Chapter 88: Of Fire That Feeds, Burns, and Endures
Chapter 88: Of Fire That Feeds, Burns, and Endures
Elyn’s POV
Morthen adjusted his glasses, the faint clink of metal against chitin cutting through the lingering tension in the room.
"The Hellfire Territory," he said, "is ruled by Lord Ignivar."
I nodded immediately. That wasn’t news at all; I already knew that.
"I’ve said it before, but the Hellfire Territory is one of the most dangerous territories in the demon realm."
"Yes," I told him.
He turned slightly, clasping his hands behind his back as he began to pace.
"The land itself is hostile. Rivers of lava cut through cities like veins. Meteor showers are not rare occurrences but expected cycles. The ground fractures, seals itself, and fractures again. Firestorms sweep across plains without warning."
"It’s that dangerous?" I asked in shock, but Vaelory did not share that same reaction.
Instead, her eyes lit up as if she had just discovered a mine.
"There is lava!" she squealed, turning to me triumphantly. "I told you, Your Highness. My third cousin’s sister’s father’s neighbour’s uncle’s sister’s mother’s brother’s niece’s sister-in-law’s cousin’s nephew wasn’t wrong after all."
I paused. The fact that she still remembered this was surprising, and at the same time... well, this was Vaelory.
I sighed. "You said the demon realm was full of lava, Vaelory. It’s not. Only the Hellfire Territory is."
She waved that off immediately. "That doesn’t matter, Your Highness. It means that there is lava here, and that my third cousin’s sister’s father’s neighbour’s uncle’s sister’s mother’s brother’s niece’s sister-in-law’s cousin’s nephew was right after all."
Morthen stopped pacing and looked between us.
"...I do not understand what she is talking about."
"You don’t need to worry about that. Just continue with what you were saying," I told him.
Morthen was smart, but I knew he wouldn’t be able to comprehend the fact that Vaelory’s third cousin’s sister’s father’s neighbour’s uncle’s sister’s mother’s brother’s niece’s sister-in-law’s cousin’s nephew had told her the demon realm was filled with lava.
Even just saying how the story was passed down was ridiculous. And Zorathys had talked about how everyone in the human realm always claimed it was their third cousin’s sister’s father’s neighbour’s uncle’s sister’s mother’s brother’s—you know what, let’s end it there. What I did know was that Vaelory was wrong, and that whoever told her that information wasn’t actually a family relation.
Morthen frowned slightly, then gave an imperceptible nod before continuing.
"As I was saying," he continued, "it is still considered a marvel that some of the finest chefs in the demon realm originate from the Hellfire Territory."
"Like Kethra?" I asked.
He nodded. "Exactly. It confuses everyone," Morthen said. "But fire demons understand heat in ways others do not. To them, cooking is not simply preparation—it is control, precision, and balance."
I nodded. "Do the fire demons have classifications or types, or are they all one, like the succubi?" I asked.
"Fire demons," he said, "are not a single homogeneous group. They are categorized by how they interact with fire—not merely by their ability to produce it."
He raised one finger.
"First are the Cinderborn."
I listened carefully.
"They are considered lesser fire demons," he explained. "They are not weak, though—they are lesser in scope."
"They can generate and control small flames," he continued. "They are immune to ordinary fire and highly resistant to extreme temperatures. Most forges, kitchens, and defensive structures rely on Cinderborn labor."
"So Kethra is a Cinderborn demon?" I asked.
"Yes, my lady."
He raised another finger.
"Next are the Pyrelords and Pyreladies."
Even the way he said it carried weight.
"These are noble fire demons. Fire as authority."
"They possess large-scale fire manipulation," he said. "The Pyrelord to take note of is Lord Ignivar."
"I already got that when you said they were nobles. Is Ignivar the only Pyrelord?" I asked.
"Not really. But he’s the strongest Pyrelord in the realm, and it should also be noted that he is a general as well."
"Oh?" I asked, intrigued, and he nodded.
"But we will get to the armies later."
Morthen raised a third finger.
"There are also the Ashbound," he told us, "and the berserkers. To be honest," he said, adjusting his glasses, "it would be better if you could see them in person, my lady."
"Maybe I’ll get the opportunity to do so."
He nodded. "It should also be noted, my lady, that most of the mines are found in the Hellfire Territory."
Why was I not surprised? From what he had told us, it didn’t even sound the least bit surprising that these people would have more mines. Imagine a place plagued by meteors not having a single mine at all.
"And the fire demons have one of the highest numbers of nobles due to how vast the land is. Lord Ignivar is the Duke, but there are other nobles who work under him. And word has it that he even gets tired sometimes due to how many fights break out in the territory."
I sat up straighter.
"Fights? Why?"
"Sometimes it’s because of gambling gone wrong. Sometimes it’s just because they like it, and sometimes it’s due to mine passage—but most times, it’s due to a grudge. It’s a common occurrence, and most times the only person who can put a stop to it is the duchess. But seeing as she’s gone back to her territory, it’s a lot harder for Lord Ignivar," Morthen told us.
My gossip senses tingled.
"The duchess left the territory?"
Morthen nodded. "We don’t know the full reason, but we do know that Lord Ignivar and his wife are having issues, and she went back to the Kitsunegawa Territory."
I paused. "Is the Kitsunegawa Territory not home to the fox demons?" I asked.
"Yes," Morthen said with a nod. "The duchess of the Hellfire Territory is a fox demon with the flame attribute."
Oh?
"There’s intermarriage between different demons?" I asked.
"It’s very common. But the most famous couple is Lord Ignivar and his wife—and now that she has gone back to the Kitsunegawa Territory, many people are trying to get him to marry them."