Chapter 367

[New Mayor election selected. 1 Valid Candidate was found. One valid voter was found.]

[Congratulations, Mayor Cain] 

[Well, that might be the fastest mayoral election in history.] The Seraphim that Cain is merged with jokes, making both Cain and the other Summons laugh. 

Cain checks through the city options, finding that there are many things he can set, like tax rates and the frequency of automatic public area cleaning. He decides not to change anything for now and takes a seat on the nearby chair to contemplate what sort of relic of the Ancients he might need to finish this quest. 

The city control panel wasn’t enough to do it, though perhaps that’s because it isn’t an item he can easily physically take. But he has searched pretty much everywhere inside this city and found nothing. 

The best lead he has is that Demon Royal Family cufflink, so Cain decides to turn northwest and fly over. If he could use summons, it would be easier. Having to stop every day to sleep just wastes time. 

This is a grand ancient city, though. Shouldn’t there be some sort of a transportation system here? Cain checks the City Control panel and finds that there is indeed a travel circle here. An unauthorized one that leads to Karrack, the Demon Capital. 

Cain isn’t sure where exactly in the capital it leads, but there is a good chance it is targeted somewhere inside the Palace, which means he needs to think up a proper introduction when meeting Demon Nobility.

The Demons are staunch proponents of heritage and power as indicators of personal worth, so Cain transforms himself into the Demonic Progenitor form that he is transformed in to when he uses the [Ancient Resistance] skill to multiply his Demon summons. 

The building they placed the circle in is the equivalent of a dog house in the Ancient city, a small two-bedroom home in the yard of an Ancients Estate with a roof that can be easily lifted off to remove the occupants. 

The fact Demons likely didn’t notice this and chose to go home from the pet house instead of the main house is quite amusing to Cain, enough that he forgot he needed to think up an introduction before he stepped through the travel circle. 

He found himself inside the King’s Residence in the Karrack Palace, and Cain began to wonder just how much chaos this would cause. Even a basic security spell would detect his arrival, and if the Demons could use travel circles, they certainly could use security wards.

Standing right where he arrived and waiting a minute was enough to get a full security force to his location, looking confused as to why an unfamiliar Progenitor was standing inside the Palace. 

The Progenitors are all Royals, but they don’t know this one, causing them to hesitate. 

“If you could kindly inform the King that Cain wishes to speak with him about what happened at the Ancient Ruins near Hygar, I would appreciate it,” Cain announces, not moving from his spot near the travel circle. 

“Aggron, get away from there. Why would you go see an intruder.” A shrill female voice calls and Cain sees a young teenage Demon child that looks like Aggramor but with two black feathered wings on his back, peering at him from behind a pillar.

“I would run away from that voice as well. You must be the Demon King in waiting. I love your wings.” Cain smiles, then realizes that the reason nobody is getting close because all the auras from his summons have activated.

Healing, Intimidation, and Seraph’s Grace are all overlapping and leading to a nearly irresistible but threatening feeling in the air. They must have activated when he changed forms, but with nobody else around, he didn’t notice. 

Cain turns [Intimidation] off and turns down [Seraph’s Grace] to its lowest setting. That’s almost an Intimidation aura to Demons, but with a warm overtone. 

The little boy is suddenly picked up by a two winged version of Cain’s Progenitor form in a black robe with fur trim. That must be the current Demon King. 

The Demon double-takes when he notices Cain’s six wings, stopping halfway across the room. “Who are you then? There hasn’t been a living six winged Progenitor in hundreds of years. Drop the disguise and show yourself.”

Cain decides skipping the games will likely be most the most straightforward and effective course of action, so he transforms back into his natural form, head nearly touching the ceiling and his wings taking up all the room behind him. 

[I want to know where the personal belongings from the Ancient city went. I know the Demons were there.] Cain sends the mental message to the whole room since this form has no vocal cords.

The smell of ammonia hits Cain’s senses, and then the sound of running, but the King is still here, and the boy doesn’t look the least bit scared. Even under the effect of his [Existential Dread] aura. 

Cain throws the cufflink on the ground between them to show what he means by knowing the Demons were there, and the King swallows hard, looking at the object on the floor. 

“That’s my grandpa’s. See, it is his seal. Where did you find that, giant Demon?” The fearless Prince asks. 

[It was left in my home, but someone destroyed my garden wall and stole my belongings.] Cain may have embellished the truth, but explaining who he actually is would be a real hassle. 

“The old man is long dead already, and you’ve been gone for thousands of years. Forgive us for not knowing you were still alive.” The King stammers. 

[Where are the things that were taken?] Cain asks again, and the King shakes his head. 

“The old man destroyed them all, so none could attempt to emulate the history of the Ancients again. I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do. Maybe you could ask the Gnomes in Muzz if they have anything? There are ruins of an Ancient city near them too.” The Progenitor informs him with a hint of hope that this monster will go away. 

[I shall ask the Gnome King then. Young Prince, do I need to scour your father’s mind to see if he is lying, or is he honorable?]

The little boy puffs up proudly. “My father is a noble King. He would never tell a lie, Ancient Cain. That’s your name, right? I heard you tell the guards that Cain was here to see dad.”

[That is correct. Be well, little Demon, and may your children be strong and Noble.] His mental projection has a hint of Avedon in it for the brave little Demon, and he can see how happy the boy is for the blessing. 

With the conversation now effectively over, Cain steps back onto the travel circle and chooses Muzz as his destination, changing forms into a Dwarf again as he disappears. 

“Listen, son. We must tell nobody of what happened here. To the world, the Ancients are still extinct and must remain that way. I will erase the minds of everyone else who saw him here.” The Progenitor King tells his son, who nods grimly. 

“It was just like the Legends said, father. If you are kind to them, they are kind to you. They’re still terrifying, though.”