Valentine, Fayette and Vera's expressions portrayed the epitome of annoyance and ire.
They went through a bloody battle and three days of lurking in that accursed desert squeezing themselves through the wake of a gigantic worm-like beast that luckily enough, didn't catch them... only to be met by a 'Marques' right outside of the goal.
If this is not a sad joke, what is?
"It seems your ears aren't working properly, I'll repeat myself one last time... I'm Marques Warcroft, the ruler of the Mahogany Devilish City." The man walked lazily with his light golden armour and hair flowing down, leaned against a tree.
His skin is orange, an odd colour indeed and those horns are anything if not intimidating.
"And what do you want, supposed Marques?" Valentine didnt mock but also believed not whatever was told to him on the get go.
To claim oneself a 'Marques' is not something simple.
"To talk to me with such contempt, it seems the word 'afraid' doesn't appear in your dictionary for longer" The demon smirked evility and released his oppressing aura, that straightforward action produced a response.
The three of them did something that he would have never imagined.
Forming a triangle Valentine's knife pierced Vera's tight, poking her crystal and producing a small tingle of pain through her entire body, the same happened to Fayette who was being 'poked' in the waist by Vera's knife and Valentine who had Fayette's arrow pierce his skin and scratch his golden soul.
!!!
"You!" Warcroft couldn't believe this, these three maniacs would kill one another, straight where it hurts.
The three of them were prepared to kill one another and fall together the moment they realised that they could not defeat this foe.
It was automatic.
A degree of cohesion only reached after the fear of death has been purged and a strong bond has formed.
"Say what you must or fuck off, but if you try something... you're not getting our souls, bastard." The three of them wouldn't yield, they didn't come so far just to act like pussies in front of a Royal Demon.
"Interesting... I don't come to take your souls, humans... as much as I'd like to." He waved his hand back and forth with irritation, his gaze fixed on Valentine, the soul that he wanted.
That golden soul that can have him
become a Demon Earl, so close yet so far away, what's the use to stealing it now, if he still has to process it, by then... Lucretia Descartes will have his head on a platter with a precious gift in the form of his core.
"..."
"I have been watching you, Valentine... for a long time through many means, unable to touch you... I come to offer the three of you a deal."
"What is it? Just speak quickly is getting hot in here..." His words contained no respect.
"Impudence... Hmph! Become the protectors of my Mahogany Devilish City, in exchange I'll give you a badge that will allow you status in the rest of the cities, and several useful 'gadgets' but you work for me... and just for me, understood?"
Warcroft uttered the deal, it's simple.
After technically moving though the cities with a disguise of protectors, they're now being given the real thing.
the three of them still didn't remove the knives, they know royal demons have that ridiculous power that stops movement, they needed to be fast enough to react and hence the knives were firmly pressing against the crystals inside the flesh.
It's not bullet-proof but it is better than nothing.
"And what does being a protector and working for you entails?" Fayette asked first.
"I'll send you to missions... to slaughter someone or to save someone... or fetch goods, I trust you will be able to accomplish it more efficiently than if I sent any of my underlings, hence why I'm taking you as the 'protectors' of my domain... as for your advantages, you bear my badge, anyone that harms you, if I realise, is liable to be slaughtered by me... if it's a higher power, through the badge I'll know and that person will have issued a declaration of war to me."
"..."
"You can also inhabit my mansion in the city safely or roam through it without fearing the demons..."
"Why the fuck you didn't offer this before then?!"
"I needed to test you... and you passed, simple as that."
"You're not going to ask for a contract?" Vera knew, according to Sasha, protectors have contracts with the demons that granted them such status.
"You're a special case, sadly, I can't have a deal with you, but if any of you ladies are willing..."
"Not a chance...!"
"Sad..."
"We accept, but we're not living in your mansion, I'd rather live in the alleyways." Valentine disdained, as if he'd trust a demon that he met just today.
*WOOSHH!!*
"These are your badges, I can communicate and locate you with them... If I ever need to send you anything, one of my subordinates will come and give it to you right here, if you Madlads want to live in this forest that's your concern, I'm not sending my people inside..." He wouldn't send his retainers here just for them to die a meaningless death, he didn't care about their lives but demon soldiers aren't easily groomed, he's happy that those five bastards they slaughtered belong to Gleipnir, otherwise, it would have cause a great loss to his side.
"Is that all? No chitchat?" The three of them took the golden badges and wondered, this guy just came and left like this.
They don't even know who this person is in a fundamental way or even personal, it's like becoming the hitman of people you don't even know, Valentine could relate.
"I already know what's to be known of you, as for im you to know my secrets, Hmph! That's not possible... this is my other gift for you, it's a ring capable of holding a limited amount of space within your soul... like this you don't have to carry all your luggage with you and it will assist you with the missions. Good luck finding whom to give it to, bastard~" He mocked the man amidst the trio, his greed would be his doom, having two women and with both of them being dangerous girls.
'Farewell to your dick... not today, not now, but eventually...' The demon mocked inwardly.
!!!
Valentine hadn't thought about that, in fact, surely the girls didn't either in a spur of the moment, but his words were clearly layed to create conflict, and they were successful.
Who gets the ring!?
"You're welcome to come back to my city anytime, your first mission is in a month, if I don't find you then... you better run." Marques Warcroft's wings came out of nowhere, gigantic... they flapped producing gales as he flew away.
*WOOOSHHH!!!*
...
Those were many words in each sentence.
They removed the knives from their most fragile spots and sighed in relief, glaring at the protector badges.
But there is another issue.
Now Valentine has a single ring and two tigresses.
he could also just retain the ring and use it himself, but perhaps... he'd perish quicker that way and not live past tonight.
*COUGH!*
"Faye..."
"...?" Her heart fluttered slightly while Vera bit her lips.
"We need to enter, let's go..." He took both of their hands and started to make his way inside the foggy forest.
"..." Fayette bit her lips this time, aggrieved while Vera flashed her an amused glint.
Both bears followed behind, unaware of the troubles of life, so long as they can get some flesh every so often... all good.
**
**
It has been a nice journey for the three of them.
This forest is dangerous, definitely.
Creatures resembling goblins, trolls, snakes of all sizes.
Say what you want and we got it for you...
*BAAMM!!*
*BAAAMM!!*
"Its coming down!"
"WOOO!!"
*BOOOOMMM!!!*
This is the third tree they have taken down today, the swords are able to pierde through.
Valentine has already made the plans for building a house, he and Fayette are building the pieces with wood while Vera guards the perimeter.
"There is another one of those cunts coming... wait, Hmph, he's smart enough to flee." She giggled when one of the goblins with a club in hand retreated in fear upon regarding her bloodied figure, she doesn't know how many cores of those bastards she has eaten.
They're not tasty, but they sate the Rose Eagle Thorn.
"Is the house really going to be on the trees?" She asked in disbelief but also, expectation, she never expected to live in the trees ever, and with the two of them more so.
"Yes, we need to make it high enough to be concealed from anyone or anything's perspective... thankfully, the forest is high enough to perform this vision."
Valentine cleaned his sweat and so did Fayette, this place is so hot that they're wearing only their underwear to work.
"You know this mist is something we should be careful about, fog is usually produced in cold areas due to the impact between two different weather conditions... this is artificial mist." She cut a few more pieces of wood and uttered.
"We can't rely on our knowledge to gauge weather conditions in the netherworld, but let us retain this piece in our minds just in case.." He answered, they were supposed to look for a lake of sorts nearby to get water, hopefully there would be some nearby, where there is mist, there must be water.