Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods-Chapter 38: A Familiar Stranger

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That night, within the adventurers' guild, Crest made his return.

His body bore minor wounds, but he stood victorious, presenting the severed head and claws of the mutated wolves. His success was undeniable, securing his adventurer license.

In the palais, his achievement was celebrated. The duke, Elysia, and his friends gathered in lighthearted revelry.

"Bel must've succeeded too. Maybe he just chose to stay alone?" Elysia mused, her tone lighthearted.

Crest, however, remained unimpressed.

"From what Miss Riona said, I am the first to return. So, apparently, goblins are now stronger than a pack of mutated wolves."

Elysia blinked, momentarily thrown off by the statement. Then, smiling brightly, she brushed off the notion.

"And what are you insinuating? Don't talk badly about your friends. Bel will surely..."

"He's not my friend," Crest cut her off coldly. His tone was sharp, making it clear there was no room for discussion.

The mood shifted slightly. The warmth of celebration dimmed, an a little tension settled in the air. Crest straightened, arms crossed as he continued.

"I'll set out on my journey, just as my father wants. But I'll do it on my own terms."

The room fell into a brief silence. The duke, observing from a distance, let out a weary sigh but said nothing.

Morning came swiftly. Crest and his friends walked through the bustling streets toward the adventurer's guild, their conversation lively. Crest had decided to choose his very first quest, and sadly for him, his friends convinced him to let them secretly accompany him.

Dusteria mulled over the idea of becoming an adventurer herself.

"Maybe I should try it too... At least we'll all be together."

Will's eyes lit up, immediately excited.

"That would be great! We could all go on adventures together!"

Crest, however, was less enthusiastic.

"I want to take this seriously," he stated firmly. "I let you guys join this time, but seriously, if you have no license, next time I will find a real party."

Their steps led them to the guild, where Crest separated from the group and entered alone. His eyes scanned the room, quickly finding Riona, engaged in conversation with another guild employee. As he approached, she noticed him, offering a distracted but welcoming greeting.

"Oh, fresh flesh. Good timing," she said absently. "There's good news."

Outside, the trio continued their lighthearted banter. Dusteria, Will, and Sienna chatted about their future, wondering if they should become full-fledged adventurers to aid Crest. Their conversation was casual, until suddenly, Will and Sienna stiffened.

Dusteria frowned.

"What's wrong?"

Their expressions froze, their bodies tensing as an eerie silence settled between them. Their gazes locked onto something, or someone, behind her. Curious and slightly unnerved, Dusteria turned to follow their stare, but then...

A man in a hooded cloak walked past her.

He was nondescript, moving with quiet ease, but Will and Sienna's reactions were anything but normal. The moment he passed, both took a reflexive step back, their faces pale.

they observed him from the back for seconds, but just as his hand reached for the door, Sienna's breath hitched.

"B-Bel?!"

Bel paused at the door of the guild. Will's eyes darted from Sienna to Bel, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"What the..."

Dusteria's gaze flickered with surprise as well. Was this really Bel?

For a few seconds, Bel remained motionless. Then, with a sigh, he turned around to face them. The sudden movement made them flinch involuntarily.

His face was covered by a mask, his hands covered in gloves. His presence alone carried a weight that hadn't been there before. He studied Sienna for a moment before speaking.

"How did you know?"

Sienna flinched. The way he spoke... it was different... measured, calm, as if he was more curious than anything else.

"So... it really is you?" she murmured.

Bel didn't confirm nor deny it. He simply waited.

Sienna hesitated before answering, feeling as if she had to tread carefully.

"I recognized your... presence... sort of. It just felt..." she struggled for the right words, "... different, but still familiar." Her voice wavered. "What happened to you? You feel... so different."

Bel observed her in silence, then brought a gloved hand to his chin, thinking.

"So my aura is the same... just heavier... interesting."

Sienna swallowed. His reaction was unreadable, his tone analytical rather than emotional.

She tried to keep the conversation going.

"Are... Are you done with your quest?"

Bel blinked, tilting his head slightly.

"Uh?" Then, after a beat, he nodded. "Yeah, finished it. Just had to find a mask to... cover a little injury."

Sienna nodded slowly, trying to process this new version of Bel. Meanwhile, Will stood speechless beside her, staring at Bel as if he were looking at a completely different person.

The last time he had seen Bel, he had humiliated him. That cocky, smug idiot. But now...

How the hell does he change this much after a single day?

Behind them, Dusteria's brows knitted together.

"That's... Bel?" she whispered under her breath.

Her eyes traced over him, his posture, his voice, even the strands of hair visible beneath the hood, they seemed a different color than before. Taller. Colder.

Sienna, trying to ignore the strange tension, took a breath and forced a small smile.

"So, um, we're going on an adventure. You could..."

"Alright, now quiet, please," Bel said politely.

Sienna froze mid-sentence, her mouth slightly open. Will and Dusteria's eyes widened.

Bel adjusted his gloves, his tone calm.

"I need to hurry to take some quests. So I don't have time for chitchat."

Sienna let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of her head.

"Right, uh, sorry."

Still, after a second of hesitation, she decided to take a bold step forward.

"Actually... we're forming a party. If you're looking for a group, you could join us?"

Will and Dusteria both turned to her abruptly. What was she thinking? There was no way Crest would accept that.

Bel, however, tilted his head slightly. He observed her for seconds, making her sweat, then at Will and Dusteria.

"If these two are joining, then the quest level must be low." His voice was even, indifferent. "I'd like to try bigger challenges. So... I'm afraid I'll have to refuse."

Sienna hesitated but eventually nodded.

"Yeah, I figured. No worries."

Bel gave her a small nod before turning and walking into the guild, disappearing past the doors.

Will exhaled sharply, as if releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"What the hell happened to him?"

Dusteria observed intensely at the door with a thousand questions. What the hell happened? Was that really the frail boy from that day in their manor? What was happening to him?

Bel stepped into the adventurer's guild, his presence drawing immediate attention. Conversations stilled, glances flickered toward him, but no one approached.

Everyone could feel his presence, most experienced adventurers had already taken notice, yet none dared to speak.

Ignoring the stares, he moved toward the quest board. Along the way, he caught sight of Crest speaking with Riona. Crest looked irritated, gesturing as he spoke, while Riona remained completely indifferent, barely responding. Then, she noticed him.

Bel didn't stop. Nothing about that interaction interested him.

He reached the quest board, scanning the postings. Sheets of paper pinned in rows covered different categories of missions, with only a few matching his rank.

Troll Extermination – Rank E

Escort Merchant Caravan to Northern Outpost – Rank D

Gather Fire Lotus from the Misty Swamp – Rank E

Hunt Dire Wolves near the Borderlands – Rank D

Guard an Aristocrat's Estate – Rank E

Bel had no interest in escorts or gathering missions. His focus was clear, extermination.

But with his current adventurer rank, he wasn't sure that E-rank quests would feed his experience as he needed.

Annoying.

Still, he wouldn't waste time. If he couldn't take stronger missions, then he'd simply take more at once. He plucked several extermination requests from the board, stacking them in his hands, ready to head to the counter.

Then, he felt it.

A presence behind him.

Crest stood there, arms crossed, staring at him with irritation.

"You didn't report back," Crest said, his voice edged with annoyance. "My father had to find out from someone else that you were still alive."

Bel turned slightly, meeting his gaze through the mask. He said nothing.

Crest scoffed.

"Listen. Even though you're no longer linked to him, don't you think it's really hypocritical to not inform him of your situation? You have your freedom, so at least try to be thankful to the one who fought for you."

Bel stayed silent, his patience already wearing thin.

Crest continued anyway.

"It's not even surprising at this point. You do whatever you want, don't you? Not a single thought about how it affects everyone else."

Bel shifted slightly, still holding the stack of quests. He had no intention of explaining himself. Whatever Crest wanted, it had nothing to do with him.

Without another word, he turned away and started walking toward the counter.

Crest's eyes flicked toward the board, his brows furrowing. Something felt off. He quickly scanned the remaining quests, and then it hit him. There were no extermination quests left, only material gathering, guarding and most boring ones.

His eyes narrowed as he turned back to Bel.

"Hey! You can't do that! Get back here!"

Bel sighed, clearly done with the conversation. He adjusted the stack in his hands, preparing to walk away.

But Crest wasn't finished.

"Wait," he called out, his voice louder now, drawing the attention of several guild members. "Are you seriously hoarding all the extermination quests? That's ridiculous! You're not the King of this place, leave some for the others!"

Bel didn't even turn around.

"It's within the rules. I asked"

Crest scoffed.

"You think you can just do whatever you want? What the hell is just wrong with you?"

Bel's fingers tightened slightly around the papers. His patience had run dry.

Crest stepped closer, lowering his voice.

"This is ridiculous. Fine then. If you're going to be like that, I'll just take them from you."

That was the last push.

Bel stopped. The air around him grew heavier. The temperature seemed to drop slightly, and his pressure filled the space between them. Crest flinched, suddenly aware of the shift.

Then, Bel turned around.

His posture was calm, but there was something in the way he carried himself, towering, unyielding. When he spoke, his voice was different.

Deeper. Heavier.

"Go ahead," Bel said. "Take them."