With a bizarre expression, Theia gently nudged the dwarf pinned under her foot with her toe.
“How did you know I was a 'long-eared' elf? I didn't expose any of my physical features.”
Though restrained, the dwarf was incredibly stubborn. He snorted coldly.
“Do I even need to see that arrogant elven aura? I can smell that stench from miles away!”
Theia was taken aback for a moment, then flew into a rage, applying pressure with her foot. “What nonsense are you talking about!”
She subconsciously raised her fair wrist and sniffed it carefully.
Under such focused sniffing, there indeed seemed to be a faint, subtle...
...faint scent of sweat mixed with dust, which hadn't been thoroughly washed off after their long journey?
Theia was horrified!
She had washed herself thoroughly inside and out before coming!
She had almost used up those floral-scented toiletries she bought at an outrageous price!
How could there still be a smell?!
That profiteering merchant who sold those bath products lied to me!
At the thought that Lin Gui might have smelled the scent on her...
Theia felt her entire world crumble!
To cover up her inner guilt and panic, she stepped on the dwarf even harder and shouted, “What stench! It's obviously the faint, sweet fragrance of a gorgeous elven girl, okay? Your nose is broken!”
“Move your smelly foot! Smelly long-ears!” The dwarf struggled violently, yelling in anger.
“Who are you calling smelly!”
“You!”
Lin Gui watched the two of them—one tall, one short—inexplicably arguing over a smell. He massaged his temples in resignation.
“Alright, Theia, let him go first.”
Only then did Theia reluctantly move her foot, instantly slipping back to Lin Gui's side.
She even subconsciously kept a slight distance from him.
She was terrified that he might actually smell the "nonexistent" stench on her.
Lin Gui found her subtle movements rather amusing.
He more or less understood what she was agonizing over.
Actually, it wasn't a scent unique to her.
It was the pervasive odor of the entire Seventh Ring's refugee district.
The sour stench of rotting garbage, the foul smell of untreated sewage, the sweaty body odor of crowded masses, and... a heavy, oppressive air of despair, all mixed together.
The people living here were like forgotten dust.
Most of them were commoners who had fled from various destroyed city-states during the "Great Evacuation" ten years ago.
In the Carter Royal Capital, they were not considered true citizens.
They had no protection, no right to build houses, no right to settle down, and certainly no right to engage in trade.
Like livestock, they crammed into dilapidated tents or self-made shacks.
They performed the dirtiest, most exhausting, and lowest-paying forced labor.
All just to exchange for a meager chance at survival.
If anyone killed a refugee, they would not face any punishment.
Their lives were worth less than the pets raised by the noble lords.
Lin Gui looked around at the junkyard, which seemed even more dilapidated under the night sky, and sighed silently.
He was powerless to change any of this.
Even if he used the 【Shroud of the Gloomy Night】 to steal all the wealth of the upper-class nobles and distribute it to the refugees...
Even if he used magic to help them rebuild their homes...
As long as that deeply rooted system of exploitation existed, everything would soon be swallowed up and returned to ruin.
He was still too weak.
In his mind, fragments that often flashed in his nightmares surfaced once more.
Soaring flames, rolling heads, and malicious sneers...
Lin Gui silently clenched his fists.
“Just give me a little more time... a little more time to become stronger...”
He composed himself.
He led the dwarf and Theia into a relatively intact shack deep inside the junkyard.
Lin Gui got straight to the point and asked the dwarf, “Why were you following us on Gray Street?”
He had envisioned many possibilities.
Perhaps the dwarf had sensed the demon energy Theia unintentionally released and wanted to report it for a reward.
Perhaps he had sensed Theia's identity as a half-demon and, being a half-demon himself, wanted to make contact.
Or even the best-case scenario.
Just like how Roger had been approached back then, the dwarf might have proactively made contact due to her half-demon status to guide her to Avalon...
However, the dwarf gave Lin Gui a completely unexpected answer.
He looked up, staring at Lin Gui with a complex expression. “Human kid, I followed you to warn you. Stay away from that demon. She'll get you killed!”
“Because of me?” Lin Gui was stunned, pointing at himself. “You know me?”
He hadn't intentionally concealed his appearance during his date with Theia, hoping this would lower the guard of any potential targets.
The dwarf sighed. “Is there anyone in the entire refugee district who doesn't know of your reputation by now?”
“The nameless Mage who came from New Covenant City and crossed the dangerous Withered Rift to deliver letters for commoners.”
“In the pariah post office, your gentle aura, which stands out so sharply against those sent by the nobles, made you recognizable at a glance.”
Lin Gui was taken aback, quickly seizing on the key detail. “How did you know I came from New Covenant City?”
If the other party knew he had come from Caran City, that could still be explained.
But being able to pinpoint "New Covenant City" as his starting point was very strange.
There was more than just New Covenant City among the subsidiary city-states around Caran City.
For instance, when Theia first arrived in Caran City, she had come from the neighboring Flowerwood City.
The dwarf said with a strange look, “It was mentioned in the letters sent from Caran.”
“The letters said a Mage who delivered mail from New Covenant spared no effort to bring Caran's letters to the Royal Capital...”
“In the mouths of many refugees who received their letters, you are like a divine messenger sent by the gods to rescue their longing.”
They are grateful to you. Since they don't know your name, they gave you a title based on your appearance...
He paused, looking at Lin Gui's black hair and black eyes, which were still distinct in the dark, and said slowly, “They call you... the 'Black-Feathered Raven'.”
“The raven is one of the few birds that can still tenaciously deliver messages under skies occupied by demons.”
“And black... is the color of your hair and eyes.”
“Black hair and black eyes are extremely rare on the Akara Continent.”
“The Black-Feathered Raven?”
Theia lightly nudged Lin Gui's side with her elbow, her tone teasing.
“Lin Gui, you have a title now too~”
Titles on the Akara Continent were both rare and common.
They were rare in the sense of official titles recognized by the Alliance of City-States.
Usually, only experts who broke through to the Epic Rank would be personally granted one by the Alliance Council based on their abilities, achievements, and combat style.
For example, several of the strongest acknowledged experts in the human world.
They held resounding titles such as "Sword Saint of Heavenly Punishment," "Silver Moon Mage God," and "Immovable Bulwark."
As for being common, that referred to unofficial titles.
They could be self-proclaimed, praised by others, or... derived from the simplest gratitude and support of the people at the bottom.
Lin Gui still remembered a bandit leader he encountered on the way to the Magic City.
His underlings had crowned him with the ridiculous title of "King of Kings."
In the end, it wasn't long before...
...that group of bandits was casually wiped out by a passing Gold Rank adventure group to turn in a commission.
To be honest, Lin Gui actually quite liked that oddly minded bandit leader.
Unfortunately, the man hadn't listened to his advice to leave that doomed mountain fortress in time.
“The Black-Feathered Raven...”
Lin Gui silently repeated the title bestowed upon him by the refugees.
Honestly, it sounded pretty cool.
Shaking off his wandering thoughts, he turned his gaze back to the dwarf on the ground and asked the most critical question:
“Do you... know 'Roger'?”
He stared intently into the dwarf's eyes.
He didn't miss a single subtle reaction, trying to determine if the other party was telling the truth.
The dwarf was taken aback by the sudden question, his crimson eyes filled with confusion. “Roger? Which Roger? Do you mean the famous master smith of Shield City, Roger Bronzebeard?”
Lin Gui stared hard at him. After a few seconds, he let out a soft sigh.
Judging from his completely genuine, blank reaction, he was indeed not the person who had guided Roger to Avalon.
Furthermore, dwarves were famous for being straightforward.
Except for secrets regarding treasure and forging, they rarely deigned to lie about other matters.
In truth, the moment he saw the distinct dwarven traits of the other party...
...most of the hope in Lin Gui's heart had already cooled down.
A dwarf planning a grand scheme to assassinate a prince and defect from the Royal Capital?
That joke sounded a bit too dark.
Without saying anything more, Lin Gui stepped forward and untied the ropes binding the dwarf.
After a brief apology, he prepared to leave with Theia.
“Wait!”
The dwarf rubbed his numb wrists. After a moment's hesitation, he chased after them.
He looked up at Lin Gui, his tone carrying a rare trace of sincerity. “Human kid, I can see you're a good person, so I really have a piece of advice for you.”
“Whether you're after her beauty or pitying her plight, you'd better stay away from this 'demon'!”
“She is not a half-demon. She's a demon who can use 'demon energy'! A real demon!”
Lin Gui stopped in his tracks and replied calmly, “Don't worry, I know. She only recently awakened her demon energy for the first time. It's her first time being a demon, so she lacks experience. Please bear with her.”
“Huh???” The dwarf was left completely baffled by those words, his brain failing to process it.
“First time being a demon??? What... what kind of nonsense is that?”
He suddenly snapped out of it, his crimson eyes widening.
“Are you saying this long-ears is a half-demon, and her demon energy only awakened recently???”
Lin Gui nodded. “Yes, is there a problem?”
“Then you've definitely been tricked by her!” the dwarf said with absolute certainty.
“It's absolutely impossible for a half-demon to awaken demon energy! Demon energy is an extremely evil and pure power. It can never appear in a mixed-blood with impure lineage!”
As if to emphasize his point, his tone grew heavier. “Unless...”
Before he could say the word after "unless"—
Theia and Lin Gui acted almost simultaneously!
One on each side, they instantly covered the dwarf's mouth.
They warily scanned their surroundings. After ensuring no one was paying attention...
...they grabbed him by his arms and dragged him back into the dilapidated shack without another word!
A half-demon awakening demon energy meant that within their demon lineage...
...there was a descendant of the Seventy-Two Pillar Demon Kings.
Not many people knew this critical fact.
Lin Gui hadn't known it before either; Theia had secretly told him later.
Of course, she hadn't told Elvia, whose trust rating was basically zero.
In fact, even Theia herself didn't know which of the Seventy-Two Pillar Demon Kings her father was.
After pulling the dwarf into the shack and pressing him into a chair...
...Lin Gui was the first to question him in a lowered voice.
“How do you know this information? Who told you?”
To their surprise...
...the dwarf did not react with anger or panic to Lin Gui and Theia's sudden aggression.
He struggled to pry away one of the hands covering his mouth and took a breath.
When he looked at Theia again, his previous hostility had actually dissipated significantly.
Replacing it was an extremely bizarre, searching look.
He stared at Theia, his muffled voice leaking through the gaps of her fingers. “Hey... long-ears, the source of your demon bloodline... which Demon King is it?”
Theia was startled by his question, her brow furrowing immediately.
“Why should I tell you? Don't tell me... you're also the offspring of some Demon King?”
Hearing this, the dwarf fell silent.
The expression on his face fluctuated, and the emotions in his charcoal-like crimson eyes were complex and hard to read.
This sudden silence seemed to indirectly confirm a shocking possibility.
The air inside the shack instantly became somewhat stagnant.
To prove his identity, the dwarf broke free a bit more and held out his thick, short hand, which was covered in calluses and burn scars.
He took a deep breath, seemingly channeling some kind of power.
The next moment, a wisp of dark-red energy with an ominous aura slowly rose from his palm like a weak flame.
Within the energy, tiny dust-like particles of earth and stone could be seen tumbling, exuding a heavy and violent sensation.
Lin Gui frowned slightly.
The nature of this energy...
...was not fundamentally different from the demon energy Theia had unleashed back in the tomb.
Both possessed the same core qualities of "violence" and "ominousness."
It was just that the dwarf's energy felt heavier and more condensed.
Theia looked strangely at the wisp of dark-red energy in the dwarf's palm, then back at him.
“Since you're also a demon who can use demon energy... why did you warn Lin Gui to be careful of me earlier?”
The dwarf shot her a speechless look and dispersed the demon energy in his hand. “There are countless demons out there. How many of them actually love peace and don't think about causing destruction?”
“Even now, I can't be sure if you're with those lunatics who want to 'free the Demon God'!”
Seeing that the dwarf had proactively shown his demon energy, his hostility had clearly waned, even if his mouth remained sharp.
Theia was the first to completely release her hand from his mouth, huffing in annoyance, “Hmph, so you're not a bad demon then!”
As for his claim of being a descendant of a Demon King, Theia did not doubt it.
Demon energy, a pure and powerful force, could only exist in two kinds of beings.
Mixed-blood descendants possessing the direct lineage of the Seventy-Two Pillar Demon Kings.
Or pure-blooded demons with horns on their heads and pure lineage.
The dwarven characteristics of the person before them were far too prominent, making it obvious he could not be the latter.
Rate on N.U.
