The Author's POV

Hearing Edward's brittle voice that was pent up with all his emotions, I smiled softly.

"Sorry, I had to take a little detour."

Clank—! Clank—!

With my sword unsheathed, I hacked at the chains that bound him and freed his arms and legs.

Following the release of the chains, he started to fall down. In response, I lowered my body and pressed my hand on his shoulder, preventing his fall.

"Are you okay?"

"…yeah."

Glancing at me, Edward had a bitter look on his face.

"It's been a while since I've moved, and with my mana sealed for this long, my muscles just gave out."

"It's alright. I'll help you out for now."

Supporting Edward's body up, I helped him out of the room. On our way out, Edward opened his mouth and asked.

"…Did you do it?"

His voice sounded rather weak and frail. Glancing at him from the corner of my eyes, I nodded.

"Yeah."

When I recalled my other self's conversation with the Duke, there were times when I was afraid that the deal would've fallen apart.

Especially during that time, my other self had threatened him.

If there was one thing you learned at the Lock about demons, it was never to threaten a demon belonging to the Pride clan.

If he hadn't been wary of the rumors about my strength, I would've been afraid he would have just attacked me then and there.

Fortunately, my other self knew when to back down, and from there was able to make a deal with the Duke.

Thankfully, I didn't have to give anything up. Initially, the Duke was against the idea of me keeping my stuff, but considering what he would gain, he eventually relented.

It wasn't every day he would get a core belonging to a Duke-ranked demon. Furthermore, with multiple alibis pointing out the fact that I had killed him, he could consume it without worrying.

No Duke would refuse such a tempting offer.

Well, it wasn't like my other self gave him any choice to begin with.

"Took you a while."

While I was carrying Edward on my shoulders, appearing right in front of us was Lightning Dragon.

His appearance shocked Edward as he looked at me.

"What is he doing here?"

Nodding in Lightning Dragon's direction, I glanced at Edward.

"He's our ticket out of the Demon Realm."

"Our ticket out?"

"Yeah. He knows of a portal that can lead us back to earth."

Edward's face relaxed as soon as he heard those words. Staring in Lightning Dragon's direction, he nodded his head.

"I'll be in your care."

"Don't worry about it."

Waving his hand to brush him off, Lightning Dragon took a couple of black robes from his dimensional space and handed them to us.

"For now it's best if you wear this."

"Sure."

"Okay."

Simultaneously nodding our heads, Edward and I took the hoodies and put them on.

This was something that the Duke had ordered.

Since he was planning on consuming the core, he couldn't let it seem as though he was working with me.

If it did, his plans would instantly crumble. Well, that was unless he decided to kill all witnesses, and realistically speaking, that was a bit more of a hassle than doing things this way.

"So…"

In the midst of putting on the robe, I suddenly heard Edward's voice.

I turned my head to look his way. Did he need something?

His next words made my expression harden.

"…I've been meaning to ask this for quite a while, but what's your relationship with my daughter?"

"Ehm…"

Scratching the side of my cheek, I carefully answered.

"The both of us attended the same academy, so we can say we're classmates."

Honestly, it was a bit more complicated than that, but my gut told me to leave it as it was.

"I see.."

As Edward raised the hoodie to cover his face, he nodded his head.

me

just curious. No need to stiffen

that, he walked

my head to stare at his back, I secretly sighed in

pressure coming out of his body that I

even channeling his mana or anything of

'Overprotective dad…'

up with Lightning Dragon who looked at

"What?"

in

I turned around and

and let's go. We don't have much

*

"This way…"

Edward and another figure, navigated dense

portal Lightning Dragon used

was only one way to get there, and that was through portal devices they created. Not only that,

access the demon realm, the

dungeon was through the portals that were set up

hoodie, I stared at Lightning Dragon who

we have left

"We're here."

abruptly

soon dawned on me that we were in the middle

at Lightning

exactly is

"Eh…"

Dragon embarrassingly scratched the side of his

at his surroundings, a wry smile appeared on his

"…I forgot."

"Shit."

I heard his words, I couldn't help but

forgot about

you seriously telling me that he is the key to

who was the one that told me that Lightning Dragon was the only one that could help me escape this

"You don't remember?"

voice echoed throughout the forest. Sharing the

that you knew a

"I did."

Dragon, no, Liam nodded his

that it's somewhere

he turned to look at the other figure

of a way to

"...I can try."

lowered his hood and displayed his horns before nodding his head and scanning

help out

a hand as he too started to look for

one of the threes, I shook my

only the Duke had his

was necessary to know the coordinates of the two locations in order to set up a portal. And since the Duke had never been to earth,

in order to activate the portal, and since none of us could use it, the Duke had a demon accompany

of

"Haaa…"

sigh and stared at the sky. Although I wanted to help, my body was still aching from the

only hope they would

But...

eventually passed, and the results remained the same. My mouth

'How useless.'

help out

upon realizing just how vast the place

take a

"I've found it!"

I was about to

the distance

"You found it?"

excitement, Edward walked

"Can you activate it?"

"Yes."

out from the demon's body as he started channeling it toward the portal-like

Crack. Crack. Crack.

energy, thin black threads appeared in the

minutes, a black portal started to appear

was evident that it took him a lot of demonic energy

"Haaa…haa…haa…I'm done."

echoed throughout

a

demon, I calmly

doing

Crack—

and

same. I'm also doing

given the

one could know about the fact that I struck a deal

was part of the agreement we

a few seconds to disintegrate after I cracked the core. But once he did, a breeze brushed past, scattering what remained of him in the

glanced toward the portal before turning my

It's

***

Duke Adramalech's voice.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Duke Adramalech stared at a small

mine might come soon, give this to

"An acquaintance?"

was he talking about?

thinking back at the figure,

couldn't feel