Arnold was more than happy to explain about Demons to everyone. Not only because he enjoyed spending time with them, but also because he knew they would encounter Demons one day for sure.

He wanted them to be knowledgeable about them. Hence, he spent his time telling stuff about Demons.

Meanwhile, Aegon knew a lot about Demons because of his upbringing, but he still listened carefully. It was always better to have more information about your enemies.

The Demon's Domain lay in the western edges of the Triana Continent, though it was debatable, since no one truly knew what lay beyond the Demon's Domain. For all they knew, the Triana Continent might be far bigger than they thought, and everyone was merely located on a small eastern end.

But for now, it was generally believed that the Demon's Domain was in the west, since the Great Solar Empire was taken as the center. Its north was covered by dense mountain ranges where many Beast races resided. The infamous Frost Mountains also lay there, along with Mount Cereberion, the home of House Valeria.

To the south, Elves resided in Slyvanna across the Moon River. The eastern end was similar to the west, but far more dreadful and unknown.

An endless nightmare desert lay there, containing abominations and entities so horrifying that no one even dared to go near it. Many had tried crossing it, only to never return.

The Great Berserk Sea lay beyond Slyvanna. No soul had ever managed to cross its boundless reaches either. Even if one ignored the horrors residing in its depths, the terrifying waves along with the stormy climate alone made travel impossible.

As for the world beyond the Frost Mountains, only House Valeria knew of it, since they guarded it well. And they never disclosed that secret, so the people were unaware of it too.

In a way, this whole world was shrouded in mysteries. Only the strong had the right to uncover those Mysteries, which was also the reason Aegon worked so hard.

He wanted to explore the world fully, which also meant uncovering those Mysteries. As long as the shroud remained, he couldn't fulfill his goal.

After explaining a bit about the world, Arnold focused back on the Demons.

The Demon's Domain, or the Demon Society, called themselves the Mobius Alliance. The Alliance was led by the heads of the Seventy-Two Demon Kings of the Great Races.

There were many races among them, like Vampires, Succubi, Incubi, and many more. Each was led by a Demon King, under whom many nobles served.

Arnold explained about each race's specialty, such as how Succubi and Incubi focused on seduction, infiltration, mind control, and illusions, which made them perfect spies.

Just like that, time passed, and nobody even noticed as they were too engrossed in learning. Especially since Arnold explained things clearly and told them about the tactics the army used to deploy against the Demons.

As the vanguard against the Demons, humans had also developed various methods to deal with them, and Arnold didn't shy away from teaching those methods. Of course, he kept the most important ones secretive, as it wasn't his place to reveal such secrets.

Around an hour later, a bell rang loudly and repeatedly, breaking their focus. All of them turned toward the corner, where they found Xiu slamming a spatula against a giant bell.

Beside her were two other ladies. All of them wore pink aprons, which highlighted their beautiful features and made them look surprisingly cute. Even the dragon rider Nora had lost her usual fierceness.

"Enough with the lessons," Xiu shouted, as if ringing the bell wasn't enough. "It's dinner time. And who here dares to skip my food over boring lessons from Elder Old?"

"You can say that without dragging me into it," Arnold rolled his eyes.

"Yes, but how will I annoy you then?" Xiu grinned in response. "It's the appetizer for me. Seeing your annoyed face makes me feel like I've accomplished something and that the day wasn't wasted."

"Even your kid is an adult now. When will you grow up?" Arnold asked, massaging his forehead.

"Never! I've got a wonderful Dad to pamper me, so why should I bother growing up?" Xiu snorted. "Anyway, are you all ready for the Grand Victory Celebration, Xiu style?"

"Yes!!!" all the kids shouted in excitement.

"Umu!" Xiu nodded in satisfaction and clapped her hands. "Present the dishes!"

The dishes didn't come, but a smack on her head definitely did. As she turned around, she found Aurelia holding her spatula.

Raising it again, Aurelia asked with a smile, "Did you say something, Little Xiu?"

"Did I?" Xiu blinked. "Looks like the human air doesn't suit you much. You've started hearing things."

"You always have something to say, don't you?" Aurelia asked, amused by how quickly Xiu changed expressions.

Nora suppressed her laugh and said, "I didn't do much in the kitchen, so I'll go bring everything."

With that, she went back into the kitchen and soon returned, pushing a long table filled with several covered dishes. There were so many that Xavier and the others started drooling. The mixed fragrance didn't help either, only increasing their hunger.

Xiu smiled at their expressions and moved in front of the table. Rubbing her hands together, she said, "All of you worked hard for this victory, and I'm proud of you. Really, really proud. Not only me, but all of us."

With that, she clapped her hands, and the others followed suit, applauding the kids. Pride filled their expressions as they saw how beautifully their children had grown and made their names shine.

Xavier blushed slightly but still smiled widely at the praise. Cali was mostly embarrassed, yet fired up because her idol had praised her. Their sister, on the other hand, had joined in clapping for them as well.

Noticing that, Aegon raised an eyebrow and said to Luna, "What are you doing over there? Come here and enjoy the compliments. It's not every day your elders tell you to your face how proud they are."

"I know, but this victory belongs to you five. I didn't even do anything," Luna replied, waving her hands. "And I'm actually the eldest among us, so why can't I be proud of you too? In fact, I'm the proudest."

"Shhh! Don't try to exclude yourself," Aurelia pushed Luna back toward Aegon and the others. "We saw your performance too. Good job."

Aegon smiled and did an exaggerated bow. "Thanks for all the praise."

Elara bowed elegantly while holding her dress. Luna followed suit, while the others copied Aegon's exaggerated bow.

Xiu laughed at the sight. "Alright, get up. We'll start with the Victory Stew."

"Victory Stew?" Elara asked, hearing it for the first time.

"Everyone has their own ways of celebrating victories. The Chen Clan made a special Victory Stew whenever they won," Xiu smiled and explained. "I still remember Mom making it every time they returned victorious from battle. I loved it, so she taught me too."

As she moved to the center and uncovered an iron pot, her eyes grew moist as she continued, "She told me I'd need it one day when my kids brought victories home. I didn't really understand back then, but now I do. It's absolutely necessary."

"Now I'm even more curious to try it," Aegon said, quickly stepping beside her. "Is there some special way to eat this? Like do we dance or sing?"

Xiu laughed and replied, "Nah. It's just a happy meal. Eat however you want. The only tradition is how it's made, and that part is already done."

Aegon smiled at her laughter and pushed a bowl forward. "Then give me some."

"Me too!!" Xavier suddenly appeared beside him, making Aegon speechless.

'This bastard can move that fast for food, but not in fights? The hell?'

Xiu removed the lid, letting the steam and aroma spread through the hall. It was a thick, dark stew filled with meat chunks, root vegetables, marrow bones, and countless ingredients. It looked incredibly appetizing.

As she served everyone a bowl, they tasted it and immediately began licking their spoons. Eyes shining, they devoured the rest while sharing laughter and comments.

Aegon fed a spoonful to Xiu as she said, "This took the most preparation actually. Everything had to be prepared since morning. But it was definitely worth it."

"It is," Aegon nodded in agreement.

Xiu wiped her mouth and moved along the table, removing lids one by one.

"Now let me introduce the rest of the food. This is our main meal. Ashfire Boar Roast, a whole boar slow-roasted over emberwood. The skin is crisp, the meat smoky and oily. This is the kind of dish that makes people forget manners in the northern regions of the Empire."

She didn't stop there and continued explaining, while everyone waited patiently, ready to devour all the delicious food. Seeing her enthusiasm was fun in itself so they didn't even mind it.

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