The Life of Lust Demon

This was the second time Anos found himself at the bustling Hunter's Guild. No matter the hour, the place was always lively, with mercenaries swapping tales, negotiating contracts, or simply loitering around. The energy in the air felt almost electric. Ignoring the crowd, Anos strode confidently toward the familiar door of The Iron Reavers Mercenaries Cafe and pushed it open.

"Welcome to The Iron Reavers Mercenaries Group," came Nora's ever-sweet voice, lilting with practiced charm.

Anos grinned. "Hello, beautiful big sisters," he greeted with exaggerated sweetness, his words carrying just the right mix of charm and mischief. His tone was like sunshine, instantly drawing attention.

At the far end of the room, Zoey, seated in front of her computer, spun her chair around so fast she nearly toppled over. Her sharp eyes locked onto him.

"What now, troublemaker?" she snapped, though the slight twitch of her lips betrayed her mixed feelings. Whether she liked it or not, Anos seemed to have a knack for occupying her thoughts. She couldn't decide if that irritated or amused her.

The cafe felt quiet with just the three of them present—Zoey and Nora sharing the space, one busy at her screen and the other casually lounging nearby. Explore stories at empire

"What am I doing here?" Anos echoed, his grin widening as he walked further in. He raised his hand in mock authority. "Obviously, I've come to teach you a lesson.

Nora's lips parted slightly in surprise. This was the first time she'd seen someone speak to Zoey in such a bold manner—and more shockingly, Zoey didn't explode in rage. Then again, she remembered that Anos had saved everyone in Chillwater Valley. Zoey's unusually reserved reaction suddenly made sense.

"Don't even try it!" Zoey snapped, glaring at Anos with a mix of indignation and reluctant amusement.

"You two chat for a bit. I'll pour Anos a cup of coffee. Do you want sugar?" Nora interjected with a knowing smile, already turning toward the coffee machine.

"I'll do it!" Zoey said abruptly, snatching the cup from Nora's hands with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.

"Oh?" Anos quirked an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "The mighty Zoey, making coffee for me? I didn't know I was so special."

Zoey smiled sweetly, though there was an unmistakable hint of mischief in her tone. "Of course! As the leader of The Iron Reavers, it's my responsibility to treat our guests well. Besides, my coffee-making skills are top-notch. You'll love it!"

"Uh-huh…" Anos said slowly, his gaze shifting to Nora, who had a bemused look on her face. She gave him a subtle wink that immediately reminded him of something Oscar had mentioned before—the time someone had disrespected her and found their drink spiked with knockout powder.

As Anos turned his attention back to Zoey, her overly chipper behavior set off alarm bells in his mind. There was no way this sudden display of hospitality was entirely genuine.

"Zoey, let's be real," Anos said with a mischievous smirk, stepping closer to her. "You're barely taller than the workbench, and now you're trying to play barista? I'd rather have Little Nora make my coffee."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Zoey froze, her eyes narrowing as she shot him a look of pure indignation. "…"

"You're not allowed to call Big Sister Nora that!" she huffed, her voice laced with mock severity.

Anos raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

Zoey clenched her fists, clearly trying to suppress the urge to smack him. Ahh! This guy's insufferable!

Nora, standing nearby, smiled warmly at the exchange. "It's fine. Friends can call each other however they want."

Anos grinned playfully. "Then can I call you 'darling'?"

Nora paused for a moment, then shook her head with a laugh. "Uh… I'll just go make coffee for you."

Without missing a beat, Nora walked off, leaving the two of them standing together. Zoey crossed her arms and stomped up to Anos, her expression full of mock disdain. "Did you come here just to fight?"

Anos nodded nonchalantly. "Of course, I'm still waiting for you to call me 'big brother.'"

Zoey rolled her eyes, puffing out her cheeks. "Humph! You're asking for it now! I'll beat you until you cry!"

Anos shot her a playful grin. "I think you're the one who's going to be crying."

Nora's voice cut in from behind them as she returned with the coffee. "Don't rush things. Have a cup of coffee first. Grandpa will be here soon."

At the mention of 'Grandpa,' Zoey sighed dramatically. "Alright, alright," she muttered. "I'll let you show off for a while longer."

----

They sat down at the table, Anos leaning over to glance at Zoey's computer. He raised an eyebrow, confused by the strings of code on the screen.

"What are you working on?" he asked.

Zoey looked up, her grin full of confidence. "Just a little project of mine."

"A project? What kind of project?" Anos asked, still trying to make sense of the lines of code.

Nora placed a cup of coffee in front of him, sitting beside them with a warm smile. "Anos, you might not know this, but Zoey's the genius behind a lot of what we do at the Iron Reavers. All the systems and programs we run? That's her work. Even the gadgets you've seen us use? Designed by her."

Anos blinked in surprise, now truly focused on Zoey. "Wait, Zoey, all that tech? That's all your doing?"

Zoey puffed out her chest, pleased with the recognition. "Yep, it's all mine."

"Seriously?" Anos said, clearly surprised. "I thought that stuff came from some big corporation or something, not from you."

Zoey smiled smugly. "Well, now you know."

Anos grinned, recovering his composure. "Impressive! But you know, you still owe me something."

Zoey raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What do I owe you now?"

Anos leaned back in his chair, grinning mischievously. "You've got to start calling me 'Big Brother.'"

Zoey's eyes narrowed in mock annoyance, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "Ha! Keep dreaming! Maybe if you manage to beat me, I'll think about it."

Nora chuckled at their playful banter. "Zoey also invented the infrared detection software that everyone uses. It's been a huge hit and has made us quite a bit of money."

Anos raised an eyebrow, his eyes widening. "Wait, that software? You created that?"

Zoey nodded, her eyes sparkling with pride. "Yep, and it's patented. We made millions off it."

Anos leaned back, thoroughly impressed. "Okay, now I'm speechless."

Zoey smirked, clearly enjoying the attention. "Thought you'd figure it out eventually."

Anos smirked back. "Well, since you're so talented, I've got an idea for you. How about you invent something for me?"

Zoey looked intrigued. "What kind of invention?"

"A spray," Anos said with a mischievous grin. "A spray that makes any girl follow me around and do whatever I want."

Zoey's eyes narrowed, not amused. "How about I invent a spray that makes you like men instead?"

Anos blinked, caught off guard. "Uh… didn't see that one coming."

Nora bit her lip, trying not to laugh at their exchange. Anos quickly changed the subject.

"Alright, enough of that. Is everyone here now?"

Zoey nodded, her expression becoming more serious. "Yeah, everyone's resting. The mission's done, but we're all a little banged up. No new missions for now."

Zoey reached into her bag and pulled out a small card, handing it to Anos. "This is for you. The password is 0021."

Anos took the card, inspecting it. "How much?"

"Four hundred thousand," Zoey replied casually.

Anos stared, surprised. "Four hundred thousand? That's... a lot."

"We earned 1.2 million from this mission," Zoey explained. "You get your share."

Anos hesitated. "But... that's too much. If I take four hundred thousand, the others only get a small cut. They risked their lives too."

Zoey looked at him seriously. "If it wasn't for you, none of us would be here. You earned it."

Anos sighed, realizing there was no point in arguing. "Alright, fine. I'll take it. But don't expect me to get used to it."

Just then, the door to the café opened, and an elderly man entered.

"Grandpa!" Zoey exclaimed, her voice soft and affectionate. Anos was caught off guard by the change in her tone. It was the first time he'd ever heard her speak so warmly.

---

Evan Arthur nodded with a smile as he turned to Anos. "Ah, you're here."

"Yeah, just arrived. Had a chat with Zoey and the others," Anos replied casually.

Evan sat down next to him, clapping him on the shoulder. "Anos, I haven't properly thanked you yet for saving everyone, especially Zoey."

Anos shrugged, a humble expression crossing his face. "It wasn't a big deal."

Evan shook his head with a serious look. "No, it's not the same. Zoey is the only heir to the Arthur family. Her parents are always caught up in their own work and couldn't even make it here when this happened. They could only check in with a quick call. If anything had happened to Zoey, we would've had no idea how to handle it. So, I took the liberty of getting something for you. It's not much compared to what you've done, but I hope you'll accept it."

He reached into his coat and pulled out a thick book, setting it in front of Anos.

Anos raised an eyebrow and opened the book, scanning the pages. "What's this?" He asked, noticing the martial arts symbols. It was a skill book!

.....