Suddenly, a being flashed through Zepar’s mind.

“Could it be… you…”

Zepar’s lips, attempting to spit out words, closed immediately as Aegares gently held a finger to his lips in a quieting motion.

“…That’s a secret. You’re not very perceptive. No, maybe you are.”

Zepar, detecting the discomfort buried in the nonchalant tone, quickly nodded and pleaded.

“I’ll keep it a secret!! A secret!! From everyone…! So, please, spare me…”

“Hmm.”

Aegares hummed, gently sweeping up a lock of hair.

‘How should I kill him to make our little one less sad?’

He was considering ways to kill, but Zepar deeply misunderstood, thinking the ruler in front of him was considering his life or death.

“Please, if you spare me, I’ll serve as your faithful…”

Begging for his life became even more despicable and desperate.

“Uh…”

Evelia squirmed a little, groaning.

Upon hearing the small sound, Aegares immediately shifted his gaze from Zepar to his embrace.

“Shh…”

He patted her small back a few times, soothing her as if she were a single precious gem in the world.

After comforting his little friend for a moment.

When Evelia squirmed a bit, settled into a comfortable position and once again began to breathe rhythmically, Aegares spoke.

“Did you hear?”

“…?”

“My friend asks for the most painful death. ”

The ruler who decided his fate had cold eyes, and his chilly smile sent chills down one’s spine.

Aegares, who was about to clutch Zepar’s throat, hesitated for a moment, then stepped back a few steps.

It would be a problem if even a drop of dirty blood splattered onto our little one.

“Please!! Mercy…!!”

Mercy? Was my image so weak?

Aegares laughed lazily, flicked his finger lightly and pointed to the sky.

“Ask that guy above for something like that.”

Ah, but that guy is also a person who is quite far from mercy.

Aegares’s red lips drew a cold arc.

“Cough!”

Zepar, begging for forgiveness, soon burst under the pressure of the ruler’s aura pressing from all sides.

Aegares wrapped Evelia even more tightly in his wings.

So that she wouldn’t see the dirty sight, just in case.

So that she wouldn’t hear any unpleasant sounds, just in case.

Zepar’s red armor shattered into pieces and fell onto the snowy field.

The contrast of the red blood and red armor against the white snow made it easy to guess what had happened here.

Clipclop, clipclop.

The sound of hurried horse hooves faintly echoed through the snowfield from afar.

“…They’re quick.”

Aegares muttered.

His anger was still not vented enough.

“Eve!!”

Elysia cried out as if being torn apart.

In the white snowfield, there was blood. A lot of red blood.

It couldn’t possibly be the blood of our child.

That much blood couldn’t possibly belong to our child.

“This bastard!! It’s you!! How dare you touch our young lady!!”

Herold and Dwen drew their swords and were about to charge like mad dogs, but Hugo grabbed the scruff of their necks with his right and left hands.

“Stop. He is not the one.”

He was not wearing red armor and he was not a being capable of such an act.

Hugo had a good understanding of the overwhelming being who had minimized the damage from the past Inma War.

Aegares’s face was splattered with the blood of Zepar, which hadn’t yet cooled.

His golden eyes still looked like those of a rampaging predator, and his wings, darker than the night sky, accentuated his dangerous appearance.

“Demon!! Where’s Eve! Where is Eve?!”

Despite his imposing demeanor, Ludwig, who had jumped down from the stillmoving horse, rushed desperately towards Agares.

“Do not come near. It’s disgusting.”

Agares took a step back, lowering the wing that had been covering Evelia halfway down.

Under the moonlight, his golden hair shone brighter, contrasting starkly with his pale face which was now revealed.

“Eve… are you okay?”

“Someone saved me. Of course.”

Ludwig let out a sigh of relief. His heart, which had been pounding relentlessly, seemed to gradually find its pace.

“Our young lady…!! Our young lady!! Huuooooh!!”

Herold burst into a huuoooohlike cry.

At the sound of the cry, which resembled a bear’s roar, Agares sent a strange glance as if he had seen all the weird creatures in the world.

‘What is that? A human or a bear?’

“My daughter…!! Oh, thank you, God. Thank you.”

“Do you not see who’s holding Eve now? Searching for God, indeed.”

Looking at Elysia kneeling on the cold snow, searching for God, Agares seemed to be displeased.

Humans. They don’t even know what kind of being God is.

Meanwhile, Hugo approached Agares, holding a sword.

“….Let her go. Ruler of the Eastern Demon World.”

“Shouldn’t you be the one to put down that sword?”

Given Hugo’s urgency, it was a great patience not to wield the sword demanding his daughter.

On the other hand, it was also unprecedented for Agares, who was not known to easily forgive those who drew swords against him, to respond verbally.

Neither Hugo nor Agares had the intention to confront each other with force.

‘He is, after all, a benefactor.’

‘I don’t want to be hit in the back by our little one for being a bad demon when she wakes up.’

Hugo lowered his sword, and Agares reduced his intensity.

“I will not ask what relation you have with my daughter, or why you knew where my daughter was.”

Just give my daughter back.

In countless battlefields, under countless threats to life, a plea that had never been uttered flowed easily.

In front of the life and death of their daughter, a parent’s pride and life were nothing.

“….I don’t intend to answer. That’s why I saved her. However, I must take a fee. It’s a demon’s rule.”

“Anything.”

My position, wealth, honor, life, even soul. Anything.

Though the devil was famous for taking a heavy fee, Hugo’s answer did not hesitate.

If it was for his daughter, he wouldn’t regret it even if the fee was the world.

However, the fee requested was completely different from Hugo’s expectation.

“Friend.”

Their eyes met.

The eyes of the demon were firm, and Hugo’s eyes were full of disbelief and wonder.

‘What is this damned demon saying now? Is he suggesting that we become friends?’

“Get rid of that disgusting delusion. Not you, but Eve and I, as friends.”

“….Since when.”

“You can hear about that from our little one later. There’s only one fee I’ll take from you. Don’t interfere with me being friends with Eve.”

Hugo, after adding several minor conditions, slowly nodded.

“….Then what are you taking from my daughter.”

“Hm? Nothing.”

Agares calmly wiped the blood on his face with the back of his hand and answered.

“The demon’s rule must never have been broken.”

“None, as far as I know.”

“….Then why?”

Full of questions, all human eyes in the place turned to the demon.

It was unprecedented that the demon helped something without taking any fee, as Agares said.

Feeling those questioning eyes, Agares looked down at the sleeping Evelia in his arms.

Seeing her small mouth moving as if she was eating something even after going through such a scary incident, he unknowingly showed a gentle smile.

I want to hear your story under the warm sunshine in our secret base.

With your clear vision, your unique thoughts, your gentle words.

‘How much more will you make me laugh, my little friend?’

The words following the thought were also in a warm tone that no one would have ever heard before.

“She is the only exception to everything I have.”

“Why?”

“Because we’re friends.”

To me who was alone for an eternity.

As for the fee, I’ve already received more than enough, with that one word, with that single petal you handed me.