The chief, a man with short, fiery red hair, approached them and stopped directly in front of Aaron, his gaze intense.
"Who is this, Emily?" he asked, turning his head towards his daughter.
"Father, this is Aaron. He's a half-elf and also an Elite Blood."
"What?"
"Did I hear her correctly?"
"This young child possesses Elite Blood?"
"I thought I was the only one who heard it."
"Emily wouldn't joke about such information."
"When have you ever seen her joke?"
"You're right, it means this young man is truly a..."
"Are you certain about this?" the chief asked, his brow furrowed slightly.
"Um... Yes," Emily replied, though a hint of uncertainty lingered in her voice.
"You hesitated," the chief observed, a touch of surprise in his tone as he looked at his daughter.
"Are you the Commander who knows about my father?" Aaron interjected, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
'This man is a freaking Sky Realm, a realm higher than my Mom. But still, he has to answer my question.'
"And who is your father? What is his name?" the chief inquired, his eyes fixed on Aaron.
'What is his name? Thank goodness for the All Seeing Eyes. My Mom didn't mention his name when telling us about her past, but the All Seeing Eyes showed me.'
"Lucian," Aaron stated clearly.
The chief staggered backward, a look of utter shock washing over his face. "Come again, young man?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"Didn't you hear me the first time? Fine, his name is Lucian. I want to know some things about him," Aaron repeated, his gaze unwavering.
"Come with me," the chief said, turning abruptly and walking towards one of the mud-brick houses.
"Keep that raven, I will be coming for it," he called out to Vince, then continued to follow the chief with Emily at his side.
"That bastard! What's so special about an Elite Blood? Is it even better than a pureblood?!" Vince hissed under his breath, his fists clenched in barely contained rage.
[Emily's Home.]
The chief's house was simple, nothing extravagant, just a modest three-bedroom dwelling. While most houses in the village appeared to be constructed from wood, the chief's was built from sturdy mud bricks.
"Sit down," the chief instructed Aaron as the three entered the house.
He closed the door and meticulously locked all the bolts. Aaron turned to Emily, a question in his eyes.
"It's okay," she whispered reassuringly.
"So, your father's name is Lucian. Is that correct?" the chief asked, turning to face Aaron and Emily after sitting down on a low stool opposite them.
"Do I have to repeat myself constantly?" Aaron asked, a hint of impatience in his voice.
"Ha! I like you, boy. Emily, can you bring something for our Prince?" the chief said, a strange mix of surprise and respect in his tone.
"Yes, Father," Emily replied, standing up and heading towards a small kitchen area.
"Prince?" Protean, still perched on Aaron's shoulder in griffin form, and Aaron exchanged stunned glances.
"Yes, my Prince. Your father is the eldest son of the Demon King and the rightful heir to the throne," the chief revealed, his gaze serious.
"I'm guessing he didn't ascend to it, because if he had, the encounter with my mother wouldn't have been possible," Aaron deduced, folding his arms across his chest.
"Correct. How old are you, young man?" the chief asked, observing Aaron's unexpected maturity and knowledge.
"Do you want to know my real age or my fake age?" Aaron countered, a mischievous glint in his blue eyes.
"Pardon?" the chief asked, taken aback.
Aaron simply stared at him with a deadpan expression.
"Both will be fine," the chief said with a chuckle, recovering quickly.
"Truth: I'm six months old. False: I'm six years old," Aaron stated matter-of-factly.
The chief blinked several times, then nodded slowly, still processing the information. "Where were we? Ah, yes! Your father."
"Can I know more about him? All I've gathered so far is that he's the first son of the Demon King, so I'm guessing he has siblings, perhaps even more. One or all of them likely hated him and wanted to get rid of him. And my father, being the gentle type who dislikes fighting and killing, left the castle for another continent, where he met my mother, and that resulted in me." Aaron summarized his assumptions.
Protean, the chief, and even Emily, who had paused at the doorway with a tray laden with food and tea, froze in stunned silence.
"Did you just guess all of that?" Protean blurted out, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Ahem!" the chief cleared his throat, breaking the stunned silence.
"You are remarkably accurate on many points, but your father was far from the gentle type. He was the Commander of all the Demon legions, and I served as his right-hand man. Your father's departure was due to a task assigned by the King, but none of us knew it was a carefully orchestrated plan by the Queen and your father's step-brother—I hesitate to even call him 'step' because that scoundrel was adopted. He manipulated the King into sending your father away so he could have the freedom to pursue his own ambitions. A week later, your grandfather was poisoned..." The chief paused, his expression darkening. "That adopted bastard, who goes by the name Zukor, and your father's mother plotted to seize the throne. However, the council vehemently refused, stating that the first and rightful son was still on his mission and would return to claim his birthright and rule as King."
He sighed deeply, the weight of past events heavy in the air. Emily quietly placed the tray on the low table between Aaron and the chief.
"The two were enraged by the council's defiance and brutally murdered them all. Then, four months ago, we received the devastating news that the first Prince, your father, was dead. With no other legitimate heir, that fool Zukor was finally crowned the King of the demon race."
"So, my father's own mother hated him enough to help her adopted son steal the throne. Are you sure these two aren't involved in some secret romantic relationship?" Aaron asked, a cynical edge to his voice.
"Huh?" The three were taken aback.
"You're suggesting they have a… romantic relationship?" the chief asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Correct. That's the only logical explanation. They're likely using their mother-and-son facade to conceal their true intentions," Aaron stated matter-of-factly, reaching for a cookie from the tray and taking a bite.
"You might be right… But there is much more information about your father that I believe your mother should also know. Can you bring her to the village?" the chief asked, his gaze hopeful.
Aaron considered the request for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Okay."
'Even if you have a hidden agenda, you won't succeed. But if you genuinely need help, I'll be more than happy to move my Mom and sister away from that dangerous forest.'
"Emily," the chief said, turning to his daughter. "You have a crucial mission. Take Aaron back to his mother and help bring her here to me. She needs to know the full extent of our situation, and perhaps… perhaps Aaron will be the beacon of hope we have been desperately searching for."
"Okay, Father, but the Flesh Eaters' Forest is incredibly dangerous. Don't you think—" Emily began, her voice laced with concern.
"—Remember the stone I gave you?" the chief interrupted gently.
Emily nodded, reaching into a pouch at her waist.
"That is a transportation stone. Inscribe the magic circle onto it, and the gateway will appear, no matter where you are," the chief explained.
"Okay, Father. We'll be back," Emily said, standing up resolutely.
Aaron grabbed a handful more cookies and stuffed them into his bag. "These are for the journey," he announced. He then picked up the teapot and drained its contents in one swift gulp.
"We'll see you again," he said to the chief, and the three of them walked out of the house after the chief unlocked the door.
'You are our last hope, Aaron,' the chief thought, watching them leave.