Your Grace

BAM!

Aaron whirled around, raising his bow defensively just as Emily's right leg slammed into it, the force sending him skidding backward.

"I'm surprised you detected me. No one in my village can detect my attacks," Emily said, lowering her leg and watching Aaron come to a stop about ten feet away.

'Tsk! If not for the All Seeing Eye, I might not have sensed her. What skill is she using?'

"I hope you can block this," Emily stated, a predatory gleam in her eyes.

"Go on, Master! You can do this!!"

Emily's head snapped to her right, spotting Protean standing about three meters away, in his skeletal form, enthusiastically cheering.

'What a moron,' she thought, then refocused on Aaron, only to see two arrows speeding towards her. With a swift flick of her dagger, she sliced them both in half.

"What class are you, Elf?" she asked, slowly walking towards him. "I'm guessing you're a warrior class, Archer category perhaps… But you shouldn't have been able to block my attack, because I'm an Assassin class."

"You talk too much," Aaron retorted, placing his bow on the ground and drawing his own dagger. 'This body isn't strong enough to wield a sword effectively yet, but I can definitely handle a dagger.'

"Are you also an Assassin class?" Emily asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

"You're still a kid. I know I'll surely defeat you," Aaron declared confidently.

"Then what are you? Let me tell you; I'm nine years old, and I've killed plenty of people and monsters older than me."

"Yeah right, you call six kills 'plenty'? Don't make me laugh," Aaron said sarcastically, recalling the information from his All Seeing Eyes.

'How did he know that? He even knows my name? Who is this boy?' Emily wondered, a flicker of unease in her eyes. She braced herself and lunged forward towards Aaron, a visible aura of red demonic energy swirling around her body.

"What fierce demonic energy," Protean muttered, then called out to Aaron, "Master, you need to use your Demonic energy, the one you discovered two days ago. Your Sid energy is too weak to face her."

'He has Demonic Energy?' Emily's eyes widened upon hearing Protean's words. She stared intently at Aaron, whose blue eyes were now completely black, with intense red pupils.

'This Aura? Only a pureblood can possess such intensity. But… how can an Elf be a pureblood?'

BAM!!

"…?!!"

She stared in astonishment at the blade of her dagger, which Aaron had caught with his bare hand.

'What?'

BANG!

A swift, powerful kick to her chest sent her flying backward. Emily gasped, a mouthful of blood erupting from her lips as she crashed heavily onto the ground.

'How?' She looked up at him, blood trickling from her lip. 'If he's a pureblood, I should still have a chance because I'm also a pureblood. But his eyes…' Her eyes widened in dawning horror.

'Is he one of the Elite Bloods?!' She quickly dropped to her knees and bowed her head low before Aaron.

"I'm deeply sorry for not recognizing you, Your Grace. Please forgive my insolence."

"Huh?" Aaron blinked, his eyes returning to their usual blue. The black and red Demonic Energy surrounding him slowly dissipated.

"Your Grace?" Even Protean looked utterly dumbfounded.

"I am truly sorry. I humbly request that you punish me as you see fit," she said, pressing her forehead to the ground, not daring to look up.

"Why are you calling me Your Grace?" Aaron asked, picking up his bow, thoroughly confused.

"Don't you remember anything?" Emily looked up at him, her expression a mix of confusion and awe.

"I don't get it. What the hell do you want me to remember?" Aaron scratched the back of his head, utterly bewildered.

"Permission to stand, Your Grace," Emily requested, still kneeling.

"Stand," he said, still trying to process the sudden change in her demeanor. 'Wasn't this the girl who wanted to take my head off just two minutes ago? Why is she suddenly calling me Her Grace?'

"Follow me, Your Grace. My father will explain everything to you," Emily said, rising to her feet and beginning to walk in a specific direction.

Aaron hesitated for a moment, then shrugged and followed, Protean transforming back into his griffin form and perching on Aaron's shoulder.

[On the path to an unknown destination.]

"So, why are you calling me Your Grace?" Aaron finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Your Grace, your Demonic Energy… it was undeniably that of an elite bloodline. That signifies a connection to the Royal family of the demon race," Emily explained respectfully.

"Royal family?" Aaron and Protean exchanged dumbfounded glances. 'Wait a minute! I inherited my demon blood from my Dad. Does this mean he has a powerful background in his world?'

"Yes, Your Grace," Emily confirmed.

"And who is your father?" Aaron inquired.

"My father's name is Egon. He is the Chief Commander of the Royal family's forces. He will surely know more," Emily said, continuing down the path.

'The Chief Commander? That explains why she's so strong, especially at such a young age,' Aaron mused.

"Stop, Your Grace," Emily suddenly said, halting in her tracks.

Aaron frowned, confused. "Why did we stop?" He looked around, seeing nothing particularly noteworthy.

Emily crouched down and began to draw a complex rune on the ground with her finger.

"Are you also a rune master?" Aaron asked, curious.

"Oh no, this is a magic circle. Any class can learn to create them," she explained. The moment she completed the intricate design, she placed her palm in the center of it.

Aaron watched in fascination as a circular gateway shimmered into existence before them. Looking through the portal, he could see a well-worn path and lush trees on the other side.

"Come on, Your Grace. Our village is just through this passage," Emily said, gesturing towards the gateway.

"What if I want to get back?" Aaron asked, glancing over his shoulder at the way they had come.

"I will personally escort you back, and if you are interested, I will teach you how to open the gateway yourself," she offered, extending a hand towards him.

After a moment of hesitation, Aaron took her hand, and the two stepped through the shimmering portal. Aaron felt a brief, strange sensation, and then he found himself in an entirely different location. He and Protean gazed up at the clear blue sky in amazement. He looked down the path ahead, seeing several quaint houses nestled in the distance. Trees lined both sides of the path, leading towards the village.

"Come on, Your Grace," Emily said with a warm smile.

"You can just call me Aaron," he said, releasing her hand.

"That would be disrespectful, Your Grace."

"Then it's an order," Aaron stated firmly.

"If it is an order, then I shall not disobey," Emily said, bowing her head respectfully.

"Okay, now that we're here, can you take me to your father?" Aaron asked, eager for answers.

"Right away," Emily replied with a smile, as the gateway behind them shimmered and vanished.

"So, where exactly are we?" Aaron asked, looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings. "Are we still in Elvis?"

"No, Your Grace. Elvis is not the name of this world, but the name of your continent. The world is vast, encompassing three major continents. Elvis is simply the strongest and largest of the three," Emily revealed as they walked down the path.

"You know a lot for a nine-year-old," Aaron commented, impressed.

"I am being trained to become the next commander, so I must possess comprehensive knowledge about Elvis and the other continents," Emily said with a proud smile.

"The races in Elvis say that Demons came from a gate of hell. Is that true?" Aaron asked, recalling the common folklore.

"What?" Emily stopped abruptly and turned to look at him, her expression surprised. "Who told you that?"

'Were the races in Elvis misled? Mom said demons came out of the gate… but was that just a false rumor?'

"Aren't you guys from the gate?" he asked, avoiding her question.

"No, the Monsters are the only beings that emerged from the gate. Demons reside on the third continent, which is the smallest of the three. However, when the gate opened, monsters attacked not only Elvis but all three continents. Half of our continent was ravaged; it was a brutal battle, but we ultimately won and drove the monsters back. But our continent is still heavily infested with them," Emily explained, her tone serious.

"So, are we on your continent now? Is that gate a short passageway for travel?" Aaron inquired.

"You are correct, Aaron. The gateway is indeed a passage for us to travel between continents. Oh! There is also news that an Academy is being built in Elvis. It's meant to teach children like us how to grow stronger and fight some 'Cursed Child.' I don't truly believe in that nonsense, but I will be attending the Academy to acquire their resources and become stronger," Emily said with determination.

"Your race is being hunted by the other races in Elvis. How will you enter the Academy?" Aaron asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"I am aware of the prejudice. However, I appear human. All I need to do is alter my eye color and conceal my Demonic Energy, which is quite simple," she explained confidently.

Aaron watched as her red eyes seamlessly shifted through shades of blue, green, and finally settled on a natural-looking black.

He nodded, impressed, as the two continued their journey towards the village.

"How will you hide your Demonic Energy?" Aaron then asked.

"The same way Your Grace hid his," Emily replied knowingly.

'She's only nine years old, but her mind is far sharper than mine,' Aaron thought, a touch of self-deprecation in his musings. He then decided to test the waters. "What if I told you I am the Cursed Child?"

"So?" Emily asked, her tone completely flat and devoid of emotion. "All I know is that the races in Elvis believe the Cursed Child will bring their doom. But they are foolishly overlooking the monsters that are gathering for another war. Instead of uniting to face this real threat, they are wasting their time trying to kill a child. To me, that is an utter waste of resources."

"So, you're not scared or anything?" Aaron pressed, surprised by her nonchalant reaction.

"I have never known fear in my life…" She paused, glancing at his profile.

Aaron simply smirked and walked past her.

"Aaron," Emily called out.

Aaron looked back over his shoulder.

"Is there a way for this skeleton to… conceal himself? Or perhaps change into something less… frightening? There are children in the village, and they might be scared if they see a walking skeleton," she explained, concern in her voice.

'Children? What are you then?' Aaron rolled his eyes inwardly, amused by her concern despite her own young age.

"Into a griffin, Protean," Aaron instructed.

Protean nodded mentally and transformed, shrinking in size as he became a miniature griffin, flying towards Aaron and landing gently on his shoulder.

"How is this, Master?" Protean chirped.

"Good," Aaron replied, looking at the utterly stunned expression on Emily's face.

"Can we go now?" he asked.

"Yes, yes, Your Grace," Emily stammered, still slightly taken aback by the sudden transformation.

The three continued their walk towards the village in peaceful silence.