The Demon’s Bride

"Okay." Beelzebub raised his hand for Elise to see blue fire appeared from his palm. "We drag them, bring them to the middle of the town, and burn them alive. That's the plan?"

Ian hummed in a thought when he felt Elise tugged his sleeve. "What is it, Sweet Elise?"

Elise cheeks blushed she said, "I don't think attacking directly is a good plan. We don't know what this person is capable of. Seeing how they are able to to cast a large loop magic, we don't know for sure what they are planning for and why do they keep us here." It was the question that had been in Elise mind why were they the one took in. It appeared not everyone who passed by the road would be pulled to the loop magic because the time when they had used the path for the first time before going to the church, the magic didn't capture her.

"Do you think they want us here, lass?" Beelzebub questioned and Elise wasn't sure with what attitude do she has to use with Beelzebub. The Demon was linked to Lucifer, and had to abide by the instruction Lucifer have which they don't know if it was good or bad. Seeing Ian trusted Beelzebub by keeping him in the castle, and noting how despite him having following Lucifer's instruction saved her once from the Relic, she chose to believe in him the way Ian did, therefore treating him the same way she did to others.

"I think that might be so, seeing that we weren't drawn to the magic loop in the beginning, there must be something that make the dark sorcerer chose us," Elise give the piece of her thought.

"Finding it out is worth of a shot, it could also be someone from your aunt's side," Ian said for Elise to look sullen but she had gotten over the fact that her family was people who she never know. It makes her question how she had never known of this before and that only evinced how much of an actress Angelica was contradictory to her blissful-sounding name.

"I-If it is as you three had said," came the fearful voice of the human man who peeked his upper half face from the table, "Then wouldn't the magistrate became the suspect?"

"Is that so?" replied Ian with another question, having the man confused. He the pulled his smile curling it deeper, "You never know who might actually be the dark sorcerer hiding among us. It might be him, you, but not us because we are the one who came last."

With fear he was accused and killed, the man yelled, "I-It isn't me! Aren't pointing this out you three seems more suspicious? Seeing that one of yours could use magic, doesn't mean he is also a sorcerer?" asked the man pointing his hand to Beelzebub.

"If we were them, I would have killed you first, little human for accusing me. I will make you black and turn you into a fine well done human steak," Beelzebub clicked his tongue at the human, having him shrunk deeper under his table.

"We can even fulfill how you would like to die, tell me and we'll help you with our upmost help," Ian offered with a smile.

Elise sighed at how Ian and Beelzebub kept on pressuring the human, the two had a bad habit that were very similar and it was to pressure other with their words. Unlike most people, Ian and Beelzebub only threatened people because they know they could accomplish the words they said and that only make it more scary to the people who were threatened. 

"Sir, I can promise we are not the people who are responsible for casting the magic loop nor are we the one who had turn the people who came here to disappearance. We are also caught in the trouble and wish to find way to come out of here. It would be helpful if you can help us," Elise expressed a smile to ease the human man's worries.

He looked at them only after a while saying, "Actually a few people had asked me to cooperate with them and help to escape from here but I don't believe they could do whatever they plan. But with you people, I can tell you are here to solve the problem. My name is Gabriel Restorcraft."

At this Elise was suddenly taken aback by the name that was similar to the angel Gabriel who had possibly appeared on Saltige and had told people that she was a bringer of death. Ian's expression was stale but he had the hidden enmity after the man named himself just the way Beelzebub was.

"The Archangel?" Ian raised his voice just faintly.

"Of course not! My parents baptized me in the Church that was called Gabriel, from there they took my name. I am a human, sirs," the man laughed, taking their words as a jest, not knowing how skeptical the Demons were as the man had introduced himself using the angel's name.

"Is there any people other than you who stayed here?" queried Elise, and the man toon a slight pause.

"There are two of them on the second floor. I became the one to fill the spot as the innkeeper due to the magistrate lazily picking me up. I think it was a good idea so I could warn people to follow the rules, some people, however, immediately panic and ran from the inn since then I never saw them again."

"Which why you told us not to panic." whispered Elise.

Ian hummed, his eyes moving upward and his red eyes glow redder before it shifted to Gabriel with a milder color, "What kind of people are the one who stayed here?"

"They are, well," Gabriel appeared hesitant, "strange. I told them about what happened but they didn't look bothered instead they began laughing. They just came yesterday evening. It shouldn't be long that they stayed here. After coming they then met som trips outside but came back just not long ago."

"Then what was strange about them?" asked Beelzebub who was impatient. He would rather go back than to stay in such a place where the roof almost inclined to break.

"Most people would have run screaming or ask questions like you three, but them, they just accepted without another thought and even find their own way to stay."

"Rather than being strange, I call that survival instinct," Ian responded, looking at Elise with a smile, "It's better to accept than to create ruckus, right?" 

"But most people would have react the way Gabriel said," Elise answered while returning her smile. She finds it somewhere endearing how Ian didn't know how most human would react when they are on their shoes even though once he was also a human, "especially when dark sorcerers are mentioned."

"Fair enough, humans are always scared of being like them that they forgot staying calm would have lengthen their live. Only a few have the capability of staying calm," he then looked at Gabriel, "Call those two out from their room."

"Now?"

Ian raised perfectly sharp brows at Gabriel, without changing his expression nor tone, he said, "I wonder if your head is filled with cotton and those ears of yours are ornaments? Do you see that I look like someone who would ask and wait until sunrise appear?" Ian smiled and that only had the human man pulled his head from the table.

Gabriel didn't want to call the two people because of how strange they were, but he doesn't want to offend Ian who seemed to be someone with a paper-thin patience. Hesitantly he said, "B-But they are rather stubborn. I called them before but they didn't want to answer me nor leave their room and only left on their whims."

Ian's lips tugged wider, his eyes colored in a mischievous glint, "How much does the third rule apply in this Ghost Town?"

"Excuse me?" What third rule? wondered Gabriel.

"I asked if breaking this inn is considered to be alright," and at Ian's words, Elise looked at him while shaking her head, telling him not to as she could feel the next step he would take.

"I suppose it is alright? I have broken some door-...sir?! No! No! Sir!" Gabriel yelled when seeing Ian, Beelzebub, and Elise had left the place, walking toward the stairs. Next thing Elise heard was the sound of a loud thud and word being broken in a snap. She knew what happened and placed her face to her palm.

"Ian," Elise called his name, seeing the door of the room where the two people was now laying on the ground couple steps away from the room.

"Yes, my bride?" Ian replied dutifully, his smile appearing innocent even when he knows what Elise had called him for. 

"Nothing," Elise shake her head, she knew this would happen soon anyway. Hoping Ian to follow the rule was something that could never happen, because to him other's rules are meant to be broken as he only follow his rules. It was said that Lion who makes the rule and that sentence apply to him. That was his good trait and often time also a bad one. 

She the shifted her eyes to see the two people who had come, seeing one of them who she noticed her brows raised.