Demonic Dragon: Harem System

Chapter 352: A few hours earlier... 

A few hours earlier... 

In the heart of the imperial capital, in the diffused light of the afternoon, Strax was walking through the central market with a worried look on his face. Beside him, two figures hidden under heavy cloaks moved discreetly through the crowd. The aroma of spices, roasts and freshly worked metal mingled with the incessant buzz of merchants calling out to customers, but Strax barely registered any of these details. His thoughts were fixed on just one thing. 

Xenovia. 

"They just wouldn't let me see her." His voice carried a tone of incredulity and irritation as he crossed his arms, still trying to process what had happened at the palace gates. 

At his side, Tiamat kept his hood pulled over his face, but his rigid posture showed his frustration. "Doesn't that strike you as odd?" she asked, her tone calm but attentive. Her golden eyes shone for a moment under the shadow of the cloak. "Your sister isn't someone who would get unwell easily." 

"Yes." Strax muttered, clenching his fists. "It doesn't make sense." 

He tried to search his memory for a single moment when Xenovia had been ill, weak or unable to stand up. 

And his conclusion was only one. 

Never. 

Ever since they were children, Xenovia had always been indomitable, resilient beyond belief. If she had become unwell, it would have been because something had forced her to. 

Ouroboros, who until then had only been observing the conversation, tilted his head slightly, his voice laden with sarcasm, but with a sharp tone of suspicion. "What if it's not a question of indisposition?" He glanced at them both before continuing, his voice becoming lower and more dangerous. "What if they're arresting her?" 

Strax stopped walking for a moment. 

The thought struck his mind like a bolt of lightning. 

Ouroboros was right. 

If Xenovia really was ill, that would be all the more reason for them to allow him to see her. The guards' argument made no sense, especially considering that she would never refuse to see him. Xenovia liked Strax. They were brother and sister, and she would never hide from him. 

No, this wasn't just a setback or a passing illness. 

Something was very wrong. 

Strax's gaze turned icy. His red eyes glittered under his hood as a thought crystallized in his mind. 

If they really did something to her... He would collect... Strax then did what the average person would do... look for information in poorer places... after all... who wouldn't accept good money? 

He then went to a bar on the outskirts of the capital... 

The bar was a den of shadows and whispers, located on the edge of the imperial capital, where the eyes of the nobility rarely turned. The lights flickered faintly, illuminating tired faces and expressions hardened by the weight of life on the outskirts. The strong smell of alcohol mixed with that of greasy food hung in the air, and the voices of the customers mingled in low murmurs, conversations that no one else should hear. 

Strax entered without hesitation, his firm footsteps echoing on the worn wooden floor. He headed straight for the counter, ignoring the suspicious glances that some of the regulars cast in his direction. This was not the kind of place where strangers were welcome, but he knew exactly how to break the ice. 

Throwing a small bag of coins on the counter, he pulled up a stool and faced the barman. 

"I'm looking for information." His voice was firm, but not threatening. He didn't need to intimidate anyone there - money would do that for him. "Anything that's happened recently at the palace. Anything out of the ordinary." 

The barman, a stout man with a gray beard and tired eyes, looked at the bag of coins and leisurely picked it up, feeling the weight of the copper and silver pieces in his calloused hand. He sighed and leaned forward, keeping his voice low. 

"You're not the first to ask about the palace." He commented, watching Strax cautiously. "But few leave here alive after asking questions like that." 

Strax kept his gaze steady. "I can take care of myself." 

The barman let out a low, disbelieving laugh before continuing. "They say the Emperor has a hidden dungeon under the palace. It's not just any prison - it's where he keeps those he doesn't want to be found." 

Strax's eyes narrowed. "What else do you know about it?" 

The barman looked around, as if to make sure no one else was listening, before leaning in even closer. "The entrance is no ordinary cell. It's reinforced with magic... and they say that once you're inside, you can't get out. No matter who you are." 

Strax felt his pulse quicken. His instinct was right. Xenovia was trapped in there. 

Taking a deep breath, he got up from the stool, pulling out some more coins and placing them on the counter. "If you think of anything else, let me know." 

The barman quickly took the coins, but before Strax could take a step towards the exit, he said something else. 

"If you really intend to break into that place... I suggest you do it quickly." 

Strax turned to face him, his expression serious. 

"What do you mean?" 

The barman hesitated for a moment, then spoke in an even lower tone: 

"They say no one stays alive in there for long." The tension in the air seemed palpable. 

Strax left the bar, the barman's words echoing in his mind. Nobody stays alive in there for long. He knew the situation was more serious than he had imagined, but the idea that Xenovia could be in that place, being kept secret, was unbearable. 

Something was being orchestrated against her, and Strax had no doubt that the mission to rescue her was only just beginning. 

As he walked through the gloomy streets, his thoughts turned to the palace and the mysterious dungeon it mentioned. The magic protecting the entrance was a barrier of great power - no one could simply break in without a plan. 

Strax's footsteps echoed through the alleyways, but he felt no fear. His sister had always been his strength and his reason. If there was a chance to save her, he wouldn't hesitate. Whatever was happening in the heart of the empire, he would do whatever it took to expose the truth. 

The capital's marketplace was already lagging behind, and night was beginning to fall, bringing with it the cloak of darkness. Strax needed allies, and that would take him to darker places, where the nobility dared not go. He knew that with every step, the danger became more imminent. But he was prepared to face anything. The journey to save Xenovia would be long and full of challenges, but the flame of determination in his chest would never go out. 

When he reached the outskirts of the market, Tiamat and Ouroboros were waiting. The tension between the three of them was palpable. Tiamat was the first to speak, her eyes still fixed on the horizon, but her voice laden with concern. 

"Have you found anything?" 

Strax nodded, his expression hardening. "Xenovia is in danger. And the emperor... he's hiding something. There's a secret dungeon in the palace, protected by magic, where no one gets out alive." 

Ouroboros smiled with a glint of amusement in his eyes, but his expression was grim. "Then we have a challenge ahead of us. If there's something the emperor wants to keep hidden, it's because he knows it could cause trouble if it's discovered." 

Tiamat, with a grave look on his face, shook his head. "We need more information. We can't just throw ourselves into the dungeon without a plan. And Strax, you'll need allies who understand this magic." 

"Let's go over there, and..." Strax raised his hand and a little dragon appeared, "Kallamos, you want a body, right?" 

"Of course!" She said. 

"Then you'll go into the prison and find Xyn." He said. 

Kallamos, the energetic little dragon, puffed out her chest and wagged her tail enthusiastically. Her body, still small and brightly scaled, gave off a faint golden glow in the moonlight that was beginning to rise in the sky. She looked at Strax, her eyes fixed on him with a glint of determination. 

"Leave it to me, Strax!" She said, her golden eyes sparkling with mischievous malice. "I know what to do. A place like this is going to be a fun challenge. I'm fast, no one will see me coming." 

Strax watched her with a mixture of confidence and caution. Little Kallamos had impressive power and a unique cunning. Although her form was small, her magic was vast. She possessed the ability to slip in where no one else could, whether through her skill at bypassing spells or her unusual agility. However, even she would need to be careful when entering the heart of the empire. 

"Make sure you don't attract attention. If something goes wrong, don't think twice before retreating," Strax instructed, his tone grave and serious. 

The little dragon nodded with a mischievous smile. "Don't worry, Strax. I can take care of myself. I'll find Xenovia and bring back the information we need. And I'll do it without leaving a trace. No guards, no magic will stop me." 

Tiamat watched with an apprehensive look, but there was also a slight confidence in his eyes. "Be careful, Kallamos. It's not just magic they can use against you. If the Emperor really is hiding something, the threats could be greater than you think." 

Kallamos looked at the woman with a confident smile, flapping his small wings. "I like big challenges." 

With that, Strax gave a slight nod to the little dragon, and Kallamos bade them farewell before slinking off into the shadows, her form shrinking as she moved away into the darkness.