Chương 2: I Married The Demon Lord Arc 1 New Beginnings | Ch. 1
*Set somewhere between the 16th and 17th century in a fantasy setting*
During the wintertime was the time all magic wielders of the Kingdom of Sighnaria would take the time training and preparing for the ranking ceremony where magic wielders of all types would combat together to determine their official ranks. In the wintertime you would find everyone studying and practicing hard all of their skills. Not a moment was wasted until the springtime when all of their efforts would come into play.
However, from time to time you would find the occasional slacker. The one who didn't study or practice at all but wasted their time chasing after girls and boys or getting into trouble with the Pheonix Knights of the Palace.
One of these sluggards is a young magic wielder whose skill is a healer. Healers are very important to the Palace and are highly regarded since they are responsible for treating fallen or injured soldiers and attending the sick and the old. Although they are weak physically their greatest power is the ability to prolong life which is far more important than dying on the field in close combat. They are the backbone of teams when going out to fight demons to ensure their companions don't fall victim to their attacks. Healers are amazing. And many of them be become great doctors happy to serve the palace and its people.
Be that as it may, some are discontent with their status as healer not realizing how amazing it is. To them, it's just a powerless skill that doesn't do anything at all in terms of damage but establishes them as the weakling of the group that everyone has to look after.
There are some healers who choose not to follow the path of healing and just become slums. Lazy heads, dead weight that add no contribution to society and are looked down upon for being useless and wasting their talents.
There is a particular person of this nature, and he is named Asahi Innouji.
He comes from a prestigious line of Healers who have served the royal family for generations. Every single one of his family members have become the highest ranking of the hierarchy and highly respected and sought after healers. Every generation many magic wielders of other skills come to recruit them to their teams or hire them temporarily. Healers from other families come to ask for their mentorship. Every member of the family takes pride in their name and purpose.
Except for Asahi.
He didn't pride himself at all in being a healer. And everyone who approached him expecting his help were all turned down and condescended for even asking. Unlike his predecessors before him he wasn't very skillful in magic at all. He never had an interest for it and never took the teachings of his parents and grandparents seriously. This left him as being the first disappointment of the Innouji line.
His family shunned him since they were vigorously upset that he abandoned the family legacy to do nothing but laze around all day tarnishing their reputation and making a joke out of their duty. Asahi would say,
"It's not my job to save the people. They can try not dying. Maybe it'll work."
His parents couldn't believe their child would turn out such a way and already proclaimed to disown him until he decides to follow the path of a Healer.
Asahi could care less. He spent his days getting drunk outside taverns and bothering women who were much too older than him. He never had any sort of class and occasionally got into fights with others over simple things. By now everyone has known him as the failure of the Innouji family line. They despise him as well for his indecent attitude and disregard for his amazing skill. Others would say,
"If I had that skill, I would never have to worry about dying."
Healers didn't just heal wounds. They also cured diseases and deformities. Of course, healers also have to make a living, so they don't do anything for free. Some people may still die of wounds or sickness due to not having enough money to hire a Healer. Healers know there worth, so they charge a pretty penny for their services. This however can be unfortunate for some.
Asahi was blessed with an amazing gift lucky enough to have and he just threw it all away. It made everyone upset about it, not only his family. But once again Asahi didn't care at all what people thought about him. He just wanted to live his life carefree without being a slave to the people he called it.
A lot of his endeavors included hanging out at brothels and taverns. But most importantly he spent a lot of time in his family's library looking for interesting potions. See healers could also make potions for various things. It was also one of their defense mechanisms against enemies. They could make strong potions that could be dangerous and potions that could be useful to society. Lots of there potions were bought by group members who couldn't hire a healer for their travels.
Since he never took his teachings seriously, he himself didn't know how to properly make potions and so he would take what he wanted to another healer distanced from his family to conjure it up for him. Asahi was very interested in love potions. Potions that could make one fall in love with another, to improve sexual performance, and even heighten the feelings of lust and desire. Asahi took a great interest in these potions and spent months testing them out, but all seemed to end in failure.
A healer such as himself who is the pride of the country would rather spend time finding ways to attract women to him than to do any good to save the people of his country. To him women, booze and sex were the only things needed to make him happy and going around keeping people from dying wasn't going to do that.
As of now, Asahi is once again in the library looking through books of various love potions. Seemingly hoping to find just one that can prove to be useful.
"I've looked at every book on this shelf and none of them have given me the results I've wanted. What is the point of these potions if they won't work the way you want them to," Asahi said in annoyance. He shoved the book back in the shelf before walking down another isle. He scanned the books as he walked past them until one caught his eye. It was a black book with red edges. He picked it off the shelf.
"Advanced Love Potions. Use with caution," He read aloud. He smiled as if he had found an amazing find.
"Now this is what I'm looking for!" he said in excitement. He opened the book only to be surprised that there was nothing written in it. Only grayish pages with skid marks here and there.
"Seriously. I just want to find a good love potion and here we have a book with nothing in it. Just great. Just fucking great," he said irritated. Asahi was about to place the book down when suddenly the pages moved on their own. It stopped in the middle on a page that said Love Potions Advanced.
"Welcome to the Love Potions Advanced. What kind of potion would you like today?" the book asked. Asahi was surprised.
"It's a speaker book!" he said enthused. Speaker books were books that contained a soul. They could talk and tell you anything about the contents of their book.
"Great! May I know the name of the soul that resides in this book?" Asahi asked. The book flipped some pages to an empty one and text began to write itself as the book spoke.
"My name is Venita," the book replied. Asahi smiled.
"Venita, as you know I am the youngest son of the Innouji family, I would like to request a potion. I want a potion that will actually work and isn't difficult to make. The qualities of the potion should have the desire to make others attracted to you. Can you find me something?" Asahi asked. The book rummaged through its pages before stopping on one.
"Heavens Aphrodite?" Asahi read.
"Yes. The most potent of love potions. Guaranteed success. It will enable all women to take your fancy. So much so their desire to be with you and have your affection might even kill them. You should be careful when using it as the obsession with the target is more than the love itself. But if its attention you, attention you shall get," the book explained. Asahi nodded with a smile.
"Tell me what I need to make it," Asahi asked.
"Requires 1 tablespoon of the juice from the pedicel of a rose, A drop of blood from the user, a slice of an apple, a bit of jasmine, the feather of a dove and most importantly the Heavens Aphrodite gem in a crushed form. This ingredient is where the potion gets its name from. It is the most important ingredient and will not work without it," the book explained.
"Show me what it looks like," Asahi asked. The book rummaged through pages before stopping on one and images and text began to seep through the page.
"The Heavens Aphrodite. The most powerful love gem in the world. He who desires love will have it all. This gem if worn by the user will make anyone fall for him at his command. Choose your one true love at will. Skip the getting to know and fall deeply in love. Location is...locked away in the vault of the demon king in the Demon kingdom of Eqoris," Asahi read. He was amazed.
"This...this is perfect! With this I'll be able to choose anyone I want to fall in love with me at will. I think I want this gem only. Using a potion doesn't allow for individual choosing as you said it makes everyone fall in love with you. Truthfully having everyone wouldn't be as fun as being able to choose myself. If I just get the gem, then I'll be cupid myself!" Asahi said excited.
"Thank you, Venita. Your services have been greatly appreciated," Asahi said staring at the gem.
"Please do heed the warning here. This gem is located in the Demon Kingdom. It is not wise to act rashly," the book warned. Asahi ignored the warning.
"Yeah, yeah whatever. Once I have it, my days of being a bum are over. Once those chatty gossiping townspeople and my family see their daughters, cousins and nieces all fall for me I wonder what more they'll have to say. I'm getting excited just thinking about it," Asahi said with a crazed expression plastered on his face.
"Well, you have been warned so do you as you please. Good day, Asahi," the book said. It closed itself and the glowing stopped. Asahi placed the book back on the shelf and left the library quickly ready to conjure up a plan to steal the gem from the Demon kingdom. He knew it was a superficial reason, but he didn't care. He believed that was what life was all about.
Over the course of several weeks, he worked on creating his plan to infiltrate the Demon Kingdom and the Demon palace. Asahi thought of every liability he could be victim to and thought of counter measures for them. For days on end, he camped just outside the Demon Kingdom walls spying on them and memorizing their rotations to guard. He bought a map of the palace from a traveling merchant and began creating his infiltration plan. Finally, once he finished everything, he marveled at himself for having created what he thought was the perfect plan to ever exist and he was ready to act on it.
Once it was nightfall, he headed to the outskirts of the Demon Kingdom. Sighnaria bordered the Demon Kingdom and the town he lived in wasn't far from it. After about 4 days of horse backing and camping out in the woods he arrived at the walls of the Demon Kingdom. While on his way, the path he traveled had multiple warnings telling travelers to steer clear as this was the path that led directly to the Demon Kingdom. But since that's where Asahi wanted to go, he paid no mind to it.
When he was trying to get a horse and a map before he departed, many people he ran into were curious about where he wanted to go since he was known to be a slum who didn't do any traveling at all. To avoid people's curiosity, he told them that he decided to finally learn a little bit about being a healer and was travelling through the plains to learn about plant medicinal spells. Upon hearing this many people were shocked. Suddenly Asahi had decided to take his role seriously. Many people began to wonder what changed his mind, but no one was more enthusiastic than his parents.
"Oh! I knew you were just going through a phase. After all, this is the true duty of our family. How could one abandon such a responsibility?" his father told him. They'd be more disappointed to find out he was lying and simply trying to get to the Demon Kingdom to steal a love gem. Oh, he'd be the shame of the whole Kingdom of Sighnaria.
Staring at the greats walls of the Demon Kingdom Asahi marveled in awe. They weren't just brick walls but greyish that had a directional maze design engraved all over them. Within the lines shined a blue-ish glow that glimmered. It was very majestic and awe inducing. Asahi from what he read in books knew that the kingdom was over water. He assumed these great walls contained various spells that protected the Kingdom as well as kept it afloat.
During his staking out when he was studying the schedules of the guards he could never really see inside. Only whenever the guards would open the big metal gates would a blue light emit from it. He was curious to know what the inside looked like. He reached for his map in his bag taking a look at the blueprint of the Demon kingdom. He had marked several places where he assumed one would hide a vault full of precious valuables.
"Once I get inside, I'll go take a look at the ones in red first, and if I can't find it, I'll check the ones in blue. And if I still can't find it, I'll leave promptly and reevaluate," Asahi said to himself with determination. He made sure not to waste time in the Kingdom should he fail to find the vault. He needed to be precise with his actions and had no time for improvisions.
Taking a deep breath, he started to walk along the great walls until he reached a corner. He peered over the corner spotting several guards near the gate. From Asahi's notes he'd taken this was the one time a day they opened the gates where they would no longer patrol on the ground but on top of the great walls.
This was the opportunity he had to enter inside. He had planned this event specifically for weeks. To prepare, he bought heavy sleeping potions from one of his fellow healers. Under normal circumstances he would never ask, and they certainly would never sell it to him but remember everyone was under the impression he decided to walk the path of a healer and became less hostile and more welcoming.
Asahi double checked to make sure his potions were on standby ready to use with the utmost efficiency. Hyping himself up he took a deep breath one last time and turned the corner of the wall. Each step felt agonizing. I'm really going to the Demon Kingdom, he thought. Every step forward he kept wanting to turn back but as he got closer his fear and excitement became stronger. He calmed himself not wanting to ruin his plan over shaken nerves. As Asahi approached closer one of the patrollers noticed him and immediately was on guard. He notified the others and now all the attention was on Asahi.
Asahi gulped as he walked closer. Seeing them stare him down was intimidating. He went over the entrance plan in his mind again.
Approach nonthreateningly, pretend your lost and need help. Once they let their guard down attack with the poison and sneak inside before the gate closes! He thought. It was a pretty simple plan but one that was precise as could be without unnecessary interference. Of course, he also had a backup plan to his backup plan in case he was to fail.
Asahi was now in front of the patrollers. His heart raced and sweat could be seen trailing down the side of his face. The patrollers wore metallic blue majestic prince like coats with silver lines paragraph style across the chest. They wore white dress pants with black laced up boots. To say they looked ethereal was an understatement. A white face mask with blue embroidery covered their faces.
Asahi approached with frailness.
"H-hi. I'm just traveling, and I happened to get lost. I'm trying to get back to Sighnaria and was wondering if you could point in the direction I should go. I don't mean to be a hindrance," Asahi said nervously. He put his hands up to show he was harmless and put on a friendly smile. The patrollers still were on guard for a moment before breaking their stance. One of them stepped forward and pointed to the east.
"I should go that way. Oh, thank you. I appreciate it. Goodbye," Asahi said. The patrollers stared at him as he walked by. Asahi geared himself ready for his attack.
"Oh, by the way— Asahi paused not knowing what to say. He froze in place for a moment before quickly pulling out two blue potions and throwing them on the ground. A blue smoke surrounding them all. The patrollers used their arms to block the smoke getting ready to attack Asahi before suddenly collapsing to the ground.
"For a second I thought it wasn't going to work," Asahi said in relief. The sleeping potions he bought earlier turned out to be useful. He figured they might not work as well since these were designed for humans and not demons, so he quickly got to moving stepping over their unconscious bodies and inside of the gate. What he saw was unlike anything he'd ever seen before.
It was…. a paradise!
Asahi couldn't believe this is what the demon kingdom looked like. Although it wasn't the Kingdom itself more like the land it resided in.
From entering upon the gates, he was met with a long bridge over water. It had such stellar intricate design. Along its sides were trees with hues of blue and green all lined up. They looked like cherry blossoms but in various shades of green and blue meshing together. They glistened under the sunlight that seeped through its shades. It was beautiful. The water below was a teal color that seemed as clear as ever and glimmered with reflections showing clearly on its surface.
The bridge design was abstract, it's architectural structure more advanced than the ones he'd seen in his kingdom.
He walked the bridge staring in awe at the scenery. He could see from miles ahead bridges, mountains and waterfalls. He could see in the water many fish of different designs colors and shapes. He looked up at the ceiling of the bridge and could see statues of what seemed like dragons in various poses. Asahi was amazed.
It was nothing like they were told. A barren land where viscous demons roamed, and fire breathing dragons scorched the land. They said even stepping on the soil could cause immediate death, but it was all hearsay.
This—this was beautiful. Stunning if you will. Like a garden in heavens capital is how Asahi would explain it. He made it to the end of the bridge which stopped right before you entered the forest. There were various trees all twisted and twirled they carried green and blue flowers which glowed like diamonds in the moonlight. The trees and bushes were teal color and glimmered and swayed. The flowers that bloomed were mixtures of pink and yellow. The breeze was as calm as ever. It was so…. magical.
More so than his own kingdom. Asahi looked up above him to the sky where he saw wyverns flying overhead. He gawked at them. I can't believe they are real! He thought. All around him was like a magical forest that one would never believe this was a part of the Demon kingdom.
He began walking along the path. Little fireflies could be seen flying around the bushes and leaves. Some butterflies and birds were rummaging through the trees. Asahi looked with wonder as he walked through it. He came across a river. It was glimmering as everything was in this forest. It was so clear and beautiful. He could see his reflection perfectly. He put his hand in the water swishing it around. Asahi smiled. He'd successfully entered the lands of the demon kingdom!
"Ladies…. Just you wait!" He said excitedly. Asahi quickly got up and began running through the magical forest. He figured he should hurry since he didn't know how long the patrollers would be out and how fast they could notify the kingdom of his infiltration.
-
Within this magical forest, lies an even more eye-catching view. The waters of Grasia. It's waterfalls which cascaded ever so smoothly into the plunge pool below. The water with its shimmering hue of green and blue. The fish inside swimming happily. The birds coming from the sky and dipping down for a sip of water. The Waters of Grasia was a plunge pool at the bottom of a waterfall which fell smoothly as if it were not even moving. All around it were extravagant trees and bushes and blue grass and the sun that seeped past the trees shadows which made it shine in the sunlight. A group of bunnies could be seen approaching the lake that was enclosed except from which the water fell into it.
However, the most beautiful thing was not the water nor the animals or the scenery as a whole. Just inside this pool lay something great. Something....magnificent. More beautiful than one could fantasize. It's long tail which took up majority of the pool. Its white scales with golden embroidery spread across his body. The jewelry which complimented its color covered its entirety. It's tail fins which flowed with the movement of water. It's fair skin and feminine aura. It's white long hair which crowned a golden majestic coronet suitable for a King.
He lavished on the rock in the water that was able to let a person lay upon it. He laid on his stomach and rested his head on his arms while he closed his eyes embracing all of nature and everything in it. Compared to him, there was nothing more daring, more dashing. The animals all seemed to gravitate towards him feeling attracted by his magnificent presence. He opened his eyes and smiled to the bunnies sitting at the edge of the pool.
"Are you going to sit there all day! The house leaders are all waiting for you at the castle. How insolent of you to keep them waiting!" a girl spat. She was a demon woman who was the Kings royal guard. Her name was Chasteria.
"How unruly of you to speak to your king that way, don't you think?" he said not really caring what Chasteria had mentioned.
"I wouldn't if you would listen to me and stop going off unannounced when you have important things to do that require your presence! Forgive me your majesty for being exigent with my words but this meeting was planned weeks ago, and you know how the tension is between courts right now. You need to go back right this instant!" she pressed on. Her expression was demanding and stern. The King who lay on the rock made a chuckle.
"I suppose so," he said softly. He dipped into the water, his long tail circling the depths of the pool. Chasteria waited impatiently with her hand on her waist while tapping her foot. After a moment the king appeared from the water his long tail now gone and replaced with two long beautiful legs.
"Here's your attire. Quickly put them on and let's go. I'll start walking already and you better be behind me when I turn around," she said with a warning. The king smiled gracefully at her before she huffed and stormed off. The king began to put on his clothes. The king himself was as grand as ever and his outfit was even more so fitting.
He had fair skin white as snow, perhaps even whiter than snow. His scales could be seen on his neck by the outlines that protruded them. He had icy blue antlers on his head that resembled a dragon more so than a deer. They started to slowly break off as if he were shedding his antlers. He had icy blue eyes that could captivate a nation, so pure and sincere.
The kings outfit consisted of his white button up, and then a blue chiffon colored vest that was adorned with silver jewelry and sheer silver lining that covered half his arm and the tops of his shoulders and embroidery in the color of calypso blue trailing up his sleeves. He had two lines down the back of his vest that were in the color silver adorned with snowflakes as decoration. The top of his pants had silver embroidery with blue crystals placed evenly within the lines. The rest of his pants matched the color of his vest, and he wore white laced up boots with black bottoms. He wore his cape that was a light grey which shimmered in the sunlight and was a deep blue on the inside that matched the color of his nails. It was heavenly to say the least. One could not imagine he was the king of a supposed barren land of ruthless monsters.
He finished putting on his clothing flipping his hair back in an elegant fashion. He smiled before quickly catching up to Chasteria who began nagging once more.
-
Asahi didn't anticipate at all the country of the Demon kingdom would be so vibrant and striking. Everywhere you looked was another scenery to behold. The forest itself was beyond imagination.
Before coming Asahi assumed [suggestion: use was under the impression, inclined to think, or presumed instead because you are repeating it again later-BQ] it was a barren land with raging fires so he assumed their primary colors would be dark reds, oranges and blacks. He wore a midnight blue coat but with a white button up shirt underneath it.
It was painfully obvious he had made a poor judgement as the primary colors he'd seen so far were hues of blue, green, and yellow, with hints of pink and purple that were mainly assigned to the flowers. Ultimately the main color were shades of green. Which is to be expected of a forest however upon the entrance of the city it was very obvious he'd stand out.
There seemed to be a light blue hue that covered the city. It was bright and vibrant. The main colors seemed to be white or gray which were assigned to buildings that had blue rooftops. The decorations of bushes all had different colored flowers such as yellow, pink, purple, and deep blue with a labyrinth design.
The people he could see wore colors that corresponded with the scenery. They could be seen wearing shades of beige, green, blue and white. Everyone had smiling faces while they busied themselves with their activities.
Asahi looked at his own clothing and thought it was no good. He'd look suspicious no doubt. He decided to ditch his coat throwing it in a nearby bush. He'd come back for it later since it was a magical coat that acted as a shield, and he went through a great deal to get it made. His white button up shirt matched with the scenery. He wore black pants and boots. And although no one was seen wearing black pants one could assume that he was from the countryside of the kingdom.
He walked into the city amazed by its breathtaking view. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He never expected the demon kingdom to be this beautiful. There were streams inside the city that added to its overall scenery. It was like a city mixed in with a magical forest and waterfalls. It was a wonder to his eyes.
After spending some time admiring the city and its beautiful architecture since the buildings were so nicely made, he decided to stop by a stall in what seemed like a street for merchants much like the one in his own city. It was bustling of course with vendors yelling out their special sales. He stopped at a stall that was selling clothing.
"Limited edition. Touched by the king himself! Get it before they run out! Only 17 Darmas!!"
"Excuse me? I see you're selling shirts. You say they were touched by the king?" Asahi asked. They look like normal people, Asahi thought. He imagined them to be vicious and unruly with menacing appearances.
"Yes indeed! The king stopped by my shop just last week and took a look at all of my garments. He touched them with his very hands and complimented my craftsmanship," The vendor spoke cheerfully.
"How blessed it is to wear the clothes the demon king has touched. You won't find anything like this yet. It's exclusive," the vendor continued. Asahi didn't bring any currency with him. He didn't know they also sold items and whatnot. This was all very new to him.
"Ah, no thank you. I've got to many of the same color. I do have a question; perhaps do you know where the king is now? Seeing as he comes out to the town apparently," Asahi asked.
"The king came out today don't you remember? He'll be in his castle for the rest of the month like usual," the vendor said confused. Asahi nodded nervously. He wasn't aware of the way things are here in the demon kingdom.
"Yes, your right. I seemed to have forgotten. I come from the country," Asahi lied. The vendor nodded in understanding.
"Ah I see. You're out from the country. You don't get much of the city life do you. The king doesn't make many visits out there, but I heard he's planning on going out there to check up on the farmers. Blessed to you," the vendor said. Asahi smiled.
"How wondrous. Thank you, sir. Good day," Asahi said. The vendor smiled and went back to selling. Asahi walked some more down the street hearing their bargains.
"Dragon skin shoes! Touched by the demon king himself you don't want to miss it! 25 Darmas only today!"
"Bubble fish cream cake only 10 Darmas. The king tasted it himself! Don't you want to know what the king likes! Get it today only!"
"Come hear your fortune! What is your luck in love? Will you become the queen of the demon kingdom and rule alongside his majesty! I'll tell you about your fate for only 16 Darmas!"
Asahi snorted. "Seems like the Demon King is pretty popular."
He continued walking down the streets admiring all the buildings, people and the waterfalls that seemed to be around every corner. He came to a river that seemed to go through the entire city with arch bridges going over it.
"Why is there a river going through the city. Still, it's a pretty design. The water is so clear and it's glimmering," Asahi said.
"Look! It's His majesty the King!" Someone yelled. Asahi turned quickly to the source to see a woman pointing to the water. Many of the people began to crowd at the edge of the river stream. Asahi stood with everyone waiting to see what was going to happen.
The king is here. He thought. Suddenly inside of the water could be seen a long white tail with golden embroidery. Asahi stared in awe.
"So beautiful!"
"His majesty is absolutely stunning. I hope he takes me as his consort!"
"His majesty!!"
The towns people yelled in excitement with looks of fondness and admiration as he passed through in the water. Asahi couldn't see much other than his tail which was huge and extremely long. Although it was under the water, the water itself was clear as day and you could see even his scales dazzling in the water.
"That's…. the demon king," Asahi said in awe. He watched until the tail completely disappeared.
"I can't believe I saw his majesty!" Someone said.
Seems like he's really adored, Asahi thought. Having seen the king made him remember his goal. "The king is on his way to the castle I presume I should hurry and get there as soon as possible,"Asahi said.
He stopped by another stall.
"Where can I find lodging here?" Asahi asked.
"You must be from out of the city. Right across over there you'll be able to find a place to rest," she said.
"Uh…. I don't have any money as I'm from out in the country. I know it's inconvenient, but do you have any spare change. Just for tonight," Asahi asked. The woman smiled. She pulled out a small brown bag.
"Here's 50 Darmas. It was from a friend of mine who owed me money. You can have it," she said handing it over to him. Asahi took the bag.
"Really? Thank you, miss. I greatly appreciate it. Just as your beauty precedes you so does your personality," Asahi said. The woman blushed.
"I-it's nothing. The king tells us to help our neighbors. It's only right I do it, in the name of the king," she said. Her face was warm with hotness. Asahi smiled waving her goodbye and going across the street to the lodging. He walked inside seeing people sitting down at tables having a conversation.
"I sent my men out there almost two weeks ago and they still haven't returned. Something's going on I tell ya," a man sitting a table with a group said.
"Have you reported it to the castle?"
"I've sent three letters already. It's probably just another complaint on his Majesty's desk," the man spat.
Asahi walked up to the counter.
"Excuse me, I'd like a room please," he asked.
"How long will you be staying good sir?" the woman at the front asked.
"Just one day."
"Alrighty that'll be 10 Darmas."
Asahi grabbed the small bag and pulled out 10 coins which he assumed to be 10 Darmas. 9 of them were purple while one of them was blue. The girl seemed to be surprised.
"Oh, that's too much good sir. It's only 10 Darmas. We couldn't possibly accept this much," she said pushing the blue coin back to him. Asahi looked a bit surprised picking up the blue coin. It seemed to have some words engraved on it.
"100 Darmas," Asahi read. He was shocked. This blue coin is worth 100 Darmas. The currency is not much different from his own kingdom except the name and the colors are different, but they seem to work the same. The purple ones were worth 1 Darma and looking in the bag were a couple of red coins and those were worth 5 Darmas. Asahi put the blue coin back and grabbed another purple Darma.
"Sorry about that, here you go," Asahi said. The woman smiled taking the money and putting it away.
"Let me escort you to your room," she said. Asahi nodded. He walked past a table of men hearing their conversation.
"That demon king is looking for a wife you hear. I heard he asked for every available woman in the kingdom,"
"Really, well I bet the girls are over the moon."
"A Queen huh? He didn't seem like the type to care for romance."
"Doesn't he have two consorts already?"
The Demon King is looking for a wife? Asahi thought. The woman escorted him to his room and then took her leave. It was very nice with a traditional design. It mimicked a cottage house if he could describe it.
He took off his satchel pulling out a paper, some chalk and a mirror.
"Alrighty, time to get to work," he said. He began to draw a circle on the floor with chalk and then some abstract design inside of the circle. He dusted off his hands before grabbing the mirror and placing it in the middle of the circle. Asahi then grabbed the paper he pulled out and stood outside the circle.
"Walking to the castle would be impossible and I also don't know my way around the city, so I came prepared. I'll use this teleportation mechanism in order to teleport me directly to the demon castle. From there I'll be inside the castle and can start looking for the gem. But first I'll need to acquire a guard's uniform to blend in," Asahi went over to himself. He grabbed the paper and put out his hand. The paper contained a picture of the demon castle. Asahi visualized it so that it would be in his mind.
"Mirror, mirror from which that is sealed, please open a portal so that my destination may be revealed," Asahi said. He waited a moment, and nothing happened.
"Huh? Is that not it?"
He tried again.
"Mirror, mirror from which that is sealed, please open a portal so that my destination may be revealed," he tried again. And once more no result.
"Oh c'mon. This can't be happening. Is that not the right saying. I thought I memorized it correctly."
"Mirror, mirror from which is sealed, open a portal so that my destination is revealed."
Silence.
"Mirror, mirror I summon upon the seal, show me a portal so that my destination may be revealed."
Silence.
"Mirror, mirror of which is sealed, open this fucking portal now so that my destination is revealed!"
Silence.
Asahi screamed in frustration.
"Ugh! What is it. Why won't you just open dammit!"
He took a deep breath. It's fine we didn't foresee this hiccup but let's not panic. Let's try one more time and if not, we will have to go on foot, Asahi thought to himself.
"Mirror, mirror I remove your seal, please show me the portal in which my destination is revealed."
Finally, after a couple tries the mirror glowed before showing inside the appearance of the demon castle. Asahi smiled.
"I would like to go here. Please teleport me to this destination," Asahi said. He stepped inside the circle which glowed a bright yellow before engulfing him entirely. In a moments instance he was teleported to the inside of the demon kingdom.
"What an amazing item. I'll have to ask that girl I got it from if I can keep it once I go back," Asahi noted to himself. He arrived in the middle of a hallway. It was grand to say the least like everything in this kingdom so far. There were white pillars in uniform going down the line and in front of him was a labyrinth garden with a pond and a fountain with the design of a white snake in the middle that had bright blue sparkling water.
Asahi looked in awe.
"Wow…. this place is crazy. Who would've thought the demon palace is like the gates of heaven," Asahi said. He began walking down the outside hallway. The ground itself seemed to be made out of some shiny material that reflected his appearance. It was a light marble blue with a glossy finish. The walls were all white with intricate design in them. The ceiling was all vaulted and contained statues at the top of the ceiling. One thing that was very prominent was the symbol of a snake. It was on the pillars, on the walls and even the chandeliers had white snake designs with blue eyes on them. And one other thing could be said is that this kingdom really liked the color blue.
He pulled out a blueprint of the castle and looked at the markings he'd placed on them.
"We'll go to the ones in red first and then the ones in blue," he said to himself. He nodded feeling sure of himself as he continued to walk. He entered the castle directly being met with a longer hallway only this time there were paintings on the walls of different individuals. They all had the same look more or less. White long hair with blue eyes. It was the common trait.
"These must be the leaders of every generation perhaps," Asahi said to himself.
He continued walking down the corridor admiring the design. It was a beautiful castle to behold. While he was walking, Asahi could hear footsteps approaching so he quickly hid behind a wall of another hallway.
"The King is looking for a wife. Somehow, I feel sad about this," one guard said.
"Yeah, I've always been with him since forever. It's like he's growing up suddenly," the other replied.
"Hopefully she's a great woman, just like the king. I hope she'll look after him and share his burdens."
Asahi watched as the two men passed continuing in conversation. He decided to use this opportunity to steal one of their uniforms.
He pulled out two of his last potions and waited for a moment before throwing them out behind the guards. A white smoke suddenly covered the place. Asahi rushed in and knocked them out quickly before they could react. They would've fainted due to the smoke, but Asahi didn't want to take any chances. He quickly got himself dressed in one of the guard's outfits. He quite liked it a lot. He felt very important as the outfits weren't simple guard's outfits. Even the guards looked majestic. It was also nice since with the mask no one would be able to see his face just in case he happened to run into other guards or people at the palace but even that shouldn't be a problem since he's going to use the same method as before to get to the castle which is teleporting.
Asahi entered a random room quickly closing the door behind him.
"Alright I'll use the teleportation method here to teleport into all of the marked places." He turned around only to find a young woman staring at him with a worried look. She was very beautiful. She had blond wavy hair and hazel eyes. There was a headband made from golden and silver jewelry on her head and long silver diamond earrings. Her face was soft and pure, her skin fair and smooth.
Asahi froze. What a beautiful woman! He thought.
"Sorry! I just uh...I just came into the wrong room. I apologize my lady," Asahi said. She seemed like someone of importance, and he was acting a guard. It's better to be respectful at all times. Her expression relaxed and she giggled.
"You must be working hard to not notice walking into the Royal Courtesan room," she said. Royal Courtesan?!
"Is there something wrong?" she asked. Asahi didn't know what to say.
"No there isn't my lady. I was just in a rush from working all day. I'll leave now, excuse me," he said quickly.
"Wait!" she called out. She walked to the table and poured a glass of water. She walked over to him and handed it to him. Up close she was beautiful. Beautiful like a galaxy. Absolutely mesmerizing. Asahi couldn't take his eyes off her. He took the glass from her.
"Thank you, my lady," he said holding it. He didn't want to remove his mask or else she would see his face.
"Oh, I forgot the palace guards aren't allowed to remove their masks. I apologize. You can drink it once you leave when no one is looking. Remember you have to take care of yourself to. That Roman should know better than to overwork his underlings," she said caressing his face. Asahi blushed under the mask.
"I-I will, my lady. I- I should go now," he said. She smiled at him and opened the door.
"Remember to take a break," she said. Asahi nodded bowing to her and then walking away. He heard the door close behind him. Man, she was beautiful! When I get the gem, she'll be the first person I'll use it on. Asahi thought. He was in high spirits after his encounter with her.
"Isn't the king looking for a wife? Why on earth would he be looking for a wife when he has that beautiful woman already. Who needs a queen when he has her. What an Idiot that king is. But I too like to play around. Why have one beautiful woman when you can have many. So, I can see it from his point of view," Asahi said to himself.
He continued to walk around looking for another room. He ran into some guards who luckily didn't stop him for chatting. He came down another hallway and opened the door walking inside quickly and shutting it. He looked around the room. It was a beautiful room. Granted it was actually the only room down this hallway. The color scheme of the room seemed to be white, blue and gold. It was a white bed with a blue and gold grand headboard. The floor was an off-white color with a glossy finish. The outlines of the walls were in gold. The ceilings were vaulted and had blue patterns on them. There was two chairs and a coffee table by the window which had light blue curtains. And there was a big white chandelier with golden handles and white candle sticks. The room itself was stunning almost fitting for a king. There was another room inside of it which led to a big pool that was the shape of square and seemed to be very deep. The water was a deep blue and it sparkled under the sunlight. The floor was a white marble color with golden streaks.
"Wow everything here just consistently precedes itself," Asahi commented. He pulled out his chalk and drew a circle on the floor just like the one he'd done before. Because the mirror was back in the city, he had to leave it there or else he wouldn't be able to transport back. But he could summon the mirror to transport him to other places so long as he had the castle blueprint to visualize.
He looked at the red marking on the blueprint and visualized it in his mind.
"Mirror, Mirror I remove your seal, please show me a portal so that my destination is revealed," Asahi said. The circle glowed once more, and he stepped into it before once again being engulfed by it and teleported to his destination.
When he arrived, he was in a cold room. He could see his breathing. He looked around and saw shelves filled with meat and different items.
"This....doesn't look like a place hidden valuables would be," Asahi said to himself. Just then the door to the room opened and Asahi quickly hid behind a shelf.
"Bring that meat out here. The king stated he wanted boar meat today. I'm going to make my ultimate boar meat special dish!" a girl could be heard saying. Two other girls could be seen grabbing a big chunk of meat off the shelf. They left closing the door behind them. Asahi stood up again. He rubbed the sides of his arms. It was extremely cold in the room.
"This must be a cold room. To harvest meat and stuff. I must be near the kitchen then."
Asahi quickly pulled out his chalk and the blueprint and visualized the next marking before teleporting there. This method was very efficient since he didn't have to wander around the castle and risk being caught by guards. Once he got to the second room, he saw that he was in a small study room. He decided to check the room out just in case. It was a very beautiful room like majority of the castle. Asahi looked through the drawers and cabinets and shelves but didn't find much. He saw a desk with papers on it and picked it up.
"Lyna Reinhardt. Descended from one of the 7 captains of the great demon war. Next inheritor of the Reinhardt poison. What's this all about," Asahi said. He threw it back on the table and once again grabbed his chalk and blueprint.
"This is going to take a while."
One after another proved to be rooms not relevant to his mission. If it wasn't a study room then it was a dressing room, if it wasn't that then it was a bathhouse, if not that then it was someone's office or meeting hall. Asahi stopped for moment in the library. He wondered if maybe it could be in the library but after looking all over to no avail, he became exhausted. He had already checked all the red places and had no luck and now he was about to finish the blue markings having only one left.
-
"Tell me Chasteria, what is this marking on the floor of my room?" The king asked. Chasteria examined the marking on the floor.
"I believe it's a teleportation marking your majesty. But who would use it here?" Chasteria questioned.
"I do remember saying that no one other than me unless with permission is allowed in my room," the king said. Chasteria nodded.
"Yes, your majesty. It seems there is someone who is unfamiliar with your rule. Perhaps this person is not of the demon kingdom?" Chasteria theorized.
"No, he is not. He smells of human. I smelled it on my way here through the river but since I was under water my senses above ground weren't too great, I couldn't trust myself. Alarm the guards and tell them to go to my hidden vault," the king ordered.
"Yes, your majesty."
-
Asahi transported to the last marking on the blueprint. Once he arrived, he opened his eyes to see a room with glowing blue flowers all over the place. There were blue coins all over the ground together in piles. There were various items thrown into these piles made up of gold, diamond and silver. Asahi smiled.
"I've found it! It's definitely got to be in here somewhere. Now where is it?" Asahi said. He began to look for the gem. There were white shelves that contained various boxes and weird collections of different objects. From boxes, cups, mirrors and weapons various things could be found in this room. The glowing flowers gave the room its own natural light since there were no windows inside. Asahi looked through all the piles of gold coins before moving to the white shelves and going through them.
He spotted some white boxes with blue markings on them on the ground. He walked toward them picking one up and opening it. He was shocked by what he saw. The box was full of different color jewels of all shapes and sizes.
"I've found it! It's got to be in here. Now which one is it exactly. I know that its pink but what about the size. How big is it supposed to be? I do know the shape. It's shaped like a diamond so let's look at those first," Asahi said to himself. He began rummaging through the box looking for any jewel that resembled the Aphrodisiac Gem.
At the very bottom of the box, he spotted a pink gem. It was on the small side so it could be easily glossed over. He reached for it taking it out of the box and examining it. It was a rich pink color that glowed in the dark and was shaped like a diamond. Asahi's eye's widened with excitement.
"I have it! I have the gem. It's mine now. I can't believe it. To think it was so easy," Asahi said with excitement. He gawked at the jewel. It was so pigmented and shiny. He was completely mesmerized by it. Asahi had finally found the gem. He couldn't be more enthusiastic. He was also able to get there without being caught by any of the guards. Asahi considered his operation to be a success.
"I can't stand it anymore. I want to use it as soon as possible. I'll leave now before it's too late," Asahi said. He put the jewel inside of satchel and pulled out his chalk. He drew a circle on the floor again with intricate design in the middle.
But before he could say the words footsteps approached quickly and the door to the room swung open. Asahi was shocked unable to move. Before he knew it, he was completely surrounded.
"Oh dear."
"Don't move or we'll kill you. Captain! We've captured the intruder," a guard said. Asahi stood frozen in place. How could this be? Everything was perfect. When did they find out about me? Asahi thought. He held his hands up in defense while nervously looking around.
"I know how this may look but I promise I wasn't doing anything bad. I just got lost that's all," Asahi lied. A guard pushed him with the side of his sphere.
"You got lost? Yet you ended up inside the vault which isn't so easily opened. There were mysterious markings on the floor in various rooms including this one," the guard said not believing his words. Just then a strong presence appeared.
He had black hair pulled into a ponytail with a menacing look. He was well built with his strong muscles being prominent. He stood about 6ft tall. He wore a black jacket with dark blue snake patterns, black pants and black boots with dark blue laces. He carried in his left hand a sword with an intricately designed dark blue handle. His nails were painted black and so were his eyes with a deep blue iris. His demeanor was unwavering and assertive.
He walked toward Asahi, his menacing eyes looking down on him with disgust.
"How bold of you, a mere human to try and steal from the great demon king. Nothing awaits you but your inevitable death. Take him to his majesty at once!" he ordered. His voice was so cold and hostile. Asahi shuddered in his presence. He was dragged out by one of the guards. The gem had been taken away from him and placed back in the vault. Asahi cursed under his breath. It wasn't supposed to go like this and now he was going to be killed.
They entered another room which seemed to be the throne room. The walls were extremely high and there were a lot of court officials standing in a line on either side on the throne. The throne itself was very tall. It embodied that of a white snake of course and had a deep blue seating with diamonds embedded in it. But most importantly it was the person sitting on the throne that brought about fear.
He sat with one leg across the other and his head resting on his two fingers rubbing his temples. His eyes were sharp and glaring. His figure was very elegant and poise. His very presence felt like being subdued just by looking at him. Asahi was thrown on the ground in front of him. Asahi didn't dare to look up.
Another man stood beside the king standing tall and frank. He stood with both his hands behind his back, and he looked straight ahead. He wore an off-white color suit that was glittery and with beautiful abstract designs and swirls on it with a white jabot collar. He also wore a mask on his face that only covered his eyes. It matched the same design as his suit. And he had beautiful hazel irises. On the left of the king was a young woman with black hair and eyes. She too wore a suit that was deep blue and white with silver embroidery that sparkled when in the sunlight. Her pants were deep blue, and she wore black boots. There was a blue cape with black shoulder padding around her neck. She held a book in her hand which she held closely to her chest. She looked at Asahi with disdain.
"How dare you infiltrate the demon kingdom with intentions to steal one of the great demon kingdom treasures right from his majesty's vault. I will not tolerate such disrespect! You lowly humans have no desire to live it seems. If that's the case, I'll gladly do away with you!" the woman on the left spoke.
"Chasteria, calm yourself," the king spoke.
"Your majesty. He has committed a grave offense against the kingdom as well as you. It seems the humans are becoming a little bold. Might I suggest we cut off his head and send it as a warning to the human territories?" The one on the right spoke.
"Such thing is so messy. You know I don't like messy. More elegantly. Remove the head with no blood and make sure his face isn't so pitiful. A clean quick death with no torture. Send his body back with flowers as a condolence to his family," the king spoke. Asahi hearing all this panicked.
"Your-your majesty. Please forgive me. I've committed a crime unforgivable, but I am just a naive human who doesn't know any better…I was wrong to try and steal from you and I should be punished but-but still be given a bit of mercy. Please I beg you don't kill me. I'll never show my face again I promise," Asahi pleaded. Tears fell down his face with the reality of his situation. He still hadn't looked up at the king yet.
I still haven't laid with a woman. This can't be. Dying a virgin, Asahi thought to himself.
"Look at his pathetic self. Now he begs for mercy after trying to steal from you. Who knows what he could've done to you or what his motives are. You have no right to ask for mercy," Chasteria spat again.
"I do believe it is better to send a message to keep the humans in line your majesty. Who knows if there are others planning the same thing," Dove spoke. The king closed his eyes rubbing his temples.
"Raven, what did he try to steal?" He asked.
"The Aphrodisiac Gem your majesty," the man who apprehended him spoke. His name was Raven.
"That? How interesting. Is your human heart lacking in love?" The king asked. Asahi nodded frantically.
"Y-yes. I was only trying to take it just because I was feeling lonely and just wanted to be desired. I was doing it completely for selfish reasons. I truly meant no harm," Asahi said. His body was still shaking.
"Is that so? Look up at me when I speak to you," the king said. Asahi raised his head slowly looking at the king. He was in awe. The king was unlike he imagined, and he sat with a presence so grand and bright he felt undeserving to even look. Such magnificent aura with penetrating eyes. The king stared at him for a moment.
"Your majesty, shall I cut off his head?" Raven asked. The king remained silent.
"Your majesty, is there something else you want to say?" Dove asked.
The king stood up from his seat resulting in everyone there to slightly bow in his direction.
"Your majesty," they all said in unison. The king walked up to Asahi bending down to his level. He looked him in the eyes. He took hold of his face examining it before letting go.
"I can give you an ultimatum. You have two options the choice is yours. You can die here and now and become a wonderful gift to the human territories with your head as a present from the demon kingdom or — or you can become the future leader of this country and rule alongside me as my wife, the queen of Eqoris the demon kingdom. What will it be?" The king explained. Asahi stood in shock. Was he hearing this right. The king wants to marry him?!
"Your majesty!" Chasteria said in disbelief.
"Your highness what is the meaning of this?!" Raven said in bewilderment.
"Your majesty might I say I don't believe this is the course of action that you should take. He is a human from the human lands. It is unwise to do such a thing," Dove said finally looking at the king. All of the officials looked in horror. No way the demon king would take a human as his wife. It was absolutely absurd.
"I-I ….," Asahi was speechless. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't attracted to men at all. He came here with the goal to attract women and now here it is the demon king asking for his hand in marriage to become his wife— to become a leader of the Demon kingdom. Himself a mere human. Asahi couldn't believe it. Neither option was desirable. He didn't want to die but neither did he want to marry a man let alone the Demon King himself.
"I must've heard wrong. You want to marry me? A human. A man. I don't—," Asahi choked out. The king stared with an unwavering presence.
"You want to die I suppose. That is fine by me as well. Although It's a waste to let your pretty face go," the king said casually. He stood up.
"Kill him and remember to wipe away any blood. He has a delicate face so make sure to clean it after," the king ordered.
"Yes, your majesty," Raven answered. He was relieved. He could not foresee the demon king taking a human as his wife. Raven got his sword ready and placed it on the back of Asahi's neck.
"W-wait! I'll marry you. I'll marry you just don't kill me!" He yelled out. The king waved his hand for Raven to back down. Raven retrieved his sword. He looked at the king with shock.
"Your majesty you couldn't possibly," Chasteria said in shock.
"Very well. I've made a decision. This young man I will take as my formal wife. All of you will adhere to him. Do any of you disagree?" The king asked although it wasn't really a question asking for an approval.
"Your majesty-," Chasteria stopped halfway seeing the expression of her king. Would she dare to disobey with that cold hearted look?
"No, your majesty," Chasteria whispered.
"No, your majesty," Raven answered gritting his teeth,
"His majesty's happiness is above all else. If this is the will of his majesty then I have no objections," Dove answered.
The officials remained silent.
"Then it's official. Start preparations right away," the king ordered. He bent down to Asahi again.
"You've made a good choice. Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Roman Nikov, the 12th king of Eqoris, the Demon kingdom. And from today, you are my wife, Queen of Eqoris, the Demon kingdom."
-
And just like that brings us to the present. While I cry my eyes out at my own wedding which I thought would be the happiest day of my life accepting the loving gifts from my new founded people. It's really unfortunate this had to happen to me, but my consequences were the cause of my actions and there's nothing I can do about it. If only I had practiced my healing abilities more and took my lessons seriously, I could've escaped this predicament.
I, a mere human and a man has become the official wife of the demon king. For better or worse, right?
-
Posted 07/17/23.
Lead writer - Boubi; Boqin
Next Chapter: July 30th
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