[Bonus chapter]Aeptian's Coup

Aeptian Town, with pride, stood over the blazing sands of the Scorching Desert. The powerful barrier protected the townsfolk and kept them hidden from the outside world for ages.

The town itself prospered. Merchants came and went from all over. Up to some point, king Tobio even allowed humans to enter as long as it brought good business and they kept the existence of the Demon Town a secret.

King Tobio ruled over his subjects with kindness. All was well until a few years ago when the Heroes arrived. They chased demons all over the world and some of them sought refuge within Aeptian.

King Tobio opened the doors to those who needed it and took them in. Granted them a place to stay and work to contribute along with the other residents. Though this was something that some people frowned upon, including the king's brother, Gor. Regardless, the thought of discarding those in need never crossed his mind.

Dissatisfaction brewed for quite a while until he had enough. He rallied a rather mistreated clan and arranged secret meetings with them. He made promises of nobility and better living conditions.

Gor misled and manipulated the snake men. Together, they staged a coup to overthrow king Tobio. According to Gor, their Queen Celia would be the next ruler of Aeptian and without her consent, they went along with Gor's plan and advanced to the palace.

The darkest of nights had the brightest full moon, as if it wanted to shine through Gor's facade and lies, but to no avail. The moment he entered the gates of the palace, he couldn't control his face from making a smug face.

Gor, as the king's brother, had access to the palace, and infiltrating an army wasn't hard to achieve. He opened the gates and let the snake men in. With Gor at the front, they didn't show mercy to anyone within the palace. That night, they slaughtered most of the Royal Guards and captured king Tobio.

The gasping of the young princess in the silent night echoed in the same rhythm as her beating heart. She escaped the predicament of the palace and fled towards the snake men's territory, hoping to find queen Celia and put an end to her uncle's plans.

What she didn't expect was a hero expecting her at the borders. He grabbed her hand and dragged all the way back to the palace. Just as they were wrapping up, Gor went to the King's study. He laughed so hard that he couldn't breathe afterwards, ending with him coughing blood.

Unexpectedly, inside the study, the Hero was waiting for him with the princess tied up. His voice was deep, resonating power. He had a strong build and icy blue eyes, and a piece of tattered black cloth covered his face. "You missed one."

The princess looked up and saw the surprised look on his face. "Uncle?! Why did you do something like this?"

The Hero snickered at him. "You have a witness here. She was about to get that wretched Queen Celia. That's something that would put a nail on our plans."

Gor nodded nervously. "I-I know. I still have that bottle that you gave me…"

He rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a small bottle. He removed the lid and approached the shivering princess. "I'm sorry, niece, but this is going to happen!"

"Uncle… what's that?!"

Gor looked at the bottle in his hands and then at the corner of his eyes, the frightened girl. "Desert Scorpion's venom!"

No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't get the ropes loose. The hero forced open her mouth for the poison. Gor closed his eyes as if he didn't want to witness it. Her tears run endlessly down her pale cheeks. "No… Don't!"

It took a while for the ingested poison to take effect and, silently; the princess listened to their conversation.

The Hero punched Gor in the stomach. "What the hell? Why did you give her the entire bottle?"

He kicked his face. Blood splattered and painted the study's floor. "We said a couple of drops, you damn idiot!"

The Hero paced back and forth and punched or kicked Gor whenever he felt annoyed. He grabbed his hair and pulled him up, looking straight into his eyes. "Listen here; You have a month, maybe two, to fix her. I'll slow down the effects!"

"But… But how? There's no cure…"

Once again, the Hero punched him in the gut, sending him flying to the other side of the room. "Figure it out!"

That's when the princess lost consciousness. She opened her eyes again after Nox had given her the antidote.

As soon as Gor took over as king, he exiled the snake men and imprisoned Queen Celia. On a single night, he took over and let the rumor spread that his brother tried to take the throne from him, making the execution of the supposed traitor desired by the people.

Of course, that's not a feat he could achieve, without the help of a Hero, who cast a spell on Aeptian, making it easier for Gor to manipulate them.