While Sariel needed time to recover and finish her evolution, he let her rest in the best room of the inn and asked Ciela to help care for her. Then afterwards, he focused on his training, wondering what would happen in the future.
In truth, Asmodeus was quite fond of his current trainer. Velvet, a princess of Grigor, abandoned her title to help Alan and his brother.
Originally, she was second in line to the throne before Avandar took the throne—the only one before her was her father, who perished in the previous clash with the demon queen.
However, the nobles who held more power betrayed her trust and tried to use her for their interests, pitting her against Avandar. Thus, Velvet abandoned her royal title and succession rights, a decision that was born out of a deep sense of betrayal.
So she disappeared and took two several of the illegitimate children of her father—some manifested the powers of Grigorian women, becoming witches with great magical powers and abilities.
Sadly, after years of fighting for the kingdom, only a few witches remained. Ruby and Lapis are both half-sisters of Velvet. Yet threw away their titles and desire to regain a noble title and stuck with Velvet as her sister.
'It seems to be a bloodline that stemmed from the first queen of Grigor. Yet her name was wiped from history by the church.'
"Asmodeus, why are you staring at my face that way?" A deep, husky voice, like always. No matter how long the two spent together apart from Alice, this woman was one of the few people immune to his overflowing charm.
Asmodeus gazed at her figure, the afternoon sun shining behind her in a black training outfit, her beauty something that always caught his attention. "I was just in awe of your beauty." He still tried to seduce the powerful witch, her faint purple hair swaying in the tight ponytail, swaying just above her hips.
"You're thinking about useless things again—why would I care about beauty?" Velvet flicked her wrists, and once again, the black and purple mist began to flow through her body. Asmodeus found her magic to be mysterious, neither used to create offensive or defensive spells... It began to flow through her muscles, bones and veins, enhancing her entire body.
'The method is so natural, it's like she's breathing...'
He lowered his hips, taking the second stance of his mother's martial arts. Velvet, his opponent, did the same, yet the angle and form are suited for females. No matter how many times Asmodeus asked who taught her and Alice this style of martial art neither of them would answer him, instead telling him he needed to defeat them first.
'I am confident if I used everything I have, my sword, demon form and magic. I could defeat her barely. Yet why is it that only her martial arts with that magic is so powerful?'
[She has no relation to your mother. They might have met in passing. But they didn't learn from her, I can assure you.]
This was why Asmodeus felt conflicted, his hips twisting the scent of the afternoon meal being prepared, a crunch of hard dirt and granite under his feet before their bodies moved like rabid dogs attacking each other.
'Again, she can move so swiftly, despite that power...'
The pair clashed repeatedly, yet no matter how many times their bodies collided, none of their blows had any effect on the other.
"You still don't seem to grasp the basics of our family's martial arts," Velvet said as the two separated, her chest rising and falling, a sign that her stamina was depleted. Meanwhile, her magic seemed to keep her at maximum power until she stopped fighting by forcibly increasing her abilities. It was like a drug that forced her body to follow its will.
'It makes me feel frustrated when she is like this after training... How long has this woman suffered with a weak body, using magic like a steroid to keep her going?'
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All he could do was smile, the scent of lavender, a faint aroma of her sweet-scented sweat thanks to the demonic mana inside her and the warmth coming from her exposed back while her ponytail tickled his cheek each time she moved.
'Erika and Ciela seem to be jealous of me when I train with Velvet, but I do the same for them every day... Yet sometimes Velvet doesn't feel like an older woman. She's a strange person.'
The more he thought about this woman, the more he wanted her to be a part of his family and share the same bed.
'I need to learn to control my lust and my emotions towards her.'
Asmodeus felt the need to enjoy the moment, to let himself relax. In the end, he lay back, his eyes staring up at the blue sky and the soft, fluffy clouds.
The feeling of the past three months made him feel stressed, constantly striving to grow stronger, yet now he was on the cusp of reaching the level of Demon King. He felt something changed not only did his growth stagnate, but his mind and feelings felt different.
"Well, originally around now was my plan but the knights and Alice's plan seems to be a little behind schedule."
"That's surprising; Alice is normally on time, or at worst, early," Velvet added.
"Yes, however, the journey to the beast kingdom seems to be worrying her. I am not sure why. She just sends me to you if I ask."
"Is it possible... that she is worried about you because of the cult of death?"
"Hmmm?" Asmodeus moved his body, his hands sliding along Velvet's back, causing her to turn away with a slight red blush. "What do you mean by that?"
"Well, there was Amura, where you almost died, then that quest with the knights who turned out to be paladins of death... you were unconscious for three days after they almost killed you."
'Ah... those two events, I forgot about them already.'
The demon lord began to reflect on how he had not shown the same sense of urgency as the surrounding women. Even now, he was relaxing, spending his time enjoying his lovers and growing his power instead of trying to rush like before. "Is it that bad? Maybe, are they targeting me?"
"Idiot... you only ask that now? Of course, they are! Alice made me keep quiet, but their recent propaganda and sermons mention you by name."
"It seems I am famous again. Do you want to sleep with me yet, Velvet?"
"Should I crush your testicles?"
"Can you bear to do such a thing to your future husband?"
Velvet's lips closed, her eyes looking at Asmodeus from the corner of her gaze—this time, she didn't argue back, instead hitting him in the chest with her elbow and grumbling. "It's time for dinner, stop being so annoying."