395: Firaria, Ashiraem's Sole City

Firaria, Ashiraem's Sole City

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For a while, Apollo stood frozen with shock. If even Fuhrer described the 9 Kings as unimaginably strong, just how strong would he need to be to make an attempt at controlling them—a full-fledged Archdemon? A Noblesse? Or even a Daemos? 

Under normal circumstances, Apollo wouldn't have such an unusual reaction, but after learning of the fact that these Kings used to house the Primal Source of the Sins, resulting in a substantial upgrade of the power bestowed by the First Monarch, Apollo couldn't help but wonder what realm of strength that pertained to.

Although Fuhrer had mentioned that the disappearance of the First Monarch resulted in a decline in the power of the Lost Council, could it truly affect the Kings as well? Compared to the others, whose strength came from their own actions, the strength gathered by the Primal Sources was fabled to be inexhaustible. 

Hence, Apollo's current skepticism as to whether the weathering of time affected the Kings as well. As a result, Apollo could only ask Fuhrer a final question.

"If you had to guess, how much of a chance is there that the Kings' powers have receded?" Apollo asked with a solemn gaze before adding another addition to the question, "And, amongst the kings, are there any like Asteroth, who blames him for his disappearance?"

In response, Fuhrer glanced in Apollo's direction between sighing heavily, "Are those answers you truly wish to know?"

"Yes," Apollo answered in an unwavering tone. Even if the answers turned out to be the worst possible outcome, it was something vital for him to know. Because, their meeting was inevitable, as the system was designed to gather all the fragmented powers left in the Nihilistic Rings.

It was designed to assist in the ascension of the demon monarch! So, Apollo swallowed his apprehension and sought every crucial answer. 

"Very well. The Ruthless Queen and the Savage King both devolved to a maddened state after the Monarch's disappearance. Especially since they were alongside us when the true reason behind the war was revealed. Although they have no family because they were the Monarch's creations, they still possessed perfect psyches. So they too can feel betrayal," Fuhrer said in a grim tone.

He paused but was far from done, "Alongside those two, you have to remain wary of the Envious Queen. Because she developed deep-rooted feelings for the Monarch but was not chosen to be his Empress. And, with you as his liege, once she senses you, she will undoubtedly pursue you relentlessly."

Again, Apollo nodded after learning of this matter, "So the Kings aren't all Kings?"

"Not at all. Their title is the Kings, but they involve both male and female demons. In fact, the strongest of all is a female. Even I have almost lost to her due to her unusual battle style. Let's just say you'll understand what I mean if you ever go up against her," Fuhrer answered.

"Though I will reveal this now. According to what I know, the Kings were confined to the Abyssal Ring. So until you reach that place, you won't need to worry about them for now. Or, at the very least, I don't think you do," Fuhrer added before revealing a complicated expression.

Just like the other rings, the Abyssal Ring was engulfed in a barrier formed from his energy. But, if the barrier receded, then chances are those terrifying Kings could be set free. 

But, since this was an uncertainty at this time, Fuhrer didn't reveal it just yet.

Apollo fell into deep thought before giving a slight nod. Initially, he released a tired sigh, but that changed when he recalled Geneva's situation. 'Although they'll be difficult, if the system is tasked the way I think it is, then the hardships will equate to the benefits I experience after.'

With that in mind, Apollo pushed the matter to the back of his mind, "Thank you, Fuhrer; you have given me a general idea of how fast I need to strengthen myself."

In the meantime Apollo remained in position, waiting for the others who catch up while he inspected the gate.

At a glance, he was surprised by what he saw. Although he had seen the gates to this city once before, he didn't realize it was so large due to the vast distance. But, now that he was standing before, in addition to being astonished by Fuhrer's words, the magnitude of the gates left him awestruck.

Simultaneously, gazing upon the gates led Apollo to question whether the city of Firaria was built before or after the construction of the vast obelisk. Either way, there were apparent signs of the city being old. After all, it was Ashiraem's sole city.

There were more in the past, however, its unstable environment, as mentioned before, contributed to the destruction of said cities. 

Finally, after a few minutes, Jorgun and the others caught up before heaving behind Apollo. Just like in Suprenis, there was a gatekeeper at the gates of Firaria. And, based on his appearance, it was an Ifrit who managed to evolve into a high-level Archdemon.

Still, Apollo approached the gatekeeper with a plain expression, void of fear or any other emotion. Be too weak and demons were bound to walk over you, but be too strong and they were bound to take offense.

Thus, Apollo opted for a neutral stance since the last thing he wanted to do was cause a scene at the gates monitored by the Lord of Ashiraem's underlings. After all, he was advised not to enter the city until he became an Archdemon.

According to what he understood about Saehtyn, Apollo was unsure how he would react to him not heeding his word. Therefore, Apollo moved cautiously to escape the radar of such a high-level demon. Unless it was inevitable, then Apollo wouldn't be appearing before any such beings.

The gatekeeper scanned them with an impartial gaze as he looked over Apollo's underlings, "4 Lesser Demons, 6 Greater Demons, and a single Archdemon. If you wish to gain entry, that'll be 27 Fragments of Sin."

Immediately, Apollo started to frown. However, Fuhrer looked towards him and shook his head while transmitting a message, 'This is the standard price. Even in ancient times, we used this method. It seems the ruler of this place hasn't deviated from that system.'

Still, Apollo was curious as to why it was so much, "What's the breakdown per entry?"

With another scanning gaze, the Ifrit spoke once again, "The price is determined by the volume of Sin a demon can absorb. Your entry fee is to neutralize this expenditure."

"As a Lesser Demon has a meager limit, they are only worth one fragment. Likewise, a Greater Demon is much stronger, so the fee is increased to 3 fragments and lastly, an Archdemon pulls a substantial amount of Sin, so it's 5 fragments for her entry."

Apollo tapped his chin thoughtfully before asking a question, " By that logic, shouldn't a demon who doesn't use Ira be granted free entry?"

"Negative. If a demon from another Ring attempts to gain access to this city, then they'll be refused," the gatekeeper answered with a stoic expression.

Meanwhile, Apollo was amused by this answer. Not wasting any more time, Apollo paid the entire fee. Compared to what he received from the ring Fuhrer gave him, this was but a drop in the ocean.

Now entering the city, a sight of rustic buildings made from stone varying between black, grey, and red greeted their sights. Taverns littered the pathways of the city, with areas such as pools of magma and zones filled with cloudy steam appearing frequently.

On top of that, there were numerous buildings that barely fit the standard of what Apollo witnessed in Astarat. However, the base material of these constructs gave Apollo the feeling of being much sturdier.

In fact, Apollo even flicked a nearby building. Instead of damaging the stone, he felt a throbbing sensation from his finger, which subsided soon enough. What's more, is that Apollon noticed that only the outskirts looked this way.

The deeper they walked through the city, the more refined the architecture of the buildings became, projecting the sense of demon royalty. However, Apollo soon understood why.

Every time they turned a corner, they were greeted by an abundance of Archdemons! In other words, the closer they got to the tower, the stronger the inhabitants became.

'Perhaps this will turn out to be more troublesome than I presumed,' Apollo thought, but then he stopped and widened his eyes. It wasn't just him. Every Greater Demon in his party bared the same expression.

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