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 on

curious. No need

he walked

to stare at his

felt an incredible pressure coming out of his body that

he wasn't even channeling his mana or anything of

'Overprotective dad…'

my head, I followed him from behind and caught up with Lightning Dragon who looked at me with a strange look on his

"What?"

interested in his

I turned around and walked

your hoodie on and let's go. We don't have

*

"This way…"

Edward and another

destination was the portal Lightning Dragon

one way to get there, and that was through portal devices they created. Not only that, but they also needed to have specific coordinates

be used to access

enter a dungeon was through the portals that were set up

my hoodie, I stared at Lightning Dragon who was a little bit up ahead, and

we have

"We're here."

abruptly halted

curiously looked around the place. It soon dawned on me that we were in the middle of

at Lightning Dragon again, I

is this

"Eh…"

Dragon embarrassingly

look at his surroundings, a wry smile

"…I forgot."

"Shit."

his words, I couldn't

forgot about

that he is the key

to my other self who was the one that told me that Lightning Dragon was the only

"You don't remember?"

voice echoed throughout the forest. Sharing

say that you

"I did."

no, Liam nodded

that it's

his face, he turned to look at the other figure that was with

a way to sense where the portal

"...I can try."

his hood and displayed his horns before nodding his head

help out

a hand as he too started to look for

back on one of the threes, I

the Duke had his own

know the coordinates of the two locations in order to set up a portal. And since the Duke had never

to activate the portal, and since none of us could use it, the

part of

"Haaa…"

stared at the sky. Although I wanted to help, my body was still aching from the side effect of the

hope they

But...

hour eventually passed, and the results remained the

'How useless.'

me help out as

back, I quickly scanned my surroundings. But upon realizing just how vast the place was, my

my take a

"I've found it!"

as I was about to start searching, I heard Liam's

appeared in the distance holding

"You found it?"

with relief and excitement, Edward walked up to

"Can you activate it?"

"Yes."

out from the demon's body as

Crack. Crack. Crack.

demon channeled his demonic energy, thin black threads appeared in

portal started to

It was evident that it took him a lot of demonic energy to activate the portal. In the end, he struggled for a couple more minutes before he finally dropped

"Haaa…haa…haa…I'm done."

rough breathing echoed throughout

done a

the demon, I calmly

only doing this

Crack—

demon in his abdomen area and broke

also doing

do this, given the deal

that

was part of the

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

the area where the demon died, I glanced toward the portal before turning my attention to the

It's time

***

Duke Adramalech's voice.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

desk, Duke Adramalech stared at a small letter in front of

might come soon, give this to him if

"An acquaintance?"

about? Duke Adramalech had no

thinking back at the figure, the Duke decided to

feel