Chapter 125: You should eat

When Lucien failed to respond, Zephyr grew concerned. He reached out and touched Lucien’s forehead.

"Are you okay?"

His voice finally snapped Lucien out of his stupor. Lucien swallowed hard, his gaze drifting toward the people who had just brought in the elaborate spread of dishes. They were now quietly retreating from the room, leaving him alone with Zephyr.

He turned back to Zephyr and anxiously grabbed his hand. Although he already had a terrible suspicion, he still asked.

"Where are we?"

The question had barely left his mouth when his brows suddenly furrowed.

Wait a minute.

As far as he could remember, before falling asleep, his throat had been terribly uncomfortable after everything that had happened between him and Zephyr. His body had ached, too, particularly his chest, where Zephyr had bitten him and left numerous marks.

Yet now...

Lucien lowered his gaze and instinctively lifted his shirt, only to find his skin completely unmarked. Not a single bruise or bite mark remained, as though none of the shameless things he remembered so vividly in his head had ever happened.

He stared at his chest for a moment before slowly raising his head toward Zephyr, his expression growing increasingly complicated.

Sensing his reaction, Zephyr cleared his throat.

"I used my healing skill on you so you would not feel uncomfortable when you woke up."

He paused before continuing in the same calm, matter-of-fact tone.

"As for your question, we are in a Demon General’s castle. I killed the Demon General and rescued some people while you were asleep. So, this place is safe for now. Do not worry about it."

Lucien stared at him.

No. No, wait a fucking minute!

He had not even had time to properly mourn the loss of his virginity, and now Zephyr was casually informing him that he had killed a Demon General?!

Were Demon Generals really that easy to kill? Were they potatoes that anyone could chop up whenever they felt like it?!

In the original story, when the first Demon General appeared in the Human Realm, Erick had lost. Following the protagonist’s defeat, his entire world had descended into chaos, with slaughter and destruction spreading across the land. Erick and Nana had then gone into hiding with a group of friends, constantly evading the demons hunting them while fighting to survive and grow stronger. Their ultimate goal had been to one day kill every demon that had harmed their planet.

That was how terrifying Demon Generals were supposed to be!

Yet here was Zephyr, calmly explaining that he had not only killed a Demon General but had also taken over his castle, all while Lucien had been peacefully sleeping for a few hours.

A few fucking hours!

Lucien knew Zephyr was an SSS-Rank Esper, but he had never imagined that the man had already become powerful enough to kill a Demon General in such a short time. It had not even been that long since Zephyr could barely walk without holding his hand! This guy’s progress was ridiculously fast!

Lucien stared at Zephyr, utterly speechless. While he was still trying to wrap his head around what he had just heard, the man sitting opposite him had apparently decided that the most pressing matter at hand was to feed him.

Before Lucien could react, Zephyr scooped up a spoonful of warm soup and brought it to his lips. Still lost in his thoughts, Lucien blinked in surprise but obediently opened his mouth when the spoon pressed against his lips. The soup was delicious, its warmth settling pleasantly in his empty stomach.

His mind barely had time to register the taste before Zephyr picked up a fork and offered him a small, tender piece of meat.

Lucien accepted that, too.

By the time Zephyr had fed him a third bite, Lucien had finally managed to drag his thoughts back to reality. He immediately caught Zephyr’s hand just as the man was about to feed him again, gritting his teeth in frustration.

"Wait...!"

He was hungry, damn it! He had not eaten anything for hours, and the food was genuinely delicious. But that was beside the point! They had far more important things to discuss than eating right now!

Zephyr blinked at him, seemingly misunderstanding his reaction. Perhaps Lucien wanted to eat on his own. Without a second thought, he placed the utensils in Lucien’s hands before settling comfortably on the bed opposite him. He then picked up the second set of utensils and began eating as though nothing had happened.

"You should eat."

Zephyr’s advice was delivered casually, as if he were discussing something utterly ordinary.

"I do not know what might happen later. I have found out that we are in a different realm ruled by demons. Now that I have killed a Demon General, there is a good chance the demons will attack this place once they discover what happened."

He took another bite before continuing, his tone as composed as ever.

"So eat while you can. I do not know if we will get another chance later."

Lucien had so many questions that his head was practically buzzing. Everything had changed. They had killed a Demon General! A Demon General who, in the original story, had not been killed until the very end!

Lucien opened his mouth, wanting to demand an explanation, but his words caught in his throat. Sitting opposite him, Zephyr continued eating one mouthful after another with effortless grace, seemingly without a care in the world. Watching him act as though nothing particularly remarkable had happened left Lucien feeling strangely stifled. He had no idea where to begin, let alone how to put all the questions crowding his mind into words.

In the end, he could only grit his teeth and follow Zephyr’s advice.

Eat.

Eat.

And eat some more!

The food was delicious, at least, and Lucien was hungry enough that he could hardly complain. As he ate, his attention gradually wandered around the luxurious room. Glittering treasures adorned the space, and precious objects were scattered across the furnishings, each one looking as though it could fetch a small fortune. If he took them back to the Association, they would probably sell for an impressive amount.

Unfortunately, aside from their monetary value, most of the treasures seemed utterly useless to him.

Lucien let out a quiet sigh. What a waste.

Still, useless or not, he was not about to leave them all behind. As a poor guide with barely any money to his name, he could not afford to be picky. If he sold these treasures, he could at least make a decent fortune for himself. With that thought in mind, he decided to gather as many valuable items as he could carry.

By the time he had finished eating, Zephyr had already risen from the bed and begun gathering the empty plates. It was only then that Lucien noticed something odd about him.

His feet were bare.

"Why are you not wearing shoes?"

Zephyr continued gathering the plates without pausing. He carried them to the people waiting outside the room and thanked them for preparing the meal at his request. Only after they had taken everything away did he turn back toward Lucien.

"I forgot to put them on when I was at the Association. I could not find any here, either."

Lucien stared at him for a moment before rubbing his brows with a weary sigh.

Sometimes, he genuinely forgot that Zephyr was blind. Now, the man moved around with such ease and handled everything so naturally that it was almost impossible to remember. He never seemed to let his blindness hinder him, and yet, every now and then, something like this reminded Lucien that there were still things Zephyr could not do, things that were so easy for others.

Shaking his head, Lucien climbed out of bed. Thanks to Zephyr’s healing skill, his body felt better than ever. There was not even any soreness in his waist, leaving him feeling surprisingly refreshed. The problem was that he knew exactly why his body should have been aching in the first place.

Just thinking about it made his face heat up.

He quickly pushed those thoughts aside. If possible, he would rather not go through that kind of experience again!

Turning his attention to the room, he searched around and spotted several pairs of boots inside a wardrobe at the far end. He picked out a pair and returned to Zephyr, holding them out.

"Check if these fit."

Zephyr did not answer immediately. Instead, he lowered himself, found Lucien’s leg, and grasped his ankle.

Lucien was startled so badly that he nearly jumped out of his skin.

Before he could speak, Zephyr lifted his foot slightly, wiped it clean, and slipped the boot onto it. His movements were calm and practiced, as though there were nothing unusual about what he was doing.

Only then did Lucien realize what was happening.

His face immediately turned red.

Even his heartbeat picked up its pace.

What the hell!

Zephyr turned toward him, a faint hint of amusement in his otherwise calm voice as he helped Lucien slip on the second boot.

"You should have put on a pair yourself first. Then you could have picked another pair for me."

With that, he released Lucien’s ankle and stood up. Following the direction from which he had sensed Lucien approach, he made his way toward the wardrobe and selected a pair of boots for himself.

They were all rather large, probably belonging to the demon who had once lived in the room, but something was better than nothing.