The Demon’s Menu

Barney Clark, the son of the Duke of Fort Swallow, appeared on the steps of Duron Street number 111.

The other party didn’t come down but instead nodded at Jason, a gesture that served as a greeting.

Jason’s understanding of the Duke’s son was limited to their brief encounter at the embassy that night.

Afterwards?

It was all arranged by the old butler Reed.

The Duke’s daughter suffered backlash from a Ritual Summoning, and the origins of the Ritual Summoning method were still under investigation.

The Butler of Fort Swallow had already set off to return to Fort Swallow to report all that had transpired at Hans Port to the Duke of Fort Swallow.

Simply put, the old butler Reed doubted the sincerity of Fort Swallow’s alliance through marriage.

Because, from the signs at this moment, the start of the rumors traced back to the Duke of Fort Swallow’s daughter.

On the surface, they were still allies about to be united through marriage.

Therefore, Jason responded with a nod of his own.

Gerard turned around and looked at the Duke’s son with a polite smile on his face.

“Good evening, Lord Kela.”

“Good evening, Lord Gerard.”

After a brief exchange of greetings, both turned and went their separate ways.

Jason watched the Duke’s son’s back, his eyes filled with contemplation.

The other party just happened to come out when he returned?

A bit coincidental.

Even if it was for a walk, this wouldn’t be the place to come; the beach would be far more fitting.

“He doesn’t have much malice.”

“He probably came to confirm whether you, Jason, had safely returned and also carried a bit of probing.”

“Come on, I have prepared a sumptuous dinner for you.”

Gerard laughed as he slung an arm over Jason’s shoulder and spoke.

Jason nodded, then pushed his doubts to the back of his mind, and followed Gerard forward.

Dennise, having heard of the sumptuous dinner, jumped up excitedly as well.

They did not take the carriage.

The three of them walked, with Jason and Gerard in front, Dennise following behind, and a team of guards scattered around to maintain a distance that wouldn’t disturb the three but could still respond to any emergent situations.

Dennise was somewhat unaccustomed to this.

However, upon discovering several snails among the palm trees, she quickly forgot about these concerns.

Listened to Dennise’s laughter from behind, Gerard, walking calmly beside his cousin Jason, felt a sense of warmth well up from the bottom of his heart.

As the ruler of Hans Port, he rarely had the opportunity to experience such a feeling.

The last time?

It was probably over twenty years ago.

Back then, his mother was very busy, and it was his father who had always been with him.

During the ‘Sea God Festival,’ his mother took a bit of time to walk by the sea with him and his father, then she hurried away again.

The time was brief.

But warm.

Just like this moment.

Sigh.

Gerard took a deep breath, turned his head to look at Jason, and asked with a smile:

“How do you feel?”

His words carried the concern of an elder brother.

“I’m fine.”

“I’ve been through battles before.”

“I’m not a rookie who gets sick at the sight of blood.”

Jason answered truthfully.

The trials of the Nightless City had long since transformed him from a rookie into a seasoned veteran.

There might still be many deficiencies.

But no longer that sense of unease.

Gerard looked at his cousin’s calm demeanor, raised his hand to pat Jason’s shoulder.

“That’s good.”

Gerard breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn’t want his cousin to suffer any harm.

Whether it be physical or psychological.

“Starting from tomorrow, I will teach you some swordsmanship, martial arts, and marksmanship,” Jason said.

“They are all from the Griffin school and can effectively improve your physical conditioning.”

“As for the Griffin Body Refinement Technique…”

“When your fundamentals reach a certain level, let’s give it a try first. If it doesn’t work, I’ll help you find a more suitable core secret technique!”

Gerard spoke.

Originally, he had hoped to train his cousin after some time had passed.

He wished his cousin could have a longer time of peace and happiness.

But his old adversary had already made a move, and judging by his understanding of the opponent, once the opponent had made a move, they wouldn’t stop unless one party was completely dead.

Core secret technique!

Upon hearing this term, Jason instinctively thought of the Night Watcher’s “Protection Against Evil”.

From the information he received, “Protection Against Evil” should be the core skill of the Night Watcher profession.

At least, for now, it was.

Because, he didn’t know what changes would occur once the professional level advanced.

Thinking about this, Jason thought of the Night Watcher’s advanced profession, ‘Nightless City Watcher’.

Looking at ‘Nightless City Watcher’, which just needed one more monster trait to complete all prerequisite conditions, Jason couldn’t help but ask, “Gerard, do you know about the Kababa beast and the Rondo beast?”

“Kababa beast is a short and skinny creature, similar to a monkey. They are agile, with sharp teeth and good at hiding. However, a flintlock gun can deal effective damage to them.”

“The Rondo beast is much more powerful!”

“Not only can it become invisible in the wind, creating wind blades, but it can also manipulate the undead. Especially the adult Rondos, the number of undead they can control skyrockets, and they can even create storms, making them extremely troublesome. For a relatively long period in ancient times, people regarded it as the Reaper of storms―there are still quite a few small groups in Hans Port that worship and offer sacrifices to it.”

“To deal with a Rondo, at least a large-scale Blair Exorcism Technique is required.”

“And this requires the cooperation of thirty people, making it extremely difficult to accomplish.”

“Jason, if you encounter a Rondo, remember to temporarily avoid it and inform me. I’ll help you deal with it.”

Without any request for a reason, upon hearing Jason’s question, Gerard immediately answered and then affectionately cautioned Jason.

Jason slightly nodded.

His eyes, however, were on the text in front of him.

[Night Watcher advancement to ‘Nightless City Watcher’ in progress…]

[Night Watcher induction (complete)]

[Protection Against Evil (Proficient) (complete)]

[Hunt ten different monsters and know their traits: 10/10 (complete)]

[3 night battles (complete)]

[Requirements met. Would you like to spend 10 points of satiety and 1 point of Excitement of Feast to advance from Night Watcher? Yes/No]

…

Jason did not choose to advance for the time being.

He prepared to find a quiet place late at night to complete the advancement.

As for the ring, Jason took the ring off his index finger and handed it to Gerard.

“You didn’t use the ‘Protector’s Ring’?”

Gerard was taken aback.

From the information he received, his cousin had been subjected to explosions, burning, and gunfire. In his mind, the ‘Protector’s Ring’ should have been consumed already.

“I’m used to doing things my way.”

“It’s more suitable for you.”

“Or…”

“Someone else.”

Jason said.

Gerard looked straight into the eyes of his cousin, seeing the tranquility in those eyes, he couldn’t help but sigh.

“I’m your older cousin,” Gerard said.

“You’ve given me plenty,” Jason laughed lightly, his gaze not wavering at all.

Steadfast and stubborn.

Looking at Jason at that moment, Gerard always felt like he was looking in a mirror.

When he faced certain matters, he would also reveal such a gaze.

Gerard couldn’t help but smile slightly.

He said with a light laugh:

“But I think it’s not enough.”