Upon the Throne of Molten Fire sat a demon.
At the end of his dream, El vaguely heard his whisper.
“I never thought there would come a day when my consciousness could awaken again. No matter when, the stench that wafts from a schemer is always nauseating. Can’t you let me die in peace…?”
“My authority… How could it be… So that’s how it is…”
“Well then, let the great Anger see if you are truly worthy…”
The morning sunlight spilled into the room as El slowly awoke.
A faint fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose, like honey from the forest.
He was very familiar with this scent; it was the fresh fragrance from Ivena’s hair.
“Hiss… My head hurts so much. What happened last night?”
El couldn’t recall anything from the previous night, whether reality or dream.
His last memory stopped at the cultists fleeing in disgrace, and as for Ivena bringing him back, he only had a vague impression.
“Hello there, kid.” A deep voice echoed in his mind.
“You’re… the demon inside me?”
El had already anticipated this.
Yesterday’s situation had been very abnormal.
He suspected that those cultists had done something to him, which caused the demon to become unusually active.
“Hmph, allow me to introduce myself: I am Prophecy’s End, Breaker of the Cage, Ragnarok’s Agent, World’s Strongest, Banished One Who Burns All, Lord of the Abyss, Wrathful High Lord—Anger!”
His tone was proud and lofty, proclaiming his own greatness.
“There’s not enough room for so many people in here…” El retorted.
“My titles could go on for three days and three nights. In the Abyss, even seeing me once is the highest of honors.”
“So if you’re so powerful, how were you killed? And why did my father put you into my body?”
It wasn’t sarcasm; it was El’s genuine confusion.
He had read Anger’s memories, and in battle, there were almost none who could rival him.
“My spirit faded; rather than being killed, it was more like I sought death myself.” Anger said indifferently.
“As for your father, he’s just a jumping clown. The matter between us has nothing to do with him.
“It’s because of you, El. You’re special.”
El pressed further, “Me? What do you mean by that? You couldn’t possibly…”
At that moment, there was a knock at the door outside the room.
“Young master, breakfast has been prepared for you.”
El replied, “Thank you, Ivena. I’ll be down soon.”
At the same time, he asked again in his heart, “From the way you talk, you know my father?”
“In the days I slept, I occasionally received fragments of your memories, El. No need to probe with hints. About this, you know, and so do I.”
Yes, the reason El could remain so calm even after the demon revived was because he sensed that he had established a connection with Anger. It might even be called dominion.
This demon resided in El’s soul, a special space never mentioned in any textbook. It seemed only El possessed such a thing.
El could control what the demon saw, heard, and knew. He also knew that some of his own memories drifted into that space, but they were always insignificant matters, nothing sensitive.
While dressing and washing up, El thought to himself, “It sounds like the great Anger is nothing more than a prisoner under my command now?”
“Prisoner? That’s a clever word, but perhaps I’ll try to break out?”
“You’d better not get your hopes up.”
El walked down the stairs and came to the table in the hall.
The fried eggs were crystal clear, the sauce on top whetting the appetite, and the bread’s crust was baked golden, promising a soft and delicious inside.
Ivena sat across from El, a gentle smile on her face.
Everything was just as usual.
“This one called… elf? I’m honestly surprised, that such a strong person would willingly serve as your attendant… In the Abyss, few of my own could match her.”
Anger exclaimed in surprise.
“El, what did you give her to make her obey you? I’d really like to see. Wealth? Status? Or something else?”
“She’s family to me. That’s hard for a demon like you to understand, isn’t it?”
El recited silently as he ate breakfast.
“Oh, I get it. It’s her beauty. You seduced her with your body to make her serve you.”
“You…” El decided to ignore him for the time being.
Anger had been locked away for so long that everything outside felt fresh to him, and he couldn’t stop talking, showing none of the bearing of a demon lord.
“What is it, Ivena? Why do you keep looking at me?”
Feeling the maid’s gaze, El asked in puzzlement.
“It’s nothing, young master. I was just a bit distracted,” Ivena replied softly, her eyes dodging.
She was a little worried the young master still remembered last night, but now it seemed she’d worried too much.
“Hey, El, I know that look all too well—she’s done something she feels guilty about. Your maid is hiding something from you.” Anger fanned the flames.
“Shut up. Of course Ivena can have things she keeps from me; she isn’t my vassal, but I’ve never doubted her loyalty.”
El ignored him and quickly finished breakfast, getting ready to go to school.
“Safe travels, young master.”
Ivena stood at the door and waved him goodbye.
On the road, after a long while, Anger finally said leisurely, “El, since you see her as a living person, you can’t expect her absolute loyalty.”
“Huh? What are you getting at now?”
“It might sound convoluted, but a person is complex, she’ll have all sorts of thoughts of her own—you can’t control her. Only if you regard her as a servant, a useful tool, can you ensure her loyalty.”
“I just want to say, don’t take other people’s loyalty for granted. Betrayal comes in many forms; sometimes, loving someone can lead to betrayal too.”
Anger spoke.
El stopped in his tracks. “You’re completely different from what I imagined… I always thought demons were… a brutal race. Even in your memories, all I could see was war and slaughter.”
But now, to be honest, El actually felt as if this demon was an elegant gentleman.
“Different? Kid, you don’t know me at all, just as I don’t really know you.”
“I’ve been through too much, lived too long—the scenes you’ve seen are nowhere near enough to define me.”
“Do you think I should be a hot-headed, yelling fool? Please, I’m Wrathful High Lord, not Hot-Temper Lord.”
Anger complained.
El had to admit, the demon was right, whether about his previous evaluation of Ivena or later his denial of stereotypes.
“Let’s start over. My name is El Regis, and I am your master.”
Anger laughed, “Haha, master? Kid, you really have some nerve.”
“Well then, let me witness, El—are you truly worthy or not…”