A huge gust of blazing heat swept past Augrun as he opened the door to the Black Forge, the smithery at the bottom of the tower. This was where all the Queen’s weapons were forged and made. Augrun had come to his place by himself. Sera had returned to her routine as a maid after her affairs with him were over. He left Rynn and Iora with Kara in his chamber. Though Kara was calm on the surface, Augrun knew half of her composure was feigned as her heart would sometimes thump heavily. She was still distrustful of him despite her gratitude, something Augrun could empathise with. And so, he decided to give her some space to let her fully recollect herself before approaching her again. It wasn’t easy to be completely unfazed by the presence of a Supreme Demon after all, even if one had the tower’s protection. The tower itself had a spell that drastically mitigates the oppressive feeling emitted by Supreme Demons and Arch Demons. Otherwise, the servants and subjects would not be able to perform their tasks properly with their utmost.

Contrary to its name, the Black Forge was the opposite of dark. The whole building would light up like a Christmas tree whenever the massive furnace in the centre unleashed its searing and blazing breath through the vents. Child-sized four-armed Demons known as Truxes worked the forges. These Truxes did not pay Augrun any heed even though they noticed the presence of their Prince. Augrun wasn’t offended but he sure was surprised. They were probably the first Demons who did not greet him like he was their god.

“Over here, Prince,” beckoned a deep and loud voice from the centre of the Black Forge, near the massive furnace.

Augrun followed that voice and came upon a gigantic Trux that was standing around ten feet in height even with its back hunching over to stoke the flames of the furnace. The Trux had deep wrinkles covering his face but his thews were the opposite of what his face entailed.

“Good afternoon, Prince Augrun,” the giant Trux greeted. “I don’t believe we have met yet. I was unable to attend your birthing ceremony and your Rite. The Queen’s weapons took precedence, I’m sure you’ll understand.”

This elderly giant Trux was Reindall, the one who made Kara's wheelchair. He was truly unlike the other Demons Augrun had met so far. Its manner of speech was significantly laxer than the other Demons. Augrun found this incredibly refreshing and he felt like he would get along well with this Demon. “Good afternoon to you too, Reindall.”

“The Prince knows me. I am honoured.”

“My name will do just fine without the title.”

“It will not, Prince Augrun. I understand you wish to treat your subjects well but heed my advice, Prince Augrun, you are royalty, you are the Prince. You may not see any problem about it now but you would surely realise the significance when you cross paths with Demons from other regions.”

“I understand, Reindall.” Augrun truly did. “I will take your advice to heart.” It was the same in his former world. Your enemies will not fear you if your allies don’t, a saying he constantly heard from the warlords and tyrant rulers he had assassinated. 

“So, what purpose does the Prince have in visiting this dreary place?”

“Dreary?” Augrun took a quick look around. “This place is anything but dreary, Reindall. It’s amazing. It’s hot, yeah, but I quite like this atmosphere. It’s full of life, zeal, and passion.”

“You honoured this blacksmith greatly, Prince Augrun, but I still don’t hear your purpose.”

“I need armour that could also conceal my appearance.”

“You are not going to war, Prince Augrun. For what reason would you be needing armour that could also conceal your appearance? Madam Vyona’s tailored garments will serve those requirements of yours just fine. Armour would be too… excessive.”

“It’s a matter of personal preferences, Reindall. I always wanted to try wearing a suit of armour.”

“So it is, Prince Augrun. However, I must let you know that the armour I forged will not have the same convenience as Madam Vyona’s garments do. The process of wearing and taking off the armour was a tedious process that even the Queen had made a glaring remark of.”

“Is there no solution to circumvent that tedious process?”

“Of course, there is, Prince Augrun. However, the solution isn’t a general one.” Reindall wordlessly gestured for the Truxes to bring something over. The Truxes immediately disappeared into the back and reappeared just as quickly, bringing over a small chest that was sealed with a padlock. The Truxes trotted off without even a greeting as soon as they laid down the chest. Instead of using a key, Reindall melted the padlock off with a steaming red-hot metal rod he pulled out from the furnace. “The padlock can only be opened this way,” Reindall answered Augrun’s unasked question. He threw open the chest and took out a cubic transparent glass container that was no bigger than a child’s palm.

There was something inside the glass container but Augrun couldn’t quite discern what it was. 

“What is this?” Augrun asked, squinting his eyes to get a better look. To put it simply, it was some kind of Demon with a tiny cloud of smoke for a body.

“A living armour,” answered Reindall as he handed the cubic container to Augrun.

“This thing? An armour?”

“It’s called an Urux. It is essentially a Demon. It might look like how it is now but once released from its cage, it will clad its master in a suit of armour that resonates with the wearer’s… disposition.”

Augrun could not find any knowledge pertaining to Urux when he searched his brain. He tried shaking the cube.

“Don’t shake it, Prince. It hates that.”

“It does? It has feelings?”

“The basic emotions.”

“Is it intelligent?”

“As intelligent as a finicky horse or a dog, if I’m being generous.”

“Interesting.” Augrun brought the cube closer to his eyes. “How does it work? How do I… wear this thing?”

“You only need to release it from its cage and the Urux will do the rest.”

“Do I not need to form or establish some form of a contract with it first?”

Reindall chuckled. “Only the Queen is able to don an Urux as her armour. Do you know why, Prince Augrun?”

When he put it like that, the answer became obvious to Augrun. “Because the Queen is the only person the Urux recognised as its master?”

“Precisely, Prince Augrun. And since you’re the Prince, it will also recognise you as you are the Queen’s blood.”

Satisfied with the answer, Augrun crushed the cube in his hand and the Urux spilt out. Instead of dispersing in all directions like smoke would, the Urux coiled around Augrun’s hand and slowly spread its grasp to his whole arm. In just seconds, the Urux had covered Augrun’s entire body in clouds of smoke. The smoke clouds turned dark red and began to condense into its liquid form, which then rapidly solidified, moulding a suit of armour out of its body.

“Whoa…” Augrun gasped, studying the Urux-armour he was clad in. “This feels… weird. It’s not stuffy.” He tapped his helmet, giving off a light yet firm thump in return. “It’s light but it doesn't feel fragile.”

The Truxes had brought over a body-sized mirror before Augrun couldn’t think of asking for one. He said his gratitude and the Truxes nodded at him in response before scurrying back to their duties. Augrun took note of their response. They seemed to only react if prompted. Augrun looked at himself in the mirror that was mindfully placed a good distance away from the furnace. The armour resembled the exact image he had in his mind, a full set of mediaeval armour with touches of futuristic and fantasy elements. It covered him completely. There were none of the gaps in between plates as the armour wasn’t plates of armour combined into one. It was one complete body suit of armour, clad from head to toes. The only gaps on the armour were the eye-holes, which were glowing vividly in reddish-gold like the colour of his naked eyes.

“It's feeding on my magic,” Augrun muttered.

“Yes.” Reindall nodded. “In return, it will protect you from all matters of harm, even mind magic. And the Urux is very flexible. Try imagining it as just a mask.”

Augrun did as Reindall suggested and in an instant, the armour retracted and shrunk into just a mask that covered his whole face. 

“Damn… this is fucking sick. How small can it get?”

Reindall did not answer. He didn’t need to. The Urux instantly shrunk down some more and retreated to Augrun’s wrist, shifting into the form of a bracelet.

“Oh, wow. This is so neat.” Augrun held up his hand to get a better view of the Urux in the light. “Is it possible to turn it into a weapon?”

“It is not. The Urux cannot retain its rigidness without touching its master’s body.”

Augrun arched his brows and looked at Reindall weirdly.

Reindall was smirking knowingly.

Augrun returned that smirk. He knew for sure he would definitely be getting along with Reindall just fine.

“Is there anything else, Prince Augrun?” Reindall asked.

“A firearm. Do you have any firearms here?”

“A gun?”

“A handgun, to be precise.”

“Hmm… I don’t see the need for you to use a gun, Prince. A gun needs ammunition. The reloading process would make you vulnerable in fights and there’s a limit to the amount of ammunition one could have in reserve. Your magic would be more reliable and convenient, Prince.”

“I know, Reindall. As I have said, it’s merely a personal preference.” That and also simply because Augrun missed the feeling of wielding a gun. Guns had been his lifeline for as long as he was in the hitman business. It was also the weapon he was most familiar with. Besides, he had a hard time learning magic such as launching a bolt of energy out of his hands.

From under one of the many working tables that surrounded the furnace, Reindall pulled out a small chest from underneath. Augrun noticed there were a lot of small chests piled up underneath the working tables. This chest didn’t have a padlock and Reindall didn’t need to melt the lock off to open the chest. He took out a revolver from the chest and gave it to Augrun.

Upon a closer inspection, Augrun noticed the cylinder had no chambers. Instead, it had some kind of complicated workings within. “It doesn’t use bullets?”

“That will simply be more inconvenient than it already is. I suppose this is less of a conventional firearm but more of a spell-casting medium. It functions similarly to a magic wand, cane, or staff, but with a significant addition.” Reindall tapped at the cylinder. “This is the amplifying core. Try pouring magic into the gun.”

Augrun did so and the engravings on the revolver glowed faintly and the cylinder began to spin while glowing. He aimed the gun at an open window and squeezed the trigger. The recoil was as strong as he expected of a revolver but the output far surpassed what he thought possible from a mere handgun. It felt like he had just fired a round with an anti-material rifle. Even the typical nonchalant Truxes were startled. Most of them jumped in their fright. But the Truxes went back to their duties after that shock.

“That’s a very strong output for very little magic,” Augrun remarked. “What’s the drawback of this again?”

“Apparently, there’s no drawback for you, Prince. But for others, it’s a matter of precision. They had immense difficulty hitting the target using a firearm. May I assume firearms are commonplace in your former world, Prince?”

Augrun was surprised that Reindall knew about his unique circumstances but then again, Reindall was the Queen’s master blacksmith. It was only right that a Demon of his status would be confided in this secret. Thus, Augrun smiled and nodded. “Far too common, in fact. This will do just fine, Reindall. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Prince Augrun. Come back any time if you have any other… peculiar inquiries.”

****

The sounds of mundane and senseless chattered were playing out in the background while he was relishing in a salmon steak with creamy mustard sauce on the side with a mug of dark beer to wash it all down without needing to worry about his life being targeted. This was something Augrun knew he would never get to experience in his old life. 

Deep into the evening, he had returned to Luxton. He wanted to try out the fish dishes and the locally brewed beer; the two very things this town was famous for. These two were also the cornerstones of this town’s economy and Augrun could understand why. He had never eaten salmon that was so fresh before. Beer brewed without additives or preservatives was simply unmatched. The taste was rich and fragrant. The slightly musty smell of the oak barrel it was stored in only served to enhance the flavour.

Augrun had returned to Luxton alone as none of his brides was available. He was under a different disguise through the use of a magic ring that was imbued with Sera’s magic. The disguise magic had twelve hours of lifespan before it would need to be recharged. Augrun was taking the form of Damien, his former self but in the twenties. As for his Demonic Aura, it was suppressed by the Urux he wore around his wrist in the form of a bracelet. To be precise, the Urux was just constantly consuming his magic, giving off the similar effect of having his aura being suppressed by Sera’s magic.

Augrun was currently dining in the fanciest diner in town and it was just a very big yet normal-looking tavern that was frequented by the lords, knights, and also the commoners. It was a rare sight for people with peerage to mingle with the peasants but it wasn’t something that could be helped. The town was simply too small to be facing any segregation and the commoners were a huge contribution to the town’s economy. So the nobles couldn’t exactly be too imperious with their whims. 

To solve the problem that some nobles just couldn’t stand being in the same room as the commoners, the second floor was reserved exclusively for the nobles or anyone who could pay for the services of that floor. The customers on the second floor were not served by hags or old coots but by young ladies and soft men. Having beauties like Sera as his bride, Augrun did not have any interest in any of the wenches. He even went out of his way to dress extremely humbly so he would not attract any unwarranted attention

“Hey, have you heard about the Blazing Axe?”

Auburn picked up such a conversation with his enhanced hearing. He strained his ears to eavesdrop clearer on the conversation as he sipped on his beer.

“Yeah, I heard. That idiot finally got what was coming for him. Fucking arsehole thinks he could do whatever he wants just because he’s strong.”

“Feel bad for his wife though. Now she has to work even harder.”

“Work harder? She’s just a normal mage. She can’t hunt by herself. She needs at least a single vanguard. It’s over for her, I say. She’ll have to sell her body if she wishes to pay for her husband’s treatment.”

Augrun felt like he just heard something incredibly disturbing. A lovely and innocent woman was forced to whore herself out due to something he caused but he didn’t exactly feel guilty about it. Judging from the conversations he had been hearing, Brandon’s fate was truly something he had brought upon himself. His wife’s plight was just collateral.

“Just how bad were the fucking sod’s injuries for it to be that expensive?”

“I hear it’s a few broken ribs, the kind that ended all of his prospects as a hunter.”

The man scoffed disdainfully. “Serves him right.”

Just then, there was another conversation that piqued Augrun’s interest. This conversation was coming from the second floor.

“Is it true that Sir Javon’s secret beastfolk mistress was abducted by some evil warlock posing as a noble?”

Augrun frowned upon hearing that. That was some serious hyperbolic bullshit, Augrun thought.

“Keep it down, you fool.”

“Sorry, sir… but is it true?”

“...It’s true to some extent.”

“Which part of it isn’t true?”

“The evil warlock part.”

“Then who were those people that took his mistress away?”

“Probably people from the auction but don’t tell anyone I said that.”

“Of course, sir.”

The man clicked his tongue. “I just hope that’s just a stupid guess of mine.”

“Why is that, sir?”

“The beastfolk was a slave and still a slave. Her Slaver Crest is probably hidden under the scarf she wears. Even if her owner is dead, she is still branded, she is still the property of her dead owner.”

Not anymore, Augrun mused in his heart. He had settled the matter of Kara’s ownership through the help of Alvon. Officially, Kara was now his slave but in truth, she was no longer a slave. Iora had removed that curse spell from her.

“Imagine what the auction would do if they find out a knight from our town has stolen from a customer of theirs.”

“That would certainly be bad.”

“Yes, it would. So keep your mouth shut about this lest you get heard by Sir Javon or people from the auction. You understand, recruit?”

“Y-yes, sir.”

“Good. Now, finish your steak. Our shift’s in ten minutes.”

It wasn’t just those four that were talking about today’s event. The majority of the people, even the bartenders, were chattering about it. They all had different reiterations of today’s even and none of them came close to the truth. Augrun was reassured. This was his secondary reason for returning to Luxton, to make sure no one figure out the truth.

After a satisfying meal of salmon and beer, he paid for them with a generous tip and left the tavern with a content belly and an appeased palate. He planned on returning to the tower immediately but first, he would need to find a place without eyes. He went down a few blocks of building away from the lively part of the town and was looking around for an inconspicuous place when someone called out to him.

“Excuse me, mister.”

It was the voice of a woman and it sounded very familiar. The tone of that voice was coated in honey. He turned in the direction of the voice and found Lucia, Brandon’s wife, beckoning him over to her like a harlot would as she lingered around the entrance of a dark alley. 

Remembering the conversation he heard in the tavern, Augrun responded to Lucia's call and approached her. Unlike during the day when she was full of dignity, she was currently in a green low-cut attire that greatly emphasised the deep valley between her bosom. The sleeves were long but her shoulders were exposed. The skirt reached below her knee but her back was barren of fabric. She was dressed completely like a wench.

“Haven’t seen you around town before, mister,” she uttered sweetly with a seductive smirk. “You’re travelling alone?”

“I am.” It was the truth. He was travelling alone.

“Say… ” She lifted her skirt, exposing her bare cunt for anyone to relish. “I can keep you company and warm your bed for the night for only five silver. How about it?”

Augrun wanted to just turn around and leave but her loudly thumping heart cause him to hesitate. When he looked at her closer, he could see her hands were shaking and so were her shoulders despite how hard she was trying not to. She didn’t want to do this but she didn’t have a choice and he was partly to blame for this. But it wasn't guilt that spurred him to act. The reason was much cheaper than that. He was in heat and this woman within his sight was delectable.

Returning the seductive smirk, Augrun pressed a single gold coin into her hand and leaned in close to her ears. “Where do you want to do it?” he asked.