With a peculiar expression on her face, Theia lightly nudged the dwarf she was pinning to the ground with the tip of her toe.
“How did you know I was a ‘long-eared’ elf? I didn't expose any of my physical traits.”
Although restrained, the dwarf’s temper remained quite fierce. He gave a cold snort. “Does anyone really need to look to sense that arrogant elven aura? I could smell that stink from a mile away!”
Theia was stunned for a moment before instantly becoming enraged. She applied more pressure with her foot. “What nonsense are you talking about!”
She subconsciously raised her fair wrist to her nose and sniffed carefully.
Under such focused sniffing, there indeed seemed to be... a very faint, vague hint of...
A slight smell of sweat mixed with dust, likely from not having washed thoroughly enough after their long journey?
Theia was horrified!
Before coming here, she had washed herself clean inside and out! She had almost used up those hygiene products she had bought for an outrageous price, which were supposed to smell of flowers!
How could there still be an odor?!
That unscrupulous shopkeeper lied to me!
The thought that Lin Gui, who was standing right beside her, might have smelled something on her...
Theia felt like her entire world was ending!
To cover up the guilt and panic in her heart, she stomped on the dwarf even harder and shouted, “What do you mean stink?! This is the faint, delicate fragrance of a beautiful elven girl, okay! Your nose is broken!”
“Move your stinking foot! Stinking long-ears!” the dwarf struggled violently, yelling in frustration.
“Who are you calling stinking?!”
“You!”
Watching the two of them start an absurd argument over “smell,” Lin Gui rubbed the bridge of his nose in resignation.
“Alright, Theia, let him go first.”
Theia reluctantly moved her foot away and immediately flashed back to Lin Gui’s side.
She also subconsciously kept a bit of distance from him.
She was terrified he might actually catch a whiff of that “non-existent” stench on her.
Lin Gui found her little movements somewhat amusing.
He had a general idea of what Theia was obsessing over.
Actually, that wasn't a scent unique to her.
It was the pervasive smell that hung over the entire Seventh Ring refugee district.
The sour stench of rotting garbage, the fishy smell of untreated sewage, the body odor and sweat of crowded people, and... an atmosphere of despair and oppression, all mixed together.
The people living here were like forgotten dust.
Most of them were commoners who had fled from various destroyed city-states ten years ago during the Great Evacuation.
In the Carter Royal Capital, they were not viewed as true citizens.
They had no protections, no right to build houses, no right to settle, and certainly no right to conduct business.
They were packed together like livestock in dilapidated tents or shacks they had built themselves.
They engaged in the filthiest, most exhausting, and lowest-paying labor.
All just to exchange their effort for a tiny chance at survival.
If anyone killed a refugee, they would face no punishment.
Their lives were worth less than the pets kept by noble lords.
Lin Gui looked around at the junkyard, which looked even more dilapidated in the darkness of the night, and let out a silent sigh.
He was powerless to change all this.
Even if he used the Shroud of the Gloomy Night to steal all the wealth of the upper-class nobles and distribute it to the refugees.
Even if he used magic to help them rebuild their homes...
As long as that deep-rooted system of exploitation existed, everything would soon be swallowed up and return to ruin.
He was still too weak.
In his mind, fragments that often flashed back in his nightmares surfaced once again.
Soaring flames, rolling severed heads, and sneers full of malice...
Lin Gui silently clenched his fists.
'Give me a bit more time... a bit more time to become stronger...'
He composed himself.
He led the dwarf and Theia into a relatively intact shack deep within the junkyard.
Lin Gui got straight to the point and asked the dwarf, “Why were you following us on Gray Street?”
He had imagined many reasons.
Perhaps the dwarf had detected the demon energy Theia unintentionally emitted and wanted to report them for a reward.
Perhaps he had sensed Theia’s half-demon identity and wanted to get to know her as a fellow half-demon.
Or even the best possible scenario.
Just like when Roger was approached years ago, the person had actively made contact because of their half-demon status, attempting to guide them to Avalon...
However, the dwarf gave Lin Gui a completely unexpected answer.
He looked up at Lin Gui with a complex expression. “Human boy, I followed you because I wanted to give you a warning. Stay away from that member of the Demon Race, or she'll get you killed!”
“Because of me???” Lin Gui was taken aback, pointing at himself. “You know me?”
During his date with Theia, he hadn't intentionally covered his face, hoping to lower the wariness of potential targets.
The dwarf sighed. “Is there anyone in the refugee district who doesn't know your reputation now?”
“The unknown Mage Lord who came from New Covenant City and crossed the dangerous Withered Rift to deliver letters for commoners.”
“In the Pariah Messenger post office, your gentle aura, which is completely out of place with the people sent by the nobles, allowed us to recognize you at a glance.”
Lin Gui was startled and keenly caught the key point. “How do you know I came from ‘New Covenant City’?”
If the other party knew he had come from Caran City, that could still be explained.
But to accurately name “New Covenant City” as his starting point was very strange.
There was more than just New Covenant among the subsidiary city-states surrounding Caran City.
For example, when Theia first arrived in Caran City, she had come from the neighboring Flowerwood City.
The dwarf said with a peculiar expression, “It was mentioned in the letters sent from Caran.”
“The letters said a mage who came from ‘New Covenant’ was working tirelessly to deliver letters from Caran to the Royal Capital...”
“Among the many refugees who received letters, you are like a divine messenger sent by a god to rescue their longings.”
“They are grateful to you. They don't know your name, so based on your appearance... they gave you a title.”
He paused, looking at Lin Gui’s black hair and eyes that remained clear even in the dark, and spoke slowly.
“They call you... the ‘Black-Feathered Raven.’”
“The raven is one of the few birds that can still tenaciously deliver messages under a sky infested by demons.”
“And black... is the color of your hair and eyes.”
“Black hair and black pupils are very rare on the Akara Continent.”
“The Black-Feathered Raven?”
Theia lightly nudged Lin Gui’s side with her elbow, her tone carrying a hint of a tease.
“Lin Gui, you have a title now~~”
Titles on the Akara Continent were both rare and common.
They were rare in the sense of formal titles officially recognized by the City-State Alliance.
Usually, only experts who broke through to the Epic Rank would be personally granted a title by the Alliance Council based on their abilities, achievements, and combat style.
For instance, several of the strongest individuals recognized in the human world held thunderous titles like the “Sword Saint of Heavenly Punishment,” the “Silver Moon Mage God,” and the “Immovable Bulwark.”
On the other hand, titles were common in the sense of unofficial nicknames.
They might be self-proclaimed, used by others to flatter, or... derived from the simplest gratitude and support of the people at the bottom.
Lin Gui still remembered meeting a bandit leader on the road to the Magic City long ago.
His lackeys had bestowed the ridiculous title of “King of All Kings” upon him.
As a result, not long after...
That group of bandits was wiped out by a passing Gold Rank adventure group as a side commission.
To be honest, Lin Gui actually quite liked that bandit leader with his eccentric way of thinking.
Unfortunately, the man hadn't listened to his advice to leave that mountain stronghold destined for destruction in time.
“The Black-Feathered Raven...”
Lin Gui silently repeated the title the refugees had given him in his heart.
It was actually pretty cool.
He pulled his wandering thoughts back and turned his gaze back to the dwarf on the ground, asking the most crucial question.
“Do you... know ‘Roger’?”
He stared intently into the dwarf’s eyes.
He didn't miss any subtle reaction, trying to judge the truth or falsehood of the other's words.
The dwarf was stunned by the abrupt question, his charcoal-red eyes full of bewilderment. “Roger? Which Roger? Are you talking about the famous master smith from Shield City, Roger Bronzebeard?”
Lin Gui stared dead at the other party for several seconds before letting out a soft sigh.
Judging by the other’s completely unfeigned, confused reaction, he indeed wasn't the one he was looking for—the person who had guided Roger to Avalon.
Furthermore, the dwarf race was famously blunt.
Aside from secrets involving treasures and smithing, they rarely deigned to lie about other matters.
In fact, when he saw the other party’s obvious dwarven traits, Lin Gui’s small glimmer of hope had already mostly cooled.
A dwarf planning a grand drama involving the assassination of a prince and desertion from the Royal Capital?
That joke sounded a bit like dark humor.
Lin Gui said nothing more and stepped forward to untie the ropes on the dwarf.
After a simple apology, he intended to leave with Theia.
“Wait!”
The dwarf rubbed his wrists, which were numb from being tied, and after a moment of hesitation, he chased after them.
He looked up at Lin Gui, his tone carrying a rare hint of sincerity. “Human boy, I see you're a good person, so I really suggest this to you.”
“Whether you covet her beauty or pity her situation, you’d best stay far away from this ‘Demon’!”
“She isn't a half-demon, but a member of the Demon Race who can use ‘demon energy’! A true demon!”
Lin Gui stopped in his tracks and replied flatly, “Don't worry, I know. She also only recently awakened demon energy for the first time. It’s her first time being a demon, and she doesn't have much experience. Please be patient with her.”
“Huh???” The dwarf’s face was full of question marks at these words; his brain almost couldn't process it.
“First time being a demon??? What... what the hell is that supposed to mean?”
He suddenly reacted, his charcoal-red eyes widening to the size of saucers. “Are you saying this long-ears is a half-demon, and the demon energy only awakened recently???”
Lin Gui nodded. “Yes, is there a problem?”
“Then you've definitely been tricked by her!” the dwarf said with absolute certainty.
“It’s impossible for a half-demon to awaken demon energy! A power as at once most malevolent and most pure as demon energy could never appear in a mixed-blood with a muddled bloodline!”
He seemed to want to emphasize something as he raised his voice. “Unless...”
Before the words following “unless” could be spoken!
Theia and Lin Gui acted almost simultaneously!
One on each side, they instantly covered the dwarf’s mouth.
They looked around warily, and after confirming no one was watching, they grabbed him by the arms and dragged him back into the dilapidated shack without another word!
The reason a half-demon could awaken demon energy was that within their demonic lineage...
One ancestor originated from the Seventy-Two Pillar Demon Kings.
Not many people knew this crucial fact.
Lin Gui hadn't known it before either; Theia had told him in secret later.
And she certainly hadn't told Elvia, that person whose trustworthiness was essentially zero.
In fact, even Theia herself didn't know specifically which of the Seventy-Two Pillar Demon Kings her father was.
After dragging the dwarf into the shack and pressing him into a chair, Lin Gui was the first to question him in a low voice.
“How do you know this information? Who told you?”
To their surprise, the dwarf didn't feel angry or terrified by Lin Gui and Theia’s sudden aggression.
He struggled to pull one hand away from his mouth and took a breath.
When he turned his gaze back to Theia, the obvious hostility from before had actually dissipated quite a bit.
In its place was an extremely peculiar, investigative look.
He stared at Theia, his voice muffled as it leaked through the gaps between her fingers. “Hey... long-ears, which of the Demon Kings is the source of your demon bloodline?”
Theia was stunned by his question before she furrowed her brow.
“Why should I tell you? Is it possible... that you are also the descendant of some Demon King?”
Hearing this, the dwarf fell silent.
The expression on his face shifted constantly, and within those charcoal-red eyes, his emotions were complex and difficult to discern.
This sudden silence seemed to indirectly confirm a staggering possibility.
The air inside the shack instantly became somewhat stagnant.
To prove his identity, the dwarf broke free a bit more and reached out his short, thick hand, which was covered in calluses and burn scars.
He took a deep breath, seemingly channeling some kind of power.
In the next moment, a wisp of dark red energy carrying an ominous aura slowly rose from his palm like a weak flame.
Within the energy, tiny particles of earth and stone, like dust, could be seen tumbling, giving off a heavy and violent feeling.
Lin Gui frowned slightly.
The nature of this energy...
Wasn't much different in its fundamental “violence” and “ominousness” from the demon energy Theia had used when she erupted back in the tomb.
It just felt even more heavy and solid.
Theia looked oddly at the wisp of dark red energy in the dwarf’s palm, then looked back at him.
“Since you are also a demon who can use demon energy... then why did you just tell Lin Gui to be careful of me?”
The dwarf gave Theia a speechless glance and dispelled the demon energy in his hand.
“There are millions upon millions of members of the Demon Race. How many of them truly love peace and don't think about causing destruction?”
“Even now, I can't be sure if you're one of those lunatics who wants to ‘free the Demon God’!”
Seeing that the dwarf had proactively revealed his demon energy, although his words were still sharp, his hostility had clearly weakened.
Theia was the first to release the hand covering his mouth, letting out a huff of annoyance. “Humph, then you aren't a bad demon after all!”
As for the other party’s claim of being a descendant of the Demon King, Theia didn't doubt it.
A power as pure and strong as demon energy could only exist in two types of beings.
Mixed-blood descendants of the direct bloodline of the Seventy-Two Pillar Demon Kings.
And pureblood members of the Demon Race with horns on their heads and unadulterated bloodlines.
The racial characteristics of the dwarf before them were far too prominent; he clearly couldn't be the latter.
Rate on N.U.
