2593 Old Neighbors (Part 1)

"Not really:" Gilly shrugged. "I don't believe in any of that religious nonsense.

"This is just my way to say thank you to Lith and show the rest of Mogar how proud I am of my father. It also works like a charm to warn everyone who tries to badmouth either of you that they are in for a punch in the nose."

"Is there someone still bothering you and your family?" Kamila asked.

"Not anymore." Gilly shook her head. "Sure, the fact that whoever harassed Mom and me had the tendency to end up with all their limbs broken helped, but things really calmed down after the images of Ne'sra have been released to the public."

The members of the Queen's Corps looked after their own and many of those stationed in Lutia had served under Locrias for years. They took every threat to his family up close and personal.

Which meant the beating of a lifetime and so many wounds that even those who could afford to get healed at the local hospital couldn't walk straight for a month.

Yet not even that was enough to stop those who despised Lith for the massacres he had performed during the War of the Griffons and who considered his Demons to be no different from the Undead Courts.

Most of these people were foreigners since the citizens of Lutia were either followers of the temple of the All-Father or sympathizers due to the help they received from it. Those from outside, however, only knew Lith from the images uploaded on the interlink.

No matter how the events were explained and put into context, there was always someone that would only see a monster disguised as a man killing innocent civilians for no reason.

The release of the videos of the monster raids had changed the public perception because for once the Supreme Magus of the Kingdom wasn't fighting other humans but protecting them.

His victims were man-eating monsters with whom no one could side without being tagged like a madman even by those who still considered Emperor Beasts a threat.

The images of the Demons rescuing army members and civilians while Lith drove back the monster horde had struck the hearts of many, leaving so few radicals willing to harass the families of the Demons in Lutia that the Queen's Corps could deal with them without Cidra and Gilly noticing.

"I'm glad to hear it." Lith nodded. "Where's Varegrave?

"The old goat?" Gilly chuckled. "When he's not drinking with his buddies, he's working them to the bone until they sweat every drop of alcohol they poured in their bodies."

She pointed at an artificial clearing created with earth magic that served as a training ground for the resident members of the Queen's Corps, equipped with mud dummies, moving obstacles, and everything that the late colonel of the army could come up with.

Varegrave had no family so Locrias had adopted his fellow Demon into his own.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Gilly. Now I'm sorry but we have to go." Lith said.

"It was nice to meet you too." She gave him a brief hug before walking back inside.

"Do I have to be worried?" Kamila said with mock jealousy.

Locrias' daughter was a pretty young woman with red hair and clear blue eyes who after failing to be accepted to one of the great academies had joined an art school with the goal of becoming a painter.

Her magical powers were too weak to cast high tiered spells, but chore magic was enough for Gilly to perform small miracles on the canvas.

From mixing the colors until they had the hue she was looking for to depicting anything as she imagined it, her magic allowed her to fully express her emotions while her studies taught her how to guide the eye of the observer and follow the story she was trying to tell.

"No way." Lith shook his head. "She's just grateful for the house, the reward money her family has gotten thanks to my deal with the Royals, and most of all, for having her father back.

"She's just clumsy in expressing her feelings."

"Gilly is not clumsy." Solus said. "She has no other way to show you her gratitude. What can she possibly gift you aside from her drawings or baking you a cake? Mages are hard to please because they already have everything."

"Please, don't remind me of that." Kamila sighed. "His birthday is approaching and I'm stumped. Lith already told me that if I get him clothes again, he's going to file for divorce."

"I know. I have the same problem and I'm a mage. I mean, whatever I can Forgemaster, he can do it too. Aside from brooding and counting money, Lith has no hobbies so I don't know what to do." Solus replied, talking like he wasn't there.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here. It's rude." Lith snarled.

"No, it's smart" Kamila winked. "Since subtle hints don't work, we are asking for suggestions"

"I honestly don't know." Lith replied after thinking it thoroughly. "This guy sounds like a major pain in the ass."

While they walked and Lith dismissed every gift they came up with, they passed in front of the second house. It stood where once Zinya's house had been before Orpal destroyed it and she moved in with Vastor.

It was on a single floor but slightly larger than Locrias'. It was made of stone as well, the mark of good money, with a wooden sloped roof, and a little orchard in the back that served both as a hobby and as a food source for a first-time farmer.

Valia's parents were born and raised in a city. They knew little about growing crops but with the famine ongoing every little bit helped.

"How many times do I have to say no?" Valia's voice came from one of the open windows.

"First, I'm not a human anymore, I'm a Demon, which makes me an undead. Second, how do you expect me to have a relationship when I'm forced to travel around most of the time?"

"Be reasonable, dear. Her mother, Namia, said. "You are not like the other Demons. You still have your original body and from what I could see while you took a bath, everything is in working order."

"Mom! Not in front of Dad!" Kamila could almost hear Valia blush.

"Your mother is right, pumpkin." Azhen, her father, replied. "Is it too much to ask for a grandkid or two? Unlike you, we are not immortal."

"Yes, it is too much. Also, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but even if Mom is right, undead are as good as barren. Even Vladion, the first Vampire, has only one son." Valia sighed, hoping to end that argument once and for all.

"Because he has chosen a human woman." Namia replied. "I heard that Divine Beasts are incredibly fertile. Would you mind if I asked Lord Verhen to set you on a few dates with one of his siblings? He's a great man and-"

"If you dare mention any of this to him, I'm never going to talk to you again. Are we clear?"