Just as we stepped into the first hallway of the palace, I spotted Primus standing in the corner. His daughter, Lara, was half-hiding behind him, peeking out at us in an innocent, curious way.
"How are you doing, Primus?" I asked, my voice calm.
His eyes met mine, then flicked to Steve, then back again. That one glance told me everything. There was fear in his gaze now, a sharp difference from the last time we had met.
"We are doing good so far," he answered, forcing a strained smile.
Beside me, Steve muttered under his breath, "A demon? You wanted me to meet a demon?"
I nodded.
"Yeah. Steve, this is Primus Blood Reaver. And behind him is his daughter, Lara. And this—" I gestured toward Steve "—is my friend, Steve."
Primus dipped his head toward Steve, but his eyes quickly returned to me, tense and watchful.
"How about all of us go out for breakfast?" I said, trying to cut through the stiffness.
Steve just shrugged, but Primus remained silent. Lara, however, piped up, her small voice echoing in the hallway. "I want to."
Primus’s eyes widened slightly. "Lara..."
"Hey, it’s all right," I said with a light smile. "I’m hungry too. Let’s go."
I connected with the World Core again, searching for somewhere far from the capital, somewhere untouched by war. My senses landed on a coastal city called Rice City. From the look of it, the place was in the middle of some kind of celebration. Perfect.
I reached out, wrapped Essence around us, and after a few seconds, the four of us appeared high above the city. Below, bright banners fluttered in the wind, streets crowded with people in colorful festive clothes. The morning air was filled with the hum of voices, laughter, and music.
"Well, looks like they haven’t heard the news yet," Steve said, eyeing the crowd.
"Or maybe they have, and that’s why they’re celebrating," I replied.
When people noticed us descending, their attention fixed immediately on Primus and Lara. Whispers spread like wildfire, eyes widening at the sight of demons walking among them. Still, none dared to move against us.
I ignored the stares and led the way down to a restaurant with a polished wooden sign that read Senns. The guard at the door stiffened when he noticed our group, but he quickly bowed, stepping aside as he opened the door.
"Welcome, sirs... and madam, to Senns," he said, his voice careful but polite.
"Thank you," I nodded, guiding the others inside.
We walked inside, and a waitress quickly came to greet us. She guided us to a table near the window, her eyes darting every now and then toward Primus and Lara. She tried to be subtle, but I caught it easily, she wasn’t used to seeing demons sitting down for a meal in the middle of a human city.
We settled into our seats and ordered. It wasn’t really breakfast anymore; the table soon filled with plates more fitting for lunch, grilled fish, spiced rice, roasted meats, and a few strong drinks. I figured we had earned it, so we decided to celebrate the victory in our own way.
While the waitress was still there, I looked at her and asked, "So, what’s the celebration about?"
She gave me a polite smile. "Today is the founding day of our city."
"Oh," I nodded, watching her leave to fetch the food.
But I could already tell she hadn’t told me the whole truth. With my perception spread through the city, I could hear the others. Their voices carried laughter and relief, most of them celebrating not just the city’s founding, but the fall of the Half Moon faction. The mood was lighter than it should have been.
Steve leaned back in his chair and looked at me. "So how do you know Primus?"
I glanced at the demon, then back at Steve. "He was a prisoner inside the capital of Peanu. Some things happened, and I ended up meeting him."
Steve frowned, his surprise clear. "They had a demon locked up? A grandmaster, at that?"
"There were other races too," Primus muttered quietly, his voice flat.
Steve’s eyes narrowed. "Not anymore, I guess. The capital’s gone."
Primus froze, his expression changing. His eyes widened as he leaned forward. "What? How?"
"Hey... let’s not talk about that for now," I muttered, sliding some food onto Lara’s plate. I turned to Primus. "Why don’t you tell me how you ended up here on Peanu?"
Before he could open his mouth, Lara whispered softly, almost trembling, "It was because of me."
I looked at her. Her eyes glistened, and I could see she was on the edge of tears.
Primus let out a heavy breath and patted her head gently. "It wasn’t your fault," he said, then looked at me. "She was kidnapped. I went after her and got caught myself. We were sold as slaves... and eventually ended up in Saturn’s hands. He used my daughter to control me, to force me into his service."
I nodded slowly, the pieces fitting together. "I remember you said you had information on two demon worlds."
"Yes," he replied with a firm nod. "The demon worlds of Dragos and Armus. Both are here, in the Blue Spire Galaxy. Armus is my home world, smaller and weaker compared to Dragos. Dragos, on the other hand, is the head world for our kind in this galaxy. It stands almost toe to toe with the Nagas and the Ferans."
Steve leaned forward, curiosity plain on his face. "How many demon worlds are we talking about in this galaxy?"
"Many," Primus said after a pause. "Maybe close to twenty. Not all of them are strong, but in terms of sheer numbers, we far outmatch the Nagas and Ferans."
Steve frowned. "So how strong are your people really, compared to the others?"
Primus didn’t hesitate. "The Nagas are the strongest, no question. The Ferans come second, they’ve been trying for ages to replace the Nagas as the top race. Then there are the Elementals. Only two planets, but the strength of their individuals makes up for the lack of numbers. After them comes the Aquas. Then us demons."
I leaned back, thinking over what he’d said.
From what I had read, whenever the call for war went out to the frontlines against the Eternals, it was usually the Nagas who led, while humans were placed alongside the weaker races to make up numbers. Hearing it directly from a demon grandmaster gave the picture more weight.
Steve turned his head toward me then, his expression sharp. "And why are you interested in a demon world?"