Chapter 73 Purposes

Billy looked at Baldeem with a piercing gaze. His face was stiff and firm as if he felt nothing but hostility in his heart. But actually, Billy felt quite shocked and worried.

Just the sight of the creature's appearance was enough to make him shudder. The being in front of them was currently of large stature, with a muscular brown body clad in black armor.

Adding to his already frightening appearance, making it is even more frightening.

Then a pair of horns on his head curved upwards. Billy remembered the description of the demon he had heard when he was a child. Now the demon was before him.

His eyes are red and sunken due to the protruding cheekbones. It seemed to make his eyes sink into his face. Billy seemed to be seeing two deadly lights from within the abyss when he saw his eyes.

What made him even more disturbing was the fact that this Daemon of Calamity spoke a language he understood. But with lips that did not match the words he spoke. Really unsettling.

The first to reply to his words was Lt. Boartusk. "What do you want to talk about?"

Elis was still sitting with her face sunk to her knees. But her shoulders weren't shaking as much as before. Maybe she felt more scared now than angry or sad when she found out that one of the Daemons of Calamity was right in front of them.

"Your friend has the power of a Dragon," Baldeem said. "I want it."

Lt. Boartusk frowned. "I do not understand what you mean."

"I want him. With you here, he must trade your lives for his power."

They immediately understood the purpose of why they had not been killed until now.

"But for now, tell me how he got that power," Baldeem said.

"We don't know anything about that," Lt. Boartusk said.

"Aren't you guys his friends?" Baldeem asked while tilting his head to one side.

"Yes. But that doesn't mean we know everything." Baldeem looks thoughtful.

Even on his scary-looking face, an expression of astonishment could appear. And that expression wasn't something good to look at either. Imagine how a demon would feel confused.

"Does he have Dragon race blood?" Baldeem said in a serious tone.

"Pfft..." Billy tried to hold back his laughter. He felt that the question was ridiculous.

How could a poor man living in a slum area and born into an equally poor family have a Dragon bloodline? And in their world, there was no Dragon.

"What are you laughing at?" Suddenly Billy heard Baldeem's voice which sounded like a growl. Billy lifted his head to look at him.

He saw the Daemon's red eyes staring intently at him. Did he just do something to offend him?

"Uh, sorry," Billy said.

Baldeem stares at him for a while. Billy felt that Daemon's gaze could create a hole in his body.

All Billy could do was look away and look down to avoid his gaze. At times like this, looking directly at the party who is threatening is an act that can be interpreted as a challenge. So Billy didn't do it.

After a while, Baldeem finally turned his gaze away from Billy. Back to Lt. Boartusk.

"I'll ask another question," Baldeem said. "Where's the key to the Fountain of Eternity?"

"It's in our world," Lt. Boartusk replied.

"You haven't got it yet?"

Lt. Boartusk shook his head. "No."

Baldeem looked at him with narrowed eyes. "I know that the Elf princess allowed you to stay at the palace. But I don't know what really happened. How come you were there when you failed?"

Baldeem only got a little information from 'They'. 'They' said that the humans were in the palace of the Elves because the Elf princess invited them.

'They' didn't say anything else after that and Baldeem didn't ask any further. He saw the gesture from 'They' which seemed to tell him not to say anything more.

But still, Baldeem was curious about it. Since these humans were already here Baldeem would ask more questions. Maybe he will be able to get the location of the key.

But suddenly a Daemon came to the door of the cave. He said something Billy, Lt. Boartusk, and Elis couldn't understand.

After that Baldeem immediately left the room without saying anything to them.

"(What is it?)" Baldeem asked the Daemon.

"('They' have come)" replied the Daemon.

Baldeem just replies with a nod and then leaves from there to meet 'They'.

~~~

Erend slowly opened his eyes. What he saw first was the ceiling of the room he used to live in.

"Arghh..." Erend felt a pain in his head. A stabbing pain felt as if something was forcing its way into his brain.

"Are you awake?" Aurdis asked. The elf princess was sitting beside him. She looked at Erend who had just woken up with a gentle smile.

Erend was silent and let his memories return. The headache slowly started to disappear. After a while Erend finally said. "Were they really kidnapped?"

Erend still hoped that what he remembered had happened was just a bad dream. But when he saw Aurdis nod slowly with a sad expression on his face, Erend knew that it was true.

"Hhh..." Erend took a deep breath. "What do the Daemons want from them?"

"I don't know," Aurdis replied. "But it looks like the Daemons won't kill them just yet."

"Why?"

"If the Daemons want to kill your friends, why don't they do it right away? Instead, the Daemons kidnap them."

Erend frowned because he was thinking about what Aurdis said. "You are right."

"So you don't have to worry too much. They'll say what they want when the time comes," Aurdis said. "So they won't kill your friends before their wish is fulfilled."

"But that's can be bad. If they really want something, whatever they want is definitely not a good thing," Erend said.

Aurdis was biting her lip. "You are right about that."

Aurdis also thought about that possibility. She had no idea what the Daemon of Calamity wanted by kidnapping Billy, Lt. Boartusk, and Elis without killing them.

Most likely it will have something to do with Erend. Thinking about it made Aurdis' heart unable to calm down.

"We have to get them as soon as possible," Erend said. His eyes were straight up. He stared at the ceiling as if he could see the suffering face of Lt. Boartusk, Billy, and Elis.

"Tell me where the Daemons live." Erend looked at Aurdis with determined eyes.

Aurdis felt that now she could no longer stop Erend.

"We have to come up with a plan."

So Aurdis chose to make the best plan to save them.

~~~

Baldeem comes into his room. There was already a figure in a black robe sitting waiting for him. Baldeem walks' and sits on his own chair.

"(They're already here. So what should we do next?)" Baldeem asked.

"(You already know what we have to do. We're going to use them to get the Dragonborn humans to hand over his powers to us,") 'They' said.

"(Are you sure he wants to? I've seen his strength and he doesn't seem to have any intention of negotiating,)" Baldeem said.

"(We're not going to negotiate,)" 'They' said. "(He will only have one choice. Give up his powers or watch his friends die.)"

Baldeem stared at 'They' for a while. Then said. "(Then how about the key to the Fountain of Eternity?)"

The black hood covering 'Their' head was raised. Baldeem felt that 'They' was giving him a sharp glare.

"(Why are you asking that? Do you also have ambitions to enter the Fountain of Eternity?)"

Getting glare from 'Them', Baldeem flinch. He didn't know why. The figure of 'They' didn't look like a very strong figure.

'They' was only wearing a shabby-looking black robe. But the pressure 'they' was exerting was so great that Baldeem who was the King of the Daemon of Calamity didn't want to anger 'them'.

"(I was just asking. The key is very important to the Elves. Now they don't have it, but the location of the key is unknown. It would be better if the key was in our hands so that it was out of reach of the Elves.)" Baldeem tried to explain his meaning.

'They' were still staring at him. Baldeem felt that the gaze behind the hood's shadow pierced him.

"(You won't get the key. You will get your wish to destroy the Elves, but you won't touch the Fountain of Eternity.)" 'They' said as if he was giving a warning to Baldeem.

Baldeem's jaw tightens. Also, his fist is clenched under the table. Baldeem was currently putting all his strength into being patient.

'They' said while looking down on Baldeem as if he was just a slave who had to obey his word.

In his heart, Baldeem vowed that if the opportunity to reverse the situation came, he would use it as best he could to pay back every treatment from 'They' on him and his people.

~~~