Apart from the intense longing he could genuinely sense from the demon, Mulan didn't believe a single word it said. Nor was he particularly afraid of it. In fact, if the old wizard were willing to help, Mulan would have liked to drive Fang straight through both the bottle's stopper and the demon.
Ever since last time, Fang's uncanny transformation had become increasingly pronounced. Since it could devour those spirits, it could certainly injure the demon in its current state, perhaps even tear off a mouthful of its spiritual form. But Mulan wouldn't so much as raise the request, partly for fear of exposing himself, and partly because the old wizard would never agree.
After all, whatever else it might be, the demon was the old wizard's property. Yes, property. Magic that created and summoned demons wasn't so easy to perform. The formative world of the Warlocks of Varata followed one fundamental principle: magical power could not arise from nothing, and powerful spells demanded a price.
Mulan was therefore certain that the old wizard had paid some price to summon this demon. Especially with such a strong independent consciousness, it qualified as an upper demon according to the definitions in Varata's teachings and several other Magic Books. It had simply come to grief because its original body had been incomplete.
Mulan wouldn't study the demon today. Instead, he locked the bottle in a chest at home, then hurried straight out of the Black Castle. He had already received word that the queen had summoned him.
The seeds he had planted earlier had sprouted. The bigwigs at the top might still be able to sit tight over the corruption at the Imperial Military Headquarters, but some of the people handling the actual work below them were already growing restless.
However, the