle of the sword. With a mighty swing of his hammer, he embedded the eyes into the handle, their shapes becoming visible as if they were part of the sword. I gazed at the sword, mesmerized by its beauty. It was the most exquisite weapon I had ever laid eyes on. "This sword, now embedded with the eyes of a wyvern and a dragon, will choose its owner and be a perfect fit for them," Ragnos proclaimed. Zephyra picked up the sword and swung it a couple of times, creating no sound with each swing. "Here, give it a try," she said, handing me the sword. As I held the handle, my hand immediately dropped under its weight. It was the heaviest sword I had ever held. "Oh, it seems like it has chosen its owner," Ragnos remarked. Zephyra swiftly took the sword from my hand as if it were as light as a feather. "Can I have one too?" I asked Zephyra. She nodded and held out her hand. "It will take a couple of days, though," she said. I took out the wyvern eye I had kept for myself and the dragon eye she had given me earlier, placing them on her hand. "Don't worry, as everyone in my kingdom knows, I am out hunting," I said with a wink. Zephyra handed the two eyes to Ragnos, who let out a sigh. After all, crafting a sword like that must be incredibly tiring, especially when infusing it with magic. Zephyra shot a meaningful glance at the corner of her eyes, and Ragnos immediately saluted before getting to work on the sword.

After commissioning the sword, or rather getting it for free, I walked back to the castle with Zephyra, with whom I had grown close over the past few months. "I'm glad we have peace, at least between us," I said with a sigh. Zephyra nodded in agreement. "I know... but it's still dangerous for us. There are kingdoms with hatred towards us, including yours," she said with a hint of sadness in her voice. I couldn't argue with her. Despite my own friendly disposition towards the demon race, many kingdoms, including our own, still viewed them as evil beings. "We could orchestrate a play, where human villages are attacked but ultimately saved by demons," I suggested. "If it works, there would be one more human village that is friendly towards demons." Zephyra remained silent, and we continued walking towards the dining hall. The hall was grand, with purple flames flickering from the candles. It was similar in size to the dining hall back home, but it exuded a slightly unsettling vibe. "Why don't you join me for dinner?" Zephyra said, taking a seat at the dining table. I nodded and took a seat at the other end of the table, with Katarina and Valeria standing behind me. "You two should join as well," Zephyra said, turning her attention to my bodyguards. She clapped her hands, and five demon maids entered the hall, carrying numerous plates of food. "Don't worry, we eat the same things as humans do, like chicken, beef, and so on," Zephyra said with a chuckle as she placed a cloth on her lap. "But we have something special tonight—dragon meat," she said, winking at me. It was the meat of the dragon she had shown me earlier. One of the maids cut a piece from the giant meat in the middle of the table and brought it to me and my bodyguards. I nodded as a gesture of thanks and looked down at the dragon meat. "I've never eaten something like this before," I said with a chuckle as I inserted my fork into the meat and tried to cut it with my knife. "Me neither," Zephyra replied, stabbing the meat with her fork. Without using a knife, she simply used the fork as a makeshift skewer and took a bite from it. I followed suit and took a bite as well. "Wow... it tastes like chicken in a way," I remarked, savoring the juicy dragon meat. "No way you can compare an extinct creature to chicken," Zephyra laughed heartily as she took another bite from the chunk of meat on her fork. "Thanks, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," I said, wiping my mouth with a handkerchief. "Well, I hope it stays that way," Zephyra replied. Even though dragon meat was delicious, battling a dragon was exhausting, even for demons. "Yeah, we need to find out where they came from," I replied. "It could be a summoning, but who could do something like this?" I pondered aloud. "Are there other demon lords?" Zephyra sighed in response. "You think demons would do something like this?" she asked. "Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that. It could also be the work of humans. I mean, if there are other demon lords who would want to cause chaos," I clarified. "I wish, Cid. After your fellow humans attacked the demons, this is the last standing demon kingdom left," Zephyra replied sadly. "I'm sorry," was all I could say in response. There was no easy answer to a situation like this. "I understand. Well, why don't you rest?" Zephyra suggested as she stood up, leaving the dining hall and leaving me and my bodyguards alone. After a while, a demon maid entered the dining hall to guide us to the rooms where we would be staying. I followed her, returning to the room I had stayed in during my previous visit, while my two bodyguards occupied the rooms next to mine. I lay down on the large bed, contemplating the discussions of the day and pondering how to eliminate the deep-seated hatred of demons in the hearts of humans.

Character Introduction

Cid Leonhardt

Cid Leonhardt, the Crown Prince, possessed striking features with his deep blue eyes and flowing golden hair. His lean yet muscular physique spoke of the countless hours he dedicated to mastering the art of swordsmanship. From a tender age of 14, Cid's talent in swordplay propelled him to triumph in numerous tournaments, establishing his reputation as a formidable warrior. As he reached the age of 19, he had surpassed all his peers, becoming the unrivaled champion among the four human kingdoms.

However, Cid's true strength did not lie solely in his unmatched swordsmanship skills. Growing up in the shadow of his father's deep-rooted animosity toward the demon race, Cid had chosen a different path. As he matured, his heart shed the cloak of prejudice, and his hatred for demons transformed into a fervent desire for understanding and unity. Cid questioned the validity of his father's animosity, yearning to replace it with a newfound empathy and create a world where both demons and humans could coexist in peace.

Zephyra

Zephyra, the last surviving Demon Queen, bore witness to the merciless annihilation of her people at the hands of humans, particularly the brutal actions of the Leonhardt Kingdom. Despite the harrowing darkness that engulfed her past, Zephyra emerged as a figure of unmatched elegance and strength. Her jet-black eyes pierced through the shadows, reflecting an unwavering resolve. With fiery red tresses cascading down her back, she embodied both beauty and power. Her reddish skin, far from diminishing her allure, accentuated the flawless curves that adorned her every feature.

As the sole ruler of Shadowmoor and Sinewood, the remaining bastions of demon civilization, Zephyra carried the weight of her fallen kingdom upon her shoulders. The echoes of her friends and family's cries for justice reverberated within her, fueling her determination to seek retribution. She yearned to raise a formidable demon army to strike back at the humans who had inflicted such unimaginable suffering. Yet, she knew that an all-out assault on the Leonhardt Kingdom would only invite further retaliation from the three remaining human realms.

Amidst her turmoil, fate intervened, introducing her to Cid Leonhardt, a prince who dared to see demons not as enemies but as an oppressed race, victims of human genocide. In a world stained by hatred, Cid's enlightened perspective resonated deeply with Zephyra. Recognizing his potential as an agent of change from within, she forged a pact with him, bound by a shared commitment to overturn the prejudiced views of their respective races.