The Demon’s Bride

"Good afternoon, Lord Ian, Lord Lewis, and Lord Ethan." The two men greeted. One looked older than the rest, having a grayish hair and a large round stomach and the other man had a tall big body with a heroic expression with a fine pair of silver eye. The first one was the Lord of Runalia, Garfon Sicht and the latter one was the Lord of Downbridge, Xavier Lnyx. Lord Garfon seemed to dislike mythical beings like any other citizens in his land but his eyes held a particularly deeper discontent at Ian. He glance at Ian with an arrogant face but dared not do anything.

Lewis turned his head and returned back with a gentle smile. Ian also smiled but if one differ it with Lewis, they would know how mischievous he was.

"Good afternoon to you two, Lord Garfon and Lord Xavier." Lewis wished back and Ian returned their greeting with only a nod from his head and the ineffably somewhat ridiculing smile.

Xavier wasn't the type to hold a smile on his fierce face thus he only faintly nod at Lewis's and Ian's greeting.

Garfon crossed his arm, smirking as he replied. "You're quite early today, Lord Ian I thought you would be leisurely taking your time to arrive at the meeting. Since you hold the largest power here, I'm sure no one would reprimand you for your behavior and no one in this room is able to tell you of the rules you broke off. So why with the sudden diligence?"

Ian was quiet used to other people's over politeness thus hearing Garfon's remarks, he chuckled amusedly. Yet the people who heard his chuckle felt as thought chill running through their bone. His laughing certainly never mean or lead to anything good. Even Garfon had lost his smile from his eerie chuckling. He turned up his eyes, pulling both corner of his lips and spoke lazily. "Do you mean I'm controlling the rules here? Lord Garfon, please be careful of what may come out from your mouth. Because such a word could lead to a deeper consequence."

The other three Lords rebuked his words in their heart, thinking, Didn't you once said that you are the rule? Yet no one could say it aloud especially with the Church who held the most power was here. Garfon in particular after Ian's warning couldn't reproach anything nor push the matter. If the Church took his words of inclining into a particular Lord as an offense, he would only receive demerits and backlash from his own words. Offending the Church for Garfon currently is something very undiserable as the Land he rule is in a very grave moment.

Thus as though a cat got to his tongue, the human man Garfon quieted down and finally shut his mouth for good. Seeing his obedience Ian chuckled again and straighten himself to open the room where the meeting were held. Lewis spoke a little with Ethan and Xavier of the topic they would be discussing inside the room. While Garfon clicked his tongue and cracked his jaw in irritation before following the rest to enter the room.

Inside the room, Ruhan, Kyle and Oliver controlled the meeting along with the other few heads of the Church. Alex who was sitting on the far corner of the room saw Ian sitting at the middle of the rectangular table with a lopsided smile hinting his mischievous act and shook his head faintly. Almost twenty years passed when he knew Ian yet his smiling face full of untamed mischievousness still didn't change. This time around he could only faintly hope that Ian wouldn't make a trouble in the middle of the meeting. Although his wish had never come true, Alex still wished a little.

Ruhan opened the meeting with formal greetings and came up to the topic of the meeting smoothly.

"The attacks of the dark sorcerers had started from a few month ago. The attack started from the Ilian Town and till now approximately four town in Runalia have been destroyed. Currently the dark sorcerers launch sudden attacks to different towns."

The others heard the matters with a stern face. Lewis tapped his fingers on the side of the table and raised a question. "So the attacks are sudden? Do they leave a pattern on their attacks?"

Oliver shook his head. "Unfortunately the attacks are too random and there had been no lead that could help us in knowing their next attacks. Lord Ian helped to apprehend the dark sorcerer who is behind the attack of the last town but they refused to answer and some committed suicide."

"That's certainly hard to guess then." Ethan spoked with a frown. "But we do know one thing, the dark sorcerer isn't aiming for anything other than Runalia."

Garfon's face grew darker as Ethan pointed it aloud. His question was as though he is saying "Why should we be here and discuss such a pointless thing when it's only Runalia in trouble?" The Church suddenly had a grave silence. Since long before the Lords have never want to involve themself in others' matters, only if the Lords knew each other would they be helping them willingly. However, not only that Garfon is completely disgusted by mythical beings, he also had a very discordant liaison with most of the other Lords, especially to both Ian and Ethan. Thus Ethan sounded very disagreeing with helping a foolish human man who thought himself superior than others.

Alex stood up from his seat and spoke on behalf. "That's hard to say."

Ethan narrowed his Crimson eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Since before we guessed the dark sorcerers to have only one goal and that's to have a land of their own. But their patterns have changed."

Xavier intervened. "What do you mean by change? Do they not send beast from Marshforth and used dark magic to induce them to their agitated state?"

"You mean their reckless attack of destroying different towns that are quiet far in distance, right?" Ian spoke up and had the whole eyes to him.

Alex crooked a smile. "Yes, Lord Ian. Before the dark sorcerers attack the nearest towns one by one to achieve their goal of having their own land. However this time, the towns they attacked are varied and it would seem they have taken an account of something to attack these towns. It save to says that it seems that they are aiming for a different thing."

Approximately twenty years ago when the dark sorcerers were still active, their ultimate purpose was to have their own land and dominated the Empire as their own. Because Runalia was the weakest land with only humans and sorcerers, they become an easy target to the eyes of the predators. Their attacks had never changed and although taking beasts from Marshfoth in their aggressive state needed human sacrifices, the dark sorcerers never ceased to use the same attack plan. However if one thing did change was they chose town that was far from each other. It was a strange plan if one wants to accumulate towns before capturing the lands.

"Evidence?" Ethan asked. He wasn't being irrational, it was the opposite case, he was being far more realistic. What he wants to know is the dark sorcerers goal. But judging by patterns attack alone, they are still unable finding out what the dark sorcerers is actually aiming for. It still wasn't enough for Ethan to move out his hand to lend a help on the human who wouldn't appreciate their good deeds.

"It's still a speculation, my lord. But we all knew the dark sorcerers wouldn't do something useless such as attacking without a plan. This could mean that they wouldn't only attack Runalia but also other lands of their plan see fits." 

Ian leaned to his chair clapping aimlessly in the silence room and praised, "Great speculation, Alex. That would certainly mean this dark little sorcerers are doing moves with something particular as a goal in their mind. Perhaps something grandiose that are far more important than concurring their own land." He turned his scarlet eyes to the higher-ups of the Church and made a ridiculing smirk. "I'm sure by now all of you understand that almost all the top sorcerers you sent are very useless, don't you?"

Alex gave a face palm to himself, thinking deeply. "I have a bad feeling when he praised me. What are you doing, Ian? Stay low! Stay low! They wouldn't speak about Elise but that doesn't mean they wouldn't bring the matter up!!"

Garfon rounded his palm into a tight fist. Almost gritting down his teeth, he asked. "Then, Lord Ian do you have a solution to this matter?"

Hearing this Ian asked back. "A solution?" Whenever Ian spoke a word or even let out a very faint chuckle, everyone didn't dare to let out a voice that would interrupt him. Be it the low-ranked subordinates, the Lords, or the Church member. This time around, they became even more silent than before, waiting for him to share his knowledge.

Lord Garfon clenched his fist and confirmed. "Yes, a solution or perhaps the Lord is only speaking without any thoughts on the solution?"

Alex was taken aback by Garfon's haughtiness and brazen question. He was the man who needed Ian's wealthy knowledge for the solution that could help the land he rule yet his tone wasn't the least pleasant to here. "How foolish." Alex whispered and Ruhan who heard him muttering an insult give him a warning with his fierce glare.

"Of course I do but would you really want to hear my solution?"

Just one question the pin drop silence felt gravely tense. They looked at each other, the tone that Ian used was like a hook waiting for people to caught on.

It was as though he was asking them, "Are you prepared for my solution's consequences?"