Chapter 1619 Imprisoned <TOC> Chapter 1621 A Demon’s Etiquette
Translator: SumTLMan
In the tranquil study,
Sanders quickly penned the concluding lines for a new subsection on the topic of —Energy Standards in the Wizarding World and the Structural Composition of Energy Systems in the Wilderness of Dreams—, laid out on his desk.
Setting down his pen, he lifted his gaze towards Angel, seated across from him, and said, “You mentioned earlier that an apprentice has made a pact with a demon?”
Angel nodded, “Not just that; there’s a high likelihood it’s a Rune Fire Demon.”
Because Angel had previously spoken of his experiences in the Abyss, Sanders was aware that Rune Fire Demons were aristocrats among demons, capable of reaching the status of a Demon Lord upon reaching maturity.
“A Rune Fire Demon paired with a gourmet apprentice — that’s quite an interesting combination,” said Sanders. With a tap of his knuckles on the tabletop, the substantial pile of work that was there vanished into thin air. Then, he stood up, “Let’s go take a look.”
The real reason Angel had come to see Sanders was purely as a precaution. After all, lurking behind Azaz could very well be a Rune Fire Demon.
Of course, if that Rune Fire Demon turned out to be a Demon Lord, that would be another matter entirely… However, a Demon Lord would likely not have the leisure to engage in pact-making games with a gourmet apprentice.
Upon their arrival in the living room, Gloria sat stern-faced on the sofa, holding a wine glass filled with a shimmering green liquid. Shirley stood behind her, curiously eyeing Azaz, who was seated on the other side.
Azaz was bound and sat quietly in a chair, his head lowered.
Angel caught Shirley’s eye; she initially pretended not to see him, acting like an ostrich with its head in the sand. Only when Angel narrowed his eyes did Shirley sigh and leave the living room.
She was genuinely intrigued by the underlying truth here…
After Shirley left, Angel and Sanders each took their seats.
At that moment, Gloria emptied her glass in one gulp, exhaling a vapor mixed with black smoke and frosty mist. With a sense of wistfulness, she said, “This was the last Lady of Ice Goblet mixed by Felicia. I had intended to save it for when I returned from the Nightmare Plane. I didn’t expect to nearly fall victim to a malevolent spell today, so I had to consume it in advance.”
“Did you find out anything?” Angel inquired.
Gloria shook her head, “I’ve been so focused on restoring the vitality to this mortal coil that I haven’t had time to inquire further.”
Finishing her statement, Gloria shifted her gaze towards Azaz, who was visibly nervous. His apprehension escalated, especially when he recognized the man in the black suit as Sanders, making his calves tremble slightly.
“It’s your turn to speak. You said earlier that you’ve never danced with a demon. You should be well aware of the consequences that offering sacrifices to a demon would entail,” Gloria’s expression was tinged with sarcasm. “You’d better provide a clear explanation; otherwise, you can anticipate your fate.”
Perhaps the Lady of Ice Goblet had tempered Gloria’s ire somewhat, as her tone was far calmer than before.
After a prolonged silence, Azaz finally spoke, hesitantly: “I come from Winsbills…”
Winsbills was once an extraordinary city, as renowned as the Sky Mechanical City. However, its prosperity was decimated overnight following the ‘Blood Night Massacre’ that took place two thousand years ago. Although the city has been making a slow recovery, it’s still a far cry from its golden age. Moreover, in contrast to the order maintained in the Sky Mechanical City, Winsbills has a high concentration of rogue wizards, making it a hotbed for lawlessness. This has left the city perennially teetering on the edge of chaos.
It was only in recent years, with the arrival of the ‘Dimension Walker’ Aesop, that some semblance of stability was restored to the city.
Azaz was born in this new era that came after Aesop took residence. Born in a city teeming with magical potential, he had been exposed to the Wizarding World from a young age. However, since his parents were merely mortals, he never had an opportunity to test his own innate talents. That is, until he was fifteen, when he encountered a man who had come to Winsbills to recuperate from an injury.
The man’s name is Tubal, and he claims to be a wandering chef.
Azaz, inheriting his father’s struggling tavern, had the serendipitous fortune to take Tubal as his mentor, learning both gourmet arts and business management.
As Azaz grew closer to Tubal, he discovered that Tubal was, in fact, a wizard specializing in gastronomy.
Recognizing Azaz’s innate talent for fine cuisine, Tubal agreed to take him on as a disciple. Tubal was generally good to Azaz, although their philosophies diverged on the topic of crafting enchanted food. At that point, however, Azaz was still unaware that Tubal had long since fallen from grace.
It wasn’t until Tubal’s physical form began to deteriorate that Azaz came to understand the full scope of the truth.
Tubal had come to Winsbills to recover from undisclosed injuries. While the specifics eluded Azaz, it was evident that Tubal’s health was in constant decline, marked by frequent bouts of coughing up blood. Despite concocting a variety of magical foods meant for healing, none seemed to have any significant effect.
At a point where Tubal saw no hope for himself, he finally unveiled the whole truth to Azaz.
Tubal originated from the Northern Territory, a Wizarding World separated from the Southern Region by an unfathomable expanse of time and space. He had been attacked and injured by a group of wizards for making a pact with a demon. Guided by the demon, he had covertly fled to the Southern Region via the Abyss.
When recounting his own story, Tubal was filled with animosity towards the wizards who had attacked him in the Northern Territory. He portrayed himself as a tragic figure, suppressed for challenging mainstream magical philosophies. However, Azaz weighed these claims against his own internal moral compass.
On the brink of death, Tubal requested Azaz to embrace his philosophies, but Azaz declined. Although angered, Tubal was on the verge of collapse and had no desire to harm the pupil he had nurtured for years. Therefore, he said, “You may reject my worldview, but you must assist me in making an offering to the demon. Otherwise, once I die, my soul will be devoured by the demon to whom I am pledged.”
Azaz was hesitant but ultimately agreed to Tubal’s request, not wanting to see Tubal’s soul fall into oblivion.
He continued his rituals to the demon, who was none other than Sebastian.
“What happened to Tubal’s soul?” Gloria inquired.
Pausing for a moment, Azaz answered, “My mentor deceived me. He had already entered into a pact with the demon. When he died, his soul belonged to the demon. Thus, even as I continued to offer tributes to the demon, his soul was already consumed by it.”
However, by then, Azaz had already initiated his demonic rituals, rendering him powerless to reverse Tubal’s soul’s fate or to free himself from the demon’s clutches.
While clearing out Tubal’s belongings, Azaz discovered more than two hundred human skeletons in Tubal’s basement. These were individuals who had been sacrificed to the demon by Tubal.
The sight of the sea of bones sent shivers down his spine. The thought that these remains were used as food offerings for the demon tormented him with nightmares for months.
From that point on, Azaz swore an oath never to use human beings as sacrifices to the demon.
Even if Sebastian tried to seduce him through various means, even going so far as to offer him greater power in exchange for a change of surname, Azaz remained steadfast in his refusal.
This reflected his core principles, which have held firm to this day.
Azaz concluded his tale. While Angel suspected some details might have been omitted, the story felt genuine to him.
Furthermore, Azaz’s account clarified why the demon he worshipped would use humans as living ingredients. It turns out, this gruesome technique was not taught by Azaz, but rather by his mentor, Tubal.
Angel glanced at Gloria, seeking her opinion, but Gloria appeared to be lost in thought.
Turning his attention to Sanders, Angel inquired through their mental bond, “Do you believe Azaz’s words to be truth or deception?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Sanders replied, “True.”
While the power of a Demon Lord can conceal the truth from detection spells, Sanders could keenly sense that there were no traces of demonic power at work within Azaz… Furthermore, Sanders could vaguely discern the outline of the demon through Azaz.
Chapter 1619 Imprisoned <TOC> Chapter 1621 A Demon’s Etiquette