"I... Who is he?" Alice asked, her head swiveling towards Michael.
"He is my friend."
"You... You are a friend of a Lower hero class?!" Alice exclaimed, her disbelief evident as she turned to fully face Draven.
"Hey, sneaking cat... Don't try to change the subject," Draven countered, his gaze unwavering on her.
"Ok... The villagers were wondering where you disappeared to... So I came here to check if you're in the castle?" she offered, a hint of nervousness in her voice.
"Oh... Why are you lying?" he asked, a playful smile gracing his lips.
"What... Lying, no why would I?" Alice stammered, her eyes widening in what seemed like genuine disbelief. Then, a flicker of realization crossed her face. "Wait, you know if someone is lying to you?!" she asked, a note of mild horror creeping into her tone.
'This... She just exposed herself of lying.' Michael sighed inwardly. Aloud, he said, "Friend... I will take my leave now. Madison will be waiting for me."
"Ok, Michael... Oh, and what's her sister's name?" Draven called out as Michael turned to leave.
"Aisha Astra," Michael replied, then turned and walked out of the castle, leaving the two of them alone in the castle.
Draven turned his attention back to Alice, who was still perched on his lap. "Alice... You came here because you want some comfort, right?" he asked, his voice softening slightly.
"Well..." Alice's cheeks flushed a delicate pink.
"That I can give you, but how is Alexandra?" he inquired, a hint of concern in his tone.
"She, and Atticus are asleep..." Alice replied, her voice now softer.
"Ok... That's good," Draven nodded, a sense of relief washing over him. "I have a question."
"What is that?" Alice asked, looking up at him with curiosity.
"How far is the journey to Astranor?"
"Hmm... Three days, right, nonstop... Flying will take a day and some hours, while walking will take five days... Remember, you won't stop, just keep riding, flying, and walking," she explained, her brow furrowed in thought as she calculated the distances.
"Ok... That is good," Draven murmured, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.
"Why is it good?" Alice looked at him in confusion, tilting her head slightly.
"Because we will be going to Astranor soon."
"But?!" Alice's eyes widened in shock, her earlier blush replaced by alarm.
"Don't worry, no one will bully you or anything, all you need to do is stay close to me," he reassured her, his gaze steady.
"That's not my worries," Alice said in a low voice, her anxiety palpable.
"Then what is it?" he asked, his own brow now furrowed with concern.
"To get to Astranor, we will have to pass a neighboring town, known as Tami... And Tami is currently getting attacked by Invaders. We will have to pass through this war to get to Astranor," she explained, her voice laced with worry.
"Does that mean, if Tami falls, Astranor will be next?" he asked, a note of mild surprise in his tone.
"Yes," Alice nodded, her expression grim.
"Ok." Draven fell silent for a few moments, his mind racing. Then, he asked, "What are the odds of them winning? The invaders, I mean."
"With the current information, the invaders have a 300% winning rate... That means Tami is completely defenseless... No matter what they do," she stated, her voice heavy with despair.
"So poor, why is that?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.
Alice managed a weak smile and placed her head on his chest, seeking comfort. "The invaders are sending all their experiments to Tami, and a king is also leading them... That king is an Upper Hero class, and the weakest in the experiment rank is that of a Lower elite class. They are just too powerful."
'With such force, a town won't be able to resist,' Draven thought grimly. Aloud, he asked, "What about the imperial family? Why are they not doing anything?"
"They are doing something, and I also heard they sent the first princess and the two heads of the top major families to hold the experimented invaders back, but to me, that won't work," she said, her voice laced with doubt.
"What if I join the war?" he asked with a sudden smile, a spark of something unreadable in his eyes.
Alice sat up on his lap, her hands reaching to cup his face. She looked intently into his eyes, searching for any hint of deception or jest. But his expression remained flat, serious.
"You... You want to help Astranor?" she asked, her voice filled with mere disbelief.
"Not actually help them, I am just doing this for self-gain... Maybe they will have beautiful women," he said with a shrug.
"Well, they do have... But are you doing it for women?" she pressed, her gaze still searching.
"Yes... And for a friend," he answered, his eyes flicking towards the door Michael had just exited.
'A friend? Did he come here and ask for Master's help? Can Master turn the tide in the war?' Alice thought, a slight frown creasing her brow.
"Stop thinking about those things. Yes... I can change the tide of this war," Draven said with a confident smirk.
"You... You can hear my thoughts?!" she asked, her eyes widening in surprise and a touch of alarm.
"Yes," Draven nodded, his expression still flat. He added, "You should get ready. We will be moving soon."
"Wait, you are helping Astranor, what about the elves and Beast folks?" she asked, her mind jumping to the other races.
"Well... The elves surely have beautiful women, and the beast folks... I haven't tasted their kind, maybe I will visit them in the future," he mused aloud, a speculative glint in his eyes.
"Is there only women in your head?" Alice asked with a playful pout.
"Hey, I don't want one woman, I need a harem of beauties! That's who I am," he declared with a theatrical flourish.
"Tell me this one thing, are you really a demon?" Alice asked all of a sudden, her voice dropping to a serious whisper.
Draven stared at her for a few long seconds, his gaze intense. Then, he nodded slowly. "Yes."
"I knew it, so you are the demon king?" she asked again, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and fascination.
"Technically, I am not the demon king, just in the same level of strength as him, or even higher," he corrected her casually.
"So you are the strongest demon alive?" she breathed.
"Yes, and also the most famous," he added with a self-satisfied smirk.
"With women, right?" she teased, a hint of a smile returning to her lips.
Draven laughed out loud, the sound echoing in the hall. He then scooped her up in one fluid movement, lifting her effortlessly.
"What are you doing?" Alice asked with a frown, though her cheeks were already beginning to redden.
"Giving you what you came for," he said, his voice a low murmur as he began walking towards the stairs. Alice instantly blushed, understanding his unspoken words.
"At least take it gently this time," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"When have you ever liked it gently?" he asked in mock surprise, a playful glint in his eyes.
"I want to make love to you, not just fuck you," she said, her face now a deep crimson.
Draven stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked down at her, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing his features. "What?" he asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.
"Yes..." Alice looked up at him, her gaze earnest. "I want to make love to you because I love you."
"..."
Draven was utterly speechless.