Chapter 78 - 28: [Sittika’s Hunter and the Red-Brown Sage]

Chapter 78: Chapter 28: [Sittika’s Hunter and the Red-Brown Sage]

These members of the Demon Race clearly held high status and were likely Valak’s trusted subordinates. Seeing the Feather-crowned Demon Crow approach, they did not bow deeply like the demonized, but merely offered a gentle and submissive nod of acknowledgment.

The Demon Crow nodded and continued forward.

The core of the Underground City was a magnificent high tower that pierced straight through the dome. Eight Demon Race Warriors stood guard at the entrance, clad in various forms of blood-brown armor and capes bearing the crest of a Demon Crow with spread wings. Gripping an assortment of brutal weapons in uniform, sharp Claw-shaped Hand Armors, their shadowed gazes beneath their helmets locked onto the two figures trailing behind the Feather-crowned Demon Crow.

The opulent halls and corridors were lined with oil paintings. Most depicted the breathtaking red-brown landscapes of the Kana Plain or the verdant gardens thriving along the Underground City’s dome. Interspersed among these were portraits of distinguished, high-ranking Demon Race officials and intriguing Magical Beasts—the most prominent of which being the Demon Crow.

Four armored Demon Race Warriors pushed open the heavy doors of the Throne Hall with a resounding boom. Within the massive chamber, a man with red-brown hair, draped in robes over half-armor, sprawled lazily across an exquisitely carved dark blue throne. With his head resting on the left armrest and his legs draped over the right, he reached blindly into a fruit platter on the small table before him, plucked a berry, and tossed it into his mouth.

He might have been twenty, thirty, or perhaps forty, fifty, or even over a hundred years old. Time rarely left its mark on powerful individuals of the Demon Race, especially a Monarch in his prime.

Beside the throne rested a crow-shaped helmet featuring a pointed beak, along with a set of blood-rusted battle armor. Two leaf-shaped blades, one long and one short, were displayed on a nearby weapon rack.

FLAP, FLAP. The Feather-crowned Demon Crow flew up to the perch beside the throne, cawing loudly.

Valak raised a hand and tossed it a berry. The Demon Crow snapped its beak, catching the fruit and swallowing it whole.

"We pay our respects to the Lord of Kana, the Red-Brown Sage, the King of Blood-rusted Crows!" the two demonized proclaimed, dropping to one knee and bowing deeply in submission.

"Because our arrival was so sudden, we didn’t have time to prepare a better gift. We only brought some local specialties from the Gawana Desert. Please accept our sincerest apologies. The next time we seek an audience, we will properly make up for this slight," the black-robed man said, opening the large ebony chest in his hands.

A chill white mist billowed from the chest, parting to reveal large platters of grapes, an assortment of vibrantly colored berries, and massive, bright yellow unpeeled fruits.

"These are fruits cultivated in an Eastern Desert Oasis. We’ve heard that you, the Lord of Kana, have a fondness for such things, so we offer these regional specialties as a small token of our respect," the woman explained. "The extreme temperature differences between day and night in the desert make the harvest exceptionally sweet and luscious. We hope they might suit your tastes."

"Oh, how thoughtful." Valak crooked a finger. A fully armored Demon Race Warrior emerged from the shadows at the side of the Throne Hall, lifted the large gold-inlaid ebony chest, and presented it before the Monarch.

The inner walls of the chest were inscribed with cooling and cushioning Magic Arrays, powered by specific catalysts to ensure that every delicate berry remained fresh and perfectly intact throughout the long journey.

Valak casually grabbed a handful of berries, tossed them into his mouth, and savored the taste, licking the blood-red juice from his fingers with satisfaction.

The Feather-crowned Demon Crow on the perch let out a loud caw.

"Do you want a taste too, my sweet?" Valak pinched a berry and tossed it to the Demon Crow before casting a lazy glance at the two figures kneeling before him. "I doubt you two came all this way just to drop off some fruit."

"Indeed," the black-robed man nodded. "We are currently executing a hunt. Our target—the Exile—has fled into your territory... Perhaps you have some information regarding her whereabouts."

"Who?" Valak asked, sucking the berry juice from his fingers and casting a sidelong glance at the two demonized before him.

"The exiled princess of the Northern Rondolan Mountain Demon Country, Talia Ronov," the black-robed woman replied.

"Hmm? Since when did Rondolan fall?" Valak asked, scratching his head.

The two black-robed demonized fell silent for a moment.

"Have you not seen her?" the black-robed man asked.

"Never seen her." Still lounging on his throne, Valak raised a forearm covered in crimson, scale-like feathers and tore into the thick, tough rind of one of the bright yellow fruits with his bare hands. He extracted a large, sweet chunk of flesh and shoved it into his mouth. "I’m different from the other Monarchs. I don’t like meddling in affairs that aren’t mine. The outside world is none of my concern. But if that Ronov girl sets foot in my territory, I’ll kill her."

"You must be joking. If there was even one extra ant on the Kana Plain, you would know about it within two days," the black-robed woman pressed. "We saw the Exile flee into your territory with our own eyes."

"Are you accusing me of lying, servant of Sittika?" Valak asked, slowly and methodically chewing the fruit.

"We wouldn’t dare!" The two demonized trembled, throwing themselves flat against the floor. "We are deeply sorry! It is our own foolish ignorance! Our absurd choice of words caused a grave misunderstanding, my Lord!"

"This is my territory. Even if your master were here in person, they would have to weigh their words carefully before speaking." Valak lazily tossed a piece of fruit to the Feather-crowned Demon Crow. "So, you plan to cross my lands?"

"Yes..." the two answered in a low voice. "We humbly request... your permission to pass through the Kana Plain to reach the border of the Ederic Empire. According to the tracks we found, Talia Ronov seems to have met up with someone else. They are traveling together across the Kana Plain, heading towards an alliance stronghold and the Empire’s border."

"Oh? And who might this other person be?" Valak asked, bracing himself against the armrest as he slowly sat up straight.

"We do not know yet," the black-robed woman replied. "It appears she met this companion in some abandoned Divine Era Ruins near the border between the Kana Plain and Jawala Hill."