The Devil’s Cage

“What?”

“What did you say?”

“Leaf City and Many City became your domain as well?”

Shocked, Ren widened his eyes at Kieran, his face was showing expressions of disbelief.

Ren knew about the battles that happened in Forest City.

The level of explosion and the fight under the night sky couldn’t escape intentional individuals’ eyes, but Ren never thought two Gods had fallen in that one battle.

The Gods of Leaf City and Many City, despite them not being as well-known as the God of Forest City and not being comparable to Great Swamp, they were still Gods!

“T-T-They fell like this?”

Ren’s lips were quivering, his eyes were dilating.

Kieran glanced over him and patiently waited for him to digest the surprising news.

As for his shaken condition?

In Kieran’s eyes, it was a very normal reaction.

For the natives in the current dungeon world, the era where fiends roamed wild was in the past, they were already enjoying a hard-earned peace and even though darkness lurked beneath the eyes, it had nothing to do with the majority of the people. Therefore, the fall of a God was unbelievable, otherwise, Perforation Sting wouldn’t have grown into their massive size and possessed a reputation revered by others.

Even for Funeral Society, they were just well-trained normal humans.

There might be some differences among them but the differences were nothing before a God.

A few seconds later, Ren sighed softly and regained his senses.

His eyes at Kieran was filled with reverence and he straightened his body almost out of instinct before saluting, saying, “Your Majesty.”

The form of address didn’t change but the way he uttered it drastically changed.

Power could affect people’s heart, similar to weakness being a fault at certain times.

A total of 3 Gods… no! If Perforation Sting’s leader, Jin was included, a total of 4 Gods had fallen to Kieran’s hands!

Such an achievement in the current peaceful era was frightful to the ear and it was enough for Ren to know what kind of attitude he must with against Kieran.

“I’ll keep my promise regarding everything about Forest City.”

“As for Leaf City and Many City, I’ve already sent Hayden Ow forward. He is quite capable and I believe he will do a good job. Besides, there is someone else helping him to complete the takeover tasks,” Kieran said softly.

“Thank you for everything you’ve done for us,” Ren bowed again.

He didn’t have any rejection, even if he was curious who was helping Hayden Ow in the tasks.

“I have a mission for you,” said Kieran.

“Please do tell, your Majesty.”

Ren replied with a straight face but after he heard what Kieran ordered of him, his face started to twitch.

“From today onwards, you will become Tanya’s bodyguard for a very long time.”

“Y-Yes?”

“Her Majesty Tanya?”

“I understand.”

Ren felt bad already when he thought about the divination session he had to go through with Tanya but still, he agreed with clenched teeth.

“Um,” Kieran said with a nod and permitted him to leave.

Ren bowed and saluted again before he prepared himself to leave.

He didn’t turn around directly though, he was still facing Kieran but he lowered his head and slowly walk backward until he reached the exit before turning away.

The whole process was soft and tender as if he was afraid that he would startle Kieran in his sleep.

Kieran, however, didn’t want to comment on the gesture Ren performed.

He wouldn’t want to correct Ren of his ideal which he was taught from young because it would be too difficult.

Time was already a scary thing, what was scarier than time were habits formed by a long period.

The habit would follow one for life, even going through life-changing events, few would be able to truly change it, similar to Kieran’s vigilance and cautious nature.

He knew what would happen in the upcoming days.

Despite the fall of Gods of Leaf and Many City scaring away most people, there will be some who would be willing to take the risk.

They might fear Kieran’s strength but what about Tanya?

A little girl who just reached transcendence and had problems with her mind while not having any training at all, there was no better target for those intentional individuals.

So, Kieran had to find her a reliable bodyguard.

Kana the half-fiend was the first among the choices but considering her personality and abilities, they were below Ren the Fiend Exorcist.

Especially when Ren had concerns in his mind!

Funeral Society!

With his organization fueling his motives, Kieran could safely place Tanya in his hands, otherwise, it would be sending a lamb into the tiger’s mouth.

Likewise, it was also why Kieran didn’t choose Rassho Temple for the role because, throughout the whole temple, Kieran was only familiar with the old monk.

If the old monk agreed to be Tanya’s bodyguard, Kieran would agree with both his hands up but what about other than the old monks?

Kieran remained dubious thoughts.

Placing one’s safety in the hands of a stranger?

A suicidal move.

Even if the person was a familiar one, without shackles or concerns to clamp them down, it would be risky for Kieran as well.

The human heart was ever-changing, even a God couldn’t get a precise grasp of it.

For the sake of the help he got from Tanya and the 3 extra Golden Attribute Points, Kieran wasn’t willing to test it out with Tanya.

Correct!

It was for the sake of the help she gave during the battle with the God of Forest City and the 3 extra Golden Attribute Points! Nothing more than that.

After all, Tanya at the moment was just someone better than familiar acquaintances in Kieran’s eyes.

A friend?

Kieran shook his head.

Other than Lawless and Starbeck, Kieran couldn’t give the title on any other people right now.

When he thought about his two friends, Kieran unconsciously took a cigar from his pocket and walked towards the temple’s dining hall.

As the owner of the temple, the dining hall Kieran went to wasn’t where the evening feast was but another one beside the temple’s courtyard.

The hall was decorated with the style of the God of Forest City.

Extravagant gemstones and gold blanketed the floor, the only thing different from the courtyard’s starry night was the rising sun. The rising sun scenery was formed by topaz and gold and it looked extremely real under the ruby garnish as if the gemstones painted an oil painting.

Kieran however only took a glance at the fascinating decoration, after he made sure they were just regular gold and gemstones, he didn’t show any interest anymore.

For Kieran, the extravagant decorations were less attractive than the food on the table.

Green and white striped table linen blanketed a golden long table.

On top of the table linen were three pure silver plates and on top of the plates were one cold, and two warm dishes.

It was what Kieran specially ordered the cook to make after he knew the God of Forest City had the habits of eating a hundred dishes each meal.

Even for Kieran and his current level, he could barely finish a hundred dishes in one day.

Kieran would not waste food, nor would he torture his body, so simplifying the menu was Kieran’s best option.

Of course, after the simplification, the dishes served must be the best of the best, the essence of the whole meal.

Especially when the temple’s cook personally prepared the meal, the essence was infused into the meal because no cook would leave their best dishes out of the menu.

So, when the plates were served, Kieran’s attention was completely captivated by the food’s aroma.

“Olive, roast duck and… cheese?”

Kieran’s eyes showed more anticipation after a deep breath.

When lids on the plates were lifted, his anticipation almost materialized.

The olives were crystal clear like grapes and were arranged in an upright position on the plate.

The roast duck had a layer of glistening oil over it, the aromatic steam was rising from the plate.

The golden cheese was laid flat around the third plate and it was the least eye-catching dish of all three.

Kieran stopped the temple’s cook from introducing by waving him away and he picked up his chopsticks right away.

Rather than listening to someone else’s introduction, trying the dishes for himself was more interesting, wasn’t it?

When the olives entered his mouth, crunchy chewing noises followed.

There wasn’t too much of a flavor, only the olive’s sweet taste and a layer of rich oily taste.

“The olive kernels were crushed before?”

Kieran was surprised when he saw the olives which seemed perfectly intact on the outside.

He picked another olive with his chopstick and placed it in his mouth, while his mouth was filled with the rich oily flavor, he went for the roast duck.

When the chopsticks touched the roast duck, Kieran jolted.

The texture he felt wasn’t meat, it should be…

Tofu skin?

The taste in his mouth later verified his guess, the roast duck’s skin was made with tofu skin and the meat was made with mushrooms.

“It’s made using the vegetarian way to reduce the oiliness?”

At first, Kieran was worried that the oiliness on the roast duck together with the oiliness from the olives would cause him to feel cloy, but he didn’t have the feeling at all after eating.

Only the tofu and mushroom’s sweetness lingered in his mouth, but, something was still lacking!

Kieran’s eyes turned to the cheese on the third place and moved his chopsticks there.

Just like how Kieran expected, tricks were hidden under the cheese and after he lifted one slice off, a warm meaty aroma filled his face.

“This is…”

“Stuffing made using beef and pork?”

The surprise in his heart made him move his chopsticks quicker.

When he placed the meat-stuffed cheese into his mouth, he squinted his eyes out of delight.

The lacking he felt just now was compensated by the meat that followed.

No!

Not compensated!

More appropriately, it elevated the food’s taste to a certain peak and the combined taste would increase one’s appetite infinitely.

Kieran always followed his instinct in front of food.

He didn’t even need Gluttony’s arousal, the speed of him moving the chopsticks left behind afterimages and the chewing noises sounded relentlessly in the ear.

Less than two minutes into dining, three dishes were swept clean.

The temple’s cook and waiters watched the scene in awe.

“Not bad.”

“Give me three more serving according to this portion,” Kieran said with a satisfied nod.

Following the order, the cook and the waiters quickly moved out.

Kieran, on the other hand, was waiting in anticipation but a series of footsteps that came after that interrupted his anticipation.

Under the waiter’s guide, the Fiend Exorcist Mou with a black wind coat came in from the door.

“Your Majesty.”

The tall, rugged, and rough-looking Fiend Exorcist saluted to Kieran.

When he looked up, he saw Kieran’s slightly angry face.

Mou was stunned.

What happened?

What did I do?

Why His Majesty seems to hate me every time?