The Demonic Realm, the Karnas Mountains.

  This was the northmost area in the Demonic Realm, and it was covered by a blizzard all year long. If not for the fact that the current season in the Demonic Realm was a hot summer, the blizzard there would have simply frozen all living things.

  As such... everything that lived on the Karnas Mountains was undead with the gift of sed life.

  "Yhness, I think that visiting the person directly... is unwise."

  As soon as Joshua stepped out of the portal that Zenarth had created, he heard the advice from his brave Lifeward.

  Zenarth's race was sed only to the Chaos Demons in the Demonic Realm, and there was rarely anything that would strike fear in him. Yet, the lord of the Karnas Mountains was someone whom Zenarth feared, aehat he o pay respect to.

  "I have met the duke a few times. He is an easygoing person," Joshua said.

  "Easygoing..."

  Zenarth used to obey every single one of Joshua's orders in the past, but this time, Zenarth could n himself to believe Joshua's "easygoing" evaluation of the duke.

  The Demonic Realm was divided between one King, four dukes, and seven lords. The king in reference was the Lord of the Demonic Realm, Nordlein, who was Joshua's father. He was the existe the pinnacle of the Demonic Realm, the absolute ruler. Beh Nordlein were four dukes who goverhe four realms of the Demonic Realm.

  The person Joshua was about to visit was one of the four dukes who was known as the Duke of Bones... Zenarth had only heard a little of the duke's past.

  The four dukes of the Demonic Realm were synonymous with peril, and aside from Nordlein himself, they could simply kill anyone who eheir domain on a whim.

  "Judging someone based on rumors and appearances... Isn't that the same as those despicable humans?"

  Joshua's retort had Zenarth at a loss for words.

  He then remembered the little girl he had met in the prison before. After their enter, Zenarth hid in the shadows and turhe fmes of his body into a will-o'-wisp-like bea to lead the little girl into the portal.

  Before she ehe portal, the little girl smiled and waved at the bea. That somehow tugged at Zenarth's heartstrings. He could not uand what kind of feeling it was, but it was... unfettable. That se was something that he found harder tet tha foe he burned into ders.

  Seeih's silence, Joshua did not tio make it difficult for his faithful subordinate.

  Joshua then looked at Ciri who had followed him.

  The crystal on Ciri's neck caused an inordinate amount of fear to her. To avoid getting separated during teleportation and having her head blown off her body, she held Joshua's hand as they ehe portal.

  "I feel like wolves and bears are staring at me in this forest."

  Ciri stepped ohick yer of snow on the ground as she released Joshua's hand. She pulled out her staff while she looked at the surrounding dark forest.

  The moment she stepped into the snow-covered forest, Ciri felt a very familiar feeling... the feeling of being stared at by someone or something with malicious i.

  "There aren't any harmless creatures like wolves or bears here. The oaring at you is probably a Lifestealer or a Mindfyer. If you are unlucky, you might run into a Death Knight."

  Joshua ran through the prince's memories, and the area was basically the heart of the Duke of Bones' domain. The undead beings there would definitely not be weak undead fodder like skeleton warriors.

  The moment an ordinary persoered the pce, the surrounding undead would swarm to the location within mere seds and e their victim until nothing was left, not even their souls.

  The reason Joshua was able to stand there safely was because of his status as a Chaos Demon. It was more of a little privilege that the lord of the forest had given to him.

  Ciri did not say anything sihe words from Joshua's mouth were once again beyond her prehension.

  She just o identify ohing—the beings staring at her from the darkness, those she could not defeat with the short staff in her hands.

  "Let's go. The castle is not too far away," Joshua said as he led Ciri ah deeper into the forest.

  ...

  There was a castle deep within the forest, and the trees outside the castle were covered with frost. The garden ihe castle, however, had all kinds of blooming unknown flowers. The flowers were dark, and dark thorns even coiled around the decorative statues in the garden. Uhe shroud of the night sky, the entire castle bore a mysterious atmosphere.

  The instant Joshua approached the staircase with a hueps, which led to the castle door, the gate opened by itself, seemingly to wele him.

  The interior decoration of the castle was luxurious, and it seemed like death had not taken away the Duke of Bones' aesthetic taste.

  Unknown music also echoed across the entire castle. It was an ensemble... and the sounds of the instruments used in the ensemble were familiar to Joshua.

  Was it due to the parallel world's blessing?

  "Why do I find this music se?"

  Ciri followed Joshua all the the stairs to the ter of the castle hall. An oil painting portrait of a young male hung at the stairs.

  "Strange? Little ohat word itself is reason enough for me to feed your soul to my dog!"

  A voice so hoarse that it sounded like nails scratg on a bckboard suddenly echoed across the hall as a dark figure "walked" out of the painting.

  "Yhness..."

  When the Sin Demon saw the figure appearing and wanting to step up to Joshua, he attempted to block the figure. But Joshua held his hand out to stop Zenarth's discourteous gesture.

  The Duke of Bones' appearance was very different from the image Joshua had of a lich like Kel'thuzad[1]. Even though he had ossified to nothing but bones, his clothing made him look more like a pirate than a mage.

  "You'd better give me a good reason for your intrusion into my domain and interruption of my performance, or else, I'll be sending your fyed bones back to your father even if you are the son of Nordlein."

  Wheh heard what the Duke of Bones said, his fmes lit up. However, a scarlet light fshed in the dark eye sockets of the Duke of Bones, and the massive Zenarth immediately fell to his knees with a heavy thud.

  Was this the power that could rival the Lord of the Demonic Realm?

  Joshua was indeed worthless before this being, and his identity meant nothing there, so he could no longer run his mouth like he would in the Royal City.

  "I find you to be a very talented person. Form a band with me!"

  The Duke of Bones' skeletal head suddenly turned y degrees as he appeared to pohe meaning of the word "band", which Joshua had just uttered.

  "Simply put, I am here to admire your performance, My Lord. If you are willing, may I have the honor of having you py a piee?"

  Joshua made an offer that no performer could refuse.

  If the lich had been a musi with attendees numbering iens of thousands, perhaps Joshua's proposal would be ht suicidal. Yet, at that forsaken pce, aside from the ghostly servants that atteo the Duke of Bohere was no one else to admire his performance.