The Demon Among The Knights-Chapter 41 - 37 – The Reluctant Bath

The grand bathhouse was a marvel of ancient architecture, a place where knights, nobles, and warriors alike cleansed themselves before grand feasts and ceremonies. The high ceilings were adorned with intricate carvings of gods and legends, and the soft glow of enchanted lanterns bathed the room in warm light. Steam rose in thick, swirling clouds from the vast stone pool, which was carved directly from the mountain itself, filled with naturally heated water infused with fragrant herbs. The scent of lavender and eucalyptus drifted through the air, meant to soothe aching bodies and weary souls.

Amid this serene setting stood Luci—rigid, unmoving, and utterly unimpressed. His toned, battle-worn body was wrapped in nothing but a simple white towel, hanging loosely from his waist, barely covering his muscular frame. His arms were folded, his expression blank as five knights struggled against the immovable force that was Luci.

"Come on, just get in!" one knight groaned, his face red from exertion.

"You reek," another added, pinching his nose dramatically.

"When was the last time you even bathed?" a third knight chimed in, his hands pressed against Luci’s back, pushing with all his might.

Luci, unmoved as if he were made of stone, merely scoffed. "Baths are unnecessary."

"But it’s tradition!" another knight whined, pushing with both hands.

"Before the grand feast, everything and everyone must be cleansed," a senior knight explained, struggling to shove Luci forward. "The entire kingdom follows this ritual. Even the king himself bathes before the feast!"

"I don’t see how that concerns me," Luci said flatly, still not budging.

One of the knights, exhausted from the futile effort, sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I heard they changed the feast’s main dish from pork to roasted chicken this year."

Another knight smirked and leaned in. "Yeah, but if you refuse to bathe... maybe they won’t let you participate. No roasted chicken for you."

Silence.

For the first time, Luci’s sharp crimson eyes flickered with something akin to panic. He turned his head slowly, looking at the knight who had dared to suggest such a thing. "...What did you just say?"

The knight took a step back but maintained his smirk. "If you’re not cleansed, you might not be allowed to join the feast."

Before he could even finish his sentence, Luci sprang into action. With a blur of movement, he launched himself forward, diving headfirst into the steaming water with a thunderous splash. A wave of hot water erupted from the pool, drenching the five knights instantly.

Spluttering, the knights wiped water from their faces as Luci emerged from the depths, his soaked hair clinging to his face, red eyes burning with resolve.

"No one," he growled, shaking water from his face, "will stop me from eating roasted chicken that day."

The knights exchanged looks before bursting into laughter, some still wringing out their soaked towels.

"Well," one knight chuckled, "that worked better than expected."

As Luci leaned back against the stone edge of the bath, steam rising around him, he exhaled in contentment.

The steam rose lazily from the vast stone bath, filling the room with a soft, misty haze. The tension from earlier had dissipated, replaced by an almost tranquil atmosphere. The six figures lounged in the heated water, the soothing warmth seeping into their tired muscles.

Luci, his chains resting heavily at the bath’s edge, leaned back against the stone wall. His crimson eyes half-lidded with relaxation as he muttered, "I didn’t know baths could be this satisfying."

A knight chuckled. "By the way, I heard they gave you your own private bath."

Another knight grinned. "Yeah, but I also heard it was completely destroyed. What happened?"

Luci’s expression darkened slightly. "...I don’t want to talk about it."

---

[Flashback]

Inside a luxurious private bath, carved from polished obsidian and filled with crystal-clear, steaming water, Luci stood with his arms crossed. The dim glow of magical lanterns flickered across the walls, casting eerie shadows on the smooth surface of the water.

"I am not going into that," Luci muttered, staring at the bath with disdain. "I don’t like baths."

His eyes drifted across the surface when something small caught his attention—a wooden duck floating lazily in the water.

Luci’s pupils narrowed.

"...I remember this." His voice was low, dangerous.

His mind flashed back to memories of his past, of the old wizard Merlin who had constantly spied on him.

"That wooden bird... Merlin used to use something just like it to spy on me." His jaw clenched, his fingers twitched. "Well, I’ll destroy it in one blow."

The moment he raised his fist, a thunderous BOOM shook the entire chamber. The walls cracked, the ceiling trembled, and the ground beneath him shuddered as an explosive shockwave of raw power erupted from his body. The bath’s structure groaned in protest as the magical reinforcements struggled to contain his strength.

But Luci wasn’t done. His eyes flicked to another wooden duck at the far end of the bath.

"They put another one?! I won’t let anyone spy on me again!"

He lunged forward, shattering the entire foundation of the chamber with a single strike. The floor caved in, water burst through the cracks, and the entire room trembled as if an earthquake had struck.

Just then, the door swung open, and Daniel stormed in, his expression caught between horror and frustration.

"Luci! What the hell are you doing?!"

Luci turned, his hands still clenched into fists. "So, you guys decided to spy on me with these wooden birds, huh?"

Daniel blinked, then sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Wooden birds? Oh... you mean the duck?"

Luci narrowed his eyes. "Yeah."

Daniel crossed his arms. "Luci... that’s just a bath decoration."

Silence.

A single drop of water echoed in the wreckage of the bath.

"...Oh," Luci muttered.

Daniel exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "You’ve already destroyed this place. I’ll tell Brian... he’ll decide where you’ll bathe now."

---

[Present]

Luci crossed his arms and muttered, "Yeah... definitely don’t want to talk about it."

The knights burst into laughter. One of them, still grinning, leaned forward. "By the way, you don’t seem to scare easily. But do you realize you’re bathing with five of the strongest knights in the kingdom?"

Luci raised an eyebrow. "You don’t fear me?"

One of the knights smirked. "We’re not ordinary knights."

Another nodded. "We are the Secret Assault Squad, led by Christian—the strongest knight after Brian."

"Wait," Luci said, narrowing his eyes. "If you’re so strong... where were you guys during the war?"

A knight shrugged. "We’re a covert unit. We don’t fight in open battles."

Another grinned. "Every one of us holds a Gold Rank—and I’d bet that all of us together could take you down."

Luci smirked. A dangerous glint flickered in his crimson eyes.

"Is that so...?"

---

The Five Knights of the Secret Assault Squad

Each knight in the Secret Assault Squad had their own distinct presence. They weren’t just warriors; they were living legends, each with their own strengths and battle styles.

1. Reinhart the Unshaken (Gold Knight, Chosen by Ral’Zek, God of Unyielding Force)

A towering knight with a physique akin to a walking fortress. His silver hair is tied back, revealing stern, battle-worn eyes.

Abilities: Ral’Zek grants him the power of Immovable Dominion, making his body as unyielding as divine steel. Once he plants his feet, no force in the mortal realm can move him. Even when struck, the damage is returned to the attacker tenfold.

He stands with arms crossed, amused by Luci’s defiance. "Even if you threw me off a mountain, I’d land in the same spot," he often boasts.

2. Gareth the Stormbrand (Gold Knight, Chosen by Xythos, God of Celestial Tempests)

A wild-haired knight with golden tattoos across his arms that shimmer like lightning. His piercing green eyes always seem to spark with energy.

Abilities: Xythos grants him the Wrath of the Unchained Sky, allowing him to summon localized tempests, hurling bolts of lightning and accelerating his movements to near-instantaneous speeds.

"If a storm wants something gone, it gets rid of it," he says with a smirk, often tapping his fingers against surfaces to produce tiny electric arcs.

3. Silva the Whisperblade (Gold Knight, Chosen by Elos, God of the Unseen Veil)

A lithe, dark-haired knight with an eerie stillness to him, clad in robes that blend seamlessly with shadows. His blue eyes seem to flicker between presence and absence.

Abilities: Elos grants him Void Step, enabling him to vanish from perception. He exists in the blurred space between reality and nothingness, allowing him to strike without warning.

"You can’t hit what you don’t believe exists," he says, speaking softly yet always being heard.

4. Darian the Titanflame (Gold Knight, Chosen by Pyrrhos, God of Enduring Fire)

A broad-shouldered knight with crimson hair and arms wrapped in scorched bandages. His breath often exhales faint embers.

Abilities: Pyrrhos grants him Everlasting Inferno, a power where his body produces divine fire that never extinguishes. His blade burns perpetually, and his resilience allows him to fight even when mortally wounded.

"If I fall, my flame will still burn in my place," he declares, always carrying the scent of charred air.

5. Orin the Hollowed Fang (Gold Knight, Chosen by Vexos, God of Starved Predation) 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

The most unsettling among them, a lean, dark-skinned knight with sharp features and almost unnatural hunger in his golden eyes. His teeth are sharper than normal, hinting at something inhuman.

Abilities: Vexos grants him Devourer’s Pact, a terrifying power where every wound he inflicts weakens his foe and strengthens himself. If he slays someone, he temporarily inherits fragments of their strength.

"The hunt never ends," he whispers, always watching as if assessing prey.

As they all sat in the steaming bath, Luci eyed each of them carefully. He could tell—they were strong.

But could they truly take him down?

A smirk curled at his lips.

"This kingdom might be more interesting than I thought."

---

To be continued...